Portable terminal

Abstract

A portable terminal displays on a selection screen not only contents stored in the portable terminal but also contents stored in a contents server communicatable via a network with the portable terminal. The selection screen displays information regarding the size and location of each of the contents, as well as estimated time and cost required to obtain each of the corresponding contents based on information regarding communication speed and communication path such as communicatable areas. The portable terminal is also equipped with a function to search another communication path that becomes available when moving the portable terminal to another location, and a function to suggest to obtain the contents using such a communication path if the new communication path provides faster and/or more inexpensive connection.

1 . A portable terminal that performs a plurality of functions to reproduce and execute digital contents, the portable terminal comprising: 
 a module that provides a list of contents including locations of the contents, estimated communication costs to obtain the respective contents and estimated communication times required to obtain the respective contents; and    a module that displays the list of contents.    
   
   
       2 . A portable terminal according to  claim 1 , further comprising a module that calculates the estimated communication costs and the estimated communication times of the contents in the list based on the locations of the contents and a current position of the portable terminal.  
   
   
       3 . A portable terminal according to  claim 2 , further comprising a module that estimates a new communication path to a new location of the content which becomes available when moving the portable terminal by a specified distance, a communication time to obtain the content through the new communication path, and a communication cost to obtain the content through the new communication path.  
   
   
       4 . A portable terminal according to  claim 3 , further comprising a module that judges if the new communication path provides at least one of a shorter communication time and a lower communication cost than communication paths from the current location of the portable terminal to the locations of the contents.  
   
   
       5 . A portable terminal according to  claim 4 , further comprising a module that proposes to move the portable terminal to the new location when a positive judgment is made.  
   
   
       6 . A portable terminal according to  claim 5 , wherein the new communication path is proposed when the new communication path provides both a shorter communication time and a lower communication cost than any of the other communication paths.  
   
   
       7 . A portable terminal according to  claim 5 , wherein the new communication path is proposed when the new communication path provides a shorter communication time than any of the other communication paths.  
   
   
       8 . A portable terminal according to  claim 5 , wherein the new communication path is proposed when the new communication path provides a lower communication cost than any of the other communication paths.  
   
   
       9 . A portable terminal according to  claim 3 , further comprising a display device that displays the locations of the contents as selectable items, and a selection module that selects one of the locations of the contents displayed on the display device.  
   
   
       10 . A portable terminal according to  claim 9 , wherein the display device also displays the new communication path as a selectable item together with the locations of the contents.  
   
   
       11 . A portable terminal according to  claim 1 , wherein the digital contents include at least music data, picture data and program data.  
   
   
       12 . An information equipment comprising: 
 a storage that records digital contents including music data, picture data and program data; and    a module that distribute the digital contents to a portable terminal, wherein the portable terminal comprises a module that performs a plurality of functions to reproduce and execute digital contents, and a module that provides a list of contents including locations of the contents, estimated communication costs to obtain the respective contents and estimated communication times required to obtain the respective contents.    
   
   
       13 . An information equipment according to  claim 12 , wherein the portable terminal further comprises a module that calculates the estimated communication costs and the estimated communication times of the contents in the list based on the locations of the contents and a current position of the portable terminal.  
   
   
       14 . An information equipment according to  claim 13 , wherein the portable terminal further comprises a module that estimates a new communication path to a new location of the content which becomes available when moving the portable terminal by a specified distance, a communication time to obtain the content through the new communication path, and a communication cost to obtain the content through the new communication path.  
   
   
       15 . An information equipment according to  claim 13 , further comprising a module that judges if the new communication path provides at least one of a shorter communication time and a lower communication cost than communication paths from the current location of the portable terminal to the locations of the contents.  
   
   
       16 . An information equipment according to  claim 15 , further comprising, further comprising a module that proposes to move the portable terminal to the new location when a positive judgment is made.  
   
   
       17 . An information equipment according to  claim 16 , wherein the new communication path is proposed when the new communication path provides both a shorter communication time and a lower communication cost than any of the other communication paths.  
   
   
       18 . An information equipment according to  claim 16 , wherein the new communication path is proposed when the new communication path provides a shorter communication time than any of the other communication paths.  
   
   
       19 . An information equipment according to  claim 16 , wherein the new communication path is proposed when the new communication path provides a lower communication cost than any of the other communication paths.  
   
   
       20 . A method for providing digital contents on a portable terminal, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a list of contents including locations of the contents, estimated communication costs to obtain the respective contents and estimated communication times required to obtain the respective contents; and    displaying the list of contents on a display device.    
   
   
       21 . A method according to  claim 20 , further comprising the step of calculating the estimated communication costs and the estimated communication times of the contents in the list based on the locations of the contents and a current position of the portable terminal.  
   
   
       22 . A method according to  claim 21 , further comprising the step of estimating a new communication path to a new location of the content which becomes available when moving the portable terminal by a specified distance, a communication time to obtain the content through the new communication path, and a communication cost to obtain the content through the new communication path.  
   
   
       23 . A method according to  claim 22 , further comprising the step of judging if the new communication path provides at least one of a shorter communication time and a lower communication cost than communication paths from the current location of the portable terminal to the locations of the contents.  
   
   
       24 . A method according to  claim 23 , further comprising the step of proposing to move the portable terminal to the new location when a positive judgment is made.  
   
   
       25 . A method according to  claim 24 , wherein the new communication path is proposed when the new communication path provides both a shorter communication time and a lower communication cost than any of the other communication paths.  
   
   
       26 . A method according to  claim 24 , wherein the new communication path is proposed when the new communication path provides a shorter communication time than any of the other communication paths.  
   
   
       27 . A method according to  claim 24 , wherein the new communication path is proposed when the new communication path provides a lower communication cost than any of the other communication paths.  
   
   
       28 . A method according to  claim 24 , further comprising the steps of displaying the locations of the contents as selectable items, and selecting one of the locations of the contents displayed on the display device.  
   
   
       29 . A method according to  claim 28 , further comprising the step of displaying the new communication path as a selectable item together with the locations of the contents.