Patent ID: 7281061
Filing Date: 2007-10-09
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A time managing apparatus that manages times clocked by a plurality of timer modules in target apparatuses connected to each other on a network, the time managing apparatus comprising: a presetting information receiving means for receiving from outside presetting information which is based on an input from a user and contains (a) event start time information that indicates an event start time at which one or more events should be started by each of the target apparatuses, (b) event type information indicating an event type for each of the one or more events, (c) two or more apparatus identifiers for two or more target apparatuses among the target apparatuses on the network that should execute the one or more events, and (d) a piece of management information that identifies a timer module selected from the plurality of timer modules in target apparatuses connected to each other on a network, wherein it is judged, based on the timer module, whether or not the event start time has been reached; a presetting information transmitting means for transmitting the event start time information and the event type information received by the presetting information receiving means, to the two or more target apparatuses identified by the received two or more apparatus identifiers; a vicarious time managing means for acquiring a standard time from the timer module identified by the received management information and managing times vicariously in correspondence with pieces of management information; a standard time acquisition request receiving means for receiving standard time acquisition requests, which are based on the transmitted event start time information and the event type information, from the two or more target apparatuses to which the event start time information and the event type information were transmitted by the presetting information transmitting means; and a standard time transmitting means for transmitting, to each of the two or more target apparatuses, a standard time managed by the vicarious time managing means to cause the target apparatus to judge whether the transmitted standard time matches the event start time information transmitted by the presetting information transmitting means, and if the target apparatus judges that the standard time matches the event start time information, cause the target apparatus to execute an event indicated by the event type information transmitted by the presetting information transmitting means.