Patent ID: 6978152

Claim:
A digital broadcasting system comprising: a digital broadcasting transmission apparatus for broadcasting data groups; and a digital broadcasting receive apparatus for receiving said data groups; wherein the digital broadcasting data groups contain in a multiplexed form: ordinary data to be broadcasted as present programs; identification data for identifying the data broadcasted in the past or that is to be broadcasted in the future; and index data multiplexed to ensure that said identification data for identifying the data broadcasted in the past or that is to be broadcasted in the future is associated with the time of broadcast and the storage location permitting downloading of the broadcast data, thereby forming the data groups for digital broadcasting; wherein the index data is repeatedly broadcast; and wherein said digital broadcasting receive apparatus comprises: a data receiving means for receiving said digital broadcasting data groups; a data storage means for storing said ordinary data and said index data separately from each other, obtained from the received digital broadcasting data; an input means for receiving a request for downloading the broadcasting data; a data control means for searching a storage location permitting downloading of broadcasting data, when said broadcasting data requested to be downloaded is not stored in said storage means, by referencing the index data corresponding to the requested broadcasting data, and for capturing the broadcasting data from said storage location through the network; and a distribution means for sending the data requested to be downloaded, to the requested destination.