Content providing system, content providing apparatus and method, content distribution server, and content receiving terminal

A content distribution server connected to a content receiving terminal through a communication channel to form, together with the content receiving terminal, a content providing system, wherein:

• the content receiving terminal comprises:
• operation input means for use by a user to perform an input operation for specifying a plurality of points on a line, the input operation comprising causing a cursor to scroll along a portion of the line, the input operation further comprising, for each point of the plurality of points, providing an indication to select the point by suspending the cursor at the point for at least a predetermined period of time while the cursor scrolls along the portion of the line,
• time information output means for outputting the point specified by the operation input means as output time information, wherein the time information output means includes determining means configured to determine whether the user has suspended the cursor at the point for at least the predetermined period of time, and wherein the determining means determines that the user intends to select the point as the output time information based only on the user having suspended the cursor at the point for at least the predetermined period of time,
• sequential request sending means for sending, when the input operation performed through the operation input means is sequential, a content search request including time information concerning each of the plurality of points traced by the input operation, wherein the content search request requests at least one of music, video, electronic book, guidance information, web page and program, and wherein the time information represents a search condition for at least one of release time, ranking time, performance time, broadcast time, and printing time, and
• means for receiving data sent from the content distribution server in response to the content search request and for providing the content to the user;
• and
• the content distribution server comprises:
• means for conducting a search according to a search condition based on the time information included in the content search request to detect at least one content item per predetermined time, and for sending information for allowing the user to identify said at least one content item as a detection result to the content receiving terminal.

A content receiving terminal connected to a content distribution server through a communication channel to form, together with the content distribution server, a content providing system, a plurality of content items being stored in the content distribution server in association with at least time information concerning each of the plurality of content items, the content receiving terminal comprising:

• operation input means for use by a user to perform an input operation for specifying a plurality of points on a line, the input operation comprising causing a cursor to scroll along a portion of the line, the input operation further comprising, for each point of the plurality of points, providing an indication to select the point by suspending the cursor at the point for at least a predetermined period of time while the cursor scrolls along the portion of the line;
• time information output means for outputting the point specified by the operation input means as output time information, wherein the time input information output means includes determining means configured to determine whether the user has suspended the cursor at the point for at least the predetermined period of time, and wherein the determining means determines that the user intends to select the point as the output time information based only on the user having suspended the cursor at the point for at least the predetermined period of time;
• request sending means for sending a content providing request including the output time information to the content distribution server, wherein the content providing request requests at least one of music, video, electronic book, guidance information, web page and program, and wherein the output time information represents a search condition for at least one of release time, ranking time, performance time, broadcast time, and printing time;
• providing means for receiving at least one content item sent from the content distribution server in response to the content providing request and for providing the received content item to the user;
• and
• sequential request sending means for sending, when the input operation performed through the operation input means is sequential, a content search request including time information concerning each of the plurality of points traced by the input operation;
• and
• means for receiving data sent from the content distribution server in response to the content search request and for providing the content to the user,
• wherein the content distribution server conducts a search according to a search condition based on the time information included in the content search request to detect at least one content item per predetermined time, and sends information for allowing the user to identify said at least one content item as a detection result to the content receiving terminal.

A content providing method in a content providing system including a content distribution server and a content receiving terminal connected to the content distribution server through a communication channel, the content providing method comprising the steps of:

• outputting, by the content receiving terminal, a plurality of points on a line specified by an input operation as output time information, the input operation comprising causing, by a user, a cursor to scroll along a portion of the line at a speed lower than a predetermined speed while tracing the plurality of points, wherein the content receiving terminal is configured to determine whether the user is scrolling the cursor over the plurality of points at a speed lower than the predetermined speed, and wherein the content receiving terminal determines that the user intends to select the plurality of points as the output time information based only on the user scrolling the cursor over the plurality of points at a speed lower than the predetermined speed;
• sending, by the content receiving terminal, a content providing request including the output time information to the content distribution server, wherein the content providing request requests at least one of music, video, electronic book, guidance information, web page and program, and wherein the output time information represents a search condition for at least one of release time, ranking time, performance time, broadcast time, and printing time;
• receiving, by the content receiving terminal, at least one content item sent from the content distribution server in response to the content providing request and providing the received content item to the user;
• sending, by the content receiving terminal, when the input operation is sequential, a content search request including time information concerning each of the plurality of points traced by the input operation;
• receiving, by the content receiving terminal, data sent from the content distribution server in response to the content search request and providing the content to the user;
• searching for, by the content distribution server, at least one content item stored in a content storage unit, which stores a plurality of content items in association with at least time information concerning each of the plurality of content items, according to a search condition based on the time information included in the content providing request sent from the content receiving terminal;
• and
• distributing, by the content distribution server, said at least one content item which is searched to the content receiving terminal,
• wherein the content distribution server conducts a search according to a search condition based on the time information included in the content search request to detect at least one content item per predetermined time, and sends information for allowing the user to identify said at least one content item as a detection result to the content receiving terminal.

A content providing system comprising:

• a content distribution server;
• and
• a content receiving terminal connected to the content distribution server through a communication channel,
• wherein the content receiving terminal comprises:
• an operation input unit configured for use by a user to perform an input operation for specifying a plurality of points on a line, the input operation comprising causing a cursor to scroll along a portion of the line, the input operation further comprising, for each point of the plurality of points, providing an indication to select the point by suspending the cursor at the point for at least a predetermined period of time while the cursor scrolls along the portion of the line,
• a time information output unit configured to output the point specified by the operation input unit as output time information, wherein the time information output unit includes determining unit configured to determine whether the user has suspended the cursor at the point for at least the predetermined period of time, and wherein the determining unit determines that the user intends to select the point as the output time information based only on the user having suspended the cursor at the point for at least the predetermined period of time,
• a request sender configured to send a content providing request including the output time information to the content distribution server, and
• a provider configured to receive at least one content item sent from the content distribution server in response to the content providing request and to provide the received content item to a user,
• a sequential request sender configured to send, when the input operation performed through the operation input unit is sequential, a content search request including time information concerning each of the plurality of points traced by the input operation, wherein the content search request requests at least one of music, video, electronic book, guidance information, web page and program, and wherein the time information represents a search condition for at least one of release time, ranking time, performance time, broadcast time, and printing time, and
• a unit configured to receive data sent from the content distribution server in response to the content search request and to provide the content to the user, and
• the content distribution server comprises:
• a content storage unit in which a plurality of content items are stored in association with at least time information concerning each of the plurality of content items,
• a search unit configured to search the content storage unit for at least one content item according to a search condition based on the time information included in the content providing request sent from the content receiving terminal, and
• a content distributor configured to distribute said at least one content item searched by the search unit to the content receiving terminal,
• wherein the content distribution server conducts a search according to a search condition based on the time information included in the content search request to detect at least one content item per predetermined time, and sends information for allowing the user to identify said at least one content item as a detection result to the content receiving terminal.

A content distribution server connected to a content receiving terminal through a communication channel to form, together with the content receiving terminal, a content providing system, wherein:

• the content receiving terminal comprises:
• an operation input unit configured for use by a user to perform an input operation for specifying a plurality of points on a line, the input operation comprising causing a cursor to scroll along a portion of the line, the input operation further comprising, for each point of the plurality of points, providing an indication to select the point by suspending the cursor at the point for at least a predetermined period of time while the cursor scrolls along the portion of the line,
• a time information output unit configured to output the point specified by the operation input unit as output time information, wherein the time information output unit includes determining unit configured to determine whether the user has suspended the cursor at the point for at least the predetermined period of time, wherein the determining unit determines that the user intends to select the point as the output time information based only on the user having suspended the cursor at the point for at least the predetermined period of time,
• a sequential request sender configured to send, when the input operation performed through the operation input unit is sequential, a content search request including time information concerning each of the plurality of points traced by the input operation, wherein the content search request requests at least one of music, video, electronic book, guidance information, web page and program, and wherein the time information represents a search condition for at least one of release time, ranking time, performance time, broadcast time, and printing time, and
• a unit configured to receive data sent from the content distribution server in response to the content search request and to provide the content to the user,
• the content distribution server comprises:
• a unit configured to conduct a search according to a search condition based on the time information included in the content search request, to detect at least one content item per predetermined time, and to send information for allowing the user to identify said at least one content item as a detection result to the content receiving terminal.

A content receiving terminal connected to a content distribution server through a communication channel to form, together with the content distribution server, a content providing system, a plurality of content items being stored in the content distribution server in association with at least time information concerning each of the plurality of content items, the content receiving terminal comprising:

• an operation input unit configured for use by a user to perform an input operation for specifying a plurality of points on a line, the input operation comprising causing a cursor to scroll along a portion of the line, the input operation further comprising, for each point of the plurality of points, providing an indication to select the point by suspending the cursor at the point for at least a predetermined period of time while the cursor scrolls along the portion of the line;
• a time information output unit configured to output the point specified by the operation input unit as output time information, wherein the time information output unit includes determining unit configured to determine whether the user has suspended the cursor at the point for at least the predetermined period of time, and wherein the determining unit determines that the user intends to select the point as the output time information based only on the user having suspended the cursor at the point for at least the predetermined period of time;
• a request sender configured to send a content providing request including the output time information to the content distribution server, wherein the content providing request requests at least one of music, video, electronic book, guidance information, web page and program, and wherein the output time information represents a search condition for at least one of release time, ranking time, performance time, broadcast time, and printing time;
• a provider configured to receive at least one content item sent from the content distribution server in response to the content providing request and to provide the received content item to the user;
• a sequential request sender configured to send, when the input operation performed trough the operation input unit is sequential, a content search request including time information concerning each of the plurality of points traced by the input operation;
• and
• a unit configured to receive data sent from the content distribution server in response to the content search request and to provide the content to the user,
• wherein the content distribution server conducts a search according to a search condition based on the time information included in the content search request to detect at least one content item per predetermined time, and sends information for allowing the user to identify said at least one content item as a detection result to the content receiving terminal.