Content reproduction system, content reproduction apparatus, program, content reproduction method, and providing content server

Abstract

A method, apparatus, encoder, and decoder for receiving, transmitting, encoding and decoding content is provided. The method includes receiving a first segment of the content, the first segment having a first format, receiving, from a transmitting apparatus, a second segment of the content, the second segment having a second format, monitoring a network status between the receiving apparatus and the transmitting apparatus, and selecting the first segment or the second segment based on the monitored network status.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An information processing apparatus, comprising:
 processing circuitry configured to
 receive information associated with electronic content, wherein the electronic content, stored in a plurality of different bit rates, comprises a plurality of segments and the information associated with the electronic content comprises location information for each segment of the plurality of segments; 
 transmit a request for at least one segment of the stored electronic content selected based on the location information for each segment of the plurality of segments; and 
 receive the requested at least one segment. 
   
     
     
         2 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the location information comprises a respective uniform resource locator (URL) corresponding to each segment of the plurality of segments.   
     
     
         3 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the information associated with the electronic content comprises bit rates of the plurality of segments of the electronic content.   
     
     
         4 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the electronic content comprises an index of each segment.   
     
     
         5 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the electronic content comprises an index to byte range of each segment of the plurality of segments.   
     
     
         6 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one segment of the electronic content is selected based on network conditions.   
     
     
         7 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the request comprises the location information for each segment of the plurality of segments.   
     
     
         8 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the
 processing circuitry is further configured to transmit a request for the information associated with the electronic content.   
     
     
         9 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the
 processing circuitry is configured to received the requested at least one segment as an HTTP response.   
     
     
         10 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the electronic content comprises at least one of encoded audio content or encoded video content.   
     
     
         11 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the information associated with the electronic content is stored in a plurality of data files corresponding to the plurality of different bit rates.   
     
     
         12 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the data files correspond to an MP4 format.   
     
     
         13 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the request comprises information identifying a predetermined bit rate of the plurality of different bit rates.   
     
     
         14 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the request comprises a request for segments of the plurality of segments having the predetermined bit rate.   
     
     
         15 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one segment of the electronic content is selected based on bit rate of the at least one segment.   
     
     
         16 . An information processing method, comprising:
 receiving information associated with electronic content, wherein the electronic content, stored in a plurality of different bit rates, comprises a plurality of segments and the information associated with the electronic content comprises location information for each segment of the plurality of segments;   transmitting a request for at least one segment of the stored electronic content selected based on the location information for each segment of the plurality of segments; and   receiving the requested at least one segment.   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a program, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to execute a method, the method comprising:
 receiving information associated with electronic content, wherein the electronic content, stored in a plurality of different bit rates, comprises a plurality of segments and the information associated with the electronic content comprises location information for each segment of the plurality of segments;   transmitting a request for at least one segment of the stored electronic content selected based on the location information for each segment of the plurality of segments; and   receiving the requested at least one segment.