Electronic asset utilization system, electronic asset utilization method, server for use with electronic asset utilization system, and recording medium having recorded thereon electronic asset utilization method

• US 7,103,572 B1
• Filed: 02/17/2000
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shibata, Akio, Kawaguchi, Kyoko, Takayama, Hisashi, Matsuse, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, Alain L.
• Application Number:
  US09/505,810
• Time in Patent Office: 2,392 Days
• Field of Search: 705/39, 705/40, 325/375, 325/380
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/38215 Use of certificates or encrypted proofs of transaction rights
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems

Abstract

An electronic asset utilization system is constituted of a stationary terminal 11, such as a set-top box (STB), a mobile terminal 13, such as a portable cellular phone, and a server 15. The server 15 receives an order for an electronic asset from the stationary terminal 11 or the mobile terminal 13; downloads to the stationary terminal 11 or the mobile terminal 13 an electronic asset and an exchange or receipt certificate to be described later; retains the thus-issued electronic asset, exchange certificate, or receipt certificate; and settles a charge billed to the thus-ordered electronic asset.

The stationary terminal 11, the mobile terminal 13, and the server 15 are connected to a communications network.

Claims

1. An electronic asset utilization system comprising:

a first terminal connected to a communications network, said first terminal including;

means for sending an order for purchasing an electronic asset including electronic data for obtaining a service or product being offered for sale by a vendor,

means for electronically requesting the issuance of said electronic asset on a predetermined date and time,

means for electronically transmitting financial information to support said purchase of said electronic asset, and

means for receiving settlement information about said purchase; and

a server connected to the communications network, said server including;

a user processing section for receiving said order from said first terminal;

a settlement processing section for receiving said financial information from said first terminal, and for settling a charge for said purchase in response to receiving said financial information, and also for electronically transmitting said settlement information about the purchase to said first terminal after settling said charge,

an exchange certificate issuance section for electronically transmitting an exchange certificate including electronic data to said first terminal or to a second terminal in response to said order, wherein said exchange certificate is used for verifying a user'"'"'s right to receive said electronic asset,

an electronic asset issuance section for electronically transmitting said electronic asset corresponding to, and in exchange for, the exchange certificate, at said predetermined date and time, said transmitting to one of said first terminal, said second terminal, or a third terminal, and

an electronic asset status management section for ensuring that said electronic asset is transmitted to said one of said first terminal, said second terminal, or said third terminal only if said exchange certificate has been transmitted to said server from said one of said first terminal, said second terminal, or said third terminal;

wherein said exchange certificate includes information about obtaining said electronic asset, and further

wherein said electronic asset is for obtaining the service or product from the vendor.

2. The electronic asset utilization system of claim 1, wherein said issuance of said exchange certificate occurs only after said settlement processing section has settled the charge.

3. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 2, wherein, in a case where said second terminal receiving said exchange certificate is a portable mobile terminal, submission of said exchange certificate to the server and/or transmission of the electronic asset to the second terminal that has the exchange certificate are carried out by way of a stationary terminal which can exchange data with the terminal.

4. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 2, wherein the exchange certificate comprises settlement information indicating that the charge billed to the electronic asset has already been settled, and status information indicating that the corresponding electronic asset has not yet been received.

5. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 4, wherein an expiration date by which the exchange certificate can be exchanged for the corresponding electronic asset is set for the exchange certificate.

6. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 5, wherein, in a case where the exchange certificate has not yet been exchanged for the electronic asset even though the expiration date has nearly arrived, the server sends, to the one of said first, second, or another terminal to which the exchange certificate has been transmitted, a message indicating that the expiration date has nearly arrived.

7. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 5, wherein, in a case where the exchange certificate has not yet been exchanged for the electronic asset even when the expiration date has nearly arrived, the server issues to the one of said first, second, or another terminal to which the exchange certificate has been transmitted a request for downloading the electronic asset or forcibly transmits the electronic asset to the one of said first, second, or another terminal to which the exchange certificate has been transmitted.

8. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 5, wherein the server further includes past-due processing means, and in the event that the exchange certificate still has not been exchanged for the corresponding electronic asset even after lapse of the expiration date of the exchange certificate, the past-due processing means sends, to the one of said first, second, or another terminal to which the exchange certificate has been transmitted, a message indicating that the expiration date has passed and a request for downloading the electronic asset, or forcedly transmits the electronic asset.

11. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 8, wherein, upon receipt of the message or the download request from the server, the one of said first, second, or another terminal issues voice notification indicating receipt of the message or the download request.

13. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 1, wherein the server further includes electronic asset status management means for managing the date and the time of issuance status of the electronic asset, an effective term of the electronic asset, whether there is the exchange certificate or not, and the effective term of the exchange certificate, wherein the electronic asset is issued by the issuance section, and wherein the exchange certificate is managed correspondingly to the electronic asset.

14. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 5, wherein, in a case where the exchange certificate has not yet been exchanged for the electronic asset corresponding to the exchange certificate even when the expiration date has nearly arrived, the server sends, to the terminal to which the exchange certificate has been transmitted, a message indicating that the expiration date has nearly arrived, and

in a case where the exchange certificate has not yet been exchanged for the electronic asset corresponding to the exchange certificate even when the expiration date is imminent, the server issues to the terminal to which the exchange certificate has been transmitted a request for downloading the electronic asset, or forcibly transmits the electronic asset corresponding to the exchange certificate to the terminal.

15. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 1, wherein the exchange certificate comprises settlement information indicating that the charge billed to the electronic asset has already been settled, and status information indicating that the corresponding electronic asset has not yet been received.

16. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 6, wherein, in a case where the exchange certificate has not yet been exchanged for the electronic asset corresponding to the exchange certificate even when the expiration date has nearly arrived, the server issues to the terminal to which the exchange certificate has been transmitted a request for downloading the electronic asset or forcibly transmits the electronic asset corresponding to the exchange certificate to the terminal.

17. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 5, wherein the server has past-due processing means, and in the event that the exchange certificate still has not been exchanged for the corresponding electronic asset even after lapse of the expiration date of the exchange certificate, the past-due processing means sends, to the terminal to which the exchange certificate has been transmitted, a message indicating that the expiration date has passed and a request for downloading the electronic asset, or forcedly transmits the electronic asset.

18. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 17, wherein the past-due processing means issues to the terminal to which the exchange certificate has been transmitted a request for deleting or invoking the expired exchange certificate.

19. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 18, wherein, upon receipt of the message or the download request from the server, the terminal to which the exchange certificate has been transmitted indicates, on a display section, the message or details of the download request and/or details of the exchange certificate.

20. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 19, wherein the server has retransmission processing means, and, in the event that transmission of the electronic asset or the exchange certificate has failed, retransmission processing means comprised in said server retransmits the electronic asset or the exchange certificate, respectively.

21. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in one of claims 6, 7, and 16, wherein past-due processing means comprised in said server issues to the terminal to which the exchange certificate has been transmitted a request for deleting or invoking the exchange certificate that has expired.

22. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 21, wherein, upon receipt of a request for deleting or invoking the expired exchange certificate from the past-due processing means, the terminal deletes or revokes the exchange certificate.

23. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 6, wherein, upon receipt of the message or the message from the server, the terminal that received the exchange certificate indicates, on a display section, the message and/or information of the exchange certificate.

24. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 6, wherein, upon receipt of the message from the server, the terminal issues voice notification indicating receipt of the message.

25. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 1, wherein the server further comprises retransmission processing means, and, in the event that transmission of the electronic asset or the exchange certificate has failed, the retransmission processing means retransmits the electronic asset or the exchange certificate, respectively.

9. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in 8, wherein the past-due processing means issues to the one of said first, second, or another terminal to which the exchange certificate has been transmitted a request for deleting or invoking the expired exchange certificate.

12. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in claim 9, wherein, upon receipt of the request for deleting or invoking the expired exchange certificate from the past-due processing means, the one of said first, second, or another terminal deletes or invokes the exchange certificate.

10. The electronic asset utilization system as defined in 8, wherein, upon receipt of the message or the download request from the server, the one of said first, second, or another terminal indicates, on a display section, the message or details of the download request and/or details of the exchange certificate.

26. An electronic asset utilization method comprising the steps of:

purchasing an electronic asset including electronic data, including the steps of;

sending an order for purchasing said electronic asset for obtaining a service or product being offered for sale by a vendor,

requesting the issuance of said electronic asset on a predetermined date and time,

electronically transmitting financial information to support said purchase of said electronic asset, and

receiving settlement information about said purchase; and

issuing said electronic asset, including the steps of;

receiving said order from said first terminal;

receiving said financial information from said first terminal,

settling a charge for said purchase in response to receiving said financial information,

electronically transmitting said settlement information about the purchase to said first terminal after settling said charge,

electronically transmitting an exchange certificate including electronic data in response to said order, wherein said exchange certificate verifies a user'"'"'s right to receive said electronic asset, and

electronically transmitting said electronic asset corresponding to, and in exchange for, the exchange certificate, at said predetermined date and time, said transmitting to the user;

wherein said electronic asset is transmitted only if said exchange certificate has been provided by the user prior to issuing said electronic asset, and

wherein said exchange certificate includes information about obtaining said electronic asset, and further

wherein said electronic asset is for obtaining the service or product from the vendor.

27. A server connected to a terminal by way of a communications network, said server for use in an electronic asset utilization system, said server comprising:

a user processing section for receiving an order from a first terminal for purchasing an electronic asset including electronic data for obtaining a service or product being offered for sale by a vendor, wherein said electronic asset is to be electronically transmitted at a predetermined date and time;

a settlement processing section for receiving said financial information from said first terminal, and for settling a charge for said purchase in response to receiving said financial information, and also for electronically transmitting said settlement information about the purchase to said first terminal after settling said charge,

an exchange certificate issuance section for electronically transmitting an exchange certificate including electronic data to said first terminal or to a second terminal in response to said order, wherein said exchange certificate verifies a user'"'"'s right to receive said electronic asset,

an electronic asset issuance section for electronically transmitting said electronic asset corresponding to, and in exchange for, the exchange certificate, at said predetermined date and time, said transmitting to one of said first terminal, said second terminal, or a third terminal, and

an electronic asset status management section for ensuring that said electronic asset is transmitted to said one of said first terminal, said second terminal, or said third terminal only if said exchange certificate has been transmitted to said server from said one of said first terminal, said second terminal, or said third terminal,

wherein said exchange certificate includes information about obtaining said electronic asset, and further

wherein said electronic asset is for obtaining the service or product from the vendor.

28. A server connected to a terminal by way of a communications network, said server for use in an electronic asset utilization system, said server comprising:

a user processing section for receiving an order from a first terminal for purchasing an electronic asset including electronic data for obtaining a service or product being offered for sale by a vendor;

a settlement processing section for receiving said financial information from said first terminal, and for settling a charge for said purchase in response to receiving said financial information, and also for electronically transmitting said settlement information about the purchase to said first terminal after settling said charge,

an exchange certificate issuance section for electronically transmitting an exchange certificate including electronic data to the first terminal or to a second terminal in response to said order, wherein said exchange certificate verifies a user'"'"'s right to receive said electronic asset,

an electronic asset issuance section for electronically transmitting said electronic asset corresponding to, and in exchange for, the exchange certificate, said transmitting to said one of the first terminal or the second terminal occurring only if said exchange certificate has been transmitted to said server from a same one of said one of said first terminal, said second terminal, or said third terminal, and said exchange certificate has been verified;

wherein said exchange certificate includes information about obtaining said electronic asset, and further

wherein said electronic asset is for exchanging for the service or product from the vendor.

29. The server of claim 28, wherein said electronic asset is transmitted in exchange for said exchange certificate only if said charge has been settled by said settlement processing section.

30. An electronic asset utilization method comprising the steps of:

purchasing an electronic asset including electronic data, said purchasing including the steps of;

sending an order for purchasing said electronic asset for obtaining a service or product being offered for sale by a vendor,

electronically transmitting financial information to support said purchase of said electronic asset, and

receiving settlement information about said purchase; and

issuing said electronic asset, including the steps of;

receiving said order from said first terminal;

receiving said financial information from said first terminal,

settling a charge for said purchase in response to receiving said financial information,

electronically transmitting said settlement information about the purchase to said first terminal after settling said charge,

electronically transmitting an exchange certificate including electronic data in response to said order, wherein said exchange certificate verifies a user'"'"'s right to receive said electronic asset, and

electronically transmitting said electronic asset corresponding to, and in exchange for, the exchange certificate only if said exchange certificate has been provided by the user prior to issuing said electronic asset, and only if said exchange certificate has been validated;

wherein said exchange certificate includes information about obtaining said electronic asset, and further

wherein said electronic asset is for being exchanged by the user for obtaining the service or product from the vendor.

31. The server of claim 30, wherein said electronic asset is transmitted in exchange for said exchange certificate only if said charge has been settled.