Information providing apparatus and method, information processing apparatus and method, program storage medium, program, and information providing system

• US 8,635,160 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kuriya, Shinobu, Kurihara, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Nigh, James D
• Application Number:
  US11/567,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20070083613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,602 Days
• Field of Search: 705/50, 705/51, 705/59
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Disclosed is an information providing apparatus comprising first reception control means for controlling the reception, from a first information processing apparatus, of user identification data for identifying a user of the first information processing apparatus and a request for purchasing a content, first transmission control means for controlling in response to the request for purchasing the content the transmission of the request for purchasing the content to a second information processing apparatus, second reception control means for controlling the reception of the content and usage conditions thereof supplied from the second information processing apparatus, storage control means for controlling the storing of the content and usage conditions thereof in correlation with the user identification data, third reception control means for controlling the reception of the user identification data and a request for sending the content supplied from the first information processing apparatus, and second transmission control means for controlling, in response to the request for sending the content, the transmission of the content stored in correlation with the user identification data.

Claims

1. An information providing apparatus having a hardware processor, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a request for purchasing a content from an information processing apparatus, the receiver being further configured to receive user identification data for identifying a user of the information processing apparatus, identification information of the information processing apparatus, and identification information of a portable device;

a controller, implemented on the hardware processor, configured to authenticate the user based on the received user identification data;

a transmitter configured to transmit the request for purchasing a content to a server via a network when the user has been authenticated by the controller, the request including identification information of the information processing apparatus and the identification information of the user of the information processing apparatus, the transmitter configured to transmit the content to the portable device via the information processing apparatus;

a storage device configured to store the content and a usage right corresponding to the content, the usage right being determined based on the content and the user identification data, and the usage right including checkout data which indicates a number of times that the content can be checked out, and the storage device configured to store the identification information of the portable device and the identification of the information processing apparatus in association with the identification data for identifying the user of the information processing apparatus, the storage device configured to store the identification information of the portable device, the identification of the information processing apparatus, and the identification data for identifying the user of the information processing apparatus in association with content transmitted to the information processing apparatus, and the content is simultaneously checked out to the portable device and the information processing apparatus; and

a content management unit configured to manage distribution of the content based on the checkout data,

wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the content to the information processing apparatus after receiving the content from the server, and the content management unit is configured to update the checkout data when the content is transmitted to the information processing apparatus.

2. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a content list of the stored content to the information processing apparatus, the transmitter is further configured to transmit the content which is selected from the content list by the information processing apparatus.

3. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the content to the information processing apparatus after the controller confirms that the content stored in the information processing apparatus is deleted.

4. An information processing apparatus having a hardware processor, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit to a server a request for purchasing a content to an information providing apparatus for storing purchased content and usage conditions, the usage conditions including checkout data which indicates a number of times that the content can be checked out, the request including identification information of a user of the information processing apparatus and identification information of the information processing apparatus, the transmitter also configured to transmit identification information of a portable device to the information providing apparatus; and

a receiver, implemented on the hardware processor, configured to receive data indicating the purchased content being stored at the information providing apparatus and to receive the content from the information providing apparatus,

wherein the information providing apparatus includes a content management unit configured to manage distribution of the content and the content management unit is configured to update the checkout data when the content is reproduced at the information processing apparatus, the content management unit configured to store the identification information of the portable device, the identification of the information processing apparatus, and the identification data for identifying the user of the information processing apparatus in association with content transmitted to the information processing apparatus, and the content is simultaneously checked out to the portable device and the information processing apparatus.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the information processing apparatus is a mobile telephone.

6. An information providing apparatus comprising:

first reception control means for controlling reception, from a first information processing apparatus, of user identification data for identifying a user of said first information processing apparatus and for controlling reception of a request for purchasing a content, the first reception control means receiving identification information of the first information processing apparatus and identification information of a portable device from the first information processing apparatus;

first transmission control means for controlling, in response to said request for purchasing said content, transmission of said request for purchasing said content to a second information processing apparatus, the request including the identification information of the first information processing apparatus and the identification information of the user of the first information processing apparatus;

second reception control means for controlling reception of said content and usage conditions received from said second information processing apparatus, the usage conditions including checkout data which indicates a number of times that the content can be checked out;

storage control means for controlling storage of said content and usage conditions in correspondence with said user identification data, the storage control means storing the identification information of the portable device, the identification of the first information processing apparatus, and the identification data for identifying the user of the first information processing apparatus in association with content transmitted to the first information processing apparatus, and the content is simultaneously checked out to the portable device and the first information processing apparatus;

third reception control means for controlling reception of said user identification data and for controlling reception of a request for sending said content received from said second information processing apparatus;

second transmission control means for controlling, in response to said request for sending said content, transmission of said content stored in correspondence with said user identification data to the first information processing apparatus; and

content management means for managing distribution of the content based on the checkout data, and for updating the checkout data when the content is transmitted by said second transmission control means.

7. The information providing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said second transmission control means is further controlling the transmission of said content to said first information processing apparatus.

8. The information providing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said second transmission control means is further controlling the transmission of said content to a detachable recording medium attached to said first information processing apparatus.

9. An information providing apparatus comprising:

first reception control means for controlling reception, from a first information processing apparatus, of user identification data for identifying a user of said first information processing apparatus and for controlling reception of a request for purchasing a content, the first reception control means receiving identification information of the first information processing apparatus and identification information of a portable device from the first information processing apparatus;

first transmission control means for controlling, in response to said request for purchasing said content, transmission of said request for purchasing said content to a second information processing apparatus, the request including the identification information of the first information processing apparatus and the identification information of the user of the first information processing apparatus;

second reception control means for controlling reception of said content and usage conditions received from said second information processing apparatus, the usage conditions including checkout data which indicates a number of times that the content can be checked out;

storage control means for controlling storage of said content and usage conditions in correspondence with said user identification data, the storage control means storing the identification information of the portable device, the identification of the first information processing apparatus, and the identification data for identifying the user of the first information processing apparatus in association with content transmitted to the first information processing apparatus, and the content is simultaneously checked out to the portable device and the first information processing apparatus;

second transmission control means for controlling, when said content has been stored, transmission of said content to the first information processing apparatus, the content stored in correspondence with said user identification data; and

content management means for managing distribution of the content based on the checkout data, and for updating the checkout data when the content is transmitted by said second transmission control means.

10. An information providing apparatus comprising:

first reception control means for controlling reception, from a first information processing apparatus, of user identification data for identifying a user of said first information processing apparatus and for controlling reception of a request for purchasing a content, the first reception control means receiving identification information of the first information processing apparatus and identification information of a portable device from the first information processing apparatus;

first transmission control means for controlling, in response to said request for purchasing said content, transmission of said request for purchasing said content to a second information processing apparatus, the request including and the identification information of the user of the first information processing apparatus;

second reception control means for controlling reception, from said second information processing apparatus, of device identification information for identifying said second information processing apparatus and for controlling reception of usage conditions of said content, the usage conditions including checkout data which indicates a number of times that the content can be checked out;

storage control means for controlling storage of said device identification information and said usage conditions in correspondence with said user identification data, the storage control means storing the identification information of the portable device, the identification of the first information processing apparatus, and the identification data for identifying the user of the first information processing apparatus in association with content transmitted to the first information processing apparatus, and the content is simultaneously checked out to the portable device and the first information processing apparatus;

second transmission control means for controlling, in response to a request from said first information processing apparatus, transmission of said device identification information and said usage conditions recorded in correspondence with said user identification data to said first information processing apparatus; and

content management means for managing distribution of the content based on the checkout data, and for updating the checkout data when the device identification information and usage conditions are transmitted by said second transmission control means.

11. An information processing apparatus comprising:

first reception control means for controlling reception of device identification information for identifying an information providing apparatus for providing a content and usage conditions of said content, the usage conditions including checkout data which indicates a number of times that the content can be checked out;

transmission control means for controlling, after reproduction of said content is requested, transmission of the request of said content to said information providing apparatus based on said device identification information and said usage conditions, the request including identification information of the information processing apparatus and identification information of a user of the information processing apparatus, the transmission control means transmitting identification information of a portable device to the information providing apparatus; and

second reception control means for controlling reception of said content from said information providing apparatus,

wherein the checkout data is updated by the information providing apparatus when the content is reproduced at the information processing apparatus, and the information providing apparatus stores the identification information of the portable device, the identification of the information processing apparatus, and the identification data for identifying the user of the information processing apparatus in association with content transmitted to the information processing apparatus, and the content is simultaneously checked out to the portable device and the information processing apparatus.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said second reception control means is further controlling the reception of said content from said information providing apparatus, and said content having a format corresponding to a streaming reproduction.