Content distributing system, content distributing service server, and community site server

• US 20020161712A1
• Filed: 11/27/2001
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Terasaki, Satoshi, Hatano, Kouji
• Granted Patent: US 7,167,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

The invention provides a system where additional services using other sites connected over a network are made available when a content is delivered via a network.

According to the invention, when user A receives delivery of a content from a content delivery service server (1) by using a terminal (4), predetermined information is transmitted from the server (1) to user A or a community server (2). With this information, the preferential use of community sites or additional use of services is made available to user A. The preferential use is for example the preferential use of a community site bulletin board. The additional use is re-delivery of delivered contents by using community sites.

Claims

1. A content delivery system for delivering contents by using a network, said system comprising:

a content delivery service server connected to said network for selling and delivering contents; and

a community site server connected to said network for providing services related to said content delivered,

wherein said content delivery service server delivers information on the preferential use of said community site to a purchaser of the contents or said community site server via said network.

2. A content delivery system according to claim 1, wherein said content is music information, said community site is a fan club site of an artist related to the music information delivered, and said information on the preferential use is information on a purchase volume of said content.

3. A content delivery system according to claim 2, wherein the information on said purchase volume is transmitted to said community site server together with the ID information of said purchaser via said network.

4. A content delivery system according to claim 2, wherein the information on said purchase volume is proof information to prove the fact of purchase and delivered to said purchaser via said network.

5. A content delivery system according to claim 1, wherein said content is game software, said community site is a fan site of the game delivered, and the information on said preferential use is information on the play performance of said delivered game.

6. A content delivery system according to claim 5, wherein said content delivery service server delivers the game play performance information transmitted from said purchaser together with the ID information of said purchaser to said community server via said network.

7. A content delivery system according to claim 5, wherein said content delivery service server, receiving the game play performance information from said purchaser, delivers the proof information to prove the received performance to said purchaser.

8. A content delivery system according to any one of claims 1 through 7, wherein said preferential use includes either the preferential use of a bulletin board in a community site or financial aid in planning an offline meeting of community site users.

9. A content delivery system for delivering contents by using a network, said system comprising:

a content delivery service server connected to said network for selling and delivering music information contents together with re-delivery permission information; and

a community site server connected to said network,

wherein in case a purchaser of said music information content re-delivers said music information content to another user of said community site, said content delivery service server registers said re-delivery content in a local server and delivers information for identifying said re-delivery content to said purchaser or said community server via said network, and

the information for identifying said re-delivery content is delivered to said other user.

10. A content delivery system according to claim 9, wherein message information to said other user is appended to said re-delivery content.

11. A content delivery service server for selling and delivering contents via a network, wherein said content delivery service server is connected via said network to a community site server for providing services related to said content delivered and

said content delivery service server delivers information on the preferential use of said community site to said purchaser or said community site server while delivering said content.

12. A content delivery service server according to claim 11, wherein said content is music information, said community site is a fan club site of an artist related to the music information delivered, and said information on the preferential use is information on a purchase volume of said content.

13. A content delivery service server according to claim 11, wherein the information on said purchase volume is transmitted to said community site server together with the ID information of said purchaser.

14. A content delivery service server according to claim 12, wherein the information on said purchase volume is proof information to prove the fact of purchase and delivered to said purchaser.

15. A content delivery service server according to claim 11, wherein said content is game software, said community site is a fan site of the game delivered, and the information on said purchase volume is information on the play performance of said delivered game.

16. A content delivery service server according to claim 15, wherein said content delivery service server delivers the game play performance information transmitted from said purchaser together with the ID information of said purchaser to said community server.

17. A content delivery service server according to claim 15, wherein said content delivery service server, receiving the game play performance information from said purchaser, delivers the proof information to prove the received performance to said purchaser.

18. A content delivery service server according to any one of claims 11 through 17, wherein said preferential use includes either the preferential use of a bulletin board in a community site or financial aid in planning an offline meeting of community site users.

20. A content delivery service server according to claim 19, wherein message information to said other user is appended to said re-delivery content.

19. A content delivery service server connected to a network for selling and delivering music information contents together with re-delivery permission information, wherein said content delivery service server is connected to a community site server for providing services via said network, wherein in case a purchaser of said music information content re-delivers said music information content to another user of said community site, said content delivery service server registers said re-delivery content in a local server and delivers information for identifying said re-delivery content to said purchaser or said community server via said network.

21. A community site server connected to a content delivery service server for selling and delivering contents via a network, wherein said community site server provides services related to said content delivered via said network and

receiving information on the preferential use of the local site based on the delivery, updates the use rank of said content purchaser.

22. A community site server according to claim 21, wherein said content is music information, said community site is a fan club site of an artist related to the music information delivered, and said information on the preferential use is information on a purchase volume of said content.

23. A community site server according to claim 22, wherein the information on said purchase volume is transmitted from said content delivery service server together with the ID information of said purchaser.

24. A community site server according to claim 22, wherein the information on said purchase volume is proof information to prove the fact of purchase and delivered from said purchaser.

25. A community site server according to claim 21, wherein said content is game software, said community site is a fan site of the game delivered, and the information on said preferential use is information on the play performance of said delivered game.

26. A community site server according to claim 25, wherein the information on the play performance of said game is game play information and ID information of said purchaser transmitted from said purchaser, which information is delivered from said content delivery service server.

27. A community site server according to claim 25, wherein the information on the play performance of said game is performance proof information transmitted by said content delivery service server to said purchaser, which information is delivered from said purchaser.

30. A community site server according to claim 29, wherein message information to said other user is appended to said re-delivery content.

28. A community site server connected to a content delivery server for selling and delivering music information contents via said network, wherein said community site server provides services via said network and in case a purchaser of said music information content re-delivers said music information content to another user of said community site, said community site server delivers the ID information of said other user to said content delivery service server in response to a request made by said content delivery service server.