JP2003006545A - System for providing service or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a user with services (including merchandise and information, etc.), while maintaining the safety of charging without damaging the convenience of the user. SOLUTION: In a method of charging a price in the service and article sales, an individual is authenticated by inquiring of an individual authentication mechanism owned by a network connection agent information specifying the individual transmitted from the user, and charging information to the user is transmitted to the charging data base of the network connection agent. Thus, the price in the service and article sales is charged simultaneously with the charging of the network connection agent to the user.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for charging a fee for selling services or goods on a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a method of charging on a network,
There are methods such as a charging method by inputting a credit card number and the like using a credit card and a method such as bank transfer.

However, in the former method, since the credit card number needs to be input on the network, the user cannot confirm whether or not appropriate measures against information leakage are taken, and the user is safe. There was a problem of giving great anxiety in terms of sex. For example, a network game hosting company prompts the user to input personal information and a credit card number at the start of game use, and collects a usage fee from the credit card. With this method, it is necessary to send the user's personal information and credit card number via the network, and the user confirms that the appropriate encryption for information leakage on the network route is applied. However, there is a problem that the user is greatly concerned about safety.

In the latter method, the anxiety about the safety of the user is eliminated, but the convenience of the user is further impaired because he has to go to the bank every time for the transfer.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to provide a service to a user (including provision of products and information) while maintaining the security of charging without impairing the convenience of the user. To aim.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the present invention, in a method of charging a fee for selling a service or goods, the information for identifying an individual transmitted from a user is personally authenticated by a network connection operator. By inquiring to the Organization, personal authentication is performed, and the billing information for the user is sent to the billing database of the network connection provider so that the user can be billed for the service and goods at the same time as the billing of the network connection provider. Characterize.

[0007] That is, the above-mentioned problem is a service providing system for providing a service or a product to a user, and upon receiving a request for providing a service from the user, personal authentication information for personal authentication of the user. Authentication information acquisition means for receiving the authentication information, authentication information transmission means for transmitting personal authentication information to an authentication subject having a system for charging the user, and a service for the user according to the authentication result by the authentication subject. It is possible to solve by a service providing system including a service providing unit that determines whether or not to provide the like.

[0008] The system for providing this service is
Preferably, it is desirable that the service providing means includes a billing information requesting means for charging the user to the authentication subject in response to the service provided to the user.

[0009]

According to the above construction, the user only needs to do the same or less than when connecting to the network, eliminating the need to input personal information, credit card number, and other information, and eliminating concerns about safety. It is possible to effectively improve convenience.

Further, if the user is provided with personal authentication and billing means as well as a network connection provider, this method is used for billing for the service and article sales on the network with high convenience and safety. It is possible.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of a billing method for consideration in services and article sales of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a system according to the present embodiment. In the figure, 1 is a network connection provider, 2 is a service or article provider, 3 is a plurality of terminals such as personal computers, and 4 is a terminal. It is a network that connects these arbitrarily. Here, it is assumed that the authentication for connecting the terminal to the network has already been completed.

FIG. 2 shows a main structure of the system. The network connection company 1 is provided with a connection authentication means 5 and a billing information storage means 6. Here, the connection authentication means 5 receives the authentication request from the provider 2 and notifies whether or not the authentication is possible.

Each terminal 3 comprises a service requesting unit 12, an authentication information providing unit 13, and a service acquiring unit 14.

The service request means 12 realizes communication with the provider 2 via the network 4 and sends a request to start service provision to the terminal 3 to the provider 2. The message a is a message including a service start request and information specifying which service is requested.

The authentication information providing means 13 receives the information request required for personal authentication from the provider 2, transmits the required information required for personal authentication, and activates the service acquisition means 14.

The service acquisition means 14 realizes communication with the provider 2 via the network 4 and transmits a service provision request to the terminal 3 to the provider 2. The message d includes a request to provide a service, and the message e is a message including a service to be provided.

The billing information storage means 6 receives billing information from the provider 2. The provider 2 receives the service request receiving means 7,
An authentication information acquisition unit 8, an authentication information confirmation unit 9, a service providing unit 10, and a billing information requesting unit 11 are provided. The service request receiving means 7 receives the service start request from the terminal 3 and activates the authentication information acquiring means 8. Authentication information acquisition means 8
Realizes communication with the terminal 3 via the network 4 and sends a personal authentication information request for service provision to the terminal 3.

The authentication information confirming means 9 realizes communication with the network connecting company 1 via the network 4, and transmits the personal authentication information of the terminal 3 acquired by the authentication information acquiring means 8 to the network connecting company 1. The message f includes information necessary for personal authentication of the terminal 3, and the message g includes information regarding success or failure of personal authentication.

The service providing means 10 receives the service request from the terminal 3, provides the requested service to the terminal 3 and activates the billing information requesting means 11.

The billing information requesting means 11 realizes communication with the network connecting company 1 via the network 4, and transmits the billing information of the service provided by the service providing means 10 to the terminal 3 to the network connecting company 1. Message h
Is a message including billing information of the service provided to the terminal 3.

Next, the flow of operation of the present invention will be described.

When the user requests the provision of a certain service at the terminal 3, the service request means 12 is activated. The service request means 12 sends a message a containing a request to start the service to the network 4. The information to be included in the message a is, for example, an instruction to start the service, and information specifying the content of the service (for example, the title of a song to be downloaded).

Typical data contents of the message a are as follows. (Instruction → Download song, Song → ABC)

In the provider 2 who has received the message a via the network 4, the service request receiving means 7
Will start. The service request receiving means 7 extracts the information specifying the service from the message a and sends it to the service providing means 10 and activates the authentication information acquiring means 8.

The authentication information acquisition means 8 sends a message b including a request for information necessary for personal authentication of the terminal 3 to the network 4
Send to. In the terminal 3 which has received the message b via the network 4, the authentication information providing means 13 is activated. The authentication information providing unit 13 sends the message c including the information necessary for the personal authentication of the terminal 3 to the network 4 in accordance with the request for the information necessary for the personal authentication included in the message b.
And the service acquisition means 14 is activated.

Here, the information necessary for personal authentication is, for example, a personal ID or a password for accessing a network operated by a network connection company, and typical data contents thereof are as follows. .
(ID = JP01357, PW = X5trfd43E)

The authentication information acquisition means 8 which has received the message c via the network 4 extracts the information necessary for personal authentication from the message c and sends it to the authentication information confirmation means 9. The authentication information confirmation means 9 sends the message f containing the information necessary for personal authentication received from the authentication information acquisition means 8 to the network connection operator 1 via the network 4.

In the network connection service provider 1 which has received the message f via the network 4, the connection authentication means 5 is activated. The connection authenticating means 5 sends a message f
Authenticate by extracting the information required for personal authentication from. The connection authentication means 5 returns a message g containing the success or failure of the authentication to the network 4.

Upon receiving the message g via the network 4, the authentication information confirmation means 9 extracts the success or failure of the authentication from the message g and determines whether or not to provide the service. That is, it is determined that the service can be provided only when the authentication is successful.

The service acquisition means 14 sends a message d requesting the provision of a service to the network 4. The service providing means 10 is activated in the provider 2 which has received the message d via the network 4, and the service providing means 10 sends a message e including the corresponding service to the network according to the information designating the service received from the service request receiving means 7. 4 and activates the billing information requesting means 11.

When the service is provided by the service providing means 10, the billing information requesting means 11 creates billing information for the service price provided to the terminal 3 and sends a message h containing the billing information to the network 4.

The billing information storage means 6 is activated in the network connection service provider 1 which has received the message h via the network 4, extracts the billing information from the message h, and records it as billing information to the terminal 3.

Although not shown, by connecting the server of the network connection operator and the bank server, the withdrawal corresponding to the remittance or the charging may be performed.

In this specification, the network includes not only public communication networks such as the Internet but also satellite communication networks and closed communication networks using dedicated lines. Further, in the above description, a network connection operator is taken as an example, but if it is a business entity that constructs database information for personal authentication for a specific user and a billing system linked to this, It is possible to be the charge authentication subject in the invention.

[0035]

According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively eliminate anxiety about the safety of users and improve convenience in charging for services and sales of goods on a network.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overall configuration and flow of a service etc. providing system according to the present invention.

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (71) Applicant 501005058             Nakahara Junshi             3-33-29 Matsunoki, Suginami-ku, Tokyo (72) Inventor Toshinori Hayashi             3-56 Hiragishi 1-chome, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo (72) Inventor Yasuhiko Yamada             4-21-5 Higashiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo (72) Inventor             20-12 Kotobukicho, Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture (72) Inventor Jun Nakahara             3-33-29 Matsunoki, Suginami-ku, Tokyo

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A service providing system for providing a service or a product to a user, which receives first information related to personal authentication of the user in response to a request for providing the service etc. from the user. Authentication information obtaining means, an authentication information transmitting means for transmitting the first information to an authentication subject having a system for charging the user, and an authentication result for the user according to an authentication result by the authentication subject. And a service providing means for determining whether or not to provide the service and the like. 2. The charging information requesting means for charging the user to the authentication subject in response to the service providing means providing the service and the like to the user. 1. Service providing system.