Patent ID: 7131133
Filing Date: 2006-10-31
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An information utilization apparatus for requesting information for at least one of displaying, printing, or storing, wherein the accessibility of the information for each of the displaying, printing, or storing changes over time, determining the accessibility of the requested information for displaying, printing, or storing, and allowing displaying, printing, or storing of the requested information depending on the accessibility, comprising: a memory configured to store encoded first data and applicable time information which defines a plurality of modes of utilization of the first data and executable time periods of operations respectively corresponding to the plurality of modes of utilization, the plurality of modes of utilization including a display mode, a printing mode, and a storage mode, the applicable time information defining a displayable time period corresponding to the display mode, a printable time period corresponding to the printing mode, and a storable time period corresponding to the storage mode with respect to the first data; a display data decoding unit corresponding to the display mode and configured to decode the first data stored in the memory; a printing data decoding unit corresponding to the printing mode and configured to decode the first data stored in the memory; a storage data decoding unit corresponding to the storage mode and configured to decode the first data stored in the memory; a display processing unit corresponding to the display data decoding unit and configured to execute a display operation corresponding to the display mode using second data obtained from decoding of the first data; a printing processing unit corresponding to the printing data decoding unit and configured to execute a printing operation corresponding to the printing mode using second data obtained from decoding of the first data; a storage processing unit corresponding to the storage data decoding unit and configured to execute a storage operation corresponding to the storage mode using second data obtained from decoding of the first data; a judging unit configured to judge if a requested operation is executable, upon a request entered via a user interface for an action for one of displaying, printing, and storing the first data, by reading the applicable time information from the memory and referring to an executable time period corresponding to a mode of utilization indicated by the request to compare with a current time; an operation command issuing unit configured to issue a command for action to one of the display data decoding unit, the printing data decoding unit, and the storage data decoding unit, corresponding to the mode of utilization indicated by the request when the judging unit judges that the requested operation is executable; and a message issuing unit configured to issue a message indicating that a requested action is prohibited and indicating a time period that allows a requested action, the message being issued when the judging unit judges that the requested operation is not executable at a requested time, the time period that allows the requested action being acquired from the applicable time information stored in the memory.