Content program distribution and returning system, management apparatus, rental terminal, returning terminal and content programs rental method

• US 20020082917A1
• Filed: 11/30/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takano, Toshiteru
• Application Number:
  US09/997,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082917A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2223 being a public access point, e.g. for downloading to or uploading from clients arrangements specially adapted to plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/816 involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

When a card is inserted to a kiosk returning terminal, management information of the card is transmitted to an electronic content programs distributing and returning server. The electronic content programs distributing and returning server determines whether the card contains a rented content program. When it contains a rented content program, the electronic content programs distributing and returning server obtains information including user name, rented program title and the like for the card, calculates usage period and additional fee, and transmits the result of calculation to the kiosk returning terminal. This enables payment of the additional fee at the kiosk returning terminal.

Claims

1. A content program distributing and returning system, comprising:

a first terminal executing rental of a content program;

a second terminal that can be installed spaced from said first terminal; and

a management apparatus connected to said first and second terminals through a network;

wherein said first terminal executes rental of said content program by storing the content program in a prescribed memory;

said second terminal executes a process for disabling reading of the content program stored in said prescribed memory; and

said management apparatus determines charge amount for the rental of said content program based on a time period from storage of the content program by said first terminal in said prescribed memory until said second terminal executes the process for disabling reading of the content program in said prescribed memory, and controls said second terminal such that payment is made in accordance with the determined charge amount when the second terminal disables reading of said content program.

2. The content program distributing and returning system according to claim 1, wherein

said second terminal stores information of recommended content programs to the prescribed memory, when executing the process for disabling reading of said stored content program in said prescribed memory.

3. The content program distributing and returning system according to claim 2, wherein

said first terminal displays an image allowing selection of a content program for rental, and stores a content program selected based on the image displayed for selection in said prescribed memory;

and

contents of said image allowing selection of a content program for rental is determined based on the information of recommended content programs stored in said prescribed memory.

4. The content program distributing and returning system according to claim 1, wherein

said first terminal stores said content program and a key necessary for reading the content program simultaneously in said prescribed memory;

and

said second terminal executes the process for disabling reading of the content program stored in said prescribed memory by destroying said key.

5. The content program distributing and returning system according to claim 1, wherein

said management apparatus transmits a content program to said first terminal;

and

said first terminal stores the content program received from said management apparatus in said prescribed memory.

6. The content program distributing and returning system according to claim 1, wherein

said second terminal executes a process for accepting rental reservation from a user, when executing the process for disabling reading of the content program stored in said prescribed memory, and transmits information of the accepted reservation to said management apparatus;

and

said management apparatus adds a reward point to said user whose rental reservation is accepted by said second terminal, for the rental reservation.

7. The content program distributing and returning system according to claim 1, wherein

said second terminal accepts input of a rating by a user for the content program of which reading is to be disabled, and transmits the rating to said management apparatus when executing the process for disabling reading of the content program;

and

said management apparatus adds a reward point to said user for said input of rating.

8. A content program distributing and returning system, comprising:

a first terminal executing rental of a content program;

a second terminal that can be installed apart from said first terminal; and

a management apparatus connected to said first and second terminals through a network;

wherein

said first terminal executes said rental of the content program by storing the content program in a prescribed memory; and

said second terminal executes a process for disabling reading of the content program stored in said prescribed memory, and stores information of recommended content programs in said prescribed memory when executing said process.

9. The content program distributing and returning system according to claim 8, wherein

said second terminal stores information of recommended content programs to the prescribed memory, when executing the process for disabling reading of said stored content program in said prescribed memory.

10. The content program distributing and returning system according to claim 9, wherein

said first terminal displays an image allowing selection of a content program for rental, and stores a content program selected based on the image displayed for selection in said prescribed memory;

and

contents of said image allowing selection of a content program for rental is determined based on the information of recommended content programs stored in said prescribed memory.

11. The content program distributing and returning system according to claim 8, wherein

said first terminal stores said content program and a key necessary for reading the content program simultaneously in said prescribed memory;

and

said second terminal executes the process for disabling reading of the content program stored in said prescribed memory by destroying said key.

16. The content program rental method according to claim 15, wherein

in said step of executing the process for disabling reading of said content program stored in said prescribed memory, information of recommended content programs is stored in said prescribed memory.

17. The content program rental method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of

displaying an image allowing selection of a content program for rental by/on first terminal;

and

storing a content program selected based on the image displayed for selection to said prescribed memory, by said first terminal;

wherein

contents of the image allowing selection of a content program for rental is determined based on the information of recommended content program stored in said prescribed memory.

18. The content program rental method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of

transmitting a content program from said management apparatus to said first terminal;

wherein

in said step of executing rental of said content program, said first terminal stores a content program received from said management apparatus in said prescribed memory.

19. The content program rental method according to claim 15, wherein

in said step of disabling reading of said content program, said second terminal further accepts rental reservation from a user, and transmits information of the accepted reservation to said management apparatus;

and

said management apparatus adds a reward point to said user whose rental reservation is accepted by said second terminal, for said rental reservation.

20. The content program rental method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of

accepting input of a rating by a user for the content program of which reading is disabled, by said second terminal;

transmitting said rating from said second terminal to said management apparatus; and

adding a reward point to said user by said management apparatus, for said input of rating.

12. A management apparatus connected to a first terminal executing rental of a content program and a second terminal that can be installed apart from said first terminal, through a network, wherein

said management apparatus determines charge amount for the rental of said content program based on a time period from storage of the content program by said first terminal in said prescribed memory until said second terminal executes a process for disabling reading of the content program in said prescribed memory, and controls said second terminal such that payment is made in accordance with the determined charge amount when the second terminal disables reading of said content program.

13. A rental terminal executing rental of a content program, storing a content program in a prescribed memory, connected through a network to a returning terminal that disables reading of the content program in said prescribed memory, and further connected through a network to a management apparatus that determines charge amount of the rental of said content program based on a period from storage of the content program in said prescribed memory by said rental terminal until said returning terminal executes a process for disabling reading of the content program in said prescribed memory and controls said returning terminal such that payment is made in accordance with the charge amount determined when reading of said content program is disabled.

14. A returning terminal that can be installed apart from a rental terminal, disabling reading of a content program in a prescribed memory stored by said rental terminal, connected through a network to the rental terminal, and further connected through a network to a management apparatus that determines charge amount of the rental of said content program based on a period from storage of the content program in said prescribed memory by said rental terminal until said returning terminal executes a process for disabling reading of the content program in said prescribed memory and controls said returning terminal such that payment is made in accordance with the charge amount determined when reading of said content program is disabled.

15. A content program rental method comprising the steps of:

storing a content program in a prescribed memory by a first terminal to execute rental of the content program;

disabling reading of the content program stored in said prescribed memory by a second terminal that can be installed apart from said first terminal;

determining charge amount of the rental of said content program, by a management apparatus connected to said first and second terminals through a network, based on a period from storage of the content program in said prescribed memory by said first terminal until reading of the content program in said prescribed memory is disabled by said second terminal; and

controlling said second terminal so that payment is made in accordance with said determined charge amount when said second terminal disables reading of said content program.