Terminal device, accounting system and data processing method

• US 20030004841A1
• Filed: 09/06/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yodo, Fumitake
• Granted Patent: US 7,266,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3676 Balancing accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

This invention relates to a terminal device capable of communicating with an accounting center, an accounting system, and a data processing method. A point memory 45 of a recording/reproducing device 10 stores accounting point information. An HDD 15 stores information distributed from an external source. A CPU 11 updates the accounting point information stored in the point memory 45 and updates attributes of the distributed information when the distributed information is stored onto the HDD 15. Thus, such inconvenience that communication with a distribution/accounting center 1 is carried out every time information is distributed to the recording/reproducing device 10 is avoided.

Claims

1. A terminal device capable of communicating with an accounting center, comprising:

first memory means for storing accounting point information;

second memory means for storing information distributed from an external source; and

first control means for updating the accounting point information stored in the first memory means and updating attributes of the distributed information when the distributed information is stored in the second memory means.

2. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the distributed information is stored into the second memory means, the control means subtracts the accounting point information stored in the first memory means and updates the attributes of the distributed information from an unavailable state to an available state.

3. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising second control means for transmitting at least the accounting point information stored in the first memory means to the accounting center and setting the accounting point information stored in the first memory means at an initial value on the basis of accounting processing corresponding to the accounting point information which is executed at the accounting center.

4. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the accounting point information stored in the first memory means is insufficient for the distributed information stored in the second memory means, the first control means carries out control so that the attributes of the distributed information is held in the unavailable state to the user.

5. The terminal device as claimed in claim 3, wherein when the accounting point information stored in the first memory means is insufficient for the distributed information stored in the second memory means, the second control means transmits the accounting point information stored in the first memory means to the accounting center and sets the accounting point information stored in the first memory means at an initial value on the basis of the accounting processing corresponding to the accounting point information which is executed at the accounting center.

6. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising communication means capable of communicating with an external device having third memory means, wherein when information is stored into the third memory means of the external storage device connected via the communication means, the first control means updates the accounting point information stored in the first memory means in accordance with the information and updates the attributes of the information.

7. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising third control means for making a request for purchasing the accounting point information to the accounting center and updating the accounting point information stored in the first memory means on the basis of accounting processing corresponding to the accounting point information which is executed at the accounting center.

8. An accounting system including an accounting center and a terminal device capable of communicating with the accounting center, the terminal device comprising:

first memory means for storing accounting point information;

second memory means for storing information distributed from an external source; and

first control means for updating the accounting point information stored in the first memory means and updating attributes of the distributed information when the distributed information is stored in the second memory means,

the accounting center comprising;

accounting means for carrying out accounting processing corresponding to the accounting point information transmitted from the terminal device.

9. An accounting system including an accounting center and a terminal device capable of communicating with the accounting center,

the terminal device comprising:

first memory means for storing accounting point information;

second memory means for storing information distributed from an external source;

first control means for updating the accounting point information stored in the first memory means and updating attributes of the distributed information when the distributed information is stored in the second memory means; and

second control means for making a request for purchasing the accounting point information to the accounting center and updating the accounting point information stored in the first memory means on the basis of accounting processing corresponding to the accounting point information which is executed at the accounting center,

the accounting center comprising;

accounting means for carrying out accounting processing corresponding to the request for purchasing the accounting point information transmitted from the terminal device.

10. A method for processing data distributed from an accounting center, comprising:

a step of storing accounting point information;

a step of storing information distributed from an external source; and

a step of updating the accounting point information and updating attributes of the distributed information when the distributed information is stored.

11. A data processing method in an accounting system including an accounting center and a terminal device capable of communicating with the accounting center, the method comprising:

a step of storing accounting point information;

a step of storing information distributed from an external source;

a step of updating the accounting point information and updating attributes of the distributed information when the distributed information is stored; and

a step of carrying out accounting processing corresponding to the accounting point information transmitted from the terminal device.

12. A data processing method in an accounting system including an accounting center and a terminal device capable of communicating with the accounting center, the method comprising:

a step of storing accounting point information;

a step of storing information distributed from an external source;

a step of updating the accounting point information and updating attributes of the distributed information when the distributed information is stored;

a step of making a request for purchasing the accounting point information to the accounting center and updating the accounting point information on the basis of accounting processing corresponding to the accounting point information which is executed at the accounting center; and

a step of carrying out accounting processing corresponding to the request for purchasing the accounting point information transmitted from the terminal device.