Network recording system and recording device

A recording server comprising:

• a receiving unit operable to receive, from an external device, a record instruction to record a broadcast program and a send instruction to send a recorded broadcast program, each instruction being attached with a requester ID;
• an ID management unit operable to manage specific requester IDs as belonging to a group;
• a recording unit operable to record a broadcast program in response to a record instruction received by the receiving unit;
• a recorded-data management unit operable to manage a recorded broadcast program, in association with a requester ID that is received with a record instruction instructed to record the broadcast program;
• and
• a shared-data management unit operable to send, in response to a send instruction, a recorded broadcast program to an external device from which the send instruction is received, when (i) a requester ID received with the send instruction is managed by the ID management unit as belonging to a group and (ii) the recorded broadcast program to be sent is associated by the recorded-data management unit with a requester ID belonging to the group.

A recorded data sending method for use by a recording server having:

• a receiving unit operable to receive a record instruction to record a broadcast program and a send instruction to send a recorded broadcast program each transmitted from an external source together with a requester ID;
• and a recording unit operable to record a broadcast program in response to a received record instruction, the recorded data sending method comprising steps of:
• managing specific requester IDs as belonging to a group;
• managing a broadcast program that is recorded in response to a record instruction received by the receiving unit, in association with a requester ID received with the record instruction;
• and
• sending, in response to a send instruction received from an eternal device, a recorded broadcast program to the external device from which the send instruction is received, when (i) a requester ID received with the send instruction is managed in the requester ID managing step as belonging to a group and (ii) the recorded broadcast program to be sent is associated in the broadcast program managing step with a requester ID belonging to the group.

A program for use by a computer that performs a recorded data sending process, the computer acting as a recording server having:

• a receiving unit operable to receive a record instruction to record a broadcast program and a send instruction to send a recorded broadcast program each transmitted from an external source together with a requester ID;
• and a recording unit operable to record a broadcast program in response to a received record instruction, the recorded data sending process comprising steps of:
• managing specific requester IDs as belonging to a group;
• managing a broadcast program recorded in response to a record instruction received by the receiving unit, in association with a requester ID received with the record instruction;
• and
• sending, in response to a send instruction received from an eternal device, a recorded broadcast program to the external device from which the send instruction is received, when (i) a requester ID received with the send instruction is managed in the requester ID managing step as belonging to a group and (ii) the recorded broadcast program to be sent is associated in the broadcast program managing step with a requester ID belonging to the group.

A recording medium storing a program for use by a computer that performs a recorded data sending process, the computer acting as a recording server having:

• a receiving unit operable to receive a record instruction to record a broadcast program and a send instruction to send a recorded broadcast program each transmitted from an external source together with a requester ID;
• and a recording unit operable to record a broadcast program in response to a received record instruction, the recorded data sending process comprising steps of:
• managing specific requester IDs as belonging to a group;
• managing a broadcast program recorded in response to a record instruction received by the receiving unit, in association with a requester ID received with the record instruction;
• and
• sending, in response to a send instruction received from an eternal device, a recorded broadcast program to the external device from which the send instruction is received, when (i) a requester ID received with the send instruction is managed in the requester ID managing step as belonging to a group and (ii) the recorded broadcast program to be sent is associated in the broadcast program managing step with a requester ID belonging to the group.

An integrated circuit for use in a recording server that has:

• a receiving unit operable to receive a record instruction to record a broadcast program and a send instruction to send a recorded broadcast program each transmitted from an external source together with a requester ID;
• and a recording unit operable to record a broadcast program in response to a received record instruction, the integrated circuit comprising:
• an ID management module operable to manage specific requester IDs as belonging to a group;
• a recorded-data management module operable to manage a recorded broadcast program that is recorded in response to a record instruction received by the receiving unit, the recorded broadcast being managed in association with a requester ID that is received with the record instruction;
• and
• a shared-data management module operable to send, in response to a send instruction, a recorded broadcast program to a terminal from which the send instruction is received, when (i) a requester ID received with the send instruction is managed by the ID management module as belonging to a group and (ii) the recorded broadcast program to be sent is associated by the recorded-data management module with a requester ID belonging to the group.