Content providing method, a registration method of a user menu information database, a content providing program, a content requesting program, a user registration program, and a charge invoicing program

• US 20040081300A1
• Filed: 08/26/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Tani, Hiroyuki, Takae, Yumiko, Omiya, Hiroyuki, Takae, Naohito
• Granted Patent: US 7,457,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements

Abstract

According to the present invention, a user'"'"'s portable telephone 11 accesses a content provider 19 (S1); if the user'"'"'s portable telephone 11 is registered in a user menu information database 35, a requested content service is immediately provided (S2); if it is unknown whether the portable telephone 11 is registered in the user menu information database 35, a request is made of a communications carrier 31 that it be determined whether the user is registered in the user menu information database 35; if the user'"'"'s portable telephone is not registered, a request to perform registration is made (S3); the communications carrier 31 provides information that the user'"'"'s portable telephone 11 is now registered (S6); and the requested content service is provided to the user'"'"'s portable telephone 11 (S2).

Claims

1. A content providing method of a content provider, comprising

providing a requested content service to a user'"'"'s portable telephone when a menu registration identifier, which menu registration identifier indicates that the user'"'"'s portable telephone is registered for the requested content service in a user menu information database of a communications carrier, is contained in a content-requesting signal transmitted from the user'"'"'s portable telephone to the content provider.

2. A content providing method of a content provider, comprising

requesting a communications carrier to register a user'"'"'s portable telephone in a user menu information database, when a menu registration identifier, which menu registration identifier indicates that the user'"'"'s portable telephone is registered in the user menu information database of the communications carrier for a requested content service, is not contained in a content-requesting signal transmitted from the user'"'"'s portable telephone to the content provider.

3. A registration method of a user menu information database of a communications carrier, comprising:

requesting a user to register,

adding a menu registration identifier to a content-requesting signal, which content-requesting signal contains user identification information and a content identifier received from a content provider when the user completes registration in the user menu information database, and

transmitting the content-requesting signal to the content provider;

wherein the content provider requests registration of the user in the user menu information database pursuant to receiving the content-requesting signal from a portable telephone of the user.

4. The registration method for the user menu information database as claimed in claim 3, wherein the menu registration identifier is added to the content-requesting signal, which content-requesting signal contains the user identification information and the content identifier received from the content provider, and the content-requesting signal is transmitted to the content provider if the user is registered in the user menu information database.

5. A content providing program that is executable by a computer, comprising:

a receiving step for receiving a content-requesting signal transmitted by a user'"'"'s portable telephone,

a menu identifier determining step for determining whether the content-requesting signal contains a menu registration identifier that indicates that the user'"'"'s portable telephone is registered in a user menu information database that registers users of content services, the user menu information database being prepared by a communications carrier, and

a content-providing step for providing the user'"'"'s portable telephone with the content service when the menu identifier determining step determines that the menu registration identifier is contained in the content-requesting signal.

6. The content providing program as claimed in claim 5, further comprising

a requesting step for requesting registration of the user'"'"' portable telephone in the user menu information database of the communications carrier when the menu identifier determining step determines that the menu registration identifier is not contained in the content-requesting signal.

7. A content requesting program of a communications carrier, the program being computer-executable, comprising

a transmitting step for adding a menu registration identifier, which menu registration identifier indicates that a user is registered in a user menu information database, to a content-requesting signal that requests a content service of a content provider, the content-requesting signal being transmitted by the user accessing the content service by selecting a desired content service from a content services list displayed on a user menu;

and transmitting the content-requesting signal to the content provider.

8. A user registration program of a communications carrier, which is computer-executable, comprising:

a registration request processing step for a content provider requesting that a user'"'"'s portable telephone be registered in a user menu information database, the content provider receiving a content-requesting signal from the user'"'"'s portable telephone,

a registration step for registering the user'"'"'s portable telephone in the user menu information database, and

a transmitting step for adding a menu registration identifier to the content-requesting signal, which content-requesting signal contains user identification information and a content identifier received from the content provider, and transmitting the content-requesting signal to the content provider.

9. The user registration program of the communications carrier as claimed in claim 8, wherein the transmitting step adds the menu registration identifier to the content-requesting signal, which content-requesting signal contains the user identification information and the content identifier received from the content provider, without performing registration request processing of the user'"'"'s portable telephone, and transmits the content-requesting signal to the content provider if the user'"'"'s portable telephone is already registered in the user menu information database.

10. An invoicing program of the communications carrier, wherein an access log information database is installed for collecting logs about communications and use of the content services, further comprising

a step for adding content charges to communication charges of the user'"'"'s portable telephone with reference to the access log information database and the user menu information database, the user menu information database registering the user'"'"'s portable telephone using the user registration program according to claim 8 or claim 9.