JP2001306922A - Method and device for distributing information by specifying area in internet - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a means for preferentially distributing advertisements related with the address or location of a user. SOLUTION: An area code is expressed with an unique character string. This device is constituted of a network access server set at an access point, a data base A in which arbitrary information prepared for distribution and an area code indicating the area related with the information are registered, and a data base B in which the area code of the set address of the access point is registered. Then, the area code of the access point to which a user is connected is obtained from the data base B, and the information related with the area code whose whole part or a part is matched with the area code is obtained form the data base A, and transmitted to the connected user.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for distributing information by specifying an area on the Internet.

[0002]

[Prior art]

[0003] As a method of distributing information including advertisements (hereinafter referred to as advertisements) to a large number of users on the Internet, electronic mail (hereinafter simply referred to as mail) is used.
Alternatively, there is a method (hereinafter, referred to as a banner) that is embedded in part of a page of WORLD WIDE WEB (hereinafter, referred to as WWW) and distributed.

When an advertisement or the like is distributed by e-mail, the advertisement or the like prepared by the information provider is temporarily stored in a mail spool of a mail server by transmitting the advertisement or the like to a user's e-mail address. When an e-mail is received, it is received along with other e-mails and delivered to the user.

[0005] In some cases, an advertisement provided by an information provider is distributed as a part of a user's mail by inserting it into the main body of the mail (mail header advertisement, mail footer advertisement, or the like). ).

On the other hand, in the distribution of advertisements and the like using WWW,
Generally, distribution is performed to a user by inserting an advertisement or the like into a WWW page.

As a method of inserting an advertisement or the like in a WWW page, a method of inserting a character document or an image document (called a banner) into an article in the page and a method of inserting a location of information (hereinafter referred to as a link) Is used.

[0008]

Generally, on the Internet, advertisements and the like are distributed irrespective of the address or location of the user.

For this reason, an advertisement of an information provider irrelevant to the address or location of the user is often distributed,
There is a problem that it becomes inefficient when it is desired to distribute information to a limited area.

[0010] As a result, the distribution of advertisements and the like on the Internet is mainly based on information that does not depend on the region. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage of information distribution on the Internet.

In the present invention, in order to solve the above problem,
It is an object of the present invention to provide means for preferentially delivering an advertisement related to a user's address or location.

[0012]

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, a local code represented by a unique character string is used, and a network access server installed at an access point is prepared for distribution. And a database B in which an area code representing an area associated with the information and an area associated with the information are registered, and a database B in which an area code of an installation address of the access point is registered. Is acquired from B, information associated with an area code whose whole area or part of the area code matches the area code is obtained from A, and transmitted to the connected user.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, a region code represented by a unique character string is used, and arbitrary information prepared for distribution and a region code representing a region associated with the information are provided. A that registered
And a database C in which an area code of a user's address and an identification code character string unique to the user (hereinafter referred to as ID) are registered. The user is determined by comparing the ID input by the user with the information of C, A region code corresponding to the address of the user is obtained from C, and information associated with a region code that partially or entirely matches the region code is obtained from A and transmitted to the user. And

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a method and an apparatus for constituting an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the method. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to this figure.

The database 101 records information such as information providers, information provider identifiers (hereinafter referred to as information provider IDs), and advertisements and the like provided by the information providers.

In the database 102, an information provider ID and the number of times of providing information are recorded for each information provider.

The database 103 records a user identifier (hereinafter, referred to as a user ID) and an area code of a user's address or location.

In the database 104, the area code of the installation location of the network access server and the IP (INTERN) associated with each network access server are stored.
ET PROTOCOL) address is recorded.

The database 105 stores a user ID and a password paired with the user ID.

Each database, mail server and network access server are connected by the Internet or a local area network.

Generally, to connect to the Internet,
The user can access the network access server 301 installed at the access point nearest to the address or location.
To PPP (POINTTO POINT PR
A dial-up connection is made by means represented by OTOCOL).

The network access server 301 that has detected the connection from the user prompts the user to input an ID and a password, and the user inputs the ID and the password using input means such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a pointer.

The entered ID and password are collated with the ID and password recorded in the database 105 (user authentication data).
And the network access server 301 associates an IP address with the user.

After the IP address is associated, the network access server 301 connects to the connection destination requested by the user.

Here, a connection from the network server to the mail server 201 is considered as an example. In addition,
From the network access server 301 to the mail server 2
01. The connection means such as the user authentication database 105 or the WWW server may be via the Internet or a local area network.

Mail server 201 connected by user
Makes an inquiry to the database 103 (user information data) using the ID as an identifier, and obtains, if the area code relating to the address or location of the user whose ID matches, is stored.

On the other hand, if the area code is not stored in the database 103, the database 104 (I
The network access server to which the user is connected is determined from the assigned IP address, and the area code corresponding to the installation location of the network access server is acquired from the database 104.

Subsequently, the mail server 201 confirms that the mail addressed to the user is stored in the mail spool 202 connected thereto.

If there is a stored mail, the mail server 201 acquires mail data addressed to the user from the mail spool 202.

Subsequently, the mail server 202 queries the database 101 (advertisement data) for data such as advertisements having the same area code, using the area code obtained by the above means as an identifier.

Here, when data such as an advertisement having the same area code does not exist in the database 101, it is assumed that an area code that partially matches the area code is searched. Partially matching means that at least one character string from the beginning matches.

When an advertisement or the like having a matching region code can be obtained from the database 101 by the above means, the mail server 201 inserts the obtained advertisement or the like into the mail data obtained from the mail spool 202.

At this time, if the information can be obtained from the database 101, the information distribution counter of the database 102 (information provider registration information) is added based on the provider ID of the information, and the information is calculated according to the counter value. It is even better to charge the provider for the information provision fee.

The mail into which the advertisement or the like is inserted by the above means is delivered to the user as mail by the receiving means of the user.

[0035]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the above embodiment, as the area code, a 7-digit postal code, a numerical value, a combination of alphanumeric characters and the like are considered.

As the database, a relational database, an objective database, a text file, or the like can be used.

Network access server (NAS)
Is sometimes called a remote access server (RAS).

As an embodiment, a case where the present invention is applied to an Internet service provider (hereinafter referred to as ISP) will be considered.

The network access server installed at each access point operated by the ISP logs in to the network using the user ID and password of the ISP member.

After logging in and connecting to the mail server,
By comparing the user ID with the user ID registered in the ISP member database, it is determined whether or not the user has been registered. If the user has been registered, the address location registered for the user in the ISP member database is read. The 7-digit zip code of the address is acquired.

If there is no registration in the ISP member database, the installation address of the network access server from the IP address allocated by the network access server and the seven-digit postal code of the address are read from the database 104 and used. .

The obtained seven-digit zip code is used as a keyword to query the database 101, and an advertisement or the like having the same zip code or the same zip code up to the first three digits is extracted.
It is inserted and delivered as a header advertisement at the top of the mail to the user.

At this time, the information provider (advertiser) is determined from the information provider ID associated with the advertisement, and the column of the information provider's advertisement distribution number provided in the database 102 is incremented (added). The provider of the advertisement is charged a fee according to the number of times of use, and the database 102 may be on the same database as the database 101.

The advertisement to be distributed here may be, for example, a commercial or non-commercial advertisement limited to an area, an announcement, or a means for contacting an area group.

[0045]

Conventionally, the distribution of advertisements and the like on the Internet has been mainly performed without specifying the distribution destination user. However, the distribution can be performed based on the user's local information, and the provision of community-based information can be performed. And the convenience of the user is improved.

Since information can be provided in a limited destination area while using the Internet, waste such as distribution to an unrelated area can be eliminated. Waste can be eliminated.

In other words, it has conventionally been wasteful for a company that has a store only in a limited area to place an Internet advertisement, but by limiting it to a specific area, it is possible to provide a lean advertisement.

Further, by limiting the area, the advertisement fee can be set relatively low.

[0049]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

101 Advertisement database with area code 102 Information provider charging information database 103 User address Area code correspondence table 104 IP address Network access server area code correspondence table 105 User authentication data 201 Mail server 202 Mail spool 301 Network access server

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Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A method and apparatus for distributing information using the Internet, comprising: a network access server installed at an access point using a regional code represented by a unique character string; A database A in which arbitrary information prepared for the information and an area code indicating an area associated with the information are registered;
A database B in which the area code of the installation address of the access point is registered. The area code of the access point to which the user is connected is obtained from B, and information associated with the area code that entirely or partially matches the area code. And transmitting the information to the connected user. 2. A method and apparatus for distributing information using the Internet, using a regional code represented by a unique character string, and providing any information prepared for distribution and its information. A database A in which a region code indicating a region associated with the information is registered, and a database C in which a region code of a user's address and a user-specific identification code character string (hereinafter, referred to as a user ID) are registered and input by the user The address of the user is determined by comparing the user ID with the information of C, the area code corresponding to the address of the user is acquired from C, and the area code is partially or wholly associated with the area code. An information distribution method and an apparatus, wherein the acquired information is acquired from A and transmitted to the user.