Content reproducing apparatus for reproducing content that is stream data divided into a plurality of reply segments, and content transmitting/receiving system

Abstract

A content reproducing apparatus according to the present invention is such that the content reproducing apparatus judges whether or not reproducing data of a replay segment pointed out by the skip instruction is skippable when a skip instruction from a user is accepted while a content is being reproduced. When a result of judgment is negative to the skip instruction, an alternative data is reproduced in place of data of the replay segment hat has been instructed to be skipped. When the reproducing of the alternative data is completed, so that data of the replay segment successive to the replay segment pointed out by the skip instruction is executed.

1 - 24 . (canceled)  
   
   
       25 . A content transmitting/receiving system comprising: 
 a content receiving/reproducing apparatus; and    a content transmitting apparatus,    the content receiving/reproducing apparatus including:    a reproducing unit operable to reproduce a content while sequentially receiving the content by a packet, the content being stream data divided into a plurality of replay segments;    an accepting unit operable to accept an instruction from a user while the content is being reproduced; and    a notifying unit operable to, if the instruction is a skip instruction that instructs skipping reproduction of data of a first replay segment, notify the content transmitting apparatus of specifying information to specify the first replay segment, the first replay segment being one of the plurality of replay segments in the content,    the content transmitting apparatus including:    a transmitting unit operable to break the content into a plurality of packets and transmit the content sequentially by the packet;    an alternative data storing unit operable to store a plurality of alternative data which is reproducible by the content receiving/reproducing apparatus; and    a controlling unit operable to control so that, when notified of the specifying information, an alternative data is transmitted in place of data that is being transmitted, and data of a second replay segment is transmitted when transmitting the alternative data is completed, the second replay segment being located after the first replay segment on a reproducing time-line of the content.    
   
   
       26 . A content transmitting/receiving system according to  claim 25 , wherein 
 the content transmitting apparatus further comprises:    an additional information storing unit operable to store additional information indicating whether or not reproducing data of each of one of the plurality of replay segments in the content is skippable; and    a judging unit operable to judge, when the specifying information is notified by the notifying unit, whether or not reproducing data of the first replay segment specified by the specifying information is skippable by referring to the additional information, and wherein    the control unit controls so that, only when a judgement result in the judging unit is negative, the alternative data stored in the alternative data storing unit is transmitted in place of the data that is being transmitted, and the data of the second replay segment is reproduced when the reproducing of the alternative data is completed.    
   
   
       27 . A content transmitting/receiving system according to  claim 26 , wherein 
 the additional information further indicates correspondence between each of the plurality of replay segments that is unskippable and the alternative data, and    the control unit controls so that, only when the judgement result in the judging unit is negative, the alternative data which corresponds to the first replay segment based on the additional information is transmitted in place of data that is being transmitted, and the data of the second replay segment is reproduced when the reproducing of the alternative data is completed.    
   
   
       28 . A content transmitting/receiving system according to  claim 26 , wherein 
 the additional information further indicates correspondence between a first alternative data with a second alternative data, and    the control unit controls so that, when the specifying information notified by the notifying unit indicates the first alternative data, the second alternative data that corresponds to the first alternative data by referring to the additional information is transmitted in place of the data that is being transmitted.    
   
   
       29 . A content transmitting/receiving system according to  claim 25 , wherein 
 the content transmitting apparatus further comprises:    a specifying unit operable to specify a replay segment that contains time indicated by time information when the time information is notified by the notifying unit, the time information indicating the time on the reproducing time-line of the content, and wherein    the specifying information is the time information.    
   
   
       30 . A content transmitting/receiving system according to  claim 25 , wherein 
 the content transmitting apparatus further comprises:    a selecting unit operable to select the alternative data stored in the alternative data storing unit based on a predetermined priority when specifying information is notified by the notifying unit, and wherein    the control unit controls so that, when the specifying information is notified by the notifying unit, the alternative data selected by the selecting unit is transmitted in place of data that is being transmitted, and the data of the second replay segment is reproduced when the reproducing of the alternative data is completed.    
   
   
       31 . A content transmitting/receiving system according to  claim 30 , wherein 
 the predetermined priority is based on a reverse order of date in which the alternative data is stored.    
   
   
       32 . A content transmitting/receiving system according to  claim 30 , wherein 
 at least one of the plurality of alternative data stored in the alternative storing unit is a corresponding alternative data, the corresponding alternative data having a subject corresponds to a subject of a main part of the content and being given higher priority than the alternative data.    
   
   
       33 . A content transmitting/receiving system according to  claim 25 , wherein 
 the content receiving/reproducing apparatus further comprises:    a category designation accepting unit operable to accept a category designation from the user, wherein    the alternative data storing unit stores the alternative data categorized into a plurality of categories,    the notifying unit further notifies the content transmitting unit of a designated category, and    the controlling unit controls so that, when the designated category and the specifying information are notified by the notifying unit, the alternative data of a designated category is transmitted, and the data of the second replay segment is reproduced when the reproducing of the alternative data is completed, the second replay segment being located after the first replay segment on a reproducing time-line of the content.    
   
   
       34 . A content transmitting/receiving system according to  claim 25 , wherein 
 the controlling unit controls so that, when specifying information is notified by the notifying unit, a primary alternative data set for the first replay segment in advance is transmitted in place of the data that is being transmitted, and the data of the second replay segment is reproduced when the reproducing of the primary alternative data is completed.    
   
   
       35 . A content transmitting/receiving system comprising: 
 a content transmitting apparatus; and    a content receiving/reproducing apparatus,    the content transmitting apparatus comprising:    a transmitting unit operable to transmit a content and an alternative data to the content receiving/reproducing apparatus, the content being stream data divided into a plurality of replay segments,    the content receiving/reproducing apparatus comprising:    a receiving unit operable to receive the content and the alternative data;    an accepting unit operable to accept an instruction from a user while the content is being reproduced; and    a controlling unit operable to control so that, if the instruction is a skip instruction that instructs skipping reproduction of data of a first replay segment, the alternative data is reproduced in place of the data of the first replay segment, and data of a second replay segment is reproduced when the reproducing of the alternative data is completed, the first replay segment being one of replay segments in the content, the second replay segment being located after the first replay segment on a reproducing time-line of the content.    
   
   
       36 . A content transmitting/receiving system comprising: 
 a content transmitting apparatus; and    a content receiving/reproducing apparatus,    the content transmitting apparatus comprising:    a transmitting unit operable to transmit a content and attribute information to the content receiving/reproducing apparatus, the content being stream data divided into a plurality of replay segments, the attribute information indicating an attribute of each of the plurality of replay segments,    the content receiving/reproducing apparatus comprising:    a receiving unit operable to receive the content and the attribute information;    a designation accepting unit operable to accept a designation of one of the plurality of replay segments;    a detecting unit operable to detect, when the designation of a second replay segment from a user is accepted by the designation accepting unit while a first replay segment is being reproduced, whether or not one of the plurality of replay segments having a certain attribute exists between the first replay segment and the second replay segment by referring to the attribute information, the first replay segment being one of the plurality of replay segments in the content, the second replay segment being located after the first replay segment; and    a controlling unit operable to control so that, only when at least one replay segment having the certain attribute exists between the first replay segment and the second replay segment, data of the replay segment having the certain attribute is reproduced, and then data of the second replay segment is reproduced.    
   
   
       37 . A content transmitting apparatus comprising: 
 a transmitting unit operable to transmit a content to a terminal apparatus, the content being stream data divided into a plurality of replay segments;    an alternative data storing unit operable to store an alternative data which is reproducible by the terminal apparatus;    an accepting unit operable to accept specifying information to specify the replay segment notified by the terminal apparatus; and    a controlling unit operable to control so that, when the specifying information is accepted, the alternative data is transmitted in place of data that is being transmitted, and data of a second replay segment is reproduced when the reproducing of the alternative data is completed, the second replay segment being located after a first replay segment on a reproducing time-line of the content.    
   
   
       38 - 39 . (canceled)  
   
   
       40 . A method for transmitting content comprising: 
 a transmitting step for transmitting a content to a terminal apparatus, the content being stream data divided into a plurality of replay segments;    an accepting step for accepting specifying information to specify the replay segment notified by the terminal apparatus; and    a controlling step for controlling so that, when the specifying information is accepted, the alternative data is transmitted in place of data that is being transmitted, and data of a second replay segment is reproduced when the reproducing of the alternative data is completed, the second replay segment being located after a first replay segment on a reproducing time-line of the content.    
   
   
       41 - 42 . (canceled)  
   
   
       43 . A computer program for controlling content transmission used in a content transmitting apparatus having a CPU comprising: 
 a transmitting step for transmitting a content to a terminal apparatus, the content being stream data divided into a plurality of replay segments;    an accepting step for accepting specifying information to specify the replay segment notified by the terminal apparatus; and    a controlling step for controlling so that, when the specifying information is accepted, the alternative data is transmitted in place of data that is being transmitted, and data of a second replay segment is reproduced when the reproducing of the alternative data is completed, the second replay segment being located after a first replay segment on a reproducing time-line of the content.    
   
   
       44 - 45 . (canceled)  
   
   
       46 . Storage medium in which a computer program for controlling content transmission used in a content transmitting apparatus having a CPU is recorded, the computer program comprising: 
 a transmitting step for transmitting a content to a terminal apparatus, the content being stream data divided into a plurality of replay segments;    an accepting step for accepting specifying information to specify the replay segment notified by the terminal apparatus; and    a controlling step for controlling so that, when the specifying information is accepted, the alternative data is transmitted in place of data that is being transmitted, and data of a second replay segment is reproduced when the reproducing of the alternative data is completed, the second replay segment being located after a first replay segment on a reproducing time-line of the content.