Information access device and information delivery system

• US 6,962,287 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Information Technology Co. Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Device Engineering Co., Ltd. (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Integrated Information Technology, Hitachi Device Engineering Co., Ltd. (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Inventors: Arai, Toshifumi, Andou, Kazunori, Itami, Munetaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimberly D.
• Application Number:
  US10/407,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20040011867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 235/382, 235/375, 235/376, 235/451, 235/492, 705/14
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The present invention concerns an information access device for utilizing a supposed information service, which possesses an information-inputting device. The information access device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a usage discrimination part which judges whether the information-inputting device is utilized for said intended information service or unintended usage, based on prescribed information from said information inputting device.

Claims

1. An information access device for utilizing an intended information service via an information-inputting device, comprising:

a usage discrimination part which judges whether the information-inputting device is utilized for said intended information service or for unintended usage, based on prescribed information from said information inputting device, the usage discrimination part increasing an available point when the information-inputting device is utilized for the intended information service and decreasing the available point when the information-inputting device is utilized for unintended usage.

2. The information access device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a limiter for unintended usage which restricts the use for unintended usage when said usage discrimination part judges a number or period of usage for unintended usage exceeds a threshold value.

3. The information access device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said usage discrimination part allows use of said information access device for unintended usage if the available point satisfies a predetermined condition.

4. The information access device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information-inputting device is an image-inputting device or a receiving device for said information service.

5. An information access device including an image-inputting device and a personal computer, which is utilized for an information delivery service, said personal computer comprising:

a driver for inputting link information read from said image-inputting device;

an information access part which accesses said information delivery service based on the link information from said driver;

a usage discrimination part having an available point which is increased by access of said information access part and is decreased by using said driver; and

a limiter for unintended usage which restricts the use for unintended usage when said available point is lower than a threshold value.

6. The information access device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said link information read from the image-inputting device is printed information.

7. The information access device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said printed information is described in a publication or storage medium.

8. The information access device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said restriction through said limiter for unintended usage is deterioration of information read from said image-inputting device.

9. An information delivery system in which an information access device including an information-inputting device and a server for an information delivery service are connected to a network, and which performs an information delivery service to said information access device, said information access device comprising:

usage discrimination part which judges whether the information-inputting device is utilized for said information delivery service or for unintended usage, based on prescribed information from said information inputting device; and

a limiter for unintended usage which restricts the use for unintended usage when said usage discrimination part judges a number or period of usage for unintended usage exceeds a threshold value.

10. The information delivery system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said server for said information delivery service has a link table for returning an access address corresponding to the link information from said information access device and an available point, which moderates the restriction of the usage by said discrimination part.