Education and demonstration – Audio recording
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-28
2002-01-01
Cheng, Joe H. (Department: 3713)
Education and demonstration
Audio recording
C434S118000, C434S365000, C084S462000, C369S047120
Reexamination Certificate
active
06336028
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a software for playing contents and writing contents onto an internal or external recording medium of a portable contents playing device.
2) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, fee-based distribution of music contents on the Internet, generally known as Electronic Music Distribution (EMD), has been becoming popular. There have been opened many sites that distribute such contents. Contents are distributed by various distribution systems depending on the EMD service providers. Therefore, a contents playing software that corresponds to each of these distribution systems is necessary in order to enjoy those contents on personal computers (PCs). Currently, a contents playing software
101
such as one shown in
FIG. 1
, which is designed to enable the contents distributed by various distribution systems to be handled with a single contents playing software, is commonly used. The contents playing software
101
is designed to execute management and playing of the contents distributed by various distribution systems via a plug-in (an add-on software that adds a new function to the existing software, hereinafter called “EMD plug-in”). In other words, by adding an EMD plug-in to the contents playing software
101
, the contents distributed by various distribution systems can be handled by the contents playing software
101
. For the convenience of consumers, the contents playing software
101
also has a function to automatically obtain and add to itself an EMD plug-in on the Internet as necessary. This function shall be hereinafter called “automatic EMD plug-in adding function.”
Referring to the drawings, the structure and the operation of the contents playing software
101
is described below. The contents playing software
101
includes a controller
102
, a distribution system detector
103
, an EMD plug-in portion
104
, and an EMD plug-in controller
105
.
The controller
102
controls the distribution system detector
103
, the EMD plug-in portion
104
, and the EMD plug-in controller
105
. The controller
102
also controls the entirety of the contents playing software
101
. The controller
102
also receives various commands sent through an inputting means (not shown) such as a keyboard, and forwards the commands to each element as necessary.
The distribution system detector
103
checks the downloaded file to detect the distribution system of the contents.
The EMD plug-in, which is a plug-in for enabling the handling of the contents distributed by various systems, is installed into the EMD plug-in portion
104
.
FIG. 1
shows the EMD plug-in portion
104
having installed therein an EMD plug-in for Company A's system
106
(
a
), which is a plug-in for enabling the handling of the contents distributed by Company A's system, and an EMD plug-in for Company B's system
106
(
b
), which is a plug-in for enabling the handling of the contents distributed by Company B's system. The contents distributed by Company A's system, for example, is managed by the EMD plug-in for Company A's system
106
(
a
). When a consumer desires to play this contents, the EMD plug-in for Company A's system
106
(
a
) executes the processes for playing upon the command from the controller
102
, thereby outputting music data from an output device (not shown) such as a speaker.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, the EMD plug-in controller
105
includes an EMD plug-in presence detector
201
and an EMD plug-in installer
202
. Upon the commands from the plug-in controller
102
, the EMD plug-in controller
105
executes the installation of the EMD plug-in into the EMD plug-in portion
104
and controls the installed EMD plug-in. The EMD plug-in presence detector
201
detects whether an EMD plug-in corresponding to the distribution system detected by the distribution system detector
103
is already installed in the EMD plug-in portion
104
. This detection is executed by referring to an installed EMD plug-ins list
301
that lists installed EMD plug-ins with their versions as shown in FIG.
3
. The EMD plug-in presence detector
201
and the EMD plug-in installer
202
share the installed EMD plug-ins list
301
. If the EMD plug-in being sought is found not installed, the EMD plug-in presence detector
201
commands the EMD plug-in installer
202
to install the EMD plug-in. The EMD plug-in installer
202
, upon receiving the command from the EMD plug-in presence detector
201
, obtains the EMD plug-in from a site offering the EMD plug-in
108
and installs the EMD plug-in thus obtained into the EMD plug-in portion
104
. At this time, the installed EMD plug-ins list
301
is updated. The EMD plug-in installer
202
retains information on sites offering EMD plug-ins
401
, which lists the sites offering the EMD plug-ins for various distribution systems, along with their versions, as shown in FIG.
4
. Based on this information, the site offering the EMD plug-in
108
is identified. The information on sites offering EMD plug-ins
401
is updated as appropriate and placed on a predetermined, designated server. The EMD plug-in installer
202
communicates with this server upon starting up the contents playing software
101
, receiving the contents, or at any other proper timing. The EMD plug-in installer
202
obtains the information on sites offering EMD plug-ins
401
that is present on the server and newer than the information that the EMD plug-in installer
202
has. The aforesaid timing for obtaining information on sites offering EMD plug-ins
401
can be specified by the consumer on the contents playing software
101
.
Referring to the flow chart shown in
FIG. 5
, the operation of the contents playing software
101
when a consumer tries to obtain the contents is explained below.
First in S
501
, when the consumer visits a contents distribution site
107
by using a general Web browser and tries to obtain the contents, the file containing either the contents itself or the information necessary for obtaining the contents is downloaded (which of the contents and the information is downloaded depends on the distribution system). This file is downloaded as a file having an extension predetermined by the distribution system. Such files having the extension are preset at the time of installing the contents playing software
101
, so as to be automatically opened by the contents playing software
101
after the downloading. Such files contain the information regarding the distribution system to be used for the distribution of the contents. After the file is downloaded, the contents playing software
101
is automatically started. The controller
102
commands the distribution system detector
103
to detect the distribution system of the contents.
In S
502
, the distribution system detector
103
examines the downloaded file to detect the distribution system used for the contents distribution, and notifies the EMD plug-in presence detector
201
of the finding.
In S
503
, the EMD plug-in presence detector
201
refers to the installed EMD plug-ins list
301
and detects whether the EMD plug-in notified by the distribution system detector
103
is installed in the EMD plug-in portion
104
. If it is determined in S
503
that the EMD plug-in is installed, the EMD plug-in will not be added. The files downloaded in this way are processed later by the appropriate EMD plug-in, so that the consumer can enjoy the contents on the contents playing software
101
in S
506
after purchasing processes are completed. If it is determined in S
503
that the EMD plug-in is not yet installed, the EMD plug-in presence detector
201
commands the EMD plug-in installer
202
to install the necessary EMD plug-in.
In S
504
, the EMD plug-in installer
202
refers to the information on sites offering EMD plug-ins
401
to identify the site offering the EMD plug-in, and obtains the EMD plug-in from there.
In S
505
, the EMD plug-in installer
202
installs the EMD plug-in obtained in S
504
into the EMD plug-i
Kozuka Masayuki
Matsushima Hideki
Okamoto Ryuichi
Cheng Joe H.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
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