Communication system, communication method, server terminal, server, billing system, and billing method

• US 20020002518A1
• Filed: 02/01/2001
• Published: 01/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Nakajima, Akira, Yoshida, Masaomi, Shigemori, Yutuka, Takahashi, Toyoshi
• Application Number:
  US09/775,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20020002518A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

A communication system includes a server terminal that distributes a service program held in its possession to other prescribed terminals without the need of a server, wherein the service program possessed by the server terminal is downloaded from a server or a storage medium such as a memory card or the like, or is stored in advance in the server terminal.

Claims

1. A communication system which enables a plurality of terminals to receive a service program and carry out communications between terminals to execute the service program in order to receive a prescribed service, comprising:

an agent system provided in each of the terminals; and

a server terminal formed by one of the plurality of terminals;

wherein the server terminal distributes copies of the service program held in its possession to other prescribed terminals via the agent system.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the prescribed terminals that received the service program from the server terminal are provided with a function to delete the service program after the prescribed service is terminated.

3. A server terminal, comprising:

a terminal equipped with an agent system, a communication function for communicating with other terminals, a program acquisition function for acquiring a service program, and a distribution function for distributing the acquired service program to the other prescribed terminals;

whereby a prescribed service is supplied to the server terminal and the other prescribed terminals when the service program is executed by the server terminal and the other prescribed terminals.

4. A server, comprising:

an agent system capable of supplying a service program to a prescribed terminal; and

an information transmission function which transmits information related to the supplied service program to the prescribed terminal at the time the service program is supplied thereto;

wherein the transmitted information makes it possible for the prescribed terminal to distribute the supplied service program to other prescribed terminals.

5. The server of claim 4, wherein the transmitted information that enables distribution includes information related to the number of terminals approved to receive the service program.

6. A server, comprising:

an agent system capable of supplying a service program to a prescribed terminal;

wherein the service program includes a server function program which makes it possible for the prescribed terminal receiving the service program to function as a server.

7. A billing system for carrying out a billing of a service program supplied from a server to a server terminal and then distributed to other terminals, comprising:

a billing function provided in the server terminal to carry out a billing of all distributed service programs based on information related to the number of terminals approved to receive the service program sent from the server to the server terminal.

8. A billing system for carrying out a billing of a service program supplied from a server to a server terminal and then distributed to other terminals, comprising:

a billing server; and

a reception notification function provided in each of the terminals to notify the billing server that the service program was received by the terminal.

9. A communication method which enables a plurality of terminals equipped with an agent system to receive a service program and carry out communications between terminals to execute the service program in order to receive a prescribed service, comprising the steps of:

establishing one of the terminals as a server terminal;

making the server terminal distribute the service program in its possession to other prescribed terminals via the agent systems thereof; and

making the prescribed terminals that received the service program from the server terminal delete the service program after the prescribed service is terminated.

10. A billing method for carrying out a billing of a service program supplied from a server to a server terminal and then distributed to other terminals, comprising the steps of:

transmitting information related to the number of terminals approved to receive the service program to the server terminal from the server; and

carrying out a billing of all distributed service programs based on the information received by the server terminal from the server.