Patent ID: 6931198

Claim:
User receiving apparatus provided at a user end for receiving a repeatedly broadcast multiplexed data signal broadcast from a transmission end remote to the user receiving apparatus, the user receiving apparatus comprising: a receiving unit operable to accept the repeatedly broadcast multiplexed data signal from a communications channel broadcast from the transmission end remote to the user receiving apparatus; a demultiplexer operable to extract a desired data signal from the repeatedly broadcast multiplexed data signal; an instruction unit operable to send download mode instructions to a designated storage unit selected by the user from two or more storage units located at the user end and connected to the user receiving apparatus, the download mode instructions at least indicating that the user-selected storage unit should enter a ready-to-download mode for downloading the desired data signal from the repeatedly broadcast multiplexed data signal; a status determination unit operable to receive download status information from the user-selected storage unit indicating at least whether the user-selected storage unit has entered the ready-to-download mode; and a controller operable to permit the downloading of the desired data signal from the demultiplexer to the user-selected storage unit as a function of the download status information.