Information processing apparatus and method

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor perform steps comprising:

• detecting by an information processing apparatus a direct local connection between the information processing apparatus and a portable device;
• obtaining a device ID of the portable device when the direct local connection to the portable device is detected;
• setting a user-specified rule regarding the content to be directly transferred to the portable device from the information processing apparatus, said setting step being performed prior to detecting said direct local connection;
• determining by the information processing apparatus whether the device ID of the portable device is already stored;
• determining by the information processing apparatus whether the portable device has sufficient capacity in which predetermined content can be transferred from the processing device to the portable device when the device ID of the portable device is already stored;
• and
• automatically transferring the predetermined content to the portable device based on the user-specified rule and when the portable device has sufficient remaining capacity.

An information processing apparatus for storing content, comprising:

• a port adapted to connect to a portable device;
• a storing unit adapted to store a program having computer readable instructions;
• and
• a processing unit adapted to execute said program stored by the storing unit;
• wherein said program when executed by a processor performs steps including:
• detecting by the information processing apparatus a direct local connection to the portable device;
• obtaining a device ID of the portable device when the connection to the potable device is detected;
• setting a user-specified rule regarding the content to be directly transferred to the portable device, said setting step being performed prior to detecting said connection and said content being held on said information processing apparatus prior to detecting said connection;
• determining whether the device ID of the portable device is already stored;
• determining by the information processing apparatus whether the portable device has sufficient remaining capacity in which the content can be transferred when the device ID of the portable device is already stored;
• and
• automatically transferring the content to the portable device based on the user-specified rule and when the portable device has sufficient remaining capacity.

An information processing apparatus, comprising:

• a port adapted to connect to a portable device;
• storing means for storing content and data related to the content;
• means for setting a user-specified rule regarding the content to be directly transferred to the portable device;
• first determining means for determining in the information processing apparatus whether a direct local connection from the information processing apparatus to the portable device has been detected, said user-specified rule being set prior to said direct local connection being detected and said content being held on said information processing apparatus prior to detecting said connection;
• obtaining means for obtaining a device ID of the portable device when the connection to the potable device is detected;
• second determining means for determining whether the device ID of the portable device is already stored;
• third determining means for determining whether the portable device has sufficient remaining capacity in which the content can be transferred when the device ID of the portable device is already stored;
• and
• transferring means for automatically transferring the content to the portable device based on the user-specified rule and when it is determined that the portable device has sufficient remaining capacity.

A portable device comprising:

• a connector adapted to directly connect the portable device to an information processing apparatus;
• a first transferring unit adapted to transfer a device ID of the portable device to the information processing apparatus when a direct local connection between the information processing apparatus and the portable device is detected by the information processing apparatus;
• a storing unit adapted to store content from the information processing apparatus according to a user-specified rule regarding the content to be directly transferred, said user-specified rule being set prior to said direct local connection being detected and said content being held on said information processing apparatus prior to detecting said connection;
• and
• a reproducing unit adapted to reproduce the content stored in the storing unit that was directly transferred from the information processing apparatus,
• wherein said content is automatically transferred to the portable device based on the user-specified rule and when the device ID of the portable device is already stored by the information processing apparatus and the information processing apparatus determines that the portable device has sufficient storage capacity for said content.

A method of storing content to a portable device comprising the steps of:

• directly connecting the portable device to an information processing apparatus;
• transferring a device ID of the portable device to the information processing apparatus when a direct local connection to the portable device is detected by the information processing apparatus;
• storing the content from the information processing apparatus to a user-specified rule regarding the content to be directly transferred, said user-specified rule being set prior to said direct local connection being detected;
• and
• reproducing the content stored in said storing step that was sent from the information processing apparatus,
• wherein said content is automatically transferred to the portable device based on the user-specified rule and when the device ID of the portable device is already stored by the information processing apparatus and the information processing apparatus determines that the portable device has sufficient storage capacity for said content.

A method for transferring content from an information processing apparatus to a portable device, comprising the steps of:

• detecting by the information processing apparatus a direct local connection from the information processing apparatus to the portable device;
• obtaining a device ID of the portable device when the direct local connection to the portable device is detected;
• setting a user specified rule regarding the content to be directly transferred to the portable device, said setting step being performed prior to detecting said direct local connection and said content being held on said information processing apparatus prior to detecting said connection;
• determining by the information processing apparatus whether the device ID of the portable device is already stored prior to said detecting step, and
• automatically transferring an image file from the information processing apparatus to the portable device based on the user-specified rule and when the device ID of the portable device is already stored and the information processing apparatus determines the portable device has sufficient capacity to hold the image file.

An apparatus in an information processing apparatus for transferring content from the information processing apparatus to a portable device, comprising:

• a detecting unit adapted to detect at the information processing apparatus a direct local connection from the information processing apparatus to the portable device;
• an obtaining unit adapted to obtain a device ID of the portable device when the direct local connection to the portable device is detected;
• a rule setting unit that sets a user-specified rule for governing the content to be directly transferred to the portable unit, said user-specified rule being set prior to said detecting unit detecting said direct local connection and said content being held on said information processing apparatus prior to detecting said connection;
• a determining unit adapted to determine whether the device ID of the portable device is already stored in the information processing apparatus prior to said detecting unit detecting said direct local connection,
• a storage unit configured to store the content;
• a transfer mechanism configured to transfer an image file automatically to the portable device based on the user-specified rule and, when the device ID of the portable device is already stored and the information processing apparatus determines the portable device has sufficient capacity to hold the image file.

A computer-based information processing method for transferring content from an information processing apparatus to a portable device, comprising the steps of:

• detecting by the information processing apparatus a direct local connection from the information processing apparatus to the portable device;
• obtaining a device ID of the portable device when the direct local connection to the portable device is detected;
• setting a user-specified rule regarding the content to be transferred to the portable device, said setting step being performed prior to detecting said direct local connection and said content being held on said information processing apparatus prior to detecting said connection;
• determining whether the device ID of the portable device is stored;
• determining whether the portable device has sufficient remaining capacity in which a predetermined image file can be directly transferred from the information processing device when the device ID of the portable device is already stored;
• and
• automatically transferring the image file to the portable device based on the user-specified rule and when the portable device has sufficient remaining capacity.

A computer-based information processing apparatus for transferring content from the information processing apparatus to a portable device, comprising:

• a detecting unit adapted to detect at the information processing apparatus a direct local connection from the information processing apparatus to the portable device;
• an obtaining unit adapted to obtain a device ID of the portable device when the direct local connection to the portable device is detected;
• a user-specified rule setting unit that sets a rule for governing the content to transfer to the portable unit, said user-specified rule being set prior to said detecting unit detecting said direct local connection and said content being held on said information processing apparatus prior to detecting said connection;
• a first determining unit adapted to determine whether the device ID of the portable device is already stored in the information processing apparatus;
• and
• a second determining unit adapted to determine whether the portable device has sufficient remaining capacity in which a predetermined image file can be transferred when the device ID of the portable device is already stored, and
• a storage unit configured to store the content;
• wherein the image file is automatically transferred to the portable device, based on the user-specified rule and when the portable device has sufficient remaining capacity.

An apparatus as part of an information processing apparatus comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• at least one processor, coupled to the memory, programmed to
• detect at the information processing apparatus a direct local connection between the information processing apparatus and a portable device;
• obtain a device ID of the portable device when the information processing apparatus is connected to the portable device;
• set a user-specified rule for the content to be transferred to the portable unit, said rule being set prior to said direct local connection being detected and said content being held on said information processing apparatus prior to detecting said connection;
• determine whether the device ID of the portable device is already stored in the information processing apparatus;
• determine whether the portable device has sufficient remaining capacity in which the predetermined content can be transferred from the information processing apparatus to the portable device when the device ID of the portable device is already stored;
• and
• automatically transfer the content to the portable device based on the user-specified rule and when the portable device has sufficient remaining capacity.

An apparatus as part of an information processing apparatus comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• at least one processor, coupled to the memory, programmed to
• detect at the information processing apparatus a direct local connection from the information processing apparatus to a portable device;
• obtain a device ID of the portable device when the direct local connection to the portable device is detected;
• set a user-specified rule for the content to be transferred to the portable unit, said rule being set prior to said direct local connection being detected and said content being held on said information processing apparatus prior to detecting said connection;
• determine whether the device ID of the portable device is already stored in the information processing apparatus;
• determine whether the portable device has sufficient remaining capacity in which a predetermined image file can be directly transferred to the portable device when the device ID of the portable device is already stored;
• and
• automatically transfer the image file to the portable device based on the user-specified rule and when the portable device has sufficient remaining capacity.