Contents sales method and cyber mall system using such method and storage medium storing therein its contents sales program

• US 7,457,780 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2004
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Koike, Hiroshi, Kimura, Tomoko, Okayama, Nobuya, Namioka, Miyoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen; Nicholas D
• Application Number:
  US10/799,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20040177043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/51, 705/57, 705/58, 705/59, 709/237
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A cyber mall system has a contents sales apparatus for selling digital contents, a contents purchasing apparatus, and a network for connecting these components. When digital contents are registered into the contents sales apparatus, digital contents personal using conditions are generated on the basis of digital contents using conditions and are provided to a customer. If the digital contents are again purchased after the delivery of the digital contents fails, as long as the digital contents personal using conditions provided at the time of purchase are valid, the digital contents are again delivered without again collecting a digital contents value.

Claims

1. A digital contents sales method for selling digital contents in a digital contents sales apparatus for transmitting the digital contents to a user via a network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a user via the network, an input for indicating purchase of first digital contents;

storing, in a digital contents personal using condition management table in said digital contents sales apparatus, a first digital contents personal using condition including first identification information of said purchased first digital contents and information of personal using conditions of said digital contents to said user;

transmitting said first digital contents corresponding to said first identification information of said purchased first digital contents to said user;

in response to an input of identification information of said user, searching, from said digital contents personal using condition management table, at least said first digital contents personal using conditions corresponding to said identification information of said user;

generating a personal using condition list page including at least said first identification information of said purchased first digital contents based on at least said first digital contents personal using conditions searched from said digital contents personal using condition management table;

transmitting said personal using condition list page to said user via the network;

receiving from said user via the network a request for retransmitting one of digital contents displayed in said personal using condition list page; and

retransmitting said digital contents requested, only if a digital contents personal using condition corresponding to said digital contents requested is valid.

2. A digital contents sales method for selling digital contents in a digital contents sales apparatus for transmitting the digital contents to a user via a network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a user via the network, an input for indicating purchase of first digital contents;

storing, in a digital contents personal using condition management table in said digital contents sales apparatus, a first digital contents personal using condition including first identification information of said purchased first digital contents, in which a physical act restriction is built, and information of personal using conditions of said digital contents to said user;

transmitting said first digital contents corresponding to said first identification information of said purchased first digital contents, to said user;

in response to an input of identification information of said user, searching, from said digital contents personal using condition management table, at least said first digital contents personal using conditions corresponding to said identification information of said user;

generating a personal using condition list page including at least said first identification information of said purchased first digital contents based on at least said first digital contents personal using conditions searched from said digital contents personal using condition management table;

transmitting a personal using condition list page to said user via the network;

receiving from said user via the network a request for retransmitting one of digital contents displayed in said personal using condition list page; and

retransmitting said digital contents requested, only if a digital contents personal using condition corresponding to said digital contents requested is valid.