Method and system for preparing and registering homepages, interactive input apparatus for multimedia information, and recording medium including interactive input programs of the multimedia information

• US 6,161,124 A
• Filed: 08/11/1997
• Issued: 12/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Shimokura, Kenichiro, Otomo, Takeshi, Takagawa, Yuichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US08/907,895
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/202, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for preparing and registering homepages within a system that connects a plurality of user terminals with a server equipped by a service provider comprising the steps at said user terminals: editing and preparing homepages; transmitting the prepared homepage data to above server; and outputting on paper information including said information, after information concerning addresses transmitted from said server is received;

and comprising the steps at said server: receiving said homepage data from said user terminals; storing said homepage data in a recording apparatus; determining information concerning the addresses of the corresponding homepages; and returning said determined information to said user terminals, which have transmitted beforehand said homepage data.

Claims

1. A method for preparing and registering homepages within a system that connects a plurality of user terminals with a server equipped by a service provider comprising the steps at said user terminals:

preparing homepage data relating to contents, which constitutes a fixed-form homepage, by the steps of selecting a background of a homepage, inputting a photographed image from a camera provided by the user terminal, inputting a message, and selecting or inputting a name;

transmitting the homepage data to above server; and

receiving an access ID which is used only for viewing messages input by others to the homepage registered at the server, from said server; and

outputting information including said access ID, on paper, and comprising the steps at said server of;

receiving said homepage data from said user terminals;

storing said homepage data in a recording apparatus;

converting said homepage data to HTML for creating and registering the fixed-form homepage with the selected or inputted contents, including capability of inputting a message to said converted homepage;

determining said access ID; and

returning said access ID to said user terminals, which have transmitted beforehand said homepage data.

2. A method for preparing and registering homepages according to claim 1 further comprising the steps at said user terminals of:

determining a category from categories which have been prepared for categorizing registered homepages at said server;

and further comprising the steps at said server of;

receiving said homepage data and said category; and

categorizing and storing said homepage data in said recording medium based on said category.

3. A method for preparing and registering homepages according to claim 2, further comprising the step of performing at said server, a HTML conversion in order to have compatibility with WWW by linking the layout setup based on said category with the homepages stored in said recording medium.

4. A method for preparing and registering homepages according to claim 1 or 2 further comprising the steps at said server of:

registering an index of said homepage to a prescribed page; and

linking said index with said stored homepage data.

5. A method for preparing and registering homepages according to claim 4, further comprising the steps at said server when a prescribed amount of time passes after registering said index to a prescribed page of:

deleting said stored homepage data; and

deleting the index of said deleted homepage from said prescribed page.

6. A method for preparing and registering homepages according to claim 1, wherein said message input capability is an area for inputting a message on the homepage.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step at said server of:

transmitting a URL of said homepage to said user terminals, which have transmitted said homepage data beforehand, and further comprising the steps at said user terminals of;

receiving said URL from said server; and

outputting said URL on paper.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said user terminals include a money insertion apparatus, and wherein the steps at said user terminals start in response to inserting money in said money insertion apparatus.

9. A method for preparing and registering homepages according to claim 1, wherein said user terminals include a money insertion apparatus, and wherein the steps at said user terminals start in response to inserting money in said money insertion apparatus.

10. A system for preparing and registering homepages that connects a plurality of user terminals with a server equipped on the side of a service provider, comprising at said user terminals:

means for preparing homepage data relating to contents, which constitutes a fixed-form homepage, by the steps of selecting a background of a homepage, inputting a photographed image from a camera provided by the user terminal, inputting a message, and selecting or inputting a name;

means for transmitting the prepared homepage data to the server;

means for receiving information, including an access ID which is used only for viewing messages input by others to homepage registered at the server, transmitted by the server; and

means for outputting the information, including the access ID, onto paper;

and comprising at said server;

means for receiving the homepage data from the user terminals;

means for registering and storing the homepage data in a recording medium;

means for converting the homepage data to HTML for creating and registering the fixed-form homepage with the selected or inputted contents;

means for inputting a message related to the converted homepage data;

means for determining the access ID; and

means for returning information, including the access ID, to the user terminals.

11. A system for preparing and registering homepages in accordance with claim 10, wherein:

said means for preparing homepages includes means for determining a category from categories which have been prepared for categorizing registered homepages beforehand;

said means for transmitting transmits, to said server, said category in addition to the prepared homepage data;

said means for receiving receives from said user terminals, said category in addition to said homepage data; and

said means for registering homepages includes;

means for categorizing said homepage data; and

means for storeing in said recording medium said homepage data classified based on said category.

12. A system for preparing and registering homepages in accordance with claim 11, wherein said server further provides a means for a HTML conversion in order to have compatibility with WWW by linking the layout setup based on said category with the homepages stored in said recording medium.

13. A system for preparing and registering homepages according to claim 10 or 11, with said server further including:

means for performing the registration of the index of said homepages to a prescribed page; and

means for conducting a link between said index and said stored homepage data.

14. A system for preparing and registering homepages in accordance with claim 13, wherein said server further includes means for deleting said stored homepage data along with the index of said deleted homepage from said prescribed page when a prescribed amount of time passes after said index is registered to a prescribed page.

15. A system for preparing and registering homepages according to claim 10, wherein said means for inputting a message is an area for inputting a message on the homepage.

16. A system for preparing and registering homepages in accordance with claim 10, further comprising, at said server:

a means for transmitting a URL of said homepage to said user terminals; and

further comprising at said user terminals;

a means for receiving said URL from said server; and

a means for outputting said URL on paper.

17. A system according to claim 8 or claim 16, wherein said user terminals further include:

money insertion means for enabling operation of the system when money is inserted.

18. An interactive input apparatus for multimedia information connected to a server equipped on the side of a service provider, comprising:

means for preparing homepage data relating to contents, which constitutes a fixed-form homepage, by the steps of selecting a background of a homepage, inputting a photographed image from a camera provided by the user terminal, inputting a message, and selecting or inputting a name;

means for transmitting the homepage data to the server;

means for receiving information, including an access ID which is used only for viewing messages input by others to the homepage registered at the server, from the server; and

means for outputting information including the access ID, onto paper.

19. An interactive input apparatus for multimedia information in accordance with claim 18, wherein:

said means for preparing homepages includes means for determining a category from categories which have been prepared for categorizing registered homepages beforehand; and

said means for transmitting transmits, to said server, said category in addition to the prepared homepage data.

20. An interactive input apparatus for multimedia informations according to claim 18 or 19, further providing a means for a HTML conversion in order to have said edited and prepared homepages be compatible with WWW.

21. An interactive input apparatus for multimedia information in accordance with claim 18, further comprising:

means for receiving a URL from said server; and

means for outputting said URL on paper.

22. An interactive input apparatus according to claim 18 or claim 21, further comprising:

money insertion means for enabling operation of the apparatus when money is inserted.

23. A computer program product containing a computer readable program for causing a computer connected to a server on the side of a service provider to register information concerning prepared homepages at the server, said program performing the processes of:

preparing homepage data relating to contents which constitutes a fixed-form homepage, by the steps of selecting a background of a homepage inputting a photographed image from a camera provided by the user terminal inputting a message, and selecting or inputting a name;

transmitting the prepared homepage data to the server;

receiving information, including an access ID which is used only for viewing messages input by others relating to said homepage, from said server; and

outputting information, including said access ID, onto paper.

24. A computer program product in accordance with claim 23, wherein:

editing and preparing homepages includes determining a category for the homepage data from categories which have been prepared for categorizing registered homepages beforehand; and

transmitting the homepage data to said server includes transmitting said category in addition to the prepared homepage data.

25. A computer program product according to claim 23, further effecting the process of adding an area for message input to the prepared homepage, before the homepage is transmitted to the server.

26. A computer program product in accordance with claim 23, further comprising the processes of:

receiving a URL from said server; and

outputting said URL on paper.

27. A computer program product according to claim 23 or claim 26, further comprising:

enabling operation of the program when money is inserted in a money insertion apparatus.