Patent ID: 7774281
Filing Date: 2010-08-10
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An information contents download system comprising: a terminal device comprising a hardware configuration capable of materializing optional information contents by adding a predetermined function thereto; a contents distribution device configured to distribute the information contents; a program distribution device configured to distribute a program for realizing the function used for the materialization in the terminal device of the information contents in the terminal device; and a license management device configured to manage a license for using a function standard required for realizing the function in the terminal device, the respective devices being connected to one another to enable an intercommunication via an electric communication line, wherein: the terminal device is configured to transmit device information of the terminal device, the device information including information representing at least the hardware configuration of the terminal device, and a request for acquiring information contents desired by a user of the terminal device identified based on an instruction input operation implemented to the terminal device by the user of the terminal device to the contents distribution device, and to receive the information contents desired by the user from the contents distribution device and the program required for the materialization of the desired information contents is received from the program distribution device, the terminal device is further configured to materialize the information contents by means of the function acquired in execution of the received program, the contents distribution device is configured to judge whether or not a new program for realizing the function for materializing the information contents in the terminal device transmitting the acquisition request is necessary based on the information contents requested in the acquisition request received from the terminal device and the device information attached to the acquisition request, and to transmit the information contents requested in the received acquisition request to the terminal device when the new program is judged to be unnecessary, the contents distribution device is further configured to designate the new program when the program is judged to be necessary, and to transmit a request for distributing the designated program to the program distribution device and to transmit a license request for using the function standard required for realizing the function in the terminal device to the license management device, the license management device is configured to transmit an authorization for using the function standard required for realizing the function in the terminal device to the program distribution device and the contents distribution device in response to the reception of the usage license request, the program distribution device is configured to transmit the program designated in the distribution request to the terminal device only when the usage authorization is received from the license management device, and the contents distribution device is configured to transmit the information contents indicated in the received acquisition request to the terminal device in the case of necessitating the new program in the terminal device only when the usage authorization is received from the license management device.