Communication control apparatus, communication apparatus, control methods thereof, and system

A communication control apparatus comprising:

• a communication unit configured to communicate with a plurality of communication apparatuses and a content delivery apparatus;
• a grouping unit configured to group the plurality of communication apparatuses into groups;
• a determining unit configured to determine a content reproduction start time to start reproducing content for each of the groups;
• a notification unit configured to notify the communication apparatuses in each of the groups of the content reproduction start time;
• and
• a control unit configured to perform control such that the content is delivered in order from a group having an earlier content reproduction start time to a group having a later content reproduction start time.

A communication apparatus which is grouped by a communication control apparatus, and communicates with a communication apparatus that belongs to another group, the communication apparatus comprising:

• a receiving unit configured to receive content from the communication apparatus that belongs to the other group;
• a storage unit configured store the received content;
• and
• a control unit configured to reproduce the content stored in the storage unit according to a reproduction start time notified from the communication control apparatus.

A method of controlling a communication control apparatus having a communication unit and a grouping unit configured to group a plurality of communication apparatuses into groups, the method comprising:

• determining a content reproduction start time to start reproducing content for each of the groups;
• notifying the communication apparatuses in each of the groups of the content reproduction start time;
• and
• performing control such that the content is delivered in order from a group having an earlier content reproduction start time to a group having a later content reproduction start time.

A method of controlling a communication apparatus which is grouped by a communication control apparatus, and communicates with a communication apparatus that belongs to another group, the method comprising:

• receiving content from the communication apparatus that belongs to the other group;
• storing the received content in a storage unit;
• and
• reproducing the content stored in the storage unit according to a reproduction start time notified from the communication control apparatus.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as a communication control apparatus comprising:

• a communication unit configured to communicate with a plurality of communication apparatuses and a content delivery apparatus;
• a grouping unit configured to group the plurality of communication apparatuses into groups;
• a determining unit configured to determine a content reproduction start time to start reproducing content for each of the groups;
• a notification unit configured to notify the communication apparatuses in each of the groups of the content reproduction start time;
• and
• a control unit configured to perform control such that the content is delivered in order from a group having an earlier content reproduction start time to a group having a later content reproduction start time.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as a communication apparatus which is grouped by a communication control apparatus, and communicates with a communication apparatus that belongs to another group, the communication apparatus comprising:

• a receiving unit configured to receive content from the communication apparatus that belongs to the other group;
• a storage unit configured store the received content;
• and
• a control unit configured to reproduce the content stored in the storage unit according to a reproduction start time notified from the communication control apparatus.