Information distribution system and billing system used for the information distribution system
First Claim
1. An information distribution system comprising:
- information processing means for performing a utilization process on information supplied from an information source; and
billing means for performing a billing process to be adaptable to the utilization process performed by said information processing means, whereinsaid information processing means comprises means for detecting a timing required for said billing means to perform the billing process and means for supplying detected timing data to said billing means,said billing means comprises means for performing the billing process in response to the timing data supplied from said information processing means,said information processing means is implemented by an application program, andsaid billing means is implemented by an operating system on which the application program runs.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An information distribution system provides information requested from a user for the user through an information communication medium. The information distribution system comprises a billing processor which is individually from a data processor realized by an application program, the billing processor being realized by middle ware (an operating system). The information comprises a content, billing attribute data including a billing method and a settlement method, and correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the content and the billing attribute data. When a request is made from the user, the information distribution system retrieves the content which meets the request and transfers a request to the billing processor to perform the billing process. The billing processor uses the billing attribute data corresponding to the content to perform a predetermined billing process.
220 Citations
37 Claims
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1. An information distribution system comprising:
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information processing means for performing a utilization process on information supplied from an information source; and billing means for performing a billing process to be adaptable to the utilization process performed by said information processing means, wherein said information processing means comprises means for detecting a timing required for said billing means to perform the billing process and means for supplying detected timing data to said billing means, said billing means comprises means for performing the billing process in response to the timing data supplied from said information processing means, said information processing means is implemented by an application program, and said billing means is implemented by an operating system on which the application program runs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An information distribution system for providing information to a requester in response to a request from the requester, comprising:
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means for storing contents of the information and billing attribute data corresponding to the contents; information utilizing means for extracting a given content from said storing means in response to the request from the requester and utilizing the given content the information utilizing means being implemented by an application program of the computer; and billing means for extracting, from said storing means, billing attribute data corresponding to the given content, performing a predetermined billing process in accordance with extracted billing attribute data, and for permitting or inhibiting an operation of said information utilizing means in accordance with a result of the predetermined billing process the billing means being implemented by an operating system of the computer on which the application program runs. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A recording medium which is readable by a computer, comprising:
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contents of information which can be utilized by an application program of the computer; and billing attribute data which is used in a billing process realized by an operating system of the computer when a content is utilized by the computer, the data being recorded in relation to corresponding content and being able to be reproduced independently from the content. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A billing system comprising:
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a recording medium for storing contents of information and billing attribute data for use in a billing process for the contents; means for utilizing a content of the information stored in said recording medium and for reading the billing attribute data corresponding to the content to perform the billing process, the utilizing means being implemented by an application program; and billing processing means for performing a predetermined billing process based on the billing attribute data read by said utilizing means, and for permitting or inhibiting an operation of said utilizing means, the billing processing means being implemented by an operating system on which the application program runs.
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15. A billing method adaptable to an information distribution system for supplying information requested by a requester to said requester, said billing method comprising the following steps of:
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selecting a content of information among the contents stored in the information recording medium in response to the request from the requester; reading, from said information recording medium, the billing attribute data corresponding to the content of information which is selected; performing a billing process including a charge calculating process and a settlement process of a calculated charge by using read billing attribute data and in accordance with a provision form for providing the content of information to the requester; and determining whether or not supply of the selected information to the requester is approved based on a result of the billing process.
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16. An information distribution system for providing information to a requester in response to a request from the requester, comprising:
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billing means for performing a predetermined billing process for information which is provided for the requester; means for detecting a load of said billing means performing the predetermined billing process; and control means for controlling said billing means in accordance with the load of said billing means detected by said detecting means in such a manner that the load of said billing means is smaller than a predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A billing method adapted to an information distribution system for providing information to a requester in response to a request from the requester, comprising the following steps of:
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performing a predetermined billing process with respect to information which is provided for the requester; detecting a load of said billing process; and controlling said billing process in accordance with the load detected in such a manner that the load of said billing process is smaller than a predetermined value.
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19. An information providing service federation system in which each information providing service primitive comprises attribute data relating to a reference to another information providing service primitive and a calling information providing service primitive makes a reference to a called information providing service primitive, comprising:
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means for comparing the attribute data of the calling information providing service primitive and the attribute data of the called information providing service primitive to determine whether or not the called information providing service primitive is permitted to be referred by the calling information providing service primitive; and information providing service federation means for federating the called information providing service primitive and the calling information providing service primitive when said comparing means permits the reference. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 27, 28, 29)
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22. An information providing service federation system in which each information providing service primitive comprises attribute data relating to a reference to another information providing service primitive and a calling information providing service primitive makes a reference to a called information providing service primitive, comprising:
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a user interface having attribute data relating to a reference to another information providing service primitive; means for comparing the attribute data of a calling information providing service primitive or the attribute data of said user interface and the attribute data of a called information providing service primitive to determine whether or not the called information providing service primitive is permitted to be referred by the calling information providing service primitive or said user interface when the calling information providing service primitive or said user interface makes a request to make a reference to the called information providing service primitive; and information providing service federation means for federating the called information providing service primitive and the calling information providing service primitive or the user interface when said comparing means permits the reference. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 30, 31)
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25. An information providing service federation system in which each information providing service primitive comprises attribute data relating to a reference to another information providing service primitive and a calling information providing service primitive makes a reference to a called information providing service primitive, comprising:
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retrieving means for retrieving an information providing service primitive which most coincides with the attribute data of the calling information providing service primitive from plural information providing service primitives when a request is made from the calling information providing service primitive to make a reference to another information providing service primitive; and information providing service federation means for federating the called information providing service primitive and a retrieved information providing service primitive.
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26. An information providing service federation system in which each information providing service primitive comprises attribute data relating to a reference to another information providing service primitive and a calling information providing service primitive makes a reference to a called information providing service primitive, comprising:
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a user interface having attribute data relating to a reference to another information providing service primitive; retrieving means for retrieving an information providing service primitive which most coincides with the attribute data of the calling information providing service primitive from plural information providing service primitives or the attribute data of said user interface when a request is made from the calling information providing service primitive or said user interface to make a reference to another information providing service primitive; and information providing service federation means for federating the called information providing service primitive or said user interface and a retrieved information.
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32. A billing system for an information distribution system in which ail information providing service primitive including content and billing attribute data indicating a billing method or methods which are to be applied while the content is used is distributed, the billing system comprising:
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plural billing modules for performing different billing methods; means for interpreting the billing attribute data included in the information providing service primitive which is used by a user to select the billing method or modules corresponding to all interpret result; and means for activating a billing module or modules corresponding to selected billing module or modules. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. An information goods comprising:
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a content of goods; and billing attribute data corresponding to the content, the content including another information lo goods comprising another content of another goods and another billing attribute data corresponding to the other content. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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Specification