Abstract: A reception apparatus receiving a stream delivered by multicast through a network includes: a stream receiving a stream of a first channel as a viewing stream and one or more streams of second channels as viewing candidate streams; a buffer section storing the streams of the channels received by the stream reception section; a reproduction processing section performing processing for viewing the stream stored as the viewing stream in the buffer section; and a channel causing, when an instruction to switch over, as a viewing target, from the first channel to any one of the second channels of the streams being received as the viewing candidate streams is input, the reproduction processing section to process as the viewing stream the stream corresponding to the second channel and stored in the buffer section, and the stream to receive the stream as the viewing stream.

Abstract: A content reproduction apparatus is provided for reproducing variable-speed content. The content reproduction apparatus includes a data acquisition section for obtaining first streaming data and second streaming data, wherein the first streaming data includes first reproduction time data indicating a time to reproduce the first streaming data at a first streaming speed, and wherein the second streaming data includes second reproduction time data indicating a time to reproduce the second streaming data at a second streaming speed. The content reproduction apparatus also includes a reproduction time acquisition section for calculating a third reproduction time according to the first reproduction time data, the second reproduction time data, and a relationship between the first streaming speed and the second streaming speed, the third reproduction time being a time to reproduce the first streaming data at the first streaming speed followed by the second streaming data at the first streaming speed.

Abstract: A content reproduction method is provided, which acquires, from a data transmission apparatus, first streaming data that is used to play a content at a first speed, and records the first streaming data on a storage medium. The content reproduction method plays the content at the first speed, based on the stored first streaming data. The content reproduction method also starts acquisition of second streaming data in response to a varied-speed reproduction request for the content, wherein the second streaming data is used to play the content at a second speed, and plays the content at a transition speed based on the stored first streaming data, in response to the varied-speed reproduction request. The content reproduction method plays the content at the second speed based on the second streaming data, after the acquisition of the second streaming data progresses to a reproduction preparation complete state.

Abstract: There is provided a receiving device including: a receiving unit that receives a packet stream; an oscillator; a measuring unit that performs a measuring operation; an acquiring unit that reads the newest time stamp read from the packet stream received by the receiving unit and the newest measurement value measured by the measuring unit with a predetermined period, from a point of time when the packet stream starts to be received; a calculating unit that calculates an accumulation value of the time stamps and the measurement values acquired by the acquiring unit; a comparing unit that compares a difference between the accumulation value of the time stamps and the accumulation value of the measurement values calculated by the calculating unit, and a value corresponding to a network jitter; and a frequency control unit that controls the oscillation frequency of the oscillator based on the comparison result by the comparing unit.

Abstract: A content playback device has a processor, a memory, a data acquisition portion that acquires streaming data for content from a data transmission device, and a storage portion that stores the acquired streaming data in a storage medium. The content playback device also has a playback portion that plays back the content based on the stored streaming data, a playback control portion that causes the playback portion to halt playback of the content in response to a halt playback request, and an acquisition control portion. The acquisition control portion causes the data acquisition portion to stop acquisition of the streaming data in response to the halt playback request, and causes the data acquisition portion to restart acquisition of the streaming data in response to a resume playback request. The storage portion stores, in the storage medium, the streaming data acquired in response to the resume playback request, starting from a position at which acquisition of the streaming data was stopped.

Abstract: A reception apparatus includes a download section, a storage section, a judgment section, and a presentation section. The download section downloads a content via a network. The storage section stores the content being downloaded. The judgment section judges, based on a transmission rate of the content being downloaded and a standard reproduction rate of the content, whether the content can be reproduced continuously. The presentation section presents a result of the judgment to a user.

Abstract: A reception apparatus receiving a stream delivered by multicast through a network includes: a stream reception section receiving a stream of a first channel as a viewing stream and one or more streams of second channels as viewing candidate streams; a buffer section storing the streams of the channels received by the stream reception section; a reproduction processing section performing processing for viewing the stream stored as the viewing stream in the buffer section; and a channel processing section causing, when an instruction to switch over, as a viewing target, from the first channel to any one of the second channels of the streams being received as the viewing candidate streams is input, the reproduction processing section to process as the viewing stream the stream corresponding to the second channel and stored in the buffer section, and the stream reception section to receive the stream as the viewing stream.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a communication control method and a network system. When a total band of a priority flow and a best-effort flow in any one of switches SW1 and SW2 and hosts H1 to H3 connected to a network exceeds a predetermined value, priority control is executed to make the priority flow take precedence of the best-effort flow and flow control is executed to limit the band of the best-effort flow. Thus, priority data such as sounds and moving pictures can be transmitted in a high-quality and reliable transmission without turbulence. As a result, it is possible to provide a communication control method and a network system offering high-quality communications even if transmitted data includes sounds and/or moving pictures.

Abstract: There is provided a receiving device including: a receiving unit that receives a packet stream; an oscillator; a measuring unit that performs a measuring operation; an acquiring unit that reads the newest time stamp read from the packet stream received by the receiving unit and the newest measurement value measured by the measuring unit with a predetermined period, from a point of time when the packet stream starts to be received; a calculating unit that calculates an accumulation value of the time stamps and the measurement values acquired by the acquiring unit; a comparing unit that compares a difference between the accumulation value of the time stamps and the accumulation value of the measurement values calculated by the calculating unit, and a value corresponding to a network jitter; and a frequency control unit that controls the oscillation frequency of the oscillator based on the comparison result by the comparing unit.

Abstract: A content reproduction method is provided, which acquires, from a data transmission apparatus, first streaming data that is used to play a content at a first speed, and records the first streaming data on a storage medium. The content reproduction method plays the content at the first speed, based on the stored first streaming data. The content reproduction method also starts acquisition of second streaming data in response to a varied-speed reproduction request for the content, wherein the second streaming data is used to play the content at a second speed, and plays the content at a transition speed based on the stored first streaming data, in response to the varied-speed reproduction request. The content reproduction method plays the content at the second speed based on the second streaming data, after the acquisition of the second streaming data progresses to a reproduction preparation complete state.

Abstract: A content reproduction apparatus is provided for reproducing variable-speed content. The content reproduction apparatus includes a data acquisition section for obtaining first streaming data and second streaming data, wherein the first streaming data includes first reproduction time data indicating a time to reproduce the first streaming data at a first streaming speed, and wherein the second streaming data includes second reproduction time data indicating a time to reproduce the second streaming data at a second streaming speed. The content reproduction apparatus also includes a reproduction time acquisition section for calculating a third reproduction time according to the first reproduction time data, the second reproduction time data, and a relationship between the first streaming speed and the second streaming speed, the third reproduction time being a time to reproduce the first streaming data at the first streaming speed followed by the second streaming data at the first streaming speed.

Abstract: A content playback device has a processor, a memory, a data acquisition portion that acquires streaming data for content from a data transmission device, and a storage portion that stores the acquired streaming data in a storage medium. The content playback device also has a playback portion that plays back the content based on the stored streaming data, a playback control portion that causes the playback portion to halt playback of the content in response to a halt playback request, and an acquisition control portion. The acquisition control portion causes the data acquisition portion to stop acquisition of the streaming data in response to the halt playback request, and causes the data acquisition portion to restart acquisition of the streaming data in response to a resume playback request. The storage portion stores, in the storage medium, the streaming data acquired in response to the resume playback request, starting from a position at which acquisition of the streaming data was stopped.

Abstract: Whether the node to which data has been sent is connected to a bus is determined according to destination information, and, when it is determined that the node is not connected to the bus, predetermined error information is sent to the data transmission source. Therefore, data re-transmission is prevented and thereby the frequency band of a network is efficiently used.

Abstract: A data transfer system makes more effective use of a band available for the data transfer. In data transfer systems having devices with a different delay time in sending back the data depending on the transfer rate of data, it is possible to make more effective use of the band available for the transfer by transferring predetermined data at a slowest transfer rate within the data transfer system.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus for driving an optical disk on which a groove wobble corresponding to a signal acquired from frequency modulation of biphase modulated address information, and a mark for representing phase information placed inside the wobble are preformatted, and having the biphase bit count “a” (“a” is a natural number) between two of the adjacent marks, and the channel bit count “n” (“n” is a natural number) between two of the adjacent marks. The apparatus includes first clock signal production device for generating a first clock signal utilizing an “n” frequency multiple of the reproduction signal of the clock mark, wobble signal reproduction device for reproducing from the optical disk a wobble signal corresponding to the groove wobble, and frequency demodulation device for acquiring the address information by frequency demodulation of the wobble signal.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a communication control method and a network system. When a total band of a priority flow and a best-effort flow in any one of switches SW1 and SW2 and hosts H1 to H3 connected to a network exceeds a predetermined value, priority control is executed to make the priority flow take precedence of the best-effort flow and flow control is executed to limit the band of the best-effort flow. Thus, priority data such as sounds and moving pictures can be transmitted in a high-quality and reliable transmission without turbulence. As a result, it is possible to provide a communication control method and a network system offering high-quality communications even if transmitted data includes sounds and/or moving pictures.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus for driving an optical disk on which a groove wobble corresponding to a signal acquired from frequency modulation of biphase modulated address information, and a mark for representing phase information placed inside the wobble are preformatted, and having the biphase bit count “a” (“a” is a natural number) between two of the adjacent marks, and the channel bit count “n” (“n” is a natural number) between two of the adjacent marks. The apparatus includes first clock signal production means for generating a first clock signal utilizing an “n” frequency multiple of the reproduction signal of the clock mark, wobble signal reproduction means for reproducing from the optical disk a wobble signal corresponding to the groove wobble, and frequency demodulation means for acquiring the address information by frequency demodulation of the wobble signal.

Abstract: A data transfer system makes more effective use of a band available for the data transfer. In data transfer systems having devices with a different delay time in sending back the data depending on the transfer rate of data, it is possible to make more effective use of the band available for the transfer by transferring predetermined data at a slowest transfer rate within the data transfer system.

Abstract: Whether the node to which data has been sent is connected to a bus is determined according to destination information, and, when it is determined that the node is not connected to the bus, predetermined error information is sent to the data transmission source. Therefore, data re-transmission is prevented and thereby the frequency band of a network is efficiently used.

Abstract: A data transmitting and receiving apparatus for transmitting and receiving data between an external device and a pertinent bus of a plurality of buses connected by a bridge, the external device forming one portion of the bridge is disclosed, that comprises a storing means for storing first information and second information, the first information representing whether the transmission source or the transmission destination of the data is the data transmitting and receiving apparatus, the second information representing whether or not to the data should be transmitted to the pertinent bus, a setting means for setting the first information and the second information stored in the storing means to a predetermined state corresponding to an external request, and a transmitting and receiving means for transmitting and receiving the data to/from the pertinent bus or the external device corresponding to the first information and the second information stored in the storing means.