Information system, server, and service providing method

• US 8,280,759 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2009
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Client Computing Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ohbitsu, Toshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, GEORGE YUNG CHIEH
• Application Number:
  US12/552,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/7.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

Fee-charging unit has unit to exclude, from a fee-charging target, information that is provided for a period of non-operating time for which the receiving device is presumed, from at least the charging state, to be disabled from continuing the reception if the fee-charging target information was provided to the receiving device in the past, if there is not recorded a piece of information that the receiving device can continue to receive the information for the predetermined period of time and if there is recorded a piece of information that the charging state of the secondary battery is not sufficient for continuing the reception.

Claims

1. An information system including a receiving device driven by a secondary battery and a server connected via a network to the receiving device and providing a service to the receiving device,

the receiving device comprising:

a memory of the receiving device; and

a processor of the receiving device connected to the memory of the receiving device, wherein the processor of the receiving device is configured to operate in accordance with executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor of the receiving device to perform;

notifying the server of a charging state of the secondary battery;

receiving information provided continuously for a predetermined period of time from the server; and

outputting the information to an output device,

the server comprising;

a memory of the server; and

a processor of the server connected to the memory of the server, wherein the processor of the server is configured to operate in accordance with executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor of the server to perform;

receiving the charging state of the secondary battery from the receiving device;

providing the information continuously for the predetermined period of time to the receiving device;

accumulating fee-charging information for providing the information together with information for identifying the receiving device;

estimating, based on the charging state of the secondary battery, a period of operating time for which the receiving device can operate continuously from a start of receiving the information; and

recording information representing that the receiving device can continue the reception for the predetermined period of time,

the accumulating includes excluding, from fee-charging target information, information that is provided for a period of non-operating time for which the receiving device is presumed, from at least the charging state, to be disabled from continuing the reception when all of the following conditions are met;

the fee-charging target information was provided to the receiving device in the past;

a piece of information that the receiving device can continue to receive the information for the predetermined period of time is not recorded; and

a piece of information that the charging state of the secondary battery is not sufficient for continuing the reception is recorded.

2. A server connected via a network to a receiving device driven by a secondary battery and providing a service to the receiving device, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor connected to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to operate in accordance with executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform;

receiving a charging state of the secondary battery from the receiving device;

providing information continuously for a predetermined period of time to the receiving device;

accumulating fee-charging information for providing the information together with information for identifying the receiving device;

estimating, based on the charging state of the secondary battery, a period of operating time for which the receiving device can operate continuously from a start of receiving the information; and

recording information representing that the receiving device can continue the reception for the predetermined period of time,

the accumulating includes excluding, from fee-charging target information, information that should be provided for a period of non-operating time for which the receiving device is presumed, from at least the charging state, to be disabled from continuing the reception when all of the following conditions are met;

the fee-charging target information was provided to the receiving device in the past;

a piece of information that the receiving device can continue to receive the information for the predetermined period of time is not recorded; and

a piece of information that the charging state of the secondary battery is not sufficient for continuing the reception is recorded.

3. The server according to claim 2, wherein the processor executes receiving, before starting providing the information, the charging state at least once.

4. The server according to claim 2, wherein the processor receives power source state information in the receiving when the receiving device outputs the received information to an output device, and the processor estimates in the estimating, based on the received power source state information, the operating time for which the receiving device can continuously operate in a state specified by the power source state information.

5. The server according to claim 2, wherein the processor executes displaying, when it is determined that the receiving device can not continue the reception during the predetermined period of time due to the secondary battery of the receiving device, an alarm screen for representing this purport on the receiving device.

6. A service providing method comprising:

receiving charging state of a secondary battery from a receiving device;

providing information continuously for a predetermined period of time to the receiving device;

accumulating, by a processor, fee-charging information for providing the information together with information for identifying the receiving device;

estimating, based on the charging state of the secondary battery, a period of operating time for which the receiving device can operate continuously from a start of receiving the information; and

recording information representing that the receiving device can continue the reception for the predetermined period of time,

the accumulating, by the processor, includes excluding, from fee-charging target information, information that should be provided for a period of non-operating time for which the receiving device is presumed, from at least the charging state, to be disabled from continuing the reception when all of the following conditions are met;

the fee-charging target information was provided to the receiving device in the past;

a piece of information that the receiving device can continue to receive the information for the predetermined period of time is not recorded; and

a piece of information that the charging state of the secondary battery is not sufficient for continuing the reception is recorded.

7. The service providing method according to claim 6, wherein the processor executes receiving, before starting providing the information, the charging state at least once.

8. The service providing method according to claim 6, wherein the processor receives power source state information in the receiving when the receiving device outputs the received information to an output device, and the processor estimates in the estimating, based on the received power source state information, the operating time for which the receiving device can continuously operate in a state specified by the power source state information.

9. The service providing method according to claim 6, wherein the processor executes displaying, when it is determined that the receiving device can not continue the reception during the predetermined period of time due to the secondary battery of the receiving device, an alarm screen for representing this purport on the receiving device.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that records an executable-by-computer program making a computer connected via a network to a receiving device driven by a secondary battery and providing a service to the receiving device, execute:

receiving the charging state of the secondary battery from the receiving device;

providing the information continuously for the predetermined period of time to the receiving device;

accumulating fee-charging information for providing the information together with information for identifying the receiving device;

estimating, based on the charging state of the secondary battery, a period of operating time for which the receiving device can operate continuously from a start of receiving the information; and

recording information representing that the receiving device can continue the reception for the predetermined period of time, the accumulating includes excluding, from a-fee-charging target information, information that should be provided for a period of non-operating time for which the receiving device is presumed, from at least the charging state, to be disabled from continuing the reception when all of the following conditions are met;

the fee-charging target information was provided to the receiving device in the past;

a piece of information that the receiving device can continue to receive the information for the predetermined period of time is not recorded; and

a piece of information that the charging state of the secondary battery is not sufficient for continuing the reception is recorded.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that records an executable-by-computer program according to claim 10, wherein computer is made to execute receiving, before starting providing the information, the charging state at least once.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that records an executable-by-computer program according to claim 10, wherein computer is made to receive power source state information in the receiving when the receiving device outputs the received information to an output device, and the computer is made to estimate in the estimating, based on the received power source state information, the operating time for which the receiving device can continuously operate in a state specified by the power source state information.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that records an executable-by-computer program according to claim 10, wherein computer is made to execute displaying, when it is determined that the receiving device can not continue the reception during the predetermined period of time due to the secondary battery of the receiving device, an alarm screen for representing this purport on the receiving device.