Information-processing apparatus and information-processing method

• US 7,062,543 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2001
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kishimoto, Toyoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Application Number:
  US09/876,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/219, 709/226, 709/248, 709/217, 717174-178, 717/171, 717/172, 717/173, 711/161, 711/162
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory

Abstract

The object of the invention is to provide the user with improved operatability of an information-processing apparatus and usability of application programs as well as to implement rendering of services to download the application programs from a server to the information-processing apparatus. If storage means employed in the information-processing apparatus does not contain a free area with a storage size large enough for accommodating a desired application program and a data file relevant thereto to be downloaded from the server, an information communication system comprising the information-processing apparatus and the server automatically transfers application programs and data files from the storage means to an external recording medium such as the server itself to be saved therein in order to secure a free storage area in the storage means. The free storage area is used for storing a desired application program and a relevant data file which are to be downloaded from the server.

Claims

1. An information-processing apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing application programs and data files;

processing means for activating an application program stored in said storage means to carry out required processing;

communication means for communicating data with an external server; and

control means for controlling said communication means and said storage means;

wherein said control means controls said communication means and said storage means in such a manner that when an application program is downloaded from said server connected by said communication means, if said storage means has a free storage area left in which said application program is allowed to be installed, said application program downloaded from said server is installed in said storage means;

but if said storage means has no free storage area left in which said application program is allowed to be installed, an application program or a data file stored in said storage means having a smallest activation count is saved to an external recording medium by way of said communication means in order to allocate a free storage area in said storage means and then said application program transmitted from said server is installed in said storage means.

2. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

activation-history management means for storing information on an activation history for each application program and for updating said information on an activation history for a specific application program upon activation of said specific application program by said processing means;

wherein said control means selects an application program to be saved to said external recording medium on the basis of said information on an activation history.

3. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage means is a non-volatile storage area.

4. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if an application program or a data file saved in said external recording medium exists at completion of use of an active application program downloaded from said server, said control means controls operations carried out by said communication means and said storage means to delete said active application program from said storage means in order to restore said saved application program or saved said data file from said external recording medium to said storage means by way of said communication means.

5. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing means activates an application program upon installation of said application program downloaded from said server into said storage means.

6. A server comprising:

communication means for carrying out communications of data;

downloaded-data storage means for storing a variety of application programs to be downloaded;

saved-data storage means; and

control means for controlling said communication means, said downloaded-data storage means, and said saved-data storage means;

wherein when said server receives a download request from an information processing apparatus connected to said server via said communicating means for carrying out communications of data, said control means transmits an application program stored in said downloaded-data storage means to said information processing apparatus, and when said server receives a saving request from said information apparatus, said control means stores an application program or a data file transmitted from said information processing apparatus in said saved-data storage means as saved data; and

wherein when a storage means in said information processing apparatus has no free storage area left in which one or more of said application programs are allowed to be installed, an application program or a data file stored in said storage means having a smallest activation count is saved to an external recording medium by way of said communication means in order to allocate a free storage area in said storage means and then said application program transmitted from said server is installed in said storage means.

7. The server according to claim 6, further comprising charging means for carrying out a charging process to request the user of said information-processing apparatus to pay a cost required for a process of transmitting an application program on the basis of the download request made by said information-processing apparatus, and a cost required for storing an application program or a data file on the basis of the saving request made by said information-processing apparatus.

8. An information communication system including an information-processing apparatus and a server connected to said information-processing apparatus in a state of being able to exchange data with said information-processing apparatus,

said information-processing apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing application programs and data files;

processing means for activating an application program stored in said storage means to carry out required processing;

communication means for communicating data with an external server; and

control means for controlling said communication means and said storage means;

wherein said control means controls said communication means and said storage means in such a manner that when an application program is downloaded from said server connected by said communication means, if said storage means has a free storage area left in which said application program is allowed to be installed, said application program downloaded from said server is installed in said storage means;

but if said storage means has no free storage area left in which said application program is allowed to be installed, an application program or a data file stored in said storage means having a smallest activation count is saved to an external recording medium by way of said communication means in order to allocate a free storage area in said storage means and then said application program transmitted from said server is installed in said storage means,

said server comprising;

communication means for carrying out communications of data;

downloaded-data storage means for storing a variety of application programs to be downloaded;

saved-data storage means; and

control means for controlling said communication means, said downloaded-data storage means, and said saved-data storage means;

wherein when said server receives a download request from an information processing apparatus connected to said server via said communicating means for carrying out communications of data, said control means transmits an application program stored in said downloaded-data storage means to said information processing apparatus, and when said server receives a saving request from said information apparatus, said control means stores an application program or a data file transmitted from said information processing apparatus in said saved-data storage means as saved data.

9. The information communication system according to claim 8, further comprising charging means for carrying out a charging process to request the user of said information-processing apparatus to pay a cost required for a process of transmitting an application program on the basis of the download request made by said information-processing apparatus, and a cost required for storing an application program or a data file on the basis of the saving request made by said information-processing apparatus.

10. An information-processing method comprising the steps of:

storing application programs and data files in a storing means;

activating an application program stored in said storage means to carry out required processing by a processing means;

communicating data with an external server by way of a communication means; and

controlling said communication means and said storage means by a control means;

wherein said control means controls said communication means and said storage means in such a manner that when an application program is downloaded from said server connected by said communication means, if said storage means has a free storage area left in which said application program is allowed to be installed, said application program downloaded from said server is installed in said storage means;

but if said storage means has no free storage area left in which said application program is allowed to be installed, an application program or a data file stored in said storage means having a smallest activation count is saved to an external recording medium by way of said communication means in order to allocate a free storage area in said storage means and then said application program transmitted from said server is installed in said storage means.

11. The information-processing method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

storing information on an activation history for each application program and updating said information on an activation history for a specific application program upon activation of said specific application program by said processing means;

wherein said control means selects an application program to be saved to said external recording medium on the basis of said information on an activation history.

12. The information-processing method according to claim 10, wherein if an application program or a data file saved in said external recording medium exists at completion of use of an active application program downloaded from said server, said control means controls operations carried out by said communication means and said storage means to delete said active application program from said storage means in order to restore said saved application program or saved said data file from said external recording medium to said storage means by way of said communication means.

13. An information providing method comprising the steps of:

carrying out communications of data by way of a communication means;

storing a variety of application programs to be downloaded in a downloaded-data storage means;

controlling said communication means, said downloaded-data storage means, and a saved-data storage means;

wherein when a download request from an information processing apparatus connected to a server via said communicating means is received, said control means transmits an application program stored in said downloaded-data storage means to said information processing apparatus, and when a saving request from said information apparatus is received, said control means stores an application program or a data file transmitted from said information processing apparatus in said saved-data storage means as saved data; and

wherein when a storage means in said information processing apparatus has no free storage area left in which one or more of said application programs are allowed to be installed, an application program or a data file stored in said storage means having a smallest activation count is saved to an external recording medium by way of said communication means in order to allocate a free storage area in said storage means and then said application program transmitted from said server is installed in said storage means.

14. The information providing method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of carrying out a charging process to request the user of said information-processing apparatus to pay a cost required for a process of transmitting an application program on the basis of the download request made by said information-processing apparatus, and a cost required for storing an application program or a data file on the basis of the saving request made by said information-processing apparatus.

15. A computer readable storage medium having an information processing program stored therein that when executed causes a processing device to perform the steps of:

storing application programs and data files in a storing means;

activating an application program stored in said storage means to carry out required processing by a processing means;

communicating data with an external server by way of a communication means; and

controlling said communication means and said storage means by a control means;

wherein said control means controls said communication means and said storage means in such a manner that when an application program is downloaded from said server connected by said communication means, if said storage means has a free storage area left in which said application program is allowed to be installed, said application program downloaded from said server is installed in said storage means;

but if said storage means has no free storage area left in which said application program is allowed to be installed, an application program or a data file stored in said storage means having a smallest activation count is saved to an external recording medium by way of said communication means in order to allocate a free storage area in said storage means and then said application program transmitted from said server is installed in said storage means.

16. The storage medium having the information-processing program according to claim 15, further comprising the step of:

storing information on an activation history for each application program and updating said information on an activation history for a specific application program upon activation of said specific application program by said processing means;

wherein said control means selects an application program to be saved to said external recording medium on the basis of said information on an activation history.

17. The storage medium having the information-processing program according to claim 15, wherein if an application program or a data file saved in said external recording medium exists at completion of use of an active application program downloaded from said server, said control means controls operations carried out by said communication means and said storage means to delete said active application program from said storage means in order to restore said saved application program or saved said data file from said external recording medium to said storage means by way of said communication means.

18. A computer readable storage medium having an information providing program stored therein that when executed causes a processing device to perform the steps of:

carrying out communications of data by way of a communication means;

storing a variety of application programs lobe downloaded in a downloaded-data storage means;

controlling said communication means, said downloaded-data storage means, and a saved-data storage means;

wherein when a download request from an information processing apparatus connected to a server via said communicating means is received, said control means transmits an application program stored in said downloaded-data storage means to said information processing apparatus, and when a saving request from said information apparatus is received, said control means stores an application program or a data file transmitted from said information processing apparatus in said saved-data storage means as saved data; and

wherein when a storage means in said information processing apparatus has no free storage area left in which one or more of said application programs are allowed to be installed, an application program or a data file stored in said storage means having a smallest activation count is saved to an external recording medium by way of said communication means in order to allocate a free storage area in said storage means and then said application program transmitted from said server is installed in said storage means.

19. The storage medium having the information providing program according to claim 18, further comprising the step of carrying out a charging process to request the user of said information-processing apparatus to pay a cost required for a process of transmitting an application program on the basis of the download request made by said information-processing apparatus, and a cost required for storing an application program or a data file on the basis of the saving request made by said information-processing apparatus.