Information processing system, information processing apparatus, method and program

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing apparatus and method, and a program in which the purchase of content can be facilitated. When giving content data as a present, a sender giving the content data sends first information for identifying the sender, second information for identifying the destination of the present, and third information for determining the content data to be given. Then, mail querying whether to accept the content data as a present is delivered to the destination of the present based on the second information. Then, only when a response indicating that the content data is to be accepted as a present is returned in response to the mail, the processing concerning the present is executed. The present invention is applicable to a server for executing processing concerning content data.

1 . An information processing system comprising a first information processing apparatus for controlling the distribution of content, a second information processing apparatus for making a request to distribute the content, and a third information processing apparatus for receiving the distribution of the content, 
 said first information processing apparatus comprising: 
 first management means for managing a first ID for identifying the content;  
 second management means for managing a second ID for identifying said second information processing apparatus and a third ID for identifying said third information processing apparatus;  
 supply means for supplying the first ID managed by said first management means to said second information processing apparatus in response to a request to distribute the content from said second information processing apparatus;  
 specifying means for specifying, when receiving the first ID, information for specifying the second ID, and information for specifying the third ID from said second information processing apparatus, the second ID and the third ID managed by said second management means from the received information;  
 distribution means for distributing the content identified by the first ID to said third information processing apparatus corresponding to the third ID specified by said specifying means,  
   said second information processing apparatus comprising: 
 request means for requesting said first information processing apparatus to distribute the content; and  
 sending means for sending the first ID corresponding to the content selected by a user from the first ID supplied from said supply means and for sending information for specifying the second ID and information for specifying the third ID in response to the request from said request means,  
   said third information processing apparatus comprising: 
 storage means for receiving and storing the content distributed by said distribution means.  
   
   
   
       2 . An information processing apparatus comprising: 
 first management means for managing a first ID for identifying a first apparatus;    second management means for managing a second ID for identifying a second apparatus;    third management means for managing a third ID for identifying content;    supply means for supplying the third ID managed by said third management means to the first apparatus in response to a request to distribute the content from the first apparatus;    specifying means for specifying, when receiving information for specifying the first ID, information for specifying the second ID, and the third ID from the first apparatus, the first ID managed by said first management means and the second ID managed by said second management means from the received information; and    distribution means for distributing the content identified by the third ID to the second apparatus corresponding to the second ID specified by said specifying means.    
   
   
       3 . The information processing apparatus, further comprising billing means for billing the content distributed by said distribution means to a user of the first apparatus identified by the first ID specified by said specifying means.  
   
   
       4 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 query means for querying, after the second ID is specified by said specifying means, a user of the second apparatus identified by the second ID as to whether to accept the distribution of the content; and    scheduling means for forming, when receiving a response indicating that the distribution of the content is to be accepted from the user of the second apparatus in response to the query made by said query means, a schedule for distributing the content identified by the third ID to the second apparatus corresponding to the second ID specified by said specify means,    wherein said distribution means distributes the content based on the schedule formed by said scheduling means.    
   
   
       5 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein, when the user of the first apparatus or the user of the second apparatus designates a time to distribute the content, said scheduling means forms a schedule for distributing the content at the designated time.  
   
   
       6 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising providing means for providing, when the schedule for the second apparatus is formed by said scheduling means, the schedule to the second apparatus in response to a request to provide the schedule from the second apparatus.  
   
   
       7 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said first management means and said second management means manage the same table in which IDs including the first ID and the second ID, user IDs for identifying the users, and passwords, and mail addresses are associated with each other; and    said specifying means uses information indicating at least one of the user ID and the password as the information for specifying the first ID, and uses the mail address as the information for specifying the second ID.    
   
   
       8 . An information processing method comprising: 
 a first management step of managing a first ID for identifying a first apparatus;    a second management step of managing a second ID for identifying a second apparatus;    a third management step of managing a third ID for identifying content;    a supply step of supplying the third ID managed by processing of said third management step to the first apparatus in response to a request to distribute the content from the first apparatus;    a specifying step of specifying, when receiving information for specifying the first ID, information for specifying the second ID, and the third ID from the first apparatus, the first ID managed by processing of said first management step and the second ID managed by processing of said second management step from the received information; and    a distribution control step of controlling the distribution of the content identified by the third ID to the second apparatus corresponding to the second ID specified by processing of said specifying step.    
   
   
       9 . A recording medium in which a computer-readable program is recorded, said computer-readable program comprising: 
 a first management step of managing a first ID for identifying a first apparatus;    a second management step of managing a second ID for identifying a second apparatus;    a third management step of managing a third ID for identifying content;    a supply step of supplying the third ID managed by processing of said third management step to the first apparatus in response to a request to distribute the content from the first apparatus;    a specifying step of specifying, when receiving information for specifying the first ID, information for specifying the second ID, and the third ID from the first apparatus, the first ID managed by processing of said first management step and the second ID managed by processing of said second management step from the received information; and    a distribution control step of controlling the distribution of the content identified by the third ID to the second apparatus corresponding to the second ID specified by processing of said specifying step.    
   
   
       10 . A program for allowing a computer to execute: 
 a first management step of managing a first ID for identifying a first apparatus;    a second management step of managing a second ID for identifying a second apparatus;    a third management step of managing a third ID for identifying content;    a supply step of supplying the third ID managed by processing of said third management step to the first apparatus in response to a request to distribute the content from the first apparatus;    a specifying step of specifying, when receiving information for specifying the first ID, information for specifying the second ID, and the third ID from the first apparatus, the first ID managed by processing of said first management step and the second ID managed by processing of said second management step from the received information; and    a distribution control step of controlling the distribution of the content identified by the third ID to the second apparatus corresponding to the second ID specified by processing of said specifying step.