System for and a method of providing an online time period reserving service, which can protect an excessive load from being applied to a communication system, in order to provide a stable communication to a user

• US 20020004833A1
• Filed: 06/14/2001
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Tonouchi, Toshio
• Granted Patent: US 7,127,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period, includes a reservation table and a contract unit. A state with regard to a reservation for a connecting service to the internet at a time period is stored in the reservation table. The contract unit inputs a reserving demand to reserve the connecting service to the internet at a certain time period from a user to judge whether the reserving demand is permitted with reference to the reservation table.

Claims

1. A system of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period, comprising:

a reservation table in which a state with regard to a reservation for a connecting service to the internet at a time period is stored; and

a contract unit inputting a reserving demand to reserve said connecting service to the internet at a certain time period from a user to judge whether said reserving demand is permitted with reference to said reservation table.

2. The system of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 1, wherein said contract unit permits said reserving demand when the number of users connecting to the internet at a same time as said time period included in said reserving demand is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value.

3. The system of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 1, further comprising:

a discount data storing unit storing a discount data to determine an accounting fee for said connecting service for a time period, and

wherein said contract unit finds out a discountable time period with respect to said accounting fee of said connecting service with reference to said reservation table and said discount data to give a user a discount frame data showing said discountable time period and said accounting fee of said discountable time period.

4. The system of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 3, wherein said accounting fee is determined based on a remaining period until a starting time of a time period at which said user wants said connecting service to the internet, as said discount data.

5. The system of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 3, wherein said accounting fee is determined based on said state with regard to said reservation, as said discount data.

6. The system of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 3, wherein said accounting fee is determined based on a condition of a day of a time period at which said user wants said connecting service to the internet, of the week, as said discount data.

7. The system of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 4, wherein said accounting fee is determined such that a discount rate of said accounting fee is defined as being higher, the shorter the remaining period and the smaller the number of said reservations.

8. The system of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 1, further comprising:

a penalty data storing unit storing a penalty data to determine a penalty if said user cancels said reservation, and

wherein said contract unit gives said user a penalty information showing said penalty based on said penalty data.

9. The system of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 8, wherein said penalty is determined based on a remaining period until a starting time of a time period, included in said permitted reserving demand, at which said user wants said connecting service to the internet, as said penalty data.

10. A method of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period, comprising:

storing a reservation data indicating a state of a reservation for a connecting service to the internet at a time period;

inputting a reserving demand to reserve said connecting service to the internet at a certain time period from a user; and

judging whether said reserving demand is permitted based on said reservation data.

11. The method of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 10, wherein said reserving demand is permitted when the number of users connecting to the internet at a same time as said time period included in said reserving demand is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value.

12. The method of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 10, further comprising:

storing a discount data to determine an accounting fee for said connecting service for a time period;

finding out a discountable time period with respect to said accounting fee of said connecting service based on said reservation data and said discount data; and

giving a user a discount frame data showing said discountable time period and said accounting fee of said discountable time period.

13. The method of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 12, wherein said accounting fee is determined based on a remaining period until a starting time of a time period at which said user wants said connecting service to the internet, as said discount data.

14. The method of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 12, wherein said accounting fee is determined based on said state of said reservation, as said discount data.

15. The method of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 12, wherein said accounting fee is determined based on a condition of a day of a time period at which said user wants said connecting service to the internet, of the week, as said discount data.

16. The method of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 13, wherein said accounting fee is determined such that a discount rate of said accounting fee is defined as being higher, the shorter the remaining period and the smaller the number of said reservations.

17. The method of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 10, further comprising:

storing a penalty data to determine a penalty if said user cancels said reservation; and

giving said user a penalty information showing said penalty based on said penalty data.

18. The method of reserving a connecting service to the internet at a time period according to claim 17, wherein said penalty is determined based on a remaining period until a starting time of a time period, included in said permitted reserving demand, at which said user wants said connecting service to the internet, as said penalty data.

19. A contract server to reserve a connecting service to the internet at a time period, comprising:

an input unit inputting a reserving demand to reserve a connecting service to the internet at a certain time period from a user; and

a judging unit judging whether said reserving demand is permitted based on a state with regard to a reservation for a connecting service to the internet at a same time period as a time period at which said user wants said connecting service in said reserving demand.

20. The contract server according to claim 19, wherein said contract server permits said reserving demand when the number of users connecting to the internet at the same time as said time period at which said user wants said connecting service in said reserving demand is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value.