JP2002222369A - Contents distribution system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a so-called right user to download the contents of various kinds of artists belonging to each of a plurality of managing companies at an inexpensive price in a charged contents distribution system. SOLUTION: In the contents distribution system for downloading the contents from servers 1A to 1D to a portable telephone set 10 through a network with charge, when a user receives a downloading service from the respective servers of a plurality of contents distribution systems, the contents are downloaded to the portable telephone set with a discounted charge.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a content distribution system suitable for downloading a content such as a melody to a portable telephone from a server, and more particularly to a discount service.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a system has been known which downloads, for example, a melody to a portable telephone from a pay content transmission site (server) at a fixed monthly charge. In this system, by entering into a contract between the user and the system operating company, the user pays a predetermined price every month, and the operating company repeatedly receives ringtones and the like related to the songs of the artists to whom the operating company has distribution rights. It can be downloaded from the server of the system. This type of system is currently operated by multiple companies, so that a user who is interested in a particular artist (a so-called core user), even if there are multiple operating companies,
It is common to make a contract only with the operating company that has the distribution rights of the artist's songs.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional system, it is convenient for a user (so-called core user) interested only in a certain artist to pay only one company. For a particular artist who is not very interested, and who wants to download the contents of various artists belonging to multiple operating companies (so-called light users), a contract with each operating company is required. Has to be paid, which causes a problem that the total monthly payment for the light user is high.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and has as its object to provide a content distribution system which enables a so-called light user to download the contents of various artists belonging to a plurality of operating companies at low cost. And

[0005]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, when downloading contents of various artists belonging to a plurality of operating companies, a predetermined service fee of each operating company is charged. It is a discount.

That is, according to the present invention, in a content distribution system that downloads content from a server to a user terminal via a network for a fee, when a user receives a download service from each server of a plurality of content distribution systems, a discount fee is charged. And a content distribution system for downloading the content from each server to a user terminal.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a content distribution system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a discount registration process of the content distribution system in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are display screens of a mobile phone. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a charging process of the content distribution system of FIG.

FIG. 1 shows a server 1A of a content distribution system according to the present invention and servers 1B, 1C and 1D of an existing content distribution system. Then, when the user operates each operating company of the existing servers 1B, 1C and 1D (hereinafter referred to as B
(Company, Company C, Company D), and the user pays a predetermined price of $ 200, $ 200, and $ 300 every month, so that Company B, Company C, and Company D have distribution rights. For example, the mobile phone 10 (FIG. 3)
To FIG. 5).

Further, the content distribution system according to the present invention is intended for users (light users) who are not so interested in a particular artist but are interested in a plurality of artists belonging to individual operating companies. If the user signs a contract with company A, another B
Company, Company C and Company D, the list price is $ 200, $ respectively
Half price of $ 200, $ 300 ($ 100, $ 100, $ 15
0), the contents to which Company B, Company C, and Company D have distribution rights are respectively distributed to the servers 1B, 1C, 1
D.

A similar discount can be obtained when a user who has already contracted with another company B, C, or D newly contracts with company A. Therefore, the user's payment is: Mr. $ 200 for company A only, as in W $ 300 (discount amount = $ 100) for company A + company B as in X; $ 40 in case of company A + company B + C like Y
0 (discount amount = $ 100 + $ 100 = $ 200) In the case of Company A + Company B + Company C + Company D like Z, $ 550 (discount amount = $ 100 + $ 100 + $ 150 = $)
350).

Next, a registration process when a contract is made between a user (mobile phone 10) and a company A (server 1A) will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the user performs a process of joining the service of company A (FIG. 2, step S1).
At this time, the server 1 is connected from the mobile phone 10 via the network.
When the user accesses the homepage of A (enrollment registration page), an enrollment screen 11 as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the display of the mobile phone 10. Company, company D) is displayed.

When "next" on the enrollment screen 11 is clicked, a screen 12 for inquiring about the enrollment status of another company as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed (FIG. 2, step S2). If another company that has already joined is clicked on the inquiry screen 12 and "use" is clicked (FIG. 2, step S3), a confirmation screen 13-1 as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed. This information is transferred to the service charge collection server 20 (charging server, see FIG. 5) via the server 1A and confirmed (step S4 in FIG. 2). Next, the server 1A transfers a password number input screen 14 as shown in FIG. 4 to the mobile phone 10, and when a password number is input on this screen 14 (FIG. 2, step S5),
The user information including the recitation number is transferred to the service charge collection server via the server 1A and registered (FIG. 2,
Step S6). Thereby, the “discount fee registration process” is completed (FIG. 2, step S7), and a registration completion screen 15 as shown in FIG.

On the inquiry screen 12, if no other company that has already joined is clicked and "not used" is clicked, a confirmation screen 13-2 as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed. This information is transferred to the service fee collection server 20 via the server 1A and confirmed (step S8 in FIG. 2). When the service fee collection server confirms that this user has already joined the service of another company (FIG. 2, step S10), the process proceeds to step S3 described above. On the other hand, when the service fee collection server 20 confirms that this user has not yet joined the service of another company, the recall number input screen 14 as shown in FIG.
Is transferred, and when a password number is input on this screen 14 (FIG. 2, step S9), the user information including the password number is transmitted to the service fee collection server 2 via the server 1A.
0 and registered (FIG. 2, step S11).
This completes the "normal charge registration process" (FIG. 2, step S12), and a registration completion screen 15 as shown in FIG.

Next, a method of recognizing a user receiving a plurality of services and charging the user will be described. First, in addition to the user information, information sent from each of the servers 1A, 1B to the billing server 20 of the agency that performs the billing collection agent includes
The following common code (recognition number) is provided. 1. 1. Company code (recognizes the company that operates the service.) 2. Service code (recognizes service content, basic fee, discount fee, etc., including multiple company codes) Charge code (a code for the price to be billed to the user is sent to the user every month.) For sales, the fee for the charge code (the price to which the user is charged to the user every month) is paid by the collection company for each company code (the company that operates the service). (A separate fee will be charged by the collection company).

Example 1: When using for the first time (when the content of company A is selected) (when the basic fee is 200 yen and the discount for multiple services is 100 yen) 1. Company code: 00A → Recognized as company A 2. Service code: 00A200 → Company code and price code are recognized as 200 yen for Company A. Charge code: 200 → Since a plurality of services are not used, a charge of 200 yen is recognized. → Company A's sales are 200 yen.

Example 2: Application of discount (when the content of Company A is already used and the service of Company B is newly received)
(In both A and B, the basic fee is 200 yen and multiple service discounts are 100 yen.) Company code: 00B → Recognized as company B 2. 2. Service code: 00A200 00B100 (Because the service of company A has already been used, the service code of company B comes after the service code of company A) Charge code: 100 → Since the service of Company A has already been used, a charge of 100 yen of the discount price is recognized. → The sales of Company B will be 100 yen.

Example 3: When the contents of companies A and B are already used and the service of company C is newly received. Company code: 00C 2. Service code: 00A200 00B100 0
0C100 3. Charge code: 100 → Sales of Company C will be 100 yen. Example 4: Contents of companies A, B, and C are already used and D
If you receive a new company service 1. 1. Company code: 00D Service code: 00A200 00B100 0
0C100 00D150 3. Rate code: 150 → Sales of Company D will be 150 yen.

Next, the accounting process will be described with reference to FIG. Service application request server 1A, 1B- (pay information content transmission site) from the user's mobile phone 10 to each of the servers 1A, 1B- (paid information content transmission site).
Check the user's service usage information with respect to 0. The charging server 20 checks the personal information, the company code, and the content discount information, and returns the result of the check to the servers 1A and 1B. Notification of completion of the procedure The fee collection company sends a monthly invoice to the user of the mobile phone 10 The user pays the fee collection company (here, the price of the content is paid every month even without downloading) The fee collection company was collected The fee is distributed and paid to each service operating company.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, when downloading contents of various artists belonging to a plurality of operating companies, a predetermined service amount of each operating company is discounted. Therefore, it is possible to download contents of various artists belonging to a plurality of operating companies at a low price for a so-called light user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of a content distribution system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a discount registration process of the content distribution system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a display screen of a mobile phone.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a display screen of the mobile phone.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a billing process of the content distribution system of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1A to 1D server 10 mobile phone (user terminal) 20 billing server

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yuichi Kato 2-21-1, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Victor Entertainment F-term (reference) 5K027 AA11 BB01

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claims: 1. A content distribution system for downloading content from a server to a user terminal via a network for a fee, wherein a user receives a download service from each server of a plurality of content distribution systems. A content distribution system for downloading to a terminal. 2. In addition to user information, each server of the plurality of content distribution systems sends a billing server.
The system operator identification code and billing information, and all system operator service codes received by the user are transmitted, and the billing server bills the user based on the transmitted information and collects each fee collected by the user. 2. The content distribution system according to claim 1, wherein payment is made to each operator of the plurality of content distribution systems.