Patent ID: 7840120

Claim:
A communication system comprising: a first recording apparatus; and a second recording apparatus, wherein the first recording apparatus includes determining means for determining whether or not recording of a broadcast program is settable in the first recording apparatus on the basis of first information for reservation of the recording of the broadcast program and second information for selecting an apparatus to be used to record the broadcast program, and first transmitting means for transmitting third information for requesting the state of the apparatus corresponding to the second information to the second recording apparatus when it is determined that the recording is not settable, the second recording apparatus includes first receiving means for receiving the third information transmitted from the first recording apparatus, and second transmitting means for transmitting fourth information concerning the state of the second recording apparatus to the first recording apparatus in response to the third information, the first recording apparatus further includes second receiving means for receiving the fourth information transmitted from the second recording apparatus, and evaluating means for evaluating a priority level assigned to the second recording apparatus that has transmitted the fourth information on the basis of the fourth information, and the first transmitting means transmits the first information to the second recording apparatus according to the priority level.