Communication system, communication method, server apparatus, and client apparatus

• US 20050060701A1
• Filed: 08/16/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Murase, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,593,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The present invention is intended to lighten the user load for the distribution of content in an album form. In order to look at/listen to album content, a user executes album content purchase operation. In response to a request for the distribution of a first item of content, a content server sends the requested content to a terminal. After the distribution, the terminal acquires the license of the first item of content. The content and its license are bound each other in the terminal. The license server executes, on a charging and settlement server, the processing necessary for the charging and settlement of the fee of the purchased album content. In response, the charging and settlement server executes the charging and settlement processing. The subject of charging is not only the first item of content, but also all items of content packaged as album content. Subsequently, all items of content in the album are downloaded.

Claims

1. A communication system for downloading data from a server apparatus to a client apparatus interconnected with each other via a network, wherein

said data is configured by a plurality of independent data files;

each of said plurality of independent data files contains data file identification information by which said each data file is identifiable;

said client apparatus sequentially downloads said plurality of independent data files from said server apparatus;

in said downloading, said server executes, on said client apparatus, charging processing associated with all of said data; and

in downloading each of said plurality of independent data files, said server apparatus checks a status associated with said charging processing.

2. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein said charging processing is executed when the first of said plurality of independent data files is downloaded.

3. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein any one of said server apparatus and said client apparatus is adapted to understand a status of progress of downloading of said each of said plurality of independent data files.

4. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein said each of said plurality of independent data files is a license file.

5. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein said data file identification information is content file identification information by which each content file is identifiable.

6. A communication method of downloading data from a server apparatus to a client apparatus interconnected with each other via a network, wherein

said data is configured by a plurality of independent data files;

each of said plurality of independent data files contains data file identification information by which said each data file is identifiable;

said client apparatus sequentially downloads said plurality of independent data files from said server apparatus;

in said downloading, said server executes, on said client apparatus, charging processing associated with all of said data; and

in downloading each of said plurality of independent data files, said server apparatus checks a status associated with said charging processing.

7. A communication method according to claim 6, wherein said charging processing is executed when the first of said plurality of independent data files is downloaded.

8. A communication method according to claim 6, wherein any one of said server apparatus and said client apparatus is adapted to understand a status of progress of downloading of said each of said plurality of independent data files.

9. A communication method according to claim 6, wherein said each of said plurality of independent data files is a license file.

10. A communication method according to claim 6, wherein said independent data file identification information is content file identification information by which each content file is identifiable.

11. A server apparatus for providing data to a client apparatus interconnected with each other via a network, wherein

said data is configured by a plurality of independent data files;

each of said plurality of independent data files contains data file identification information by which said each data file is identifiable;

said client apparatus is adapted to sequentially download said plurality of independent data files from said server apparatus;

in the sequential downloading by said client apparatus of said plurality of independent data files, said server executes, on said client apparatus, charging processing associated with all of said data; and

in downloading each of said plurality of independent data files, said server apparatus checks a status associated with said charging processing.

12. A server apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said charging processing is executed when the first of said plurality of independent data files is downloaded by said client apparatus.

13. A server apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said server apparatus is adapted to understand a status of progress of downloading of said each of said plurality of independent data files.

14. A server apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said each of said plurality of independent data files is a license file.

15. A server apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said data file identification information is content file identification information by which each content file is identifiable.

16. A client apparatus for downloading data from a server apparatus interconnected with each other via a network, wherein

said data is configured by a plurality of independent data files;

each of said plurality of independent data files contains data file identification information by which said each data file is identifiable;

said client apparatus sends user information and license distribution request to said server apparatus;

said client apparatus receives a license from said server apparatus;

said client apparatus makes said plurality of independent data files downloaded from said server apparatus usable by said license received from said server apparatus; and

said server apparatus executes charging processing associated with all of said data.

17. A client apparatus according to claim 16, wherein each of said plurality of independent data files is a license file.

18. A client apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said data file identification information is content file identification information by which each content file is identifiable.