System, server, and device for providing contents

• US 20060170965A1
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ohara, Kiyotaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00915 Assigning priority to, or interrupting, a particular operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a content providing system, which includes a client device configured to receive contents, and a server connected to the client device to provided contents for the client device. The client device includes a suspend instruction issuing unit that instructs the server to suspend providing of contents, a handling way designation unit that designates a handling way defining how to handle unoffered contents which are contents not provided for the client device to instruct the server by the suspend instruction issuing unit, a handling way notifying unit that notifies the server of the handling way designated by the handling way designation unit, and a restart instruction issuing unit that instructs the server to restart the providing of contents after the suspend instruction issuing unit instructs the server to suspend the providing of contents. The server includes a content providing unit that provides contents for the client device, a suspending unit that suspends the providing of contents by the content providing unit if the server is instructed to suspend the providing of contents by the suspend instruction issuing unit of the client device, a restart unit that restarts the providing of contents if the server is instructed to restart the providing of contents by the restart instruction issuing unit of the client device after the providing of contents is suspended by the suspending unit, and a notification processing unit that processes the unoffered contents in accordance with the handling way notified by the handling way notification unit.

Claims

1. A content providing system, comprising:

a client device configured to receive contents; and

a server connected to the client device to provided contents for the client device,

the client device including;

a suspend instruction issuing unit that instructs the server to suspend providing of contents;

a handling way designation unit that designates a handling way defining how to handle unoffered contents which are contents not provided for the client device to instruct the server by the suspend instruction issuing unit;

a handling way notifying unit that notifies the server of the handling way designated by the handling way designation unit; and

a restart instruction issuing unit that instructs the server to restart the providing of contents by the content providing unit after the suspend instruction issuing unit instructs the server to suspend the providing of contents,

the server including;

a content providing unit that provides contents for the client device;

a suspending unit that suspends the providing of contents by the content providing unit if the server is instructed to suspend the providing of contents by the suspend instruction issuing unit of the client device;

a restart unit that restarts the providing of contents if the server is instructed to restart the providing of contents by the restart instruction issuing unit of the client device after the providing of contents is suspended by the suspending unit; and

a notification processing unit that processes the unoffered contents in accordance with the handling way notified by the handling way notification unit of the client device.

2. The content providing system according to claim 1, wherein the handling way notifying unit notifies the server of the handling way when the suspend instruction issuing unit instructs the server to suspend the providing of contents.

3. The content providing system according to claim 1, wherein the handling way notifying unit notifies the server of the handling way when the restart instruction issuing unit instructs the server to restart the providing of contents.

4. The content providing system according to claim 1, wherein the handling way designation unit allows the user to select one of an instruction requesting for the unoffered contents, an instruction not requesting for the unoffered contents and an instruction requesting for the unoffered contents selectively, as the handling way to be notified to the server.

5. The content providing system according to claim 1, wherein:

the restart instruction issuing unit of the client device notifies the server of a restart date for restating the providing of contents when the suspend instruction issuing unit instructs the server to suspend the providing of contents; and

the restart unit of the server controls the content providing unit to restart the providing of contents when a current date reaches the restart date.

6. The content providing system according to claim 1, wherein the client device includes a printing unit that prints the contents provided by the server on a recording medium.

7. The content providing system according to claim 1, wherein the suspend instruction issuing unit allows the user to input a suspend instruction, and instructs the server to suspend the providing of contents when the suspend instruction is inputted.

8. The content providing system according to claim 1, wherein the restart instruction issuing unit allows the user to input a restart instruction, and instructs the server to restart the providing of contents when the restart instruction is inputted.

9. The content providing system according to claim 1, wherein the providing of contents from the server to the client device is performed continuously.

10. A client device connected to a server to receive contents from the server, comprising:

a printing unit that prints contents provided by the server on a recording medium;

a suspend instruction issuing unit that allows a user to input a suspend instruction, and instructs the server to suspend providing of contents when the suspend command is inputted;

a handling way designation unit designates a handling way defining how to handle unoffered contents which are contents not provided for the client device to instruct the server by the suspend instruction issuing unit;

a handling way notifying unit that notifies the server of the handling way designated by the handling way designation unit; and

a restart instruction issuing unit that allows the user to input a restart instruction, and instructs the server to restart the providing of contents when the restart instruction is inputted after the suspend instruction issuing unit instructs the server to suspend the providing of contents.

11. A server connected to a client device to provided contents for the client device, comprising:

a content providing unit that provides contents for the client device;

a suspending unit that suspends providing of contents by the content providing unit if the server is instructed to suspend the providing of contents by the client device;

a restart unit that restarts the providing of contents by the content providing unit if the server is instructed to restart the providing of contents by the client device after the providing of contents is suspended by the suspending unit; and

a notification processing unit that processes unoffered contents, which are contents not provided for the client device, in accordance with a handling instruction provided by the client device.

12. A computer program comprising computer readable instructions that cause a client device which receives contents from a server to:

print contents provided by the server on a recording medium;

instruct the server to suspend providing of contents when a user operation for suspending the providing of contents is accepted;

designate a handling way defining how to handle unoffered contents which are contents not provided for the client device;

notify the server of the handling way designated by the handling way designation unit; and

instruct the server to restart the providing of contents when a user operation for restating the providing of contents is accepted after the server is instructed to suspend the providing of contents.

13. A computer program comprising computer readable instructions that cause a server which provides contents for a client device to:

provide contents for the client device;

suspend the providing of contents if the server is instructed to suspend the providing of contents by the client device;

restart the providing of contents if the server is instructed to restart the providing of contents by the client device after the providing of contents is suspended; and

process unoffered contents, which are contents not provided for the client device, in accordance with a handling instruction provided by the client device.