Content obtaining system for automatically downloading content to a home system based on a command from a remote terminal

• US 20030110214A1
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Personal Computers, Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Shinobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,299,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A content obtaining system automatically downloads desired content from a communication network to a home system based on a command from a remote terminal. The content obtaining system includes a communication network, a content server which stores content, a terminal which can access the content server via the communication network and which transmits a command to the communication network under a user'"'"'s operation, and a home system which receives the command via the communication network and automatically downloads content stored in the content server and designated by the command sent via the communication network.

Claims

1. A content obtaining system comprising:

a communication network;

a first server which stores content;

a terminal remote from said first server, which can access to said first server via said communication network and which transmits a command to said communication network under a user'"'"'s operation; and

an information processing system which receives said command via said communication network and automatically downloads content stored in said first server and designated by said command via said communication network.

2. The content obtaining system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second server on said communication network which receives said command from said terminal via said communication network and stores said command;

wherein said information processing system receives said command from said second server.

3. The content obtaining system of claim 2, wherein said information processing system periodically accesses said second server to check whether said command is present.

4. The content obtaining system of claim 1, wherein said information processing system comprises a first information processing device and a second information processing device, wherein said first information processing devices comprises a storage checking unit which checks a free storage capacity of each of said first and second information processing devices, and wherein said content is downloaded in said second information processing device if said storage checking unit determines that there is not enough storage capacity for said content in said first information processing device.

5. The content obtaining system of claim 1, wherein said information processing system compresses said content while downloading said content.

6. The content obtaining system of claim 1, wherein said information processing system compresses previously-stored while downloading said content.

7. The content obtaining system of claim 1, wherein said information processing system comprises a first information processing device and a second information processing device, wherein said first information processing device comprises a dividing unit which divides said content while downloading said content, and wherein said first information processing device stores one part of said divided content and said second information processing device stores another part of said divided content.

8. The content obtaining system of claim 7, wherein said first information processing device first stores said one part of said content, and wherein said second information processing device start to store said second part of said divided content when said first information processing unit determines that a free storage capacity of said first information processing device achieves a predetermined capacity.

9. The content obtaining system of claim 1, wherein said command includes time information, and wherein said information processing system starts to download at a time designated by said time information.

10. The content obtaining system of claim 1, wherein said information processing system comprises a first information processing device and a second information processing device, wherein said command includes storage information, and wherein said content is stored in said first and/or second information processing devices based on said storage information.

11. A communication terminal comprising:

a communication unit which accesses a content server via a communication network; and

a transmitting unit which transmits a command to said communication unit;

wherein said command is transmitted to a remote information processing system; and

wherein said information processing system automatically downloads content stored in said content server, responsive to said command.

12. An information processing system comprising:

a communication unit which receives a command generated by a remote terminal under a user'"'"'s operation via a communication network, and automatically downloads content on said communication network designated by said command; and

a storage unit which stores said content.

13. The information processing system of claim 12, further comprising a first information processing device and second information processing device, wherein said first information processing devices comprises a storage checking unit which checks a free storage capacity of each of said first and second information processing devices, and wherein said content is downloaded in said second information processing device if said storage checking unit determines that there is not enough storage capacity for said content in said first information processing device.

14. The information processing system of claim 12, wherein said information processing system compresses said content while downloading said content.

15. The information processing system of claim 12, wherein said information processing system compresses previously-stored data while downloading said content.

16. The information processing system of claim 12, further comprising a first information processing device and a second information processing device, wherein said first information processing devices comprises a dividing unit which divides said content while downloading said content, and wherein said first information processing device stores one part of said divided content and said second information processing device stores another part of said divided content.

17. The information processing system of claim 16, wherein said first information processing device begins to store said content, and wherein said second information processing device commences storing said divided content when said first information processing unit determines that a free storage capacity of said first information processing device drops below a predetermined capacity.

18. The information processing system of claim 12, wherein said command includes time information, and wherein said information processing system starts to download at a time designated by said time information.

19. The information processing system of claim 12, further comprising a first information processing device and a second information processing device, wherein said command includes storage information, and wherein said content is stored in said first and/or second information processing devices based on said storage information.