Content providing system, receiving apparatus and method, storage medium, and program

A content providing system comprising a first content providing apparatus and a second content providing apparatus for providing contents, and a content utilizing apparatus for receiving a content provision from said first content providing apparatus or said second content providing apparatus, characterized in that:

• said first content providing apparatus comprises:
• first providing means for providing, in response to a request, contents to said second content providing apparatus or said content utilizing apparatus, and
• sending means for sending, in response to a request, provision information about said content provision by said first providing means, to said second content providing apparatus,
• said second content providing apparatus comprises:
• first requesting means for requesting said first content providing apparatus to provide contents;
• receiving means for receiving said provision information sent by said sending means of said first content providing apparatus, in response to a request by said first requesting means;
• second requesting means for requesting said first content providing apparatus to provide contents corresponding to said provision information received by said receiving means;
• first obtaining means for obtaining said contents provided by said first providing means of said first content providing apparatus, in response to a request by said second requesting means;
• storing means for storing said contents obtained by said first obtaining means;
• and
• second providing means for providing, in response to a request, contents stored by said storing means, to said content utilizing apparatus, and
• said content utilizing apparatus comprises:
• third requesting means for requesting said first content providing apparatus or said second content providing apparatus to provide contents;
• second obtaining means for obtaining said contents provided by said first providing means of said first content providing apparatus or said second providing means of said second content providing apparatus, in response to a request by said third requesting means;
• and
• utilizing means for utilizing said contents obtained by said second obtaining means.

An information processing apparatus for executing a plurality of utilization processes requiring a user's permission, to contents sent from a sending apparatus, characterized by comprising:

• determination means for determining whether said information processing apparatus is in a contents standby-mode or not;
• first executing means for executing said utilization process, if said determination means determines that said information processing apparatus is in said standby-mode, assuming that a user's permission is obtained;
• and
• second executing means for executing a predetermined permission validation process for obtaining a user's permission if said determination means determines that said information processing apparatus is not in said standby-mode, and executing said utilization process if the user's permission is obtained by that process.

An information processing method of an information processing apparatus for executing a plurality of utilization processes requiring a user's permission, to contents sent from a sending apparatus, characterized by comprising:

• a determination step of determining whether said information processing apparatus is in a content standby-mode or not;
• a first execution step of executing said utilization process, if the process of said determination step determines as in said standby-mode, assuming that the user's permission is obtained;
• and
• a second execution step of executing a predetermined permission validation process for obtaining a user's permission if the process of said determination step determines as not in said standby-mode, and executing said utilization process if a user's permission is obtained by that process.

A storage medium in which a computer readable program is stored, characterized in that:

• said program is a program of an information processing apparatus for executing a plurality of utilization processes requiring a user's permission, to contents sent from a sending apparatus, said program comprising:
• a determination control step of controlling determination as to whether said information processing apparatus is in a content standby-mode or not;
• a first execution control step of controlling execution of said utilization process, if the process of said determination control step determines as in said standby-mode, assuming that a user's permission is obtained;
• and
• a second execution control step of controlling execution of a predetermined permission validation process for obtaining a user's permission if the process of said determination control step determines as not in said standby-mode, and controlling execution of said utilization process if the user's permission is obtained by that process.

A program of an information processing apparatus for executing a plurality of utilization processes requiring a user's permission, to contents sent from a sending apparatus, characterized by having a computer execute a process comprising:

• a determination control step, executed by the computer, of controlling determination as to whether said information processing apparatus is in a content standby-mode or not;
• a first execution control step, executed by the computer, of controlling execution of said utilization process, if the process of said determination control step determined as in said standby-mode, assuming that a user's permission is obtained;
• and
• a second execution control step, executed by the computer, of controlling execution of a predetermined permission validation process for obtaining a user's permission if the process of said determination control step determines as not in said standby-mode, and controlling execution of said utilization process if the user's permission is obtained by that process.