Content distributing system, content distributing service server, and community site server

• US 7,167,841 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2001
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hatano, Kouji, Terasaki, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Reagan; James A
• Application Number:
  US09/979,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20020161712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,068 Days
• Field of Search: 705/56, 705/27, 705/10, 707/3, 707/10, 707/102, 709/202, 709/203, 709217-232, 715/513
• US Class Current: 705/56
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

The invention provides a system where additional services using other sites connected over a network are made available when a content is delivered via a network.

According to the invention, when user A receives delivery of a content from a content delivery service server (1) by using a terminal (4), predetermined information is transmitted from the server (1) to user A or a community server (2). With this information, the preferential use of community sites or additional use of services is made available to user A. The preferential use is for example the preferential use of a community site bulletin board. The additional use is re-delivery of delivered contents by using community sites.

Claims

1. A content delivery service server for delivering contents, via a network, to a terminal which uses a community site service provided by a community site server for providing a community site service related to the content, said content delivery service server comprising:

a communication section which performs data communications with the network;

a controller which performs a process related to a delivery of the content; and

data storage which maintains data necessary for processing of the controller,

wherein, when the communication section receives a content ID of the content and user specifying information of the terminal, together with a purchase request of the content from the terminal, the controller performs a process comprising;

reading a content which corresponds to the content ID from the data storage;

having the communication section send the content to the terminal; and

sending the user specifying information to the community site server, via the communication section, so as to update attribute data of the user managed by the community site server.

2. The content delivery service server according to claim 1, wherein, when the communication section receives a use history of the content and the user specifying information from the terminal, the controller performs a process comprising the step of having the communication section send a use history and the user specifying information to the community site server.

3. A content delivery service server for delivering a content, via a network, to a terminal which uses a community site service provided by a community site server for providing a community site service related to the content, said content delivery service server comprising:

a communication section which performs data communications with the network;

a controller which performs a process related to a delivery of the content; and

data storage which maintains data necessary for processing of the controller,

wherein, when the communication section receives a content ID of the content and user specifying information of the terminal, together with a purchase request of the content from the terminal, the controller performs a process comprising;

reading a decryption key of the content which corresponds to the content ID from the data storage;

having the communication section send the decryption key to the terminal; and

sending the user specifying information to the community site server, via the communication section, so as to update an attribute data of the user managed by the community site server.

4. The content delivery service server according to claim 3, wherein, when the communication section receives a use history of the content and the user specifying information from the terminal, the controller performs a process comprising the step of having the communication section send a use history and the user specifying information to the community site server.

5. A community site server for providing a community site service related to a content to a terminal, which receives the content, via a network, from a content delivery service server , said community site server comprising:

a communication section which performs data communications with the network;

a controller which performs a process related to the community site service to the terminal; and

data storage which maintains at least data including service information per type of community and a registered ID of a user and attribute data of the user,

wherein, when the communication section receives user specifying information for specifying the user of the terminal from the content delivery service server or the terminal, the controller performs a process comprising;

searching a registered ID of the user of the terminal from the data storage based on the user specifying information;

updating the attribute data in the community site service of the user indicated by the registered ID; and

notifying the terminal, via the communication section, of the update of the attribute data.

6. The community site server according to claim 5, wherein, when the communication section receives a use history of the content in the terminal and the user specifying information from the content delivery service server or the terminal, the controller performs a process comprising:

searching the registered ID of the user of the terminal from the data storage based on the user specifying information; and

updating the attribute data in the community site service of the user indicated by the registered ID based on the use history of the content.

7. A community site server for providing a community site service related to a content to a terminal, which receives a decryption key of the content from a content delivery service server, via a network, said community site server comprising:

a communication section which performs data communications with the network;

a controller which performs a process related to the community site service to the terminal; and

data storage which maintains at least data including service information per type of community and a registered ID of a user and attribute data of the user,

wherein, when the communication section receives user specifying information for specifying the user of the terminal, from the content delivery service server or the terminal, the controller performs a process comprising;

searching the registered ID of the user of the terminal from the data storage based on the user specifying information;

updating the attribute data in the community site service of the user indicated by the registered ID; and

notifying the terminal, via the communication section, of the update of the attribute data.

8. The community site server according to claim 7, wherein, when the communication section receives a use history of the content in the terminal and the user specifying information from the content delivery service server or the terminal, the controller performs a process comprising:

searching the registered ID of the user of the terminal from the data storage based on the user specifying information; and

updating the attribute data in the community site service of the user indicated by the registered ID based on the use history of the content.