Content providing system capable of reducing burden on users

• US 20010037335A1
• Filed: 05/01/2001
• Published: 11/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Tooyama, Kazuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,687,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

In a content providing system including a content provider server connected between a network and a provider terminal, and user terminals connected to the network, the content provider server is constructed by a content managing table for storing contents along content titles in correspondence with management identification numbers, a content managing section for managing the content managing table, a user information managing table for storing status keys showing access statuses of the stored content titles accessed by the user terminals in correspondence with user identification numbers thereof, a user information managing section for managing the user information managing table so as to set a respective one of the status keys when one of the user terminals accesses one of the stored content titles, and a content displaying section for displaying a content title list on the display unit of the one of the user terminals in accordance with the status keys belonging to the user identification number of the one of the user terminals.

Claims

1. A content providing system comprising a content provider server connected between a network and a provider terminal, and user terminals connected to said network, wherein said content provider server comprises:

a content managing table for storing contents along with content titles in correspondence with management identification numbers;

a content managing section for managing said content managing table;

a user information managing table for storing status keys showing access statuses of said content titles stored in said content managing table accessed by said user terminals in correspondence with user identification numbers thereof;

a user information managing section for managing said user information managing table so as to set a respective one of said status keys when one of said user terminals accesses one said content titles stored in said content managing table; and

a content displaying section for displaying a content title list on the display unit of said one of said user terminals in accordance with the status keys belonging to the user identification number of said one of said user terminals.

2. The system as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein said content managing section allocates a new management identification number to said content managing table so that a new content along with a content title is stored in said content managing table in correspondence with said new management identification number when said provider terminal transmits said new content to said content managing section,

said content managing section retrieving a management identification number from said content managing table so that a renewed content is stored in said content managing table in correspondence with said retrieved management identification number when said provider terminal transmits said renewed content to said content managing section.

3. The system as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein, when one of said user terminals accesses said content provider server for the first time, said content displaying section displays a list of all of said content titles stored in said content managing table on the display unit of said one of said user terminals and operates said user information managing section to allocate a new user identification number to said one of said user terminals so that said user information managing table stores status keys of said content titles stored in said content managing table in correspondence with said new user identification number.

4. The system as set forth in

claim 3

, wherein said user information management section transmits said allocated user identification number to said one of said user terminals.

5. The system as set forth in

claim 4

, wherein, when one of said user terminals along with its user identification number accesses said content provider server, said content displaying section retrieves the user identification number of said one of said user terminals from said user information managing table to display a prevailing list of content titles having set status keys in correspondence with said retrieved user identification number.

6. The system as set forth in

claim 4

, wherein, when one of said user terminals along with its user identification number accesses said content provider server, said content displaying section retrieves the user identification number of said one of said user terminals from said user information managing table to display a non-prevailing list of content titles having unset status keys in correspondence with said retrieved user identification number.

7. A content providing system comprising a content provider server connected between a network and a provider terminal, and user terminals connected to said network, wherein said content provider server comprises:

a content managing table for storing contents along with content titles in correspondence with management identification numbers;

a content managing section for managing said content managing table;

a user information managing table for storing access numbers of said content titles stored in said content managing table accessed by said user terminals in correspondence with user identification numbers thereof;

a user information managing section for managing said user information managing table so as to increment a respective one of said access numbers when one of said user terminals accesses one of said content titles stored in said content managing table; and

a content displaying section for displaying a content title list on the display unit of said one of said user terminals in accordance with the access numbers belonging to the user identification number of said one of said user terminals.

8. The system as set forth in

claim 7

, wherein said content managing section allocates a new management identification number to said content managing table so that a new content along with a content title is stored in said content managing table in correspondence with said new management identification number when said provider terminal transmits said new content to said content managing section,

said content managing section retrieving a management identification number from said content managing table so that a renewed content is stored in said content managing table in correspondence with said retrieved management identification number when said provider terminal transmits said renewed content to said content managing section.

9. The system as set forth in

claim 7

, wherein, when one of said user terminals accesses said content provider server for the first time, said content displaying section displays a list of all of said content titles stored in said content managing table on the display unit of said one of said user terminals and operates said user information managing section to allocate a new user identification number to said one of said user terminals so that said user information managing table stores status keys of said content titles stored in said content managing table in correspondence with said new user identification number.

10. The system as set forth in

claim 9

, wherein said user information management section transmits said allocated user identification number to said one of said user terminals.

11. The system as set forth in

claim 10

, wherein, when one of said user terminals along with its user identification number accesses said content provider server, said content displaying section retrieves the user identification number of said one of said user terminals from said user information managing table to display a prevailing list of content titles having a sequence depending the access numbers in correspondence with said retrieved user identification number.

12. A content providing system comprising a content provider server connected between a network and a provider terminal, and user terminals connected to said network, wherein said content provider server comprises:

a content managing table for storing contents along content titles and registered dates in correspondence with management identification numbers;

a content managing section for managing said content managing table;

a user information managing table for storing status keys showing access statuses of said content titles stored in said content managing table along with final visit dates accessed by said user terminals in correspondence with user identification numbers thereof;

a user information managing section for managing said user information managing table so as to set a respective one of said status keys and renew a respective one of said final visit dates when one of said user terminals accesses of one of said content titles stored in said content managing table; and

a content displaying section for displaying a content title list on the display unit of said one of said user terminals in accordance with the status keys and the final visit date belonging to the user identification number of said one of said user terminals and the registered dates of said content titles stored in said content managing table.

13. The system as set forth in

claim 12

, wherein said content managing section allocates a new management identification number to said content managing table so that a new content along with its registered date is stored in said content managing table in correspondence with said new management identification number when said provider terminal transmits said new content to said content managing section,

said content managing section retrieving a management identification number from said content managing table so that a renewed content along with a renewed registered date is stored in said content managing table in correspondence with said retrieved management identification number when said provider terminal transmits said renewed content to said content managing section.

14. The system as set forth in

claim 12

, wherein, when one of said user terminals accesses said content provider server for the first time, said content displaying section displays a list of all of said content titles stored in said content managing table on the display unit of said one of said user terminals and operates said user information managing section to allocate a new user identification number to said one of said user terminals so that said user information managing table stores status keys of said content titles stored in said content managing table along with a final visit date in correspondence with said new user identification number.

15. The system as set forth in

claim 14

, wherein said user information management section transmits said allocated user identification number to said one of said user terminals.

16. The system as set forth in

claim 15

, wherein, when one of said user terminals along with its user identification number accesses said content provider server, said content displaying section retrieves the user identification number of said one of said user terminals from said user information managing table to display a renewed list of content titles having set status keys in correspondence with said retrieved user identification number and having registered dates after the final visit date belonging to said retrieved user identification number.

17. The system as set forth in

claim 15

, wherein, when one of said user terminals along with its user identification number accesses said content provider server, said content displaying section retrieves the user identification number of said one of said user terminals from said user information managing table to display a new list of content titles having unset status keys in correspondence with said retrieved user identification number and having registered dates after the final visit date belonging to said retrieved user identification number.

18. A content providing method for a content providing system comprising a content provider server connected between a network and a provider terminal, and user terminals connected to said network, said content providing method comprising the steps of:

storing contents along with content titles in said content provider server in correspondence with management identification numbers;

storing status keys showing access statuses of said content titles stored in said content provider server accessed by said user terminals in correspondence with user identification numbers thereof;

managing said stored content titles so as to set a respective one of said status keys when one of said user terminals accesses of one of said stored content titles; and

displaying a content title list on the display unit of said one of said user terminals in accordance with the status keys belonging to the user identification number of said one of said user terminals.

19. The method as set forth in

claim 18

, further comprising the steps of:

allocating a new management identification number to said content provider server so that a new content along with a content title is stored in said content provider server in correspondence with said new management identification number when said provider terminal transmits said new content to said content provider server, and

retrieving a management identification number so that a renewed content is stored in said content provider server in correspondence with said retrieved management identification number when said provider terminal transmits said renewed content to said content provider server.

20. The method as set forth in

claim 19

, further comprising a step of, when one of said user terminals accesses said content provider server for the first time, displaying a list of all of said content titles stored in said content provider server on the display unit of said one of said user terminals and allocating a new user identification number to said one of said user terminals so that status keys of said content titles are stored in said content provider server in correspondence with said new user identification number.

21. The method as set forth in

claim 20

, further comprising a step of transmitting said allocated user identification number to said one of said user terminals.

22. The method as set forth in

claim 21

, further comprising a step of, when one of said user terminals along with its user identification number accesses said content provider server, retrieving the user identification number of said one of said user terminals to display a prevailing list of content titles having set status keys in correspondence with said retrieved user identification number.

23. The method as set forth in

claim 21

, further comprising a step of, when one of said user terminals along with its user identification number accesses said content provider server, retrieving the user identification number of said one of said user terminals to display a non-prevailing list of content titles having unset status keys in correspondence with said retrieved user identification number.

24. A content providing method for a content providing system comprising a content provider server connected between a network and a provider terminal, and user terminals connected to said network, said content providing method comprising the steps of:

storing contents along with content titles in said content provider server in correspondence with management identification numbers;

storing access numbers of said content titles stored in said content provider server accessed by said user terminals in correspondence with user identification numbers thereof;

managing said stored content titles so as to increment a respective one of said access numbers when one of said user terminals accesses one of said stored content titles; and

displaying a content title list on the display unit of said one of said user terminals in accordance with the access numbers belonging to the user identification number of said one of said user terminals.

25. The method as set forth in

claim 24

, further comprising the steps of:

allocating a new management identification number to said content provider server so that a new content along with a content title is stored in said content provider server in correspondence with said new management identification number when said provider terminal transmits said new content to said content provider server; and

retrieving a management identification number said so that a renewed content is stored in said content provider server in correspondence with said retrieved management identification number when said provider terminal transmits said renewed content to said content provider server.

26. The method as set forth in

claim 24

, further comprising a step of, when one of said user terminals accesses said content provider server for the first time, displaying a list of all of said content titles stored in said content provider server on the display unit of said one of said user terminals and to allocating a new user identification number to said one of said user terminals so that status keys of said content titles are stored in said content provider server in correspondence with said new user identification number.

27. The method as set forth in

claim 26

, further comprising a step of transmitting said allocated user identification number to said one of said user terminals.

28. The method as set forth in

claim 27

, further comprising a step of, when one of said user terminals along with its user identification number accesses said content provider server, retrieving the user identification number of said one of said user terminals to display a prevailing list of content titles having a sequence depending on the access numbers in correspondence with said retrieved user identification number.

29. A content providing method for a content providing system comprising a content provider server connected between a network and a provider terminal, and user terminals connected to said network, said content providing method comprising the steps of:

storing contents along with content titles and registered dates in said content provider server in correspondence with management identification numbers;

storing status keys showing access statuses of said content titles stored in said content provider server along with registered dates accessed by said user terminals in correspondence with user identification numbers thereof;

managing said stored content so as to set a respective one of said status keys and renew a respective one of said final visit dates when one of said user terminals accesses of one of said stored content titles; and

displaying a content title list on the display unit of said one of said user terminals in accordance with the status keys and the final visit date belonging to the user identification number of said one of said user terminals and the registered dates of said content titles stored in said content provider server.

30. The method as set forth in

claim 29

, further comprising the steps of:

allocating a new management identification number to said content provider server so that a new content along with its registered date is stored in said content provider server in correspondence with said new management identification number when said provider terminal transmits said new content to said content provider server; and

retrieving a management identification number so that a renewed content along with its registered date is stored in said content provider server in correspondence with said retrieved management identification number when said provider terminal transmits said renewed content to said content provider server.

31. The method as set forth in

claim 29

, further comprising a step of, when one of said user terminals accesses said content provider server for the first time, displaying a list of all of said content title stored in said content provider server on the display unit of said one of said user terminals and allocating a new user identification number to said one of said user terminals so that status keys of said content titles along with a final visit date are stored in said content provider server in correspondence with said new user identification number.

32. The method as set forth in

claim 31

, further comprising a step of transmitting said allocated user identification number to said one of said user terminals.

33. The method as set forth in

claim 32

, further comprising a step of, when one of said user terminals along with its user identification number accesses said content provider server, retrieving the user identification number of said one of said user terminals to display a renewed list of content titles having set status keys in correspondence with said retrieved user identification number and having registered dates after the final visit date belonging to said retrieved user identification number.

34. The method as set forth in

claim 32

, further comprising a step of, when one of said user terminals along with its user identification number accesses said content provider server, retrieving the user identification number of said one of said user terminals to display a new list of content, titles having unset status keys in correspondence with said retrieved user identification number and having registered dates after the final visit date belonging to said retrieved user identification number.