User terminal program and apparatus

Abstract

A user terminal program ( 1, 10 ) enables a user terminal apparatus for accepting instruction information specifying a content that a user wants to reproduce on a predetermined reproducing apparatus other than the user terminal apparatus (STEP 1 ), acquiring system identifying information to identify a system to receive the specified content from a distributing site (STEP 2 ), judging whether the acquired system identifying information is included in a compatibility file which includes one or more system identifying information (STEP 4 ) receiving the specified content according to the system identifying information, if the acquired system identifying information is judged to be included, and prohibiting receiving, if judged not to be included (STEP 10 ), and writing the received content to an internal memory or an insertable memory of the predetermined reproducing apparatus (STEP 13 - 15 ).

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A user terminal program which enables a user terminal apparatus to execute the following steps: 
 an accepting step for accepting, from a user, instruction information specifying a content that the user wants to reproduce on a predetermined reproducing apparatus other than the user terminal apparatus;    an acquiring step for acquiring system identifying information which identifies a system to be used for receiving the specified content from a distributing site;    a judging step for judging whether the acquired system identifying information is included in a compatibility file which is stored in the user terminal apparatus and which includes one or more pieces of system identifying information identifying each of one or more systems adopted by the predetermined reproducing apparatus;    a receiving step for a) receiving the specified content according to the system identified by the acquired system identifying information, if the acquired system identifying information is judged to be included, and b) prohibiting the specified content from being received, if the acquired system identifying information is judged not to be included; and    a writing step for writing the received content to a memory of the predetermined reproducing apparatus or to a memory that is insertable into the predetermined reproducing apparatus.    
     
     
         2 . The user terminal program of  claim 1 , 
 further enabling the user terminal apparatus to execute the following step:    a warning step for giving the user a warning if the acquired system identifying information is judged not to be included in the compatibility file in the judging step.    
     
     
         3 . The user terminal program of  claim 2 , 
 wherein the accepting step further accepts, from the user, permission to receive the content despite the warning in the warning step,    and wherein the receiving step further receives the content if the permission is accepted in the accepting step.    
     
     
         4 . The user terminal program of  claim 1 , 
 further enabling the user terminal apparatus to execute the following step:    an updating step for 1) searching a predetermined server for a more recent compatibility file than the compatibility file stored in the user terminal apparatus, and 2) updating the compatibility file stored in the user terminal apparatus by acquiring the more recent compatibility file on a predetermined server, if the more recent compatibility file exists.    
     
     
         5 . The user terminal program of  claim 4 , 
 wherein the updating step is performed after the accepting step and before the judging step.    
     
     
         6 . The user terminal program of  claim 4 , 
 wherein the updating step is performed when the acquired system identifying information is judged not to be included in the compatibility file,    and wherein in the judging step, the acquired system is re-judged, using the updated compatibility file if the updating is performed in the updating step.    
     
     
         7 . The user terminal program of  claim 4 , 
 further enabling the user terminal apparatus to execute the following step:    a notifying step for notifying the user of system identifying information in the updated compatibility file if the updating is performed in the updating step.    
     
     
         8 . The user terminal program of  claim 7 , 
 wherein the updating step is performed either at the time of starting up the user terminal program or regularly.    
     
     
         9 . The user terminal program of  claim 8 , 
 further comprising one or more receiving plug-ins which are dedicated software to each system and which can add functions, corresponding to each system, to the basic software,    wherein the updating step further acquires a receiving plug-in corresponding to each piece of system identifying information added to the compatibility file due to an updating performed in the updating step, before the accepting step for accepting the instruction information.    
     
     
         10 . The user terminal program of  claim 1 , 
 further comprising one or more receiving plug-ins which are dedicated software to each system and which can add functions, corresponding to each system, to the basic software,    and wherein the receiving step includes the following sub-steps:    a plug-in existence judging sub-step for judging whether a receiving plug-in corresponding to the acquired system identifying information exists in the user terminal apparatus, if the acquired system identifying information is judged to be included in the judging step;    a plug-in acquiring sub-step for acquiring the receiving plug-in from a predetermined distributing site if judged not to exist in the plug-in existence judging sub-step; and    an executing sub-step for receiving the content using the receiving plug-in acquired in the plug-in acquiring sub-step.    
     
     
         11 . A user terminal program which enables a user terminal apparatus to purchase products from vendor sites, 
 the user terminal apparatus storing purchase information,    the purchase information specifying various types of information either on purchasable products for the user or on non-purchasable products for the user,    the user terminal program enabling the user terminal apparatus to execute the following steps:    an accepting step for accepting, from the user, specifying information specifying a product that the user wants to purchase;    an acquiring step for acquiring product information of the specified product in the accepting step;    a judging step for judging whether a) the specified product is purchasable for the user or not, or b) the specified product is non-purchasable for the user or not, depending on whether or not the acquired product information and the purchase information match; and    a purchasing step for a) purchasing the specified product if judged to be purchasable or if not judged non-purchasable, and b) prohibits purchasing the specified product if not judged purchasable or if judged non-purchasable.    
     
     
         12 . The user terminal program of  claim 11 , 
 further enabling the user terminal apparatus to execute the following step:    a warning step for giving the user a warning, either when the specified product is not judged purchasable for the user, or when it is judged non-purchasable for the user in the judging step.    
     
     
         13 . The user terminal program of  claim 12 , 
 wherein the accepting step further accepts, from the user, permission to purchase the product despite the warning in the warning step,    and wherein the purchasing step further purchases the product if the permission is accepted in the accepting step.    
     
     
         14 . A receiving method executed by a user terminal apparatus, comprising the following steps: 
 an accepting step for accepting, from a user, instruction information specifying a content that the user wants to reproduce on a predetermined reproducing apparatus other than the user terminal apparatus;    an acquiring step for acquiring system identifying information which identifies a system to be used for receiving the specified content from a distributing site;    a judging step for judging whether the acquired system identifying information is included in a compatibility file which is stored in the user terminal apparatus and which includes one or more pieces of system identifying information identifying each of one or more systems adopted by the predetermined reproducing apparatus;    a receiving step for a) receiving the specified content according to the system identified by the acquired system identifying information, if the acquired system identifying information is judged to be included, and b) prohibiting the specified content from being received, if the acquired system identifying information is judged not to be included; and    a writing step for writing the received content to a memory of the predetermined reproducing apparatus or to a memory that is insertable into the predetermined reproducing apparatus.    
     
     
         15 . A purchasing method executed by a user terminal apparatus for purchasing products from vendor sites, 
 the user terminal apparatus storing purchase information,    the purchase information specifying various types of information either on purchasable products for the user or on non-purchasable products for the user,    the purchasing method comprising the following steps: 
 an accepting step for accepting, from the user, specifying information specifying a product that the user wants to purchase;  
 an acquiring step for acquiring product information of the specified product in the accepting step;  
 a judging step for judging whether a) the specified product is purchasable for the user or not, or b) the specified product is non-purchasable for the user or not, depending on whether or not the acquired product information and the purchase information match; and  
 a purchasing step for a) purchasing the specified product if judged to be purchasable or if not judged non-purchasable, and b) prohibits purchasing the specified product if not judged purchasable or if judged non-purchasable.  
   
     
     
         16 . A user terminal apparatus comprising: 
 compatibility file storing means for storing a compatibility file which includes one or more pieces of system identifying information identifying each of one or more systems adopted by a predetermined reproducing apparatus other than the user terminal apparatus;    accepting means for accepting, from a user, instruction information specifying a content that the user wants to reproduce on the predetermined reproducing apparatus;    acquiring means for acquiring sys tem identifying information which identifies a system to be used for receiving the specified content from a distributing site;    judging means for judging whether the acquired system identifying information is included in the compatibility file;    receiving means for a) eceiving the specified content according to the system identified by the acquired system identifying information, if the acquired system identifying information is judged to be included, and b) rohibiting the specified content from being received, if the acquired system identifying information is judged not to be included; and    writing means for writing the received content to a memory of the predetermined reproducing apparatus or to a memory that is insertable into the predetermined reproducing apparatus.    
     
     
         17 . A user terminal apparatus comprising: 
 purchase information storing means for storing purchase information which specifies various types of information either on purchasable products for a user or on non-purchasable products for the user;    accepting means for accepting, from the user, specifying information specifying a product that the user wants to purchase;    acquiring means for acquiring product information of the specified product in the accepting means;    judging means for judging whether a) the specified product is purchasable for the user or not, or b) the specified product is non-purchasable for the user or not, depending on whether or not the acquired product information and the purchase information match, and    purchasing means for a) purchasing the specified product if judged to be purchasable or if not judged non-purchasable, and b) prohibits purchasing the specified product if not judged purchasable or if judged non-purchasable.