Abstract:
Disclosed herein is an information-processing apparatus capable of transmitting a content to a portable reproduction apparatus which can reproduce the content, including: a content storage section; a transmission content acquisition section; a deletion completion list acquisition section; a transmission permission/inhibition determine section; and a content transmission section.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present invention contains subject matter related to Japanese Patent Application JP 2005-223315 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Aug. 1, 2005, the entire contents of which being incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     This invention relates to an information-processing apparatus, a recording medium and an information-processing method, and more particularly to an information-processing apparatus, a recording medium and an information-processing method wherein a content is transmitted to a portable reproduction apparatus which can reproduce a content.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     In recent years, a music player of the portable type which incorporates a hard disk of a large capacity has been provided. In order to fetch a music content into such a portable music player as just mentioned, according to a method, the portable music player is connected to a music distribution server through the Internet so as to download the music content from the music distribution server. According to another method, the portable music player is connected to some other information-processing apparatus such as a personal computer so that a music content held by the information-processing apparatus is transferred to the potable music player. Particularly according to the latter method, a plurality of music contents held by the information-processing apparatus can be transferred collectively to the portable music player. Such an information communication system as just mentioned is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-93226. According to the information communication system of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-93226, the user can refer to a transfer list which can be edited to transfer a plurality of music contents included in the transfer list collectively from a server to a portable recording and reproduction apparatus. Meanwhile, also an auto-sync function has been provided recently. According to the auto-sync function, at a timing at which a portable music player is connected to an information-processing apparatus or at some other suitable timing, a large number of music contents possessed by an information-processing apparatus are automatically transferred to the portable music player. Consequently, the music contents stored in the information-processing apparatus and music contents stored in the portable music player are automatically synchronized with each other.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     However, automatic transfer of contents without allowing the user to select contents to be transferred as described above gives rise to a problem that also a content which has been deleted once from a portable music player because the content is “not favorable” to the user or from some other reason is transferred again.  
         [0007]     It is desirable to provide an information-processing apparatus, a recording medium and an information-processing method which allow contents to be transferred automatically while a content deleted once from a portable reproduction apparatus used for reproduction of a content such as a portable music player is not transferred again to the portable reproduction apparatus.  
         [0008]     According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an information-processing apparatus capable of transmitting a content to a portable reproduction apparatus which can reproduce the content, including a content storage section configured to store contents in a coordinated relationship with identifiers individually for identifying the contents, a transmission content acquisition section configured to acquire the identifier of any content to be transmitted to the portable reproduction apparatus from the content storage section, a deletion completion list acquisition section configured to acquire a deletion completion list which includes the identifier of any content deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus, a transmission permission/inhibition determine section configured to permit transmission of a content to the portable reproduction apparatus when the identifier of the content acquired by the transmission content acquisition section is not included in the deletion completion list acquired by the deletion completion list acquisition section, and a content transmission section configured to transmit any content whose transmission is permitted by the transmission permission/inhibition determine section to the portable reproduction apparatus.  
         [0009]     In the information-processing apparatus, the transmission permission/inhibition determine section determines based on the deletion completion list acquired from the portable reproduction apparatus, whether or not transmission of a content should be permitted. The deletion completion list includes the identifier of each content deleted from the reproduction apparatus. The transmission permission/inhibition determine section permits transfer of any content whose identifier is not included in the deletion completion list. In contrast, transfer of any content whose identifier is included in the deletion completion list is not permitted, and the information-processing apparatus does not transfer the content to the portable reproduction apparatus. In other words, the information-processing apparatus does not transfer any content, which is deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus, to the portable reproduction apparatus again.  
         [0010]     The information-processing apparatus may further include a deletion execution section configured to delete a content stored in the portable reproduction apparatus connected to the information-processing apparatus from the portable reproduction apparatus, and a deletion completion list updating section configured to add the identifier of the content deleted by the deletion execution section to the deletion completion list. In the information-processing apparatus having the configuration just described, when a content is deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus, such deletion of the content can be reflected on the deletion completion list of the portable reproduction apparatus.  
         [0011]     The information-processing apparatus may further include a connection detection section configured to detect communication connection of the information-processing apparatus to the portable reproduction apparatus, and a deletion object list acquisition section configured to acquire, when the communication connection to the portable reproduction apparatus is detected by the connection detection section, a deletion object list which includes the identifier of any content whose deletion is requested on the portable reproduction apparatus from the portable reproduction apparatus, the deletion execution section deleting the content corresponding to any identifier included in the deletion object list from the portable reproduction apparatus. With the information-processing apparatus having the configuration just described, a content registered in advance in the deletion object list in the portable reproduction apparatus can be deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus. Further, when communication connection between the information-processing apparatus and the portable reproduction apparatus is detected by the connection detection section, the information-processing apparatus performs acquisition of the deletion object list and deletion of a content. Therefore, when the portable reproduction apparatus is connected to the information-processing apparatus, the portable reproduction apparatus can let the information-processing apparatus delete any content registered in the deletion object list thereof.  
         [0012]     The information-processing apparatus may further include a selection section configured to allow selection of a content whose transfer to the portable reproduction apparatus is requested, and a deletion completion list updating section configured to erase, when the identifier of the content selected by the selection section is included in the deletion completion list, the identifier from the deletion completion list. In the information-processing apparatus having the configuration just described, the identifier of any content deleted through the selection section is excluded from the deletion completion list. Therefore, the information-processing apparatus can transfer a content, which is selected through the selection section, for example, by the user, to the portable reproduction apparatus even if the content is deleted once from the portable reproduction apparatus.  
         [0013]     The content transmission section may transmit the content selected by the selection section to the portable reproduction apparatus irrespective of whether or not the identifier of the content is included in the deletion completion list. In the information-processing apparatus having the configuration just described, any content selected by the selection section can be transferred to the portable reproduction apparatus even if the content is included in the deletion completion list.  
         [0014]     The information-processing apparatus may further include a management list acquisition section configured to acquire a management list in which the identifiers of the contents stored in the portable reproduction apparatus are included from the portable reproduction apparatus, the transmission content acquisition section acquiring the identifier of any content which is not included in the management list from the portable reproduction apparatus. In the information-processing apparatus having the configuration just described, each content which is not stored in the portable reproduction apparatus can be transferred to the portable reproduction apparatus. In other words, such a situation that the information-processing apparatus transfers a content held already by the portable reproduction apparatus in an overlapping relationship to the portable reproduction apparatus can be prevented.  
         [0015]     It is to be noted that each of the deletion object list acquisition section, deletion completion list acquisition section and management list acquisition section may move the corresponding list from the portable reproduction apparatus side to the information-processing apparatus side. Or, each of the deletion object list acquisition section, deletion completion list acquisition section and management list acquisition section may merely read in the corresponding list provided on the portable reproduction apparatus.  
         [0016]     According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium on or in which a computer program for causing a computer to function as the information-processing apparatus described above is stored. The computer program is read out from the storage medium and stored into a storage section provided in the computer. Then, the computer program is read out from the storage section and executed by a CPU provided in the computer to cause the computer to function as the information-processing apparatus. The storage medium may typically be a magnetic disk or an optical disk.  
         [0017]     According to a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an information-processing method for an information-processing apparatus for transmitting a content to a portable reproduction apparatus which can reproduce the content, including a transmission content acquisition step of acquiring, from a content storage section in which contents are stored in a coordinated relationship with identifiers individually for identifying the contents, the identifier of any content to be transmitted to the portable reproduction apparatus, a deletion completion list acquisition step of acquiring a deletion completion list which includes the identifier of any content deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus from the portable reproduction apparatus, a transmission permission/inhibition determine step of permitting transmission of a content to the portable reproduction apparatus when the identifier of the content acquired at the transmission content acquisition step is not included in the deletion completion list acquired at the deletion completion list acquisition step, and a content transmission step of transmitting any content whose transmission is permitted at the transmission permission/inhibition determine step to the portable reproduction apparatus. The transmission content acquisition step and the deletion completion list acquisition step may be in any order, or in other words, any of the two steps may be executed previously.  
         [0018]     The information-processing method may further include a deletion execution step of deleting a content stored in the portable reproduction apparatus connected to the information-processing apparatus from the portable reproduction apparatus, and a deletion completion list updating step of adding the identifier of the content deleted at the deletion execution step to the deletion completion list. The deletion execution step may be executed at any point of time. The deletion completion list updating step is preferably executed immediately after the deletion execution step or before the transmission permission/inhibition determine step.  
         [0019]     The information-processing method may further include a connection detection step of detecting communication connection of the information-processing apparatus to the portable reproduction apparatus, and a deletion object list acquisition step of acquiring, when the communication connection to the portable reproduction apparatus is detected at the connection detection step, a deletion object list which includes the identifier of any content whose deletion is requested on the portable reproduction apparatus from the portable reproduction apparatus, the content corresponding to any identifier included in the deletion object list being deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus at the deletion execution step.  
         [0020]     The information-processing method may further include a selection step of allowing selection of a content whose transfer to the portable reproduction apparatus is requested, and a deletion completion list updating step of erasing, when the identifier of the content selected at the selection step is included in the deletion completion list, the identifier from the deletion completion list.  
         [0021]     The information-processing method may further include a management list acquisition step of acquiring a management list in which the identifiers of the contents stored in the portable reproduction apparatus are included from the portable reproduction apparatus, the identifier of any content which is not included in the management list being acquired from the portable reproduction apparatus at the transmission content acquisition step.  
         [0022]     With the information-processing apparatus, information-processing method and storage medium, transfer of contents to a portable reproduction apparatus which performs reproduction of a content can be performed automatically while any content deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus is not transferred to the portable reproduction apparatus again.  
         [0023]     The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts or elements denoted by like reference characters. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view showing a general configuration of a system in which an information-processing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is incorporated;  
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the information-processing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the information-processing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0027]      FIGS. 4 and 5  are block diagrams illustrating content transfer processes of the information-processing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0028]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram illustrating a content deletion process of the information-processing apparatus from a portable reproduction apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0029]      FIG. 7  is a flow chart illustrating a content transfer process of the information-processing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0030]      FIG. 8  is a flow chart illustrating a content deletion process of the portable reproduction apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0031]      FIG. 9  is a flow chart illustrating a content deletion process of the information-processing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0032]      FIG. 10  is a flow chart illustrating a content reproduction process of the portable reproduction apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0033]      FIGS. 11A and 11B  are schematic views showing a deletion object list and a playlist of the portable reproduction apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, respectively. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0034]     In the following, an information-processing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to an information-processing apparatus  100  which transfers music contents to a portable reproduction apparatus  102  which can reproduce a music content. It is to be noted that, while music contents are described particularly as contents applied in the present embodiment, the contents which can be applied in the preferred embodiment of the present invention are not limited to such music contents. In other words, also various other contents can be applied including, for example, a sound (Audio) content of a lecture, a radio program or the like, an image (Video) content formed from a still picture or pictures or moving pictures which form a movie, a television program, a video program, a photograph, a painting, a chart or the like, an electronic book (E-book), a game or software.  
         [0000]     &lt;General Configuration&gt; 
         [0035]     Referring first to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a system which incorporates the information-processing apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The information-processing apparatus  100  is a computer which can transfer a music content (hereinafter referred to merely as content) as described above. The information-processing apparatus  100  may be, for example, a personal computer (which may be hereinafter referred to simply as PC), an audio player, a game machine or the like. The information-processing apparatus  100  stores contents, for example, downloaded from a content distribution server  106  through a network  104 . The information-processing apparatus  100  further stores contents acquired by ripping from an external recording medium such as a compact disk (which may be hereinafter referred to simply as CD).  
         [0036]     The portable reproduction apparatus  102  can be connected to the information-processing apparatus  100 . The portable reproduction apparatus  102  is a computer which can reproduce a content. The portable reproduction apparatus  102  may be, for example, a portable music player which incorporates a hard disk drive, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a cellular phone or the like. The portable reproduction apparatus  102  includes a storage apparatus such as a hard disk drive and stores contents into the storage apparatus. The portable reproduction apparatus  102  receives a content transferred thereto from the information-processing apparatus  100  and stores the received content into the storage apparatus. Further, a content stored in the storage apparatus of the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is deleted by the information-processing apparatus  100 . In other words, the portable reproduction apparatus  102  itself does not delete a content stored in the storage device thereof but lets the information-processing apparatus  100  connected thereto delete the content. The portable reproduction apparatus  102  includes a management list, a deletion object list and a deletion completion list as hereinafter described. The lists are used upon transfer or deletion of a content by the information-processing apparatus  100 .  
         [0037]     The information-processing apparatus  100  can transmit contents stored therein to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  connected thereto. The information-processing apparatus  100  can transmit a content selected by the user to the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . Further, the information-processing apparatus  100  can automatically transmit a plurality of contents stored in the information-processing apparatus  100  to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  to synchronize the portable reproduction apparatus  102  and the information-processing apparatus  100  with each other so that they commonly have the same contents. However, where a plurality of contents are automatically transmitted, that is, where not contents selected by the user are transmitted but contents selected by the information-processing apparatus  100  are transmitted, the possibility is high that also a content whose transfer to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is not desired by the user may be transmitted. For example, a content deleted once from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by the user may possibly be transmitted to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  again. Therefore, the information-processing apparatus  100  according to the present embodiment controls so that a content deleted once from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  connected thereto is not transferred to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  unless the user explicitly selects the content as an object of transfer. In the following, the information-processing apparatus  100  is described in detail.  
         [0000]     &lt;Hardware Configuration of the Information-processing Apparatus&gt; 
         [0038]     First, a hardware configuration of the information-processing apparatus  100  is described roughly with reference to  FIG. 2 . It is to be noted that  FIG. 2  schematically shows an example of a hardware configuration of the information-processing apparatus  100  according to the present embodiment.  
         [0039]     The information-processing apparatus  100  includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit)  111 , a ROM (Read Only Memory)  112 , a RAM (Random Access Memory)  113 , a host bus  114 , a bridge  115 , and an external bus  116 . The information-processing apparatus  100  further includes an interface  117 , an input unit  118 , an output unit  120 , a storage apparatus (HDD)  121 , a drive  122 , a connection port  124 , and a communication apparatus  125 .  
         [0040]     The CPU  111  functions as an arithmetic operation processing apparatus and a control apparatus and operates in accordance with various programs stored in the ROM  112  or the HDD  121  to control the components in the information-processing apparatus  100 . As a particular one of the processes, for example, a process of determining whether or not a content may be transmitted is executed.  
         [0041]     The ROM  112  stores programs, arithmetic operation parameters and so forth to be used by the CPU  111 . The RAM  113  temporarily stores a program to be used for execution by the CPU  111 , parameters which vary suitably during the execution and so forth. Further, the RAM  113  can be utilized also to temporarily store the deletion completion list, deletion object list, management object list and so forth hereinafter described acquired from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by the information-processing apparatus  100 . The CPU  101 , ROM  102  and RAM  103  are connected to each other by the host bus  114  formed from a CPU bus or the like.  
         [0042]     The host bus  114  is connected to the external bus  116  such as a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect/Interface) bus or the like through the bridge  115 .  
         [0043]     The input unit  118  is formed from operation elements such as, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, buttons, switches and levers, an input control circuit for producing and outputting an input signal to the CPU  111 , and so forth. The user of the information-processing apparatus  100  can operate the input unit  118  to input various data to the information-processing apparatus  100  and issue a command of a processing operation to the information-processing apparatus  100 .  
         [0044]     The output unit  120  is formed from a display apparatus such as, for example, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display apparatus, a liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus, an organic EL display apparatus, lamps or the like and a sound outputting apparatus such as a speaker. The output unit  120  outputs, for example, a reproduced content. In particular, the display apparatus displays a reproduced video content in the form of a text or an image as moving pictures or still pictures. Meanwhile, the sound outputting apparatus emits sound of a reproduced sound content or the like.  
         [0045]     The HDD  121  is an apparatus for data storage formed as an example of a storage section of the information-processing apparatus  100  according to the present embodiment. The HDD 121  stores program executed by CPUlll, various data or the like. The HDD  121  stores various data of contents and so forth. Such a deletion completion list, a deletion object list, a management list and so forth mentioned hereinabove may be stored in the HDD  121 .  
         [0046]     The drive  122  is a reader/writer for a storage medium and is built in or externally provided for the information-processing apparatus  100 . The drive  122  records/reproduces various data of contents and so forth on/from the removable recording medium such as a magnetic disk such as a HD, an optical disk such as a CD or a DVD, a magneto-optical disk such as an MO or a semiconductor memory loaded in the information-processing apparatus  100 .  
         [0047]     In particular, the drive  122  reads out data recorded on the removable recording medium and supplies the data to the RAM  113  connected thereto through the interface  117 , external bus  116 , bridge  115  and host bus  114 . The CPU  111  stores the data into the HDD  121  or the like as occasion demands. Meanwhile, the drive  122  receives data stored in the ROM  112 , the HDD  121  or the like, data newly produced or data acquired from an external apparatus from the CPU  111  and writes the data on the removable recording medium.  
         [0048]     The connection port  124  is a port for allowing connection of the information-processing apparatus  100  to an external peripheral apparatus such as, for example, the portable reproduction apparatus  102  and has connection terminals such as USB terminals, IEEE1394 terminals or the like. The connection port  124  is connected to the CPU  111  and so forth through the interface  117 , external bus  116 , bridge  115 , host bus  114  and so forth. Such a connection port  124  as just described allows the information-processing apparatus  100  to be connected to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  and so forth through the connection line and so forth such that they can communicate various data. The connection port  124  may allow communication connection to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by any of wire communication and radio connection. For example, the connection portion  124  may comply with the Bluetooth, 802.11a/b/g or the like.  
         [0049]     The communication apparatus  125  is a communication interface formed from a communication device or the like for connecting, for example, to the network  104 . The communication apparatus  125  transmits and receives various data of contents to and from an external apparatus such the content distribution server  106  through the network  104 . The communication interface may comply with the Ethernet or the Giga Ethernet. Further, the communication interface may comply, in an environment which allows direct communication with a radio access point, with the Bluetooth, 802.11a/b/g or the like.  
         [0000]     &lt;Functional Configuration of the Information Processing Apparatus&gt; 
         [0050]     Now, a function configuration of the information-processing apparatus  100  is described with reference to  FIG. 3 . The information-processing apparatus  100  includes, as principal components thereof, a connection detection section  202 , a management list acquisition section  204 , a deletion object list acquisition section  206 , a deletion completion list acquisition section  208 , and a deletion execution section  210 . The information-processing apparatus  100  further includes, as principal components thereof, a deletion completion list updating section  212 , a content storage section  214 , a transmission content acquisition section  216 , and a transmission permission/inhibition determine section  218 . The information-processing apparatus  100  includes, as principal components thereof, a content transmission section  220 , a selection section  222 , a management list updating section  224  and a deletion object list updating section  226 .  
         [0051]     The connection detection section  202  detects that the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is connected to the information-processing apparatus  100 .  
         [0052]     The management list acquisition section  204  acquires the management list from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  connected to the information-processing apparatus  100 . The management list indicates a table of contents held by the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . In particular, the management list includes an identifier of all contents stored in the storage apparatus of the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . The management list is stored, for example, in the storage apparatus of the portable reproduction apparatus  102  and is updated by the portable reproduction apparatus  102  itself or the management list updating section  224  hereinafter described of the information-processing apparatus  100  connected to the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . Such updating is performed when a content is stored newly into the storage apparatus of the portable reproduction apparatus  102  or when a content stored in the storage apparatus is deleted.  
         [0053]     The deletion object list acquisition section  206  acquires the deletion object list from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  connected to the information-processing apparatus  100 . The deletion object list indicates a table of contents which are expected or scheduled to be deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . A content expected or scheduled to be deleted is a content whose deletion from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is requested from the user. As described hereinabove, the portable reproduction apparatus  102  itself may not able to perform deletion of a content. Therefore, for example, if a request to delete a content is issued by the user, for example, through an inputting apparatus such as buttons provided on the portable reproduction apparatus  102 , then the portable reproduction apparatus  102  writes the identifier of the content into the deletion object list. Then, the content is deleted from the storage apparatus of the portable reproduction apparatus  102  based on the deletion object list by the deletion execution section  210  hereinafter described of the information-processing apparatus  100  connected to the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . Then, after the content is deleted by the deletion execution section  210 , the deletion object list is updated by the deletion object list updating section  226  hereinafter described of the information-processing apparatus  100 .  
         [0054]     The deletion completion list acquisition section  208  acquires the deletion completion list from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  connected to the information-processing apparatus  100 . The deletion completion list indicates a table of contents deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . In particular, the deletion completion list includes an identifier of contents deleted from the storage apparatus of the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . The deletion completion list is stored, for example, in the storage apparatus of the portable reproduction apparatus  102  and is updated by the deletion completion list updating section  212  hereinafter described of the information-processing apparatus  100 . Such updating is performed when a content is deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by the deletion execution section  210  hereinafter described of the information-processing apparatus  100 .  
         [0055]     The deletion execution section  210  deletes a content from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  connected thereto. In particular, the deletion execution section  210  deletes contents corresponding to the identifiers included in the deletion object list from the storage apparatus of the portable reproduction apparatus  102  based on the deletion object list acquired from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by the deletion object list acquisition section  206 .  
         [0056]     The deletion completion list updating section  212  updates the deletion completion list of the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . In particular, when the deletion execution section  210  deletes a content from the portable reproduction apparatus  102 , the deletion completion list updating section  212  erases the identifier of the pertaining content from the deletion completion list acquired from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by the deletion completion list acquisition section  208 . Further, if the identifier of a content selected by the selection section  222  hereinafter described is included in the deletion completion list, then the deletion completion list updating section  212  deletes the identifier from the deletion completion list.  
         [0057]     The management list updating section  224  updates the management list of the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . In particular, the management list updating section  224  adds or erases the identifier of a content to or from the management list acquired from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by the management list acquisition section  204 . Such addition or erasure of the identifier of a content is performed when the content transmission section  220  transfers the content to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  or when the deletion execution section  210  deletes the content from the portable reproduction apparatus  102 .  
         [0058]     The deletion object list updating section  226  updates the deletion object list of the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . In particular, when the deletion execution section  210  deletes a content from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  based on the deletion object list, the deletion object list updating section  226  erases the identifier of the content from the deletion object list acquired from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by the deletion object list acquisition section  206 .  
         [0059]     The content storage section  214  is a storage apparatus for storing contents. The information-processing apparatus  100  stores a content acquired from the content distribution server  106  or a ripped content into the content storage section  214 . Further, the information-processing apparatus  100  can transfer a content stored in the content storage section  214  to the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . The content storage section  214  stores data which form contents and identifiers of the contents in a coordinated relationship with each other.  
         [0060]     The transmission content acquisition section  216  acquires a content to be transferred to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  from the content storage section  214 . In particular, the transmission content acquisition section  216  acquires a content, for example, selected through the selection section  222  by the user from the content storage section  214  based on the identifier of the content. Further, in order to synchronize the contents of the information-processing apparatus  100  and the portable reproduction apparatus  102  with each other, the transmission content acquisition section  216  acquires all of the contents stored in the content storage section  214 . Or, the transmission content acquisition section  216  acquires those of the contents stored in the content storage section  214  which do not exist in the portable reproduction apparatus  102  and make an object of synchronization. More particularly, the transmission content acquisition section  216  refers to the management list of the portable reproduction apparatus  102  acquired by the management list acquisition section  204  and acquires those contents which are not included in the management list from the content storage section  214 . By such selective acquisition, such a situation that those contents which are already held by the portable reproduction apparatus  102  are transferred to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  can be prevented.  
         [0061]     The transmission permission/inhibition determine section  218  determines whether or not transmission of a content acquired by the transmission content acquisition section  216  to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  should be permitted. In particular, the transmission permission/inhibition determine section  218  refers to the deletion completion list acquired from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by the deletion completion list acquisition section  208  and controls based on the acquired deletion completion list so that the content corresponding to any identifier included in the deletion completion list may be inhibited from being transferred to the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . A content having an identifier included in the deletion completion list is a content deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . According to the configuration described above, such a situation that a content deleted once from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is transferred to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  again can be prevented. However, if the user explicitly wants to have a content transferred, then the content is preferably transferred even if it is included in the deletion completion list. Therefore, when a content selected by the user through the selection section  222  is acquired from the content storage section  214 , the determining process by the transmission permission/inhibition determine section  218  may be skipped so the content is provided to the content transmission section  220 . Or, an identification flag may be set for each content selected through the selection section  222  by the transmission content acquisition section  216 . In this instance, the transmission permission/inhibition determine section  218  may permit transfer of the content having the set identification flag to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  irrespective of whether or not the identifier of the content is included in the deletion completion list. Or else, the identifier of the content selected through the selection section  222  may be deleted from the deletion completion list by the management list updating section  224  before the transmission permission/inhibition determine section  218  performs the determining process.  
         [0062]     The content transmission section  220  transmits any content whose transfer to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is permitted by the transmission permission/inhibition determine section  218  to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  connected to the information-processing apparatus  100 .  
         [0063]     The selection section  222  is configured including the inputting apparatus such as a keyboard and a mouse provided on the information-processing apparatus  100  and provides information of a content selected through the inputting apparatus by the user to the transmission content acquisition section  216 .  
         [0064]     The information-processing apparatus  100  has such a functional configuration as described above. Now, a process of transferring a content to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by the information-processing apparatus  100  is described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 .  
         [0000]     &lt;Automatic Transfer Process of a Content&gt; 
         [0065]     First, a process when the information-processing apparatus  100  automatically transfers a content in order to establish synchronism of the stored contents between the information-processing apparatus  100  and the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is described with reference to  FIG. 4 . It is to be noted that such synchronization of contents may be performed, for example, at a timing at which the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is connected to the information-processing apparatus  100 . Or, the synchronization may be performed at another timing at which execution of synchronization is designated through a GUI of the information-processing apparatus  100  by the user or after every predetermined interval of time.  
         [0066]     When a timing for synchronization comes, the management list acquisition section  204  of the information-processing apparatus  100  acquires a management list  1002  from the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . The management list acquisition section  204  provides the acquired management list  1002  to the transmission content acquisition section  216 . The transmission content acquisition section  216  acquires those contents which are to be transferred to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  based on the management list  1002 . In other words, the transmission content acquisition section  216  acquires those contents whose identifier is not included in the management list  1002  from the content storage section  214 . In the example illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the transmission content acquisition section  216  acquires contents whose content identifier (CID) is CID=0002, 0200, 1250 which are not included in the management list  1002  from the content storage section  214 .  
         [0067]     The deletion completion list acquisition section  208  of the information-processing apparatus  100  acquires a deletion completion list  1004  from the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . Then, the identifiers of the contents acquired from the content storage section  214  by the transmission content acquisition section  216  and the deletion completion list  1004  acquired from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by the deletion completion list acquisition section  208  are provided to the transmission permission/inhibition determine section  218 . The transmission permission/inhibition determine section  218  controls so that those contents whose identifier is included in the deletion completion list  1004  are inhibited from being transferred to the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . In the example illustrated in  FIG. 4 , from among the content identifiers of the contents acquired by the transmission content acquisition section  216 , the content identifier CID=0200 is included in the deletion completion list  1004 . Therefore, the transmission permission/inhibition determine section  218  does not permit transfer of the content of the content identifier. Accordingly, transfer the contents whose content identifier is CID=0002 and 1250 is permitted.  
         [0068]     After permission/inhibition of the contents is determined by the transmission permission/inhibition determine section  218 , the content transmission section  220  transmits those contents whose transfer is permitted to the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . In the example illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the content transmission section  220  transmits the contents of the content identifier CID=0002 and 1250 whose transfer is permitted to the portable reproduction apparatus  102 .  
         [0069]     Then, the management list updating section  224  causes the transfer of the contents to be reflected on the management list  1002  of the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . In particular, the management list updating section  224  adds the identifiers of the contents transferred to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by the content transmission section  220  to the management list  1002  of the portable reproduction apparatus  102 .  
         [0070]     According to the configuration described above, the information-processing apparatus  100  can transfer any content which is not held by the portable reproduction apparatus  102  to which it is connected to the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . In this instance, since permission/inhibition of transmission of the content is determined based on the deletion completion list  1004 , the information-processing apparatus  100  can prevent any content deleted by the portable reproduction apparatus  102  from being transferred to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  again. It is to be noted that the transmission permission/inhibition determine section  218  may determine permission/inhibition of transmission of a content based on the deletion completion list and also on the deletion object list.  
         [0000]     &lt;Transfer Process of a Selected Content&gt; 
         [0071]     Now, a process of transferring a content selected by the user to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by the information-processing apparatus  100  is described with reference to  FIG. 5 .  
         [0072]     First, a content to be transferred is selected through the selection section  222  by the user. It is assumed here that the content of the content identifier CID=0200 is selected. The transmission content acquisition section  216  acquires the selected content from the content storage section  214 . Then, the transmission content acquisition section  216  provides the acquired content to the content transmission section  220 . The content transmission section  220  transmits the content of the content identifier CID=0200 to the portable reproduction apparatus  102 .  
         [0073]     Thereafter, the deletion completion list updating section  212  updates the deletion completion list  1004  of the portable reproduction apparatus  102 , and the management list updating section  224  updates the management list  1002  of the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . In other words, where the content identifier CID=0200 is included in the deletion completion list  1004  of the portable reproduction apparatus  102 , the deletion completion list updating section  212  deletes the identifier from the deletion completion list  1004 . The management list updating section  224  adds the content identifier (CID=0200) of the content transferred to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  to the management list  1002  of the portable reproduction apparatus  102 .  
         [0074]     According to the configuration described above, even if a content is deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  once, if an instruction to transfer the content is issued explicitly by the user, then the information-processing apparatus  100  can transfer the content to the portable reproduction apparatus  102 .  
         [0075]     The process of transferring a content to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  from the information-processing apparatus  100  is such as described in detail above. Now, a process of deleting a content from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by the information-processing apparatus  100  is described in detail with reference to  FIG. 6 .  
         [0000]     &lt;Deletion Process of a Content&gt; 
         [0076]     The information-processing apparatus  100  may delete a content from the portable reproduction apparatus  102 , for example, at a timing at which the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is connected to the information-processing apparatus  100 . Or, such deletion may be performed at another timing at which an instruction to delete a content is issued through a GUI of the information-processing apparatus  100  by the user, or after every predetermined interval of time. In the following, it is assumed that a deletion process is executed at a timing at which the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is connected to the information-processing apparatus  100 .  
         [0077]     When the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is connected to the information-processing apparatus  100 , the connection is detected by the connection detection section  202  of the information-processing apparatus  100 . Then, the connection detection section  202  notifies the deletion object list acquisition section  206  of the detection of the connection to the portable reproduction apparatus  102 .  
         [0078]     The deletion object list acquisition section  206  acquires a deletion object list  1006  from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  connected to the information-processing apparatus  100 . Further, the deletion completion list acquisition section  208  acquires the deletion completion list  1004  from the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . Then, the deletion execution section  210  refers to the deletion object list  1006  and deletes any content whose identifier is included in the deletion object list  1006  from the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . After the deletion is executed, the deletion object list updating section  226  erases the identifier of the deleted content or contents from the deletion object list  1006 . Meanwhile, the deletion completion list updating section  212  adds the identifier of each deleted content to the deletion completion list  1004 . Further, the management list updating section  224  erases the identifier of the deleted content from the management list  1002  of the portable reproduction apparatus  102 .  
         [0079]     According to the configuration described above, even if the portable reproduction apparatus  102  does not have a processing capacity sufficient to delete a content held thereby, it can have the content deleted by the information-processing apparatus  100  when it is connected to the information-processing apparatus  100 . Further, also when the portable reproduction apparatus  102  remains not connected to the information-processing apparatus  100 , it can accept a deletion instruction of a content from the user by writing the identifier of the content into the deletion object list.  
         [0080]     The process of deleting a content from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by the information-processing apparatus  100  is such as described above. Now, a flow of processes when the information-processing apparatus  100  automatically transfers a content to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is described with reference to  FIG. 7 .  
         [0000]     &lt;Flow of the Automatic Transfer Process&gt; 
         [0081]     First, the information-processing apparatus  100  acquires the identifier of any content which does not exist in the portable reproduction apparatus  102  at step S 102 . In particular, the information-processing apparatus  100  refers to the management list of the portable reproduction apparatus  102  and acquires the identifier of any content which does not exist in the management list from the content storage section  214 . Then, the information-processing apparatus  100  checks whether or not the identifier acquired at step S 102  exists in the deletion completion list at step S 104 . If the identifier does not exist, then the information-processing apparatus  100  transmits the content which has the identifier to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  at step S 106 . On the other hand, if the content identifier exists in the deletion completion list, then the information-processing apparatus  100  does not transmit the content of the content identifier to the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . Then, the information-processing apparatus  100  checks whether or not it holds any remaining content which does not exist in the portable reproduction apparatus  102  at step S 108 . If any such content remains, then the processing returns to step S 102 . In short, the information-processing apparatus  100  determines a permission/inhibition of transmission based on the deletion completion list regarding all of those contents which do not exist in the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . Then, the information-processing apparatus  100  transfers those contents whose identifier is not included in the deletion completion list to the portable reproduction apparatus  102 .  
         [0082]     A flow of processes when the information-processing apparatus  100  automatically transfers a content to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is such as described above. Now, a process of deleting a content from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is described with reference to  FIGS. 8 and 9 .  
         [0000]     &lt;Flow of the Deletion Process&gt; 
         [0083]     First, a deletion button of the portable reproduction apparatus  102  would be depressed at step S 202 . In particular, a request to delete an arbitrary content from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  would be issued by the user through the inputting apparatus such as buttons provided on the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . Typically, while the user enjoys a content, the user can depress the deletion button to issue an instruction to delete the content being enjoyed. When the deletion button is depressed, the portable reproduction apparatus  102  acquires the identifier of the content which is an object of the deletion request and specifies the object content at step S 204 . Then, the portable reproduction apparatus  102  checks whether or not the identifier acquired at step S 204  is included in the deletion object list provided in the portable reproduction apparatus  102  at step S 206 . If the identifier is not included in the deletion object list, then the portable reproduction apparatus  102  adds the identifier of the content to the deletion object list. In this manner, the identifier of the content whose deletion from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is requested is written into the deletion object list in the portable reproduction apparatus  102  by the portable reproduction apparatus  102 .  
         [0084]     Next, referring to  FIG. 9 , the information-processing apparatus  100  operates in the following manner. When the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is connected to the information-processing apparatus  100 , the information-processing apparatus  100  detects the connection at step S 302 . After the connection is detected, the information-processing apparatus  100  acquires the deletion object list from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  and acquires the identifier of those contents which are included in the deletion object list at step S 304 . Then, the information-processing apparatus  100  deletes the content corresponding to each acquire identifier from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  at step S 306 . If the deletion results in success, then the information-processing apparatus  100  erases the identifier of each content deleted from the management list in the portable reproduction apparatus  102  at step S 308 . Further, the information-processing apparatus  100  checks whether or not the identifier of any deleted content is included in the deletion completion list in the portable reproduction apparatus  102  at step S 310 . If no such identifier is included, then the information-processing apparatus  100  adds the identifier to the deletion completion list at step S 312 . Then, the information-processing apparatus  100  erases the identifier of the deleted content from the deletion object list at step S 314 . The information-processing apparatus  100  performs the processes at steps S 304  to S 314  for the identifier of all of the contents included in the deletion object list. Then, if it is determined at step S 316  that no identifier of any content remains in the deletion object list, then the information-processing apparatus  100  ends its processing.  
         [0085]     In this manner, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a content in the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is deleted based on the deletion object list by the information-processing apparatus  100 .  
         [0000]     &lt;Example of Use of the Deletion Object List&gt; 
         [0086]     Now, another using method of the deletion object list is described with reference to  FIG. 10 . In  FIG. 10 , the portable reproduction apparatus  102  refers to the deletion object list when it reproduces a content. The portable reproduction apparatus  102  checks, at step S 402 , whether or not the identifier of a content of a reproduction object exists in the deletion object list when it tries to reproduce, for example, contents stored in the storage apparatus in the portable reproduction apparatus  102  successively in order or at random. If such an identifier does not exist, then the portable reproduction apparatus  102  reproduces the content at step S 404 . However, if such an identifier exists, then the portable reproduction apparatus  102  does not reproduce the content but shifts the processing object to a next content of the reproduction object at step S 406 . According to the configuration described, the portable reproduction apparatus  102  can prevent reproduction of a content whose deletion is requested from the user. Therefore, even if the content is not actually deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus  102 , the content whose deletion is requested by the user looks deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  to the user.  
         [0087]     Or, a countermeasure may be provided which allows the user to confirm a content included in the deletion object list.  FIGS. 11A and 11B  show an example wherein information relating to a content included in the deletion object list is displayed on the screen provided on the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . For example, a table of tune names (names of musical pieces) corresponding to contents included in the deletion object list may be displayed on the screen of the portable reproduction apparatus  102  as seen in  FIG. 11A . Or, when the portable reproduction apparatus  102  displays a playlist indicating a reproduction order of contents on the screen thereof, each content included in the deletion object list may be displayed together with an icon added thereto as seen in  FIG. 11B . The icon indicates that the corresponding content is included in the deletion object list. In  FIG. 11B , such an icon as just described is formed as an icon of a shape of a trash can.  
         [0088]     A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described above. However, it is a matter of course that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described above. It is apparent that various alterations or modifications may be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it is to be understood that also such alterations and modifications naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.  
         [0089]     For example, in the embodiment described above, a content in the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is deleted by the information-processing apparatus  100  connected to the portable reproduction apparatus  102  after it is registered into the deletion object list in the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . However, the present invention is not limited to the particular example. For example, a content in the portable reproduction apparatus may be deleted by the portable reproduction apparatus itself. Further, also where the information-processing apparatus deletes a content in the portable reproduction apparatus, a content designated through a GUI of the information-processing apparatus by the user may be deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus without depending upon the deletion object list as described above.  
         [0090]     Further, in the embodiment described hereinabove, the deletion completion list which is a list of contents deleted from the portable reproduction apparatus  102  is held by the portable reproduction apparatus  102 . However, the present invention is not limited to the particular example. For example, the deletion completion list may be held by the information-processing apparatus or by both of the portable reproduction apparatus and the information-processing apparatus. Where the information-processing apparatus holds the deletion completion list, a process that a content included in the deletion completion list held by the information-processing apparatus is not transferred to all of portable reproduction apparatus connected to the information-processing apparatus can be performed. Therefore, for example, where one user owns a plurality of portable reproduction apparatus, a content deleted once by any of the portable reproduction apparatus is not transferred also in a case wherein any of the portable reproduction apparatus is connected to the information-processing apparatus later. Therefore, the user need not delete the same content on any of the portable transmission apparatus.  
         [0091]     While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.