Playlist sharing methods and apparatus

Abstract

A player device uses playlists having names of contents. Users can update the playlists via network. The player device includes a storage device for storing digital data of the contents, a reception/reception circuit for downloading playlists, a display for displaying the titles of contents included in the playlists, a pointing device for specifying displayed titles, a circuit for retrieving digital data from the storage device in the event that digital data of a content specified by the pointing device is stored within the storage device, and an output circuit for outputting the retrieved digital data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A server device, comprising:
 a communication unit configured to:
 receive information related to a playlist from a first player device, the playlist including titles of content; 
 receive a selection of the playlist from a second player device; 
 indicate one or more of the titles of content in the playlist to the second player device in response to the selection of the playlist; 
 receive a request, from the second player device, to provide a sample of content of at least one of the titles of content in the playlist in relation to the indicated titles of content in the playlist; and 
 provide the sample of content to the second player device in response to the request. 
   
     
     
         35 . The server device according to  claim 34 , wherein providing the sample of the content comprises providing at least a portion of the content to the second player device. 
     
     
         36 . The server device according to  claim 34 , wherein providing the sample of the content comprises providing only a portion of the content to the second player device. 
     
     
         37 . The server device according to  claim 34 , wherein indicating the one or more titles of content in the playlist to the second player device comprises indicating all of the titles of content in the playlist to the second player device. 
     
     
         38 . The server device according to  claim 34 , wherein providing the sample of content to the second player device comprises streaming the sample of content to the second player device. 
     
     
         39 . The server device according to  claim 34 , wherein the communication unit is further configured to receive a request from the second player device to purchase full content associated with the sample of content provided to the second player device. 
     
     
         40 . A method, comprising:
 receiving information related to a playlist from a first player device, the playlist including titles of content;   receiving a selection of the playlist from a second player device;   indicating one or more of the titles of content in the playlist to the second player device in response to the selection of the playlist;   receiving a request, from the second player device, to provide a sample of content of at least one of the titles of content in the playlist in relation to the indicated titles of content in the playlist; and   providing the sample of content to the second player device in response to the request.   
     
     
         42 . A storage device encoded with a plurality of instructions that, when executed by a controller of a server, perform a method, the method comprising:
 receiving information related to a playlist from a first player device, the playlist including titles of content;   receiving a selection of the playlist from a second player device;   indicating one or more of the titles of content in the playlist to the second player device in response to the selection of the playlist;   receiving a request, from the second player device, to provide a sample of content of at least one of the titles of content in the playlist in relation to the indicated titles of content in the playlist; and   providing the sample of content to the second player device in response to the request.   
     
     
         43 . A player device, comprising:
 a communication unit configured to:
 send to a server, a selection of a playlist; 
 receive one or more of the titles of content in the playlist from the server in response to the selection of the playlist; 
 send a request to the server, to provide a sample of content of at least one of the titles of content in the playlist in relation to the received titles of content in the playlist; and 
 receive the sample of content from the server in response to the request. 
   
     
     
         44 . The player device of  claim 43 , wherein receiving the sample of content from the server comprises receiving at least a portion of the content from the server. 
     
     
         45 . The player device according to  claim 43 , wherein receiving the sample of content from the server comprises receiving only a portion of the content from the server. 
     
     
         46 . The player device according to  claim 43 , wherein receiving the one or more titles of content in the playlist from the server comprises receiving all of the titles of content in the playlist from the server. 
     
     
         47 . The player device according to  claim 43 , wherein receiving the sample of content from the server comprises streaming the sample of content from the server. 
     
     
         48 . The player device according to  claim 43 , wherein the communication unit is further configured to send a request to the server to purchase full content associated with the sample of content received from the server. 
     
     
         49 . The player device according to  claim 43 , further comprising a controller configured to playback at least a portion of the sample of content received from the server in response to receiving the sample of content. 
     
     
         50 . A method, comprising:
 sending to a server, a selection of a playlist;   receiving one or more of the titles of content in the playlist from the server in response to the selection of the playlist;   sending a request to the server, to provide a sample of content of at least one of the titles of content in the playlist in relation to the received titles of content in the playlist; and   receiving the sample of content from the server in response to the request.   
     
     
         51 . A storage device encoded with a plurality of instructions that, when executed by a controller of a player device, perform a method, the method comprising:
 sending to a server, a selection of a playlist;   receiving one or more of the titles of content in the playlist from the server in response to the selection of the playlist;   sending a request to the server, to provide a sample of content of at least one of the titles of content in the playlist in relation to the received titles of content in the playlist; and   receiving the sample of content from the server in response to the request.