Electronic apparatus, time period charging system, time period charging method, and charging management system for electronic apparatus

• US 20030088523A1
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yui, Yasuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The invention provides an electronic apparatus, a time period charging system, a time period charging method, and a charging management system for an electronic apparatus which eliminate various problems arising from a conventional charging method wherein an equivalent is paid to the proprietary right of contents. It is first discriminated whether or not contents data are of the type wherein use thereof should be charged based on information representative of a time period within which the contents data are used. Then, at least one of a time period within which the contents data are used and a time period within which the electronic apparatus is used is measured based on a result of the discrimination. When the contents data are of the type described, information to be used for the charging process is produced based on at least one of the information of the time period of use of the contents data and the information of the time period of use of the electronic apparatus. However, when the contents data are not of the type described, information to be used for the charging process is produced based on the information of the time period of use of the electronic apparatus.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

discrimination means for discriminating whether or not contents data are of the type wherein use thereof should be charged based on information representative of a time period within which the contents data are used;

contents data use time period measurement means for measuring a time period within which the contents data are used;

apparatus use time period measurement means for measuring a time period within which said electronic apparatus itself is used; and

charging processing means for producing, when it is discriminated by said discrimination means that use of the contents data should be charged based on the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used, information to be used for a charging process based on at least one of results of the measurement of said contents data use time period measurement means and said apparatus use time period measurement means but producing, when it is discriminated by said discrimination means that use of the contents data should not be charged based on the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used, information to be used for the charging process based on the result of the measurement of said apparatus use time period measurement means.

2. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contents data include information regarding charging of the contents data, and said discrimination means discriminates based on the information regarding the charging of the contents data whether or not the contents data are of the type wherein use thereof should be charged based on the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used.

3. An electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the contents data are stored on a storage medium, and said electronic apparatus further comprises storage medium loading means into which the storage medium is loaded, said discrimination means discriminating, based on the information regarding the charging of the contents data stored on the storage medium loaded in said storage medium loading means, whether or not the contents data are of the type wherein use thereof should be charged based on the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used.

4. An electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information regarding the charging of the contents data include information for limiting the number of times of use of the contents data, and said electronic apparatus further comprises use time number limitation means for limiting the number of times of use of the contents data based on the information for limiting the number of times of use, and contents data use stopping means for stopping use of the contents data by said electronic apparatus when the number of times of use of the contents data by said electronic apparatus exceeds the number of times of use limited by said use time number limitation means.

5. An electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information regarding charging of the contents data include information regarding a use price of the contents data, and said charging processing means produces, when it is discriminated by said discrimination means that use of the contents data should be charged based on the information representative of the period of time within which the contents data are used, information to be used for the charging process based on at least one of the results of the measurement of said contents data use time period measurement means and said apparatus use time period measurement means and the information regarding the use price of the contents data but produces, when it is discriminated by said discrimination means that use of the contents data should not be charged based on the information representative of the period of time within which the contents data are used, information to be used for the charging process based on the result of the measurement of said apparatus use time period measurement means.

6. An electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information regarding charging of the contents data at least include information regarding a use price of the contents data and information of a use price of said electronic apparatus itself, and said charging processing means produces, when it is discriminated by said discrimination means that use of the contents data should be charged based on the information representative of the period of time within which the contents data are used, information to be used for the charging process based on at least one of the results of the measurement of said contents data use time period measurement means and said apparatus use time period measurement means and at least one of the information regarding the use price of the contents data and the information regarding the use price of said electronic apparatus itself but produces, when it is discriminated by said discrimination means that use of the contents data should not be charged based on the information representative of the period of time within which the contents data are used, information to be used for the charging process based on the result of the measurement of said apparatus use time period measurement means and the information regarding the use price of said electronic apparatus itself.

7. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

storage means into which at least one of the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used and the information representative of the time period within which said electronic apparatus is used is stored; and

signaling means for producing information to be used for the charging process based on the stored one or ones of the information representative of the use time period within which the contents data are used and the information representative of the time period within which said electronic apparatus is used and signaling the produced information to the outside.

8. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said charging processing means calculates information representative of a chargeable time period to be used for the charging process based on at least one of the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used and the information representative of the time period within which said electronic apparatus is used, and said electronic apparatus further comprises signaling means for signaling the information regarding the chargeable time period to the outside.

9. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said charging processing means rewrites information stored on a storage medium loaded in said electronic apparatus based on at least one of the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used and the information representative of the time period within which said electronic apparatus is used.

10. An electronic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the recording medium includes a memory into which a number of units of an imaginary currency is stored, and said charging processing means rewrites the number of units of the imaginary currency stored in the memory based on at least one of the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used and the information representative of the time period within which said electronic apparatus is used.

11. An electronic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said charging processing means converts at least one of the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used and the information representative of the time period within which said electronic apparatus is used into a number of units of the imaginary currency, subtracts the number of units obtained by the conversion from the number of units of the imaginary currency stored in the memory and rewrites the number of units of the imaginary currency stored in the memory with the number of units obtained by the subtraction.

12. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

function execution means for executing a plurality of functions including at least a function of reproducing the contents data;

operation inputting means for inputting an instruction to execute one of the functions; and

function execution control means for controlling said function execution means to execute one of the functions designated by the instruction inputted by said operation inputting means;

said contents data use time period measurement means measuring execution time periods individually of the plurality of functions executed by said function execution means as time periods within which the contents data are used for the individual functions.

13. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

function execution means for executing a plurality of functions including at least a function of reproducing the contents data;

operation inputting means for inputting an instruction to execute one of the functions; and

function execution control means for controlling said function execution means to execute one of the functions designated by the instruction inputted by said operation inputting means;

said apparatus use time period measurement means measuring execution time periods individually of the plurality of functions executed by said function execution means as time periods within which said electronic apparatus is used for the individual functions.

14. An electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said charging processing means performs weighting processing for the use time periods of the individual functions measured by said contents data use time period measurement means and said apparatus use time period measurement means individually corresponding to the functions based on the execution time periods of the functions to calculate a chargeable time period of an object of charging.

15. An electronic apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said function execution control means includes a microprocessor, and the weighting processing is performed based on a load factor of said microprocessor used when each of the functions is executed.

16. A time period charging system, comprising:

at least one electronic apparatus including discrimination means for discriminating whether or not contents data are of the type wherein use thereof should be charged based on information representative of a time period within which the contents data are used, contents data use time period measurement means for measuring a time period within which the contents data are used, apparatus use time period measurement means for measuring an operation time period of said electronic apparatus itself as a time period within which said electronic apparatus itself is used, charging processing means for producing, when it is discriminated by said discrimination means that use of the contents data should be charged based on the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used, information to be used for a charging process based on at least one of results of the measurement of said contents data use time period measurement means and said apparatus use time period measurement means but producing, when it is discriminated by said discrimination means that use of the contents data should not be charged based on the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used, information to be used for the charging process based on the result of the measurement of said apparatus use time period measurement means, and means for signaling the information produced by said charging processing means; and

a management apparatus including information management means for managing identification information for identifying said electronic apparatus, user identification information for identifying a user who uses said electronic apparatus and information regarding a settlement method by the user of said electronic apparatus, and charge settlement means for performing a settlement process for the charge based on at least one of the identification information of said electronic apparatus and the user identification information signaled from said electronic apparatus and the information to be used for the charging process.

17. A time period charging system according to claim 16, wherein the contents data include information regarding charging of the contents data, and said discrimination means discriminates based on the information regarding the charging of the contents data whether or not the contents data are of the type wherein use thereof should be charged based on the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used.

18. A time period charging system according to claim 17, wherein the contents data are stored on a storage medium, and said electronic apparatus further includes storage medium loading means into which the storage medium is loaded, said discrimination means discriminating, based on the information regarding the charging of the contents data stored on the storage medium loaded in said storage medium loading means, whether or not the contents data are of the type wherein use thereof should be charged based on the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used.

19. A time period charging system according to claim 18, wherein the information regarding the charging of the contents data include information for limiting the number of times of use of the contents data, and said electronic apparatus further includes use time number limitation means for limiting the number of times of use of the contents data based on the information for limiting the number of times of use, and contents data use stopping means for stopping use of the contents data by said electronic apparatus when the number of times of use of the contents data by said electronic apparatus exceeds the number of times of use limited by said use time number limitation means.

20. A time period charging system according to claim 19, wherein said management apparatus further includes information signaling means for signaling information for canceling the limitation to the number of times of use of the contents data to said electronic apparatus, and said electronic apparatus further includes acquisition means for acquiring the information for canceling the limitation to the number of times of use of the contents data from said management apparatus and use time number alteration means for altering the number of times of use of the contents data to a number of times of use greater than the number of times of use limited by said use time number limitation means.

21. A time period charging system according to claim 20, wherein the information for canceling the limitation to the number of times of use of the contents data is information regarding limitation to a new number of times of use of the contents data.

22. A time period charging system according to claim 20, wherein the information for canceling the limitation to the number of times of use of the contents data is key information for permitting further continued use of said electronic apparatus after the number of times by which said electronic apparatus is used becomes equal to the limited number of times of use.

23. A time period charging system according to claim 16, wherein said electronic apparatus further includes:

function execution means for executing a plurality of functions including at least a function of reproducing the contents data;

operation inputting means for inputting an instruction to execute one of the functions; and

function execution control means for controlling said function execution means to execute one of the functions designated by the instruction inputted by said operation inputting means;

said contents data use time period measurement means measuring information regarding time periods within which the contents data are used based on information representative of a situation of use of the functions executed by said function execution means.

24. A time period charging system according to claim 16, wherein said electronic apparatus further includes:

function execution means for executing a plurality of functions including at least a function of reproducing the contents data;

operation inputting means for inputting an instruction to execute one of the functions; and

function execution control means for controlling said function execution means to execute one of the functions designated by the instruction inputted by said operation inputting means;

said apparatus use time period measurement means measuring information regarding time periods within which said electronic apparatus is used based on information representative of a situation of use of the functions executed by said function execution means.

25. A time period charging system according to claim 23, wherein said charging processing means performs weighting processing for the use time periods of the individual functions measured by said contents data use time period measurement means and said apparatus use time period measurement means individually corresponding to the functions based on the execution time periods of the functions to calculate a chargeable time period of an object of charging.

26. A time period charging system according to claim 25, wherein said function execution control means includes a microprocessor, and the weighting processing is performed based on a load factor of said microprocessor used when each of the functions is executed.

27. A time period charging system according to claim 25, wherein said electronic apparatus further includes storage means for storing the information regarding the time period of use of the contents data and/or the information regarding the time period of use of said electronic apparatus as well as information representative of an operation situation of said electronic apparatus including information regarding any of the functions executed by said function execution means, and transmission means for signaling the information representative of the operation situation to said management apparatus.

28. A time period charging system according to claim 16, wherein said management apparatus further includes notification means for issuing a notification of an amount of money of the charge to be settled, settlement time management means for managing a settlement time for payment of the amount of money from the user of said electronic apparatus, and means for signaling information for limiting operation of said electronic apparatus to said electronic apparatus when said settlement time management means discriminates that a predetermined process for the settlement is not performed within a term for the settlement by payment, and said electronic apparatus further includes means for executing a process for limiting the operation of said electronic apparatus when the information for limiting operation of said electronic apparatus is received.

29. A time period charging system according to claim 16, wherein said management apparatus further includes notification means for issuing a notification of an amount of money of the charge to be settled, settlement time management means for managing a settlement time for payment of the amount of money from the user of said electronic apparatus, and means for signaling information for disabling said electronic apparatus to said electronic apparatus when said settlement time management means discriminates that a predetermined process for the settlement is not performed within a term for the settlement by payment, and said electronic apparatus further includes means for executing a process for disabling said electronic apparatus when the information for disabling said electronic apparatus is received.

30. A time period charging system according to claim 16, wherein said management apparatus further includes means for producing data for distributing an equivalent to the time period of use to a management company which owns said management apparatus, a company which provides said electronic apparatus, a company which provides the contents data and a copyright holder of the contents data.

31. A time period charging system according to claim 16, wherein said electronic apparatus further includes charging information calculation means for calculating information regarding a chargeable time period based on at least one of the information regarding the time period of use of the contents data and the information regarding the time period of use of said electronic apparatus, and said means of said electronic apparatus for signaling the information to said management apparatus transmits the information regarding the chargeable time period to said management apparatus whereas said charge settlement means of said management apparatus performs charge settlement for the information regarding the time period of use of the contents data and/or the information regarding the time period of use of said electronic apparatus based on the information regarding the chargeable time period received from said electronic apparatus.

32. A method of producing information to be used for a charging process, comprising the steps of:

discriminating whether or not contents data are of the type wherein use thereof should be charged based on information representative of a time period within which the contents data are used;

measuring at least one of a time period within which the contents data are used and a time period within which said electronic apparatus is used based on a result of the discrimination; and

producing, when it is discriminated that use of the contents data should be charged based on the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used, information to be used for the charging process based on at least one of the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used and the information representative of the time period within which said electronic apparatus is used, but producing, when it is discriminated that use of the contents data should not be charged based on the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used, information to be used for the charging process based on the information representative of the time period within which said electronic apparatus is used.

33. A charging management apparatus for an electronic apparatus, comprising:

information management means for managing identification information of an electronic apparatus, user identification information, and information regarding a settlement method by a user of said electronic apparatus; and

charge settlement means for performing a charge settlement process based on at least one of the identification information of said electronic apparatus and the user identification information signaled from said electronic apparatus and at least one of information representative of a time period within which contents data are used and information representative of a time period within which said electronic apparatus is used.

34. A charging management apparatus for an electronic apparatus according to claim 33, wherein a storage medium in which contents data to be used by said electronic apparatus are stored stores information regarding limitation to the number of times of use of the contents data by said electronic apparatus, and said charging management apparatus further comprises use time number limitation cancellation information signaling means for signaling information for canceling the limitation to the number of times of use of the contents data to permit use of the contents by a greater number of times than the limited number of times of use to said electronic apparatus.

35. A charging management apparatus for an electronic apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the information for canceling the limitation to the number of times of use of the contents data is information regarding to limitation to a new number of times of use of the contents data.

36. A charging management apparatus for an electronic apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the information for canceling the limitation to the number of times of use of the contents data is key information for permitting further continued use of said electronic apparatus after the number of times by which said electronic apparatus is used reaches the limited number of times of use.

37. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

discrimination means for discriminating whether or not contents data are of the type wherein use thereof should be charged based on information representative of a time period within which the contents data are used;

operation inputting means for inputting a plurality of instructions including an instruction to use the contents data;

function execution means for executing one of the functions designated by the instruction inputted by said operation inputting means;

contents data use time period measurement means for measuring a time period within which the contents data are used based on information representative of a situation of use of the function executed by said function execution means; and

charging processing means for producing, when it is discriminated by said discrimination means that use of the contents data should be charged based on the information representative of the time period within which the contents data are used, information to be used for a charging process based on a result of the measurement of said contents data use time period measurement means.

38. A method of producing information of an object of charging based on a time period of use, comprising the steps of:

measuring a time period of use of an electronic apparatus, which has a plurality of functions including at least a function of reproducing contents data, for each of the functions;

calculating time period information of an object of charging of the contents data based on the information regarding the measured time periods of use of the individual functions; and

performing settlement of charging in accordance with the calculated time period information.