Method of Providing Content Assigned Identifier and ID Management Device

• US 20120197738A1
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wakabayashi, Kazuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,152,985 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.69
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation

Abstract

A processor-implemented method includes: acknowledging, using a first affiliator identifier obtained from content assigned the first affiliator identifier, an application from a user other than an owner of the content for the same type of content as the accessed content, an affiliator identifier being used to identify an affiliator for the purpose of providing affiliate service, embedding, in the content provided to the other user, a second affiliator identifier identifying the other user; providing the content assigned the second affiliator identifier to the other user; and identifying an affiliator owning the content assigned the first affiliator identifier, based on the first affiliator identifier.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method of providing identifier-assigned content, comprising:

acknowledging, using a first affiliator identifier obtained from content assigned the first affiliator identifier, an application from a user other than an owner of the content for the same type of content as the accessed content, an affiliator identifier being used to identify an affiliator for the purpose of providing affiliate service;

embedding, in the content provided to the other user, a second affiliator identifier identifying the other user;

providing the content assigned the second affiliator identifier to the other user; and

identifying an affiliator owning the content assigned the first affiliator identifier, based on the first affiliator identifier.

2. The method of providing identifier-assigned content according to claim 1,

wherein a device adapted to play back the content assigned the first affiliator establishes ad hoc connection with a device owned by the other user while the content is being played back so as to deliver streaming content, such that the first affiliator identifier is transmitted to the device owned by the other user along with the content.

3. The method of providing identifier-assigned content according to claim 1,

wherein the first affiliator identifier is built in a banner for advertisement for the sales and embedded in the content,

the acknowledging acknowledges the first affiliator identifier by acknowledging an application for the purchasing of the content via the banner posted on a web page.

4. The method of providing identifier-assigned content according to claim 3,

wherein the banner is posted along with content purchase information of the affiliator owning the content assigned the first affiliator identifier, which is posted in the other user'"'"'s personal web page for using a social network service.

5. The method of providing identifier-assigned content according to one of claim 1, further comprising:

referring to a database that maps an affiliator identifier to the nationality of an affiliator, using the second affiliator identifier as a key, so as to acquire the nationality of the other user,

referring to a database that maps a content to a language used in the content, using the acquired nationality of the other user as a key, so as to determine whether the content includes a language used in the country of the nationality of the other user; and

embedding, when the content does not include a language used in the country of the nationality of the other user, the second affiliator identifier in a content having the same substance as the content requested for purchase and including a language used in the country of the nationality of the other user, and providing the resultant content to the other user.

6. An ID management device comprising:

a database configured to map an affiliator identifier, which is used to identify an affiliator for the purpose of providing affiliate service, to an affiliator;

an ID assignment unit configured to embed an affiliator identifier in a content; and

an affiliator management unit configured to acquire a first affiliator identifier identifying a user applying for a purchase of content, and a second affiliator identifier submitted along with the application for a purchase of the content and embedded in the content that prompted the user to purchase the content,

wherein the affiliator management unit refers to the database using the second affiliator identifier as a key and identifies an owner of the content that prompted the user to purchase the content, in order to pay an affiliate fee to the owner, and

the ID assignment unit embeds the first affiliate identifier acquired by the affiliator management unit in the content sold to the user applying for the purchase of the content.

7. A program embedded in a non-transitory computer readable recording medium and run on a mobile information terminal, comprising:

a module configured to play back content assigned an affiliator identifier used to identify an affiliator for the purpose of providing affiliate service;

a module configured to establish ad hoc connection with another mobile information terminal within a certain range where ad hoc connection can be established, while said content is being played back;

a module configured to deliver streaming content to the other mobile information terminal with which ad hoc connection is established; and

a module configured to transmit, when a user of the other mobile information terminal uses the affiliator identifier to apply for a purchase of content of the same type as said content, the affiliator identifier assigned to said content to the other mobile information terminal in order to use the transmitted affiliator identifier to identify the affiliator when paying an affiliate fee to the affiliator.

8. A method of providing identifier-assigned content, comprising:

acknowledging, using a first affiliator identifier obtained from content assigned the first affiliator identifier, an application from a user other than an owner of the content for a key to unlock the same type of content as the accessed content, an affiliator identifier being used to identify an affiliator for the purpose of providing affiliate service,

embedding, in the key provided to the other user, a second affiliator identifier identifying the other user;

providing the key assigned the second affiliator identifier to the other user; and

identifying an affiliator owning the content assigned the first affiliator identifier, based on the first affiliator identifier.