Information processing apparatus with first and second sending/receiving units

An information processing method implemented by an information processing system comprising:

• controlling a first information processing apparatus to send and receive information;
• controlling a second information processing apparatus to send and receive information;
• recording, with a recording unit in the second information processing apparatus, first content data, which is normal content data, and second content data, which is restricted content data received from the second information processing apparatus;
• recording, with a recording unit in the first information processing apparatus, a list ranking content data from a highest priority to a lowest priority, wherein the highest priority content is the next to be pushed to the first information processing apparatus
• updating, with an updating unit in the first information processing apparatus, said list ranking the content data from the highest priority to the lowest priority;
• selecting data, with a data selecting unit in the second information processing apparatus, to be sent to said first information processing apparatus from the first content data and second content data based on the list ranking the content data from the highest priority to the lowest priority recorded from said recorded information required for selecting data to be sent to said first information processing apparatus, in response to a request signal from said first information processing apparatus, said request signal indicating that the second content data having the highest rank in the list is to be reproduced;
• receiving a purchase request signal for first content data corresponding to the second content data that is reproduced from said first information processing apparatus;
• sending the purchase request signal for the first content data to said second information processing apparatus;
• receiving the first content data corresponding to the second content data that is reproduced from said second information processing apparatus;
• and
• recording the first content data corresponding to the second content data that is received in the receiving.

A computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions, which when executed by an information processing system causes the information processing system to implement a method comprising:

• controlling a first information processing apparatus to send and receive information;
• controlling a second information processing apparatus to send and receive information;
• recording, with a recording unit in the second information processing apparatus, first content data, which is normal content data, and second content data, which is restricted content data received from the second information processing apparatus;
• recording, with a recording unit in the first information processing apparatus, a list ranking content data from a highest priority to a lowest priority, wherein the highest priority content is the next to be pushed to the first information processing apparatus;
• updating, with an updating unit in the first information processing apparatus, said list ranking the content data from the highest priority to the lowest priority;
• selecting data, with a data selecting unit in the second information processing apparatus, to be sent to said first information processing apparatus from the first content data and second content data based on the list ranking the content data from the highest priority to the lowest priority recorded from said recorded information required for selecting data to be sent to said first information processing apparatus, in response to a request signal from said first information processing apparatus, said request signal indicating that the second content data having highest rank in the list is to be reproduced;
• receiving a purchase request signal for first content data corresponding to the second content data that is reproduced from said first information processing apparatus;
• sending the purchase request signal for the first content data to said second information processing apparatus;
• receiving the first content data corresponding to the second content data that is reproduced from said second information processing apparatus;
• and
• recording the first content data corresponding to the second content data that is received in the receiving.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• input means for receiving an input of an operation from a user;
• first generating means for generating a request signal for requesting a first information processing apparatus to send first content data, which is normal content data, or second content data, which is restricted content data, based on the operation input into said input means by the user;
• first sending means for sending the request signal generated by said first generating means to said first information processing apparatus;
• receiving means for receiving the second content data from said first information processing apparatus;
• playback means for playing back the second content data received by said receiving means;
• second generating means for generating a purchase request signal for purchasing the first content data corresponding to the second content data, which is the restricted content data played back by the playback means, based on the operation input into said input means by the user;
• and
• second sending means for sending the purchase request signal generated by said second generating means to said first information processing apparatus.

An information processing method implemented by a second information processing apparatus communicatively coupled to a first information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

• receiving user input, with a user input unit in the second information processing apparatus, from a user;
• generating a request signal, with a first signaling unit in the second information processing apparatus, for requesting the first information processing apparatus to send first content data, which is normal content data, or second content data, which is restricted content data, based on the user input;
• sending the request signal, with a second signaling unit in the second information processing apparatus, to said first information processing apparatus;
• receiving, with a data receiving unit in the second information processing apparatus, the second content data from said first information processing apparatus;
• playing back, with a playback unit in the second information processing apparatus, the second content data;
• generating a purchase request signal, with a third signaling unit in the second information processing apparatus, for purchasing the first content data corresponding to the second content, which is the restricted content data played back by the playback unit, data based on the user input;
• and
• sending the purchase request signal, with a fourth signaling unit in the second information processing apparatus, to said first information processing apparatus.

A computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions, which when executed by a second information processing apparatus communicatively coupled to a first information processing apparatus, causes the second information processing apparatus to implement a method comprising:

• receiving user input, with a user input unit in the second information processing apparatus, from a user;
• generating a request signal, with a first signaling unit in the second information processing apparatus, for requesting the first information processing apparatus to send first content data, which is normal content data, or second content data, which is restricted content data, based on the user input;
• sending the request signal, with a second signaling unit in the second information processing apparatus, to said first information processing apparatus;
• receiving, with a data receiving unit in the second information processing apparatus, the second content data from said first information processing apparatus;
• playing back, with a playback unit in the second information processing apparatus, the second content data;
• generating a purchase request signal, with a third signaling unit in the second information processing apparatus, for purchasing the first content data corresponding to the second content, which is the restricted content data played back by the playback unit, data based on the user input;
• and
• sending the purchase request signal, with a fourth signaling unit in the second information processing apparatus, to said first information processing apparatus.

An information processing system comprising:

• a first information processing apparatus for distributing content;
• a second information processing apparatus for recording the content distributed from said first information processing apparatus;
• and
• a third information processing apparatus for receiving the content from said second information processing apparatus and playing back the content,
• said first information processing apparatus comprising:
• first recording means for recording first content data, which is normal content data, and second content data, which is restricted content data;
• second recording means for recording information concerning a user administrating said second information processing apparatus;
• first sending/receiving means for sending and receiving information to and from said second information processing apparatus;
• first selection means for selecting data to be sent to said second information processing apparatus from the second content data recorded by said first recording means based on the information concerning the user recorded by said second recording means;
• and
• second selection means for selecting the first content data recorded by said first recording means based on a purchase request signal for the first content data corresponding to the second content data received by said first receiving means,
• said second information processing apparatus comprising:
• second sending/receiving means for sending and receiving information to and from said first information processing apparatus;
• third sending/receiving means for sending and receiving information to and from said third information processing apparatus;
• third recording means for recording the first content data and the second content data received by said second sending/receiving means;
• fourth recording means for recording a list ranking content data from a highest priority to a lowest priority, wherein the highest priority content is the next to be pushed to the third information processing apparatus;
• updating means for updating the list ranking the content data from the highest priority to the lowest priority recorded by said fourth recording means;
• and
• third selection means for selecting data to be sent to said third information processing apparatus from the first content data and the second content data recorded by said third recording means based on the list ranking the content data from the highest priority to the lowest priority recorded by said fourth recording means in response to a request signal from said third information processing apparatus received by said third sending/receiving means, said request signal indicating that the second content data having the highest priority rank in the list is to be reproduced,
• wherein:
• said third sending/receiving means receives the purchase request signal from said third information processing apparatus;
• said second sending/receiving means sends the purchase request signal to said first information processing apparatus and receives the first content data from said first information processing apparatus;
• and
• said third recording means further records the first content data received by said second sending/receiving means,
• said third information processing apparatus comprising:
• input means for receiving an input of an operation from a user;
• first generating means for generating the request signal;
• first sending means for sending the request signal generated by said first generating means to said second information processing apparatus;
• receiving means for receiving the second content data from said second information processing apparatus;
• playback means for playing back the second content data received by said receiving means;
• second generating means for generating a purchase request signal, with a third signaling unit in the second information processing apparatus, for purchasing the first content data corresponding to the second content, which is the restricted content data played back by the playback unit, data based on the user input;
• and
• second sending means for sending the purchase request signal generated by said second generating means to said second information processing apparatus.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a first sending/receiving unit to send and receive information to and from a first information processing apparatus;
• a second sending/receiving unit to send and receive information to and from a second information processing apparatus;
• a first memory to store first content data, which is normal content data, and second content data, which is restricted content data received by said second sending/receiving means;
• a second memory to store a list ranking content data from a highest priority to a lowest priority, wherein the highest priority content is the next to be pushed to the first information processing apparatus;
• and
• a processor to update the list ranking the content data from the highest priority to the lowest priority, and to select data to be sent to said first information processing apparatus from the first content data and the second content data stored by said first memory based on the list ranking the content data from the highest priority to the lowest priority stored by said second memory in response to a request signal from said first information processing apparatus received by said first sending/receiving unit, said request signal indicating that the second content data having the highest priority rank in the list ranking the content data from the highest priority to the lowest priority is to be reproduced, wherein
• said first sending/receiving unit receives a purchase request signal for first content data corresponding to the second content data that is reproduced from said first information processing apparatus;
• said second sending/receiving unit sends the purchase request signal for the first content data to said second information processing apparatus and receives the first content data corresponding to the second content data that is reproduced from said second information processing apparatus;
• and
• said first memory further stores the first content data corresponding to the second content data that is received by said second sending/receiving unit.