Patent ID: 7376843

Claim:
A reception device configured to control a video recording device physically separate from the reception device, the reception device comprising: a receiver configured to receive an electronic mail transmitted through a network by a sender; a first extractor configured to extract encrypted certification information inserted in said electronic mail received by said receiver; a second extractor configured to extract a control command inserted in said electronic mail received by said receiver, said extracted control command being configured to control a remote timer video recording reservation function of the physically separate video recording device, wherein said control command is added to said electronic mail to reserve an operation time of said physically separate video recording device; a decrypting element configured to decrypt said certification information extracted by said first extractor using a public key; a certifying element configured to certify whether the sender of said electronic mail is an authorized user by referencing the certification information decrypted by said decrypting element; a determining element configured to determine if the control command extracted by the second extractor is seeking an operation time duplicating one already reserved and informing the sender by electronic mail if so; a store configured to store said control command extracted by said second extractor if said sender of said electronic mail has been certified by said certifying element to be an authorized user and if the determining element determines there is no duplicated operation time request; and a controller configured to control said timer video recording reservation function of the physically separate video recording device to reserve an operation time of said physically separate video recording device based on said control command stored in said store.