Content transmission apparatus, content playback system, content transmission method, and program

A content playback system, comprising:

• a content output apparatus for managing an output order of pieces of content data according to an order in which the content output apparatus receives playback reservations from a plurality of content transmission apparatus having associated pieces of content data to be output, for giving either a transmission instruction or wait information to a given one of the plurality of content transmission apparatus based on a position in the output order of a respective piece of content data to be output by that content transmission apparatus, the content output apparatus giving the wait information in response to at least another piece of content data being ahead of the respective piece of content data in the output order, and the content output apparatus giving the transmission instruction in response to no other piece of content data being ahead of the respective piece of content data in the output order, and for outputting the content received from the content transmission apparatus;
• and
• the given one of the plurality of content transmission apparatus including:
• a reception unit for performing a receiving process for receiving at least one of the transmission instruction or the or wait information,
• a transmission unit for starting transmission of the respective piece of content data to the content output apparatus in response to the reception unit receiving the transmission instruction, and
• a control unit for controlling a time interval for causing the reception unit to continue to perform the receiving process according to the wait information indicating a status of wait until the transmission unit is to start the transmission of the content data to the content output apparatus.

A content transmission method, comprising:

• receiving, by a content output apparatus, playback reservations from a plurality of content transmission apparatus having associated pieces of content data to be output;
• transmitting, by the content output apparatus to a given one of the plurality of content transmission apparatus, wait information indicating a status of wait until transmission of respective content data stored with the content transmission apparatus to the content output apparatus is to be started, the content output apparatus transmitting the wait information in response to at least another piece of content data being ahead of the respective piece of content data in an output order, the output order being determined by an order in which the content output apparatus receives the playback reservations from the plurality of content transmission apparatus;
• performing, by the given one of the plurality of content transmission apparatus, a receiving process at a time interval according to the transmitted wait information;
• giving, by the content output apparatus, a transmission instruction to the given one of the plurality of content transmission apparatus in response to no other piece of content data being ahead of the respective content data in the output order;
• and
• starting, by the given one of the plurality of content transmission apparatus, transmission of the content data to the content output apparatus in response to the transmission instruction.

A processor encoded with a computer program for causing a computer to function as a content transmission apparatus, including:

• a reception unit for performing a receiving process for receiving, from a content output apparatus, either a transmission instruction or wait information that is transmitted by the content output apparatus according to a position within an output order of pieces of content data of at least one piece of content data stored with the content transmission apparatus, the output order of pieces of content data being determined by an order in which the content output apparatus receives a playback reservation from the content transmission apparatus and at least another playback reservation from at least another content transmission apparatus, the reception unit receiving the wait information in response to at least another piece of content data being ahead of the at least one piece of content data in the output order, and the reception unit receiving the transmission instruction in response to no other piece of content data being ahead of the at least one piece of content data in the output order;
• a transmission unit for starting transmission of the at least one piece of content data to the content output apparatus in response to the reception unit receiving the transmission instruction;
• and
• a control unit for controlling a time interval for causing the reception unit to continue to perform the receiving process according to the wait information indicating a status of wait until the transmission unit is to start the transmission of the at least one piece of content data to the content output apparatus.