INFORMATION STORAGE APPARATUS, ITS CONTROL METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20090113485A1
• Filed: 10/29/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Inukai, Kyohei
• Granted Patent: US 8,104,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed

Abstract

An information storage apparatus for processing a plurality of broadcast contents, where each content is subject to a respective use condition, includes a storage unit for storing such contents, a control unit configured to manage a respective recording reservation of each content and to control the storage unit so as to store a reservation target content in the storage unit and delete a stored content from the storage unit, the reservation target content and the stored content being respective members of the plurality of broadcast contents, and a determination unit configured to determine, when an instruction to perform a recording reservation of the reservation target content is received, whether there is any content stored in the storage unit that, according to its use condition, is permitted to be deleted from the storage unit by a recording start time of the reservation target content.

Claims

1. An information storage apparatus for processing a plurality of broadcast contents, each content subject to a respective use condition, the information storage apparatus comprising:

a storage unit for storing such contents;

a control unit configured to manage a respective recording reservation of each content and to control the storage unit so as to store a reservation target content in the storage unit and delete a stored content from the storage unit, the reservation target content and the stored content being respective members of the plurality of broadcast contents; and

a determination unit configured to determine, when an instruction to perform a recording reservation of the reservation target content is received, whether there is any content stored in the storage unit that, according to its use condition, is permitted to be deleted from the storage unit by a recording start time of the reservation target content.

2. The information storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines, when a viewing period of one of the contents stored in the storage unit will have expired by the recording start time, that said one of the contents is a deletion candidate.

3. The information storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines, based on the use conditions and statuses of the contents stored in the storage unit, whether there is any content permitted to be deleted from the storage unit by the recording start time.

4. The information storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines, based on comparison of a data size of the reservation target content with an unused area of the storage unit, whether there is any content permitted to be deleted from the storage unit.

5. The information storage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display a content determined to be a deletion candidate by the determination unit.

6. A method for processing a plurality of broadcast contents, each content subject to a respective use condition, the method using a storage unit for storing such contents, the method comprising:

managing a respective recording reservation of each content and controlling the storage unit so as to store a reservation target content in the storage unit and delete a stored content from the storage unit, the reservation target content and the stored content being respective members of the plurality of broadcast contents; and

determining, when an instruction to perform a recording reservation of the reservation target content is received, whether there is any content stored in the storage unit that, according to its use condition, is permitted to be deleted from the storage unit by a recording start time of the reservation target content.

7. A storage medium that stores a computer program which causes a computer to process a plurality of broadcast contents, each content subject to a respective use condition, the computer having a storage unit for storing such contents, the computer program comprising:

program code for managing a respective recording reservation of each content and controlling the storage unit so as to store a reservation target content in the storage unit and delete a stored content from the storage unit, the reservation target content and the stored content being respective members of the plurality of broadcast contents; and

program code for determining, when an instruction to perform a recording reservation of the reservation target content is received, whether there is any content stored in the storage unit that, according to its use condition, is permitted to be deleted from the storage unit by a recording start time of the reservation target content.