Communication apparatus, communication method, and recording medium storing program

1. A communication apparatus that sends content data to another communication apparatus via a network, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory, the instructions causing:

a content candidate information storage to retain content candidate information that specifies content data candidates that may be sent by the communication apparatus to said another communication apparatus;

a remaining communication band information obtainer to obtain remaining communication band information that indicates a communication band of a total communication band available for use by the communication apparatus that can be used at a time concerned;

a content sender to send any content data specified in the content candidate information to said another communication apparatus;

a communication controller to control sending of said content data by the content sender based on the content candidate information retained by the content candidate information storage and the remaining communication band information obtained by the remaining communication band information obtainer;

an un-sendable content extractor to extract any content data that requires, for the content data to be sent, a communication band equal to or greater than a remaining communication band based on the remaining communication band information obtained by the remaining communication band information obtainer and the content candidate information retained by the content candidate information storage;

a data processor that includes a transcoder to transcode content data extracted by the un-sendable content extractor which require a communication band equal to or greater than the remaining communication band for the content data to be sent such that the transcoded data require a communication band equal to or smaller than the remaining communication band;

a remaining communication band determiner to determine whether or not the remaining communication band has changed,

wherein the content candidate information retained by the content candidate information storage includes, for each content data candidate, information that indicates a communication band required for sending the corresponding content data;

a total communication band information storage to retain total communication band information that indicates a total communication band available for use by the communication apparatus to perform communication; and

a communication band in use obtainer to obtain communication band in use information that indicates a communication band, of the total communication band, that is used at the time concerned for performing sending, based on the content candidate information retained by the content candidate information storage and additional information indicating communication statuses of applications for data other than the content data specified in the content candidate information, and

the remaining communication band information obtainer to obtain the remaining communication band information based on the total communication band information retained by the total communication band information storage and the communication band in use information obtained by the communication band in use obtainer.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the communication controller to prohibit sending of one or more of the content data indicated in the content candidate information based on the content candidate information retained by the content candidate information storage and the remaining communication band information obtained by the remaining communication band information obtainer.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the communication apparatus includes a content candidate updater, and the instructions cause the content candidate updater to prohibit sending of the content data extracted by the un-sendable content extractor by excluding the content candidate information that corresponds to the content data from the content candidate information retained by the content candidate information storage.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the communication apparatus includes a content candidate information updater, and the instructions cause the content candidate information updater to exclude, after the transcoding by the data processor, the content candidate information corresponding to the content data that requires a communication band equal to or greater than the remaining communication band for the content data to be sent from the content candidate information retained by the content candidate information storage, and stores content candidate information corresponding to the transcoded content data in the content candidate information storage.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein if the remaining communication band determiner determines that the remaining communication band has changed, the remaining communication band information obtainer updates the remaining communication band information.

6. A communication method that sends content data from a communication apparatus to another communication apparatus via a network, comprising:

storing content candidate information, at the communication apparatus, that specifies content data candidates that may be sent to said another communication apparatus;

obtaining a remaining communication band information that indicates a communication band, of a total communication band that is available for sending contents, that can be used at a time concerned;

controlling sending of said content data based on the content candidate information and the remaining communication band information;

extracting any content data that requires, for the content data to be sent, a communication band equal to or greater than a remaining communication band based on the remaining communication band information and the content candidate information;

transcoding the extracted content data requiring a communication band equal to or greater than the remaining communication band for the content data to be sent such that the transcoded data require a communication band equal to or smaller than the remaining communication band; and

determining whether or not the remaining communication band has changed,

wherein the stored content candidate information includes, for each content data candidate, information that indicates a communication band required for sending the corresponding content data;

storing total communication band information that indicates a total communication band available for use by the communication apparatus to perform communication; and

obtaining communication band in use information that indicates a communication band, of the total communication band, that is used at the time concerned for performing sending, based on the stored content candidate information and additional information indicating communication statuses of applications for data other than the content data specified in the content candidate information, and

wherein the remaining communication band information is obtained based on the total communication band information and the communication band in use information.

7. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium that stores a program for controlling a computer to function in a communication apparatus that sends content data to another communication apparatus via a network, the program causing:

a content candidate information storage to retain content candidate information that specifies content data candidates that may be sent by the communication apparatus to said another communication apparatus;

a remaining communication band information obtainer to obtain remaining communication band information that indicates a communication band of a total communication band available for use by the communication apparatus that can be used at a time concerned;

a content sender to send any content data specified in the content candidate information to said another communication apparatus;

a communication controller to control sending of said content data by the content sender based on the content candidate information retained by the content candidate information storage and the remaining communication band information obtained by the remaining communication band information obtainer;

an un-sendable content extractor to extract any content data that requires, for the content data to be sent, a communication band equal to or greater than a remaining communication band based on the remaining communication band information obtained by the remaining communication band information obtainer and the content candidate information retained by the content candidate information storage;

a data processor that includes a transcoder to transcode content data extracted by the un-sendable content extractor which require a communication band equal to or greater than the remaining communication band for the content data to be sent such that the transcoded data require a communication band equal to or smaller than the remaining communication band; and

a remaining communication band determiner to determine whether or not the remaining communication band has changed,

wherein the content candidate information retained by the content candidate information storage includes, for each content data candidate, information that indicates a communication band required for sending the corresponding content data;

a total communication band information storage to retain total communication band information that indicates a total communication band available for use by the communication apparatus to perform communication; and

a communication band in use obtainer to obtain communication band in use information that indicates a communication band, of the total communication band, that is used at the time concerned for performing sending, based on the content candidate information retained by the content candidate information storage and additional information indicating communication statuses of applications for data other than the content data specified in the content candidate information, and

the remaining communication band information obtainer to obtain the remaining communication band information based on the total communication band information retained by the total communication band information storage and the communication band in use information obtained by the communication band in use obtainer.