Content providing method, a registration method of a user menu information database, a content providing program, a content requesting program, a user registration program, and a charge invoicing program

• US 7,457,610 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2003
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Tani, Hiroyuki, Omiya, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US10/647,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20040081300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: 4554351-4353, 455405-410, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 379/112.01, 379/114.01, 379/120, 379/127.01, 379133-134, 379/201.05
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements

Abstract

According to the present invention, a user'"'"'s portable telephone 11 accesses a content provider 19 (S1); if the user'"'"'s portable telephone 11 is registered in a user menu information database 35, a requested content service is immediately provided (S2); if it is unknown whether the portable telephone 11 is registered in the user menu information database 35, a request is made of a communications carrier 31 that it be determined whether the user is registered in the user menu information database 35; if the user'"'"'s portable telephone is not registered, a request to perform registration is made (S3); the communications carrier 31 provides information that the user'"'"'s portable telephone 11 is now registered (S6); and the requested content service is provided to the user'"'"'s portable telephone 11 (S2).

Claims

1. A content providing method of a content provider connecting to a communication carrier which conducts a proxy payment for the content provider, said content providing method comprising:

receiving a content-requesting signal directly from a user'"'"'s portable telephone;

acquiring a menu registration identifier from the communication carrier when the content-requesting signal does not include the menu registration identifier, which menu registration identifier indicates that the users portable telephone is registered for the requested content service in a user menu information database of the communications carrier, content-requesting;

suppressing the acquiring the menu registration identifier when the content-requesting signal includes the menu registration identifier,

wherein said content-requesting signal is transmitted when the user selects one content from a list of at least one content only which the user'"'"'s portable telephone has been registered from a regular menu including contents which will be available after a registration; and

the menu registration identifier allows providing the requested content service directly from the content provider to the user'"'"'s portable telephone and renders a separate authentication process unnecessary; and

providing the requested content service to the user'"'"'s portable telephone.

2. The content providing method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

requesting a communications carrier to register a users portable telephone in a user menu information database, when a menu registration identifier, which menu registration identifier indicates that the users portable telephone is registered in the user menu information database of the communications carrier for a requested content service, is not contained in a content-requesting signal transmitted from the users portable telephone to the content provider.

11. The content providing method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

receiving the content-requesting signal from the communication carrier to the content provider when the communication carrier has completed registering the user'"'"'s portable telephone in the user menu information database of the communication carrier.

3. A registration method of a user menu information database of a communications carrier which conducts a proxy payment for a content provider providing a content service, said registration method, comprising:

receiving an acquisition request of a menu registration identifier from the content provider;

generating the menu registration identifier by displaying a registration screen letting a user of a portable telephone register in the user menu information database in response to the acquisition request of the menu registration identifier;

adding the menu registration identifier to a content-requesting signal, which content-requesting signal contains user identification information and a content identifier received from the content provider when the user completes registration, and

transmitting the content-requesting signal to the content provider;

wherein the content provider requests the menu registration identifier pursuant to receiving the content-requesting signal from the portable telephone of the user; and

the menu registration identifier allows providing the requested content service directly from the content provider to the user'"'"'s portable telephone.

4. The registration method for the user menu information database as claimed in claim 3, wherein the menu registration identifier is added to the content-requesting signal, which content-requesting signal contains the user identification information and the content identifier received from the content provider, and the content-requesting signal is transmitted to the content provider if the user is registered in the user menu information database.

5. A computer readable medium encoded or embodied with a content providing program that is executable by a computer as a content provider connecting to a communication carrier which conducts a proxy payment for the content provider, said content providing program, comprising:

a receiving step for receiving a content-requesting signal transmitted by a user'"'"'s portable telephone directly from the user'"'"'s portable telephone,

a menu identifier determining step for determining whether the content-requesting signal contains a menu registration identifier that indicates that the user'"'"'s portable telephone is registered in a user menu information database that registers users of content services, the user menu information database being prepared by a communications carrier,

acquiring the menu registration identifier from the communication carrier when the content-requesting signal does not include the menu registration identifier;

suppressing the acquiring the menu registration identifier when the content-requesting signal includes the menu registration identifier, and

a content-providing step for providing the user'"'"'s portable telephone with the content service when the menu identifier determining step determines that the menu registration identifier is contained in the content-requesting signal;

wherein said content-requesting signal is transmitted when the user selects one content from a list of at least one content only which the user'"'"'s portable telephone has been registered from a regular menu including contents which will be available after a registration; and

the menu registration identifier allows providing the requested content service directly from the content provider to the user'"'"'s portable telephone.

6. A computer readable medium encoded or embodied with a content providing program that is executable by a computer, comprising:

a receiving step for receiving a content-requesting signal transmitted by a user'"'"'s portable telephone directly from the user'"'"'s portable telephone,

a menu identifier determining step for determining whether the content-requesting signal contains a menu registration identifier that indicates that the user'"'"'s portable telephone is registered in a user menu information database that registers users of content services, the user menu information database being prepared by a communications carrier, wherein the menu registration identifier allows providing the requested content service directly from the content provider to the user'"'"'s portable telephone,

acquiring the menu registration identifier from the communication carrier when the content-requesting signal does not include the menu registration identifier;

suppressing the acquiring the menu registration identifier when the content-requesting signal includes the menu registration identifier,

a content-providing step for providing the user'"'"'s portable telephone with the content service when the menu identifier determining step determines that the menu registration identifier is contained in the content-requesting signal; and

a requesting step for requesting registration of the user'"'"' portable telephone in the user menu information database of the communications carrier when the menu identifier determining step determines that the menu registration identifier is not contained in the content-requesting signal.

7. A computer readable medium encoded or embodied with a content requesting program of a communications carrier which conducts a proxy payment for a content provider providing a content service, said registration method, the program being computer-executable, comprising:

receiving an acquisition request of a menu registration identifier from the content provider;

generating the menu registration identifier by displaying a registration screen letting a user of a portable telephone register, in the user menu information database in response to the acquisition request of the menu registration identifier;

a transmitting step for adding the menu registration identifier, which menu registration identifier indicates that a user is registered in a user menu information database, to a content-requesting signal that requests a content service from the content provider, the content-requesting signal being transmitted by the user accessing the content service by selecting a desired content service from a content services list displayed on a user menu; and

transmitting the content-requesting signal to the content provider;

wherein said content-requesting signal is transmitted when the user selects one content from a list of at least one content only which the user'"'"'s portable telephone has been registered from a regular menu including contents which will be available after a registration; and

the menu registration identifier allows providing the requested content service directly from the content provider to the user'"'"'s portable telephone.

8. A computer readable medium encoded or embodied with a user registration program of a communications carrier conducting a proxy payment for a content provider providing a content service, which is computer-executable, comprising:

a registration request processing step for a content provider requesting that a user'"'"'s portable telephone be registered in a user menu information database, the content provider receiving a content-requesting signal from the user'"'"'s portable telephone,

a registration step for registering the user'"'"'s portable telephone in the user menu information database,

receiving an acquisition request of a menu registration identifier from the content provider;

generating the menu registration identifier by displaying a registration screen letting a user of a portable telephone register, in the user menu information database in response to the acquisition request of the menu registration identifier; and

a transmitting step for adding the menu registration identifier to the content-requesting signal, which content-requesting signal contains user identification information and a content identifier received from the content provider, and

transmitting the content-requesting signal to the content provider,

wherein the menu registration identifier allows providing the requested content service directly from the content provider to the user'"'"'s portable telephone.

9. The user registration program of the communications carrier as claimed in claim 8, wherein the transmitting step adds the menu registration identifier to the content-requesting signal, which content-requesting signal contains the user identification information and the content identifier received from the content provider, without performing registration request processing of the user'"'"'s portable telephone, and transmits the content-requesting signal to the content provider if the user'"'"'s portable telephone is already registered in the user menu information database.

10. A computer readable medium encoded or embodied with an invoicing program of the communications carrier, wherein an access log information database is installed for collecting logs about communications and use of the content services, further comprising:

a step for adding content charges to communication charges of the user'"'"'s portable telephone with reference to the access log information database and the user menu information database, the user menu information database registering the user'"'"'s portable telephone using the user registration program according to claim 8 or claim 9.