Readable information production system and digital content delivery system

• US 6,782,397 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2001
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US09/946,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20020040320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 715/506, 715/527
• US Class Current: 715/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The invention provides a digital content delivery system appropriate for outputting a digital content in an easy-to-view layout to a user. A content delivery terminal includes a user information registration DB that stores a plurality of layout definition files defining output layouts of digital contents. When user information, including a destination address and a selection of an output layout, is input, the input user information is associated with the selected layout definition file before the input user information and the layout definition file are registered in the user information registration DB. Based on the layout definition file in the user information registration DB, the output layout of a digital content is determined, and the digital content is produced. The produced digital content is delivered to a destination address corresponding to the layout definition file used to produce the digital content.

Claims

1. A readable information production system for delivering readable information, comprising:

a layout information storage device that is remote from any of a plurality of user input terminals and readable information providing terminals that stores a plurality of pieces of layout information relating to an output layout of readable information, the readable information being produced by accessing user information including schedule information relating to a time band in which a user desires delivery and a selection of layout information, that was previously stored by a user by remotely inputting through a user input terminal for registration in the user information registration database of the layout information storage device, the user information registration database containing fields to store user preferences, the schedule information relating to a time band in which a user desires delivery, the selected layout information, and the user information that is associated with the layout information, determining an output layout of the readable information based on the layout information stored in the user information database in the layout information storage device, and delivering the readable information in the determined output layout in accordance with the schedule information corresponding to the layout information in the layout information storage device.

2. The readable information production system according to claim 1, further comprising a readable information storage device that stores a plurality of pieces of readable information,

the user information including information relating to readable information desired by a user, and

the readable information being produced by the readable information production system reading, from the layout information storage device, the information relating to the desired readable information and the layout information corresponding to the information relating to the desired readable information, selecting the readable information from the readable information storage device based on the read information relating to the desired readable information, and determining an output layout for the selected readable information based on the read layout information.

3. A digital content delivery system for delivering a digital content, comprising:

a layout information storage device that is remote from any of a plurality of user input terminals and readable information providing terminals that stores a plurality of pieces of layout information relating to an output layout of the digital content;

an input device that is remote from the layout information storage device and inputs user information containing a destination address of the digital content, aselection of the layout information, and schedule information relating to a time band in which a user desires delivery;

a registering device that stores, in the user information database of the layout information storage device, the user information and user schedule information input by the user via the remote input device and the layout information selected by the user via the remote input device with the user information being associated with the layout information stored in the user information database;

a content production device that produces the digital content by determining the output layout of the digital content based on the layout information stored in the user information database of the layout information storage device; and

a content delivery device that delivers the digital content which is produced by the content production device in accordance with the scheduling information corresponding to the layout information and the destination address associated with the layout information stored in the user information database.

4. The digital content delivery system according to claim 3, further comprising a content storage device that stores a plurality of digital contents,

the user information including content information relating to a digital content the delivery of which is desired by a user, and

a digital content being produced by the content production device reading, from the layout information storage device, the content information and the layout information corresponding to the content information, selecting the digital content from the content storage device based on the read content information, and determining an output layout for the selected digital content, based on the read layout information.

5. A readable information production system for delivering readable information, comprising:

a layout information storage device that stores a plurality of pieces of layout information relating to an output layout of readable information, the readable information being produced by entering user information including schedule information relating to a time band in which a user desires delivery and a selection of layout information, registering, in the layout information storage device, the input user information and the selected layout information with the user information that is associated with the layout information, determining an output layout of the readable information based on the layout information in the layout information storage device, and delivering the readable information in accordance with the schedule information corresponding to the layout information in the layout information storage device.

6. A digital content delivery system for delivering a digital content, comprising:

a layout information storage device that stores a plurality of pieces of layout information relating to an output layout of the digital content;

an input device that inputs user information containing a destination address of the digital content, a selection of the layout information, and schedule information relating to a time band in which a user desires delivery;

a registering device that registers, in the layout information storage device, the user information input by the input device and the layout information selected by the input device with the user information being associated with the layout information;

a content production device that produces the digital content by determining the output layout of the digital content based on the layout information in the layout information storage device; and

a content delivery device that delivers the digital content which is produced by the content production device in accordance with the scheduling information corresponding to the layout information and the destination address responsive to the layout information.