Metering the flow of electronic information

• US 6,671,675 B2
• Filed: 02/26/1997
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Iwamura, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): CHILCOT, RICHARD E
• Application Number:
  US08/806,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,498 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104, 705/26, 705/1, 705/30, 235/381
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/00 Coin-freed apparatus with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity

Abstract

An accounting device of the invention cooperates with a terminal station which is used for the user to use information (“provided information”) from an information provider and includes, a first input unit for inputting first data PIDi and PIDj regarding the contents of provided information, a second input unit for inputting second data TIDi and TIDj which is concerned with the provided information and is not concerned with the contents, a third input unit for inputting third data PPC indicative of money information, and a checking unit for discriminating a permission or an inhibition of the use of the information at the terminal station by using at least one of the first and second, and third data. The checking unit outputs a discrimination result about the permission or inhibition of the use to the external of the accounting device, thereby properly inhibiting the illegal use of the terminal station and contributing to a spread of a network terminal apparatus.

Claims

1. A checking device included in an accounting device in a client workstation which is used for a user to use information provided via a network by an information provider, said checking device comprising:

reception means for receiving the information via the network from the information provider, the information being received in response to a request from the client workstation to the information provider to receive the information, wherein the information received from the information provider includes first data regarding fee information associated with each respective content of the information and second data regarding fee information associated with each respective type of coding process performed in generating the content of the information;

input means for inputting third data indicative of money information; and

checking means for checking a permission and an inhibition of use of the information received from the information provider according to said first data and said second data received by said reception means and said third data input by said input means, the checking being performed after the reception means receives the information from the information provider.

2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising calculating means that calculates fourth data indicative of a use charge of the information, from at least one of said first and said second data and compares said third data with said fourth data.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said money information is information regarding cash input into said input means.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said money information is information written in a prepaid card.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said money information is electronic information.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein said third data is input through a terminal station connected to the network.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the information is image information which was hierarchically coded, and said type of coding process indicates a hierarchy of coding of the information.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein the information is image information which was intra-frame coded or inter-frame coded, and said type of coding process indicates whether the information is image information which was intra-frame coded or image information which was inter-frame coded.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the information is image information which was MPEG encoded, and said type of coding process indicates whether the information is image information which was intra-frame coded, image information which was predictive coded, or image information which was bidirectional predictive coded.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein the information received from the information provided was enciphered and said type of coding process indicates a power used in enciphering the information.

11. A device according to claim 1, wherein the information received from the information provider was enciphered and said type of coding process indicates a processing speed of decoding the information.

12. A device according to claim 1, wherein the information received from the information provider was enciphered and said type of coding process indicates what kind of enciphering was used in enciphering the information.

13. A communicating apparatus which is utilized by a user in order to use information provided via a network by an information provider, comprising:

reception means for receiving the information via the network from the information provider, the information being received in response to a request from the communicating apparatus to the information provider to receive the information, wherein the information received from the information provider includes first data regarding fee information associated with each respective content of the information and second data regarding fee information associated with a respective type of coding process performed in generating the content of the information;

input means for inputting third data indicative of money information;

checking means for checking a permission and an inhibition of use of the information received by said reception means and the third data input by said input means, the checking being performed after the reception means receives the information from the information provider; and

information processing means for processing the information received from the information provider according to a checking result of said checking means to provide the user with the processed information.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising means for calculating fourth data indicative of a use charge for use of the information, from at least one of said first and said second data, and for comparing said third data with said fourth data.

15. A communication system for an information provider for providing information via a network and for a user to use the information provided by the information provider, said communication system comprising:

a communicating apparatus for the information provider to provide the information, comprising;

transmitting means for transmitting the information to a communicating apparatus for the user in response to a request for the information from the communicating apparatus for the user, the information including first data regarding fee information associated with each respective content of the information and second data regarding fee information associated with each respective type of coding process performed in generating the content of the information; and

the communicating apparatus for the user to use the information, comprising;

requesting means for requesting the information from the information provider;

reception means for receiving the information from the information provider in response to the request;

input means for inputting third data indicative of money information; and

checking means for checking a permission and an inhibition of use of the information received from the information provider according to the first data and the second data received by said reception means and the third data input by said input means, the checking being performed after the reception means receives the information from the information provider,

wherein said communicating apparatus for the information provider and said communicating apparatus for the user are connected to a common network.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein said communicating apparatus for the user further comprises means for calculating fourth data indicative of a use charge for use of the information, from at least one of said first and said second data, and for comparing said third data with said fourth data.

17. A system according to claim 16, further comprising a communicating apparatus for a charge accommodator to send money information corresponding to said fourth data to said communicating apparatus for the information provider, connected to the network.

18. A network device comprising:

requesting means for requesting to receive information from an information provider via a network;

input means for inputting, via the network and in response to a request from the requesting means, first data and second data which are attached to the information received from the information provider and third data indicative of available money, wherein the first data includes fee information associated with each respective content of the information and the second data includes fee information associated with each respective type of coding process performed in generating the content of the information; and

checking means for checking a permission and an inhibition of use of the information in accordance with the first data and the second data attached to the information and the third data input by said input means, the checking being performed after the information is received by the inputting means from the information provider.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein said information received from said information is enciphered.

20. A device according to claim 19, wherein said type of coding process indicates an encipher power.

21. A device according to claim 18, further comprising output means for outputting a result obtained by said checking means.

22. A device according to claim 18, further comprising updating means for updating said third data in accordance with a result obtained by said checking means.

23. A method for a network device, comprising the steps of:

requesting to receive information from an information provider via a network;

inputting, via the network and in response to a request from the requesting step, first data and second data which are attached to the information received from the information provider, the first data including fee information associated with each respective content of the information and the second data including fee information associated with each respective type of coding process performed in generating the content of the information, and third data indicative of available money; and

checking a permission and an inhibition of use of the information in accordance with the first data and the second data attached to the information and the third data input in said input step, the checking being performed after the information is received by the inputting step from the information provider.

24. A computer readable medium storing computer code, the computer code comprising the steps of:

requesting to receive information from an information provider via a network;

inputting, via the network and in response to a request of the requesting step, first data and second data which are attached to the information received from the information provider, the first data including fee information associated with each respective content of the information and the second data including fee information associated with each respective type of coding process performed in generating the content of the information, and third data indicative of available money; and

checking a permission and an inhibition of use of the information in accordance with the first data and the second data attached to the information and the third data input by said input step, the checking being performed after the information is received by the inputting step from the information provider.

25. A checking device included in an accounting device in a client workstation which is used for a user to use information from an information provider via a network, said checking device comprising:

reception means for receiving the information via the network from the information provider, the information being received in response to a request from the client workstation to the information provider to receive the information, wherein the information received from the information provider includes first data regarding fee information associated with each respective content of the information and second data regarding fee information corresponding to at least one quality of reception of the information via a transmission line;

input means for inputting third data indicative of money information; and

checking means for checking a permission and an inhibition of use of the information received from the information provider according to the first data and the second data received by said reception means and the third data input by said input means, the checking being performed after the reception means receives the information from the information provider.

26. A method for a checking device included in an accounting device in a client workstation which is used for a user to use information from an information provider via a network, said method comprising:

a receiving step of receiving the information via the network from the information provider, the information being received in response to a request from the client workstation to the information provider to receive the information, wherein the information received from the information provider includes first data regarding fee information associated with each respective content of the information and second data regarding fee information corresponding to at least one quality of reception of the information via a transmission line;

an inputting step of inputting third data indicative of money information; and

a checking step of checking a permission and an inhibition of use of the information received from the information provider according to the first data and the second data received in said receiving step and the third data input in said inputting step, the checking being performed after the receiving step receives the information from the information provider.

27. A computer readable medium storing computer code, the computer code for a method of a checking device included in an accounting device in a client workstation which is used for a user to use information from an information provider via a network, said method comprising the steps of:

a receiving step of receiving the information via the network from the information provider, the information being received in response to a request from the client workstation to the information provider to receive the information, wherein the information received from the information provider includes first data regarding fee information associated with each respective content of the information and second data regarding fee information for reception of the information via a transmission line;

an inputting step of inputting third data indicative of money information; and

a checking step of checking a permission and an inhibition of use of the information received from the information provider according to the first data and the second data received in said reception step and the third data input in said inputting step, the checking being performed after the receiving step receives the information from the information provider.

28. A checking device included in an accounting device in a client workstation which is used for a user to use information from an information provider via a network, said checking device comprising:

reception means for receiving the information via the network from the information provider, the information being received in response to a request from the client workstation to the information provider to receive the information, wherein the information received from the information provider includes first data regarding a charge to be paid to the information provider for content of the information and second data regarding a charge to be paid to a transmission provider who provides a transmission line through which the information is transmitted;

input means for inputting third data indicative of money information; and

checking means for checking a permission and an inhibition of use of the information received from the information provider according to said first data and said second data received by said reception means and said third data input by said input means, the checking being performed after the reception means receives the information from the information provider.

29. A method for a checking device included in an accounting device in a client workstation which is used for a user to use information from an information provider via a network, said method comprising the steps of:

a reception step of receiving the information via the network from the information provider, the information being received in response to a request from the client workstation to the information provider to receive the information, wherein the information received from the information provider includes first data regarding a charge to be paid to the information provider for content of the information and second data regarding a charge to be paid to a transmission provider who provides a transmission line through which the information is transmitted;

an input step of inputting third data indicative of money information; and

a checking step of checking a permission and an inhibition of use of the information received from the information provider according to said first data and said second data received in said reception step and said third data input in said input step, the checking being performed after the receiving step receives the information from the information provider.

30. A computer readable medium storing computer code, the computer code for a method of a checking device included in an accounting device in a client workstation which is used for a user to use information from an information provider via a network, said method comprising the steps of:

a reception step of receiving the information via the network from the information provider, the information being received in response to a request front the client workstation to the information provider to receive the information, wherein the information received from the information provider includes first data regarding a charge to be paid to the information provider for content of the information and second data regarding a charge to be paid to a transmission provider who provides a transmission line through which the information is transmitted;

an input step of inputting third data indicative of money information; and

a checking step of checking a permission and an inhibition of use of the information received from the information provider according to said first data and said second data received in said reception step and said third data input in said input step, the checking being performed after the reception step receives the information from the information provider.