Communication apparatus, communication method, and recording medium used therewith

A communication apparatus for receiving data from an external apparatus, said communication apparatus comprising:

• a request unit for requesting, from said external apparatus, package data consisting of main data and subdata in response to a user's instruction, said main data being one of a plurality of media data, said subdata consisting of a plurality of pieces of media data and a plurality of pieces of link data corresponding thereto;
• an output unit for outputting, in response to the request by said request unit, the main data of the package data received from said external apparatus;
• a user-instruction detecting unit for detecting a user's instruction concerning the output main data;
• and
• an output control unit for outputting the subdata corresponding to the output main data when the user's instruction is detected by said user-instruction detecting unit;
• wherein when said user-instruction detecting unit detects a user's instruction concerning part of the subdata, said request unit requests new package data from said external apparatus based on link data corresponding to the part of the subdata.

A communication apparatus for receiving data from an external apparatus, comprising:

• a request unit for requesting, from said external apparatus, encoded data generated by performing encoding so that predetermined information is reproduced when decoding the encoded data;
• a decoding unit for receiving and decoding the requested encoded data;
• and
• an output unit for outputting both the predetermined information and decoded data generated by finally decoding the encoded data;
• wherein the encoded data received in accordance with the request from said request unit is formed by encoding package data having main data and subdata, and said main data is one of a plurality of pieces of media data and said subdata consists of a plurality of pieces of media data and a plurality of pieces of link data corresponding thereto;
• further comprising:
• a user-instruction detecting unit for detecting a user's instruction concerning the output main data;
• and
• an output control unit for outputting the subdata corresponding to the output main data when the user's instruction is detected by said user-instruction detecting unit;
• wherein when said user-instruction detecting unit detects a user's instruction concerning part of the subdata, said request unit requests new package data from said external apparatus based on link data corresponding to the part of the subdata;
• wherein the package data includes:
• a plurality of pieces of package data each of which consists of the main data as one media-type of data among visual data, audio data, and text data;
• and
• subdata including a plurality of visual data, a plurality of audio data, a plurality of text data, and URL addresses corresponding to the data type thereof;
• wherein:
• said output unit outputs, in the form of an icon image, the visual data as the main data of said package data received from said external apparatus;
• said user-instruction detecting unit detects the user's instruction in accordance with a designation with a mouse by the user which is related to said icon image output by said output unit;
• and
• said output control unit displays, in the form of a pop-up menu, the subdata corresponding to the main data in accordance with the detection of the user's instruction
• wherein:
• said output unit outputs, in the form of an icon image, the visual data as the main data of said package data received from said external apparatus;
• and
• said user-instruction detecting unit detects the user's instruction in accordance with a designation with a mouse by the user which is related to said icon image output by said output unit;
• said output control unit displays, in the form of a pop-up menu, the subdata corresponding to the main data in accordance with the detection of the user's instruction;
• an arrangement of icon images is displayed as the visual data;
• an operation unit is displayed which can selectively reproduce a plurality of audio data as the audio data;
• and
• a pop-up menu having items formed by a plurality of text data as said text data.

A communication apparatus for receiving data from an external apparatus, comprising:

• a request unit for requesting, from said external apparatus, encoded data generated by performing encoding so that predetermined information is reproduced when decoding the encoded data;
• a decoding unit for receiving and decoding the requested encoded data;
• and
• an output unit for outputting both the predetermined information and decoded data generated by finally decoding the encoded data;
• wherein the encoded data received in accordance with the request from said request unit is formed by encoding package data having main data and subdata, and said main data is one of a plurality of pieces of media data and said subdata consists of a plurality of pieces of media data and a plurality of pieces of link data corresponding thereto;
• further comprising:
• a user-instruction detecting unit for detecting a user's instruction concerning the output main data;
• and
• an output control unit for outputting the subdata corresponding to the output main data when the user's instruction is detected by said user-instruction detecting unit;
• wherein when said user-instruction detecting unit detects a user's instruction concerning part of the subdata, said request unit requests new package data from said external apparatus based on link data corresponding to the part of the subdata;
• wherein said request unit transmits, to said external apparatus, a URL address corresponding to part of the subdata designated by the users instruction.