| US 7,594,179 B2 | ||
| Information processing system, service providing apparatus and method, information processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program | ||
| Kenichi Takemura, Kanagawa (Japan); Mamoru Tokashiki, Tokyo (Japan); and Yoshihiro Wakita, Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Sony Corporation, (Japan); and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan, Inc., (Japan) | ||
| Appl. No. 10/498,582 PCT Filed Oct. 08, 2003, PCT No. PCT/JP03/12857 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Feb. 17, 2005, PCT Pub. No. WO2004/034729, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 22, 2004. |
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| Claims priority of application No. 2002-297386 (JP), filed on Oct. 10, 2002. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0154574 A1, Jul. 14, 2005 | ||
| Int. Cl. G06F 3/048 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 715—757 [715/706] | 17 Claims |
| 1. An information processing system, comprising:
a plurality of information processing apparatuses; and
a service providing apparatus connected with said plurality of information processing apparatuses over a network;
said service providing apparatus comprising:
providing means for providing, to a given one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses, a service of a private
virtual space in which a first mascot is arranged, the private virtual space and the first mascot being associated with a
particular user of said plurality of information processing apparatuses,
storage means for storing group information for a group to which the particular user belongs,
sharing means for sharing the service of the private virtual space being provided to said given one of said plurality of information
processing apparatuses with another one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses being used by another user
belonging to said group whereby the private virtual space associated with the particular user contains a second mascot associated
with the another user,
relay means for relaying data in real-time between said given one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses
and said another one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses, and
audio stream means for receiving from said given one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses a request for
delivery of audio stream data provided by an audio server, for providing the audio stream data provided by the audio server
to said given one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses in response to the request by said given one of
said plurality of information processing apparatuses, for receiving from said another one of said plurality of information
processing apparatuses a request for synchronous delivery to said given one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses
and to said another one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses of the audio stream data provided by the audio
server, and in response to the request from said another one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses, for
concurrently providing substantially same audio stream data provided by the audio server to said given one of said plurality
of information processing apparatuses and to said another one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses while
said sharing means shares the service of the private virtual space provided to said given one of said plurality of information
processing apparatuses with the another one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses;
said given one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses comprising:
reproduction means for reproducing the audio stream data received over said network from said audio stream means of said service
providing apparatus, and
notification means for notifying said another information processing apparatus that said audio stream means has started the
providing of the audio stream data to said given one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses;
said another one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses comprising:
request means for sending, to said sharing means of said service providing apparatus, a request for participation of the second
mascot in the private virtual space being provided to the given one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses,
display control means for controlling the displaying of the private virtual space, the private virtual space being provided
by said sharing means of said service providing apparatus in response to said request,
communication means for communicating data in real-time with said given one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses
via said service providing apparatus,
receiving means for receiving the notification from said given one of said plurality of information processing apparatuses
that said audio stream means has started the providing of the audio stream data to said given one of said plurality of information
processing apparatuses, and
requesting means for sending, in response to receiving the notification from said given one of said plurality of information
processing apparatuses, the request to said service providing apparatus for the synchronous delivery of the audio stream data
provided by the audio server, and
reproduction means for reproducing the substantially same audio stream data provided to said given one of said plurality of
information processing apparatuses that is received over said network from said audio stream means of said service providing
apparatus.
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