Method for providing and obtaining content

A method of providing and obtaining a content by providing compressed content data generated by compressively coding content data by a specified compression coding method from a content providing apparatus, and obtaining the above provided compressed content data by a content obtaining apparatus applying a specified decoding method corresponding to the specified compression coding method, wherein:

• said content providing method comprises
• the information receiving step of receiving identification information for identifying said specified decoding method applied to the content obtaining apparatus, and specifying information representing specified content data, from said content obtaining apparatus,
• the data detecting step of detecting whether or not specified compressed content data generated by compressively coding said specified content data by said specified compression coding method corresponding to said identification information has been stored in data storing means for storing plural kinds of said compressed content data, according to said identification information and said specifying information,
• the compressively-coding step, according to the detection result in said data detecting step, if said specified compressed content data has been stored in said data storing means, of reading said specified compressed content data from said data storing means, and if said specified compressed content data has not been stored in said data storing means, of compressively coding said specified content data being the original data of the above specified compressed content data by said specified compression coding method, and generating said specified compressed content data, and
• the data transmitting step of transmitting said specified compressed content data read from said data storing means, or said generated specified compressed content data, to said content obtaining apparatus;
• and
• said content obtaining method comprises
• the information transmitting step of transmitting said identification information and said specifying information to said content providing apparatus,
• the data receiving step of receiving said specified compressed content data from said content providing apparatus, and
• the decoding step of decoding said specified compressed content data by said specified decoding method, and generating said specified content data.

A content providing apparatus for providing compressed content data generated by compressively coding content data by a specified compression coding method, to a content obtaining apparatus applying a specified decoding method corresponding to the specified compression coding method, comprising:

• data storing means for storing said compressed content data compressively coded by one or more kinds of compression coding methods;
• information receiving means for receiving identification information for identifying said specified decoding method applied to the content obtaining apparatus, and specifying information representing specified content data, from said content obtaining apparatus;
• data detecting means for detecting whether or not specified compressed content data generated by compressively coding said specified content data by said specified compression coding method corresponding to said identification information has been stored in said data storing means, according to said identification information and said specifying information;
• reading means, according to the detection result by said data detecting means, if said specified compressed content data has been stored in said data storing means, for reading said specified compressed content data from said data storing means;
• compressively-coding means, according to the detection result by said data detecting means, if said specified compressed content data has not been stored in said data storing means, for compressively coding said specified content data being the original data of the above specified compressed content data by said specified compression coding method, and generating said specified compressed content data;
• and
• data transmitting means for transmitting said specified compressed content data read from said data storing means by said reading means, or said specified compressed content data generated by said compressively-coding means, to said content obtaining apparatus.

A method of providing a content by providing compressed content data generated by compressively coding content data by a specified compression coding method to a content obtaining apparatus applying a specified decoding method corresponding to the specified compression coding method, comprising:

• the information receiving step of receiving identification information for identifying said specified decoding method applied to the content obtaining apparatus, and specifying information representing specified content data, from said content obtaining apparatus;
• the data detecting step of detecting whether or not specified compressed content data generated by compressively coding said specified content data by said specified compression coding method corresponding to said identification information has been stored in data storing means for storing said compressed content data that has been compressively coded by one or more kinds of compression coding methods, according to said identification information and said specifying information;
• the compressively-coding step, according to the detection result in said data detecting step, if said specified compressed content data has been stored in said data storing means, of reading said specified compressed content data from said data storing means, and if said specified compressed content data has not been stored in said data storing means, of compressively coding said specified content data being the original data of the above specified compressed content data by said specified compression coding method, and generating said specified compressed content data;
• and
• the data transmitting step of transmitting said specified compressed content data read from said data storing means, or said generated specified compressed content data, to said content obtaining apparatus.

A content providing program storing medium for making a content providing apparatus execute a content providing program, said program comprising:

• the information receiving step of receiving identification information for identifying a specified decoding method, and specifying information representing specified content data, from a content obtaining apparatus applying the specified decoding method corresponding to a specified compression coding method, for obtaining compressed content data generated by compressively coding content data by the specified compression coding method;
• the data detecting step of detecting whether or not specified compressed content data generated by compressively coding said specified content data by said specified compression coding method corresponding to said identification information has been stored in data storing means for storing said compressed content data that has been compressively coded by one or more kinds of compression coding methods, according to said identification information and said specifying information;
• the compressively-coding step, according to the detection result in said data detecting step, if said specified compressed content data has been stored in said data storing means, of reading said specified compressed content data from said data storing means, and if said specified compressed content data has not been stored in said data storing means, of compressively coding said specified content data being the original data of the above specified compressed content data by said specified compression coding method, and generating said specified compressed content data;
• and
• the data transmitting step of transmitting said specified compressed content data read from said data storing means, or said generated specified compressed content data, to said content obtaining apparatus.

A content providing program for making a content providing apparatus execute, the program including:

• the information receiving step of receiving identification information peculiar to a content obtaining apparatus, and specifying information representing specified content data, from said content obtaining apparatus applying a specified decoding method corresponding to a specified compression coding method, for obtaining compressed content data generated by compressively coding content data by the specified compression coding method;
• the data detecting step of detecting whether or not specified compressed content data generated by compressively coding said specified content data by said specified compression coding method corresponding to said identification information has been stored in data storing means for storing plural kinds of said compressed content data, according to said identification information and said specifying information;
• the compressively-coding step, according to the detection result in said data detecting step, if said specified compressed content data has been stored in said data storing means, of reading said specified compressed content data from said data storing means, and if said specified compressed content data has not been stored in said data storing means, of compressively coding said specified content data being the original data of the above specified compressed content data by said specified compression coding method, and generating said specified compressed content data;
• and
• the data transmitting step of transmitting said specified compressed content data read from said data storing means, and said generated specified compressed content data, to said content obtaining apparatus.