Information distribution system and method for distributing content information

• US 10,116,990 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2007
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kamei, Mihoko, Maki, Kimio, Miyagi, Shiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US11/906,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20080046502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,044 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1449, 705 1455, 705 1467, 705 144, 705 1453, 705 141, 705 1464, 705 1466, 705 1473, 705 1472
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 : User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 : attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 : by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 : involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 : involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 : Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 : embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 : Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 : involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0065 : Converting image data to a format usable by the connected apparatus or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3245 : of image modifying data, e.g. handwritten addenda, highlights or augmented reality information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 : data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 : Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 : Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

This invention provides an information distribution system comprising an image data processing device (11), a server (12), and a portable telephone unit (15 having image data acquisition means for acquiring image data with a destination address attached thereto and display means for displaying the image data, wherein the image data is distributed from the image data processing device (11) to the portable telephone unit (15), and advertisement information based on user information is extracted from an advertisement information storage unit (29) and appended to image/text data by an advertisement information appending unit (30) provided in the server 12.

Claims

1. An information distribution method for a server apparatus to distribute image data and selected content information appended thereto, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by receiver circuitry at the server from a first information processing terminal of a user, image data input by the user, text data input by the user appended to the image data and selectively edited text data comprised of said text data selectively edited by the user'"'"'s first information processing terminal prior to being received by the server;

storing at the server the received image data at an addressable storage location;

storing in a user information database user information representing predetermined characteristics and activities of the user;

selecting, at the server apparatus, content information to be appended to said image data based on (a) the received text data, (b) the received edited text data and (c) the user information;

appending the selected content information to at least the image data;

providing a web page address of a web page related to and containing more information than the selected content information; and

transmitting, by transmitting circuitry, said image data with (a) the storage location address of said image data appended thereto, (b) the selected content information appended thereto and (c) the web page address appended thereto, to a second information processing terminal of a recipient;

wherein said image data, the edited text data and the content information are displayed on said second information processing terminal based on the storage location address of said image data; and

wherein specific information is shared by the user of said first information processing terminal with the recipient at said second information processing terminal via said server.

2. The information distribution method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said image data comprises image data and text data.

3. The information distribution method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said text data contains optional text data selectable by the user, and wherein the content information is attached to said image data in accordance with optional text data that is selected.

4. A server apparatus for distributing image data and selected content information appended thereto, comprising:

receiver circuitry receiving from a first information processing terminal of a user image data input by the user, text data input by the user appended to the image data and selectively edited text data comprised of said text data selectively edited by the user'"'"'s first information processing terminal prior to being received by the server;

storage hardware storing the received image data at an addressable storage location, user information representing predetermined characteristics and activities of the user and selectable content information to be appended to said image data, the content information being selected based on (a) the received text data, (b) the received edited text data and (c) the user information;

appending circuitry appending the selected content information to at least said image data;

circuitry configured to provide a web page address of a web page related to and containing more information than the selected content information; and

transmitting circuitry configured to transmit said image data with (a) the storage location address of said image data, (b) the selected content information and (c) the web page address to a second information processing terminal of a recipient;

wherein said image data, the edited text data and the content information are displayed on said second information processing terminal based on the storage location address of said image data; and

wherein specific information is shared by the user of said first information processing terminal with the recipient at said second information processing terminal.

5. The server apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said image data comprises image data and text data.

6. The server apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said text data contains optional text data selectable by the user, and wherein the content information is attached to said image data in accordance with optional text data that is selected.

7. An information distribution method for a server apparatus to distribute image data and selected content information appended thereto, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by receiver circuitry at the server from a first information processing terminal of a user, image data input by the user, text data input by the user appended to the image data and selectively edited text data comprised of said text data selectively edited by the user'"'"'s first information processing terminal prior to being received by the server;

storing at the server the received image data at an addressable storage location;

storing in a user information database user information representing predetermined characteristics and activities of the user;

selecting, at the server apparatus, content information to be appended to said image data based on (a) the received text data, (b) the received edited text data, and (c) the user information;

appending the selected content information to at least the image data;

providing a web page address of a web page related to and containing more information than the selected content information; and

transmitting, by transmitting circuitry, said image data with (a) the storage location address of said image data appended thereto, (b) information of content related to the selected content information and (c) the web page address appended thereto, to a second information processing terminal of a recipient;

wherein said image data, the edited text data and the information of content are displayed on said second information processing terminal based on the storage location address of said image data; and

wherein specific information is shared by the user of said first information processing terminal with the recipient at said second information processing terminal via said server.