JP2003308441A - Digital content sales system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that, concerning the Internet wherein a free content is recognized to be usual, a sales risk of a digital content is high, and a careful sales plan and price control wherein user's will for purchase and a good seller are ascertained are required. <P>SOLUTION: This system has a content information registration means for registering discrimination information of the content and sales plan information including a sales schedule, a sales price or the like, a delivery site data generation means for generating the optimum site layout of a delivery server utilized by a user based on the sales plan information and sales result data, and a sales result data collection means for collecting from the delivery server, data for recording when, where, and by what opportunity and liking the user purchased the content. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for selling digital contents in various fields online.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the spread of electronic commerce and digital content distribution services using the Internet, there is a need for an efficient sales method that increases users' willingness to purchase and increases profits of companies that sell products. Is coming.

As a technique therefor, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-2001
A virtual mall store layout system described in Japanese Patent No. 325536 is known. According to the invention, in a virtual mall store layout system for constructing a virtual mall shop in an online shopping service, a user terminal having a unique customer identification number and used when purchasing a product in a virtual mall, and a user terminal Customer characteristic management device that generates layout data for virtual mall shops / products based on customer characteristic information that matches customer identification data acquired from the terminal, and reflects customer characteristics based on the layout data generated by the customer characteristic management device And a virtual mall providing device that constructs a virtual mall shop in real time.

Further, as a technique for controlling the selling price, a product selling method and a product selling system described in JP 2001-357308 A are known. According to the invention, when an order for a product is transmitted from a terminal via a provider and the Internet, the intervening provider is determined based on the transmitted IP address, and the database of the company is stored in the past via the provider. The number of purchasers who purchased the product is accumulated for each provider, and the feature is that the price of the product is set according to the number of past purchasers who purchased the product through the determined provider.

[0005]

In the sale of digital contents, it is easy to reproduce a product by copying and there is no risk of the product being out of stock, but when it is sold in large quantities, the product is liable to become obsolete.

The above-mentioned prior art provides a layout according to user characteristics. However, even the same user dynamically selects the optimum content for the context that is likely to be different for each use, and generates the site layout. The function to do is not realized.

[0007] It is also considered that the acceptable price for the user is influenced not only by how much the content is sold / viewed but also by the place and time of purchase, some occasion, and personal preference. However, the function of controlling the selling method and price in consideration of the life cycle and scarcity of contents has not been realized.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to movies, music,
Sales characteristics of various contents such as sports and education (time,
We will provide technology to control sales timing and sales price by reflecting sales performance data in real time (location, opportunity, taste, etc.).

The present invention provides a digital content sales system capable of presenting / setting an optimum sales method and price to a content provider according to the characteristics of the content.

Further, the present invention provides a digital content sales system having an optimum site layout by judging the place and time to purchase, some occasion, and personal preference for the user at the time of use.

In a concrete aspect of the present invention, a content information registering means for a content provider to register content identification information and sales plan information such as a sales schedule and a selling price, and the sales plan information and the sales record data. Based on the distribution site data generating means for generating the optimum site layout of the distribution server used by the user, and the data recording the time, where, where and by which opportunity / preference the user purchased the content from the distribution server The sales record data collecting unit and the content information registering unit set the expected sales value in advance, and when it compares with the sales record data and falls below the expected value, it notifies the content provider of that fact. And refer to content that is under budget and content that has exceeded the sales period Sales schedule content, providing digital content sales system consisting of the sales management data setting means for re-setting of such price.

[0012] In another specific aspect of the present invention, the sales record data stored in the database in the sales record data collecting unit is used to specify the time when the content was sold, the place where the user used the content, and the specific location. Purpose / opportunity,
Sales characteristic aggregation processing means for totaling according to characteristics such as user's preference, sales management data setting means for setting sales priority according to number of sales and sales, and user's usage time when receiving a user's purchase request , Context of usage terminal attribute, usage location, usage purpose, usage history, etc. are identified, and the content having the content characteristics and sales attributes that best match this is selected and assigned in the descending order of sales priority of the content. There is provided a digital content sales system including distribution site data generation means for determining a site layout according to the sales space.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a system in which a content distribution service provider sells and distributes digital contents entrusted by the content provider will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows a system configuration diagram according to the first embodiment. Content providers 1201 and 1202
The original content is registered in the distribution server operated by the content distribution service provider 320 as duplicated content. User 310 is content distribution network 300
Access the distribution server, the duplicated content, and the sales management server via to purchase and view desired digital content. Here, the distribution server may be distributed and distributed in multiple locations, and the terminal used by the user is not only a computer terminal placed at home or office, but also an outdoor network access called a "hot spot". It may be a portable terminal that is used by connecting to points, or a terminal for selling digital contents placed at convenience stores or stations. For details of the content distribution network technology, see, for example, Information Processing Society of Japan, Vol. 42, No. 11, 1082
Page to 1091 "Latest Trends in Internet Content Delivery Technology" (November 2001), so it is omitted here.

The sales management server is composed of functional modules as shown in FIG. The delivery management server 100 is
A content information registration unit 110 in which a content provider 120 registers content identification information and sales plan information such as a sales schedule and a selling price, a content sales management database 111 that stores the information, and a sale that refers to and sets the information using a GUI. Management data setting unit 112, distribution site data generation unit 113 for generating an optimum site layout of a distribution server used by a user based on the sales plan information and sales result data, preset sales expected value and the sales result data If it is less than the expected value as compared with
4. A sales characteristic aggregation processing unit 11 that aggregates the sales performance data according to characteristics such as the time when the content is sold, the place used by the user, a specific purpose / opportunity, and the taste of the user.
5. A sales performance database 116 that stores sales performance data, which will be described later, a sales performance data collection unit 117 that collects, from the distribution server, data that records when, where, and according to which opportunity / preference the user purchased the content. Consists of.

FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram for realizing the present system. Each functional module 101 shown in FIG. 1 can be built on a computer equipped with hardware such as a CPU 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, a display device 204, an input device 205, a storage device 206, and a network device 207. it can. In this case, each functional module of the sales management server program 200 is read into the memory 202 and embodied as a process. The external system 208 (120, 130 in FIG. 1) is connected via the network device 207.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart in which the content provider registers content information. First, the content information registration unit 110 registers attribute information for identifying content (501). FIG. 9 shows an example of the content information table. The content characteristic 900, the content ID 9
01, content name 902, sales priority 903, sales start date
904, sale end date 905, selling price 906, content type 907, content size 908, content provider or right holder name 909, and content description 910. Next, the sales period (life cycle) of the content is set (502), and the selling price and the expected number of sales in each sales period are set (503). FIG. 8 shows an example of a content sales plan table, which includes a content ID 800, a sales start date 801, a sales end date 802, a sales price 803, an expected value 804 of the number of sales, and the following 805 to 812. .

FIG. 6 shows collection of content sales performance data.
It is a flow chart which performs totaling and forecast performance management. First, the sales record data collection unit 117 collects sales record data from the distribution server 130 and stores it in the sales record DB 116 (6
01). FIG. 11 is an example of a content sales record table, which includes a content ID 1100, a sales attribute 1101, and a cumulative number of weekly sales.
1102, weekly sales 1103, the same as below 1104-1109, and so on. The sales attribute can be freely set according to the content characteristics. Next, in the sales management data setting unit 112, the sales record data is aggregated for each content ID, the sales priority is determined (602), and reflected in the content information table in FIG. The sales priority may be determined simply by the size of the sales, but when preferential treatment is given to a specific content provider, a value reflecting this may be determined. Next, the sales characteristic aggregation processing unit 115 refers to the sales record data aggregated for each sales attribute according to the content characteristic and determines the sales priority (603).

FIG. 10 is an example of a table for managing the correspondence between sales attributes and sales priorities. Content characteristics 1000, sales attributes 1001, sales priority 1002, sales space 1003, and below 10
Like 04 to 1009, it consists of and.

Next, in the forecast result management unit 114, sales management D
By referring to B111 and the sales record DB116, the preliminary record data of the number of sales is compared (604). If the actual data has not reached the expected value (605), the provider who registered the content is notified by mail or the like (606). The provider that received the alert notification is the sales management data setting unit.
Access 112 to review the sales plan (607).

FIG. 4 is an example of a sales management screen 400 for reviewing the sales plan. At the top of the screen, registered contents are sorted into virtual shelves for each content characteristic (in the example, content 410 that depends on time characteristics, content 420 that depends on location characteristics, content 430 that depends on opportunity characteristics), and sales priority is set. Are arranged in order. You can also change the content characteristics by selecting the content and dragging and dropping it to another location. The management information 440 of the selected content 411 is displayed at the bottom of the screen, and the value can be changed. Setting button 451
It is reflected in the sales management DB111 by pressing. A cancel button 450 is pressed to cancel the operation, and a delete button 452 is pressed to delete the content information itself. Here, the target that can be changed is limited to the content information normally registered by the content provider.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for generating site data of the distribution server. First, the distribution site data generator
At 113, referring to the sales management DB 111, the sales space of the site according to the sales priority is allocated (701). Next, the context of the user (content usage time, terminal attribute to be used, usage location, usage purpose, usage history, etc.) is acquired from the distribution server (702). Here, the usage time can be considered to be from the time when the user logs in to the distribution server to the time when logout (or forced logout due to expiration of the time limit). In addition, the terminal attributes are the type of Web browser and O
It is a type of S. Also, the place of use is DNS for address resolution
The address information of the server and the position information acquired by exchanging signals with GPS satellites and wireless base stations. The purpose of use and the history of use are information about menus selected by the user on the Web page, executed commands, and history of purchased contents in the past.

Next, contents having content characteristics and sales attributes that match the context are selected in descending order of sales priority of the contents (703). Furthermore, content information and layout information for the sales attribute are generated and sent to the distribution server by a method such as FTP (70
Four). Further, the distribution site data generation unit 113 periodically checks the sales schedule of the sales management DB (705), and if there is content whose sales have expired (706), displays the sales management screen 400 of the sales management data setting unit 112. The content information is deleted from the virtual shelves by using or the sales schedule is reset (707). After changing the content information, the distribution site data generation unit 113 updates the content information and layout information of the distribution server (708).

By using the sales management server and distribution server as described above, the content provider can easily perform sales and price setting according to the content characteristics and sales record, and the content more suited to the purchase needs for the user. Can be provided.

[0025]

According to the present invention, the content provider can strategically set the sales method and price in consideration of the sales life cycle and sales record of the contents, and the sales risk is reduced. In addition, it is possible to provide the user with an optimal site layout according to the place and time of purchase, some occasions, and personal tastes, thereby improving the user's willingness to purchase.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing functional modules of a sales management server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a hardware configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a content distribution service configuration according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a sales management screen according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for registering content information by a content provider according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart for performing collection / totalization and forecast performance management of content sales performance data in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart for generating site data of a distribution server in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a sales plan table of contents in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a content information table in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a table for managing correspondence between sales attributes and sales priorities according to the embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a sales record table of contents in the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

201 ... CPU, 202 ... Memory, 203 ... Input / output interface section, 204 ... Display device, 205 ... Input device, 206 ... Storage device, 2
07 ... Network device, 208 ... External system

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A system for selling digital contents online, wherein a contents provider registers contents identification information and sales plan information such as a sales schedule and a selling price, and the sales plan information and sales record. A distribution site data generating means for dynamically generating a site layout of a distribution server used by the user based on the data, and a sales performance data collecting means for collecting the content sales performance to the user from the distribution server. Digital content sales system. 2. The digital content sales system according to claim 1, wherein the sales record data stored in the database by the sales record data collecting unit is used to specify the time when the content was sold, the place where the user used it, and a specific location. A digital camera characterized by including a sales characteristic aggregation processing means for accumulating in association with characteristics such as purpose / opportunity and user's taste, and sales management data setting means for setting a sales priority according to the number of sales and sales. Content sales system. 3. The digital content sales system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distribution site data generation means uses a user's usage time, a usage terminal attribute, a usage place, and usage when the user's purchase request is accepted. Identify context such as purpose, usage history,
A digital content sales system, characterized in that contents having the most suitable content characteristics and sales attributes are selected in descending order of sales priority of the contents, and the site layout is determined according to the allocated sales space. 4. The digital content sales system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an expected sales value is set in advance in the content information registration means, and the expected sales value is lower than the expected sales value in the previous period. In addition, the sales management data setting means refers to content for which the budget has not been achieved or for which the sales period has expired, and the sales schedule and sales of the content. A digital contents sales system characterized by resetting prices.