KR102394993B1 - Method and system for providing contents based on free charging ticket - Google Patents

Abstract

The embodiments transmit, to the user terminal, information on whether the content is the content subject to the application of the free charging voucher that is charged for free after a certain time has elapsed, to the user terminal, based on the content information table of the database including meta information about the content, Receive an activation request for starting charging of the free charging voucher for the content subject to the charging use right from the user terminal, and when the activation request is received, the user and the content for which the activation request is received are mapped to a user of the database a free charge usage right management unit that records a mapping result in a table, and starts charging of the free charge use ticket with respect to the mapped content based on the user table in which the mapping result is recorded; And upon receiving a request for content from the user terminal, check the use right information including the free charging use right associated with the user terminal, and based on the confirmation result, comprising a content providing unit for providing the content information of the requested content to the user terminal It relates to a system for providing content based on a free charging voucher and a method for providing content based on a free charging voucher performed by the system.

Description

Method and system for providing content based on free charging vouchers

The present invention relates to a technology for providing content to a user based on a usage right. More specifically, the present invention can reduce the server load as the number of users and works dramatically increases in a method of providing content to a user based on a free charging voucher that is charged after a predetermined time has elapsed and granted to the user. , and also relates to a method for providing content based on a free charging pass that can efficiently provide a free charging pass, and a system for providing content based on a free charging pass through which the method is performed.

It is common for modern people who live busy lives to receive various contents such as cartoons, dramas, and movies by using smart phones, thanks to the development of information and communication technology through the Internet.

Content provision through a smart phone is generally performed through a platform that serves the contents. Content consumers access a platform that provides desired content with their smart phone, and the smart phone downloads data used to execute the content and provides the content to consumers.

These platforms generate revenue in two main ways. First, there is a free-based content providing platform that increases platform users by providing content for free, and generates revenue through advertisements based on the increased users, and a paid-based content providing platform that generates revenue by providing content for a fee. there is.

In the past, it was a general online consumption environment where the objection to paying for content was very high. Because of that, platforms that provide free content have been more dominant.

However, since the free content providing platform generates revenue by indirect means such as advertisements, it is difficult to stably provide various contents, and it is limited to provide a high-performance content providing environment. In particular, there is a problem in that user convenience is greatly reduced because advertisements may be excessively used to maximize profits.

On the other hand, in the case of a paid content providing platform, many consumers are reluctant to purchase content after paying for it, due to doubts about whether it will satisfy consumers' needs.

In this situation, the present applicant introduced the so-called wait-free business model to provide content services such as webtoons and web novels. The method of allowing users to watch content for free after waiting a certain amount of time greatly increases the influx of users into the platform and enables users to consume paid content naturally, leading to the growth of the paid content market such as webtoons and web novels and related ecosystems. Non-Patent Document 1).

2015. 12. 20. Bridge Economy Internet Article [Kakao Page 'wait free', leading content payment culture]

In one aspect, the present invention provides a method and system for providing content based on a free charging voucher for more efficiently performing a service of providing content to a user based on a free charging voucher that is charged after a predetermined time has elapsed and granted to the user suggest

An object of the present invention is, in another aspect, to solve the problem that the load on the database and server dramatically increases as the number of users and content increases because the application of free charging vouchers for each user and individual content is different, and the charging time is different. It is to provide a method and system for providing content based on free charging vouchers that can be solved.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for providing content based on a free charging use ticket performed by a server is a method for providing content based on a content information table of a database including meta-information about content, in which content is charged for free after a certain period of time has elapsed. transmitting information on whether or not the content is subject to charging use right application to the user terminal; receiving, from the user terminal, an activation request for starting charging of the free charging voucher for content subject to the free charging voucher; when the activation request is received, mapping the user and the content for which the activation request is received, and recording the mapping result in a user information table of a database; and initiating charging of the free charging voucher for the mapped content based on the user information table in which the mapping result is recorded.

A computer-readable recording medium according to an embodiment of the present invention is readable by a computer and can store program instructions operable by the computer. Here, when the program instruction is executed by the processor of the computer, the processor may perform the content providing method based on the free charging use voucher according to the above-described embodiment.

A system for providing a video based on a free charging pass including a server for performing a method for providing a method for providing a video based on a free charging use ticket according to an embodiment of the present invention, based on a content information table of a database including meta information about content, After a certain period of time has elapsed, information on whether the content is subject to the application of the free charging voucher that is charged free of charge is transmitted to the user terminal, and an activation request for starting the charging of the free charging voucher for the content subject to the free charging use voucher is sent to the user terminal and when the activation request is received, the mapping result is recorded in the user table of the database by mapping the user and the content received with the activation request, and based on the user table in which the mapping result is recorded, the mapped content is a free charging usage right management unit that starts charging of the free charging usage vouchers; and a content providing unit that, upon receiving a request for content provision from the user terminal, confirms use right information including the free charging use ticket associated with the user terminal, and provides content information of the requested content to the user terminal based on the confirmation result can

According to the method and system for providing content based on a free charging voucher according to an aspect of the present invention, in the method of providing content to a user based on a free charging voucher given to the user after being charged after a predetermined time has elapsed, the free charging voucher is activated When a signal is received from an individual user terminal side, it is possible to grant a free charging use right to a user, thereby minimizing the load on the server.

In addition, each database is made into a table recording content-related information related to free charging vouchers and user-related information related to free charging vouchers, and when a specific user requests activation of a free charging voucher for specific content, the table is By mapping, efficient database management and rapid data processing can be performed at the same time.

Accordingly, even in a situation where the number of users and contents increases significantly, contents can be efficiently provided to users based on free charging vouchers. can increase profits.

In addition, from the user side of the system, since the activation of the free charging voucher and whether the charging is completed can be individually set for each user, it can be individualized so that more free charging vouchers are used than other users according to the access frequency and time. can As a result, it is possible to increase the user's reliance on and loyalty to the free charging voucher provision service.

Effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a content providing system based on a free charging voucher according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a content providing process according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view for explaining a process in which charging of a free charging voucher is activated, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a process of displaying free charge usage right information on a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram for explaining a process in which a user receives content by using a free charging pass, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 to 7 are diagrams schematically illustrating a content providing process based on a free charging use voucher according to situations according to embodiments of the present invention.
The drawings depict various embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. Like reference numerals in the drawings refer to the same or similar functions throughout the various aspects. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods described herein may be used without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.

Embodiments will be described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, however, the principles disclosed herein may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In the detailed description of the invention, detailed descriptions of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring features of the embodiments.

Term Definition

As used herein, "content provider" refers to a subject that provides information related to webtoons, web novels, digital books, movies, broadcasts, and the like. Here, "provider" means an "online service provider" that receives money and provides information to users (or subscribers). The content provider may include a TV broadcasting station, a radio broadcasting station, a video on demand (VOD) provider, an audio on demand (AOD) provider, and the like. As used herein, “content” is a concept that refers to information or individual information elements that can be provided to a user by being implemented in text, image, video, audio, or a combination thereof. The present invention is a content provided through a platform accessed by a plurality of users, and is particularly suitable for content with a high load, such as text (eg, web novel, other digital book), a combination of text and image (eg, webtoon), and moving picture. useful.

In this specification, “content information” includes various data and/or information used to implement content. A device (eg, a user terminal) that is serviced by a usage right-based content providing system and installed with an application that requests and/or receives content provision based on a usage right receives content information, implements the corresponding content in the device and provides content to the user can do. For example, when the content is a moving picture, the moving picture information means set information of a single type of media (monomedia), a plurality of types of media (multimedia), and/or a moving picture component that is a subset thereof, and the moving picture information may include image and/or audio track information, codec layer information (eg, a base layer, an enhancement layer), or subtitle information.

In the present specification, “meta information” is information related to content, and includes basic meta information such as a server address, ID of the content, title, order, section length, capacity, and the like. In addition, detailed meta information such as a URL that can access content information and a judgment value used to determine whether a free charging pass is applied, is not limited thereto, and various information indicating the properties of the content may be included. .

As used herein, “basic content” refers to a service target produced by a content provider or provided as a service as upper content composed of the following sub-contents.

In one example, when the content is a moving picture, the basic moving picture represents a moving picture generally referred to as a program (eg, in a series aired by a broadcasting company, a broadcast portion (program) of one episode may be referred to as a basic moving picture) . Alternatively, one movie may also be referred to as a basic moving picture.

In another example, it is common that the content is provided in units of volumes, such as novels (web novels), cartoons (webtoons), and other digital books (a concept excluding webtoons and web novels. The same applies hereinafter). In the case of a combination of and image content, the basic novel, basic cartoon, and basic book represent a single novel, comic, or book. Of course, basic novels, basic comics, and basic books are not yet completed and serialization is in progress.

In this specification, “sub content” refers to content in which the entire section of the basic content is divided into a plurality of sub sections. In one example, when the content is a video, “sub video” means a video in which the entire section of the basic video is divided into a plurality of sub sections by time. The sub-videos of each section are connected to the sub-videos of the next section to form the entire video playback section. Some fragments of a video, commonly known as 'clips', are different from sub-movies.

On the other hand, if the content consists of a plurality of episodes, such as a webtoon or a web novel consisting of a plurality of episodes, or a digital book consisting of a plurality of chapters, the entire work consisting of the plurality of episodes corresponds to the basic content, and each The episode may correspond to the sub content.

In this specification, “display” refers to allowing arbitrary information to be recognized by the user, and “execution” (eg, “playback”) means that a component of content (eg, an image such as a frame in the case of a moving picture) is continuous This indicates that the content is recognized by the user.

As used herein, the term “free charging voucher” refers to a voucher given to a user for free without payment when the user waits for a predetermined time.

As used herein, terms such as “unit,” “module,” “device,” “terminal,” “server,” or “system,” are intended to refer to a combination of hardware and software driven by the hardware. For example, the hardware may be a data processing device including a CPU or other processor, such as a mobile, PC. In addition, software driven by hardware may refer to a running process, an object, an executable file, a thread of execution, a program, and the like.

Description of embodiments

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a content providing system based on a free charging voucher according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1 , the usage right-based video providing system 1 according to the embodiments is configured to enable communication between the server 3 and the user terminal 4 through the network 2 . In some embodiments, the system 1 may further include a financial institution server 5 and/or a content providing server (not shown) configured to communicate with the server 3 , for payment of a usage right.

The server 3 communicates with a plurality of client devices 4 such as user terminals via a network 2 . The communication method through the network 2 may include various communication methods through which the object and the object can network, and may be wired communication, wireless communication, 3G, 4G, 5G wired Internet or wireless Internet, and in addition to this, a wired public network , may be a core network integrated with a wireless mobile communication network or mobile Internet, Name System), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), etc. may be an open computer network, but is not limited thereto. For example, the network 2 may be a Local Area Network (LAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), a Global System for Mobile Network (GSM), an Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), a High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), W -CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), Bluetooth (Bluetooth), Zigbee, Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi), VoIP (Voice over Internet) Protocol), LTE Advanced, IEEE802.16m, WirelessMAN-Advanced, HSPA+, 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE), Mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e), UMB (formerly EV-DO Rev. C), Flash-OFDM, iBurst and MBWA (IEEE 802.20) systems, HIPERMAN, Beam-Division Multiple Access (BDMA), Wi-MAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), and one or more communication methods selected from the group consisting of ultrasound-based communication It can refer to a communication network by However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, the type of network 2 used may be different according to functions, characteristics, and the like between objects. For example, an FTP network may be connected between the content providing server and the server 3 , but a WiFi network may be connected between the server 3 and the user terminal 4 .

Referring back to FIG. 1 , the server 3 includes a content providing unit 31 , and a free charge usage right management unit 33 . In addition, it further includes a database storage unit 37 for storing a content table including content-related information (eg, including content information, etc.) and a user table including user-related information. Other embodiments of the server 3 may include additional, fewer, or different elements. For example, the server 3 may further include a content generating unit 35 .

As described above, in this specification, the system and the user terminal according to the embodiments may be entirely hardware, or may have aspects that are partly hardware and partly software. Accordingly, the user terminal 4 and the server 3, and components such as each unit (or module) included therein (eg, the content providing unit 31 , the free charging usage right management unit 33 ) ), the database storage unit 37, and the content generation unit 35] may collectively refer to hardware and related software for processing and/or exchanging data of a specific format and content in an electronic communication method.

Referring to FIG. 1 , each of the components 31 to 37 of the server 3 is communicatively connected to each other, but does not necessarily constitute one physically integrated device. For example, the database storage unit 37 may be separate servers or computing devices located communicatively with each other in a distributed computing environment. In addition, each of the units 31 to 37 is only functionally classified according to the operations performed by the computing device in which they are implemented, and does not necessarily mean separate elements separated from each other. For example, the content providing unit 31 and the free charging use right managing unit 33 do not necessarily mean separate separate elements.

2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a content providing process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The server 3 is configured to enable execution of a function of the application by communicating with an application (or an app) executed on the user terminal 4 . Specifically, the server 3 operates a server-based service that supports any applications that may be stored in the storage in the user terminal 4 and/or a terminal application for performing the method of providing content based on the usage right.

In particular, the server 3 makes it possible for the user to distribute content such as webtoons, web novels, digital books, videos, etc., depending on whether the user has a right to use, and accordingly, the terminal application installed in the user terminal 4 is automatically or In response to the request, a request for provision of content may be transmitted to the server 3 and the content may be provided from the server 3 (ie, data and/or information for executing the content may be received from the server 3 ). there is].

Referring to FIG. 2 , the server 3 receives, for example, a content provision request signal or a content purchase signal (this signal may include an automatic purchase signal) from the user terminal 4 , and reads such as a use ticket. It is configured to check the right information, and provide information about the purchased content [content information, and/or meta information, additionally information related to the reading right (such as a notice of exhaustion of use rights)] to the user terminal 4 .

When receiving a request for providing content-related information from the user terminal 4 , the content providing unit 31 performs a function of providing the corresponding information to the user terminal 4 in response thereto.

In one embodiment, as described below, the content providing unit 31 may be configured to check whether there is an available usage right, and to perform a content providing application programming interface (API) that provides content based on the confirmation result. there is. For example, the content providing unit 31 may include a content providing API module.

The content providing unit 31 is information related to the content being serviced for the user's selection, and is information used to display a content home screen in which the user is provided with a basic introduction to the content and selects the basic content and/or sub content. may be transmitted to the user terminal 4 . For example, the server 3 may transmit meta information of the content being provided as a service to the user terminal 4 .

In addition, the content providing unit 31 receives a request for provision of the content selected by the user, and then provides content information (eg, including information used for implementation in the user terminal 4 ) of the content requested to be provided. It can be transmitted to the user terminal (4).

The provision of the information is performed based on various conditions (eg, whether or not the user has the right to use any information requesting).

In this specification, 'use right' means a right to use content, and may be expressed as virtual currency in a content providing system based on a free charging use right.

Here, the cash/card paid by the user is converted into electronic money in the server, and the electronic money can be converted into a ticket for viewing each video. However, the usage right is not necessarily limited to being paid using real money, and may be paid using electronic money or the like. For example, the means for purchasing the voucher may be made in various ways, such as immediate payment, regular payment, or an electronic voucher (voucher), and is not limited to a specific method. Such a usage right can be purchased as an entire basic content usage ticket, but can also be purchased as a single usage ticket corresponding to each individual sub-content.

The scope of use of the voucher may be set in various ways. In one example, when the content is a moving picture of a series with a plurality of episodes, when purchasing a usage right, it may be set so that the usage right can be used for a moving picture of each episode of the series and/or a sub-video differentiated for each time. The user may use, for example, one or more tickets when viewing one or more sub-videos of a specific episode.

In one embodiment, the voucher includes a payment usage right based on electronic money or real money, and a non-payment based usage right. Here, the payment use right is a temporary use right (eg, rental right, etc.) that allows the user to use (eg, read and/or access) content for a certain period of time, and a non-temporary right that allows the user to use the content for a certain period of time or more (eg, collection volumes, etc.).

Non-payment-based usage rights are initial usage rights that allow a preset number of contents to be used for free (eg, free usage rights from episodes 1 to 5 of a specific webtoon), provided at random by a service provider, or provided by a third party Includes gift vouchers provided, and event vouchers granted when certain conditions are met.

The event use right includes a mission use right granted to the user when a predetermined mission is satisfied. In one example, a given mission includes sending a particular message to one or more other users.

In addition, the event voucher includes a free charging voucher that is charged when a predetermined period (ie, charging time) elapses and is granted to the user.

In an embodiment, when the result of checking the usage right information indicates that there is no usable usage right, the content providing unit 31 may transmit a signal to the user terminal 4 to display a screen requiring purchase of a usage ticket to the user terminal 4 . there is.

In addition, the content providing unit 31 transmits a payment request for an amount corresponding to the purchase request to the card company or financial institution server 5 when a request for purchase of a use ticket is received through the use ticket purchase required screen, and a series of payment is made process can be performed. When personal financial information necessary for payment, such as credit card information or financial institution account information, is received from the user terminal 4 for billing processing, the content providing unit 31 is configured to provide a card company or a financial institution based on the received personal financial information. A payment may be requested from the server 5 . Here, the financial institution server collectively refers to all institutions handling financial business, and may include, for example, all banks, securities companies, and the like.

When a payment completion notification is received from the card company or financial institution server 5 , the content providing unit 31 may generate usage right information in the user account associated with the user terminal.

In some embodiments, the content providing unit 31 may be further configured to generate electronic money information in response to the payment even when there is no request to purchase a use ticket. Electronic money information can be converted into a voucher.

The free charging usage right management unit 33 transmits target information indicating whether the content accessed by the user terminal 4 is subject to the application of the free charging usage right, which is charged for free after a certain time has elapsed, to the user terminal 4; and / or perform various operations related to the free charging voucher, such as the operation of initiating charging of the free charging voucher.

In an embodiment, the free charging use right management unit 33 may be configured to perform an application programming interface (API) capable of performing the above-described operation. For example, the server 3 may include a free charge usage right management API module.

Alternatively, the free charging usage right management unit 33 may be configured to perform a plurality of APIs, each partially implementing the function of the free charging usage right management unit 33 . In an embodiment, the free charging use voucher management unit 33 may be configured to perform a free charging voucher activation API for activating the charging function of the free charging voucher, and a free charging voucher usage API implementing the free charging voucher usage function. . In this case, the server 3 may include, for example, a free charging use voucher activation API module and a free charging use voucher use API module.

The free charging voucher management unit 33 transmits to the user information on whether the content is subject to a free charging voucher that is charged for free after a certain period of time has elapsed, and charges the free charging voucher for the content subject to the free charging voucher Upon receiving an activation request for initiating from the user terminal, charging of the free charging voucher is started.

3 is a diagram for explaining a process in which charging of a free charging voucher is activated, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the user terminal 4 requests content-related information from the server 3 ( S310 ). In some embodiments, the request may be performed in a specific state. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , when the user terminal 4 accesses an app page (eg, content home) that allows the user to select the content and/or introduce the content, the user terminal 4 ) may request the server 3 for content-related information used to display the accessed content home.

When the server 3 receives a request for content-related information from the user terminal 4, the server 3 transmits the content-related information to the user terminal 4 in response to the request (S330). The response to the request transmitted when accessing the content home may further include additional information in addition to content-related information.

In one embodiment, the server 3 determines whether the content is the content subject to the application of the free charging voucher, which is charged for free after a certain period of time, based on the content information table of the database storage unit 37 including meta information about the content is transmitted to the user terminal 4 (S330).

Here, the content information table includes a content identifier (eg, a work ID), information on a free charge usage ticket indicating whether the content is a target of the free charge usage right, and the like. In some embodiments, the content information table may further include information on which use is restricted among contents to which the free charging voucher is applied (eg, the number and/or number of times the free charging voucher cannot be used).

The user terminal 4 may receive the response of step S330, and may induce the user's selection by providing content-related information to the user. The user terminal 4 may display a service content item to the user based on the received service content information to induce the user to select a content to be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , for an arbitrary entertainment content series, eight fourth sub-movies may be selected. In addition, it is also possible to provide the user with whether the content accessed to the content home is subject to the application of the free charging voucher to the user.

If the content accessed to the content home is subject to the application of the free charging usage right, and charging has not yet been started for the user, the user terminal 4 sends an activation request for granting the user's free charging use right for the corresponding content in the content home to the server (3) can be transmitted.

In an embodiment, the activation request of the user terminal 4 may be performed only when a preset condition is satisfied when a condition is given. In one example, the activation request may be performed when all non-payment-based usage rights (eg, initial free usage rights) already granted for the corresponding content are exhausted. Whether a condition related to activation of the corresponding content is satisfied by the user is performed by the user terminal 4 .

In this way, the server itself controls whether individual content (individual work) is subject to the free charging voucher, but as a result, the activation reception request for the content set as the subject of the free charging voucher is received from the user terminal. In addition, if a condition (for example, the condition of exhausting the initial free ticket, such as the first to five free episodes) is granted at this time, an activation request for granting a free charging pass is received from a user terminal that satisfies a preset condition. For this reason, even if the number of contents subject to application of the user and the free charging voucher increases, the server 3 can reduce the burden of determining whether the condition is satisfied.

In some embodiments, the request for initiation of charging may include a command for calling a charging activation API (application programming interface) of a free charging voucher (S350).

Upon receiving the activation request of step S350, the server 3 (or the free charging use right management unit 33) activates a function of granting the user's free charging use right for the corresponding content. That is, the charging of the user's free charging usage right for the corresponding content is started in step S350. The free charging voucher can be given when the free charging period (time) has elapsed.

In one embodiment, when the activation request is received, the free charging use right management unit 33 maps the user and the content for which the activation request is received and records the mapping result in the user information table ( S370 ).

Here, the user information table includes a user identifier, a content identifier for which an activation request is received, an activation value indicating whether the user activates charging of a free charging voucher for the mapped content, and a charging completion time of the free charging voucher.

The mapping between the user and the content for which the activation request is received is based on the content identifier in the content information table.

In an embodiment, the charging completion time may be recorded in the user information table by the free charging use right management unit 33 in response to charging start. Based on the mapped user information table, information on whether to activate the grant of the free charging use right for the content is provided to the user (S390).

In addition, upon receiving the activation request, the free charging usage right management unit 33 may immediately grant the user's first free charging usage right for the corresponding content. This will be described in more detail with reference to step S535 below.

Based on the information received in step S390, the user terminal 4 may display whether the free charging voucher is charged and the remaining time until charging.

In this way, the user's free charging use right for the content according to steps S310 to S390 is individually activated according to the activation request time of each user, and this fact is stored in the database.

Therefore, the server 3 (eg, for a specific episode (B) of the content (A) for which paid payment was previously set, to change to free payment at 13:00 on the xxth day of x month, all users for a certain time period It is not intended to grant the right to view specific content.

In this way, the information related to the free charging content is recorded in the content information table, and the information related to the user is recorded in the user information table, and the table is dualized and then matched. It is possible to effectively manage the charging start and charging status of the charging voucher.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a process of displaying free charging use right information on a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the user terminal 4 requests content-related information from the server 3 ( S410 ). Since the content-related information is similar to the content-related information in step S310, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The server 3 may transmit the requested content-related information to the user terminal 4 in response to the request (S450). In addition, the response to the request may further include user-related information (eg, whether a free charging voucher is activated, charging completion time, and additionally usage voucher information). In this case, the free charging use voucher management unit 33 determines whether the user's free charging use voucher for the corresponding content is activated based on the user information table, and in response to the request, whether the free charging voucher is activated, charging completion time, etc. include

Based on the response received in step S450, the user terminal 4 may display whether the free charging voucher is charged and the time remaining until the charging completion time. As described above with reference to FIG. 3 , the activation of the free charging voucher according to the user's own usage pattern is started. Accordingly, the charging completion time may also be different for each user.

When the charging period has elapsed, the user may be provided with content related to the request in step S310 or S410 of FIG. 3 or 4 by using the charged free charging pass. Here, the content related to the request in step S310 or S410 includes content within the same category.

FIG. 5A is a diagram for explaining a process in which a user receives content by using a free charging pass, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5A , the server 3 receives a request for providing content (such as basic content or sub content) from the user terminal 4 ( S510 ). The provision request may be caused by an input signal detected by the user terminal 4 , or may be caused by a command of an application installed in the user terminal 4 . In an example, the content provision request may include a content provision API call command or a usage right use API call command.

In addition, the server 3 checks whether the free charging use voucher for the corresponding content of the user who requested the content provision is activated (S530). Based on the confirmation result, the server 3 determines whether to provide content information and viewing rights of the corresponding content.

5B is a diagram for explaining a process of confirming whether a user can use a free charging voucher according to an embodiment of the present invention.

When the charging of the free charging voucher is activated in relation to the content requested to be provided, availability of the free charging voucher may be checked.

In one embodiment, the free charging usage right management unit 33 of the server 3 checks whether the charging of the free charging usage voucher for the content is activated ( S531 ). The confirmation may be performed based on a determination value indicating activation of a free charging voucher included in the user information table. In some embodiments, if the content for which the free charging voucher is activated during charging is excluded from the application of the free charging voucher, and the determination value indicates the active status, use the following free charging voucher only for the free charging voucher during charging An operation related to may be performed.

If it is confirmed in step S531 that the activation state is active, the free charging use voucher management unit 33 checks whether the charging of the free charging use voucher is complete ( S533 ). Checking whether the charging is complete may be performed based on the charging completion time and the current time of the free charging use voucher. For example, the free charging use right management unit 33 determines that charging is complete when the following conditions are satisfied ( S535 ).

[Equation 1]

T _present ≥ T _CC

Here, Tpresent represents the current time, and Tcc represents a charge completion time. The free charging usage right management unit 33 determines that charging is complete when the charging completion time is the same as the current time or in the past (S535). That is, by recording the completion time at the same time as charging starts, it is determined whether charging is complete by looking at the time.

As described above, in one embodiment, when the charging completion time is first recorded in the user information table by the activation request, if the current time is recorded as the charging completion time, the free charging voucher is set to the charging completion state. For this reason, it is possible to directly provide the user with the first free charging voucher while activating the granting function of the free charging voucher, thereby further maximizing user convenience.

Thereafter, the free charging use right management unit 33 grants the user the right to read the content while exhausting the charged free charging use ticket. In addition, the exhaustion result is recorded in the ticket exhaustion table (S537).

In addition, the free charging usage right management unit 33 updates the charging completion time at which the following free charging usage vouchers can be used. In an embodiment, the free charging use voucher management unit 33 updates the charging completion time of the additionally charged free charging voucher by adding the charging cycle of the free charging voucher to the charging completion time of the charged free charging voucher (S590) ). The update result may be further recorded in the user information table.

In addition, the free charging usage right management unit 33 continuously maintains the activation state of the user's free charging usage voucher so that the user's free charging voucher is charged and used for other contents related to the corresponding content.

In other embodiments, operations not described in FIG. 5B may be added, modified, or excluded to be further performed.

In one embodiment, for example, the free charge usage right management unit 33 checks whether all other non-payment-based usage rights (eg, including free gift vouchers, etc.) granted to the user are exhausted before step S531, and / Alternatively, a step of confirming whether the content requested to be provided is content whose use is restricted despite the charging activation of the free charging voucher (eg, whether the content is within a predetermined number of episodes from the latest edition) and the like may be further performed.

In one embodiment, the initial free use right is excluded from the non-payment-based use ticket that the free charging use right management unit 33 determines whether or not it is exhausted. After the user terminal satisfies the condition of whether to use the initial free pass, the user terminal sends a request to activate the free charge pass.

In this way, when the free charging voucher is used, the charged free charging voucher is exhausted, and charging is started again. Therefore, the frequency of using the voucher-based content providing service increases in order to use as many free charging vouchers as possible within the same time period. As a result, the user's loyalty to, and dependence on, the content providing service based on the right of use may increase.

In addition, when the free recharge voucher is used for a lot of content, the user can more reliably decide whether to purchase the content experienced. In the end, it can help the rational consumption of the user.

Referring back to FIG. 5A , when the server 3 determines that the user has the right to provide the content information of the content requested to be provided to the user terminal 4 , the server 3 transmits the content information of the content requested to be provided to the user terminal 4 . ) is provided (S550). In an embodiment, the server 3 transmits to the user terminal 4 the result of exhaustion of the vouchers (including the type of vouchers that have been exhausted, the number of remaining vouchers, etc.) and/or the next charging completion time of the free charging vouchers. In addition, detailed meta information and/or content information of the corresponding content is transmitted to the user terminal 4 so that the content is provided to the user through the user terminal 4 .

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 1 , in an embodiment, the server 3 may further include a content generating unit 35 and/or a database storage unit 37 . Each configuration is described in detail.

The content generation unit 35 generates sub content by dividing the entire execution section of the basic content into a plurality of sub sections. For example, sub-video information is generated by dividing the entire playback section of the basic video into a plurality of sub sections.

Also, the content generating unit 35 generates meta information for basic content, and may generate meta information for individual sub content. In addition, meta information about basic content may be generated.

The content generation unit 35 may divide sub-sections in various ways, such as equally and/or unequally partition each sub-section, and generate a plurality of sub-content information having various execution times from one basic content. . As a result, it allows the user to make reasonable consumption in part by considering various factors such as psychological state, environment, and asset state. In addition, it is possible to solve the problem that the user has to purchase the entire basic content despite the possibility that the user cannot enjoy the entire content due to an unexpected cause, or may lose interest, unlike the intention at the time of purchase.

The content generating unit 35 may be further configured to encrypt the sub content. The content creation unit 35 may prevent the sub content from being reproduced in a user terminal that is not authorized to access the system 1 (eg, a user terminal in which an application is not installed) or a user terminal that does not have a usage right.

In an embodiment, the content generation unit 35 may generate sub content so that it has digital rights management (DRM) processing to have reading right (license) information. In this case, the usage right information includes a decryption right for decrypting the encrypted sub content. For example, the decryption authority includes the DRM decryption authority. However, the above embodiment is an example for content encryption, and the present invention is not limited thereto and may be further configured to perform various encryption processes.

Next, the database storage unit 37 may store various databases. Here, the database means a set of a large amount of structured, unstructured, or semi-structured data, and may store data related to an auction that has already been conducted in the past. Here, the structured data is data stored in a fixed field, for example, a relational database, a spreadsheet, or the like. In addition, the unstructured data is data that is not stored in a fixed field, and includes, for example, text documents, images, moving pictures, and voice data. In addition, semi-structured data is data that is not stored in a fixed field but includes metadata or schema, for example, XML, HTML, text, and the like. The database storage unit 37 may include a user storage including user account information, a content storage for storing content provided from a content provider, or sub-content divided into one or more.

Each user of the content providing system 1 based on a free recharge voucher is associated with user account information stored in a user information storage. The user account information includes descriptive information about a user registered in the system. In one embodiment, the user account information includes a number of data fields, each describing one or more attributes of a user of the system in question. Examples of information stored in the user profile include descriptive information such as a user's identity (ID), user terminal information, and usage right information.

The user account information may also include sources (eg, password, access code, network address of the user terminal, etc.) that give the user access to the sub-video providing system 1 based on the usage right.

In an embodiment, the database storage unit 37 may store the user information table of the free charging voucher in relation to the user of the free charging voucher. The user information table includes, but is not limited to, a user identifier, a content identifier for which use of the free charging voucher is requested, the charging completion time of the free charging voucher, a determination value indicating whether to activate the free charging voucher for the content, and the like.

When the server 3 receives a request related to the use of the free charging voucher from the user terminal 4, the server 3 can quickly process the operation of using the free charging voucher based on the user information table of the free charging voucher. .

The usage right information includes information indicating whether the user has a usage right that can be used or the number of the usage right that the user has. For example, it may be labeled as 1 when there is a usage right and 0 when there is no usage right, or the number of licenses held in a data format such as a binary number or the like, or a combination thereof.

In one embodiment, the free charging use right may be granted after the server 3 activates whether to grant the free charging use right for the corresponding content to the user of the content. As described above with reference to FIG. 3 , the activation operation is performed by the free charge usage right management unit 33 .

In an embodiment, the usage right information may further include category information. When category information is further included, the user having the usage right information can view only content within the category related to the usage right. In one example, the category may be set to one series of water. In another example, the category may be set to all of one basic content.

In one embodiment, the database storage unit 37 includes a voucher charging table in which grant results according to payment, event, gift and/or free charging are recorded, and a voucher in which exhaust results according to use and/or expiration of the voucher are recorded. Exhaust tables can be saved.

In one embodiment, the content storage stores objects representing content provided by a content provider, or objects representing sub-contents produced by the operator of the usage right-based sub-moving system 1 .

In one embodiment, the content storage stores a content information table in which information about content to which a free charging voucher is applied is recorded. The content information table may include, for example, a content identifier, a determination value indicating whether the corresponding content is a target of the application of the free charging voucher, the charging completion time of the free charging voucher, and the time the user must wait until the charging completion time. In addition, information on the conditions for restricting the use of the free charging voucher within the content subject to the free charging voucher (for example, the conditions under which the use of the free charging voucher is restricted within a certain number of episodes from the most recently uploaded service) may include

In this way, the database storage unit 37 is divided into a table in which content-related information related to a free charging voucher is recorded and a table in which user related information related to a free charging voucher is recorded. Each table is mapped when a specific user requests activation of a free recharge voucher for specific content. For this reason, even if the number of users who want to use the free charging voucher and/or the content subject to the free charging voucher increases, whether to grant the free charging voucher for each user and/or each content can be efficiently managed. In particular, for a plurality of contents associated with one user, different activation (ie, granting and/or charging) of a free charging voucher may be applied to each of the individual contents (eg, different charging completion times are different), while multiple Activation (i.e., granting and/or charging) of free charging vouchers is equally applied to the individual content of users of .

The content generating unit 35 and/or the database storage unit 37 of FIG. 1 described above are merely exemplary, and the usage right-based content providing system 1 operates in a different structure from that of FIG. 1 in other embodiments. can be performed.

In one embodiment, the content generating unit 35 and/or the storage unit 37 may be a computing device located remotely from the server 3 . In this case, the content generating unit 35 and/or the storage unit 37 may be a type of device capable of performing data communication by accessing the server 3 according to a user's request.

Meanwhile, the user terminal 4 is implemented in the form of, for example, a smartphone, and may communicate with the server 3 using an application installed in the user terminal 4 . Through such communication, various operations such as a request for provision of a sub video selected by the user or a payment request for a usage right are performed. However, the shape of the user terminal 4 is not limited to a smartphone, and the user terminal 4 is another mobile communication terminal, a personal computer, a notebook computer, a tablet, and an IPTV (Internet). Protocol Television) may be implemented in the form of various computing devices.

A process in which the server 3 provides content to the user who has used the voucher through the user terminal 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 .

6 to 7 are diagrams schematically illustrating a process of providing content based on a right of use according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 to 7 , the type of content requested and provided is referred to as a moving picture, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, detailed descriptions of overlapping steps may be omitted for clarity of description.

6 is a diagram for explaining a process in which a user is provided with content by using a usage right for one content, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the server 3 receives a request to provide a first sub-video among a plurality of sub-videos from the user terminal 4 ( S610 ). The provision request may be caused by an input signal detected by the user terminal 4 , or may be caused by a command of an application installed in the user terminal 4 . In some embodiments, the content provision request may include a content provision API call command.

In an embodiment, the server 3 may generate a plurality of sub-videos in which a basic video is divided into a plurality of sections before receiving a request (S600).

After the step (S610), the server 3 checks the usage right information of the user who has requested the provision of one or more sub-videos (S620). Based on the confirmation result, the server 3 determines whether to provide the corresponding sub-video information.

When the server 3 determines that the user terminal 4 has the right to use the video information of the first sub video, which is the object of the provision request, it provides the video information of the requested sub video to the user terminal (S640). The server 3 transmits detailed meta information and/or content information of the corresponding sub video to the user terminal 4 . In addition, the server 3 may provide license information such as a decoding right of the corresponding sub-video. In this case, the server 3 is not limited to providing only detailed meta information, but may additionally provide basic meta information (eg, section information) in addition to detailed meta information.

In an embodiment, each sub-movie information may consist of a single fragment file. In the case of the download method, it can be said that each sub-video information consists of a single fragment file. In this case, there is a relative advantage in terms of communication performance and terminal performance.

In another embodiment, for example, in the case of a streaming method or a progressive download method, each sub-movie information may consist of a plurality of fragment files. For example, one piece of sub-movie information may consist of, for example, tens or thousands of fragment files in units of 10 seconds. Of course, the interval of the fragment file can be varied arbitrarily according to the setting value such as 1 second, 4 seconds, etc. as well as 10 seconds.

When each sub-movie information is composed of a plurality of fragment files, the content generating unit 35 generates a fragment list corresponding to each divided sub-section together. The fragment list is a list including a file name and format for each fragment file. In an example, the content generator 35 includes a first fragment list for a first sub-video, a second fragment list for a second sub-video, . . . , an n-th fragment list for the n-th sub-movie may be generated, respectively. Alternatively, as will be described later, when the entire fragment list for the basic video is required, the entire fragment list may also be generated.

In one embodiment, the server 3 provides a fragment list (fragment list) for the first sub-video.

As a result, the user terminal 4 reproduces the first sub-video by using the first sub-video information (S645). For example, when the user terminal 4 receives a fragment list, the user terminal 4 stores a fragment list for the first sub-video in a playlist. Thereafter, the first sub-movie may be reproduced by receiving the content information of the fragment file using meta information of the fragment file included in the fragment list.

As such, since a fragment list is provided to the user terminal 4 only when there is a request for provision from the user terminal 4 , the information to be stored in the memory of the user terminal 4 is relatively small, and the application performance can be improved.

7 is a diagram for describing a process in which a user receives content by using one or more usage rights for one or more content, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the server 3 receives a request for providing a first sub-video among a plurality of sub-videos from the user terminal 4 ( S710 ).

In one embodiment, the server 3 may generate a plurality of sub-videos in which the basic video is divided into a plurality of sections before receiving the request (S700).

After the step S610, the server 3 checks the usage right information associated with the user account that has requested the provision of the first sub video (S720). When it is determined that there is use right information that can provide the first sub video information to the user terminal 4 as a result of the check, the first sub video information requested to be provided is provided to the user terminal 4 (S740), and the user terminal 4 plays the first sub moving picture by using the first sub moving picture information (S745).

The server 3 may receive a request to provide a second sub video including the next section, and provide it to the user terminal 4 . In the above embodiment, the server 3 sends a request for provision of the second sub video including the next section before the provision of the first sub video is completed, that is, before the reproduction of the first sub video is completed, to the user terminal. It can be received from (4) (S750). In step S750, the request for providing the second sub video may be automatically performed (eg, without the user's separate consent). In this case, the server 3 checks whether the usage right information associated with the user account includes the usage right information for providing the second sub video including the next section (S760).

When the server 3 determines that there is use right information that can provide the second sub video to the user terminal 4 as a result of the check, the second sub video information is provided to the user terminal 4 (S780). For example, a fragment list for the second sub-movie may be provided.

In this case, the user terminal 4 creates a fragment list for the second sub-video to reproduce the second sub-video without interruption after the reproduction of the first sub-video is completed. You can add it to the fragment list. Accordingly, after the reproduction of the first sub-movie is completed, the second sub-movie may be continuously reproduced without interruption of frames. Accordingly, even when the user continuously watches a plurality of sub-videos, seamless playback is possible, thereby providing high user convenience.

In addition, when the usage right information regarding the second sub video is confirmed while the first sub video is being played, the second sub video information is provided to the user terminal 4 and a screen indicating that the usage right information is updated is displayed on the user terminal 4 It is also possible to transmit a signal that causes it to be displayed on the .

For example, a signal that causes a pop-up window to be displayed such as “1 ticket has been consumed” may be transmitted as soon as playback of the second sub video starts.

Meanwhile, when checking the usage right information, even if there is no usage right to purchase the next section, the sub-video of the next section can be automatically provided. In one embodiment, when checking the usage right information, there is no right to play the next section, but it is possible to purchase the right to use the next section without requiring additional consent. As a result, the sub-video of the next section may be provided from the server 4 . Here, the notice regarding the automatic purchase may be provided to the user before or after the automatic purchase. In other words, if the user does not take any action before automatic purchase, a notice is provided that the pass is automatically purchased and a sub-video of the next section is provided, and if an automatic purchase occurs, an informational screen notifying the user of the completion of the purchase is provided can do.

In some cases, the server 3 may receive a request for provision of a third sub video including a section that is not continuous with the first sub video being played, and even in this case, as described above, for the first sub video A fragment list for the third sub video may be added and provided to the fragment list. That is, the added fragment list is not limited to being continuous with the sub-movie being played.

In addition, the server 3 may check whether the user has a free charge usage right for the content requested to be provided in the usage right checking step ( S720 ).

In one embodiment, before the provision of the first sub video is completed based on the usage right granted by payment, the server 3 requests additional provision of the sub video (eg, the second sub video) of the next section. may be received from the user terminal.

After that, when the free charging usage right is completed after starting to provide the first sub video and before receiving a request for additional provision of the second sub video, the server 3 grants the free charging usage right to the user. Thereafter, based on the newly granted free charging use right, the second sub video requested to be additionally provided may be provided to the user terminal.

In one embodiment, before the provision of the sub-video based on the previously charged free charging voucher for the category to which the free charging voucher is applied is completed, the server 3 requests additional provision of the sub-video of the next section. It can be received from the user terminal (4). Thereafter, the server 3 checks whether the user has the right to provide the additionally requested sub-video based on the user's use right information. If the user has a payment usage right and/or other free usage rights, the sub-video requested to be additionally provided is provided to the user terminal 4 based on the usage right the user has.

In another embodiment, when the server 3 generates a fragment list and receives a provision request from the user terminal 4, a fragment including a fragment file for an unsolicited sub-video You can provide a fragment list. That is, the fragment file for a section without a separate request from the user terminal 4 may be provided in advance.

In one example, the fragment list (fragment list) may be a fragment list (fragment list) for the entire section.

As a result, since the fragment list for the entire section is registered in the user terminal 4 before the provision request, it may be easier to automatically reproduce in sequence or to reproduce seamlessly. .

The steps described in FIGS. 6 to 7 are merely exemplary, and the order may be different or may be omitted depending on the setting state of the server 3 and/or the terminal 4 .

According to the system and method for providing content based on the right of use according to the embodiments described above, it is possible to partially purchase a sub-video in which one basic video is divided into a plurality of sections, so that only a part of the entire playback section may arouse user interest. It is possible to enable a user's selective and active consumption pattern for the video. In addition, by requesting the next sub-movie before the completion of the displayed sub-movie and displaying frames without interruption, seamless playback without disturbing the user's viewing flow is possible.

The operation by the system and method for providing content based on a right of use according to the embodiments described above may be implemented at least partially as a computer program and recorded in a computer-readable recording medium.

The computer may be any device that may be incorporated into or may be a computing device such as a personal computer, desktop computer, laptop computer, notebook, smart phone, or the like. A computer is a device having one or more alternative and special purpose processors, memory, storage, and networking components (either wireless or wired). The computer may run, for example, an operating system compatible with Microsoft's Windows, Apple OS X or iOS, a Linux distribution, or an operating system such as Google's Android OS.

The computer program is composed of a set of instructions that can be executed by the above-described computer, and the name may be different depending on the type of the computer. For example, when the form of the computer is a smart phone, the computer program may be referred to as an app.

The computer-readable recording medium in which a program for implementing the operation by the usage right-based content providing system and method according to the embodiments is recorded and includes all kinds of recording devices in which computer-readable data is stored. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, and the like. In addition, the computer-readable recording medium may be distributed in a network-connected computer system, and the computer-readable code may be stored and executed in a distributed manner. In addition, functional programs, codes, and code fragments for implementing the present embodiment may be easily understood by those skilled in the art to which the present embodiment belongs.

Although the present invention as described above has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, it will be understood that these are merely exemplary and that various modifications and variations of the embodiments are possible therefrom by those of ordinary skill in the art. However, such modifications should be considered to be within the technical protection scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

Claims (19)

In the method of providing content based on a free charging voucher performed by the server,
Transmitting, to the user terminal, information on whether or not the content is the content subject to the application of the free charging voucher that is charged for free after a certain time has elapsed - the free charging based on the content information table of the database including the meta information about the content Whether the application of the right of use is determined for the content including the episode or sub-section, information on one or more episodes or information on one or more sub-sections is transmitted to the user terminal as sub content information;
receiving, from the user terminal, an activation request for starting charging of the free charging voucher for the content subject to the free charging voucher;
when the activation request is received, mapping the user of the user terminal to the content to which the activation request is received and to which the free charging use ticket is applied, and recording the mapping result in a user information table of a database; and
Based on the mapping result recorded in the user information table and the charging cycle associated with the free charging voucher application target content included in the content information table, corresponding to one or more rounds or one or more sub-sections of the free charging voucher application target content , Initiating the charging of the user's free charging use voucher of the user terminal that has requested activation for the sub content; free charging use voucher-based content providing method comprising a.

A computer-readable recording medium readable by a computer and storing program instructions operable by the computer, wherein when the program instructions are executed by a processor of the computer, the processor is based on the free charging voucher according to claim 1 . A computer-readable recording medium for performing a content providing method.
As a free charging voucher-based content providing system comprising a server performing a free charging voucher-based content providing method,
Based on the content information table of the database including meta information about the content, information on whether the content is the content subject to the application of the free charging voucher that is charged for free after a certain time has elapsed is transmitted to the user terminal - the free charging voucher Whether or not the subject of application of is determined with respect to the content including the episode or sub-section, information about one or more episodes or information about one or more sub-sections is transmitted to the user terminal as sub content information -, free charging voucher Receives an activation request from the user terminal to start charging of the free charging voucher for the content subject to application of The mapping result is recorded in the user table of the database by mapping, and based on the mapping result recorded in the user information table and the charging cycle associated with the free charging voucher application target content included in the content information table, the free charging voucher application target a free charge usage right management unit for starting the charging of the free charge usage right of the user of the user terminal that has requested activation for the sub content, corresponding to one or more times or one or more sub-sections of the content; and
Upon receiving a request for content provision from the user terminal, the user terminal checks the usage right information including the free charge usage right associated with the user terminal, and based on the check result, the content provider provides the content information of the requested content to the user terminal. A content provision system based on a recharge voucher.

delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

Images