Service offering system, management server, service provider, terminal device, storage medium issuing apparatus, server offering method, and storage medium

• US 20020099661A1
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawakami, Takashi, Kii, Manabu
• Granted Patent: US 7,739,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A service offering system is disclosed which includes a recording element for recording a unique identifier to each of a plurality of storage media issued, a database for storing and managing the identifiers, a reading element for reading the recorded identifier from any of the storage media, a checking element for checking the identifier read by the reading element against the identifiers managed in the database and a service offering element for offering a service to the storage medium identified by the checked identifier depending on a result of the check by the checking element.

Claims

1. A service offering system comprising:

recording means for recording a unique identifier to each of a plurality of storage media issued;

a database for storing and managing the identifiers;

reading means for reading the recorded identifier from any of said storage media;

checking means for checking the identifier read by said reading means against said identifiers managed in said database; and

service offering means for offering a service to the storage medium identified by the checked identifier depending on a result of the check by said checking means.

2. A service offering system according to claim 1, wherein said database stores, in correspondence with said identifiers, right information which denotes services available to said storage media identified by said identifiers.

3. A service offering system according to claim 1, wherein said recording means records to said storage media right information which denotes services available to said storage media identified by said identifiers together with said identifiers.

4. A service offering system according to claim 1, wherein said service offering means offers the service to the storage medium in question in accordance with the right information which denotes services available to said storage media identified by said identifiers.

5. A service offering system according to claim 1, further comprising content data storing means for storing a plurality of content data items;

wherein said service offering means allows relevant content data to be downloaded from said content data storing means to the storage medium in question.

6. A service offering system according to claim 1, wherein said service offering means allows relevant content data to be uploaded from the storage medium in question.

7. A service offering system comprising:

storage medium issuing means including recording means for recording a unique identifier to each of a plurality of storage media issued;

a management server including a database for storing and managing the identifiers recorded to said storage media issued by said storage medium issuing means;

a terminal device including reading means for reading the recorded identifier from any of said storage media;

checking means for checking the identifier read by said terminal device against said identifiers managed in said database; and

a service provider including service offering means for offering a service to said terminal device depending on a result of the check by said checking means.

8. A service offering system comprising:

storage medium issuing means including recording means for recording a unique identifier to each of a plurality of storage media issued;

a management server including a database which stores the identifiers and retains, in correspondence with said identifiers, right information which denotes services available to said storage media identified by said identifiers;

a terminal device including reading means for reading the recorded identifier from any of said storage media; and

a service provider including service offering means for offering a service to said terminal device depending on a result of checking the identifier in question against said identifiers managed in said database and according to the right information stored in said database in correspondence with the checked identifier.

9. A service offering system according to claim 8, wherein said service provider includes content data storing means for storing a plurality of content data items;

wherein said service offering means includes judging means for judging whether or not the corresponding right information indicates permission to download, said service offering means further reading relevant content data from said content data storing means and transferring the content data to said terminal device in accordance with the judgment made by said judging means; and

wherein said terminal device receives the transferred content data and records the received data to the storage medium in question.

10. A management server comprising:

receiving means for receiving identifiers from a storage medium issuing party issuing a plurality of storage media identified by said identifiers which differ from one another; and

storing means for storing said identifiers in a database.

11. A management server according to claim 10, further comprising checking means for checking the identifier transmitted from a terminal device by way of a service provider against said identifiers stored in said storing means.

12. A management server according to claim 10, wherein said storing means stores, in correspondence with said identifiers sent from said storage medium issuing party, right information which denotes services available to said storage media identified by said identifiers.

13. A management server according to claim 10, further comprising update information creating means for creating update information for updating authentication information stored in said storing means along with said identifiers, as well as authentication information recorded on said storage media together with said identifiers.

14. A management server according to claim 13, wherein said update information creating means creates update information for updating right information stored in said storing means in correspondence with said identifiers, as well as right information recorded on said storage media.

16. A service provider according to claim 15, wherein said service offering means includes checking means for checking the identifier received from said terminal device against said identifiers managed by said management server.

17. A service provider according to claim 15, wherein said service offering means offers a service to said terminal device identified by the received identifier, depending on a result of checking said identifier against said identifiers managed by said management server and according to right information corresponding to the checked identifier.

18. A service provider according to claim 17, wherein said service offering means includes checking means for checking the identifier received from said terminal device against said identifiers managed by said management server.

19. A service provider according to claim 15, further comprising content data storing means for storing a plurality of content data items;

wherein said service offering means includes judging means for judging whether or not the right information corresponding to the checked identifier indicates permission to download, said service offering means further reading relevant content data from said content data storing means and transferring the content data to said terminal device in accordance with the judgment made by said judging means.

20. A service provider according to claim 15, wherein, depending on said judging means judging whether or not the right information corresponding to the checked identifier indicates permission to upload, said service offering means permits said terminal device to upload relevant content data.

15. A service provider comprising:

receiving means for receiving an identifier from a terminal device; and

service offering means for offering a service to said terminal device depending on a result of checking said identifier against identifiers managed by a management server.

21. A terminal device comprising:

reading means for reading information from a storage medium;

transmitting means for transmitting the information read by said reading means to a service provider;

receiving means for receiving content data from said service provider; and

recording means for recording the received content data to said storage medium.

22. A terminal device according to claim 21, wherein said reading means reads from said storage medium an identifier, right information indicating a service for which said storage medium identified by said identifier is eligible, and authentication information about said storage medium.

23. A terminal device according to claim 21, further comprising reproducing means for reproducing the recorded content data from said storage medium.

24. A terminal device according to claim 21, wherein said recording means updates, based on update information received by said receiving means together with said content data, either authentication information or right information recorded on said storage medium.

25. A storage medium issuing apparatus comprising:

recording means for recording a unique identifier to each of a plurality of storage media issued; and

transmitting means for transmitting the identifiers to a management server.

26. A service offering method for offering a service to a storage medium, the method comprising the steps of:

recording a unique identifier to each of a plurality of storage media issued;

storing the identifiers into a database;

reading the recorded identifier from any of said storage media;

checking the identifier read from the storage medium against said identifiers stored in said database; and

offering a service to the storage medium identified by the checked identifier.

27. A service offering method for allowing a management server to offer a service to a storage medium, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving identifiers from a storage medium issuing party issuing a plurality of storage media identified by said identifiers which differ from one another; and

storing said identifiers.

28. A service offering method for allowing a service provider to offer a service to a storage medium, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a terminal device an identifier read by the device from a storage medium; and

offering a service to said terminal device depending on a result of checking the identifier read from said storage medium against identifiers managed by a management server.

29. A storage medium for use with a service offering system which gets a service from a service provider, said storage medium comprising at least a first and a second storage area;

wherein said first storage area stores;

an identifier that is unique to each storage medium;

authentication information for authenticating said storage medium; and

program information for executing a process of establishing a connection with said service provider; and

wherein said second storage area stores content data received from said service provider.

30. A storage medium which stores a processing program for allowing a management server to offer a service to a storage medium, said processing program comprising the steps of:

receiving identifiers from a storage medium issuing party issuing a plurality of storage media identified by said identifiers which differ from one another; and

storing said identifiers.

31. A storage medium which stores a processing program for allowing a service provider to offer a service to a storage medium, said processing program comprising the steps of:

receiving from a terminal device an identifier read by the device from a storage medium; and

offering a service to said terminal device depending on a result of checking the identifier sent from said terminal device against identifiers managed by a management server.