Program participants selection method through narrowing and accompanying server

• US 20020197953A1
• Filed: 05/21/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Kenji, Kondo, Hiromi, Nagaoka, Tatsuji, Nomura, Kazuo
• Application Number:
  US10/152,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20020197953A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/2.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/76 Arrangements characterised by transmission systems other than for broadcast, e.g. the Internet for broadcast H04H20/65

Abstract

On the application page for participating in participation application server PS, as a user applies for participating in a program by using mobile unit MS, participation application server PS determines whether to give the user of the mobile unit MS the right to participate in the program. Then, the “win application” is transmitted to mobile unit MS of users who are allowed to participate, and the “defeat application” is transmitted to the mobile unit MS of users who are not allowed to participate. As a result, an event occurs in mobile unit MS, whereby the program participation page is transmitted to mobile unit MS to which the “win application” was transmitted after the transmission of the “win” application. Finally, the program to be broadcast is changed in accordance with the information inputted by users of mobile unit MS on the program participation page.

Claims

1. A program participant narrowing method comprising:

a participation application process for transmitting a user participation application for a program from a communication terminal to a server;

a narrowing process for determining by at least one of said communication terminal or server whether to allow said user to participate in said program;

an application program transmitting process for transmitting from said server to said communication terminal which transmitted said participation application, an application program providing entertainment to said user; and

a process for a communication terminal of a user allowed to participate in said program in said narrowing process for obtaining from said server address information required for participating in said program.

2. A program participant narrowing method according to claim 1,

wherein said narrowing process is executed before said application program transmitting process, and said server transmits to said communication terminal, in said application program transmitting process, an application program for providing said user with an entertaining activity containing a win/defeat outcome corresponding to a determination of said narrowing process followed by said user.

3. A program participant narrowing method according to claim 1,

wherein a decision is made during said narrowing process, to allow a user to participate in said program if he/she meets a specific requirement.

4. A program participant narrowing method according to claim 2,

wherein said server attaches address information showing an address of information required for participating in said program, to said application program when said server transmits to said communication terminal during said application program transmitting process an application program providing an entertaining activity containing a win/defeat outcome corresponding to a decision to allow said user to participate in said program.

5. A program participant narrowing method according to claim 1,

wherein said narrowing process carried out in said server comprises:

a process for said communication terminal which receives an application program transmitted during said application program transmitting process, to obtain from said sever, the decision made during said narrowing process; and

a process for said communication terminal for providing said user with an entertaining activity containing a win/defeat outcome corresponding to content determined on the basis of said application program received, from said server, and displaying address information showing an address of information necessary for participating in said program when it provides said user with an entertaining activity containing a win/defeat outcome corresponding to a decision to allow participating in said program.

6. A program participant narrowing method according to claim 1,

wherein said server selects users for participating in a program at random.

7. A program participant narrowing method according to claim 1,

wherein said application program comprises data providing a user with entertaining activities with different outcomes depending on the content of parameter set up, and said narrowing process comprises:

a process for providing said user with an entertaining activity by executing said application program by setting up information retained by said communication terminal as said parameter;

a process for said communication terminal for transmitting data corresponding to an outcome of said entertaining activity to said server; and

a process for said server for making a decision on whether to allow said user to participate in said program on the basis of data transmitted from said communication terminal.

8. A program participant narrowing method according to claim 1,

wherein said application program comprises data providing a user with a game which proceeds when a particular operation is performed through said communication terminal as said entertaining activity, and said narrowing process comprises:

a process for said communication terminal for carrying out said game on the basis of an operation performed through said application program and said communication terminal;

a process for said communication terminnal for transmitting data corresponding to an outcome of said game to said server; and

a process for said server for determining whether to allow said user to participate in said program-on the- basis of data transmitted from said commnunication terminal.

9. A program participant narrowing method according to claim 1,

wherein said communication terminal transmits said participation application with personal information on a user of said communication terminal during said participation application transmitting process.

10. A program participant narrowing method according to claim 7 further comprising:

a personal information outputting process carried out after said participation application transmitting process by said server, for outputting personal information transmitted from said communication terminal which is added to said participation application during said participation application transmitting process to outside.

11. A program participant narrowing method according to claim 1,

wherein said communication terminal is a cellular telephone which performs communication with said server via a mobile communication network.

13. A server according to claim 10,

wherein said controlling unit determines whether to allow participation in said program depending on whether a user of said communication terminal meets a predetermined requirement.

15. A server according to claim 12,

wherein said controlling unit determines whether to allow participating in said program depending on whether a user of said communication terminal meets a predetermined requirement.

12. A server comprising:

a communication unit; and

a controlling unit for receiving participation application for a program from a communication terminal via said communication unit, making a decision on whether to allow a user of said communication terminal to participate in said program, transmitting an application program for providing a user with an entertaining activity containing an outcome corresponding to a decision to reject participation from said communication unit to said communication terminal when it makes a decision to reject participation, and providing a user with an entertaining activity containing an outcome corresponding to a decision to permit participation and transmitting an application program containing access information showing an address of information required for participating in said program from said communication unit to said communication terminal when it makes a decision to allow participation.

14. A server comprising:

a communication unit; and

a controlling unit for receiving participation application for a program from a communication terminal via said communication unit;

transmitting an application program, when information of a decision on whether participating in said program is allowed is given, for providing a user of said communication terminal with an entertaining activity containing an outcome corresponding to this decision, and making a use of access information showing an address of information required for participating in said program possible when this information of a decision shows permission for participating in said program;

deciding whether to allow said user to participate in said program when a request for said information of decision is received from said communication terminal via said communication unit, and transmitting that outcome to said communication terminal as said information of decision.

16. A server comprising:

a communication unit; and

a controlling unit for receiving participation application for a program from a communication terminal via said communication unit, making a decision on whether to allow or refuse participation in said program on the basis of a parameter retained by said communication terminal;

providing a user of said communication terminal with entertaining activity yielding an outcome corresponding to the decision to give or refuse said user permission to participate, and further transmitting an application program for acquisition of information required for participating in said program from said communication unit to said communication terminal when participation is allowed.

17. A server comprising:

a communication unit; and

a controlling unit for transmitting from said communication unit to said communication terminal an application program for carrying out a game in response to an operation performed through said communication terminal when participation application for a program is received from a communication terminal via said communication unit, making a decision on whether to allow a user of said communication terminal to participate in said program on the basis of an outcome of said game when said outcome of said game is received from said communication terminal via said communication unit, and transmitting address information showing an address of information required for participating in said program from said communication unit to said communication terminal when participation is allowed.