Sony Corporation

Toyoaki Kishimoto

Hiromitsu Baba

Tomotaka Yamazaki

Shinsaku Inada

The object of the invention is to provide the user with improved operatability of an information-processing apparatus and usability of application programs as well as to implement rendering of services to download the application programs from a server to the information-processing apparatus. If storage means employed in the information-processing apparatus does not contain a free area with a storage size large enough for accommodating a desired application program and a data file relevant thereto to be downloaded from the server, an information communication system comprising the information-processing apparatus and the server automatically transfers application programs and data files from the storage means to an external recording medium such as the server itself to be saved therein in order to secure a free storage area in the storage means. The free storage area is used for storing a desired application program and a relevant data file which are to be downloaded from the server.

Device, method, and system for installing and managing applications in a handheld device

Information-processing apparatus, server, information communication system, information-processing method, information providing method, and computer storage medium

Information-processing apparatus and information-processing method

Disclosed is an information-processing apparatus comprising: storage means for storing application programs and data files; calculating means for activating an application program stored in the storage means to carry out predetermined processing; media drive means for recording and playing back information into and from an external recording medium; and control means which controls the media-drive means and the storage means when the external recording medium for recording an application program is mounted on the media drive means so that: when the storage means includes a remaining free storage area with a size large enough for accommodating the application program recorded in the external recording medium, the application program recorded in the external recording medium is installed in the storage means; but when the storage means includes a remaining free storage area with a size not large enough for accommodating the application program recorded in the external recording medium, on the other hand, an application program or a data file stored in the storage means is saved to the external recording medium in order to allocate a free storage area in the storage means and then the application program recorded in the external recording medium is installed in the storage means.

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Tokyo, Japan

Toyoaki Kishimoto