Content distribution system and a reference server
First Claim
1. A content distribution system including at least one distribution server for distributing digital contents via a network in response to requests from user terminals, said content distribution system comprising:
- a reference server operable to hold at least one piece of location information showing a location of a distribution server on the network, and to transmit one of the pieces of location information to one of the user terminals in response to a user request,wherein each distribution server includes;
a receiving unit operable to receive a purchase fee for a digital content from one of the user terminals when said distribution server is accessed by the user terminal;
a transmission unit operable to transmit the digital content to the user terminal if payment has been made;
a determining unit operable to determine, when said distribution server is accessed by the user terminal, whether or not the user terminal has connected to said distribution server by using a piece of location information received from said reference server as a connection target; and
a payment unit operable to pay a predetermined percentage of a purchase fee for the digital content to said reference server as a commission for providing the location of said distribution server to the user terminal, when the user terminal is determined by said determining unit to have connected to said distribution server by using the piece of location information received from said reference server.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A content distribution system includes a reference server 112, and a plurality of distribution servers 101 to 108. The reference server 112 holds URLs showing network locations of the plurality of distribution servers 101 to 108, and transmits an URL for a distribution server to a user terminal in response to a user request. When one of the distribution servers 101 to 108 is accessed by a user terminal, the distribution server 101 to 108 determines whether access has been performed as a result of receiving location information from the reference server 112. If this is the case, the distribution server 101 to 108 generates payment information commanding the user terminal to pay the distribution server and the reference server 112, and transmits a distribution package including the payment information and a digital content to the user terminal.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A content distribution system including at least one distribution server for distributing digital contents via a network in response to requests from user terminals, said content distribution system comprising:
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a reference server operable to hold at least one piece of location information showing a location of a distribution server on the network, and to transmit one of the pieces of location information to one of the user terminals in response to a user request, wherein each distribution server includes; a receiving unit operable to receive a purchase fee for a digital content from one of the user terminals when said distribution server is accessed by the user terminal; a transmission unit operable to transmit the digital content to the user terminal if payment has been made; a determining unit operable to determine, when said distribution server is accessed by the user terminal, whether or not the user terminal has connected to said distribution server by using a piece of location information received from said reference server as a connection target; and a payment unit operable to pay a predetermined percentage of a purchase fee for the digital content to said reference server as a commission for providing the location of said distribution server to the user terminal, when the user terminal is determined by said determining unit to have connected to said distribution server by using the piece of location information received from said reference server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A content distribution system comprising:
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a plurality of distribution servers operable to store a plurality of digital contents that are encoded versions of a same copyrighted material corresponding to different types of playback software, each version being stored in a different distribution server, and to transmit a stored digital content to a user terminal in response to a user request; a user terminal, in which one type of playback software has been installed, operable to play back digital contents by using the installed playback software; and a reference server operable to hold pieces of content management information showing which distribution server stores digital contents corresponding to each type of playback software, and to inform the user terminal which distribution server stores digital contents corresponding to the type of playback software installed in the user terminal, in response to a user request, wherein each of said plurality of distribution servers includes; a receiving unit operable to receive a purchase fee for a digital content from one of the user terminals when said distribution server is accessed by the user terminal; a determining unit operable to determine, when said distribution server is accessed by the user terminal, whether or not the user terminal has connected to said distribution server by using a piece of content management information received from said reference server as a connection target; and a payment unit operable to pay a predetermined percentage of a purchase fee for the digital content to said reference server as a commission for providing the location of said distribution server to the user terminal, when the user terminal is determined by said determining unit to have connected to said distribution server by using the piece of content management information received from said reference server.
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9. A reference server in a content distribution system that includes a plurality of distribution servers for distributing digital contents via a network in response to requests from user terminals, said reference server comprising:
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a storage unit operable to store a plurality of pieces of content management information, each piece of content management information including (1) location information showing a location on the network of one of the plurality of distribution servers, and (2) a content-related phrase relating to a digital content transmitted by one of the plurality of distribution servers; a fetching unit operable to fetch from said storage unit all pieces of content management information containing a content-related phrase that partially or wholly matches a keyword received from a user terminal; a distribution guide information generating unit operable to generate distribution guide information prompting a user to make a purchase, by using the pieces of content management information fetched from said storage unit; and a receiving unit operable to receive, from a specific one of the plurality of distribution servers, a predetermined percentage of a purchase fee for a digital content as a commission for providing the location of the specific distribution server to the user terminal, if the user terminal has purchased the digital content from the specific distribution server by using the distribution guide information.
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10. A content distribution system comprising:
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a plurality of distribution servers, each operable to store a plurality of digital contents corresponding to a different type of playback software; a playback software supply server operable to hold a plurality of types of playback software; a reference server operable to store in correspondence (1) pieces of location information each showing a location of one of said plurality of distribution servers, (2) content-related phrases each relating to a digital content transmitted by one of said plurality of distribution servers, and (3) playback software information showing a type of playback software corresponding to the digital content; a user terminal, in which at least one type of playback software is installed, operable to playback digital contents by using the installed playback software; wherein said user terminal includes; a receiving unit operable to receive a user selection, selecting a digital content with a content-related phrase that is stored in said reference server; a download unit operable to download the digital content selected by the user selection by accessing one of said plurality of distribution servers based on a piece of location information corresponding to the content-related phrase for the digital content; and an installing unit operable to determine whether the type of playback software corresponding to the digital content is installed in said user terminal, and if the corresponding type of playback software is not installed, to download the corresponding type of playback software from said playback software supply server, and to install the downloaded playback software;
wherein each of said plurality of distribution servers includes;a receiving unit operable to receive a purchase fee for a digital content from said user terminal, when said distribution server is accessed by said user terminal; a determining unit operable to determine, when the distribution server is accessed by said user terminal, whether or not said user terminal has connected to said distribution server by using a piece of location information received from said reference server as a connection target; and a payment unit operable to pay a predetermined percentage of a purchase fee for the digital content to said reference server as a commission for providing the location of said distribution server to said user terminal, when said user terminal is determined by said determining unit to have connected to said distribution server by using the piece of information received from said reference server.
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11. A content distribution system including at least one distribution server for distributing digital contents via a network in response to requests from user terminals, said content distribution system comprising:
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a reference server operable to hold at least one piece of location information showing a location of one of said at least one distribution server on the network, and to transmit one of the pieces of location information to one of the user terminals in response to a user request, wherein; said distribution server is operable to transmit a digital content to one of the user terminals; and said reference server includes; a determining unit operable to determine, when said distribution server is accessed by the user terminals, whether the user terminal has connected to said distribution server by using one of the at least one pieces of location information received from said reference server as a connection target; a generating unit operable to generate (1) a piece of first payment information instructing the user terminal to pay a purchase fee to the distribution server, when the user terminal is determined by said determining unit to have connected without receiving the piece of location information from said reference server, and (2) a piece of second payment information instructing the user terminal to pay a predetermined percentage of a purchase fee to said reference server as a commission for providing the location of said distribution server to the user terminal, and to pay a remainder of the purchase fee to said reference server, when the user terminal is determined by said determining unit to have connected by using the piece of location information received from said reference server; and a transmitting unit operable to transmit one of the generated pieces of first and second payment information.
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12. A content distribution system including at least one distribution server for distributing digital contents via a network in response to requests from user terminals, said content distribution system comprising:
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a reference server operable to hold at least one piece of location information showing a location of said at least one distribution server on the network, and to transmit one of the pieces of location information to one of the user terminals in response to a user request; and a billing server operable to perform settling of accounts once a digital content has been transmitted to one of the user terminals; wherein said billing server includes; a determining unit operable to determine, when said distribution server is accessed by the user terminal, whether the user terminal has connected to the distribution server by using one of the at least one pieces of location information received from said reference server as a connection target; a generating unit operable to generate (1) a piece of first payment information instructing the user terminal to pay a purchase fee to said distribution server, when the user terminal is determined by said determining unit to have connected without receiving the piece of location information from said reference server, and (2) a piece of second payment information instructing the user terminal to pay a predetermined percentage of a purchase fee to the reference server as a commission for providing the location of said distribution server to the user terminal, and to pay a remainder of the purchase fee to said reference server, when the user terminal is determined by said determining unit to have connected by using the piece of location information received from said reference server; and a transmitting unit operable to transmit one of the generated pieces of first and second payment information.
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Specification