Patent ID: 8489710

Claim:
A network system comprising: a terminal unit; one or more recording devices; a service server that provides the terminal unit with a service to make remote recording reservation for the recording device via a network; and a controller that receives a remote recording reservation request from the service server via the network and selectively makes remote recording reservation for the one or more recording devices via a local area network, wherein the terminal unit includes a remote recording reservation requesting unit that transmits the remote recording reservation request for the one or more recording devices to the service server, the terminal unit is configured to receive from a user a selection of a recording device most appropriate as a remote recording reservation site, the service server includes a remote recording reservation processing unit that transmits a resource status acquisition request to request acquisition of information on resource status of the one or more recording devices to the controller upon receiving the remote recording reservation request from the terminal unit, the controller includes a resource status acquiring unit that transmits a resource status acquisition instruction to the one or more recording devices via the local area network according to the resource status acquisition request from the service server and receives the information on resource status from the one or more recording devices, and each of the one or more recording devices includes a resource status providing unit that makes a determination on remote recording reservation depending on resource status of the recording device according to the resource status acquisition instruction from the controller and transmits a result of the determination, as the resource status information, to the controller via the local area network.