Abstract:
A control section limits the number of times of reproduction of content that is reproduced on a display unit. Thereby, a decrease in value of downloaded content is prevented, and a predetermined condition is provided when the number of times of reproduction of the content is counted up. Thus, the creator of the content is protected against disadvantages, while the user can keep enjoying the reproduction of the content.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-366625, filed Nov. 30, 2001, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a method of controlling a mobile terminal having a function of reproducing content downloaded from a center apparatus, etc. via a network, and also relates to a mobile terminal. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Mobile terminals such as mobile phones, which have recently been developed, have a function of reproducing content downloaded from a center apparatus, etc. via a network. 
   According to this function, a user downloads his/her desired content from a center apparatus, etc., and reproduces the downloaded content, as desired, thus enjoying services relating to the content. 
   The content downloaded from the center apparatus, etc. includes various service information such as multi-media applications and game applications. Such service information comprises still images, moving pictures, voice data and character data. 
   Conventionally, once some content has been downloaded from the center apparatus, etc. into a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, it can be freely reproduced on the terminal side. However, recently, there has been a demand by a content provider side to limit the number of times of reproduction of such content. 
   The reason is that if the downloaded content is freely reproducible on the terminal side, with or without charge, the value of the content will decrease and the creator of the content may suffer an unexpected disadvantage. 
   Under the circumstances, there is an attempt to insert information for limiting the number of times of permitted reproduction into such kind of content, thereby to limit the number of reproduction of the downloaded content. 
   However, the reproduction-side terminal is a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, and while downloaded content is being reproduced, the reproduction may forcibly be finished due to an unexpected incoming call, battery shutoff, or activation of an alarm sound generation function. Hence, if the number of times of reproduction is uniformly limited, the user may not fully enjoy the services by the reproduction of downloaded content due to occurrence of an unexpected situation. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal control method and a mobile terminal, which can prevent such a disadvantageous situation that a user cannot fully enjoy services by reproduction of downloaded content due to the occurrence of an unexpected situation. 
   In order to achieve the object, there is provided a method of controlling a mobile terminal including a function of downloading and reproducing content, comprising: a detecting step of detecting an occurrence of a reproduction stopping operation of stopping the reproduction of the downloaded content, before the reproduction of the downloaded content has reached a final stage; a counting step of counting up the number of times of reproduction when the reproduction stopping operation is not detected in the detecting step, assuming that the content has been completely reproduced, while not counting up the number of times of reproduction when the reproduction stopping operation is detected in the detecting step, assuming that the content has not completely been reproduced; and a reproduction prohibition control step of prohibiting, when the counted number of times of reproduction, which has been obtained in the counting step, has reached a preset number, subsequent reproduction of the content. 
   In order to achieve the object, there is also provided a mobile terminal including a function of downloading and reproducing content, comprising: detecting means for detecting an occurrence of a reproduction stopping operation of stopping the reproduction of the downloaded content, before the reproduction of the downloaded content has reached a final stage; counting means for counting up the number of times of reproduction when the reproduction stopping operation is not detected in the detecting means, assuming that the content has been completely reproduced, while not counting up the number of times of reproduction when the reproduction stopping operation is detected in the detecting means, assuming that the content has not completely been reproduced; and reproduction prohibition control means for prohibiting, when the counted number of times of reproduction, which has been obtained in the counting means, has reached a preset number, subsequent reproduction of the content. 
   According to the mobile terminal control method and the mobile terminal having the above structure, when a content reproduction stopping operation has not been detected, the number of times of content reproduction is counted up by determining the content reproduction to be a completed content reproduction operation. On the other hand, when a content reproduction stopping operation has been detected, the number of times of content reproduction is not counted up by determining the content reproduction to be a failed content reproduction operation. If the number of times of reproduction has reached a predetermined value, subsequent reproduction is prohibited. 
   According to the present invention, even if content reproduction is stopped due to an unexpectable situation for the user, such as occurrence of an incoming call or an e-mail, this content reproduction is not counted up as a completed content reproduction operation. Therefore, the user is free from such a disadvantage that he/she cannot fully enjoy services by the reproduction of downloaded content. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone, according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  shows an external appearance of the mobile phone shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating an operation relating to content reproduction by the mobile phone shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a flow chart illustrating an operation relating to content reproduction by the mobile phone shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating an operation relating to content reproduction by the mobile phone shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  shows an example of transition of images displayed on a display unit in a case where the mobile phone shown in  FIG. 1  reproduces content; 
       FIG. 7  shows an example of transition of images displayed on a display unit in a case where the mobile phone shown in  FIG. 1  reproduces content; 
       FIG. 8  shows an example of transition of images displayed on a display unit in a case where the mobile phone shown in  FIG. 1  reproduces content; 
       FIG. 9  shows an example of transition of images displayed on a display unit in a case where the mobile phone shown in  FIG. 1  reproduces content; and 
       FIG. 10  shows an example of transition of images displayed on a display unit in a case where the mobile phone shown in  FIG. 1  reproduces content. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Embodiments of a mobile terminal control method and a mobile terminal according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a mobile terminal according to the present invention. In  FIG. 1 , a mobile phone  100  is shown as an example of the mobile terminal according to the present invention. 
   As is shown in  FIG. 1 , the mobile phone  100  comprises an antenna  10 , a radio control section  11 , a memory section  12 , a key input section  13 , a control section  14 , a display control section  15 , a display unit  16 , a voice control section  17 , a voice output unit  18  and a voice input unit  19 . 
   The radio control section  11  processes radio signals to be transmitted/received via the antenna  10 . For example, the radio control section  11  modulates and demodulates the radio signals. The memory section  12  temporarily stores various data to be processed in the mobile phone  100 . 
   The data to be temporarily stored includes content relating to the invention, e.g. various service information such as multimedia applications and game applications including still images, moving pictures, voice data and character data downloaded from a center apparatus (not shown). 
   The key input section  13  includes a dial key and various function keys. For example, the key input section  13  includes a key for instructing a request for reproducing content downloaded from the center apparatus (not shown), and a power key or a stop (cancel) key which is operated during reproduction of content to forcibly finish the reproduction of content. 
   The control section  14  controls the operations of the respective parts of the mobile phone  100 . The control section  14  includes a reproduction stopping operation detection section  141  that detects a reproduction stopping operation during the reproduction of content, and a number-of-times-of-reproduction counting section  142  that counts the number of times of reproduction of content. Based on the count value of the counting section  142 , the control section  14  executes a reproduction prohibit control for prohibiting subsequent reproduction of content. 
   The display control section  15  includes an image decoder  151  that converts the content stored in the memory  12  to image data. Based on the image data produced by the image decoder  151 , the display control section  15  executes a display control to cause the display unit  16  to display the content. 
   The display unit  16  displays content relating to the present invention, in accordance with the processing in the display control section  15 . The display unit  16  also displays various data to be processed by the mobile phone  100 . 
   The voice control section  17  processes a voice signal to be delivered to the voice output unit  18  and a voice signal input from the voice input unit  19 . 
   The voice output unit  18  constitutes a transmitter of the mobile phone  100 , and it comprises, e.g. a loudspeaker that outputs a voice signal as voice. 
   The voice input unit  19  constitutes a receiver of the mobile phone  100 , and it comprises, e.g. a microphone that receives voice as a voice signal. 
   The reproduction of content in the mobile phone  100  will now be described in brief. 
   Content to be reproduced on the display control section  15  is downloaded from the center apparatus (not shown) via the antenna  10  and radio control section  11  through the operation of the key input section  13 . The downloaded content is stored in the memory section  12 . 
   The center apparatus may be a specific center apparatus, with which the user of the mobile phone  100  made a contract in advance, or a specific apparatus on the Internet if the mobile phone  100  is accessible to the Internet. 
   The content downloaded in the memory section  12  is reproduced on the display unit  16  according to the user&#39;s operation of the key input section  13 . 
   In the mobile phone  100  of this embodiment, the number of times of content reproduction on the display unit  16  is limited to a predetermined number. Thereby, a decrease in value of the downloaded content is prevented, and the creator of the content is protected from suffering an unexpected disadvantage. 
   According to the present embodiment, information indicative of the limited number of times of content reproduction is included in the downloaded content, and the permissible number of times of content reproduction can be set, as desired, on a content-by-content basis. Alternatively, the number of times of content reproduction may be preset in the mobile phone  100  for associated services, for example, according to instructions from the center apparatus. 
   In the mobile telephone  100  of this embodiment, the number-of-times-of-reproduction counting section  142  does not simply add a count value according to the number of times of content reproduction. It adds the count value according to the following conditions. 
   1) The number of times of content reproduction is incremented by one, when the content reproduction is completed without a content reproduction stopping operation being detected by the reproduction stopping operation detection section  141  during the reproduction of the content. 
   2) Assume a case where the reproduction stopping operation detection section  141  has detected a content reproduction stopping operation during the reproduction of the content, and the content reproduction stopping operation is based on the user&#39;s intentional operation, for example, based on the depression of the power key or stopping key. In this case, if the reproduction of the last page of the content has been completed, the number of times of content reproduction is incremented by one. On the other hand, if the reproduction of the last page of the content has not been completed, the number of times of content reproduction is not incremented. 
   3) Assume a case where the reproduction stopping operation detection section  141  has detected a content reproduction stopping operation during the reproduction of the content, and the content reproduction stopping operation is not based on the user&#39;s intentional operation, for example, the content reproduction stopping operation is based on an operation based on an incoming call including an e-mail during the reproduction of the content, battery shutoff, or activation of an alarm sound generation function. In this case, the number of times of content reproduction is not incremented, irrespective of whether or not the reproduction of the last page of the content has been completed. 
   If the number of times of content reproduction, which has been counted by the number-of-times-of-reproduction counting section  142 , has reached a predetermined value, the control section  14  prohibits subsequent reproduction of the content, for example, by forcible erasure of the content stored in the memory section  12 . 
   Main controls associated with the call function of the mobile phone  100  are executed by the voice control section  17 , voice output unit  18 , and voice input unit  19 . A description of details of the call function is omitted here, since it does not relate to the subject matter of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2  shows an external appearance of the mobile phone  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   In  FIG. 2 , the mobile phone  100  has the antenna  10  at a top portion thereof. A front side portion of the mobile phone  100  is provided with the display unit  16  and key input section  13  comprising a plurality of keys. 
   The display unit  16  displays reproduced content relating to the present invention. 
   The key input section  13  includes a plurality of dial keys and various function keys, and also includes a call key  131  with a mark “TEL” that is operated at the time of receiving an incoming call or sending an outgoing call, a stop key (cancel key)  132  with a mark “C” that is operated to cancel the reproduction of the content, and a power key  133  with a mark “X” that is operated at the time of switching on/off. 
     FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating an operation relating to content reproduction by the mobile phone shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     FIG. 3  illustrates a process of downloading a desired content from the center apparatus, etc. into the mobile phone  100  and reproducing the downloaded content. This process is executed by the control section  14 . 
   If the process is started, the control section  14  sets the count value (the number of times of content reproduction) n of the number-of-times-of-reproduction counting section  142  to 0 (step  301 ). Then, the control section  14  determines whether a reproduction request operation for specific content has been accepted through the operation of the key input section  13  (step  302 ). 
   If the control section  14  has determined that no content reproduction request operation has been accepted (NO in step  302 ), control returns to step  302  to wait for acceptance of a content reproduction request operation. On the other hand, if the control section  14  has determined that a content reproduction request operation has been accepted (YES in step  302 ), the control section  14  extracts the permissible number of times of content reproduction, N, included in the reproduction content relating to the accepted content reproduction request operation (step  303 ). 
   The control section  14  determines whether the number of times of content reproduction, n, is less than the permissible number of times of content reproduction, N (step  304 ). 
   If the control section  14  has determined in step  304  that the number of times of content reproduction, n, is not less than the permissible number of times of content reproduction, N (NO in step  304 ), the present process is finished. 
   On the other hand, if the control section  14  has determined that the number of times of content reproduction, n, is less than the permissible number of times of content reproduction, N (YES in step  304 ), the content is read out of the memory section  12  and sent to the display control section  15 . 
   In the display control section  15 , the content is converted to image data by means of the image decoder  151  and sent to the display unit  16 . Thus, the content reproduction is started (step  305 ). 
   After the content reproduction is started, the control section  14  determines whether the power key  133  or cancel key  132 , which, if operated during the content reproduction, forcibly finishes the content reproduction, has been operated (step  306 ). 
   If the control section  14  has determined that neither the power key  132  nor cancel key  132  has been operated (NO in step  306 ), the control section  14  determines whether an incoming call has been received (step  307 ). The incoming call, in this context, includes an e-mail as well as an ordinary incoming call for call conversation. 
   In step  307 , if the control section  14  has determined that no incoming call has been received (NO in step  307 ), it determines whether the content has been reproduced up to the last page (step  308 ). If the control section  14  has determined that the last page of the content has not yet been reproduced (NO in step  308 ), control returns to step  306  and the operations of steps  306 ,  307  and  308  are repeated. 
   If the control section  14  has determined that the content reproduction up to the last page has been completed without the power key  133  or cancel key  132  being operated, or without an incoming call being received (YES in step  308 ), the content reproduction process is finished (step  309 ) and the number of times of content reproduction is incremented by one (step  310 ). Control returns to step  302 . 
   On the other hand, if the control section  14  has determined that the power key  133  or cancel key  132 , which forcibly finishes the content reproduction, has been operated during the content reproduction (YES in step  306 ), it finishes the content reproduction process (step  311 ) and checks whether the reproduction content has been completed up to the last page (step  312 ). 
   If the control section  14  has determined that the content reproduction up to the last page has been completed (YES in step  312 ), the number of times of content reproduction, n, is incremented by one and the control returns to step  302 . If the control section  14  has determined that the content reproduction up to the last page has not been completed (NO in step  312 ), the control returns to step  302  without incrementing the number of times of content reproduction, n, by one. 
   If the control section  14  has determined that an incoming call has been received during the content reproduction (YES in step  307 ), it finishes the content reproduction process (step  314 ) and executes a control to accept the incoming call (step  315 ). In this case, too, the control returns to step  302  without incrementing the number of times of content reproduction, n, by one. 
   In the above structure, when an incoming call has been received during the reproduction of the content and the content reproduction process has been forcibly finished, this failed reproduction is not counted as a single reproduction operation. The reason is that the reception of an incoming call is unexpectable by the user and it is unreasonable to count the forcibly finished content reproduction that resulted from an operation unexpectable by the user. 
   The present embodiment is configured such that when an incoming call has been received during the reproduction of the content and the content reproduction process has been forcibly finished, this failed reproduction is not counted as a single reproduction operation. 
   Alternatively, the control section  14  may be configured to detect forcible finish of content reproduction due to battery shutoff or the activation of an alarm sound generation function during the reproduction of the content and, in this case, does not count this content reproduction as a single reproduction operation. 
   In the above embodiment, if the power key  133  or cancel key  132 , which forcibly finishes the content reproduction, has been operated during the content reproduction and if the reproduction content has not been completed up to the last page, this failed reproduction is not counted as a single reproduction operation. 
   In order to prevent a user dishonest operation, if the power key  133  or cancel key  132 , which forcibly finishes the content reproduction, has been operated during the content reproduction, this content reproduction may be counted as a single reproduction operation irrespective of whether or not the reproduction content has been completed up to the last page. 
   The process in this case is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . This process is executed by the control section  14 . In the process illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the step  312  in  FIG. 3  is omitted. In the other respects, the process of  FIG. 4  is the same as that of  FIG. 3 . 
   In  FIG. 4 , if the control section  14  has determined that the power key  133  or cancel key  132 , which forcibly finishes the content reproduction, has been operated during the content reproduction (YES in step  306 ), it finishes the content reproduction process (step  311 ) and increments the number of times of content reproduction, n, by one (step  313 ). The control thus returns to step  302 . 
   This structure can completely avoid such an undesirable situation that the user intentionally depresses the power key  133  or cancel key  132  before the content reproduction is completed and finishes the content reproduction, thus permitting the user to reproduce the content substantially a countless number of times. 
   In addition, if the content reproduction is counted as a single reproduction operation irrespective of whether or not the reproduction content has been completed up to the last page, as in the process of  FIG. 4 , the content reproduction is counted as a single content reproduction even where the power key  133  or cancel key  132  is erroneously operated. 
   In order to avoid this problem, the following structure may be adopted. When it has been detected that the reproduction of content has progressed nearly to the last page of the content and the user has substantially enjoyed the reproduced content, this content reproduction is counted as a single content reproduction operation. On the other hand, if it is not detected that the reproduction of content has progressed nearly to the last page, this content reproduction is not counted as a single content reproduction operation. 
   This process is illustrated in  FIG. 5 , and it is executed by the control section  14 . In the process of  FIG. 5 , the step S 312  in  FIG. 3  is replaced with a step of determining whether the last page has been reproduced or the number of remaining pages to be reproduced is a predetermined value or less. In the other respects, the process of  FIG. 5  is the same as that of  FIG. 3 . 
   In  FIG. 5 , if the control section  14  has determined that the power key  133  or cancel key  132 , which forcibly finishes the content reproduction, has been operated during the content reproduction (YES in step  306 ), it finishes the content reproduction process (step  311 ). 
   Then, the control section  14  determines whether the last page has been reproduced or the number of remaining pages to be reproduced is a predetermined value or less (step  512 ). If the control section  14  has determined that the last page has been reproduced or that the number of remaining pages to be reproduced is a predetermined value or less (YES in step  512 ), it increments the number of times of content reproduction, n, by one (step  313 ), and the control returns to step  302 . 
   On the other hand, if the number of remaining pages to be reproduced is greater than the predetermined value (NO in step  512 ), the control returns to step  302  without incrementing the number of times of content reproduction, n, by one. 
   As regards step  512 , the determination of whether the last page has been reproduced or the number of remaining pages to be reproduced is a predetermined value or less can be made by determining whether the content reproduction has progressed up to a preset range of pages including the last page or determining whether the content reproduction has progressed up to a predetermined percentage or more of the whole content. 
     FIGS. 6 to 10  show examples of transition of images displayed on the display unit  16  in the content reproduction process illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Referring to these Figures showing transitions of images, the operation of the mobile phone  100  with the above structure will now be described. 
     FIG. 6  illustrates the transition of images of the whole content. The content shown in  FIG. 6  is a moving picture reproduced by successively displaying images ( 1 ) to ( 9 ) in this order. 
   Now assume, as shown in  FIG. 7 , that the power key  133  or cancel  132  that forcibly finishes the content reproduction has been depressed during the reproduction of the image ( 3 ). Then, the content reproduction operation is finished, and the display screen of display unit  16  changes to a standby screen (S). In this case, since the content reproduction has not progressed up to the last page, i.e. the last image ( 9 ), the control section  14  does not count this reproduction operation as a single content reproduction operation. 
   In the example of  FIG. 8 , the power key  133  or cancel  132  that forcibly finishes the content reproduction has been depressed in the state in which the content reproduction has progressed to the last page, i.e. last image ( 9 ). In this case, since the content reproduction has progressed up to the last page, i.e. the last image ( 9 ), the control section  14  counts this reproduction operation as a single content reproduction operation, that is, a completed reproduction operation. 
   In the example of  FIG. 9 , an incoming call has been received in the state in which the content reproduction has progressed to the image ( 8 ), and alerting sound has been produced. In this case, the content reproduction operation is finished and the display unit  16  displays a screen (I) indicative of the alert state. Since the content reproduction has been finished because of the incoming call, the control section  14  does not count this reproduction operation as a single content reproduction operation. 
   In the example of  FIG. 10 , an e-mail has been received in the state in which the content reproduction has progressed up to the image ( 3 ), and the content reproduction operation has been finished. The display unit  16  displays a screen (M) indicative of the reception of the e-mail. In this case, too, since the content reproduction has been finished because of the reception of the e-mail, the control section  14  does not count this reproduction operation as a single content reproduction operation. 
   Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.