Global access system of multi-media related information

• US 6,209,787 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1998
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dentsu Incorporated (Dentsu Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dentsu Incorporated (Dentsu Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Iida, Takahito
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/108,879
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/375, 235/381, 235/13, 235/15, 235/16, 360/2, 369/30, 369/38, 369/15, 369/85, 369/84, 369/59
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1025 Identification of user by a PIN code

Abstract

A system for purchasing a personal recording media includes a first entering unit for entering an identification information in order to identify a customer, a unit connected to the first entering unit for identifying whether or not the customer is an authorized customer based on the entered identification information, a second entering unit connected to the identifying unit for entering at least one designated information by the customer when the customer is identified as an authorized customer in accordance with the identifying unit, a unit for storing a plurality of information, a unit connected to the second entering unit and the information storing unit for reading information associated with the designated information by retrieving the plurality of information in the information storing unit based on the designated information entered by the second entering unit, and a unit connected to the information reading unit for recording the information read from the information storing unit into a predetermined recording media.

Claims

1. A system for granting access to selected of a library of multimedia, said system comprising:

a) a memory for storing said library of multimedia;

b) a data input device for entering a set of information attributes for said multimedia stored in said memory;

c) a data retriever for retrieving information about a particular medium of said library in accordance with said entered attribute; and

d) an output device for providing said retrieved information.

2. A system for granting access according to claim 1, wherein said library of multimedia is a library of music.

3. A system for granting access according to claim 1, wherein said library of multimedia is a library of printed matters, said printed matters including books, magazines, newspapers, any types of journals.

4. A system for granting access according to claim 1, wherein said library of multimedia is a library of broadcasting information to be used in the broadcasting industries, said broadcasting industries including a TV station, a radio station, and a satellite station.

5. A system for accessing information related to a musical composition, said system comprising:

a) a data input device operable by a user for entering information as to the class of the current user and a candidate musical composition to be accessed;

b) a memory for storing a library of said musical compositions and a set of information items related to at least selected of said stored musical compositions;

c) a display for displaying to the current user selected information related to said candidate musical composition;

d) a processor coupled to said data input device and said memory for performing the following operations on said candidate musical composition related information;

1) evaluating said class of the current user and said candidate musical composition and, dependent thereon, displaying on said display those information items corresponding to said entered class of the current user from the particular set of information items of said entered candidate musical composition,

2) permitting the current user to select at least one of said displayed information items for further processing, and

3) further processing said selected information items.

6. The system for accessing information as claimed in claim 5, wherein said information items stored in said memory comprises intellectual property rights and said further processing calculates the fees due in relation to said entered candidate musical composition and said entered user class.

7. The system for accessing information as claimed in claim 5, wherein said information item stored in said memory comprises permission to access information, and said further processing determines based upon said permission to access information and said user class which information, if any, pertaining to said selected candidate musical composition will be accessible to the current user.

8. A method of permitting access by a plurality of class of users to an information system to select and obtain permission to access a particular musical composition from a library of musical compositions for a particular one of a plurality of uses, the information system storing information as to the identity of, the accessible rights to each musical composition in the library, license fees associated with each of the rights, and the claimants of each of the rights, said method comprising the steps of:

a) permitting a user to activate the information system by inputting an indication of at least the class of the current user and the identity of a candidate musical composition;

b) identifying from said user input the class of the current user;

c) retrieving from the information system dependent on the identified class of the current user and the candidate musical composition the availability of the musical composition in the information system and a set of potentially permitted uses selected according to the identified class;

d) displaying to the user an indication of whether or not the musical composition is available in the information system and, if available, said selected set of potentially permitted uses of the available candidate musical composition;

e) permitting the user to select a particular use from said displayed set of uses;

f) accessing from the information system whether or not said selected use is permitted for said identified candidate musical composition and, if said selected use is permitted, retrieving from the information system dependent on said selected use information as to said license fee and claimant related to said selected use; and

g) processing said license fee with respect to said selected claimant.

9. The method of permitting access as claimed in claim 8, wherein, when said identified use as determined in step (b) is a claimant, permitting said claimant to alter said potentially permissioned use information and/or said license fee information and, and processing said altered information to update the content of the information system.

10. The method of permitting access as claimed in claim 9, wherein there is further included the steps of displaying to the current user said altered information, and permitting the claimant to confirm whether or not said altered information is appropriate and, if appropriate, terminating said processing step (g).

11. A system for purchasing a personal recording media, comprising:

a) a first station for converting at least one musical composition and a musical information corresponding to said one musical composition to predetermined signals, respectively, and for transmitting said signals;

b) a card-type storage medium including a storage device and an integrated circuit;

c) a receiving device capable of attaching/detaching said card-type storage medium, and of listening a musical composition by receiving said signal transmitted from said first station, and of selectively storing said musical information corresponding to said musical composition being transmitted into said storage device of said card-type storage medium by a predetermined operation when said card-type storage medium is attached thereto;

d) a second station including an entering device capable of attaching/detaching said card-type storage medium into which said musical information is stored, and of reading an identification information stored in said storage device of said card-type storage medium when said card-type storage medium is attached thereto, and of reading said musical information stored in said storage device of said card-type storage medium;

e) a third station connected to said second station and capable of;

1) identify whether or not a user of said system is an authorized user based on said identification information,

2) reading said musical composition information associated with said musical information by retrieving said plurality of musical composition information in said musical composition information storage means based on said musical information entered with said entering means,

3) recording said musical composition information read from said musical composition information storage means into a predetermined recording medium, and

4) implementing a predetermined accounting process based on an accounting information stored in said card-type storage medium, regarding said recording medium into which said musical composition information is recorded,

wherein a musical information corresponding to said musical composition is stored into said card-type storage medium by a predetermined operation when a user is listening a musical composition being transmitted from said first station, and

said user can purchase said recording medium into which at least one desired musical composition is recorded, by inserting said card-type storage medium of which said musical information is stored therein into a predetermined entering means at said second station.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein said third station includes:

1) an identification means for identifying whether or not said user is an authorized user based on said identification information entered with said entering means of said second station;

2) a musical composition information storage means for storing a plurality of musical composition information;

3) a musical composition information reading means for reading said musical composition information associated with said musical information by retrieving said plurality of musical composition information in said musical composition information storage means based on said musical information entered with said entering means;

4) a musical information recording means connected to said musical composition information reading means, for recording said musical composition information read from said musical composition information storage means into a predetermined recording medium; and

5) means for implementing a predetermined accounting process based on an accounting information stored in said card-type storage medium regarding said recording medium into which said musical composition information is recorded.

13. A system according to claim 11, further comprising:

f) a copyright-associated information storage means for storing information associated with a copyright;

g) an input/output means for inputting/outputting said musical composition information;

h) a musical composition information registration means for registering and storing said musical composition information inputted with said input/output means into said musical composition information storage means;

i) a copyright-associated information retrieval and discrimination means for retrieving and discriminating a copyright-associated information regarding said musical composition information registered in said musical composition information registration means from said copyright-associated information storage means based on a musical composition to be used;

j) an account and royalty determination means for determining an account for a user of said musical composition and for determining a royalty for a copyright owner of said musical composition based on said copyright-associated information and said accounting information discriminated by said copyright-associated information retrieval and discrimination means; and

k) means for informing said account determined by said account and royalty determination means to said user of said musical composition, and for informing said royalty determined by said account and royalty determination means to said copyright owner of said musical composition.

14. A system according to claim 13, further comprising:

l) a usage purpose registration means for registering an information regarding a usage purpose of said musical composition to be used; and

m) an account information alteration means for altering said account information based on an information regarding said usage purpose of musical composition registered with said usage purpose registration means.

15. A system according to claim 14, further comprising:

n) a copyright-associated information alteration means connected to said entering means and to said copyright-associated information storage means, for altering said copyright-associated information based on said information of musical composition to be used.

16. A system for purchasing a personal recording media according to claim 11, wherein said card-type storage medium including a storage device and an integrated circuit is a smart card.

17. A system for purchasing a personal recording media according to claim 11, wherein said a receiving device is a smart card radio receiver.

18. A system for accessing information related to a musical composition, said system comprising:

a) a data input device operable by a user for entering an indication as to the current user and a candidate musical composition to be accessed;

b) a memory for storing a library of said musical compositions and a set of information items related to at least selected of said stored musical compositions, wherein said set of information items includes a set of permitted uses for each of said stored musical compositions;

c) a display for displaying to the current user selected information related to said candidate musical composition;

d) a processor coupled to said data input device and said memory for performing the following operations relating to said candidate musical composition related information;

1) evaluating said current user indication and said candidate musical composition and displaying on said display those information items including at least the permitted uses from the particular set of information items of said entered candidate musical composition,

2) permitting the current user to select at least one of said displayed information items for further processing and to input one or more of the current user'"'"'s desired uses of said musical composition, and

3) further processing said selected information items.

19. The system for accessing information as claimed in claim 18, wherein said set of permitted uses stored in said memory comprises permission to access information related to selective ones of the set of possible uses of said musical composition information, and said further processing determines based upon said permission to access information and said user'"'"'s desired use selection which information, if any, pertaining to said selected candidate musical composition will be accessible to the current user.

20. The system for accessing information as claimed in claim 19, wherein said set of possible uses of said musical composition information includes play, copy, transmit and distribute, wherein possible forms of transmit include surface, cable, internet or satellite, and wherein possible forms of medium for copy include stream, local-HDD, flash memory, stick memory or MD.

21. A method of permitting access by a plurality of users to an information system to select and obtain permission to access a particular musical composition from a library musical compositions for a particular one of a plurality of possible uses, the information system storing information as to the identity of and the accessible rights to each musical composition in the library, a set of permitted potential uses and license fees associated with each of the rights, and the claimants of each of the rights, said method comprising the steps of:

a) permitting a user to activate the information system by inputting an indication of the current user and the identity of a candidate musical composition;

b) retrieving from the information system at least the candidate musical composition and the set of permitted potential uses associated with each accessible right to the selected musical composition;

c) displaying to the user an indication of whether or not the musical composition is available in the information system and, if available, said set of permitted potential uses of the available candidate musical composition;

d) permitting the user to input one or more of the user'"'"'s desired uses;

e) accessing from the information system whether or not each of said user'"'"'s inputted desired uses is permitted for said identified candidate musical composition and, if one or more of said desired uses is permitted, retrieving from the information system, dependent on said selected desired use, information as to said license fee and claimant related to said selected desired use; and

f) processing said license fee with respect to said selected claimant.

22. The method of permitting access as claimed in claim 21, wherein said step of permitting the user to activate comprises allowing the user to input said one or more desired use selections only from among said displayed set of permitted potential uses of the available candidate musical composition.

23. The method of permitting access as claimed in claim 21, wherein said set of permitted potential uses of said musical composition information includes play, copy, transmit and distribute, wherein possible forms of transmit include surface, cable, internet or satellite, and possible forms of medium for copy include stream, local-HDD, flash memory, stick memory or MD.

24. The method of permitting access as claimed in claim 23, further comprising the step of granting the user access to said musical composition information only for said one or more of said inputted desired uses that is permitted for that musical composition.

25. A system for granting access to selected of a library of multimedia, said system comprising:

a) a memory for storing said library of multimedia;

b) a data input device for entering a set of attributes for said multimedia stored in said memory;

c) a data retriever for retrieving information about a particular medium of said library in accordance with said entered set of attributes;

d) an update device for updating said retrieved information about said particular medium of said library, if necessary; and

e) an output device for providing said retrieved information or said updated information if it were updated.

26. A system for granting access according to claim 25, wherein said update device is only operable by at least one claimant of each of the rights associated with said particular medium of said library.

27. A system for granting access according to claim 26, further comprising:

a) an interactive device for interacting a user of said system with said at least one claimant of each of the rights associated with said particular medium of said library, wherein said update device updates said retrieved information in accordance with a result of an interaction of said user and said claimant or claimants, and said output device provides said updated information.

28. A system for granting access according to claim 25, wherein said library of multimedia includes at least one of a library of music, a library of printed matters, and a library of broadcasting information to be used in the broadcasting industries.

29. A system for granting access according to claim 28, wherein said printed matters includes books, magazines, newspapers, any types of journals, and wherein said broadcasting industries includes a TV station, a radio station, and a satellite station.

30. A system for accessing information related to a musical composition, said system comprising:

a) a data input device operable by a user for entering information as to a class of the current user and a candidate musical composition to be accessed;

b) a memory for storing a library of said musical compositions and a set of information items related to at least selected of said stored musical compositions, said set of information items stored in said memory including at least intellectual property rights information and permission to access information;

c) a display device for displaying to the current user a selected information related to said candidate musical composition;

d) a processor coupled to said data input device and said memory for performing the following operations on said selected information related to said candidate musical composition;

1) evaluating said class of the current user and said candidate musical composition and, dependent thereon, displaying on said display device the information items corresponding to said entered class of the current user from the particular set of information items of said entered candidate musical composition,

2) permitting the current user to select at least one of said displayed information items for further processing, and

3) further processing said selected information items to calculate the fees due in relation to said entered candidate musical composition and said entered user class, and to determine, based upon said permission to access information and said user class, which information, if any, pertaining to said selected candidate musical composition will be accessible to the current user, and

e) an update device for updating said set of information items stored in said memory, if necessary, said update device being only operable by a claimant or claimants of each of said intellectual property rights associated with the selected of said stored musical compositions.

31. A system for accessing information related to a musical composition according to claim 30, further comprising

a) an interactive device for interacting a user of said system with at least one claimant of each of said intellectual property rights associated with the selected of said stored musical compositions, and wherein said update device updates said set of information items stored in said memory in accordance with a result of an interaction of said user and said claimant or claimants.

32. A method of permitting access by a plurality of class of users to an information system to select and obtain permission to access a particular musical composition from a library of musical compositions for a particular one of a plurality of uses, the information system storing information as to the identity of each musical composition in said library, the accessible rights to each musical composition in the library, license fees associated with each of the rights, and the claimants of each of the rights, said method comprising the steps of:

a) permitting a user to activate the information system by inputting an indication of at least a class of a current user and an identity of a candidate musical composition;

b) identifying said class of the current user from said inputted indication and identifying said candidate musical composition from said inputted identity;

c) retrieving from the information system an availability of said identified candidate musical composition in the information system and a set of potentially permitted uses of said identified candidate musical composition in accordance with the identified class of the current user;

d) displaying to the current user an indication of whether or not said identified candidate musical composition is available in the information system and, if available, displaying to the current user said selected set of potentially permitted uses of said candidate musical composition;

e) permitting the current user to select a particular use from said selected set of potentially permitted uses displayed;

f) accessing from the information system whether or not said selected particular use is permitted for said identified candidate musical composition;

g) if said selected particular use is permitted, retrieving information of a license fee and at least one claimant regarding said identified candidate musical composition from the information system in accordance with said selected particular use;

h) processing said license fee with respect to said at least one claimant regarding said identified candidate musical composition;

i) permitting the alteration of said information of said license fee and said selected set of potentially permitted uses of said identified candidate musical composition when said identified current user as determined in the step (b) is said at least one claimant regarding said identified candidate musical composition;

j) processing said altered information to update the content of the information system; and

k) displaying to the current user said altered information, and permitting said claimant or claimants to confirm whether or not said altered information is appropriate and, if appropriate, terminating the processing in the step (h).

33. A system for purchasing a personal recording media, comprising:

a) a first station for converting at least one musical composition and a musical information corresponding to said one musical composition to predetermined signals, respectively, and for transmitting said signals;

b) a card-type storage medium including a storage device and an integrated circuit;

c) a receiving device capable of attaching/detaching said card-type storage medium, and of listening to a musical composition by receiving said signal transmitted from said first station, and of selectively storing said musical information corresponding to said musical composition being transmitted into said storage device of said card-type storage medium by predetermined operation when said card-type storage medium is attached thereto;

d) a second station including an entering device capable of attaching/detaching said card-type storage medium into which said musical information is stored, and of reading an identification information stored in said storage device of said card-type storage medium when said card-type storage is attached thereto, and of reading said musical information stored in said storage device of said card-type storage medium;

e) a third station connected to said second station and capable of;

1) identifying whether or not a user of said system is an authorized user based on said identification information,

2) reading said musical composition information associated with said musical information by retrieving said plurality of musical composition information in said musical composition information storage means based on said musical information entered with said entering means,

3) recording said musical composition information read from said musical composition information storage means into a predetermined recording medium, and

4) implementing a predetermined accounting process, regarding said recording medium into which said musical composition information is recorded, based on an accounting information stored in said card-type storage medium,

f) a copyright-associated information storage means for storing a copyright-associated information regarding said musical composition information;

g) an input/output means for inputting/outputting said musical composition information;

h) a musical composition information registration means for registering and storing said musical composition information inputted with said input/output means into said musical composition information storage means;

i) a copyright-associated information retrieval and discrimination means for retrieving and discriminating a copyright-associated information regarding said musical composition information registered in said musical composition information registration means from said copyright-associated information storage means based on a musical composition to be used;

j) an account and royalty determination means for determining an account for a user of said musical composition and for determining a royalty for a copyright claimant of said musical composition based on said copyright-associated information and said accounting information discriminated by said copyright-associated information retrieval and discrimination means;

k) means for informing said account determined by said account and royalty determination means to said user of said musical composition;

l) means for informing said royalty determined by said account and royalty determination means to said copyright claimant of said musical composition;

m) a usage purpose registration means for registering an information regarding a usage purpose of said musical composition to be used;

n) an account information alteration means for altering said account information based on an information regarding said usage purpose of musical composition registered with said usage purpose registration means; and

o) a copyright-associated information alteration means connected to said entering means and to said copyright-associated information storage means, for altering said copyright-associated information based on said information of musical composition to be used,

wherein a musical information corresponding to said musical composition is stored into said card-type storage medium by a predetermined operation when user is listening to a musical composition being transmitted from said first station,

wherein said user can purchase said recording medium into which at least one desired musical composition is recorded, by inserting said card-type storage medium of which said musical information is stored therein into a predetermined entering means at said second station, and

wherein said a copyright-associated information alteration means is only operable by a rightful claimant or claimants when altering said copyright-associated information.

34. A system according to claim 33, wherein said third station includes:

1) an identification means for identifying whether or not said user is an authorized user based on said identification information entered with said entering means of said second station;

2) a musical composition information storage means for storing a plurality of musical composition information;

3) a musical composition information reading means for reading said musical composition information associated with said musical information by retrieving said plurality of musical composition information in said musical composition information storage means based on said musical information entered with said entering means;

4) a musical information recording means connected to said musical composition information reading means, for recording said musical composition information read from said musical composition information storage means into a predetermined recording medium; and

5) means for implementing a predetermined accounting process based on an accounting information stored in said cart-type storage medium regarding said recording medium into which said musical composition information is recorded.

35. A system for purchasing a personal recording media according to claim 33, wherein said card-type storage medium is a smart card.

36. A system for purchasing a personal recording media according to claim 33, wherein said receiving device is a smart card radio receiver.