Receiving apparatus that receives and accumulates broadcast contents and makes contents available according to user requests

A receiving apparatus that receives and accumulates broadcast contents into a storage medium to make each content available to a user, comprising:

• receiving/accumulating means for receiving and accumulating the contents into a first storage medium;
• deleting means for deleting each content accumulated in the first storage medium;
• designation accepting means for accepting a designation of a content from the user;
• transfer arranging means for
• (a) judging whether transfer of the designated content from the first storage medium to a second storage medium before deletion of the designated content is possible, and
• (b) arranging the transfer of the designated content when judging that the transfer is possible;
• and
• transferring means for transferring the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium before the designated content is deleted, as arranged by the transfer arranging means, wherein
• the designation accepting means does not accept a user designation of a content that includes copy prohibition information indicating to prohibit a copy of the content, and accepts a designation of a content which does not include the copy prohibition information.

A content storage method for use in a receiving apparatus that receives and accumulates broadcast contents into a first storage medium to make each content available to a user, the content storage method comprising:

• a deleting step for deleting each content accumulated in the first storage medium;
• a designation accepting step for accepting a designation of a content from the user;
• a transfer arranging step for (a) judging whether transfer of the designated content from the first storage medium to a second storage medium before deletion of the designated content is possible, and (b) arranging the transfer of the designated content when judging that the transfer is possible,
• wherein the second storage medium is included in an external device that is connected to the receiving apparatus and that can be used by the user;
• a device information obtaining step for obtaining device state information from the external device, the device state information showing whether the external device is in a content-storable state, the content-storable state at least including a state where the external device is not being used by the user;
• and
• a transferring step for transferring, when the device state information shows that the external device is in the content-storable state, the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium before the designated content is deleted, as arranged in the transfer arranging step.

A content storage method for use in a receiving apparatus that receives and accumulates broadcast contents into a first storage medium to make each content available to a user, the content storage method comprising:

• a deleting step for deleting each content accumulated in the first storage medium;
• a designation accepting step for accepting a designation of a content from the user;
• a transfer arranging step for (a) judging whether transfer of the designated content from the first storage medium to a second storage medium before deletion of the designated content is possible, and (b) arranging the transfer of the designated content when judging that the transfer is possible;
• and
• a transferring step for transferring the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium before the designated content is deleted, as arranged in the transfer arranging step,
• wherein in the designation accepting step, a user designation of a content that includes copy prohibition information indicating to prohibit a copy of the content is not accepted, and a designation of a content which does not include the copy prohibition information is accepted.

A control program for making a receiving apparatus perform a content storage process, the receiving apparatus receiving and accumulating broadcast contents into a first storage medium to make each content available to a user and including a central processing unit, the control program comprising:

• a deleting step for deleting each content accumulated in the first storage medium;
• a designation accepting step for accepting a designation of a content from the user;
• a transfer arranging step for (a) judging whether transfer of the designated content from the first storage medium to a second storage medium before deletion of the designated content is possible, and (b) arranging the transfer of the designated content when judging that the transfer is possible,
• wherein the second storage medium is included in an external device that is connected to the receiving apparatus and that can be used by the user;
• a device information obtaining step for obtaining device state information from the external device, the device state information showing whether the external device is in a content-storable state, the content-storable state at least including a state where the external device is not being used by the user;
• and
• a transferring step for transferring, when the device state information shows that the external device is in the content-storable state, the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium before the designated content is deleted, as arranged in the transfer arranging step.

A control program for making a receiving apparatus perform a content storage process, the receiving apparatus receiving and accumulating broadcast contents into a first storage medium to make each content available to a user and including a central processing unit, the control program comprising:

• a deleting step for deleting each content accumulated in the first storage medium;
• a designation accepting step for accepting a designation of a content from the user;
• a transfer arranging step for (a) judging whether transfer of the designated content from the first storage medium to a second storage medium before deletion of the designated content is possible, and (b) arranging the transfer of the designated content when judging that the transfer is possible;
• and
• a transferring step for transferring the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium before the designated content is deleted, as arranged in the transfer arranging step,
• wherein in the designation accepting step, a user designation of a content that includes copy prohibition information indicating to prohibit a copy of the content is not accepted, and a designation of a content which does not include the copy prohibition information is accepted.

A receiving apparatus that receives and accumulates broadcast contents into a storage medium to make each content available to a user, comprising:

• a first storage medium;
• a receiving/accumulating unit operable to receive and accumulate the contents into the first storage medium;
• a deleting unit operable to delete each content accumulated in the first storage medium;
• a designation accepting unit operable to accept a designation of a content from the user;
• a transfer arranging unit operable to (a) judge whether transfer of the designated content from the first storage medium to a second storage medium before deletion of the designated content is possible, and (b) arrange the transfer of the designated content when judging that the transfer is possible,
• wherein the second storage medium is included in an external device that is connected to the receiving apparatus and that can be used by the user;
• a device information obtaining unit operable to obtain device state information from the external device, the device state information showing whether the external device is in a content-storable state, the content-storable state at least including a state where the external device is not being used by the user;
• and
• a transferring unit operable to transfer, when the device state information shows that the external device is in the content-storable state, the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium before the designated content is deleted, as arranged by the transfer arranging unit.

A receiving apparatus that receives and accumulates broadcast contents into a storage medium to make each content available to a user, comprising:

• a receiving/accumulating unit operable to receive and accumulate the contents into a first storage medium;
• a deleting unit operable to delete each content accumulated in the first storage medium;
• a designation accepting unit operable to accept a designation of a content from the user;
• a transfer arranging unit operable to (a) judge whether transfer of the designated content from the first storage medium to a second storage medium before deletion of the designated content is possible, and (b) arrange the transfer of the designated content when judging that the transfer is possible;
• and
• a transferring unit operable to transfer the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium before the designated content is deleted, as arranged by the transfer arranging unit,
• wherein the designation accepting unit does not accept a user designation of a content that includes copy prohibition information indicating to prohibit a copy of the content, and accepts a designation of a content which does not include the copy prohibition information.