Digital contents distributing system and distributing method

• US 7,490,136 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Issued: 02/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Suzuki, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US10/736,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20040153528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A contents server, a plurality of user terminals, and contents holder terminal 4 as a copyright holder are mutually connected to one another via the Internet. A predetermined storage media is sold at a store. Control of login to the system and management of accounting are executed by inserting only the storage media to the user terminal. Each user terminal that downloaded the contents can distribute the downloaded contents secondarily.

Claims

1. A contents distribution support system comprising a contents server,

a plurality of terminals connected to the contents server via a network to allow contents to be distributed to the terminal from the contents server and further allow the contents to be distributed to another terminal from the terminal that received the distribution, and

an amount setting section that fixes an amount to be subtracted or added,

wherein the contents server comprises a storing section that stores information on the terminal that received the distribution of the contents and information on a distribution state to be associated with each other, a receiving section that receives a terminal that receives a request for distributing the contents in advance at the time of executing a synchronous distribution of the contents, a counting section that counts a plurality of patterns in connection with the synchronously distributed contents included in the received distribution request, a deciding section that decides a scale of the distribution including at least primary or secondary and other distribution ranges and distribution frequencies of the contents according to the result of the counting section, and a section that selects a terminal stored in said storing section based on information concerning the distribution state from said contents server, and enables the selected terminal to distribute the contents to another terminal,

wherein a storage media having at least one of a read-only storage area and a rewritable storage area is used, a program for gaining access to the contents server via the network to the read-only storage area, a storing section of a prepaid amount is provided in the rewritable storage area and an arbitrary amount is subtracted or added from/to the prepaid amount according to the distribution or reception of the contents, and the subtracted or added amount is stored in the storing section of the prepaid amount, and

wherein the contents server includes a communication monitoring section that monitors a communication state between the selected one terminal and another terminal, and when interruption of the communication is judged by the communication monitoring section, selection is executed again based on information on the terminal stored in the storing section, and the amount setting section fixes the amount to be added by dividing the amount according to a contents size before the communication is interrupted and a contents size after the communication is interrupted.

2. The contents distribution support system according to claim 1, wherein the storing section grasps identification information on the terminal that received the distribution of the contents and information on a communication state of the terminal to store these information, and distribution to another terminal is executed in such a manner that a terminal similar to the communication state is selected.

3. The contents distribution support system according to claim 1, wherein the contents server includes a communication monitoring section that monitors the communication state between the selected one terminal and another terminal, and when interruption of the communication is judged by the communication monitoring section, selection is executed again based on information on the terminal stored in the storing section.

4. The contents distribution support system according to claim 1, wherein the amount fixed by the amount setting section is set according to a frequency of the distribution or reception of the contents or a distribution time period of the contents.

5. The contents distribution support system according to claim 1, wherein the read-only storage area stores a program for allowing the distributed contents to be reproduced.

6. The contents distribution support system according to claim 1, wherein the contents server includes a section that obtains information indicating the distribution state executed by each terminal.

7. The contents distribution support system according to claim 6, further comprising an accounting storing section that subtracts or adds an arbitrary amount from/to a prepaid amount according to the distribution or reception of the contents, and stores the subtracted or added amount.

8. The contents distribution support system according to claim 7, further comprising an amount setting section that arbitrarily fixes the amount to be subtracted or added, and the amount fixed by the amount setting section is set according to the distribution state obtained by an obtaining section.

9. The contents distribution support system according to claim 1, wherein the contents server includes a storing section that stores information on the terminal that received the distribution of the contents from the contents server, a first selecting section that selects a primary terminal based on information stored in the storing section and a first reference at the time of executing a synchronous distribution of the contents, and a second selecting section that selects secondary and other terminals sequentially based on information stored in the contents server in connection with the selected primary terminal.

10. The contents distribution support system according to claim 9, wherein the terminal includes a display section, and a screen that receives a desire for a rank of the contents distribution of the primary terminal and/or secondary and other terminals and accounting information to be subtracted or added are displayed on the display section.

11. The contents distribution support system according to claim 1, wherein the contents distributed from one terminal that received an initial synchronous distribution of the contents can be transmitted to further another terminal according to the passage of a fixed time, and the number of primary terminals selected based on the stored information and a first reference is decided according to an edit pattern.

12. The contents distribution support system according to claim 11, wherein the secondary and other terminals are sequentially selected according to the edit pattern in connection with the selected primary terminal.

13. The contents distribution support system according to claim 12, wherein selection of the terminal is executed from the terminals that applied for the distribution of the contents in advance based on the information stored in the contents server, and at the time of application in advance, at least a desire for a rank of the contents distribution of the primary terminal and/or secondary and other terminals is received, and the condition of the distribution is made different according to the rank of the contents distribution of the primary terminal and secondary and other terminals.

14. The contents distribution support system according to claim 13, wherein the terminal includes a display section and the display section includes a section that receives a desire for a rank of the contents distribution of the primary terminal and/or secondary and other terminals.

15. The contents distribution support system according to claim 13, wherein the terminal uses a storage media having a read-only storage area and a rewritable storage area and subtracts or adds amount information corresponding to amount information stored in a storage area of a prepaid amount that is formed in the rewritable storage area according to the distribution or reception of the contents, and stores the subtracted or added amount information to the storage area of the prepaid amount according to an application program for gaining access to the contents server stored in the read-only storage area via the network.

16. The contents distribution support system according to claim 15, wherein the terminal includes a display section, and a screen that receives a desire for a rank of the contents distribution of the primary terminal and/or secondary and other terminals and accounting information to be subtracted or added are displayed on the display section.

17. The contents distribution support system according to claim 1, wherein any one of the terminals with information stored in the storing section is selected to distribute the stored contents to another terminal.

18. A terminal apparatus that is a computer apparatus that downloads predetermined contents from an apparatus of a connection destination for use in a contents distribution support system, said contents distribution support system including:

a contents server;

a plurality of terminals connected to the contents server via a network to allow contents to be distributed to the terminal from the contents server and further allow the contents to be distributed to another terminal from the terminal that received the distribution; and

an amount setting section that fixes an amount to be subtracted or added, and

said terminal apparatus comprising;

a connecting section that connects to a predetermined connection destination via communication;

a transmitting section that transmits user information on the computer user and information that specifies the contents stored in the terminal; and

a display section that displays an object contents list received according to the transmission based on set display information,

wherein apparatus information transmitted by the transmitting section is measuring information on performance of the apparatus that transmits and receives or reproduces the contents or the transmission and reception state,

wherein the contents server comprises a storing section that stores information on the terminal that received the distribution of the contents and information on a distribution state to be associated with each other, a receiving section that receives a terminal that receives a request for distributing the contents in advance at the time of executing a synchronous distribution of the contents, a counting section that counts a plurality of patterns in connection with the synchronously distributed contents included in the received distribution request, and a deciding section that decides a scale of the distribution including at least primary or secondary and other distribution ranges and distribution frequencies of the contents according to the result of the counting section, and a section that selects a terminal stored in said storing section based on information concerning the distribution state from said contents sewer, and enables the selected terminal to distribute the contents to another terminal,

wherein a storage media having at least one of a read-only storage area and a rewritable storage area is used, a program for gaining access to the contents server via the network to the read-only storage area, a storing section of a prep aid amount is provided in the rewritable storage area and an arbitrary amount is subtracted or added from/to the prepaid amount according to the distribution or reception of the contents, and the subtracted or added amount is stored in the storing section of the prepaid amount, and

wherein the contents server includes a communication monitoring section that monitors a communication state between the selected one terminal and another terminal, and when interruption of the communication is judged by the communication monitoring section, selection is executed again based on information on the terminal stored in the storing section, and the amount setting section fixes the amount to be added by dividing the amount according to a contents size before the communication is interrupted and a contents size after the communication is interrupted, and

wherein the contents server includes a storing section that stores information on the terminal that received the distribution of the contents.

19. A terminal apparatus that is a computer apparatus that downloads predetermined contents from an apparatus of a connection destination for use in a contents distribution support system, said contents distribution support system including:

a contents server;

a plurality of terminals connected to the contents server via a network to allow contents to be distributed to the terminal from the contents server and further allow the contents to be distributed to another terminal from the terminal that received the distribution; and

an amount setting section that fixes an amount to be subtracted or added, and

said terminal apparatus comprising;

a connecting section that connects to a predetermined connection destination via communication;

a transmitting section that transmits user information on the computer user and information that specifies the contents stored in the terminal; and

a display section that displays an object contents list received according to the transmission based on set display information,

wherein user information transmitted by the transmitting section farther includes user idea information or limitation information on the download of the contents,

wherein the contents server comprises a storing section that stores information on the terminal that received the distribution of the contents and information on a distribution state to be associated with each other, a receiving section that receives a terminal that receives a request for distributing the contents in advance at the time of executing a synchronous distribution of the contents, a counting section that counts a plurality of patterns in connection with the synchronously distributed contents included in the received distribution request, and a deciding section that decides a scale of the distribution including at least primary or secondary and other distribution ranges and distribution frequencies of the contents according to the result of the counting section, and a section that selects a terminal stored in said storing section based on information concerning the distribution state from said contents server, and enables the selected terminal to distribute the contents to another terminal,

wherein a storage media having at least one of a read-only storage area and a rewritable storage area is used, a program for gaining access to the contents server via the network to the read-only storage area, a storing section of a prepaid amount is provided in the rewritable storage area and an arbitrary amount is subtracted or added from/to the prepaid amount according to the distribution or reception of the contents, and the subtracted or added amount is stored in the storing section of the prepaid amount, and

wherein the contents server includes a communication monitoring section that monitors a communication state between the selected one terminal and another terminal, and when interruption of the communication is judged by the communication monitoring section, selection is executed again based on information on the terminal stored in the storing section, and the amount setting section fixes the amount to be added by dividing the amount according to a contents size before the communication is interrupted and a contents size after the communication is interrupted.

20. A contents distribution support method that executes a method of synchronous distribution from a contents server via a network to further allow the contents to be distributed to another terminal from one terminal that received an initial synchronous distribution of the contents according to the passage of a fixed time period, the method comprising the steps of:

storing information on the terminal that received the initial synchronous distribution of the contents and information on a distribution state to be associated with each other;

selecting a primary terminal based on the stored information and an arbitrary reference at the time of executing the synchronous distribution of the contents; and

selecting secondary and afterward terminals based on information stored in a storing section in connection with the selected primary terminal,

wherein the contents distribution support system further comprises a plurality of terminals connected to the contents server via the network to allow contents to be distributed and an amount setting section that fixes an amount to be subtracted or added,

wherein the content server comprises a storing section that stores information on the one terminal that received the distribution of the contents and information on the distribution state to be associated with each other, a receiving section that receives a terminal that receives a request for distributing the contents in advance at the time of executing a synchronous distribution of the contents, a counting section that counts a plurality of patterns in connection with the synchronously distributed contents included in the received distribution request, and a deciding section that decides a scale of the distribution including at least primary or secondary and other distribution ranges and distribution frequencies of the contents according to the result of the counting section, and a section that selects a terminal stored in said storing section based on information concerning the distribution state from said contents server, and enables the selected terminal to distribute the contents to another terminal,

wherein a storage media having at least one of a read-only storage area and a rewritable storage area is used, a program for gaining access to the contents server via the network to the read-only storage area, a storing section of a prepaid amount is provided in the rewritable storage area and an arbitrary amount is subtracted or added from/to the prepaid amount according to the distribution or reception of the contents, and the subtracted or added amount is stored in the storing section of the prepaid amount, and

wherein the contents server further includes a communication monitoring section that monitors a communication state between the selected one terminal and another terminal, and when interruption of the communication is judged by the communication monitoring section, selection is executed again based on information on the terminal stored in the storing section, and the amount setting section fixes the amount to be added by dividing the amount according to a contents size before the communication is interrupted and a contents size after the communication is interrupted.

21. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a contents distribution support program that executes a method of synchronous distribution from a contents server via a network to further allow the contents to be distributed to another terminal from one terminal that received an initial synchronous distribution of the contents according to the passage of a fixed time period, the method comprising the steps of:

storing information on the terminal that received the initial synchronous distribution of the contents and information on a distribution state to be associated with each other;

selecting a primary terminal based on the stored information and an arbitrary reference at the time of executing the synchronous distribution of the contents; and

selecting secondary and afterward terminals based on information stored in a storing section in connection with the selected primary terminal,

wherein the contents distribution support system further comprises a plurality of terminals connected to the contents server via the network to allow contents to be distributed and an amount setting section that fixes an amount to be subtracted or added,

wherein the content server comprises a storing section that stores information on the one terminal that received the distribution of the contents and information on the distribution state to be associated with each other, a receiving section that receives a terminal that receives a request for distributing the contents in advance at the time of executing a synchronous distribution of the contents, a counting section that counts a plurality of patterns in connection with the synchronously distributed contents included in the received distribution request, and a deciding section that decides a scale of the distribution including at least primary or secondary and other distribution ranges and distribution frequencies of the contents according to the result of the counting section, and a section that selects a terminal stored in said storing section based on information concerning the distribution state from said contents server, and enables the selected terminal to distribute the contents to another terminal,

wherein a storage media having at least one of a read-only storage area and a rewritable storage area is used, a program for gaining access to the contents server via the network to the read-only storage area, a storing section of a prep aid amount is provided in the rewritable storage area and an arbitrary amount is subtracted or added from/to the prepaid amount according to the distribution or reception of the contents, and the subtracted or added amount is stored in the storing section of the prepaid amount, and

wherein the contents server further includes a communication monitoring section that monitors a communication state between the selected one terminal and another terminal, and when interruption of the communication is judged by the communication monitoring section, selection is executed again based on information on the terminal stored in the storing section, and the amount setting section fixes the amount to be added by dividing the amount according to a contents size before the communication is interrupted and a contents size after the communication is interrupted.