JP2002351765A - TRANSFER METHOD FOR Web CONTENTS, BAR CODE READER, AND CONTENTS URL NOTIFICATION DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for securely transferring Web contents in data format matching a browser terminal. SOLUTION: A bar code reader which stores a specified URL and browser specifications information on many browser terminals is connected to the browser terminal, which is controlled by the bar code reader according to the browser specifications information corresponding to corresponding machine type information to send an HTTP request including a contents ID corresponding to the read bar code to the specified URL. A contents URL notification device specified by the URL compares the contents ID in the HTTP request and the browser terminal specification information with a lists of URLs by machine types and sends an HTTP response including the specified contents URL back to the browser terminal, which obtains the corresponding Web contents on a network according to the contents URL.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for delivering Web contents, and more specifically, identifies Web contents of the same content by a plurality of URLs for each type corresponding to a plurality of browser terminals of different types. Web
The present invention relates to a method for delivering desired Web content from a server to a user's browser terminal. The present invention also relates to a barcode reader and a content URL notification device applied to the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various Web contents (documents, sounds, images, files, etc.) are disclosed on the Internet. Data expressing this Web content (Web
A web server is a computer system that accumulates a large number of data) and delivers the corresponding web data to a computer that has accessed by specifying a URL.
A browser is software for accessing the Internet by specifying a URL and obtaining specified Web content from a corresponding Web server. Here, an information processing device equipped with a browser is called a browser terminal.

[0003] The browser executes a predetermined process according to the data format of the obtained Web contents. If the Web data is document data described in a markup language such as an HTML format, the content of the description is interpreted and the Web data is interpreted.
Display the page for browsing. In the case of image data or audio data, extended software called “plug-in” is activated to output video and audio as appropriate.

[0004] Recently, not only personal computers but also various information processing devices function as browser terminals. A mobile phone equipped with a browser is a device that is always carried around, and can connect to the Internet to obtain and use desired Web contents without any special setting work. That is, it is possible to obtain desired Web contents only by specifying a URL without setting up a connection environment for the Internet, such as installing a browser or setting various parameters for connecting to the Internet. For this reason, the number of operating mobile phones equipped with a browser has become widespread at present, exceeding 20 million, and is becoming the mainstream of browser terminals.

As described above, with the spread of mobile phones equipped with a browser (hereinafter, mobile phones), the number of Web servers for preparing Web contents for mobile phones has increased. As is well known, We for mobile phones
The data format of the “b” content may differ depending on the model of the telephone. For example, the description format of a Web page alone is C-HTML (Compact Hyper-Text Markup L).
anguage), HDML (Handheld Device Markup Langua)
ge), WML (Wireless Markup Language), etc. There are various markup languages, and the markup language supported by the browser differs for each mobile communication carrier. usually,
The Web server prepares a plurality of Web pages described in different markup languages for Web pages having the same contents, assuming access from mobile phones of different communication carriers. And the We for each telecommunications carrier
An individual URL is associated with each page b.
Therefore, when a user obtains Web content using his or her own mobile phone, the user specifies the URL of the Web content for the company of the mobile phone.

[0006] Web contents other than Web pages, such as image data and voice data used as a ring melody, can be displayed on a display device (display color, display dot number, etc.) even if the mobile phone is the same carrier. It varies from model to model, such as the number of simultaneous chords. For this reason, some Web servers provide a plurality of Web contents having the same contents according to the model of the mobile phone.

[0007]

As described above, a user of a portable telephone can obtain desired Web contents from the Internet without performing any special setting operation. However, the UR that identifies Web content
L is a long character string that starts with http: // www..., And requires a laborious operation of inputting this character string using the numeric keypad. Therefore, various methods have been proposed to simplify URL input. One of them is a method using a barcode. In this method, the URL is represented by a barcode, and the barcode is read by a barcode reader connected to a data input / output connector of the mobile phone. The barcode reader transfers the URL corresponding to the read barcode to the mobile phone.
input.

However, in this method, when Web contents are prepared at different URLs for each communication carrier,
It is necessary to prepare several barcodes. A barcode is written on a magazine page or the like, and thus requires a large amount of space. If the URL of the download destination of the image data or the audio data is described for each model, it is difficult to find the location of the barcode itself. Also, not all users accurately know the communication carrier and specifications of their mobile phones. If the Web content obtained is a data format that is not compatible with its own mobile phone, the data communication fee is wasted.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention ensures that web content in a data format suitable for a user's browser terminal model (telecommunications carrier, hardware specifications, etc.) is ensured while ensuring comfortable operability using a barcode. The purpose is to provide a way to pass it on.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a browser terminal obtains Web contents on an information communication network through a content URL notification device functioning as a Web server. A method of delivering Web content to the browser terminal, wherein a specific URL for identifying the content URL notification device is stored, and model information on a large number of browser terminals and browser specification information describing an operation procedure of browsing are stored. A process of preparing a barcode reader that stores the associated browser specification list, connecting the barcode reader to the user's browser terminal, and communicating with the browser terminal in response to the connection. To obtain the model information of the browser terminal. Process, the barcode reader queries the browser specification list for the acquired model information, thereby recognizing the corresponding browser specification information, and the barcode reader responds to a process start event by user input. Reading the appropriate barcode, and the barcode reader works on the browser terminal based on the recognized browser specification information, and the content generated based on the information specifying the browser terminal and the read barcode. The HTTP request containing the ID and the transmission information as the specific UR
L, and a process in which the content URL notification device that receives the HTTP request associates URLs for a large number of content IDs that are set and stored in advance with each browser terminal model. By referring to another URL list, a URL corresponding to the content ID and the browser terminal specifying information in the HTTP request is specified as a content URL, and an HTTP response notifying the content URL to the browser terminal is transmitted to the browser. Sending to a communication network;
The browser terminal that has received the response sends the HT
Acquiring the corresponding Web content from a Web server on the information communication network based on the content URL in the TP response.
b Content delivery method.

[0011] A second aspect of the present invention is a web server according to the first aspect.
The barcode reader applied to the content delivery method, wherein the barcode reader optically reads a barcode and generates a content ID corresponding to the code, a storage unit of the specific URL, and a storage of the browser specification list. Unit, a communication interface for connecting to the browser terminal and performing data communication with each other, and means for acquiring model information from the browser terminal in response to connection with the browser terminal via the communication interface. A user interface for receiving an input of the processing start event by a user, and transmitting information for specifying the browser terminal and the content ID by acting on the browser terminal based on browser specification information corresponding to the acquired model information. Specify the HTTP request containing the information as described above And a browser operation processing means for sending to the information communication network destined for the content ULR notification device identified by RL.

A third invention is the barcode reader according to the second invention, further comprising a storage unit for a reader terminal ID uniquely assigned to itself, wherein the browser operation processing means includes the reader terminal ID. Is sent to the information communication network as the information for specifying the browser terminal.

[0013] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a web server according to the first aspect.
The content U applied to the content delivery method
An RL notification device, comprising: a unit for storing the model-specific URL list; and a URL corresponding to the content ID and the information for specifying the browser terminal in the HTTP request by referring to the model-specific URL list. A URL notification device comprising: means for specifying a URL as a content URL; and means for transmitting an HTTP response for notifying the browser terminal of the content URL to the information communication network.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS === Network Configuration === FIG. 1 shows a network configuration to which a Web content transfer method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
A personal computer 20 used by an unspecified number of users is connected to the Internet 100 as a browser terminal. Further, the mobile communication network 30 is interconnected with the Internet 100 having different protocols via the gateway server 32, and the mobile phone 1 connected to the mobile communication network 30 via the wireless base station 31 is also connected via the Internet 100 as a browser terminal. To perform data communication. A computer that provides various information services to the browser terminals 1 and 20 is connected to the host computer 10.
The host computer that returns an appropriate HTTP response to the HTTP request from the browser terminal is the Web server 10b. The content URL notification device 10a, which is a requirement of the present invention, is also basically a Web
Act as a server.

Here, the mobile phone 1 is used as a browser terminal, and the user of the mobile phone 1 tries to obtain a certain Web content from the Web server 10b on the Internet 100. As an embodiment of the present invention, the content U
A process and a communication procedure for delivering the Web content according to the mobile communication carrier to which the mobile phone 1 subscribes via the RL notification device 10a via the Web content acquisition route will be described below.

=== Configuration of Bar Code Reader === The mobile phone 1 is connected to a bar code reader in order to obtain Web contents by the method of the present invention. FIGS. 2A and 2B schematically show a barcode reader applied to the present embodiment. FIG. 2A shows a connection state with the mobile phone 1, and FIG. 2B is a functional block diagram. .

The bar code reader 40 is provided with a connector 41 at one end, and the connector 41 is connected to a data input / output connector provided at the end of the portable telephone 1 for use. The other end is a bar code reading section 42
Here, a barcode is pressed against and read. As the internal configuration, a central control unit 43 that integrates the functions of CPU, RAM, and ROM is used as a main control unit, a light emitting unit 44 that uses LEDs as light emitting elements, a light emitting control unit 45 that includes a light emitting element driving circuit, A light receiving section 46 having a light receiving element such as a diode, and a bar code 60 read by the light receiving section 46
A code generation unit 47 for converting a signal corresponding to the line width or light / dark into digital data (code) of “0” and “1”;
A communication interface 48 for performing mutual data communication via a data input / output connector of the mobile phone 1, an operation key 49 for receiving an operation input by a user, a pressed state of the key 49 are detected, and a signal thereof is detected. It is configured to include an operation control unit 50 for transferring to the central control unit 43 and the like. Note that the above components are not necessarily formed by individual integrated circuits or elements. For example,
The functions of the components other than the light receiving element and the operation keys can be integrated into one single-chip microcomputer.

=== Specific URL / Browser Specification List, etc. === The bar code reader 40 of the above-described embodiment has a central control unit 4
3 stores a program (control program) for delivering Web content to the mobile phone 1 via the content URL notification device 10a. A specific URL for identifying the content URL notification device 10a;
The ROM also stores a browser specification list in which a procedure for operating the browser (browser specification information) is associated with each model of the mobile phone 1. Also, a reader terminal ID unique to the barcode reader is stored. In this embodiment, the specific URL is the content URL.
A predetermined CGI mounted on the notification device 10a is identified.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic structure of the browser specification list. As is well known, the mobile phone 1 is provided with a terminal code for identifying each individual. The terminal code is a character string composed of a plurality of alphanumeric characters, and a part of the character string is a model code for identifying the model. The browser specification list associates this model code with the order in which the keys of the mobile phone 1 are pressed (keyboard macro) as browser specification information.

=== Barcode === The barcode 60 to be read by the barcode reader 40 in the present embodiment is a Web code to be ordered.
Instead of the URL of the content, for example, it is added to a magazine or the like that describes what the content is about the Web content, and expresses a content ID uniquely assigned to each Web content. That is, the contents are the same W
Even if different URLs are specified for the eb content according to the communication carrier of the mobile phone 1, a plurality of barcodes are not written in parallel with each URL.

=== HTTP Request === The bar code reader 40 of the present embodiment has a built-in battery and is activated when connected to the mobile phone 1 via the communication interface 48. Further, the operation key 49 is also provided with only one button, and the user executes a predetermined process only by pressing the button at an appropriate operation opportunity.

When the barcode reader 40 is activated,
First, it communicates with the mobile phone 1 of the connection partner, acquires the model code stored in the mobile phone 1, and stores it in the RAM.
When the light receiving unit 46 is pressed against the bar code 60 corresponding to a certain Web content and the operation key 49 is pressed, the bar code is read, and the central control unit 43 via the code generation unit 47.
Is forwarded to The central control unit 43 acquires the transferred code as a content ID and stores it in the RAM.

Further, the central control unit 43 inquires the model code of the mobile phone 1 in the browser specification list, and corresponds to the key being pressed one after another according to the corresponding browser operation information (operation procedure). Control data to be transferred to the mobile phone 1 sequentially. Finally, the browser is started, and the specific URL stored in the ROM is read.
To which the content ID read into the URL and the reader terminal ID of the barcode reader are added as parameters.
L, and sends this URL to the mobile communication network 30 as an HTTP request. Note that, in this example, if a button is pressed once immediately before reading a barcode, a series of subsequent processing is automatically executed. However, when an HTTP request is sent, the button is pressed again. The operation may be performed every time. Of course, the operating environment can be changed as appropriate, such as disposing different buttons on the barcode reader for each process to be executed.

=== Content URL Notification Device === The HTTP request sent from the mobile phone 1 is delivered to a predetermined CGI of the content URL notification device 10a. The content URL notification device 10a is configured to transmit all the web contents delivered to the mobile phone 1 by the web content delivery method of the present embodiment.
URL (content URL) to be specified according to the model of the
Is stored. FIG. 4 shows a schematic structure diagram of the URL list for each model.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that the same Web contents are prepared for each mobile communication carrier, and the leader terminal ID is used as information for specifying a browser terminal. That is, since the communication interface of the mobile phone differs for each mobile communication carrier, the communication carrier of the mobile phone connected to the barcode reader can be specified by the reader terminal ID.

[0026] The CGI is the delivered HTTP.
The content ID in the request and the leader terminal ID are referred to this URL list to specify the corresponding content URL, and the HT including the content URL is referred to.
A process for sending the TP response to the mobile phone 1 and sending it to the Internet 100 is executed.

=== Delivering Web Content === When an HTTP response from the content URL notification device 10a is delivered to the mobile phone 1, the browser displays and outputs the content URL described in the response. As is well known, the browser of the mobile phone 1 is H
If a character string based on the URL description format is included in the TTP response, a hyperlink is set in this character string portion. In other words, the user operates the mobile phone 1 to specify a description portion of the content URL displayed on the screen,
When a key operation for transmitting the URL is performed, the browser transmits the content URL as an HTTP request. Thereby, the corresponding Web content is delivered to the mobile phone 1. It should be noted that the We of the present embodiment described above.
The processing and communication procedure in the method of delivering the b-contents are shown in FIG.

=== Other Embodiments === The browser terminal applied to the present invention is not limited to a mobile phone. It is easy to connect a barcode reader to a personal computer equipped with a browser and to transfer Web contents through the same communication path as in the above embodiment. The browser mounted on the personal computer includes the type of the browser (User-Agent) in the HTTP request. Therefore, if this browser type is used as browser terminal identification information and the location (URL) of Web content for general browsers is associated with the type-specific URL list of the content URL notification device, the URL can be used as an HTTP response. Can be returned to computer.

The model code obtained by the barcode reader from the browser terminal can be used as the browser terminal identification information. By preparing a model-specific URL list in which the model code and the content URL are associated with each content ID in the content URL notification device, not only the communication carrier but also the display color, the number of pixels of the display, and the ringtone melody can be displayed. Web according to the specifications of each model such as the number of chords
It is possible to cope with a case where contents are prepared.

As is well known, if an HTTP request from a mobile phone is delivered to a content URL notification device, the gateway server sends a terminal ID unique to the mobile phone to the IP address of the gateway server as a source of the HTTP request. Convert to address (domain name). Therefore, if the source IP address of the transmitted HTTP request is used as browser terminal identification information and a model-specific URL list in which the content URL is associated with the IP address is prepared in the content URL notification device, the content URL notification device can It is possible to recognize which mobile communication carrier has subscribed to the HTTP request from the mobile phone, and specify the content URL to be returned as the HTTP response.

When a barcode reader sends an HTTP request with a content ID added to a specific URL, the additional information may be encrypted for the purpose of security protection or the like. In this case, if the encryption method is changed according to the model of the browser terminal such as a communication carrier, the encryption method itself can be used as the browser terminal identification information.

In the above embodiment, the content URL notification device describes the character string of the content URL in the HTTP response, and returns this to the browser terminal. Of course, if the return destination browser terminal is equipped with a browser that supports the well-known “redirect transfer function”,
An HTTP response including a redirect transfer command to the content URL may be returned. In this case, the content URL notification device can grasp whether or not the redirect transfer function is supported based on the model information in the HTTP request. Of course, HT
If the TP request is from a browser mounted on a personal computer, the redirect transfer function is supported as standard. Then, in response to an HTTP request from a browser that supports the redirect transfer function, an HTTP response including a syntax for redirect transfer to the content URL is generated and returned. Thus, the browser terminal can automatically acquire the Web content from the content URL without performing the operation of instructing the character string of the delivered content URL.

[0033]

According to the present invention, when a content URL notification device is interposed in a Web content acquisition path by a browser terminal, Web contents having the same contents are designated by individual URLs for each type of browser terminal. Also, desired Web content can be transferred without specifying a URL corresponding to the model.

By connecting a barcode reader to the browser terminal, the user can select a desired Web based on the barcode read without inputting a long character string such as a URL.
b Content can be ordered. In particular, it provides light-weight operability to a browser terminal equipped with only a limited user interface, such as a mobile phone.

The barcode expresses a content ID assigned to Web contents having the same contents. Therefore, even if Web contents are prepared at different URLs for each model, such as a telecommunications carrier,
The barcodes to be read are combined into one. Therefore, the user can select the barcode to be read only from the contents of the Web content without checking the model of the browser terminal of the user. Of course, the space for writing the barcode itself can be saved.

Further, the bar code reader designates a destination of the read bar code (content ID) as a specific URL.
The browsing operation procedure is also specified based on the model information of the terminal acquired from the connected browser terminal. Then, a process start event is generated by a simple operation such as pressing a button once, and in response to the occurrence of the event, a barcode is read, and a predetermined HTTP request is sent to the content URL notification device specified by the specific URL. Can be sent. Therefore, the user is released from complicated browsing operation, and even a user who is not good at terminal operation such as a beginner can easily acquire desired Web content.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a network configuration diagram to which a Web content delivery method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIGS. 2A and 2B schematically show a barcode reader applied to the embodiment, FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a connection state with a mobile phone, and FIG. 2B is a functional block diagram.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a browser specification list stored in the barcode reader.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a model-specific URL list set and stored in a content URL notification device applied to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure and a communication procedure until Web content is delivered to a browser terminal by the method of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cellular phone 10a Content URL notification device 10b Web server 30 Mobile communication network 40 Barcode reader 43 Central control unit 48 Communication interface 49 Operation key 60 Barcode 100 Internet

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Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A method of delivering a Web content to the browser terminal via a content URL notification device functioning as a Web server on a path through which the browser terminal obtains the Web content on the information communication network, the method comprising: Prepare a barcode reader that stores a specific URL that identifies the notification device and that stores a browser specification list that associates model information about a large number of browser terminals with browser specification information that describes browsing operation procedures. A process of connecting the barcode reader to a user's browser terminal; a process in which the barcode reader communicates with the browser terminal in response to the connection to acquire model information of the browser terminal; The model information obtained by the leader A process of recognizing the corresponding browser specification information by querying the browser specification list for the corresponding information; a process of reading the appropriate barcode in response to a processing start event by the barcode reader in response to a user input; The barcode reader acts on the browser terminal based on the obtained browser specification information, and transmits an HTTP request including, as transmission information, information specifying the browser terminal and a content ID generated based on the read barcode. A process of transmitting the HTTP request to the information communication network addressed to a specific URL, and the content U receiving the HTTP request
The RL notification device refers to URLs for a large number of content IDs set and stored in advance in a model-specific URL list associated with each type of browser terminal.
A process of specifying a URL corresponding to the content ID and the browser terminal specifying information in the HTTP request as a content URL, and transmitting an HTTP response notifying the content URL to the browser terminal to the information communication network; The browser terminal receiving the HTTP response transmits the content URL in the HTTP response.
Acquiring a corresponding web content from a web server on the information communication network based on the information processing method. 2. The bar code reader according to claim 1, wherein the bar code reader optically reads a bar code and generates a content ID corresponding to the bar code. URL
Storage unit, a storage unit for the browser specification list, a communication interface for connecting to the browser terminal and performing data communication with each other, and responding to the connection to the browser terminal via the communication interface. Means for acquiring model information from the browser terminal, a user interface for receiving an input of the processing start event by a user, and the browser terminal acting on the browser terminal based on browser specification information corresponding to the acquired model information. And information specifying the content I
A browser operation processing means for sending an HTTP request containing the information D to the content ULR notification device identified by the specific URL to the information communication network. 3. The barcode reader according to claim 2, further comprising a storage unit for a reader terminal ID uniquely assigned to the barcode reader, wherein the browser operation processing unit stores the reader terminal ID in the browser terminal. A bar code reader for transmitting the HTTP request to an information communication network as information for specifying. 4. The content URL notification device applied to the web content delivery method according to claim 1, wherein the unit stores the model-specific URL list, and inquires the model-specific URL list, The HTTP
The URL corresponding to the content ID in the request and the information for specifying the browser terminal is set to the content URL.
And a means for sending an HTTP response for notifying the browser terminal of the content URL to the information communication network.