Abstract: If the storage medium 29 runs out of space when storing clip-target information as clip data, data having higher deletion-target priority than others is deleted from among a plurality of stored data to have empty spaces on the storage medium 29, and then the new clip-target information is stored. The deletion-target priority is determined based on attribution of a plurality of stored data. In this manner, new clip-target information is stored without user's operation, after automatically deleting data having higher deletion-target priority than others (the deletion-target priority is determined based on attribution of clip data). Therefore it is avoided that important clip data is automatically deleted without a user being notified.

Abstract: A digital data storing method is provided in which digital data whose content varies as the time elapses is partially encrypted for each predetermined period ? at a predetermined time interval T. The encryption is done for the ratio of the period ? of the encrypted part to the predetermined time interval T and period ? of the encrypted part to be sufficiently small. The digital data thus encrypted is stored.

Abstract: The prevent invention ensures that the content acquisition device successfully receives attribute information of content data. By having an acquire/use information providing server 6, upon receiving a file request information sent from a client terminal 2 send an acquire/use file 35, wherein the acquire/use file stores content data content identification information and attribute information in a portion where such information is not removed when passing through a proxy server 4 which undertakes some of functions of the content receiving-side, to the client terminal 2 via the proxy server 4, the present invention allows the acquire/use file 35 to be sent via the proxy server 4 without the attribute information contained in the file 35 being removed, thereby allowing the client terminal 2 to successfully receive attribute information.

Abstract: The present invention can remarkably improve the efficiency of the acquisition process. It is determined if requested contents data are stored in a hard disk or not and, if they are not stored yet, they are acquired from a contents providing server 6 and subsequently a corresponding contents attributes file 47 is acquired from an attributes information providing server 7. If the requested contents data are already stored in the hard disk, the contents data are not requested and only the corresponding contents attributes file 47 is acquired from the attributes information providing server 7. In this way, it is possible to avoid acquiring contents data in duplicate and remarkably reduce the time necessary for the acquisition process to remarkably improve the-efficiency of the acquisition process.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a data transfer method which is adopted for transferring content data recorded on a data-transfer source recording medium to a data-transfer destination recording medium and for transferring database data recorded in the data-transfer source recording medium as data including information to be used by an application program for managing musical contents represented by the content data as information on a layer structure of the musical contents in a process to manage the musical contents to the data-transfer destination recording medium. The data transfer method includes the steps of: invalidating; generating; transmitting; recording; and deleting.

Abstract: An information reproduction device includes; a player module 2 for reproducing, in response to a reproduction command in page information received, content data included in the page information; a browser 1 for outputting the page information along with the content data returned to the player module 2; and a database module 3 for previously storing the content data which the player module 2 can reproduce. The information reproduction device transmits request information requesting the page information to a server 5 connected to it via a network 4. To receive the page information and a content data in it, the information reproduction device requests the content data corresponding to the reproduction command from the database module 3 or the server 5.

Abstract: A user authentication processing is performed and an authentication session ID is returned to a terminal 500 (A14). An authentication server 600 issues and stores an authentication ticket (A17). The authentication ticket and authentication session are returned to the terminal 500 (A18). A user 100 transmits a request of service provision and the authentication ticket to a service provider's server 700, and the service provider's server 700 transmits the authentication ticket to the authentication server 600 (A20). The authentication server 600 performs an authentication processing of the authentication ticket (A21), and the authentication result is notified (A22). In the case of the authentication approval, a service session ID is issued together with the notification of authorization (A23). When receiving the notification of the authentication approval, the terminal 500 performs an establishment processing of the session using the received service session ID, and stores the service session ID (A27).

Abstract: According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically store user-specific information including a user's key input pattern and network use setting information as needed, as well as to detect a change of a user by comparing the stored user-specific information with a previous user-specific information. When the change of a user is detected, user ID and password stored in a RAM 20 or user information including a bookmark stored in a hard disk drive 21 can automatically be deleted, thereby preventing leakage of the user information.

Abstract: This invention can handle a communicable state restored from disconnection of a communication line. According to the invention, if the communication line is disconnected while a client terminal 2 requests to acquire a contents attribute file 47 that corresponds to a set of contents data stored in a hard disk and receives the file 47 and subsequently the communication line restores a communicable state, the client terminal 2 requests accounting status notification information to a portal server 4 and receives accounting status notification images 15 and 16 transmitted to it in response so that it can be notified if the accounting process had been completed by the time when the communication was disconnected while receiving the contents attribute file 47 and subsequently the communication n line restored a communicable state by accounting status notification information so that it can reliably handle the situation that arises when the communication line restores a communicable state from disconnection.

Abstract: According to the present invention, at least one data is searched from the data with the first size, from the database based on the input search key and by controlling to obtain partial data with the second size corresponding to the display size that is smaller than the first size and to display it on the display. Thus, it is not necessary to display the whole data with the first size, but only the partial data corresponding to the second size, that is the display size, is needed to obtain and display, making it possible to display and provide the data in a short time, without burdening with such load as the data conversion to fit to the display size, and the like.

Abstract: Even in the case where a first request signal for requesting the source of the top page and a second request signal for requesting the source of A Corporation CD sales page were transmitted from a client terminal 2, if the source of an information page has been stored in a portal server 4, the above source of the information page is transmitted from the portal server 4 to the client terminal 2 before the source of the top page or the source of the A Corporation CD sales page is transmitted from the portal server 4 or the contents sales server 5.

Abstract: According to the present invention, the step of requesting of an associated information provision server KS for associated information about contents broadcast in a broadcast program being received is provided. The step of acquiring the associated information corresponding to the request from the associated information provision server KS and storing this is provided. And the retrieval step of transmitting a part of the associated information as a retrieval key to retrieve contents to a CD seller server 31, and obtaining retrieval results from the CD seller server 31 is provided. Thereby, the associated information about the contents broadcast in the broadcast program being received is obtained. The retrieval results are obtained from a contents retrieval server by using the part of the associated information as retrieval keys. Therefore, retrieval results having variety that are not limited to results conceived by the user in a certain degree can be obtained.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and method as well as a communication apparatus suitable for use where stored contents data of, for example, music tunes are supplied to a semiconductor memory or a portable device. At step S391, a C IN/C OUT discriminates whether or not moveout history information is present. If it is discriminated that moveout history information is present, then the processing advances to step S392 in order to compensate for the interrupted moveout process. At step S392, the C IN/C OUT executes a moveout restoration process. At step S393, the C IN/C OUT discriminates whether or not movein history information is present. If it is discriminated that movein history information is present, then the processing advances to step S394 in order to compensate for the interrupted movein process. At step S394, the C IN/C OUT executes a movein restoration process. The present invention can be applied, for example, to an audio data server.

Abstract: Memory resources can be optimized by dynamically determining a threshold value of a storage device used for buffering in accordance with a compression rate of data for streaming reproduction. A data reproduction device for temporarily storing compressed data that is downloaded from a server 5 and sequentially performing the streaming reproduction, wherein the amount of data stored in a HDD 13 is optimized by changing and setting the threshold value in accordance with the compression rate of the compressed data.

Abstract: A server receives a call sign from a client terminal CT to identify a currently received radio station RS. There is provided state information which indicates states of an information provision service associated with the radio station RS corresponding to the call sign. At least when the information provision service is available, the server sends the state information as well as a URL corresponding to the information provision service to the client terminal CT. In this manner, the client terminal CT can be provided with not only the state information indicative of states of the information provision service associated with the radio station RS, but also the URL corresponding to the information provision service. A user can be clearly notified of service states of an information provision service prior to access to the information provision service.

Abstract: The present invention is relative with an information processing method for carrying out processing unit data in which one contents are handled as a data unit. When contents data are to be reproduced/output in succession, the tamper check processing for the next contents data, reproduced next to current contents data, being reproduced, is commenced at timing following the end of the processing of decryption and/or demodulation for the current contents data. This eliminates the time interval during which the processing of decryption/demodulation for the current contents data and the tamper check processing for the next contents data are carried out simultaneously in parallel to prevent the processing load caused by concurrent execution of the tamper check processing and the processing of decryption/demodulation from increasing.

Abstract: An information provision apparatus previously stores associated information concerning an on-air program. The apparatus accepts a request for associated information from a client terminal CT which receives a program's broadcast signal. In synchronization with timing of accepting the request, the apparatus reads the associated information and transmits it to the client terminal CT. When the on-air program changes to a next program in such situation, the apparatus updates the associated information which should be read and transmitted. The apparatus can update the associated information to be transmitted in synchronization with program changeover. It is possible to provide the program in synchronization with the associated information without a time difference between both.

Abstract: The present invention is to provides a content data supply system, a content data supply apparatus and method, a content data reproduction apparatus and method, and a program. The content supply system supplies content data from a content data supply apparatus to a content reproduction apparatus via a network. The content reproduction apparatus includes notification means, content list acquisition means, activation file acquisition means, content data acquisition means, and license data acquisition means. The content data supply apparatus includes customer information management means, content list generation means, activation file generation means, storage means, content data supply means, and license data supply means.

Abstract: In a content supply system, content data is supplied from a content supply apparatus to a content playback apparatus via a network. The content playback apparatus includes a request device for requesting a recovery process; an obtaining device for obtaining a start-up file; and a download device for downloading the content data. The content supply apparatus includes a customer information management device for managing customer information; a notification device for notifying the recovery information to the content playback apparatus; a start-up file generation device for generating a start-up file; a storage device for storing the start-up file; a content data supply device for allowing the content data to be downloaded; and a license data supply device for allowing the license data to be downloaded.

Abstract: In executing a variety of processing operations for contents data, such as reproducing the contents data, the time until booting the application to enable the operations is shortened. A database file for management of contents data is stored in a hard disc drive and the data for hard disc contents controller (hdcc) processing, formulated on the basis of the database (a data image of the file for hdcc processing) is then saved. Using this data for hdcc processing, the application executes the required processing for the contents data. If, depending on the results of the processing by the application, the registration processing for the database becomes needed, the registration processing for the data for hdcc processing is necessarily executed. By so doing, the data for hdcc processing is kept synchronized with the database file at all times.