Panasonic Corporation

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Toshihiko Munetsugu

Hiroshi Yahata

Yoshihiro Ujiie

Tomoki Ogawa

Koichi Emura

Kazuhiro Nishitani

Minoru Etoh

Taiji Sasaki

Kentaro Tanikawa

Yoshiaki Iwata

Kazuo Kajimoto

Shoichi Araki

Yuka Ozawa

Takuji Hiramoto

Toru Kawaguchi

Shouichi Araki

Michiko Tanaka

Masamichi Nakagawa

Yoshihiro Morioka

Hayashi Ito

Naoshi Usuki

Yoshiyasu Kado

Fumio Maehara

Yoshimi Nishii

A device management method of a device management apparatus that manages information of devices installed in a home, includes: acquiring electric power consumption per unit time in predetermined time intervals, for each of branch circuits of a power distribution board to which the devices can be connected; estimating existence of the devices connected to the branch circuit, based on change of electric power consumption over time, per unit time; condition determining whether or not an estimated device, which is a device regarding which existence has been estimated in the estimating, satisfies a predetermined condition; and transmitting inquiry information to a user in accordance with the predetermined condition, only in a case where determination is made in the condition determining that the estimated device satisfies the predetermined condition.

Device management method and device management apparatus

To provide a content playback device capable of, when playing back a content distributed in a streaming format via a network whose view mode is selectable among a plurality of view modes, presenting to a user the switchability between the view modes, thereby to improve the user's convenience. The content playback device includes a reception unit that receives, from the content distribution system, control information indicating a plurality of view modes selectable for viewing the video content, a presentation unit that presents, to a user, the view modes as options of a view mode for viewing the video content, an input reception unit that receives an input selecting one view mode among the view modes from the user; and a request unit that requests the content distribution system to distribute the video content in the streaming format, by transmitting information indicating the selected view mode to the content distribution system.

Content playback device, content playback method, content playback program, and content providing system

A content playback device reduces user discomfort, relative to conventional devices, when playback is interrupted and resumed after switching viewing modes, pieces of content representing different viewing modes for a common product, and differing in video length or having other differences. The content playback device receives and plays back streaming content from a content server delivering two pieces of content having different viewing modes for the common product, and comprises: a selection unit selecting a viewing mode; a determination unit determining whether playback of a first piece of content not having the selected viewing mode was interrupted; a conversion unit converting, when the determination unit has determined affirmatively, a playback interrupt position into a corresponding position in a second piece of content having the selected viewing mode; and a request unit making a request to the content server for transmission of the second piece of content from the corresponding position.

Content playback device, method for playing back content and content delivery system

The present invention makes it possible to achieve data adaptation in accordance with a user's preferences, by holding a user's preference information for each content as user preferences, selecting a data segment according to user preferences, and performing resolution conversion on the basis of segment priority level and terminal capability, thereby enabling data adaptation to be performed for each content in a form the user wishes to see.

Data adapting device, data adapting method, storage medium, and program

A data transmitting apparatus, which implements a RESUME function which is capable of properly setting a resume position and capable of setting plural resume positions, executes a Java&#x2122; application program and includes: a memory for storing content and content attribute information; a network unit which transmits a content to a data receiving apparatus; an action request receiving and responding unit which receives an update request indicating a resume position, from the data receiving apparatus; and a resume position managing unit which updates content attribute information stored in the memory in accordance with the received update request, so that such resume position and a resume position identifier are included in the content attribute information.

Data transmitting apparatus, data receiving apparatus, data transmitting method and data receiving method

A packet transmitting apparatus () capable of transmitting a copyright-protected content across an IP network includes: a transmission condition setting/managing unit () that extracts from inputted non-A/V data or A/V data at least one information of billing information, reproduction control information, copy control information for the A/V data, and packet output control information, and generate encryption mode information indicating an encryption mode which becomes a condition during transmission of the A/V data; an encrypted data generation unit () that encrypts inputted A/V data based on a transmission condition determined by combining input terminal information, data format information, and attribute information, and adds an encryption information header based on the encryption mode information and time-based discontinuity information to the encrypted A/V data so as to generate encrypted data; and a packetization unit () that generates a packet by adding a packet header and information representing a time-based discontinuity point to the generated encryption data.

Packet transmitting apparatus

A server stores a media content and an execution program for processing the media content, and determines a usage rule for the media content to be transmitted to a terminal. The server distributes the usage rule, the media content, and the execution program to the terminal. The terminal stores the distributed usage rule, media content, and execution program. The terminal executes the stored execution program and processes the stored media content within the bounds of the usage rule as stored. The server may perform a billing process in accordance with the determined usage rule, or select and distribute a media content or an execution program in accordance with the processing ability of the terminal or a state of communications. Moreover, the server may distribute, in addition to the execution program, middleware for constructing an operating environment for the execution program.

Media contents distribution system and method

To provide, in a multimedia content server which stores multimedia data and transmits the stored multimedia data to a terminal, a technique which allows the terminal to properly detect and process version up of section data even when random access for trick play, and the like, is performed. Upon receiving a data transmission request from a multimedia data receiving apparatus, a multimedia data transmitting apparatus transmits the requested multimedia data and notifies data necessary for obtaining an update-point of section data included in the multimedia data or a URI which enables the obtaining of the data, to the multimedia data receiving apparatus.

Multimedia data transmitting apparatus and multimedia data receiving apparatus

A context of media content is represented by context description data having a hierarchical stratum where the lowest hierarchical layer is formed from an element representing a segment of media content which corresponds to a change between scenes of video data or a change in audible tones. A score relating to the context is appended, as an attribute, to individual elements in the lowest hierarchical layer. In a selection step of a data processing method, the context of the media content is expressed, and one or a plurality of scenes of the media content is or are selected on the basis of the score of the context description data.

Data processing device and method for selecting media segments on the basis of a score

From structure description data with a structure of media contents described therein is generated representation description data expressive of representation order, representation timing, and synchronization information of media segments described in the structure description data, whereby media segments are capable of being represented under various added restrictions.

Data processing apparatus and data processing method

A context of media content is represented by hierarchical context description data for describing a plurality of segments. Each of the segments represents a scene of media content. Scores that are attribute information of the media content, and for representing a degree of importance of each of the plurality of segments based on a context of the media content including scenes, is input and/or appended, as an attribute, to a number of the hierarchical layers of the description data. The description data also includes a viewpoint of said media content represented by at least one keyword describing the scenes. One of said plurality of segments is selected based on the viewpoint and/or said the One of the plurality of segments can then be selected based upon the scores.

A context of media content is represented by hierarchical context description data for describing a plurality of segments. Each of the segments represents a scene of media content. Scores that are attribute information of the media content, and for representing a degree of importance of each of the plurality of segments based on a context of the media content, is input and/or appended, as an attribute, to a number of the hierarchical layers of the description data. One of the plurality of segments can then be selected based upon the scores.

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Osaka, Japan

Toshihiko Munetsugu