JP2002279081A - Server and system for supporting distribution - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide contents distribution support technique for giving a highly convenient contents distribution service to a consumer. SOLUTION: A user presents a distribution request to a distribution support server 100 (S10). The server 100 gives an indication for a distribution to a contents management company (S12). The contents are distributed based on the indication (S14). When the incoming of the contents is confirmed in an information service base, a report for notifying the effect is transmitted to the server 100 (S18). The distribution support server 100 confirms the contents of the report and transmits a distribution completion report to the user (S20). The user actually goes to the information service base to receive the contents (S22).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for supporting content distribution. The present invention particularly relates to a server and a system for supporting distribution of digital content.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the recent advances in computer technology and network technology and the rapid increase in the number of Internet users, new businesses using the Internet for commercial use are appearing one after another, one of which is e-commerce. Are expanding at a tremendous rate. In addition, with the development of network technology, an Internet environment for transmitting and receiving data having a relatively large capacity is being prepared.

[0003]

However, movies,
Contents such as TV programs, music, and videos are extremely large-capacity data, and it takes time for a high-speed line to reach each home. Situation has not yet been reached. The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a content distribution support technology for providing a more convenient content distribution service to a consumer.

[0004]

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a server for supporting content distribution. This server is connected to a content management company, an information service base, and a user via a network, and supports content distribution from the content management company to the user. A request receiving unit for receiving the request, a request transfer unit for actually transferring the request to a content management company, and a distribution destination specifying unit for specifying which information service base provided by the user for each region And a distribution completion notifying unit that notifies the user who issued the request by electronic communication means when the content is distributed to the information service base.

[0005] A "user" is a consumer who receives this distribution support service. The “information service base” includes all facilities where high-speed lines are laid, and includes, for example, a convenience store. "Content" refers to music, movies,
If the contents can be distributed through a network such as a television program, the contents are not particularly limited. Data related to the creation of the user himself, for example, design data, edit data, and the like are also called contents. "Electronic communication means" includes electronic communication equipment in general, such as e-mail, telephone, F
AX and the like.

The distribution destination specifying unit includes a position correspondence table for associating the positional relationship between the user's location and the information service base, and searches the location correspondence table based on the user's location to determine the content distribution destination. The information service base may be specified.

[0007] The distribution destination specifying unit may further specify an information service base to which the content is to be distributed based on a designation of the information service base by a user.

[0008] The user deposits a storage medium exclusively for the user in advance at the information service base, and the distribution completion notifying section transmits a content distribution completion notification when download to the storage medium is completed. May be. "Storage medium" includes everything used to record data. For example, a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape, a CD, an MD, an IC memory card, and the like are included.

[0009] Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a system for supporting distribution of contents. This delivery support system
An associated recording unit that is installed at the information service base and records the association between the user and the storage medium previously deposited by the user at the information service base; and a medium writing unit that downloads content to the storage medium A device group is provided.

[0010] Still another embodiment of the present invention also relates to a content distribution supporting system. This system receives predetermined content data from a user via a network,
A distribution support device that stores the data in a predetermined recording medium, and an information service entity that receives the recording medium in response to the notification from the distribution support device and distributes the recording medium to a destination specified by the user. . The date and time may be specified for the delivery. The communication from the distribution support device to the information service entity may be performed by an electronic and automated method such as electronic mail.

It is to be noted that any combination of the above-described components and any conversion of the expression of the present invention between a method, an apparatus, a system, a recording medium, a computer program, and the like are also effective as embodiments of the present invention.

[0012]

FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a distribution support system 10 according to an embodiment. The content management company terminal 12, the user terminal 18, the information service base 14, and the mediation site 16 that distributes the content are connected to all networks, here, the Internet. The distribution support server 100 is located at the mediation site 16, and the download device 200 is located at the information service base 14.

FIG. 2 describes an exchange of content distribution in the distribution support system 10. Less than,
There is no special distinction between the content management company itself and its terminal when simply referring to the "content management company". Similarly, the term "user" does not particularly distinguish the user from the user's terminal. Here, the outline of exchange of content distribution will be understood.

As shown in FIG. 2, the user operates the distribution support server 1
A distribution request is presented to 00 (S10). Upon receiving the distribution request from the user, the distribution support server 100 issues a distribution instruction to the content management company (S12). The content management company actually executes the content distribution based on the instruction (S14). When the information service base confirms that the content has actually arrived,
A distribution notice notifying the fact is sent to the distribution support server 100 (S18). The content of the distribution notification is confirmed in the distribution support server 100, and a distribution completion notification for notifying that the content has reached the information service base is sent to the user (S20). The user actually goes to the information service base to receive the content (S22). The above is a series of processes.

FIG. 3 is an example of a distribution request screen 50 displayed on the user terminal. The user inputs necessary items for requesting content distribution on the distribution request screen 50. Here, as necessary items, a name 52, an e-mail address 54, a postal code 56, an address 58, a telephone number 60, a content designation 62, a distribution destination designation 64,
A delivery date designation 66 is assumed. User submit button 68
When clicking, a distribution request is transmitted to distribution support server 100.

FIG. 4 shows the internal configuration of the distribution support server 100. This configuration is realized by a CPU of an arbitrary computer, a memory, a program having a distribution support function loaded with the memory, and the like. Here, functional blocks realized by their cooperation are illustrated. Therefore, it is understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by hardware only, software only, or a combination thereof.

The distribution support server 100 mainly includes the main control unit 4
4. Includes the communication unit 30 and functions as a Web server.
The communication unit 30 exchanges information between the main control unit 44 and the content management company terminal 12, the information service base 14, and the user terminal 18. The communication unit 30 includes hardware such as a modem necessary for communication and a driver and other programs for controlling communication. The distribution request from the user is sent to the main control unit 44 via the communication unit 30.

In the main control unit 44, a request receiving unit 32 receives a distribution request from a user. The portion related to the delivery date designation in the delivery request is sent to the service corresponding speed designation unit 36. There, a delivery date for content distribution is determined, and the result is sent to the request transfer unit 40. The request transfer unit 40 promptly responds to the notified delivery date, especially for the content designated as urgent.

In the case of FIG. 3, "Normal" is selected in the column of the delivery date designation 66. In this case, the service corresponding speed designation unit 36 receives this and informs the request transfer unit 40 of the determination of the “normal delivery date”. If the delivery date designation field 66 is not entered, the service response speed designation unit 36
May be automatically determined to be "normal delivery date".

The distribution destination specifying unit 34 determines the distribution destination of the content based on the distribution request, and sends the result to the request transfer unit 40. The distribution destination specifying unit 34 is provided with a position correspondence table 38, and the current address of the user is correlated with the distribution destination of the content by referring to the table.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a data hierarchy included in the position correspondence table 38. The data hierarchy is composed of a prefecture 80, a city 82, a ward 84, a town 86, and a street 88 in the descending order, and stores data of a convenience store name 90 and a branch name 92 at the lowest. In this case, it is searched that the こ と が branch of convenience store A and three other stores are located near the current address of the user.

The distribution destination specifying unit 34 specifies a content distribution destination based on the search result. When a plurality of convenience stores are found as a result of the search, the operator may specify a predetermined convenience store, or the distribution destination specifying unit 34 may automatically specify the convenience store. The distribution destination specifying unit 34 may narrow down one convenience store near the current address of the user to one or may specify a plurality of candidates. In such a case, a configuration may be adopted in which the user receives a designation as to which convenience store he / she wants. When the user inputs the name of the convenience store and the name of the branch in the field of the destination designation 64, the destination designation unit 34 naturally follows the designation. The reason for the user to specify is that the user may specify not a convenience store near the current address but a convenience store on the work place or commuting route.

The request transfer unit 40 transmits information necessary for actually distributing the content to the user to the content management company. The information includes information for specifying the user, information for specifying the content, a delivery destination of the content, and a delivery date of the content.

Upon receiving the information, the content management company actually distributes the content to the download device 200 at the designated distribution destination. FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the download device 200 at the information service base.
The download device 200 includes a download terminal 202,
An associated recording unit 204 and a media writing device group 206 are provided. The media writing device group 206 includes a dedicated writing device for each recording medium for writing content. For example, as shown in FIG.
06a, a writing device 206b dedicated to an IC memory card. Although only two types of writing devices are illustrated here, more types of writing devices may be included.

The relation recording unit 204 records the relation between the storage medium previously deposited by the user at the information service base 14 and the user, that is, the relation between the user and the disk drive number in which the recording medium is inserted. ing. With reference to the data, the content distributed from the content management company is downloaded to the storage medium of the predetermined user.

At the information service site where the content has been downloaded, a notification to the effect that the content has been received is transmitted to the distribution support server 100. The notification is received by the distribution completion notifying section 42 and transmitted to the user. The user who has received the notification can go to the information service base and obtain the content.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the user transmits a distribution request from the terminal to the mediation site, so that the information service base can transmit a movie, a TV program,
Content distribution such as music and video can be received. In particular, if a base where a content download environment is already being prepared, such as a convenience store, is selected as an information service base, introduction of a content distribution service can be facilitated.

The present invention has been described based on the embodiments. This embodiment is an exemplification, and it is understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the combination of each component and each processing process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. .

One such modification is a distribution support system in which the user himself is the source of the content. For example, a user may deliver a large amount of content such as CAD data to a predetermined destination. In particular, in the case where the addressee is a company or an individual user including SOHO whose infrastructure is not completely completed, it is often more convenient to receive a large amount of data on a recording medium such as a CD-R than to download it from a network.

In this modification, the content management company terminal 12 in FIG.
Becomes a provider in charge of home delivery of recording media. The user FTs the content to the distribution support server 100 of the mediation site 16
Upload using P (File Transfer Protocol) or the like. At this time, an instruction regarding the type of the recording medium and the date and time of delivery to the destination is also transmitted.

The distribution support server 100 is provided with a device (not shown) for writing data on a recording medium such as a CD-R, stores contents received from a user on the recording medium, and sends an e-mail or the like to a home delivery company. Request delivery by the communication means.

The home delivery company goes to the mediation site 16 to receive the recording medium, and delivers it to the specified destination at the specified date and time.

According to this method, the user of the content transmission source does not need to have a device for writing data to the recording medium. Even if at all, it is possible to save the trouble of bringing the recording medium to the home delivery company. Therefore, if the service channel of the intermediary site 16 and the couriers who cooperate with it is set to a 24-hour system, the system becomes very convenient for the user.

[0034]

According to the present invention, a more convenient content distribution service can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a distribution support system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing exchange of content distribution in the distribution support system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a distribution request screen displayed on a user terminal.

FIG. 4 is an internal configuration diagram of a distribution support server.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a data hierarchy included in a position correspondence table.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a download device.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Distribution support system, 12 Content management company terminal, 14 Information service base, 16 Intermediary site, 18 User terminal, 32 Request receiving unit, 34
Delivery destination specifying part, 36 Service speed specification part, 3
8 position correspondence table, 40 request transfer section, 42
Delivery completion notification unit, 100 Delivery support server, 200
Download device, 204 related recording unit, 206
Media writing device group.

Claims (7)

[Claims] A server for supporting content distribution, a request receiving unit for receiving a request for distribution of predetermined content from a user, a request transfer unit for transferring the request to an entity that actually manages the content, A distribution destination specifying unit that specifies at which information service site the user receives the content requested to be distributed in each region, and the user is notified when the content is actually distributed to the information service site. And a distribution completion notifying unit that notifies the distribution completion by an electronic method. 2. The delivery destination specifying unit includes a location correspondence table for associating a location relationship between a user's location and an information service base, and searches the location correspondence table based on the user's location to retrieve a content delivery destination. The distribution support server according to claim 1, wherein the information service base is specified. 3. The distribution destination specifying unit according to claim 1, wherein the distribution destination specifying unit specifies the information service base, which is a distribution destination of the content, based on a designation of the information service base from a user. The delivery support server described. 4. The distribution support server according to claim 1, further comprising a service corresponding speed designation unit capable of designating an urgent or normal delivery date of the content distribution. 5. The user deposits a storage medium at an information service base in advance, and said distribution completion notifying unit transmits the distribution when the download to the storage medium deposited by the user at said information service base is completed. The distribution support server according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the distribution support server transmits a completion notification. 6. A system for supporting content distribution at an information service base, comprising: an association recording unit that records an association between a storage medium previously deposited at the information service base by a user and the user; And a media writing device group for downloading content. 7. A system for supporting content distribution, comprising: a distribution support device that receives predetermined content data from a user via a network and stores the data in a predetermined recording medium; An information service entity that receives the recording medium in response to the notification, and delivers the recording medium to a destination specified by the user.