Sony Corporation

Yukihiko Aoki

Shinichi Kawano

Shoji Araki

Takuro Noda

Takao Morita

Makoto Sato

Junji Kato

Masao Mizutani

Hideho Gomi

Tatsuaki Yukawa

Yuichi Izumi

Tatsuya Igarashi

Hisato Shima

Takehiko Nakano

Toshiya Ikenaga

Takeshi Miura

Takeshi Ozawa

Shinichi Suenaga

Yoshiaki Takenaka

Shinichiro Sugai

Haruyuki Miura

Shinobu Ohashi

Tadashi Adachihara

Keiji Kaneko

A system and method for controlling the transmission of contents among a plurality of audio/video (AV) devices by using a general purpose network In case of transmitting the contents held in a first device (source) to a second device (sink) by way of a designated transmission path, information relating to the transfer protocol for transmitting the contents is added to each content when the contents information held in the first device is disclosed to a controller on the network. Transmission management is performed based on the information on the transfer protocol added to each content when starting transmission of the contents between the first device and the second device.

Transmission method and transmitter

It is made possible to update software appropriately. When additional software is installed, update management data for the additional software is generated. When the update management data for the additional software is attached to the additional software in advance, that data is used. If the update management data is not attached, cycles for confirming the presence of updates and the like are determined based on the nature of the software, and the update management data is thus generated. Then, the generated update management data is set in an update management table. The presence of software updates is checked for based on the cycles for confirming the presence of updates in the update management table.

Software updating system, information processing apparatus and method, recording medium and program

In an information communication system, information communication devices exchange an IP packet over IP networks. When performing a predetermined packet exchanging procedure in which the number of router hops is limited to a predetermined control value or less, each of the information communication devices monitors Time-To-Live values designated in the headers of IP packets received over a period of time from the start of the predetermined packet exchanging procedure to immediately before the end of the predetermined packet exchanging procedure to continuously update the maximum Time-To-Live value of the monitored Time-To-Live values, and checks whether the maximum Time-To-Live value does not exceed the control value.

Information communication system, information communication apparatus and method, and computer program

An information processing apparatus for processing encrypted data input as a byte stream with dynamically changing decryption keys includes the following elements. An encrypted data receiving section receives encrypted data input as a byte stream, identifies a range of data that is decrypted using an identical key as a unit of decryption, extracts information necessary for decryption from the byte stream, and outputs encrypted data sets in which the extracted information is added to segments of the encrypted data. An encrypted data decrypting section sequentially decrypts the encrypted data by queuing the encrypted data sets while distributing the encrypted data sets to generate plaintext data. A plaintext processing section processes the generated plaintext data.

Information processing apparatus and method, and computer program

A network system is provided allowing easy communications with another apparatus via NAPT, as well as a communication method, an information processing apparatus and method, and a program. A local communication apparatus acquires a service providing packet from an apparatus service providing apparatus via a port of a relay apparatus, acquires a service providing packet from another apparatus service providing apparatus via another port of the relay apparatus, calculates a difference value between two pieces of global address information contained in the service providing packets, and predicts that a third port is the port to be used for the next communication. The system, apparatus and methods described can be applied to an instant message service system.

Network system and communication method, information processing apparatus and method, and program

The present invention provides a content transfer system for transferring content from a content transmitting apparatus to a content receiving apparatus through a network in consideration of content protection. The system comprises an authentication process executing means which executes an authentication process between the content transmitting apparatus and the content receiving apparatus to share authentication information therebetween, and a content transfer process executing means which encrypts content to be transferred in response to a content request from the content receiving apparatus to transfer the encrypted content from the content transmitting apparatus to the content receiving apparatus. A transfer process of the encrypted content is started on confirmation that the content request contains a keyword indicating that the content receiving apparatus has been authenticated. The keyword is of a check level that the content transmitting apparatus supports among keywords in a plurality of check levels representing accuracy of authentication check.

Content transfer system, content transfer method, content transmitting apparatus, content transmission method, content receiving apparatus, content reception method, and computer program

In order to realize NAT traversal communication at low cost and without fail, local communication terminals connected as subordinates of a first router having a UPnP&#x2122; function obtain an IP address and a port number, both to be converted by a NAT function of the first router, on the basis of a UPnP&#x2122; protocol to register them in a relay server as exchange information for the NAT traversal. Local communication terminals connected as subordinates of a second router without the UPnP&#x2122; function specify an IP address to be converted by the NAT function of the second router on the basis of a packet obtained from a STUN server and estimate a port number to be converted by the NAT function of the second router to register them in the relay server as the exchange information for the NAT traversal. The present invention may be applied to a personal computer.

System and method of information communication, information processing apparatus and information processing method, program and recording medium

It is made possible to update installed software appropriately. A CE device stores an update management table in which are set, with respect to software bundled with the CE device, the names, IDs, version numbers, update cycles, and contact information (URLs of update data supplying servers) for making inquiries on the presence of updates. For example, assuming that everyday, when it is recognized that the time is past 10:00, there is a need to check for the presence of updates for software A, the CE device accesses a URL corresponding to software A, and makes an inquiry on the presence of updates.

Software updating system, information processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program

An UPnP control point is connected to an IEEE802 network, and 1394 equipment is connected to an IEEE1394 network. The IEEE802 network and the IEEE1394 network are connected to each other through an UPnP device functioning as a bridge. The UPnP device receives from a general bus input plug a packet transmitted from the UPnP control point, converts it to a format of the IEEE1394 network, and transmits it from an output plug through the IEEE1394 network to the 1394 equipment. The UPnP device stores the association relationship of the plugs.

Information processing apparatus and method for receiving/transmitting data between an IEEE802-based format and an IEEE1394-based format

An IRD (Integrated Receiver-Decoder) causes SmartFile information of a D-VHS (Digital-Video Home System) to be read so as to operate the D-VHS on the basis of the SmartFile information. The IRD instructs the D-VHS to record a program, extracts content information and relevant information from a broadcast signal received by an antenna, and outputs the content information and relevant information to the D-VHS. The D-VHS records the input content information and relevant information in accordance with an instruction from the IRD. Furthermore, the IRD causes the recorded relevant information to be read from the D-VHS and displays it on a monitor, selects a program on the basis of the displayed relevant information, and sends an instruction for playing back the selected program to the D-VHS. The D-VHS plays back the content information in accordance with this playback instruction.

Information processing apparatus and method, and recording medium

A data transmission method in which an equipment receiving data is prohibited from displaying a noisy picture or issuing an unusual sound which might possibly destruct a speaker. When the operating mode is switched from the stop state (Stop) to the playback state (PB) to start outputting data recorded on a recording medium, a data recording and/or reproducing medium equipmentsets a broadcast connection counter or a point-to-point connection counter from 0 to 1 on transition of the DIF mode (digital input/output mode) from IN to OUT to set a connected state. The data recording and/or reproducing medium equipmentinserts a DIT of tf=1 before releasing the muting.

Method and electronic equipment for transmitting data to other electronic equipment on a network

Network error display capable of displaying a user's measure intelligibly while making a distinction between an error of the receiving system on the network and an error within a device. An IEEE 1394 signal processing section detects an error of a loop state in an IEEE 1394 network, detects a link state, and detects an error when there is a link for the network or an error when there is no link for the network. A main body processing section stores messages indicating error states and performs display processing on messages stored on the basis of the error state. A display section displays a message for a user.

Network error display apparatus and error detection display method

The using circumstances of a control object device are detected, and controlling of the control object device is carried out on the basis of the detected result. Thereby, where control equipment in conformity to a fixed standard, control equipment not in conformity to a fixed standard, and a control object device are mixed in a network, there can be avoided inconvenience in which the respective control equipment control the control object devices simultaneously.

Control device, control method and medium

An information processing apparatus in a bus system consisting of electronic devices and one or more information processing apparatus to control the electronic devices. The apparatus includes a storage means for storing management information of control software elements for controlling the electronic devices; an acquisition means for acquiring a change of the connection state of each electronic device to a bus constituting the bus system; and an execution means for executing assignment of the control software element, which is used for controlling the electronic device relevant to the acquired change of the connection state, on the basis of the connection state change acquired by the acquisition means. The acquisition means further serves to acquire device attribute information relative to the electronic devices, and the execution means makes a decision, on the basis of such device attribute information, as to whether the electronic device is the one controllable by the information processing apparatus and executes the assignment in accordance with the result of such a decision as well. In this apparatus, the routine of assigning the control software elements can be completed fast.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Yukihiko Aoki