Product delivery methods

• US 6,856,966 B1
• Filed: 12/01/1999
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: SETA Corporation (Universal Entertainment Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer, Andrew J.
• Application Number:
  US09/452,135
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 717/11, 705/17, 705/21, 705/30, 705/41
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method and system for delivering data, goods, or services, by which additional data such as purchase history data, purchaser inherent data and accounting data, which correspond to a purchaser, are recorded in a rewritable medium, to which primary data is, rewritten or reloaded, and by which a high-security system can be easily configured by collating such additional data with corresponding additional data recorded in a computer of a data deliverer or management company. A purchaser purchases a purchaser record medium, to which primary data is rewritten or reloaded, at a shop. Further, the purchaser deposits, namely, writes cash data representing a predetermined amount of money thereto. At that time, the purchaser also writes purchaser inherent data thereto. When primary data, goods, or services are requested, data recorded in the purchaser record medium is sent to the data deliverers or management companies through communication networks and collated with past data recorded in computers of the data deliverers or management companies. If matched, the primary data, goods or service is delivered from the data deliverer or the management company. Additional data is then recorded in the purchase record medium. Simultaneously, additional data relating to the primary data, goods or service is recorded in the computers of the data deliverers or management companies.

Claims

1. A data providing method for providing a purchaser with first data from a retail seller onto a rewritable record medium through a purchase request, the seller having a data providing system having a data delivery portion for delivering the first data to the purchaser and a data intermediate portion connected with the data delivery portion via a communication line for intermediating between the data delivery portion and the rewritable record medium of the purchaser, the method comprising:

recording, for the purchaser, second data onto the rewritable record medium, the second data representing identification information of the purchaser;

retrieving, for the seller, the second data from the rewritable record medium onto the data intermediate portion;

producing third data including purchase information on an available purchaser balance for purchasing the first data;

recording the third data onto the rewritable record medium as purchaser third data;

registering for the purchaser the third data in the data providing system as registered third data;

retrieving the registered third data of the purchaser from the data providing system based on the second data recorded in the rewritable record medium, when the purchaser makes the purchase request of the first data;

comparing a registered relevant portion of the registered third data with a purchaser relevant portion of the purchaser third data that corresponds to the registered relevant portion to determine matching between the corresponding relevant portions;

performing an accounting operation that provides the purchaser with the first data in response to matching between corresponding relevant portions, the accounting operation producing additional third data that represent the purchase information for purchasing the first data;

recording, from the data delivery portion onto the rewritable record medium, the first data and the additional third data, after the accounting operation is performed; and

registering in the data providing system the additional third data, after the accounting operation is performed.

2. The data providing method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of recording the first data and the additional third data comprises recording the purchase information in the purchaser rewritable record medium, wherein the purchase information includes accounting information that represents the accounting operation by subtracting a price of the first data from the available purchaser balance; and

the step of registering in the data providing system the additional third data comprises registering the purchase information in the data providing system, the purchase information which includes the accounting information that represents the accounting operation.

3. The data providing method according to claim 2, wherein:

the step of recording in the purchaser rewritable record medium the first data and the additional third data further includes recording the accounting information in the purchaser rewritable record medium, wherein the accounting information includes each of deposited money account information that represents an amount of money which is deposited for purchasing the first data, paid money amount information that represents an amount of money which is paid to purchase the first data, and balance amount information that represents a balance after the first data have been purchased; and

the step of registering in the data providing system the additional third data further includes registering the accounting information in the data providing system.

4. The data providing method according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of recording in the purchaser rewritable record medium the first data and the additional third data further includes recording the purchase information in the purchaser rewritable record medium, wherein the purchase information includes data specific information specifying the first data for which the accounting operation is performed; and

the step of registering in the data providing system the additional third data further includes registering the purchase information in the data providing system.

5. The data providing method according to claim 4, wherein:

the step of recording in the purchaser rewritable record medium the first data and the additional third data further includes recording the purchase information in the purchaser rewritable record medium, wherein the purchase information includes data specification information each of having title information that represents a title of the first data, purchase price information that represents a purchase price of the first data, and purchase date and time information for representing a date and a time when the first data are purchased; and

the step of registering in the data providing system the additional third data further includes registering the purchase information in the data providing system.

6. The data providing method according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of recording in the purchaser rewritable record medium the first data and the additional third data comprises recording the purchase information in the purchaser rewritable record medium, wherein the purchase information for purchasing the first data includes each of accounting information that represents the accounting operation, and data specification information that specifies the first data after the accounting operation is performed; and

the step of registering in the data providing system the additional third data comprises registering the purchase information in the data providing system.

7. The data providing method according to claim 6, wherein

the step of retrieving the registered third data of the purchaser comprises retrieving at least one information from the accounting information and the data specification information, and

the step of performing the accounting operation comprises performing the accounting operation when the at least one information retrieved by the step of retrieving the registered third data of the purchaser is matched with corresponding purchase information of the purchaser third data recorded in the purchaser rewritable record.

8. The data providing method according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of recording in the purchaser rewritable record medium the first data and the additional third data comprises recording the purchase information in the purchaser rewritable record medium, wherein the purchase information includes each of title information that represents a title of the first data, purchase date and time information that represents a date and time when the first data are purchased, deposited money amount information that represents an amount of deposited money which is deposited for purchasing the first data, paid money amount information that represents an amount of money which is paid to purchase the first data, and balance amount information that represents a balance after the first data have been purchased; and

the step of registering in the data providing system the additional third data comprises registering the purchase information in the data providing system.

9. The data providing method according to claim 1, wherein the step of performing the accounting operation comprises:

determining, with a determination process, whether or not the purchaser meets a predetermined data purchase requirement, based on the second data; and

performing, with an accounting performing process, the accounting operation when the determination process determines that the purchaser meets the predetermined data purchase requirement.

10. The data providing method according to claim 9, wherein the step of determining, with a determination process, whether or not the purchaser meets a predetermined data purchase requirement, based on the second data further comprises representing, with a data purchase requirement, an age eligible to purchase the first data.

11. The data providing method according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of recording in the purchaser rewritable record medium further comprises accumulating the purchaser third data in the purchaser rewritable record medium, and

the step of registering in the data providing system further comprises accumulating the registered third data in the data providing system after the accounting operation is performed.

12. The data providing method according to claim 1, further comprising recording a price information that represents a predetermined price in the purchaser rewritable record medium by the data providing system, when said purchaser meets a predetermined money requirement.

13. The data providing method according to claim 1, further comprising controlling the registered third data and the purchaser third data, such that the purchaser cannot rewrite the purchaser third data.

14. The data providing method according to claim 1, further comprising using the purchaser rewritable record medium that is a record medium having only a recording function as a function.

15. The data providing method according to claim 1, further comprising registering the registered third data in the data delivery portion.

16. The data providing method according to claim 1, wherein the step of performing the accounting operation is performed by the data delivery portion.

17. The data providing method according to claim 16, wherein the step of retrieving the registered third data of the purchaser comprises:

transmitting, via a transmission process, the second data and the purchaser third data recorded in the purchaser rewritable record medium from the data intermediate portion to the data delivery portion via the communication line; and

retrieving, by the data delivery portion, via a retrieval process, the registered third data, based on the second data transmitted by the transmission process, and

wherein the step of performing the accounting operation comprises;

determining, by the data delivery portion, via a determination process, whether or not the purchaser third data transmitted by the transmission process match the retrieved third data retrieved by the retrieval process; and

performing, by the data delivery portion, via an accounting performing process, the accounting operation when the determination process determines that the purchaser third data match the retrieved third data.

18. The data providing method according to claim 1, further comprising registering the purchaser third data in the data intermediate portion to replace the registered third data.

19. The data providing method according to claim 1, wherein the steps of retrieving the purchaser third data and performing the accounting operation are performed by the data intermediate portion.

20. The data providing method according to claim 1, wherein the steps of retrieving, performing, recording and registering are performed by a data processing apparatus as the data intermediate portion, wherein the data processing apparatus is installed in a shop which sells the first data to the purchaser.

21. The data providing method according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of recording the first data in the purchaser rewritable record medium comprises;

transmitting, via a transmission process, the first data from the data delivery portion to the data intermediate portion via the communication line after the accounting operation is performed; and

recording, by the data intermediate portion, via a record process, the first data and the additional third data, in the purchaser rewritable record medium after the accounting operation is performed; and

the step of registering in the data providing system comprises registering, by the data delivery portion, via a registering process, the additional third data in the data delivery portion after the accounting operation is performed.

22. The data providing method according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of recording the first data in the purchaser rewritable medium comprises;

transmitting, via a transmission process, the first data from the data delivery portion to the data intermediate portion in advance of the step of performing an accounting operation; and

recording, by the data intermediate portion, via a recording process, the first data and the additional third data in the purchaser record medium after the accounting operation is performed; and

the step of registering in the data providing system comprises registering, by the data delivery portion, via a registering process, the additional third data in the data delivery portion after the accounting operation is performed.

23. The data providing method according to claim 22, wherein the transmission process transmits the first data from the data delivery portion to the intermediate portion by distributing a data record medium in which the first data are recorded, from the data delivery portion to the data intermediate portion, in advance of performing an accounting operation.

24. The data providing method according to claim 20, wherein:

the step of recording in the purchaser rewritable record medium the first data and the additional third data after the accounting operation is performed, comprises recording the purchase information in the purchaser rewritable record medium, wherein the purchase information includes accounting information that represents the accounting operation, and the accounting information includes deposited money amount information that represents an amount of deposited money which is deposited for purchasing the first data, paid money amount information that represents an amount of money which is paid to purchase the first data, balance amount information indicating a balance after purchasing the first data, accounting date and time information that represents a date and a time when the accounting operation is performed, and shop information that represents the data sale shop where the first data are sold, and

the step of registering in the data providing system the additional third data after the accounting operation is performed comprises registering the purchase information in the data providing system, wherein the purchase information includes the accounting information, and the accounting information includes the deposited money amount information, the paid money amount information, the balance amount information, the accounting date and time information, and the shop information.

25. The data proving method according to claim 20, wherein:

the step of recording in the purchaser rewritable record medium the first data and the additional third data after the accounting operation is performed comprises recording the purchase information in the purchaser rewritable record medium, wherein the purchase information includes data specification information that specifies the purchased first data, and the data specification information includes title information that represents a title of the first data, purchase price information that represents a purchase price of the first data, shop information that represents a shop at which the first data are purchased, purchase date and time information that represents a date and time when the first data are purchased, and apparatus information that represents the data processing apparatus which writes the first data, and

the step of registering in the data providing system the additional third data after the accounting operation is performed comprises registering the purchase information in the data providing system, wherein the purchase information includes data specification information specifying the purchased first data, and the data specification information includes the title information, the purchase price information, the shop information, the purchase date and time information, and the apparatus information.

26. The data providing method according to claim 20, wherein:

the step of recording in the purchaser rewritable record medium the first data and the additional third data after the accounting operation is performed comprises recording the purchase information in the purchaser rewritable record medium, wherein the purchase information includes each of title information that represents a title of the first data, deposited money amount information that represents an amount of deposited money which is deposited for purchasing the first data, paid money amount information that represents an amount of paid money which is paid to purchase the first data, balance amount information that represents a balance after purchasing the first data, purchase date and time information that represents a date and a time when the first data are purchased, shop information that represents a shop in which the first data are purchased, and apparatus information that represents the data processing apparatus which writes the first data; and

the step of registering in the data providing system the additional third data after the accounting operation is performed comprises registering the purchase information in the data providing system, wherein the purchase information includes the title information, the deposited money amount information, the paid money amount information, the balance amount information, the purchase date and time information, the shop information, and the apparatus information.

27. The data providing method according to claim 1, wherein the steps of retrieving, performing, recording and registering are performed by a data processing apparatus as the data intermediate portion, wherein the data processing apparatus is associated with the purchaser.