JP2006018792A - Charging system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a charging system with high anonymity in electronic commerce. <P>SOLUTION: The charging system 1 comprises a charging server 10, a PC 15 for a charging server manager, a content server 20, a PC 25 for a content owner, a PC 30 for a store, a cash input machine 33, and a PC 35 for a store owner. A user viewing a paid content inputs cash for a content charge into the cash input machine 33 with an inherent identifier ID attached respectively. The charging server 10 manages payment of the content charge by the user while confirming an identifier, and transmits a signal indicating the payment together with the identifier to the content server 20. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging system for charging a user who performs electronic commerce related to content via a network.

In recent years, with the development of network infrastructure represented by the Internet, electronic commerce such as users purchasing products via the Internet and viewing paid content such as movies and music is rapidly spreading. .
In such electronic commerce, in order to reduce the burden on the user, many billing systems are used for payment of purchase price online. For example, online payment using a credit card, payment using a card with a built-in IC chip having an electronic money function, or a mobile phone has already been put into practical use.

Many applications have been filed for such a billing system, and examples include the following.
JP 2004-178005 A Japanese Patent No. 2942517 Japanese Patent No. 2924478

  However, the conventional billing system has a problem that identification information about the user is transmitted from the terminal on the user side to the server, and the user can be specified on the server side. For example, in credit card settlement, a credit card number and name are transmitted to the server. In addition, even for an IC chip built-in card or a mobile phone, a specific ID number is transmitted to the server.

  Normally, on the server side, based on this user identification method, purchase history such as what products were purchased for each user, what movies were watched, what music was downloaded, etc. was stored in the server. Accumulated. Therefore, not only is there a concern for the user that his / her purchase history is grasped by the server administrator, etc., but if the information stored in the server leaks, an unspecified third party I am worried that my personal information will be grasped.

Even if the specification is such that the user information is not stored in the server, for users who want to purchase goods anonymously, psychological resistance is very large against the fact that an ID that identifies themselves is transmitted. In many cases, hesitates to purchase products.
On the other hand, merchandise and content providers will miss out on sales opportunities because of the low anonymity billing system.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a charging system with high anonymity in electronic commerce.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a billing system according to the present invention is a billing system for providing a billing service in content electronic commerce to a content server and a content viewing user terminal connected via a network. Added to the content viewing user terminal, a cash input machine for the user to insert cash for payment of the content fee, a function for managing whether or not the content fee has been paid to the cash input machine, And a billing server having a function of transmitting a signal indicating that the content fee has been paid to the content server.

  A billing system according to the present invention includes a billing server, a content server, and a plurality of content viewing user terminals connected to each other via a network, and is a billing system for billing in content electronic commerce, The content viewing user terminal is a cash input machine in which a user inserts cash for payment of a content fee, and includes a cash input machine to which a unique identifier for identifying each cash input machine is attached. And the billing server has a function of managing whether or not a content fee has been paid to the content viewing user terminal while grasping an identifier of the cash dispenser, and the content server includes the billing server Confirm the payment of the content fee at the user terminal for content viewing via the ID including the identifier. After, the user terminal for content viewing with a cash-on machine in which the identifier is attached, and performs delivery of contents.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a charging system with high anonymity in electronic commerce. If the billing system has high anonymity, the user can freely view content and the like without worrying about others' knowledge of his purchase history. As a result, the content provider can increase sales.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a charging system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the billing system 1 includes a billing server 10, a billing server manager PC 15, a content server 20, a content owner PC 25, a store PC 30, a cash dispenser 33, and a store owner PC 35.

  The accounting server 10 and the accounting server administrator PC 15 are owned by the operating system of the accounting system 1. The billing server 10 is a server for controlling the billing process of the billing system 1 as a whole, and the billing server administrator PC 15 is used by a person in charge of the billing system operating company and stored in the billing server 10. This information is used to confirm sales and monitor and maintain the entire billing system.

  The content server 20 and the content owner PC 25 are owned by the content management company. As shown in the figure, the content management company has a content server 20 and a content owner PC 25. The content server 20 is a server for storing content to be provided to the user, and the content owner PC 25 is used when a content management company confirms sales or sets a content fee.

  In the figure, two companies, company A and company B, are shown as content management companies. A content server A20-1 and a content owner PC-A25-1 owned by the content operating company A, a content server B20-2 and a content owner PC-B25-2 owned by the content operating company B are shown.

  The store PC 30, the cash dispenser 33, and the store owner PC 35 are installed in a store such as an Internet cafe. A user terminal is configured by the store PC 30 and the cash dispenser 33 used by the user who visited the store. An ID as an identifier for recognizing each machine on the billing server 10 side is assigned in advance to all the cash dispensers 33. The store PC 30 is used by the user to view the content, and the user purchases the content by inserting money into the cash dispenser 33. The store owner can check sales etc. by accessing the billing server 10 using the store owner PC 33.

  A plurality of user terminals are installed in the Internet cafe. In the figure, a user terminal including a store PC-A 30-1 and a cash input machine A33-1, a store PC-B 30-2, and a cash input machine. A user terminal consisting of B33-2 is shown.

  As described above, the billing system 1 according to the present embodiment provides a payment when providing various paid contents to Internet cafe customers via a personal computer (PC) installed in a store and connected to the Internet. It is a system that provides services.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the accounting server 10. As shown in the figure, the accounting server 10 includes an arithmetic unit 11 such as a CPU that performs various arithmetic processes, a hard disk drive that stores various programs 121 and a database (DB) for realizing the functions of the accounting server 10, and the like. The storage device 12 is provided.

  The database includes a basic management DB 122 storing data necessary for managing the cash input machine such as sales of each cash input machine, a content charge DB 123 storing a charge for each content, and a detailed payment information record for each payment. Is included in the settlement information DB 124.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the content server 20. As shown in the figure, the content server 20 includes an arithmetic device 21 such as a CPU for performing various arithmetic processes, and a storage device 22 such as a hard disk drive for storing various programs 221 and databases for realizing the functions of the content server. I have.

  The database includes a movie DB 222 that stores a large number of movies as contents to be provided to the user, a music DB 223 that also stores a large number of music as contents, and each content content provided to the user when selecting the contents. A content description DB 224 in which summary information is stored is included.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the store PC 30 and the cash dispenser 33 constituting the user terminal. One cash input machine 33 is installed for each store PC 30, and the cash input machines 33 corresponding to the store PC 30 are connected via respective communication interfaces (not shown). The cash input machine 33 includes a money discriminating device 331 for determining the type and authenticity of the inserted money, a cash storage 332 for storing the inserted money, and a control microcomputer for controlling the cash input machine. 333 is provided. In the present embodiment, as the cash input machine 33, only a one hundred yen coin and a one thousand yen bill are accepted, and a simple input machine without a change payment function is adopted to reduce the cost.

  The store PC 30 includes a calculation device 31 such as a CPU for performing various calculations, a storage device 32 for storing various programs 321 and a database for realizing the functions of the store PC 30. The database includes a cash information management DB 322 for managing the cash information input to the cash input machine 33, information for displaying a content navigation screen for introducing content to the user, etc. Navigation DB 232 in which information to be presented is stored. The cash information management DB 322 includes an ID as an identifier of the cash dispenser 33 connected to the store PC 30.

  In addition, as a business form of the accounting system operating company, for example, by providing the cash input machine 33 to the Internet cafe in a rental manner and installing a program for realizing the functions of the accounting system in the store PC 30, the user terminal The form which builds is considered.

  Next, the flow of the settlement service by the charging system 1 having the above configuration will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of a settlement service by the charging system 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, first, in an initial state, a content navigation screen is presented to the user on the display of the store PC 30 (S1). This content navigation screen is a screen that is displayed under the control of the arithmetic device 31 with reference to the data in the navigation DB 323 described above, and is a screen that introduces content provided by a content management company with which the store is affiliated. .

  Subsequently, when the user selects a desired content in S2, a signal requesting a detailed description of the selected content is sent from the store PC 30 to the selected content server 20 of the operating company (S3). Receiving this signal, the content server 20 refers to the data in the content description DB 224 to the store PC 30 that has transmitted the signal, and returns detailed description information of the selected content (S4).

  In S5, store PC30 which received the said content description information displays content description information. At this time, a “purchase” icon is displayed on the display of the store PC 30 together with the content explanation information. When the user who has decided to purchase clicks on the “Purchase” icon and decides to purchase the content (S6), the information specifying the purchased content and the ID of the cash dispenser 33 connected to the store PC 30 are displayed. Is transmitted to the billing server 10 (S7).

  Subsequently, the process proceeds to S8, and in the billing server 10, the computing device 21 recognizes the ID of the cash dispenser 33 sent from the store PC 30, identifies the store PC 30 as the transmission source, and charges the purchased content. Is confirmed with reference to the content fee DB 123. In S9, the billing server 10 transmits the charge information of the purchased content to the transmission source store PC 30 specified in S8.

  In S10, store PC30 which received content charge information refers to the data in navigation DB323, and displays a utilization charge billing screen with respect to a user. As the usage fee billing screen, for example, a text such as “It costs 500 yen to watch this content. Please pay to the cash machine” is displayed on the display.

  In S <b> 11, information on the accepted amount is transmitted from the store PC 30 to the cash dispenser 33. As described above, in the present embodiment, since the cash dispenser 33 without the change payment function is used, it is necessary not to accept an amount exceeding the content fee. Accordingly, the content fee information is set in the cash dispenser 33 prior to the fee payment by the user.

  When the user charges the charged fee into the cash dispenser 33 (S12), the cash dispenser 33 performs a deposit acceptance process (S13). At this time, as described above, the cash dispenser 33 that has received the content fee functions to accept only the exact amount. Since the cash dispenser 33 can accept only one hundred yen coins and one thousand yen bills, for example, when the content fee is 500 yen, the control microcomputer 333 accepts money so that only five 100 yen coins are accepted. The discriminator 331 is controlled. In addition, when the content fee is 1200 yen, both the thousand yen bill and the hundred yen coin are accepted at first, but after three hundred yen coins are inserted, the thousand yen bill is not accepted and only the hundred yen coin is accepted. It is controlled to accept.

  The cash dispenser 33 that has received the cash for the content fee transmits a message to that effect to the store PC 30. In S <b> 14, payment completion information indicating that payment by the user who purchased the content is completed is transmitted from the store PC 30 to the billing server 10. This payment completion information includes the ID of the cash dispenser 33, information indicating that payment has been completed, information on the date and time when payment was completed, and the like.

  The billing server 10 that has received the payment completion information performs a settlement process in S15 and stores it in the settlement information DB 124 as a settled settlement information record. The payment information record includes “content” that is information for identifying the purchased content, “content fee” that indicates the fee of the content, “content management company” that indicates the operating company that provides the content, and payment. In addition, information such as “cash input machine ID” which is information specifying the cash input machine 33, “store” indicating the store used by the user, “date and time” indicating the settlement date and time, and the like are included.

  In S <b> 16, the billing server 10 transmits settlement completion information indicating that the settlement is completed to the content server 20. The settlement completion information is transmitted to the content server 20 after specifying the ID of the cash dispenser 33 in response to a request from the content server 20. That is, a content viewing request signal is sent from the store PC 30 to the content server 20 together with the ID of the cash input machine 33 at the same time as the settlement completion information transmission from the store PC 30 to the billing server 10 in S14. Then, the content server 20 that has received the content viewing request signal transmits a signal for confirming whether or not the settlement relating to the ID has been completed to the accounting server 10. In response to this, the accounting server 10 transmits settlement completion information in S16.

  The content server 20 that has received the payment completion information transmits the content information to the store PC 30 in which the ID is set (S17). Proceeding to S18, the store PC 30 that has received the content data displays the content data on the display, and the user who paid the content fee can view the paid content (S19).

  Here, as a content providing method according to the present embodiment, a method of charging for each content unit or a method of charging for each time unit is adopted. Therefore, in S20, when the content unit method is used, the viewing of the paid content is ended by the end of the content, and in the case of the time unit method, the viewing of the paid content is ended when the time limit has elapsed. Return to the content navigation screen.

  As a charging method, a point system may be adopted. In the point system, a user can purchase points of a content management company, for example, management company A, and continuously view the content provided by the content management company A within the range of points. In the content of the content management company A, points necessary for viewing each content are determined in advance.

  The flow of the settlement service by the charging system has been described above. In the present embodiment, when the user views paid content, information such as the ID of the cash input machine 33 and the network address of the store PC 30 is stored in the charging server 10. And information that identifies the user is not transmitted at all. Therefore, the user can enjoy desired pay content while maintaining anonymity.

  Next, a mode in which the administrator of the operating company of the charging system 1 uses information in the payment information DB 124 of the charging server 10 will be described. The system administrator can access the settlement information DB 124 of the accounting server 10 using the accounting server administrator PC 15. The access authority at this time can access all records.

  As described above, the payment information record includes information on “purchased content”, “content fee”, “content management company”, “cash input machine ID”, “store”, and “date and time” for each payment. ing. Therefore, the system administrator can obtain various statistical data by counting the records in the settlement information DB 124. For example, even for sales totals, totals by content management company, totals by store, totals by cash dispenser, totals by content, etc. can be performed, which is effective for store owners and content owners. Statistical data can be provided.

  Next, a mode in which the owner of the content management company uses information in the payment information DB 124 of the charging server 10 will be described. The content owner can access the settlement information DB 124 of the accounting server 10 using the content owner PC 25. The access authority at this time is only the payment information record related to the content of the company. The content owner can obtain various statistical data by summing up the payment information records related to the company, which can be used for future management.

  The content owner also has access authority to the content fee DB 123 of the billing server 10, and can access the content fee DB 123 to add, modify, and delete his / her content fee record. Therefore, when new content is added to the content server, the content fee record can be added to the content fee DB 123, or the content fee record relating to the abolished content can be deleted. Even when a special service period or the like is held and the content fee is uniformly discounted, it is possible to cope with this by simply correcting and rewriting the record in the content fee DB 123.

  Next, a mode in which the store owner uses information in the payment information DB 124 of the billing server 10 will be described. The store owner can access the settlement information DB 124 of the billing server 10 via the store owner PC 35. The access authority at this time is only the payment information record regarding the cash dispenser 33 and the store PC 30 of the store. The store owner can obtain various statistical data by summing up the settlement information records of the store, and can refer to future management.

  Note that the functions of the charging server 10, the charging server manager PC 15, the content server 20, the content owner PC 25, the store PC 30, and the store owner PC 35 of the present embodiment described above are the programs for realizing these functions. Done by installing on. The program may be installed using a recording medium such as a CO-ROM or DVD-ROM, or a program for realizing these functions is stored in advance in the accounting system server, and the program is installed via a network. The program may be distributed and installed.

  The charging system according to the present embodiment has been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, as the paid content provided by the content management company, various contents can be adopted, and a movie, a game other than music, or predetermined information may be used. In addition, a paid site for which browsing of the Internet site itself is charged can be used as the content.

  Moreover, the cash input machine may be a cash input machine having a fishing payment function. Moreover, it may be a cash dispenser that accepts not only one hundred yen coins and one thousand yen bills but also other money.

  In the present embodiment, the store PC as the user terminal and the cash dispenser are separated from each other and connected by a communication cable. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The terminal and the cash dispenser may be integrated.

  In this embodiment, a personal computer is used as an example of a user terminal used by a user. However, any terminal can be used as long as it is a terminal capable of viewing content and connected to a charging server and a content server via a network. Can be used. For example, it may be a network-compatible television, a network-compatible telephone, or the like, or a terminal that can only listen to audio such as music.

  In the present embodiment, the Internet terminal is described as an example of the installation location of the user terminal. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the location where the cash input machine added to the user terminal can be managed. Any place is acceptable. For example, it may be in a store such as a movie theater or a record store.

  Further, in this embodiment, the case where the accounting server and the content server are each configured as one server has been described as an example. However, the charging server and the content server can be configured to function as a collection of a plurality of servers. Also good. Furthermore, a single server may be configured to perform the functions of both the billing server and the content server.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the charging system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the accounting server which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the content server which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of store PC and cash input machine which comprise the user terminal which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the payment service by the charging system which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Billing System 10 Billing Server 15 Billing Server Administrator PC
20 Content server 25 Content owner PC
30 store PC
33 Cash dispenser 35 PC for store owner

Claims (5)

A billing system that provides a billing service in electronic commerce of content to a content server and a content viewing user terminal connected via a network,
A cash dispenser that is added to the content viewing user terminal and in which the user inserts cash for payment of the content fee;
A billing server having a function of managing whether or not a content fee has been paid to the cash dispenser, and a function of transmitting a signal indicating that the content fee has been paid to the content server. A billing system characterized by that. The cash dispenser is given a unique identifier for identifying each cash dispenser,
The billing server has a function of managing whether or not a content fee has been paid while grasping the identifier of the cash input machine, and a signal indicating that the content fee has been paid to the content server together with the identifier The charging system according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission function.   The cash dispenser does not have a change payment function, and the content fee selected by the user is set in the cash dispenser prior to the payment of the content fee, so that only the exact amount unnecessary for the change is accepted. The charging system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the charging system operates. A charging system comprising a charging server, a content server, and a plurality of content viewing user terminals connected to each other via a network, for charging in electronic commerce of content,
The content viewing user terminal is a cash input machine in which a user inserts cash for payment of a content fee, and includes a cash input machine to which a unique identifier for identifying each cash input machine is attached. Have
The billing server has a function of managing whether or not a content fee has been paid to the content viewing user terminal while grasping an identifier of the cashier,
The content server, after confirming payment of the content fee in the content viewing user terminal including the identifier via the billing server, to the content viewing user terminal having a cash dispenser to which the identifier is attached A billing system characterized by delivering content. A billing program for causing a computer to provide a billing service in content electronic commerce to a content server connected via a network and a content viewing user terminal to which a cash dispenser with an identifier is added. And
Managing whether or not the content fee has been paid to the cash dispenser while grasping the identifier of the cash dispenser;
A billing program that causes the computer to execute a step of transmitting to the content server that the content fee has been paid together with the identifier.

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