JP2003330961A - Token type contents provision system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide environment allowing a user to easily access to contents on a server related to information transmitted by various types of information transmission media. <P>SOLUTION: This token type contents provision system for providing the contents to a user's terminal via a network is so formed that the user's terminal obtains a token by a command of the user watching information delivered from the information transmission medium and transmits it to a linkup server, the linkup server transmits the contents information corresponding to the received token to the user's terminal, and the user's terminal obtains the contents from the contents server using the received contents information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a content related to information which a user is interested in when the content related to information transmitted to the user by various media is provided through a network. , A system and method for easy use over a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a television, indoors or outdoors,
A variety of information is transmitted through various information transmission media such as radio broadcasts, bulletin boards, advertisements, magazines, show windows, etc.
There is an opportunity to view various kinds of information through these various information transmission media. Also, with the recent remarkable development of the Internet, a WWW system for providing various digital contents on a network has become widespread, and a huge amount of contents can be used via the WWW. Furthermore, in the real world, information related to information that users directly watch from various information transmission media such as television / radio broadcasts, bulletin boards, advertisements, magazines, and show windows. Digital contents including more detailed information are WWW. If the content is provided in, the user can refer to and use those contents via the network.

When digitized contents related to information transmitted through various information transmission media such as broadcasting, bulletin boards, advertisements, magazines, show windows, etc. are provided on the WWW, users are interested in the contents. Hugging,
When wishing to use this, the user considers keywords etc. to identify the desired content from the information posted in advertisements and magazines, etc., and clicks "www.goo.ne.jp"
It is possible to search and access the content by the keyword or the like using a server service for searching the content on the WWW such as.

In addition, by including the resource location “URL” of the related WWW content in the information transmitted by various information transmission media, the user can view the UR.
With L as a clue, the related content can be referred to and used.

[0005]

However, inferring a keyword from information transmitted through various information transmission media such as broadcasting, bulletin boards, advertisements, magazines, and show windows, and retrieving content is a burden on the user. Since there are many cases and inconvenience is low, a method for more efficiently accessing related contents on the WWW is required.

In the method of transmitting the URL itself through various information transmission media, the user needs to store the viewed URL, but in a situation where a large amount of advertisement information is viewed while moving outdoors, It is extremely difficult for the user to store all or a plurality of pieces of information that are of interest, and it is extremely difficult to store all the URLs, and it is necessary to record them by some means. Furthermore, U which we recorded
There is also the trouble of inputting the RL in the WWW browser.

In addition, when only the URL is recorded by some method, the user can grasp which URL corresponds to which content when the content is used later as a clue to use the content. However, in order to avoid this, it is necessary to record the URL and the information for explaining it. From the above, URL
Even with the method of transmitting the information accompanied by, the burden on the user is large when trying to access the related contents on the WWW.

Furthermore, since the corresponding content is uniquely determined by the URL, even if the point of interest of the user who views the information differs from the information transmitted by various information transmission media, each user However, there is a problem that only the same information can be presented.

Further, it is considered desirable for the user to have a means for automatically marking information of interest based on preset conditions.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is a "token" that represents cooperation between information transmitted by various information transmission media in the real world and individual contents provided on a network such as WWW. By introducing the concept of (a symbol of a cooperative relationship in which each can refer to each other) to the user's usage environment system, we provide a system that can seamlessly provide related content to information between different media The purpose is to do.

By this, an environment in which the user can easily access the contents on the WWW related to the information transmitted by the various information transmission media is realized.

In addition, when acquiring WWW contents via a token, considering the difference in points of interest for each user, content information adapted to each user's interest or user attribute is provided. The present invention realizes a system that can provide a content suitable for use in the terminal by considering the terminal information such as the display capacity and processing capacity of the user terminal used by the user.

[0013] Further, regardless of the user, the system provides a means for automatically marking information, and has a function for solving the problem that the user must mark an object of interest in daily life at any time. Will also be realized.

Further, in the above network contents use environment, there is a need for means by which the user can effectively manage and use the contents information of the contents on the WWW related to the information transmitted by various information transmission media efficiently. Therefore, a system that achieves this purpose is realized.

As a part of solving the above-mentioned problems, a user who has acquired the information of the network content transmits the acquired information of the network content to another user as a mail letter, for example, the information acquired by a paper medium. Similarly, it realizes a usage environment that can be provided to other users.

[0016]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention can be configured as follows.

The invention according to claim 1 is a system for providing content to a user terminal via a network, and a plurality of content servers for providing content to the user terminal via a predetermined network, A content information database that manages content information for each content identifier, a token table database that manages a token table that has information related to the correspondence between tokens and content identifiers, which is information that can be a factor for specifying content, and content-related An information transmission medium that transmits outgoing information, a user terminal that acquires and transmits a token and acquires and uses content, and a link-up server that transmits content information to the user terminal based on the token received from the user terminal And the information transmission medium The user terminal obtains the token according to a user's instruction to view the outgoing information from the user terminal, and the user terminal transmits the token to the linkup server via a predetermined network. Determines one or more content identifiers corresponding to the received token by referring to the token table database, and obtains content information corresponding to the one or more content identifiers from the content information database Then, the content information is transmitted to the user terminal, the user terminal acquires the content from the content server by using the resource location included in the received content information, and the user terminal Content information, content, or content information held in storage means Configured to have an output means for outputting both the content to the external output device.

According to the present invention, the user can easily use the contents on the network related to the information acquired from the information transmission medium.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the output means selects an external output device,
It has a means for setting, a means for selecting and determining output information, a means for setting an output layout, and a means for converting the output information according to the setting of the output layout.
Thereby, it becomes possible to output the content information or the content in various formats.

The invention described in claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2.
In the above description, the user terminal has user information about the user and a storage unit that manages terminal information about the user terminal, and the content information includes attribute information about the content. Transmits the acquired token, user information, and terminal information to the linkup server via a predetermined network, and the linkup server supports the token using the token table database and the content information database. Content information to be acquired, user information,
The content information acquired by referring to the terminal information and the attribute information of the content information is selected, and the selected content information is transmitted to the user terminal.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide content information suitable for the user.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the user terminal automatically issues a token when triggered based on a condition set in advance. The user terminal further has an automatic marking means for obtaining the token, and the user terminal automatically obtains the token according to an instruction from the automatic marking means.

According to the present invention, the problem that the user must mark the information of interest in daily life at any time is solved.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the content information includes graphic information indicating the content content and icon information regarding a picture, and the user The terminal has storage means for holding the received content information, and a user interface function for displaying icon information included in the content information held in the storage means, and the content information is acquired in the storage means. If so, the icon information included in the content information is displayed and the existence of each content information in the storage means is presented to the user.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the user terminal has a user interface function for a user to select the displayed icon information, When the icon information is selected, the content at the network address is acquired by accessing the network address indicated by the resource location included in the content information including the icon information, and the content is displayed.

According to the above-mentioned invention, the user can manage the content information of the content provided on the network by the intuitive user interface.

The invention according to claim 7 is the token content providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the user terminal stores the content information held in its storage means. And a function of receiving the content information transmitted from another user terminal connected to the token type content providing system.

According to the present invention, it is similar to that the user who has acquired the information of the network content transmits the acquired information of the network content to another user as a mail letter, for example, the information acquired by a paper medium. In addition, it can be provided to other users.

The invention according to claim 8 is the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the token type content providing system further includes a user management server, and the user terminal is User content information and user information, which are a plurality of content information held in the storage unit, are transmitted to the user management server, and the user management server uses the user content information and the user for each user identifier. Configure to manage information.

According to the present invention, since the user content information is managed by the server, the same user can always hold and manage the same user content information even when the terminals used by the users are different.

The invention according to claim 9 is based on the description of claim 8, wherein the user terminal acquires a user identifier at the time of start-up, transmits the user identifier to the user management server, and uses the user identifier. User content information and user information corresponding to the user identifier are acquired from the user management server, stored in a storage unit, and icon information included in each content information in the user content information is displayed, The presence of each content information in the storage means is presented to the user.

[0032] The invention according to claim 10 is the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the token is time information at the time when the user terminal acquires the token, and the token of the user terminal. The information is composed of one or more of position information, terminal orientation information, and terminal movement progress information. The user terminal is time information, user terminal position information, terminal orientation information, terminal movement progress information. With a means to acquire any one or more of
The token table database manages information indicating a correspondence relationship between information including one or more of time information, position information, terminal orientation information, and terminal movement progress information, and the content identifier.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a token type content providing system in which it is not necessary for a content providing author to transmit a token by an information transmission medium.

The invention described in claim 11 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the token is bar code information or character string information, and the information transmission medium is bar code information or Presenting character string information, the user terminal has a laser scanner means for reading bar code information or character string information, the token table database, the bar code information or character string information, and the content identifier Manages information indicating the correspondence relationship of

According to the present invention, as for a bar code described in various media such as a book and various product packages, it is possible to use the bar code already described on the network related to the media and the product. It becomes possible to realize a token-type content providing system that provides the above content.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the token is radio signal information transmitted by radio waves, and the information transmission medium is radio signal information. The user terminal has a radio wave signal receiving means for acquiring radio wave signal information, and the token table database manages information indicating a correspondence relationship between the radio wave signal information and the content identifier.

According to the present invention, since a token invisible to the user can be used, it is possible to realize a token-type content providing system that does not require modification of the visible portion of various existing information transmission media.

The invention according to claim 13 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the token is a telephone number, the information transmission medium presents the telephone number, and the user The terminal has a means for inputting a telephone number, or a camera device, and a character recognition means for recognizing and reading a telephone number character string from an image input from the camera device, and the token table database is It manages information indicating the correspondence between the telephone number and the content identifier.

According to the present invention, with respect to various media and various product packages whose telephone numbers are described, the contents on the network related to the relevant media and products are utilized by using the already described telephone numbers. It is possible to realize a token type content providing system to be provided.

The invention described in claims 14 to 26 is the invention of the token type content providing method, and the invention of the token type content providing method also exhibits substantially the same operation and effect as the token type content providing system.

[0041]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION [Basic Configuration Example] A basic configuration example of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The token type contents providing system 1 of the present invention is a system for providing contents to a user through a network, and as shown in FIG. 1, data and text information is provided through a predetermined network 2. , A content server 3 that provides various contents such as images, video, audio, multimedia data, application software, etc., contents including information (hereinafter referred to as “resource location”) necessary for acquiring the contents for each content identifier A content information database 4 that manages information, manages information that can be a factor for specifying content (hereinafter, this information is referred to as "token") and information related to the correspondence between content identifiers (hereinafter, this information is referred to as "token table"). Token table data 5, a content information registration server 6 for giving a token associated with the content identifier of the content information to the content provider who registered the content information of the content provided by the content server 3, and transmitting the transmission information related to the content. Information transmission medium 7, user terminal 8 for acquiring and transmitting tokens, acquiring and maintaining content information, acquiring and using content, and transmitting content information to the user terminal 8 based on the token received from the user terminal 8. And a user management server 10 that collects and manages user content information managed for each user in the user terminal 8.

Next, each device constituting the above system will be described.

The content server 3 is composed of one or a plurality of computers. When the predetermined network 2 is the Internet, it can be implemented as a WWW server.

Similarly, the content information registration server 6 is composed of one or a plurality of computers. When the predetermined network 2 is the Internet, it can be implemented as a server that provides services on the Internet.

The token table database 5 and the content information database 4 are also composed of one or a plurality of computers. The token table database 5 and the content information database 4 are so-called Ora.
It is a server device in which a database application such as cle is installed, and provides a database use interface using SQL or the like.

The above-mentioned content identifier is a number or numeric character string uniquely assigned to the content. Since the resource location of the content, that is, the URL, can be regarded as a character string uniquely assigned to the content in the Internet content, the URL may be used as the content identifier.

The content information includes the resource location of the corresponding content, attribute information, and icon information.
The attribute information may be a set of keywords indicating the content or a text explaining the content. The icon information is graphic information showing the content of the content and information about the picture. If the given network is the Internet,
The resource location of the content is typically a URL.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the content identifier and the content information associated with the content identifier. This corresponds to one record of the content information database 4.

The information transmission medium 7 is various kinds of broadcasting, street advertisement, hanging advertisement, signboard, electronic bulletin board, liquid crystal bulletin board, outdoor display for advertisement, show window, exhibition table, etc., and various kinds of paper, signboard, radio wave, etc. It is a medium for transmitting information via a medium or a device medium for transmitting information by actually displaying an actual product such as a product.

The information related to the content is, for example, advertisement information for promoting the product when the content is detailed product information.

The user terminal 8 is a computer device having a display function and a function of constantly or timely connecting to the network for communication. The user terminal 8 is a PC, a portable PC, a Wearable PC, a PDA, an Internet Appliance, a high-performance phone, a high-performance mobile phone, an STB for receiving broadcasting such as a television.
In some cases, functions such as an STB integrated viewing device, a high-performance radio receiving device, a digital still camera, and a digital cam are provided. The user terminal 8 has a function of constantly or temporarily connecting to a predetermined network and communicating. Further, it is possible to acquire terminal information such as current time, current position information, terminal posture information, and information acquired by devices such as a microphone and a camera included in the user terminal. Further, it may be a terminal having a function of processing and executing various application software.

The link-up server 9 is composed of one or a plurality of computers. If the predetermined network 2 is the Internet, the link-up server 9
Is implemented as a server system that provides Internet data services.

Similarly, the user management server 10 is also composed of one or a plurality of computers. If the predetermined network 2 is the Internet, the user management server 10 is implemented as a server system that provides Internet data services. User management server 10
Similar to the token table database 5 and the content information database 4, is also a server device in which a database application such as so-called Oracle is installed, and may have a database use interface function using SQL or the like.

[Basic Operation Example] Next, an operation and basic operation example of the token type content providing system 1 having the above-described configuration will be described. Hereinafter, description will be given with reference to FIG.

In the following description of the basic operation example, it is assumed that the predetermined network 2 is the Internet and the content server 3 is a WWW server.

First, the content provider who provides the content via the WWW by the content server 3 receives the content information of the content and the information of the information transmission medium 7 for transmitting the information related to the content from the content information registration server. 6 is notified, the content information is registered in the content information database 4, and the token corresponding to the content is acquired.

If the token is time information, position information of the user terminal, terminal orientation information, terminal movement progress information, and the like, information about the surrounding condition and state of the user terminal, the content provider determines the content information. You don't always get a token when you register. In this case, instead of the token, the notification that the registration of the content information is completed is acquired.

When the content information registration server 6 is notified of the content information and the information of the information transmission medium transmitting the information related to the content, the content information registration server 6 gives the content information a content identifier, The content identifier is registered in the information database 4, the token is associated with the content identifier, and the content identifier is added to the token table.

After that, the content provider transmits the information about the content and the corresponding token when the information transmission medium 7 has acquired the corresponding token.

The user terminal 8 transmits user content information and user information, which are a plurality of content information held in the storage means, to the user management server 10 either sequentially at the time of use or at the end of use. The user management server 10 manages user content information and user information for each user identifier.

When the user terminal 8 is activated,
Get the user identifier from the user. This is performed, for example, in a mode in which a so-called login screen is displayed at startup and the user logs in. After acquiring the user identifier, the user terminal 8 transmits the user identifier to the user management server 10, acquires the user content information and the user information corresponding to the user identifier, and stores this in the storage means. , Icon information included in each content information in the user content information is displayed, and the presence of each content information in the storage means is presented to the user.

Further, the user terminal 8 receives an instruction from the user to view the transmission information of various information transmission media such as television / radio broadcasting, bulletin boards, advertisements, magazines, and show windows, that is, at the timing when the marking operation has occurred. , And acquires the token and transmits the token to the link-up server 9 via a predetermined network. Then, the link-up server 9 refers to the token table database 5 to determine one or a plurality of content identifiers corresponding to the received token, and from the content information database 4, corresponds to the one or more content identifiers. The content information to be acquired is acquired and the content information is transmitted to the user terminal 8.

Then, the user terminal 8 uses the resource location included in the received content information to acquire the content from the content server 3.

Further, the user terminal 8 is provided with a storage means for holding the received content information, and the content information includes graphic information showing the content of the content and icon information about the picture, and the user terminal 8 , Has a user interface function of displaying icon information included in the content information held in the storage means, and the content information is received from the link-up server 9 and acquired in the storage means by the above procedure. At this point, the icon information included in the content information is displayed and the presence of each content information in the storage means is presented to the user.

Further, the user terminal 8 has a user interface function for the user to select the displayed icon information, and when the displayed icon information is selected by the user, the icon information is displayed. Display the content acquired using the resource location included in the received content information.

Further, the user terminal 8 has a user interface function for the user to delete the displayed icon information. When the user deletes the icon information, the user terminal 8 displays the icon information. The received content information including is deleted from the storage means.

The above is a series of basic operation examples of the present token type content providing system 1.

[Example of Providing Content Information Suitable for User and Terminal] In the above example, the same content information or content information group is provided regardless of the attribute of the user or the attribute of the terminal. Hereinafter, an embodiment in which content information adapted to each user and each terminal is provided will be described. Hereinafter, description will be given with reference to FIG.

In this case, the user terminal 8 is provided with user information regarding the user and storage means for managing the terminal information regarding the user terminal 8, and the content information includes attribute information regarding the content. When transmitting the acquired token to the linkup server 9, the user terminal 8 transmits the token, user information, and terminal information to the linkup server 9 via the predetermined network 2.

The link-up server 9 refers to the token table database 5 to determine one or a plurality of content identifiers corresponding to the received token, and uses the content information database 4 to determine the one or more content identifiers. Content information corresponding to the user information, terminal information, and attribute information of the content information, the acquired content information is selected, and the selected content information is displayed on the user terminal 8. Send.

The user terminal 8 uses the resource location included in the received content information to acquire the content from the content server 3.

A specific example of the above configuration will be described below.

The user information is information about the user, such as name, sex, age, occupation, address, zip code, family structure, information about residence (condominium, detached house, etc.),
Hobbies, information genres of interest (politics, economy, news, computers, books, sports, travel, etc.), annual income, information on whether or not you are a member of various services, membership number or credit card ID, various qualifications (driving It includes any one or more of information such as whether or not a license is held, information about body shape (weight, height, clothing size, etc.), information about ability (visual acuity, hearing, etc.), and the like.

The terminal information is the resolution of the display device of the user terminal 8, the number of colors that can be displayed, the performance of the WWW information browsing means (J
information such as availability of ava (registered trademark) function, presence / absence of video / audio content reproduction function, and encoding format information that can be reproduced by video / audio content).

The user terminal 8 is provided with a storage means for storing and holding the user information and the terminal information, and an input means for providing the user with a function for inputting the user information. The user previously inputs various kinds of user information via the input means, and the input user information is held in the storage means. Further, the terminal information is held in the storage means at the time of manufacturing the terminal, or is notified and held in the storage means by the display reproducing means at the time when the display means is connected.

Further, as described above, the content information held in the content information database 4 is composed of the URL which is the resource location and its attribute information. The attribute information in this example is the characteristics of the user who can be the target of providing the content information, that is, the gender,
Age, body shape, ability characteristics, occupation, district, postal code group,
Information about family structure characteristics, housing characteristics, annual income, information genre to which the content information belongs, service usage rights and qualifications necessary to use the content information, and characteristics of terminals to be provided, that is, a display device. Resolution characteristics, displayable color number, performance of WWW information browsing means, and the like.

An example of content information including a resource location (URL) and attribute information is shown below.
It should be noted that the content information may include icon information in addition to the above, but the icon information is not described in the following examples.

Content information example 1: "URL1, (for women), (target age 20 or more), (1024 x 800 or more), (256 colors or more)" Content information example 2: "URL2, (clothing size M),
(Requires Java (registered trademark) function) "Content information example 3:" URL3, (occupation: housewife), "
(Tokyo) "Content information example 4:" URL4 (for women), (visual acuity 0.8 or less) "Content information example 5:" URL5 (genre: sports) "

In this example, the actual content corresponding to each content is, for example, the case where the content information example 1 is advertisement information of cigarettes for women, which is the end of 20 years old, or the content is not suitable for men. It can be considered that the content information example 2 is advertisement information of clothes, the content information example 3 is product information of a supermarket in Tokyo, the content information example 4 is advertisement information of women's glasses, and the like. Further, the content information example 5 may be an advertisement of sports equipment or the like.

The link-up server 9 specifies the content identifier from the token and further specifies the corresponding content information according to the procedure described above. After that, the attribute information included in the corresponding content information, the user information and the terminal information are referred to, content information is selected based on these, and the selected content information is transmitted to the user terminal 8.

For example, when the content information associated with the content identifier specified by the token received by the link-up server 9 from the user terminal 8 is the one shown in the above content information examples 1 to 5, The user information is (female) and the terminal information is (resolution 800 x 6
00), (Java (registered trademark) cannot be used), the content information providing unit has a resolution of 1024.
Excluding the content information example 1 in which the requirement of × 800 or more and the content information example 2 in which the Java (registered trademark) function is required are excluded, and the remaining URL3, URL
4. Send URL5 to the user terminal.

The user information is (female), (Kyoto), (visual acuity 1.5) (interesting genre: book),
The terminal information is (resolution 1024 × 800), (Java
(Registered trademark) available), the content information providing means includes content information example 3 in which the target area is Tokyo and content information example 4 in which the target user's eyesight is 0.8 or less. , The content information example 5 in which the genre is designated and the genre is other than the book is excluded, and the remaining URL1 and URL2 are transmitted to the user terminal 8.

In addition to the above example, when the content information is added with attribute information (only available to A service members) and the A service member number is included as user information, the content information is It may be sent to the user terminal. In addition, when the content information has information such as (vehicle license required) added as attribute information and (vehicle license) is included as user information, there is a case where the content information is transmitted to the user terminal. is there.

When the information (mpeg2 format) is added to the content information as the attribute information and the (reproducible coding method: mpeg2) is included as the terminal information, the content information is sent to the user terminal. There are cases such as sending.

As described above, in the above embodiment, by using the user information and the terminal information, the content information which is not necessary for the user and the content information which cannot be used by the user terminal used by the user. It is possible to provide the user with only the information that is considered necessary for the user or the information that can be used without being transmitted.

The above is the description in the case of providing different content information for each user and each user terminal based on the user information and the terminal information of the user terminal.

[Example of Obtaining Token Automatically] Next,
A mode in which the user terminal 8 automatically acquires the token will be described. In this case, the user terminal 8 is provided with an automatic marking unit that automatically acquires a token when triggered by a condition set in advance. User terminal 8
Automatically obtains the token according to the instruction of the automatic marking means. The subsequent operation is similar to that of the above-mentioned embodiment.

Next, more specific embodiments of the token type content providing system 1 described above will be described as first to sixth examples.

[First Embodiment] First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description and drawings, the operations and functions of the parts not described in detail are the same as the operations and functions of the token-type content providing system 1 described above.

In this embodiment, the information transmission medium 7 is a street advertisement, a hanging advertisement, a billboard advertisement installed at an arbitrary position,
Signboards, electronic bulletin boards, LCD bulletin boards, outdoor displays for advertising, show windows, exhibition tables, etc. are targeted.

The token in this embodiment is selected from one or more of time information at the time when the user terminal 8 acquires the token, position information of the user terminal 8, terminal direction information, and terminal movement progress information. The user terminal 8 is provided with a unit for acquiring one or a plurality of pieces of information that is configured information and is time information, position information of the user terminal, terminal orientation information, and terminal movement progress information.

In addition, the token table database 5
Manages information indicating correspondence between a content identifier and information composed of one or more of time information, position information, information transmission direction information, and terminal movement progress information.

Specifically, the user terminal 8 has a clock 81,
A position detection device 82 such as a GPS and / or an acceleration sensor device 83 for extracting the direction of the terminal, the traveling direction, etc. are provided. Further, the token table database 5 holds a function equivalent to a so-called map information database. More specifically, the token table database 5 has information transmission media (street advertisements, hanging advertisements, billboard advertisements, billboards, electronic bulletin boards, liquid crystal bulletin boards, outdoor advertisement displays, show windows, exhibition tables installed at various points. Etc.), the information transferable range, and the content identifier of the content information related to the content related to the information transmitted by each information transmission medium at each time is registered and held.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the token table in this embodiment. In the token table shown in the figure,
As tokens received from the user terminal 8, that is, information for identifying the content identifier of the content that is in the user's field of view and is the target marked by the user from the terminal position information, orientation information, and time information, Position information (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the information transmission medium 7 such as a signboard, information transmission direction (direction of signboard), and time information are described.
In the time information of the figure, the part indicated by an asterisk means that it corresponds to all values. For example, when the time information is indicated by ** / ** / *****: **: **, it means that the information transmission medium always transmits information. Also, 01/03/23 *
*: **: ** means that information is transmitted all day on March 23, 2001.

The operation of the system of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

(STEP1) The user can place
When the user is interested in the information transmitted by the information transmission medium such as the billboard advertisement in the field of view at an arbitrary time, the marking operation (such as pushing the marking button) is performed on the user terminal 8.

(STEP 2) The user terminal 8 obtains, as a token, the current time, the current position, and / or information about the terminal direction and the terminal moving direction when the user performs the marking operation. To do. Then, the acquired token is stored together with the user information and the terminal information.

(STEP3) When tokens are accumulated,
Immediately present information indicating that the token is held (hereinafter referred to as "mark information") to the user, or at the time designated by the user, the mark information regarding the already held token is sent to the user. To notify that the processing associated with the marking operation by the user has been executed. Here, the presentation of the mark information is, for example, the presentation of a character string such as "Mark" or a predetermined figure such as a stamp mark and the time when the marking operation is performed and the token is acquired. .

(STEP 4) Access to the link-up server 9 via the network, and a token composed of the current time, the current position, and / or information about the terminal direction and the terminal moving direction. , User information, and terminal information are transmitted to the link-up server 9.

(STEP 5) The link-up server 9
The content identifier is specified by referring to the token acquired from the user terminal and the token table database 5, and then by referring to the content information database 4,
After extracting all the content information of the content related to the inferred information transmitted by the user, making a selection by referring to the user information, the terminal information, and the attribute information of the content information, the selection was made. The content information is transmitted to the user terminal.

Here, an example of a procedure for specifying the content identifier of the content related to the information transmitted to the user from the token table is shown below.

When the token including the time and position information and the terminal moving direction is acquired, in the token table database 5, the position corresponding to the position information is the center point, and the radius is a default value, and the terminal moving direction is set. The information transmission medium installed at the position included in the semicircular area on the side is extracted. Of the extracted information transmission media,
Extract the information that has no obstacle between it and the location of the user terminal and is transmitting and transmitting the information to the range including the user terminal location, and the information transmitted by these information transmission media is transmitted to the user. I guess it was transmitted.

The procedure for estimating the information transmitted to the user is an example, and the estimation may be performed by various methods such as a simplified method of the above procedure.

(STEP 6) Next, the user terminal 8 accumulates one or more pieces of content information received from the link-up server 9 and updates the mark information with the icon information included in the corresponding content information.

(STEP 7) Then, when the user selects any icon information, the process for acquiring and using the content is executed based on the resource location of the corresponding content information.

The operation in the case of acquiring a token triggered by the user's designation has been described above.

In the above embodiment, the token may be automatically acquired at the timing determined by the user terminal 8 based on the information preset by the user or the operation history information of the user. it can. Hereinafter, this case will be described with reference to FIG.

In this case, the user terminal 8 is further provided with the camera device 84, and further the camera device 84.
A character recognition means 85 is provided for analyzing an image input by the user and extracting character string information in the image.

Further, in the user terminal 8, the user has registered in advance a keyword database 86 containing one or more keywords for identifying desired information. The keyword is newly registered manually by the user. Alternatively, it is selected from the keyword database 86 already provided in the user terminal 8. In addition, the user terminal 8 may automatically register a keyword that is semantically similar to the keyword registered by the user.

Here, the preset keyword is, for example, a specific genre name (automobile, music, movie, travel, restaurant) of interest to the user.

The operation in the configuration of FIG. 5 is as follows.

(STEP 1) In the user terminal 8, the character recognition means 85 sequentially analyzes the image information input from the camera device 84 and extracts the character string information contained in the image. When the extracted character string information includes a keyword in the keyword database 86,
The marking process is automatically executed and the token is acquired. The operation after (STEP2) is similar to that of the above-described embodiment.

Further, an example of automatically acquiring a token using voice information will be described below.

In this example, in addition to the above-mentioned embodiment,
The user terminal 8 includes a microphone device and a voice recognition unit that recognizes voice input from the microphone device and extracts character string information.

Further, the user terminal 8 is registered in advance by the user with a keyword database containing one or more keywords for identifying desired information. The registration of the keyword is manually newly performed by the user. Alternatively, it is selected from the keyword database already provided in the user terminal 8.
In some cases, the user terminal system may automatically register a keyword that is semantically similar to the keyword registered by the user.

Here, the preset keyword is, for example, a specific genre name (automobile, music, movie, travel, restaurant) in which the user is interested, or the information transmission medium is television broadcasting or the like. When the transmitted information is a baseball relay, a specific event name such as hit or home run corresponds to this.

In this case, in the above embodiment, (ST
EP1) In the user terminal, the user terminal system sequentially analyzes the voice information input from the microphone device by the voice recognition means and extracts the included character string information. Then, when the extracted character string information includes a keyword in the keyword database, the marking operation process is automatically executed to obtain the token. Below (S
The operation after TEP2) is similar to that of the above-described embodiment.

[Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

In the following embodiments, the operations and functions of the parts not described in detail are the same as the operations and functions of the token type content providing system 1 described above.

In this embodiment, the information transmission medium 7 is a street advertisement, a hanging advertisement, a billboard advertisement, an electronic bulletin board, a liquid crystal bulletin board,
A specific example of the present token type content providing system 1 in the case of a system for transmitting image information through a medium such as paper or a liquid crystal display, which is an outdoor display for advertisement, will be described.

In the following description, a system for transmitting and transmitting image information such as a street advertisement, a hanging advertisement, a billboard advertisement, an electronic bulletin board, a liquid crystal bulletin board, an outdoor display for advertisement, etc. is referred to as an image information transmission medium 7 '.

In this embodiment, the token is bar code information or character string information, the information transmission medium 7 presents the bar code information or character string information, and the user terminal 8 uses the bar code information or character string information. The token table database 5 is provided with the laser scanner means 87 for reading the column information, and manages the information indicating the correspondence between the barcode information or the character string information and the content identifier.

Specifically, the image transmitted by the image information transmission medium 7'has a one-dimensional or two-dimensional token as a token.
Dimensional barcode information is added. The barcode information may be monochrome or color. Alternatively,
Arbitrary character string information may be described as the token. When the image information transmission medium 7'has a function of displaying different image information continuously in time series, such as an electronic bulletin board, a liquid crystal bulletin board, an outdoor display for advertisement, etc., all the displayed image information is bar code information or characters. A token that is column information is described.

Further, the user terminal 8 is equipped with a laser scanner means 87 for reading bar code information or character string information.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the token table in this embodiment. The illustrated example is an image information transmission medium 7 '.
Corresponds to the case where the barcode information is described in. In the token table shown in FIG. 7, the content identifiers are associated with the tokens received from the user terminal 8, that is, the numeric information described as the barcode information.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below.

(STEP 1) When the user is interested in the image information transmitted by the image information transmission medium 7 ′, the user is described in the image information by using the laser scanner means 87 provided in the user terminal 8. Marking operation is performed by acquiring the barcode information or the character string information.

(STEP 2) The user terminal 8 sends the token (bar code information or character string information) acquired from the image information transmission medium 7 ′ by the laser scanner means 87 at the time when the user performs a marking operation,
It is stored together with user information and terminal information.

(STEP3) When tokens are accumulated,
Immediately present information indicating that the token is held (hereinafter referred to as "mark information") to the user, or at the time designated by the user, the mark information regarding the already held token is sent to the user. To present.

(STEP 4) Via the network 2,
The link-up server 9 is accessed, and the token, user information, and terminal information are transmitted to the link-up server 9.

(STEP 5) The link-up server 9
The content identifier is specified by referring to the token acquired from the user terminal 8 and the token table database 5, and then referring to the content information database 4,
After extracting all content information of the content related to the information marked by the viewer, referring to the user information, terminal information, and attribute information of the content information to make a selection, use the selected content information It is transmitted to the person terminal 8.

(STEP 6) The user terminal 8 accumulates one or more pieces of content information received from the link-up server 9 and updates the mark information to the icon information included in the corresponding content information.

(STEP 7) Then, when the user selects any icon information, the process for acquiring and using the content is executed based on the resource location of the corresponding content information.

[Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the following embodiments, the operations and functions of the parts not described in detail are the same as those in the above embodiments.

The token in this embodiment is radio wave signal information transmitted by radio waves, the information transmission medium 7 transmits the radio wave signal information, and the user terminal 8 receives the radio wave signal information. The token table database 5 comprises signal receiving means 88, and radio signal information
It manages information indicating the correspondence between content identifiers.

Specifically, the information transmission medium 7 is an electronic device such as an electronic bulletin board, a liquid crystal bulletin board, an outdoor display for advertisements, a show window, an exhibition table, an infrared device or a Bl.
It is equipped with a wireless device such as Bluetooth. In the following description, a system in which an electronic bulletin board, a liquid crystal bulletin board, an outdoor display for advertisement, a show window, an exhibition table, a wireless communication device such as Bluetooth in a store or the like is provided is referred to as a wireless information transmission medium 7 '. . In this embodiment, the wireless information transmission medium 7'is always an infrared ray or a Bluetooth.
The token is transmitted by a wireless communication device such as h. The token is radio wave signal information used to identify the content, and may be a data packet of a fixed length or a variable length in the number of bytes.

Further, the user terminal 8 is provided with a radio wave signal receiving means 88 for obtaining radio wave signal information transmitted from a radio communication device such as infrared rays or Bluetooth to the radio information transmission medium 7 '.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the token table in this embodiment. In the token table shown in the figure,
A content identifier is associated with each of the tokens received from the user terminal 8, that is, the radio signal information.

The operation will be described below.

(STEP 1) When a user is interested in an electronic bulletin board, a liquid crystal bulletin board, an outdoor display for advertisement, a show window, an exhibition table, a store, etc., marking such as pressing a predetermined button on the user terminal 8 Carry out.

(STEP 2) The user terminal 8 acquires the token received by the radio signal receiving means 88 at the time when the user performs the marking operation, and stores the token together with the user information and the terminal information.

(STEP3) When tokens are accumulated,
Immediately present information indicating that the token is held (hereinafter referred to as "mark information") to the user, or at the time designated by the user, the mark information regarding the already held token is sent to the user. To present.

(STEP4) Via the network 2,
The link-up server 9 is accessed, and the token, user information, and terminal information are transmitted to the link-up server 9.

(STEP 5) The link-up server 9
The content obtained from the user terminal 8 and the token table database 5 are referred to identify the content identifier, and then the content information database 4 is referenced to refer to the content of the content associated with the information marked by the viewer. After all the information is extracted, the user information, the terminal information, and the attribute information of the content information are referenced to make a selection, and then the selected content information is transmitted to the user terminal 8.

(STEP 6) The user terminal 8 accumulates one or more pieces of content information received from the link-up server 9 and updates the mark information to the icon information included in the corresponding content information.

(STEP 7) When the user selects any icon information, a process for acquiring and using the content is executed based on the resource location of the corresponding content information.

Similar to the first embodiment, also in the second and third embodiments described above, the user terminal 8 is determined based on the information preset by the user or the user's production history information. It can be configured to automatically obtain a token at the timing of performing. The operation in this case will be described below. The configuration for automatically obtaining the token is the same as the configuration shown in FIG.

That is, the user terminal 8 further includes a camera device, and further includes a character recognition means for analyzing an image input from the camera device and extracting character string information in the image.

In addition, the user terminal 8 is registered in advance by the user with a keyword database containing one or more keywords for identifying desired information. The registration of the keyword is manually newly performed by the user. Alternatively, it is selected from the keyword database already provided in the user terminal. In addition, the user terminal system may automatically register a keyword that is semantically similar to the keyword registered by the user.

Here, the preset keyword is, for example, a specific genre name (automobile, music, movie, travel, restaurant) of interest to the user.

The operation will be described below.

(STEP 1) In the user terminal, the character recognition means successively analyzes the image information input from the camera device and extracts the character string information contained in the image. Then, when the extracted character string information includes the keyword in the keyword database, the marking process is automatically executed to obtain the token. (STEP2)
The subsequent operation is similar to that of the above-described embodiment.

Furthermore, it is possible to automatically obtain a token by using voice information, and this example will be described below.

In the above embodiment, the user terminal further comprises a microphone device and a voice recognition means for recognizing voice input from the microphone device and extracting character string information.

Further, depending on the user,
A keyword database including one or more keywords for identifying desired information is registered in advance. The registration of the keyword is manually newly performed by the user. Alternatively, it is selected from the keyword database already provided in the user terminal. Also,
In some cases, the user terminal system may automatically register a keyword semantically similar to the keyword registered by the user.

[0157] Here, the preset keyword is, for example, a specific genre name of interest to the user (automobile, music, movie, travel, restaurant), or an information transmission medium such as television broadcasting. When the transmitted information is a baseball relay, a specific event name such as hit or home run corresponds to this.

In this case, in the above embodiment, (ST
EP1) In the user terminal, the user terminal system sequentially analyzes the voice information input from the microphone device by the voice recognition means and extracts the included character string information. Then, when the extracted character string information includes a keyword in the keyword database, the marking operation process is automatically executed to obtain the token. Below (ST
The operation after EP2) is the same as that of the above-mentioned embodiment.

Further, the marking operation process can be automatically performed by sequentially acquiring the content information and referring to it. Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described.

In this case, the content information includes text and / or a keyword that describes the corresponding content as attribute information.

Further, in the user terminal 8, the user has previously registered a keyword database containing one or more keywords for identifying desired information. The registration of the keyword is manually newly performed by the user. Alternatively, it is selected from the keyword database already provided in the user terminal. In some cases, the user terminal system may automatically register a keyword that is semantically similar to the keyword registered by the user.

Here, the preset keyword is, for example, a specific genre name of interest to the user (automobile, music, movie, travel, restaurant), or an information transmission medium such as television broadcasting. When the transmitted information is a baseball relay, a specific event name such as hit or home run corresponds to this.

The operation will be described below. (STEP 1) The user terminal is always connected to the network, acquires successive tokens, transmits successive tokens to the link-up server 9, and acquires content information. When the text and keywords included in the acquired content information include the keyword in the keyword database, the corresponding token is automatically accumulated with the content information to perform the marking process and acquire the token. . Below (STEP
The operation after 2) is similar to that of the above-described embodiment.

[Fourth Embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In the following embodiments, the operations and functions of the parts not described in detail are the same as those in the above embodiments. The overall system configuration is the same as in the above-described embodiments.

In this embodiment, the information transmission medium is a street advertisement, a hanging advertisement, a billboard advertisement, an electronic bulletin board, a liquid crystal bulletin board,
A specific example of the present token-based content providing system in the case of a system for transmitting image information through a medium such as paper or a liquid crystal display, which is an outdoor display for advertisement, will be described.

In the following description, a system for transmitting and transmitting image information such as a street advertisement, a hanging advertisement, a billboard advertisement, an electronic bulletin board, a liquid crystal bulletin board, and an outdoor display for advertisement is referred to as an image information transmission medium.

In this embodiment, the token is a telephone number, the information transmission medium presents the telephone number, and the user terminal 8 is a means for inputting the telephone number or a camera device. The token table database 5 is provided with character recognition means for recognizing and reading a telephone number character string from an image input from a camera, and the token table database 5 manages information indicating a correspondence relationship between a telephone number and a content identifier.

FIG. 10 shows an example of the token table in this embodiment. The illustrated example is a case where a telephone number is described on the image information transmission medium. In the token table shown in the figure, the token received from the user terminal,
That is, a content identifier is associated with each telephone number.

The operation will be described below.

(STEP 1) When the user is interested in the image information transmitted by the image information transmission medium, the user inputs the telephone number of the user terminal and the telephone number into the user terminal using the input means. . Alternatively, the user photographs the telephone number portion of the image information transmission medium by using the camera device provided in the user terminal. After that, the character recognition means for recognizing and reading the telephone number character string from the image input from the camera provided in the user terminal acquires the telephone number by extracting the telephone number character string.

(STEP2) The user terminal has a character recognizing means for recognizing and reading the telephone number character string from the image input by the user or the image input from the camera provided in the user terminal. The acquired telephone number is stored as a token.

(STEP3) When tokens are accumulated,
Immediately present information indicating that the token is held (hereinafter referred to as "mark information") to the user, or at the time designated by the user, the mark information regarding the already held token is sent to the user. To present.

(STEP 4) The link-up server is accessed via the network and the token, user information and terminal information are transmitted to the link-up server.

(STEP 5) The link-up server identifies the content identifier by referring to the token acquired from the user terminal and the token table database, and then refers to the content information database to mark the content by the viewer. After extracting all the content information of the content related to the selected information, making a selection by referring to the user information, terminal information, and attribute information of the content information, sending the selected content information to the user terminal To do.

(STEP6) The user terminal accumulates one or more pieces of content information received from the link-up server, updates the mark information to the icon information included in the corresponding content information, and (STEP7) User However, when any icon information is selected, the processing for acquiring and using the content is executed based on the resource location of the corresponding content information.

[Fifth Embodiment] Next, the user interface and function of the user terminal 8 of the token type content providing system 1 will be described as a fifth embodiment.

The user terminal 8 has a function of displaying a list of icon information included in the content information held in the storage means, moving the icon information display position, and deleting the icon information, according to the user's operation. The user interface of the user terminal 8 is Windows (registered trademark) or Ma.
It may be provided as a GUI using a Desktop metaphor equivalent to that provided by cOS. A specific example of the user terminal GUI system will be described below.

The user terminal 8 has a GUI in which a plurality of pieces of icon information are arranged in a matrix, and has functions such as moving or deleting icon information and executing processing corresponding to the clicked icon information. Information such as the type of icon information, the icon image corresponding to the icon information, and the arrangement position of the icon information object is managed by a text file in XML format, and the GUI may be configured with reference to this. In this case, this GUI is a browser for XML files. It also contains an HTML browser component and functions as a normal HTML browser. Therefore, with the GUI, HTML contents that can be handled by an HTML browser, Java (registered trademark) A
Various contents such as a applet, various images, and moving images can be presented.

FIG. 11 shows an example of the GUI basic screen. GUI
On the screen, for example, Go, B like a normal browser
It has ack, Stop, and Quit buttons.

FIG. 12 shows an example of icon information. XML
If the size of the icon information matrix specified by does not fit in the frame, a scroll bar is displayed,
You can scroll the object icon matrix.

The following operations can be performed on the GUI screen. (A) The icon arrangement can be changed by dragging the icon information. (B) By clicking the icon information, the content process associated with the icon information is executed. FIG. 13 shows an example of a screen when using the content. (C) If you press the Go button while displaying XML or content, XML / H opened next in history
Transition to display of TML. (D) If you press the Go button while displaying XML or content, the previously opened XML / H in the history
Transition to display of TML. (E) Stop the content and HTML start reading processing. (F) If the application is running, terminate the application. (G) The screen can be scrolled by the scroll bar. Also, while moving the icon, scrolls when moving to the upper and lower corners while dragging. (H) Delete icon information. By this operation, the corresponding content information is deleted from the storage means of the user terminal.

Note that not all of the above-described operations may be possible on the GUI of the user terminal.

[Sixth Embodiment] Next, a content information transmitting / receiving function between user terminals will be described as a sixth embodiment with reference to FIG.

A function of transmitting content information to any other user terminal B when a plurality of user terminals are connected to the user terminal A of the above token type content providing system on the network. And other user terminal B
It has a function of receiving, accumulating, and using the received content information.

The user designates the address of another user terminal to which the content information is to be transmitted by a predetermined operation,
By specifying the content information to be transmitted and performing the transmission process, the content information can be transmitted to another user terminal via a predetermined network. Network is IP
In the case of a network, for example, the content information is e
-It can be implemented so that it is handled as an attached file of mail and sent and received.

When content information is received from another user terminal, the user terminal presents an event notifying the user of the content information and the icon information included in the newly received token information. By selecting the icon information, the user can access and use the content corresponding to the content information.

[Seventh Embodiment] Next, the content information output function between user terminals will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIGS.

In this embodiment, the user terminal of the token type content providing system has a function of outputting the content information or the content itself to various output devices. The various output devices are printers, facsimiles, memory cards and the like. By selecting the output device, at least output by printing on paper or output as an electronic file on an electronic medium is determined, and various setting functions thereafter are limited. In addition, when outputting as an electronic file, for example, HTML, PD
F, EPS, etc. can be used.

The procedure for outputting the content information or the content itself will be described with reference to FIG.

The user selects the output function of the user terminal (step 11). That is, the output device to which the content information or the content itself is output is selected. Next, it is selected which content information or information about the content itself is to be output (step 12). Then, the expression at the time of output is set (step 13), the layout is set (step 14), the output information is adapted to the set layout, and converted into a format suitable for the final output format. And output (step 15).

The above-mentioned layout setting includes setting of the position of the output information on the screen, setting of whether or not to superimpose the resource location on the icon image when outputting the icon image together with the resource location, and the like. .

The output to the printer will be described as an example below.

The content information to be output is the URL which is the resource location and the icon information. Further, the content to be output is the content itself at the destination of the resource location.

When the user chooses to output the resource location and icon information as characters, they are output as characters in the instructed layout. When it is selected to output the icon information as an icon image together with the resource location, the resource location can be output by being superimposed on the image in addition to being output as a character.

The superimposing method will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIGS. 16 (a) and 16 (b), as a superimposing method, a method of superimposing the resource location information in an invisible form by using a digital watermarking technique, or a method of bar code-encoding explicitly is used. There is a method (b) of superimposing on the icon image or in the vicinity thereof in a form visible to the user.

At the time of outputting the contents, a set of contents is taken into the memory of the user terminal via the network, converted into the designated layout, and then outputted to the output device. Also in this case, when outputting the resource location together, the above-mentioned superimposing method can be used.

In addition to the printer described above, output to a facsimile or a memory card can also be performed. In that case, the device configuration is basically the same as the case of output to the printer, but when transferring data to the output device. The data format differs for each output device.

The operation on the user terminal can be performed using the GUI, for example, as follows.

First, an output target (output information) is selected with a check box or the like, and the arrangement and size of the items checked with the check box are set. As a setting method, there is a method of directly setting the arrangement and size with a mouse or the like, or creating a template in advance and selecting the template. At this time, if both the resource location and the icon image are output targets, whether to superimpose the resource location on the icon image is selected (check box or the like).

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0201]

As described above, according to the present invention, the user can easily access the WWW related to the information transmitted by the various information transmission media.
An environment in which the above contents can be accessed can be realized.

When acquiring WWW contents via a token, considering the difference in points of interest for each user, content information adapted to each user's interest or user attribute is provided. The system to gain In addition, it is possible to realize a system that can provide contents suitable for use in the terminal in consideration of the terminal information such as the display capacity and processing capacity of the user terminal used by the user. In addition, to provide a means for the system to automatically mark information regardless of the user, and to realize a function that solves the problem that the user must mark the target of interest in daily life at any time. You can

Furthermore, in the network content use environment as described above, the user can effectively manage and use the content information of the content on the WWW related to the information transmitted by various information transmission media efficiently. Further, by managing the user content information on the server, the same user can always hold and manage the same user content information even when the terminal used by the user is different.

As a part of solving the above-mentioned problems, the user who has acquired the information of the network content transmits the acquired information of the network content, that is, the information acquired by a paper medium, to another user as a mail letter. Similarly to the above, it is possible to realize a usage environment that can be provided to other users.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the content information and the content can be output from the user terminal to various output devices using various output expressions.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a content identifier and content information associated with the content identifier.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a token table in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example in the case of automatically acquiring a token.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a token table in the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a third embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a token table in the third embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a token table in the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI basic screen on a user terminal.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of icon information.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen when using content.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a content information transmission / reception function between user terminals.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a procedure of outputting content information or content from a user terminal to an output device.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example in which a resource location is superimposed on an image and output.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Token type content providing system 2 network 3 Content server 4 Content information database 5 Token table database 6 Content information registration server 7 Information transmission medium 8 user terminals 9 Link-up server 10 Consists of a user management server 10. 81 clock 82 Position detection device 83 Accelerometer 84 camera device 85 Image (text) recognition means 86 keyword database 87 Laser Scanner Means 88 Radio signal receiving means

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Akito Akutsu             2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Inside Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Yoshinobu Tonomura             2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Inside Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Kiyoshi Tanaka             2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Inside Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Takahisa Taura             2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Inside Telegraph and Telephone Corporation F term (reference) 5B075 KK07 ND02 ND03 ND04 ND06                       ND08 ND12 ND14 ND16 ND20                       NK10 PP05 PP10 PQ02 PQ04                       PR08

Claims (26)

[Claims] 1. A system for providing content to a user terminal via a network, comprising: a plurality of content servers providing content to the user terminal via a predetermined network; and managing content information for each content identifier. Content information database, a token table database that manages a token table having information about the correspondence between tokens and content identifiers, which are information that can be a factor for specifying the content, and an information transmission medium that transmits outgoing information related to the content. A user terminal for acquiring and transmitting a token and acquiring and using a content; and a link-up server for transmitting content information to the user terminal based on the token received from the user terminal, Information sent from the medium The user terminal acquires the token according to an instruction from a user who views the user terminal, the user terminal transmits the token to the linkup server via a predetermined network, and the linkup server stores the token table. Referring to a database, determining one or more content identifiers corresponding to the received token, acquiring content information corresponding to the one or more content identifiers from the content information database, To the user terminal, the user terminal acquires the content from the content server by using the resource location included in the received content information, and the user terminal is stored in its storage means. Content information, content, or content information and content Token type content providing system characterized in that it has an output means for outputting both the external output device. 2. The output means selects and sets an external output device, means for selecting and determining output information, means for setting an output layout, and output information matching the setting of the output layout. The token-based content providing system according to claim 1, further comprising: 3. The user terminal includes user information about a user and a storage unit that manages terminal information about the user terminal, and the content information includes attribute information about the content, The terminal transmits the acquired token, user information, and terminal information to the link-up server via a predetermined network, and the link-up server uses the token table database and the content information database to convert the token into the token. A method for acquiring corresponding content information, selecting content information acquired by referring to user information, terminal information, and attribute information of the content information, and transmitting the selected content information to the user terminal. 1. The token type content providing system according to 1 or 2. 4. The user terminal further comprises an automatic marking means for automatically acquiring a token when triggered by a condition set in advance, and the user terminal is configured to perform the automatic marking means. According to
The token type content providing system according to claim 1, wherein the token is automatically acquired. 5. The content information includes graphic information indicating the content of the content and icon information regarding a picture, and the user terminal stores the received content information in a storage unit and in the storage unit. A user interface function for displaying icon information included in the content information, and when the content information is acquired by the storage means,
The token type content providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein icon information included in the content information is displayed, and the presence of each content information in the storage means is presented to the user. 6. The user terminal has a user interface function for a user to select the displayed icon information, and includes the icon information when the user selects the icon information. The token type content providing system according to claim 5, wherein the content of the network address is acquired by accessing the network address indicated by the resource location included in the content information, and the content is displayed. 7. The user terminal has a function of transmitting the content information held in the storage means to another user terminal connected to the token type content providing system, and the token type content providing system. The token type content providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a function of receiving content information transmitted from another connected user terminal. 8. The token type content providing system further includes a user management server, wherein the user terminal stores user content information and user information which are a plurality of content information held in its storage means. The token-based content provision according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which transmits to the user management server, and the user management server manages user content information and user information for each user identifier. system. 9. The user terminal acquires a user identifier at startup, transmits the user identifier to the user management server, and the user content corresponding to the user identifier from the user management server. Information and user information are acquired, stored in storage means, icon information included in each content information in the user content information is displayed, and the existence of each content information in the storage means is presented to the user. The token type content providing system according to claim 8. 10. The token comprises any one or more of time information at the time when the user terminal acquires the token, position information of the user terminal, terminal orientation information, and terminal movement progress information. Information, the user terminal, time information, position information of the user terminal,
It has a means for acquiring one or more information of terminal orientation information and terminal movement progress information, and the token table database is any one of time information, position information, terminal orientation information, and terminal movement progress information. Alternatively, the token-type content providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which manages information indicating a correspondence relationship between a plurality of pieces of information and the content identifier. 11. The token is bar code information or character string information, the information transmission medium presents bar code information or character string information, and the user terminal reads the bar code information or character string information. 10. The laser scanner unit for storing the token table database according to claim 1, wherein the token table database manages information indicating a correspondence relationship between barcode information or character string information and the content identifier. Token content providing system. 12. The token is radio wave signal information transmitted by radio waves, the information transmission medium transmits radio wave signal information, and the user terminal receives radio wave signal information. The token-type content providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the token table database manages information indicating a correspondence relationship between radio signal information and the content identifier. 13. The token is a telephone number, the information transmission medium presents a telephone number, and the user terminal is a unit for inputting a telephone number, or a camera device and a camera device, The character recognition means for recognizing and reading a telephone number character string from an input image is provided, and the token table database manages information indicating a correspondence relationship between a telephone number and the content identifier. The token type content providing system according to any one of the above. 14. A system for providing content to a user terminal via a network, which is a method for providing content to the user terminal, wherein the system provides content to the user terminal via a predetermined network. A token table that manages a plurality of content servers, a content information database that manages content information for each content identifier, and a token table that has information about the correspondence relationship between tokens and content identifiers, which is information that can be a factor that identifies content. A database, an information transmission medium that transmits outgoing information related to content, a user terminal that acquires and transmits a token, and acquires and uses the content, and content information based on the token received from the user terminal. Send to terminal And a step of acquiring the token by the user terminal according to an instruction from a user who views the transmission information from the information transmission medium, and the user terminal acquires the token. Transmitting to the link-up server via a predetermined network, the link-up server refers to the token table database, determines one or more content identifiers corresponding to the received token, Acquiring content information corresponding to the one or more content identifiers from a content information database and transmitting the content information to the user terminal; and the user terminal including the received content information. Content is acquired from the content server using resource location And a step, the user terminal, the token type content providing method and outputting the content information held in the storage unit, content, or both the content information and the content to the external output device. 15. The user terminal comprises content information,
When outputting the content or both the content information and the content to the external output device, the step of selecting and setting the external output device, the step of selecting and determining the output information, and the step of setting the output layout, The token-type content providing method according to claim 14, further comprising: a step of converting output information according to an output layout setting. 16. The user terminal manages user information about the user and terminal information about the user terminal,
The content information includes attribute information related to content, and the method includes the step of the user terminal transmitting the acquired token, user information, and terminal information to the link-up server via a predetermined network, A step in which the link-up server obtains content information corresponding to the token using the token table database and the content information database; and the link-up server uses user information, terminal information, and attributes of the content information. 16. The token-based content according to claim 14 or 15, comprising a step of selecting content information acquired by referring to the information, and a step of the link-up server transmitting the selected content information to the user terminal. How to provide. 17. The user terminal has a step of acquiring a token by using an automatic marking means for automatically acquiring the token when triggered by a condition set in advance. The token type content providing method according to any one of the above. 18. The content information includes graphic information indicating the content of the content and icon information related to a picture, and the user terminal stores the received content information in a storage unit, and is stored in the storage unit. The method has a user interface function of displaying icon information included in the content information, and the method provides the icon information included in the content information when the user terminal acquires the content information in the storage unit. 18. The token type content providing method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, further comprising the step of displaying "," and presenting the presence of each content information in the storage means to a user. 19. The user terminal has a user interface function for a user to select the displayed icon information, and in the method, the user terminal selects the icon information by the user. 19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising a step of acquiring the content of the network address and displaying the content by accessing the network address indicated by the resource location included in the content information including the icon information when The token content providing method described. 20. A step in which the user terminal transmits the content information held in the storage means to another user terminal connected to the token type content providing system; and the user terminal, 20. The token type content providing method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of receiving content information transmitted from another user terminal connected to the token type content providing system. 21. The system further comprises a user management server, and the method is characterized in that the user terminal stores user content information and user information which are a plurality of content information held in its storage means. 21. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: a step of transmitting to the user management server; and a step of the user management server managing user content information and user information for each user identifier. The token content providing method described. 22. The user terminal obtains a user identifier at the time of starting, the user terminal transmits the user identifier to the user management server, and the user terminal comprises: User content information and user information corresponding to the user identifier are acquired from the user management server, stored in storage means, and icon information included in each content information in the user content information is displayed. 22. The token type content providing method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of presenting the presence of each content information in the storage means to the user. 23. The token includes any one or more of time information at the time when the user terminal acquires the token, position information of the user terminal, terminal orientation information, and terminal movement progress information. Information, the user terminal, time information, position information of the user terminal,
A step of acquiring any one or more information of terminal orientation information and terminal movement progress information, and the token table database, any one or more of time information, position information, terminal orientation information, terminal movement progress information 23. The token type content providing method according to any one of claims 14 to 22, further comprising: managing information indicating a correspondence relationship between the information and the content identifier. 24. The token is bar code information or character string information, wherein the information transmission medium presents the bar code information or character string information, and the user terminal sets the bar code information or character string information. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of reading column information, and the token table database managing information indicating a correspondence relationship between the barcode information or the character string information and the content identifier.
23. The token type content providing method according to any one of 4 to 22. 25. The token is radio signal information transmitted by radio waves, the information transmission medium transmitting the radio signal information, the user terminal acquiring the radio signal information, The token type content providing method according to any one of claims 14 to 22, wherein the token table database has a step of managing information indicating a correspondence relationship between radio signal information and the content identifier. 26. The token is a telephone number, wherein the information transmission medium presents a telephone number, and the user terminal inputs a telephone number or a telephone number from an image input from a camera device. The token according to any one of claims 14 to 22, comprising a step of recognizing and reading a character string, and a step of managing information indicating a correspondence relationship between a telephone number and the content identifier by the token table database. Type content providing method.