Data recording apparatus and method, and data reproducing apparatus and method

• US 20030010819A1
• Filed: 08/26/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sako, Yoichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,093,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/20 Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for distributing and purchasing contents data by way of wired and wireless communication means, said system comprises an accumulating section (33) for accumulating a plurality of contents data, an input operation section (23) to be used for selecting contents data from those accumulated in the accumulating section (3), a memory section (21) for storing the contents data selected by way of the input operation section (23), a purchase history memory section (33) for storing the package media purchase history of each user in the actual world and a control section (39) for controlling a recording means according to the purchase history stored in the purchase history memory section (33). With this arrangement, the purchase history of package media is controlled by the purchase history memory section (33). Then, it is possible to provide a special discount service or the like to users/customers who have purchased package media by using the purchase history stored in the purchase history memory section (33) when the user/customer records or reproduces contents data.

Claims

1. A data recording apparatus comprising:

storage means for accumulating a plurality of contents data;

selection means for selecting at least a contents data out of the plurality of contents data accumulated in the storage means in response to a user/customer input;

recording means for recording the contents data selected by the selection means in a memory means;

purchase history memory means for storing the package media purchase history of the user/customer in the actual world; and

control means for controlling the recording means according to the purchase history stored in the purchase history memory means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

billing means for generating billing data to be stored in the memory means at the time of recording the contents data selected by the selection means in the memory means by the recording means according to the package media purchase history of each user/customer.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said billing means generates said billing data for billing said user/customer, charging a discounted amount, on the basis of the purchase history when said recording means records said contents data in said memory means.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said billing means generates said billing data on the basis of the number of times for which said recording means recorded said contents data in said memory means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said billing means generate billing data where ¥

0 is charged.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

input means for inputting the user/customer identifier of the user/customer purchasing the package media and the media identifier of the package media;

determining means for determining if the media identified by the media identifier is covered by the delivery service or not; and

updating means for incrementing the number of purchase slips stored in the purchase history memory means and corresponding to the user/customer identifier input with the media identifier as determined to be covered by the delivery service by the determining means.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said input means has a reading means for reading the media identifier from said package media and inputting said user identifier along with the media identifier read out by said reading means.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means controls so as to prohibit the recording means from recording the contents data in the memory means when the purchase history memory means does not store any purchase history of the user/customer.

9. A data reproducing apparatus wherein the comprising:

storage means for accumulating a plurality of contents data;

selection means for selecting at least a contents data out of the plurality of contents data accumulated in the storage means in response to a user/customer input;

reproduction means for reproducing the contents data selected by the selection means;

purchase history memory means for storing the package media purchase history of the user/customer in the actual world; and

control means for controlling the reproduction means according to the purchase history stored in the purchase history memory means.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

billing means for generating a billing data at the time of reproducing by said reproduction means the contents data selected by the selection means on the basis of the package media purchase history of each user/customer.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said billing means generates said billing data for billing said user/customer, charging a discounted amount, on the basis of the purchase history when said reproduction means reproduces said contents data.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said billing means generates said billing data on the basis of the number of times for which said reproduction means reproduced said contents data.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said billing means generate billing data where ¥

0 is charged.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

input means for inputting the user/customer identifier of the user/customer purchasing the package media and the media identifier of the package media;

determining means for determining if the media identified by the media identifier is covered by the delivery service or not; and

updating means for incrementing the number of purchase slips stored in the purchase history memory means and corresponding to the user/customer identifier input with the media identifier as determined to be covered by the delivery service by the determining means.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said input means has a reading means for reading the media identifier from said package media and inputting said user identifier along with the media identifier read out by said reading means.

16. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said control means controls so as to prohibit the reproduction means from reproducing the contents data when the purchase history memory means does not store any purchase history of the user/customer.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

receiving means for receiving the user/customer identifier of the user/customer purchasing the package media and the media identifier of the package media;

determining means for determining if the media identified by the media identifier is covered by the delivery service or not; and

updating means for incrementing the number of purchase slips stored in the purchase history memory means and corresponding to the user/customer identifier input with the media identifier as determined to be covered by the delivery service by the determining means.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

billing means for generating billing data at the time of recording the contents data selected by the selection means in the memory means by the recording means according to the package media purchase history of each user/customer.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said billing means generates said billing data for billing said user/customer, charging a discounted amount, on the basis of the purchase history when said recording means records said contents data in said memory means.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said billing means generates said billing data on the basis of the number of times for which said recording means recorded said contents data in said memory means.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said billing means generate billing data where ¥

0 is charged.

24. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

reading means for reading a media identifier from a package media and transmission means for transmitting the user/customer identifier with the media identifier read by the reading means.

25. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said control means controls so as to prohibit the recording means from recording the contents data in the memory means when the purchase history memory means of package media of an external device does not store any purchase history corresponding to the user/customer.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26 further comprising:

receiving means for receiving the user/customer identifier of the user/customer purchasing the package media and the media identifier of the package media;

determining means for determining if the media identified by the media identifier is covered by the delivery service or not; and

updating means for incrementing the number of purchase slips stored in the purchase history memory means and corresponding to the user/customer identifier input with the media identifier as determined to be covered by the delivery service by the determining means.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising:

billing means for generating billing data at the time of reproducing by said reproduction means the contents data selected by the selection means on the basis of the package media purchase history of each user/customer.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said billing means generates said billing data for billing said user/customer, charging a discounted amount, on the basis of the purchase history when said reproduction means reproduces said contents data.

31. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said billing means generates said billing data on the basis of the number of times for which said reproduction means reproduced said contents data.

32. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said billing means generate billing data where ¥

0 is charged.

33. The apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising:

reading means for reading a media identifier from a package media and transmission means for transmitting the user/customer identifier with the media identifier read by the reading means.

34. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said control means controls so as to prohibit the reproduction means from reproducing the contents data when the purchase history memory means of package media of an external device does not store any purchase history corresponding to the user/customer.

17. A communication apparatus comprising:

an storage means for accumulating a plurality of contents data;

purchase history memory means for storing the package media purchase history of the user/customer in the actual world;

transmission means for transmitting at least one of the plurality of contents data accumulated in the storage means and the purchase history corresponding to the user/customer to the user/customer terminal; and

control means for controlling the operation of recording the contents data in the memory section at the user/customer terminal according to the purchase history stored in the purchase history memory means.

19. A data recording apparatus comprising:

selection means for selecting at least a contents data out of the plurality of contents data accumulated in an accumulating means in response to a user/customer input;

recording means for recording the contents data selected by the selection means in a memory means; and

control means for controlling the recording means according to the package media purchase history of the user/customer in the actual world.

26. A communication apparatus comprising:

storage means for accumulating a plurality of contents data;

purchase history memory means for storing the package media purchase history of the user/customer in the actual world;

transmission means for transmitting at least one of the plurality of contents data accumulated in the storage means and the purchase history corresponding to the user/customer to the user/customer terminal; and

control means for controlling the operation of reproducing the contents data at the user/customer terminal according to the purchase history stored in the purchase history memory means.

28. A data reproducing apparatus comprising:

selection means for selecting at least a contents data out of the plurality of contents data accumulated in an storage means in response to a user/customer input;

reproduction means for reproducing the contents data selected by the selection means; and

control means for controlling the reproduction means according to the package media purchase history of the user/customer in the actual world.

35. A data recording apparatus comprising:

storage means for accumulating a plurality of contents data;

selection means for selecting at least a contents data out of the plurality of contents data accumulated in the storage means in response to a user/customer input;

recording means for recording the contents data selected by the selection means in a memory means;

number of times of recording data generating means for generating number of times of recording data according to the number of times of recording by the recording means of the contents data stored in the memory means; and

discount data generating means for generating discount data to be used at the time when the package media is purchased as a function of the number of times of recording data generated by the number of times of recording data generating means.

36. A data reproducing apparatus comprising:

storage means for accumulating a plurality of contents data;

selection means for selecting at least a contents data out of the plurality of contents data accumulated in the storage means in response to a user/customer input;

reproduction means for reproducing the contents data selected by the selection means;

number of times of reproduction data generating means for generating number of times of reproduction data according to the number of times of reproduction by the reproducing means of the contents data; and

a discount data generating means for generating discount data to be used at the time when the package media is purchased as a function of the number of times of reproduction data generated by the number of times of reproduction data generating means.

37. A data recording method comprising:

a step of selecting at least a contents data out of the plurality of contents data accumulated in an storage means in response to a user/customer input;

a step of storing the package media purchase history of the user/customer in the actual world; and

a step of recording the selected contents data in a memory section according to the purchase history.

38. A data reproducing method comprising:

a step of selecting at least a contents data out of the plurality of contents data accumulated in an storage means in response to a user/customer input;

a step of storing the package media purchase history of the user/customer in the actual world; and

a step of reproducing the selected contents data according to the purchase history.

39. A communication method comprising:

a step of storing the package media purchase history of the user/customer in the actual world;

a step of transmitting at least a contents data out of the plurality of contents data accumulated in an storage means and the purchase history corresponding to the user/customer to the user/customer terminal; and

a step of controlling the operation of recording the contents data to the memory means at the user/customer terminal according to the purchase history.

40. A data recording method comprising:

a step of selecting at least a contents data out of the plurality of contents data accumulated in an storage means in response to a user/customer input; and

a step of recording the selected contents data in a memory means according to the package media purchase history of said user/customer in the actual world.

41. A communication method comprising:

a step of storing the package media purchase history of the user/customer in the actual world;

a step of transmitting at least a contents data out of the plurality of contents data accumulated in an storage means and the purchase history corresponding to the user/customer to the user/customer terminal; and

a step of controlling the operation of reproducing the contents data at the user/customer terminal according to the purchase history.

42. A data reproducing method comprising:

a step of selecting at least a contents data out of the plurality of contents data accumulated in an storage means in response to a user/customer input; and

a step of reproducing the selected contents data according to the package media purchase history of said user/customer in the actual world.

43. A data recording method comprising:

a step of selecting at least a contents data out of the plurality of contents data accumulated in an storage means in response to a user/customer input;

a step of recording the selected contents data in a memory means;

a step of generating number of times of recording data according to the number of times of recording of said contents data in said memory means; and

a step of generating discount data to be used at the time when the package media is purchased as a function of the generated number of times of recording of data.

44. A data reproducing method comprising:

a step of selecting at least a contents data out of the plurality of contents data accumulated in an storage means in response to a user/customer input;

a step of reproducing the selected contents data;

a step of generating number of times of reproduction data according to the number of times of reproduction of said contents data; and

a step of generating discount data to be used at the time when the package media is purchased as a function of the generated number of times of reproduction of data.