Information processing system and information processing apparatus and method

• US 20040054753A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kurihara, Akira, Nomura, Hideki, Go, Naomi
• Granted Patent: US 7,299,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information-processing system, an information-processing apparatus and an information-processing method. At a step S1, a PDA transmits a request for purchase of a content to a server. At steps S1, S12 and S14, the server receives the request for purchase of a content from the PDA and transmits the content to the PDA. At a step S5, the PDA transmits a request for preservation of the content to the server. At a step S16, the server generates a preservation ID based on a user ID for identifying the user of the PDA and based on a content ID for identifying the content, and issues the preservation ID to the PDA. At the next step S17, the server stores the issued preservation ID in a preservation-ID database by associating the preservation ID with the content ID. At a step S6, the PDA receives the issued preservation ID from the server and stores the preservation ID in a memory. The present invention can also be applied to an information management system.

Claims

1. An information-processing system comprising an information management apparatus for recording as well as managing a plurality of contents and information-processing apparatus for acquiring said contents, characterized in that:

said information management apparatus includes;

first recording means for recording said contents;

transmission means for receiving a request for a transmission of a predetermined content from said information-processing apparatus, extracting said predetermined content from said contents recorded in said first recording means and transmitting said predetermined content to said information-processing apparatus;

issuance means for generating a third ID based on a first ID for identifying said information-processing apparatus and based on a second ID for identifying said predetermined content and issuing said third ID to said information-processing apparatus; and

second recording means for recording said third ID issued by said issuance means by associating said third ID with said second ID, whereas

said information-processing apparatus includes

first acquirement means for requesting said information management apparatus to transmit said predetermined content and acquiring said predetermined content transmitted by said information management apparatus as requested by said first acquirement means;

second acquirement means for issuing a request to said information management apparatus to preserve said predetermined content acquired by said first acquirement means and acquiring a third ID transmitted by said information management apparatus in response to said request; and

storage means for storing said third ID acquired by said second acquirement means.

2. An information-processing apparatus characterized in that information-processing apparatus comprises:

first recording means for recording a plurality of contents;

transmission means for receiving a request for a transmission of a predetermined content from another information-processing apparatus, extracting said predetermined content from said contents recorded in said first recording means and transmitting said predetermined content to said other information-processing apparatus;

issuance means for generating a third ID based on a first ID for identifying said other information-processing apparatus and based on a second ID for identifying said predetermined content and issuing said third ID to said other information-processing apparatus; and

second recording means for recording said third ID issued by said issuance means by associating said third ID with said second ID.

3. An information-processing apparatus according to claim 2, said information-processing apparatus characterized in that, when a request for a transmission of a predetermined content associated with said third ID is received from said other information-processing apparatus, said transmission means reads out a second ID associated with said third ID from said second recording means, reads out said predetermined content identified by said second ID from said first recording means and transmits said predetermined content to said other information-processing apparatus.

4. An information-processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that said issuance means issues said third ID when a request to preserve a predetermined content is received from said other information-processing apparatus.

5. An information-processing method characterized in that said first information-processing method comprises:

a first recording control processing step of controlling an operation to record a plurality of contents;

a transmission processing step of receiving a request for a transmission of a predetermined content from another information-processing apparatus, extracting said predetermined content from said contents recorded in a process carried out at said first recording control processing step and transmitting said predetermined content to said other information-processing apparatus;

an issuance processing step of generating a third ID based on a first ID for identifying said other information-processing apparatus and based on a second ID for identifying said predetermined content and issuing said third ID to said other information-processing apparatus; and

a second recording control processing step of controlling an operation to record said third ID issued in a process carried out at said issuance processing step by associating said third ID with said second ID.

6. A recording medium used for recording a program readable by a computer, said recording medium characterized in that said program comprises:

a first recording control processing step of controlling an operation to record a plurality of contents;

a transmission processing step of receiving a request for a transmission of a predetermined content from another information-processing apparatus, extracting said predetermined content from said contents recorded in a process carried out at said first recording control processing step and transmitting said predetermined content to said other information-processing apparatus;

an issuance processing step of generating a third. ID based on a first ID for identifying said other information-processing apparatus and based on a second ID for identifying said predetermined content and issuing said third ID to said other information-processing apparatus; and

a second recording control processing step of controlling an operation to record said third ID issued in a process carried out at said issuance processing step by associating said third ID with said second ID.

7. A program which is to be executed by a computer to carry out, characterized in that:

a first recording control processing step of controlling an operation to record a plurality of contents;

a transmission processing step of receiving a request for a transmission of a predetermined content from another information-processing apparatus, extracting said predetermined content from said contents recorded in a process carried out at said first recording control processing step and transmitting said predetermined content to said other information-processing apparatus;

an issuance processing step of generating a third ID based on a first ID for identifying said other information-processing apparatus and based on a second ID for identifying said predetermined content and issuing said third ID to said other information-processing apparatus; and

a second recording control processing step of controlling an operation to record said third ID issued in a process carried out at said issuance processing step by associating said third ID with said second ID.

8. An information-processing apparatus characterized in that said information-processing apparatus comprises:

first acquirement means for requesting another information-processing apparatus to transmit a content and acquiring said content transmitted by said other information-processing apparatus as requested by said first acquirement means;

second acquirement means for issuing a request to said other information-processing apparatus to preserve said content acquired by said first acquirement means and acquiring an ID, which identifies said content and is transmitted by said other information-processing apparatus in response to said request; and

storage means for storing said ID acquired by said second acquirement means.

9. An information-processing apparatus according to claim 8, said information-processing apparatus characterized by further comprising third acquirement means for requesting said other information-processing apparatus to transmit a content identified by an ID stored in said storage means and acquiring said content transmitted by said other information-processing apparatus as requested by said third acquirement means.

10. An information-processing method characterized in that said information-processing method comprises:

a first acquirement control processing step of requesting another information-processing apparatus to transmit a content and controlling an operation to acquire said content transmitted by said other information-processing apparatus as requested;

a second acquirement control processing step of issuing a request to said other information-processing apparatus to preserve said content acquired in a process carried out at said first acquirement control processing step and controlling an operation to acquire an ID, which identifies said content and is transmitted by said other information-processing apparatus in response to said request; and

a storage control processing step of controlling an operation to store said ID acquired in a process carried out at said second acquirement control processing step.

11. A recording medium used for recording a program readable by a computer, said recording medium characterized in that said program comprises:

a first acquirement control processing step of requesting another information-processing apparatus to transmit a content and controlling an operation to acquire said content transmitted by said other information-processing apparatus as requested;

a second acquirement control processing step of issuing a request to said other information-processing apparatus to preserve said content acquired in a process carried out at said first acquirement control processing step and controlling an operation to acquire an ID, which identifies said content and is transmitted by said other information-processing apparatus in response to said request; and

a storage control processing step of controlling an operation to store said ID acquired in a process carried out at said second acquirement control processing step.

12. A program which is to be executed by a computer to carry out, characterized in that:

a first acquirement control processing step of requesting another information-processing apparatus to transmit a content and controlling an operation to acquire said content transmitted by said other information-processing apparatus as requested;

a second acquirement control processing step of issuing a request to said other information-processing apparatus to preserve said content acquired in a process carried out at said first acquirement control processing step and controlling an operation to acquire an ID, which identifies said content and is transmitted by said other information-processing apparatus in response to said request; and

a storage control processing step of controlling an operation to store said ID acquired in a process carried out at said second acquirement control processing step.