Terminal apparatus, information service center, transmitting system, and transmitting method

• US 7,003,496 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2002
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Junichi, Ishii, Michito, Ootsu, Shuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bayat, Bradley B.
• Application Number:
  US10/106,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20020103670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 705/51, 705/52, 705/57, 705/16, 705/30, 463/25, 463/29, 463 40- 43, 434/307.A, 434/307.R
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/365 the accompaniment information being stored on a host computer and transmitted to a reproducing terminal by means of a network, e.g. public telephone lines
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/575 Adaptive MDCT-based compression, e.g. using a hybrid subband-MDCT, as in ATRAC

Abstract

A transmitting system is provided in which a data once downloaded in a memory means of a terminal apparatus from an information service center is returned to the information service center while the returned data is deleted from the memory means of the terminal apparatus, and a fee for a next new data purchased by the terminal apparatus from the information service center is discounted or not charged.

Claims

1. A system that transfers data between an information service center and a plurality of terminals, comprising:

first and second terminals, each including

receiving means for receiving data served from the information service center;

first memory means for storing the data received by the receiving means;

operation means operable to direct the terminal apparatus to delete and transfer unnecessary data of the data stored in the first memory means to the information service center;

second memory means for storing information of a reproduction frequency of each individual data stored in the first memory means; and

transmitting means for transmitting to the information service center the unnecessary data and for transmitting the information of the reproduction frequency of the unnecessary data deleted from the first memory means and transmitted to the information service center, wherein the information service center calculates an equivalent exchange rate based on the information transmitted by the transmitting means, and discounts for a subsequent new served data based on the calculated equivalent exchange rate.

2. The system that transfers data as set forth in claim 1, wherein the receiving means receives the data from the information service center over a public telephone line.

3. The system that transfers data as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second terminals comprises a private portable terminal apparatus.

4. The system that transfers data as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an accounting circuit in the information service center for charging a fee to a user of one of the first and second terminal upon transferring data thereto.

5. The system that transfers data set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second terminals communicates with the information service center by wireless communication.

6. The system that transfers data as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an authentication circuit in the information service center for authenticating that a user of one of the first and second terminals is a valid user.

7. The system that transfers data as set forth in claim 1, further comprising means for copying data from the first terminal to the second terminal.