Terminal device and security device which automatically receive electronic gift, information providing method for providing electronic gift together with requested electronic information, and information server

• US 8,140,409 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2006
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takayama, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): STOPP, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US11/911,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,162 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0425 the cheque being electronic only
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

It is possible to provide a privilege for data communication without requiring a troublesome user operation and to realize an information provision system for ensuring anonymousness of the user for a site.

A terminal device 10 includes secure communication means 11 which establishes a safety communication session and performs data communication with an information server, electronic gift rule management means 12 which holds an electronic gift rule for defining an electronic gift condition, and data processing means 13 which processes data transmitted/received to/from the information server based on the electronic gift rule under the safety communication session and generates an electronic gift. The electronic gift generated by the data processing means is reflected on the electronic value. By setting the electronic gift rule in which the electronic value increases by the electronic gift, the data communication with the information server is performed while a user does not perform a troublesome operation and the electronic value can be automatically acquired. At this time, the user need not inform the information server of personal information.

Claims

1. A terminal device having a plurality of electronic values comprising:

a secure communication unit which establishes a safety communication session and performs data communication with an information server;

an electronic gift rule management unit which holds an electronic gift rule defining a condition of generating an electronic gift;

a data processing unit which processes data transmitted to or received from the information server based on the electronic gift rule and generates the electronic gift;

a value management unit which manages the plurality of electronic values of the terminal device,

wherein the plurality of electronic values include an electronic money or a royalty point;

wherein the electronic gift rule includes the URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) of the data to be processed based on the electronic gift rule and the information indicating an electronic value of the plurality of electronic values on which the electronic gift is to be reflected;

wherein the URI included in the electronic gift rule indicates the URI of the information server and the electronic gift rule applies only to the data transmitted to or received from the information server under the safety communication session with the information server; and

wherein the data processing unit reflects the generated electronic gift.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, comprising a history management unit which holds history information of a process of reflecting the generated electronic gift on the amount of the electronic value of the terminal device,

wherein the data processing unit processes the data transmitted to or received from the information server based on the electronic gift rule and the history information under the safety communication session and generates the electronic gift.

3. The terminal device according to claim 2, comprising an electronic gift management unit which temporarily holds the electronic gift generated by the data processing unit and timely reflects the electronic gift on the amount of the electronic value of the terminal device,

wherein the electronic gift management unit reflects the temporarily held electronic gift on the amount of the electronic value of the terminal device based on the electronic gift rule and the history information held in the history management unit.

4. The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the electronic gift management unit calculates and manages the amount of a potential electronic value of the terminal device when the electronic gift is reflected, in a state where the electronic gift management unit temporarily holds the electronic gift.

5. The terminal device according to claim 4, wherein information which defines a condition for applying the electronic gift according to the amount of the data transmitted to or received from the information server is included in the electronic gift rule, the terminal device establishes the safety communication session with the information server to transmit or receive the data, at this time, the data processing unit counts the amount of the data transmitted to or received from the information server based on the electronic gift rule to calculate the applied electronic gift, and the electronic gift management unit calculates the amount of the potential electronic value of the terminal device, displays the data transmitted to or received from the information server, and displays the amount of the potential electronic value of the terminal device.

6. The terminal device according to claim 4, wherein information which defines a condition for applying the electronic gift based on a result of checking check data included in the electronic gift rule and the data transmitted to or received from the information server is included in the electronic gift rule, at this time, the data processing unit checks the data transmitted to or received from the information server and the check data based on the electronic gift rule to calculate the applied electronic gift, and the electronic gift management unit calculates the amount of the potential electronic value of the terminal device, displays the data transmitted to or received from the information server, and displays the amount of the potential electronic value of the terminal device.

7. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein information which defines a condition for applying the electronic gift according to the amount of the data transmitted to or received from the information server is included in the electronic gift rule, the terminal device establishes the safety communication session with the information server to transmit or receive the data, and, at this time, the data processing unit counts the amount of the data transmitted to or received from the information server based on the electronic gift rule to calculate the applied electronic gift and increase the amount of the electronic value of the terminal device managed by the electronic value management unit.

8. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein information which defines a condition for applying the electronic gift based on a result of checking check data included in the electronic gift rule and the data transmitted to or received from the information server is included in the electronic gift rule, and, at this time, the data processing unit checks the data transmitted to or received from the information server and the check data based on the electronic gift rule to calculate the applied electronic gift and increase the amount of the electronic value of the terminal device managed by the electronic value management unit.

9. A security device mounted in a terminal device having a plurality of electronic values and communication function comprising:

a secure communication unit which establishes a safety communication session and performs data communication with an information server via the terminal device;

an electronic gift rule management unit which holds an electronic gift rule defining a condition of generating an electronic gift;

a data processing unit which processes data transmitted to or received from the information server based on the electronic gift rule under the safety communication session and generates the electronic gift; and

a value management unit which manages the plurality of electronic values of the terminal device,

wherein the plurality of electronic values include an electronic money or a royalty point;

wherein the electronic gift rule includes the URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) of the data to be processed based on the electronic gift rule and the information indicating an electronic value of the plurality of electronic values on which the electronic gift is to be reflected;

wherein the URI included in the electronic gift rule indicates the URI of the information server and the electronic gift rule applies only to the data transmitted to or received from the information server under the safety communication session with the information server;

wherein the data processing unit reflects the generated electronic gift.

10. The security device according to claim 9, comprising a history management unit which holds history information of a process of reflecting the generated electronic gift on the amount of the electronic value of the terminal device,

wherein the data processing unit processes the data transmitted to or received from the information server based on the electronic gift rule and the history information under the safety communication session and generates the electronic gift.

11. The security device according to claim 10, comprising an electronic gift management unit which temporarily holds the electronic gift generated by the data processing unit and timely reflects the electronic gift on the amount of the electronic value of the terminal device,

wherein the electronic gift management unit reflects the temporarily held electronic gift on the amount of the electronic value of the terminal device based on the electronic gift rule and the history information held in the history management unit.

12. The security device according to claim 11, wherein the electronic gift management unit calculates and manages the amount of a potential electronic value of the terminal device when the electronic gift is reflected, in a state where the electronic gift management unit temporarily holds the electronic gift.

13. An information providing method, wherein a terminal device having a plurality of electronic values comprises a secure communication unit which establishes a safety communication session and performs data communication with an information server;

an electronic gift rule management unit which holds an electronic gift rule defining a condition of generating an electronic gift;

a data processing unit which processes data transmitted to or received from the information server based on the electronic gift rule under the safety communication session and generates an electronic gift; and

a value management unit which manages the plurality of electronic values of the terminal device,

wherein the plurality of electronic values includes an electronic money or a royalty point;

wherein the electronic gift rule includes the URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) of the data to be processed based on the electronic gift rule and the information indicating an electronic value of the plurality of electronic values on which the electronic gift is to be reflected;

wherein the URI included in the electronic gift rule indicates the URI of the information server and the electronic gift rule applies only to the data transmitted to or received from the information server under the safety communication session with the information server; and

wherein the terminal device establishes the safety communication session with the information server and to transmit or receive data, and, at this time, the data processing unit processes the data transmitted to or received from the information server based on the electronic gift rule and reflects the generated electronic gift.

14. An information server comprising:

an electronic gift rule generation unit which generates an electronic gift rule; and

a secure communication unit which establishes a safety communication session and performs data communication with a terminal device having a plurality of electronic values,

wherein, with respect to a data communication request from the terminal device, the secure communication unit establishes the safety communication session with the terminal device to transmit or receive data and, at this time, transmits the electronic gift rule generated by the electronic gift rule generation unit to the terminal device such that the terminal device reflects the generated electronic gift,

wherein the electronic gift rule includes the URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) of the data to be processed based on the electronic gift rule and the information indicating an electronic value of the plurality of electronic values on which the electronic gift is to be reflected,

wherein the URI included in the electronic gift rule indicates the URI of the information server and the electronic gift rule applies only to the data transmitted to or received from the information server under the safety communication session with the information server, and

wherein the plurality of electronic values include an electronic money or a royalty point.