Data transmission-reception system and data transmission-reception method

• US 7,379,760 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishii, Miruka
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ewart; James D
• Application Number:
  US10/037,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20020154759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,391 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-409, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/401, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/458, 455/567, 379/114.12, 379/114.17, 379/114.16, 379/114.1, 379/114.2, 379/121.02, 37937301-37304, 379/374.01, 379/374.02, 379/67.1, 379/70, 379/164, 379/179, 379/201.01, 379/252, 705/14
• US Class Current: 455/567
• 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 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 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems

Abstract

A data communication system is disclosed which comprises: first terminal devices for transmitting contents and content provider identification data identifying the providers of the contents; a server device for receiving and storing the transmitted contents and content provider identification data; and second terminal devices which transmit user identification data to the server device, which receive and store the contents from the server device based on the user identification data, and which reproduce the stored contents upon detection of an incoming call. The server device stores first account information corresponding to the content provider identification data and second account information corresponding to the user identification data. The server device increments first amount information in the first account information when receiving the contents from the first terminal devices; the server device decrements second amount information in the second account information when transmitting the contents to the second terminal devices.

Claims

1. A data communication system comprising:

a first terminal device configured to transmit content and content provider identification data identifying the provider of the content;

a server device configured to receive and store the transmitted content and content provider identification data; and

a second terminal device configured to transmit user identification data to the server device, configured to receive and store the content from the server device based on the user identification data, and configured to reproduce the stored content upon detection of an incoming call;

wherein the server device stores first account information corresponding to the content provider identification data and second account information corresponding to the user identification data, the server device incrementing first amount information in the first account information when receiving the content from the first terminal device, the server device decrementing second amount information in the second account information when transmitting the content to the second terminal device; and

the server device decrementing a larger second amount information in response to a higher reproduction audio volume of the content on the second terminal device.

2. A data communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first account information includes first account data corresponding to the content provider identification data and the second account information includes second account data corresponding to the user identification data;

wherein the server device comprises a communication unit configured to transmit the first and second account information to an external settlement center, the server device thereby prompting the external settlement center through the communication unit to settle account balances corresponding to the first account data based on the amounts represented by the first amount information and to settle account balances corresponding to the second account data based on the amounts represented by the second amount information.

3. A data communication system according to claim 1, wherein the second terminal device comprises:

a storing unit configured to store the content transmitted from the server device;

a reproducing unit configured to retrieve the content from the storing unit and reproduce the retrieved content;

an incoming call detecting unit configured to detect an incoming call from a third terminal device; and

a controlling unit configured to, if the incoming call detecting unit detects an incoming call from a third terminal device, cause the reproducing unit to reproduce the content;

configured to establish a connection with the third terminal device in response to an operation performed by a user while the content is being reproduced; and

configured to terminate the reproduction of the content once the connection with the third terminal device is established.

4. A data communication system according to claim 3, wherein the server device makes a larger decrement in the second amount information the greater the number of times the content has been reproduced on the second terminal device.

5. A data communication system according to claim 1, wherein the server device decrements the second amount information only if the reproduction audio volume of the content on the second terminal device is greater than zero.

6. A data communication system according to claim 1, wherein the second terminal device comprises:

a counting unit configured to count the number of times the content has been reproduced by the reproducing unit; and

an accumulating unit configured to accumulate the reproduction audio volume in effect whenever the content is reproduced by the reproducing unit;

wherein, in each predetermined period of time, the controlling unit takes a counting result of the counting unit as the number of times the contents have been reproduced and transmits the number of times to the server device; and

the controlling unit takes a division result of dividing an accumulation result of the accumulating unit by the counting result as a content reproduction audio volume and transmits the content reproduction volume to the server device.

7. A data communication system according to claim 1, wherein the server device selects user identification data from the second terminal device based upon distribution conditions applicable to the content transmitted from the first terminal device, and the server device transmits the content to the second terminal device.

8. A data communication system according to claim 1, wherein the server device returns a content list to the second terminal device in response to access therefrom;

and

wherein the second terminal device has a selecting unit configured to select from the content list a content desired to be downloaded.

9. A data communication system according to claim 1, wherein the second terminal device comprises a delete inhibit controlling unit configured to inhibit deletion of a content transmitted from the server device.

10. A data communication system according to claim 1, wherein the content is music data.

11. A data communication system according to claim 1, wherein the content is promotion video data.

12. A data communication system according to claim 1, wherein the provider is a content sponsor.

13. A data communication system according to claim 1, wherein the second terminal device comprises a mobile communication terminal device.

14. A date communication system according to claim 1, wherein the second terminal device comprises a plurality of portable telephones.

15. A communication terminal device comprising:

a communicating unit configured to transmit user identification data to a server device and exchange call data with the server device;

a storing unit configured to store content offered by content provider and transmitted from the server device in accordance with the user identification data;

a reproducing unit configured to reproduce the content; and

a controlling unit configured to retrieve the content from the storing unit upon detection of incoming call data, cause the reproducing unit to reproduce the retrieved content, and cause the communicating unit to transmit to the server device a reproducing audio volume of the content reproduced by the reproducing unit.

16. A communication terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the controlling unit causes the reproducing unit to reproduce the content upon detection of incoming call data from a second terminal device;

proceeds to establish a connection with the second terminal device in response to an operation performed by a user while the content is being reproduced; and

terminates the reproduction of the content once the connection with the second terminal device is established.

17. A communication terminal device according to claim 16, wherein the controlling unit causes the communicating unit to transmit to the server device the number of times the content has been reproduced by the reproducing unit.

18. A communication terminal device according to claim 17, further comprising:

a counting unit configured to count the number of times the content has been reproduced by the reproducing unit; and

an accumulating unit configured to accumulate the reproduction audio volume in effect whenever the content is reproduced by the reproducing unit;

wherein, in each predetermined period of time, the controlling unit takes a counting result of the counting unit as the number of times the contents have been reproduced and transmits the number of times to the server device; and

the controlling unit takes a division result of dividing an accumulation result of the accumulating unit by the counting result as a content reproduction volume and transmits the content reproduction audio volume to the server device.

19. A communication terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the controlling unit causes the communicating unit to transmit to the server device a request signal requesting the server device to transmit a content list;

and

the communication terminal device further comprises a selecting unit configured to select a content desired to be downloaded from the content list transmitted from the server device in response to the request signal.

20. A communication terminal device according to claim 15, further comprising a delete inhibit controlling unit configured to inhibit deletion from the storing unit of a content transmitted from the server device.

21. A communication terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the content is music data.

22. A communication terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the content is promotion video data.

23. A communication terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the provider is a content sponsor.

24. A communication terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the communication terminal device comprises a mobile communication terminal device.

25. A communication terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the communication terminal device comprises a plurality of portable telephones.

26. A data communication method comprising the steps of:

allowing a first terminal device to transmit to a server device a content and content provider identification data identifying the provider of said content;

allowing a second terminal device to transmit user identification data to said server device;

allowing said server device to receive and store said content, said content provider identification data, and said user identification data;

allowing said server device which stores first account information corresponding to said content provider identification data and second account information corresponding to said user identification data;

to increment first amount information in said first account information when receiving said content from said first terminal device;

to transmit said content to said second terminal device based on said user identification data;

to decrement second amount information in said second account information upon transmission of said content to said second terminal device; and

to decrement a larger second amount information in response to a higher reproduction audio volume of the content on the second terminal device;

allowing said second terminal device to receive and store the transmitted content; and

allowing said second terminal device to reproduce said content upon detection of an incoming call.

27. A data communication method comprising the steps of:

allowing a server device to receive from a first terminal device a content and content provider identification data identifying the provider of said content, and to receive and store user identification data from a second terminal device; and

allowing said server device which stores first account information corresponding to said content provider identification data and second account information corresponding to said user identification data;

to increment first amount information in said first account information when receiving said content from said first terminal device;

to transmit said content to said second terminal device based on said user identification data;

to decrement second amount information in said second account information upon transmission of said content to said second terminal device; and

to decrement a larger second amount information in response to a higher reproduction audio volume of the content on the second terminal device.

28. A data communication method comprising the steps of:

allowing a communication terminal device to transmit user identification data to a server device;

allowing the communication terminal device to store a content offered by a content provider and transmitted from the server device in accordance with the user identification data;

allowing the communication terminal device to retrieve the stored content upon detection of incoming call data and to reproduce the retrieved content; and

allowing the communication terminal device to transmit a reproducing audio volume of the retrieved content to the server device.

29. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer program code, which when executes, performs the steps of:

allowing a communication terminal device to transmit user identification data to a server device;

allowing the communication terminal device to store a content offered by a content provider and transmitted from the server device in accordance with the user identification data;

allowing the communication terminal device to retrieve the stored content upon detection of incoming call data and to reproduce the retrieved content; and

allowing the communication terminal device to transmit a reproducing audio volume of the retrieved content to the server device.