JP2004355636A - Information processor and terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a diversified information service for a user. <P>SOLUTION: In a system wherein a terminal device is connected to a server via the Internet, when the terminal device accesses the server, the server determines whether the terminal device is an access member or not in a step S162; and when it is not an access member, the access is rejected in a step S163. When it is an access member, whether it is a member A or a member B is determined in a step S164. When it is determined to be the member A or the member B, transfer of a designated screen for the member A or for the member B is requested to a server in a step S165 or S166. The server transfers the designated screen (menu screen) for the member A to the member A , and transfers the designated screen (menu) for the member B to the member B. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a terminal apparatus, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus and a terminal apparatus that controls information provided from a server connected to the Internet to the terminal apparatus in accordance with personal information of a user. .

  FIG. 20 illustrates a configuration example of a network system in a conventional information processing apparatus. The subscriber (user) has terminal devices 1-1 to 1-12, and is connected to the Internet 3 via predetermined access providers (AP) 2-1 to 2-3, respectively. Information providers (information providers: IP) 4-1 to 4-3 are also connected to the Internet 3. In the Internet 3, computers can communicate with each other in accordance with a protocol defined by Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP).

  On the Internet 3, an information search system called World Wide Web (WWW) is constructed. In this WWW, data is transferred by a protocol called Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and a screen is described by HTML (HyperText Markup Language), so that information can be easily searched and displayed. ing. As application software (WWW browser) on the terminal device side for the WWW, Netscape Navigator (trademark) of Netscape Corporation (trade name) and Mosaic (trademark) of NCSA, and application software (WWW server) on the information provider side Netscape Commercial Server (trademark) is known, respectively. Each user can access a WWW server using this WWW browser and receive information and services. Further, each information provider can provide information and services to a WWW browser using the WWW server.

  Recently, as the number of Internet 3 subscribers has increased, there has been an increasing movement to use the Internet 3 commercially. A conventional method of using electric commerce is to display a menu screen transmitted from a WWW server (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as a server) with a WWW browser (hereinafter, appropriately referred to simply as a browser), and to display the menu screen. Selects a predetermined product or service, receives the explanation, and applies for the purchase of the product or service by facsimile or telephone. That is, in the case of this example, the Internet 3 is used for explaining products and services.

  A method of restricting access to information of these servers can be performed by, for example, setting an IP address that can be used for each URL in a WWW server. In the case of a dial-up access provider, the IP address is dynamically allocated. This method is not available.

As another method, an HTTP authentication function can be used. In this case, the user needs to input personal information as a member of his / her own for each service to be used and register it in each server. The server also needs to operate a database that manages a lot of member information. Also, the user needs to input the user ID and password for each service every time he or she receives the service, and it is difficult to remember the input and the input is troublesome.
JP-A-2-5624 JP-A-59-185483

  In the conventional network system, the information that each user can receive from each server is the same for each user, and there is a problem that only uniform information and services can be provided.

  Further, in order to restrict access for each user in the information server, it is necessary to perform user registration for each user for each information service. Furthermore, each information server also needs to build a large-scale user management database in order to manage many users, and an information server in order to check credit card credit for billing for shopping and the like. Would be a heavy burden.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and it is possible to provide more varied information and services, and to reduce the load on a server.

  A first information processing apparatus of the present invention is connected to a terminal device via the Internet, and stores storage means for storing predetermined information, communication means for communicating predetermined data, control means for controlling the storage means and the communication means, An information processing apparatus comprising at least a detecting unit for detecting the access efficiency of a plurality of servers and a converting unit for converting a domain name into an IP address, wherein the control unit receives an access from a terminal device via the Internet. Acquiring the domain name specified by the accessing terminal device, detecting the access efficiency of a plurality of servers corresponding to the domain name by the detecting means, identifying the IP address of the server having the advantageous access efficiency by the detection, Is converted into an IP address of a server having an advantageous access efficiency.

  The server may be a billing server.

  A second information processing apparatus of the present invention is connected to a terminal device via the Internet, and stores storage means for storing predetermined information, communication means for communicating predetermined data, control means for controlling the storage means and communication means, An information processing apparatus comprising at least detection means for detecting the access efficiency of a plurality of servers, and conversion means for converting a domain name into an IP address, wherein the control means is connected to a terminal device via the Internet. The unique information that can be changed is stored in the storage means in advance, and when the apparatus is accessed via the Internet, the communication means is used to change the unique information assigned to the accessing apparatus to the apparatus accessing the Internet. And whether the unique information obtained by the communication means matches the unique information stored in the storage means in advance. If it is determined that the unique information matches the previously stored unique information, a domain name designated by the accessing terminal device is acquired, and the access efficiency of the plurality of servers associated with the domain name is detected by the detecting unit. Is detected, an IP address of a server having an advantageous access efficiency is specified by the detection, and a domain name designated by the terminal device is converted into an IP address of a server having an advantageous access efficiency.

  The server may be a billing server.

  The unique information that can be changed via the Internet can be an IP address.

  The unique information that can be changed via the Internet may be a user ID corresponding to an IP address.

  The user ID corresponding to the IP address may be member information corresponding to the user ID.

  The member information corresponding to the user ID may include at least one of a credit card type, a credit card number, and a credit card validity period.

  The member information corresponding to the user ID can include at least one of a name, an address, and a telephone number.

  A terminal device of the present invention is a terminal device that accesses a server via the Internet, a means for transmitting a designated domain name to the information processing device, and an IP address of a plurality of servers associated with the domain name in the information processing device. And means for receiving the result of conversion to the IP address of one server from among the above, and means for accessing the server using the received IP address.

  The server may be a billing server.

  In the first information processing apparatus of the present invention, when an access is received from a terminal device, a domain name specified by the accessing terminal device is acquired, and the access efficiency of a plurality of servers corresponding to the domain name is detected, Using the detection result, the IP address of the server having an advantageous access efficiency is specified, and the domain name specified by the terminal device is converted into the specified IP address.

  In the second information processing apparatus of the present invention, when an access is received, unique information assigned to the accessing apparatus is acquired from the accessing apparatus, and the acquired unique information is obtained in advance. It is determined whether or not the stored unique information matches the stored unique information. If it is determined that the unique information matches the previously stored unique information, a domain name specified by the accessing terminal device is acquired, and the domain name is obtained. The access efficiency of a plurality of servers associated with the server is detected, the detection result is used to identify the IP address of the server having the advantageous access efficiency, and the domain name specified by the terminal device is converted into the specified IP address. Is done.

  In the terminal device of the present invention, the specified domain name is transmitted to the information processing device, and the information processing device converts the IP address of a plurality of servers associated with the domain name into the IP address of one server. The received result is received, and access to the server is performed using the received IP address.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a variety of information and services for each user.

  Further, according to the present invention, it is not necessary for the server to manage a large amount of member information and restrict access, thereby reducing the load on the server system.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a network system to which the information processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied, and portions corresponding to those in FIG. 20 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Also in this system, a plurality of information providers (IP) (information providers) 4-1 to 4-4 are connected to the Internet 3. Each of the terminal devices 1-1 to 1-4 is connected to a charging proxy 11 via a normal telephone line, and the charging proxy 11 is further connected to the Internet 3. The information provider 4-3 is further connected to an external inventory management system 12.

  In the case of this embodiment, the billing proxy 11 functions as an access provider (AP) and also has a function as an information provider. The billing proxy 11 is connected to computer systems (payment systems) 6-1 to 6-3 of a plurality of credit card companies via CAFIS5. Therefore, the charging proxy 11 also has application software (for example, Netscape Commerce Server) that can be used in the WWW system.

  FIG. 2 shows a specific configuration example of the charging proxy 11. The CPU 21 executes various processes according to a program stored in the ROM 22. The RAM 23 is configured to appropriately store programs, data, and the like necessary for the CPU 21 to execute various processes. The interface 24 is connected to a hard disk (HD) 25, a magneto-optical disk 26, a communication unit 27, an input unit 28, a display 29, and the like.

  The hard disk 25 appropriately stores data, programs, and the like that need to be accessed at a relatively high speed. The magneto-optical disk 26 appropriately stores data, programs, and the like that can be accessed even if the access speed is lower than that of the hard disk 25. The communication unit 27 performs communication with the Internet, a dedicated line, a public telephone line, or the like. The input unit 28 includes a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, and is operated when various commands are input. The display 29 includes a CRT, an LCD, and the like, and displays predetermined characters, images, and the like.

  FIG. 3 illustrates an example of the internal configuration of the terminal device 1-i. The terminal device 1-i has a CPU 41 to a display 49, and has basically the same configuration as the accounting proxy 11 having the CPU 21 to the display 29. However, the billing proxy 11 has a larger capacity and a higher speed than the terminal device 1-i. Although not shown, the information provider 4-j has basically the same configuration as the charging proxy 11.

  In this embodiment, each user (subscriber) accesses a predetermined information provider (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as a server) 4-j from the terminal device 1-i, and provides goods, services, and the like therefrom. Receipt, credit card, automatic debit from a bank account, etc., pay the fee. In this case, the user needs to perform an enrollment procedure for becoming a member of the predetermined charging proxy 11 in advance. This procedure can be performed by filling in predetermined items on a predetermined application form and mailing them. However, each terminal device 1-i can use a telephone line or if necessary. In response, the user can access the charging proxy 11 via the Internet 3 and perform the enrollment procedure online. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show an online sign-up process in this case.

  First, in step S1, the terminal device 1-i accesses the charging proxy 11 via a normal telephone line. At this time, the CPU 21 of the charging proxy 11 reads out the online service name, the greeting, a sentence that briefly describes the outline of this service (electric commerce service) from the magneto-optical disk 26 in step S2, 1-i. These names and greetings are received by the communication unit 47 of the terminal device 1-i via the telephone line, and displayed on the display 49.

  Further, in step S3, the billing proxy 11 states, "Individual members cannot accept unless they have a credit card." Or "If you are under the age of 20, or join a company organization or group, apply separately. We will send the place by mail, sorry, but please apply by mail. "

  In step S4, the user determines whether or not the instruction displayed in step S3 is applicable. If it is determined that the instruction is applicable, the user operates the input unit 48 to input the fact. The CPU 41 causes the communication unit 27 of the accounting proxy 11 to transmit this input via the communication unit 47. When the CPU 21 of the billing proxy 11 receives this input via the communication unit 27, the process proceeds to step S5, for example, "Please request a membership application form by telephone or e-mail to the following counter. Immediately. Will be sent to the communication unit 47 of the terminal device 1-i via the communication unit 27, and displayed on the display 49 thereof. At this time, a reception time, a telephone number, an e-mail address, and the like are further transmitted and displayed. The user performs the enrollment procedure by telephone or e-mail according to this message.

  Then, the process proceeds to step S6, where the line is disconnected, and the online enrollment procedure is terminated.

  Alternatively, if it is determined in step S4 that the application is from a user under the age of 20, or an application for a company organization or organization, the process proceeds to step S7, where the name, address, postal code, telephone number, etc. When the input is received by operating the input unit 48 of 1-i, the CPU 21 of the charging proxy 11 transmits the reception date and the reception number to the terminal device 1-i and displays it on the display 49 when receiving the input.

  Then, in step S9, the input of step S7 is registered in, for example, an inquiry-only database formed on the magneto-optical disk 26 of the accounting proxy 11, and in step S10, the address and the name input in step S7 are registered. Perform processing to send out the application form. When the user receives the mailing of this application form, he / she performs the enrollment procedure by describing the specified items and returning it.

  In each process shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each user basically performs input according to the procedure shown in FIG.

  That is, "Please input **" is displayed on the display 49 of the terminal device 1-i. Furthermore, when a list, an input format, and the like exist, these are also displayed. The user operates the input unit 48 in response to the display and performs a predetermined input. The CPU 21 of the accounting proxy 11 checks the contents of the input, and if it is wrong, makes the input again.

  Then, when a correct input is performed, the input contents are displayed on the display 49, a display for confirmation (1: OK 2: NG) is performed, and the user is made to input the display. Then, when the input is performed, the process proceeds to the next item.

  Returning to FIG. 4, if it is determined in step S4 that the application is not an application from a user under the age of 20, or an application from a company organization or organization, the process proceeds to step S11, and an online sign-up process is started. In step S12, a message "Do you want to see the clauses?" Is displayed on the display 49 of the terminal device 1-i. When the user inputs to view the agreement, the process proceeds to step S13, and the CPU 21 transmits the agreement to the terminal device 1-i and causes the display 49 to display the agreement.

  Next, proceeding to step S14, a message "Do you agree with the terms and conditions" is displayed on the display 49. When the user inputs that he or she does not agree with the terms and conditions, the process proceeds to step S15, and the user is further made to input whether or not it is true (that he does not agree with the terms and conditions). If the user is not certain, the process returns to step S14, and a message "Do you agree with the terms and conditions" is displayed again. If it is confirmed that you do not agree with the terms and conditions again, the process returns to step S15. Proceeding to step S16, a message such as "I am waiting for a new membership. Thank you" is displayed, proceeding to step S6, disconnecting the line, and terminating the process.

  In step S14, when the user inputs that he or she agrees with the terms and conditions, the process proceeds to step S17, where the name, its phonetic, gender, date of birth, occupation, current address (prefecture), current address (address below prefecture), The user is required to input a phonetic code, a postal code, a telephone number, a telephone type (public line or ISDN), a fax number, a communication environment to be used, and the like.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S18, where the user is made to input the presence or absence of an emergency contact. If the emergency contact is present, the process proceeds to step S19, where the name and telephone number of the emergency contact are further input. When this input is performed, or when it is input in step S18 that there is no emergency contact, the processing shifts to the user ID input routine processing of FIG.

  In the user ID input routine, first, in step S31, the user is caused to input a desired user ID. When this input is performed, the CPU 21 of the charging proxy 11 proceeds to step S32, accesses the member master (user ID database) formed on the magneto-optical disk 26, and determines that the user ID that has been input is already Search to see if it is used by another member. Furthermore, in step S33, the temporary member master (the member master from the time of enrollment application to the completion of the enrollment examination) formed on the magneto-optical disk 26 is also accessed. Search to see if you are already registered with the temporary member master.

  In step S34, it is determined whether the user ID input in step S31 is the same as the user ID already registered in the member master or the temporary member master, and if it is determined that the user ID is duplicated, the process proceeds to step S31. Return and prompt the user to enter a new user ID.

  If it is determined in step S34 that the input user ID is a user ID not registered in the member master or the temporary member master, the process proceeds to step S35, and the user is prompted to input a password. In step S36, the password is again input. Then, in step S37, it is confirmed whether or not the two passwords input in steps S35 and S36 match. If the two passwords do not match, the process proceeds to step S38, where a message "The password is different." Is displayed on the display 49 of the terminal device 1-i, the process returns to step S35, and the password is input again. .

  Then, in step S37, when it is determined that the two passwords input in step S35 and step S36 match, the process proceeds to step S39, and a message of "password confirmation OK" is displayed.

  Next, proceeding to step S40, the charging proxy 11 causes the terminal device 1-i to display a list of use prices of the A member and the B member. For example, when becoming an A member, a predetermined basic fee is charged every month, but the purchase price of each product or service is lower than that of the B member. On the other hand, if you become a B member, you will not be charged a basic fee, but when you purchase individual products or services, the unit price will be higher than that of the A member. In addition, the types of members are classified according to the types of services that can be received.

  In step S41, the user selects and inputs either A member or B member. Further, in step S42, the user operates the input unit 48 to input the type, number, and expiration date of the credit card to be settled when purchasing a product or service.

  The process further proceeds to step S43, and the CPU 21 of the billing proxy 11 displays, for example, a message of “how did you know this service” and a list display for answering the message, such as a magazine advertisement, a magazine article, an introduction, WWW, Display items such as in-store campaigns and others. The user selects one of the items and answers.

  Next, in step S44, a message "Do you have an enrollment registration code" is displayed on the display 49. If the user has the membership registration code, the process proceeds to step S45, and the user inputs the membership registration code. The enrollment registration code is, for example, a campaign code or an introducer ID.

  Subsequent to the processing in step S45, or when an input indicating that the user does not have the membership registration code is made in step S44, the process proceeds to step S46, and "up to five items of interest at present (each 10 characters) Please write). The process further proceeds to step S47, and the user inputs a hobby such as golf, music, and movie viewing, if necessary, here.

  When the input is made as described above, in step S48, for example, "Thank you for the enrollment procedure. We will notify you by mail of the result of the enrollment examination within * days. If you have any inquiries, questions, etc. A message such as "Please contact the next window." Is displayed on the terminal device 1-i, and further, a telephone number, an e-mail address, and the like are displayed. Then, in step S49, a line disconnection process is performed, and in step S50, the items input by the above process are registered in the temporary member master formed on the magneto-optical disk 26.

  As a result of the admission examination, if the admission is approved, the user is notified by mail and the registration information is transferred from the temporary member master to the member master and stored. Also, as a result of the membership examination, if the membership cannot be permitted for any reason, the user is notified by mail and the registration in the temporary member master is deleted.

  As described above, a user ID database as shown in FIG. 7, for example, is formed in the member master of the magneto-optical disk 26 of the accounting proxy 11. In the user ID database, the items input in each step of FIGS. 4 and 5 are registered for each user ID. In addition, in addition to the above items, the user ID database stores an assigned IP address assigned to each terminal device, an access history of a server accessed by each terminal device, an access history of a file accessed, and the like.

  Here, the assigned IP address means an IP address assigned to each terminal device 1-i. In other words, one information processing device connected to the Internet 3 is assigned one IP (Internet Protocol) address from the Network Information Center (NIC) (in Japan, Japan Network Information Center (JPNIC)). The charging proxy 11, which also functions as an access provider, receives a predetermined number of IP addresses from NIC, JPNIC, etc. in advance in order to allocate to the terminal device 1-i of the member managed by itself. Since the charging proxy 11 does not always receive access from all members, the charging proxy 11 allows the user using the terminal device connected to the access point via the telephone line to input an ID and a password. Then, it is determined whether the user of the terminal device is a member or not, and when it is confirmed that the user is a member, a currently available IP address is assigned to the terminal device.

  For this reason, as shown in FIG. 8, the CPU 21 of the accounting proxy 11 stores the IP address assignment table at that time in, for example, the RAM 23. When an access is made from a predetermined terminal device, an unused IP address is searched from this allocation table and assigned to the terminal device.

  Therefore, when each terminal device accesses the Internet 3 by dial-up connection, the IP address changes each time. In the user ID database, the assigned IP address assigned to each user in this way is also stored as one of the access histories.

  The assignment of the IP address may be performed by connecting a computer system having a modem that supports the PPT protocol, such as the ASEND (trademark) system, to the charging proxy 11 and executing the same. .

  In this embodiment, the billing proxy 11 also functions as an access provider, so that a member who permits only an access service to the Internet 3 is similarly registered in advance. The access member is allowed to access a predetermined server via the Internet 3, but cannot receive an online shopping service (charging service). Members of the online shopping service automatically become access members.

  Next, with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 9 to 11, the terminal device 1-i of the predetermined user accesses the predetermined information provider 4-j via the charging proxy 11, and purchases a product online. The processing in this case will be described. For the sake of convenience, in these figures, in each of the figures, the terminal 1-i (subscriber) (WWW browser), the charging proxy 11 (charging company), and the information provider 4-j (online shopping business) (WWW server) perform The processing is shown in different columns.

  As described above, also in this system, in order to use a WWW search system, each terminal device includes a WWW browser (for example, Netscape Navigator), the information provider 4-j includes a WWW server, and the charging proxy 11 also includes , And an application operating on the WWW (for example, Netscape Commerce Server).

  First, in step S71, the terminal device (WWW browser) 1-i designates a menu screen (homepage) of an online shopping provider (information provider 4-j). In the WWW system, a predetermined screen (file) on the Internet 3 is specified by a kind of address called a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). In a URL, a WWW server is usually specified by a domain name. For example, if the URL is http: // www. sony. co. jp / sonivedrive / index / html, the domain name is www. sony. co. jp. Since the actual access to the server is performed by the IP address, there is a DNS (Domain Name Server) as a system for acquiring the IP address from the domain name, and the WWW browser makes an inquiry there.

In this case, the URL may be directly input on the screen, or a screen linked to the menu screen by HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) is displayed on the display 49 of the terminal device 1-i. In this case, the screen can be designated by clicking on the screen with the mouse of the input unit 48 or the like.

  When this designation is performed, the terminal device 1-i outputs a corresponding request to the WWW server. However, since the request is actually transferred via the charging proxy 11 set in advance in the terminal device, This request is input to the charging proxy 11. Upon receiving this request, the charging proxy 11 receives the input of the user ID and the password in accordance with the HTTP authentication function in step S72, and determines whether or not the access is from a pre-registered access member. Unless the access member has been granted, the access is denied. This determination is made based on the user ID and the password when connecting to the access point, so that the determination can also be made based on the IP address assigned to the terminal. When the access is from a registered access member, the charging proxy 11 transfers the request from the WWW browser to the WWW server via the Internet 3 as it is.

  For example, when the cursor 53 is moved and displayed on the shopping button 51, for example, while the shopping and VOD (Video On Demand) buttons are displayed on the display 49 by the WWW browser as shown in FIG. The URL corresponding to the shopping button 51 is displayed on the URL display section 52 of the display 49. When the user clicks the mouse with the cursor 53 positioned on the shopping button 51, access to the URL displayed on the URL display unit 52 (access to the online shopping server) is performed.

  When receiving the request to transfer this menu screen (online shopping menu screen), the WWW server outputs the corresponding menu screen data to the WWW browser in step S73. This data is transferred to the charging proxy 11 via the Internet 3. Upon receiving the transfer of the menu screen data in step S74, the charging proxy 11 further transfers the data to the WWW browser.

  As described above, in the WWW system, since the screen is composed of text format data called HTML, the HTML text is exchanged between the WWW browser, the billing proxy 11, and the WWW server. Will be.

  In step S74, when the charging proxy 11 further transfers the menu screen data transferred from the WWW server to the terminal device 1-i, the display 49 of the terminal device 1-i displays, for example, as shown in FIG. A menu screen for purchasing a predetermined product for online shopping (products W to Z in FIG. 13) is displayed.

  In the WWW system, various processes are executed using a series of processes (one response to one request) shown in steps S71 to S75 as a unit (session).

  In step S75, in a state where a menu screen for purchasing a product as shown in FIG. 13 is displayed on the display 49 of the WWW browser, the user determines whether or not there is a product to be purchased, and desires to purchase. When there is no product, the end button in FIG. 13 is clicked with a mouse, for example. Thus, the online shopping process is completed.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that there is a product to be purchased on the menu screen, the process proceeds to step S76, and the product to be purchased is selected from the menu screen. That is, in the example of FIG. 13, the cursor 53 is moved to a predetermined button among the buttons of the products W to Z, and the mouse is clicked to select the product.

  When this selection is made, the WWW browser transfers a signal corresponding to the selection to the charging proxy 11. When receiving the selection data, the charging proxy 11 further executes a process of transferring the selection data to the WWW server in step S77. Details of the processing in step S77 are shown in FIG.

  In the process of FIG. 14, first, in step S121, the CPU 21 acquires an IP address assigned to the terminal device 1-i that has transmitted the data. As described with reference to FIG. 8, this IP address is assigned by the charging proxy 11 to the terminal device 1-i by itself, and thus can be known from the IP address assignment table shown in FIG. Next, the process proceeds to step S122, in which member information (for example, credit card type, number, card validity period) is obtained from the user ID database corresponding to the IP address. The user ID corresponding to the IP address can also be obtained from the IP address assignment table shown in FIG. And the member information (card validity period etc.) corresponding to this user ID can be acquired from the user ID database shown in FIG.

  When acquiring the data of the validity period of the credit card, not only the data is acquired from the user ID database but also the CAFIS 5 is accessed as necessary to determine whether there is any change. The CAFIS 5 accesses the computer system 6-1 to 6-3 of the corresponding credit card company, and obtains data on the validity period of the card at the present time. Then, this is transferred to the accounting proxy 11.

  As described above, the data of the validity period of the card is not performed by each information provider, but by the charging proxy 11. Therefore, it is not necessary for the information provider to conclude a contract with each credit card company, and the system configuration can be simplified accordingly.

  Next, proceeding to step S123, the CPU 21 sets a category ID and a password in accordance with the member information acquired in step S122. For example, when it is determined that the card is currently valid from the card validity period acquired in step S122, “valid” is set as the category ID, and “ok” is set as the password. If the card has expired, “expired” is set as the category ID, and “ok” is set as the password.

  If the service of the WWW server is only for a specific member and the currently accessing member cannot receive the service, “denied” is set as the ID, “OK” is set as the password, and “OK” is set as the password. Set. This determination can be made based on whether the URL requested by the WWW browser is a URL of a service registered in advance.

  Next, in step S124, according to HTTP, the selected data input from the WWW browser is transferred to the WWW server, and the IP address of the accounting proxy 11, the category ID and the password set in step S123 are transferred to the server. .

  Returning to FIG. 9, when the charging proxy 11 transfers the selected data in step S77, the WWW server receives the data transferred from the charging proxy 11 in step S78, and from the data, Then, it is determined whether or not the online shopping member is registered in advance on the WWW server. The details of this determination are shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 15, first, in step S141, data, an IP address, a category ID, and a password from the charging proxy 11 are obtained. The billing company not only contracts with many users and makes this a member of his / her own online shopping, but also contracts with many online shopping providers (WWW servers). Become an online shopping member. The WWW server has a configuration similar to that of the charging proxy 11 (FIG. 2), and its member information is registered in advance in a built-in magneto-optical disk or hard disk. Then, in step S142, it is determined whether or not the IP address of the billing company acquired in step S141 is an IP address registered in advance as a member.

  If it is determined that the IP address acquired in step S141 is different from the IP address registered in advance, the process proceeds to step S143, and it is determined that the access is from a non-member.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S142 that the IP address acquired in step S141 is equal to the IP address of the pre-registered billing company, the process proceeds to step S144, and the category ID acquired in step S141 is It is determined whether or not it is registered as an accessible ID.

  When making a contract with the billing proxy 11, the WWW server sets the category ID to "valid" when accessing from a user whose card is valid, and the category ID when accessing from a user whose card has expired. Expired is determined in advance so as to be transmitted as an ID. When the category ID is determined to be valid, the WWW server proceeds to step S145, determines that the access is from an online shopping member, and determines that the category ID is expired, and determines that the category ID is expired. To determine that the access is from a non-member.

  Returning to FIG. 9, when it is determined in step S78 that the access is not from a member, the process proceeds to step S79, in which the WWW server reads out the unusable screen and transfers it to the accounting proxy 11. When the billing proxy 11 receives the transfer of the data of the unusable screen, in step S80, it transfers the data to the WWW browser. When the WWW browser receives a transfer of an unusable screen from the charging proxy 11 in step S81, it gives up the purchase of a product by online shopping.

  Although the member access is restricted in step S78 of FIG. 9, it is also possible to directly determine in step S77 based on the member information and transfer a screen in which the charging proxy 11 cannot be used in step S80. is there. In this case, the burden of access restriction on the WWW server is reduced.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S78 that the access is from a member, the process proceeds to step S82, and the WWW server determines whether the product is in stock. For this inventory check processing, the WWW server accesses the inventory management system 12 as an external program using a mechanism of Common Gateway Interface (CGI), and inquires whether or not inventory is available in real time. If it is determined in step S82 that the specified product is not in stock, the process proceeds to step S83, and data on a screen indicating that there is no stock is transferred to the charging proxy 11. When the billing proxy 11 receives the supply of the data of the out-of-stock screen, in step S80, it transfers this to the WWW browser. In step S81, when the WWW browser receives the data of the out-of-stock screen, the WWW browser displays the data and gives up the purchase of the product from this display.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S82 that the product is in stock, the process proceeds to step S84, in which the WWW server generates data of a confirmation screen displaying the product designated as the product to be purchased and the amount thereof. Is transferred to the charging proxy 11. This processing can also be executed by an external program using CGI as necessary. When receiving the screen data in step S85, the charging proxy 11 temporarily stores the product and the amount thereof, for example, in the hard disk 25. As described above, the screen data for confirmation is temporarily stored in the charging proxy 11 in advance before the screen data is actually transferred to the user, so that the data is transferred to the terminal device 1-i. Therefore, it is prevented from being altered.

  Then, in step S86, the charging proxy 11 transfers the screen data for confirmation to the WWW browser. In step S87, the WWW browser receives the screen data, outputs it to the display 49, and displays it. Thereby, for example, a product purchase confirmation screen as shown in FIG. 16 is displayed on the display 49.

  In this display example, it is displayed that a product W of 1200 yen and a product Y of 3500 yen have been ordered, and that the total amount is 4700 yen. Also, at the lower right of the screen, buttons are displayed, on which a letter of YES and a letter of NO for inputting whether or not to agree to purchase the product are displayed.

  As described above, the data on the confirmation screen describes the total amount of the purchased merchandise, the detailed amount, and the like as an HTML comment or as display data. Which display format to use is determined in advance between the accounting proxy 11 and the WWW server. In the case of describing in HTML, for example, a pair of a keyword (SUM, UNIT, etc.) and a value (4700, YEN, etc.) such as SUM = 4700 UNIT = YEN YES = “shopping / ok” NO = “shopping / no” Can be kept. “Shopping / ok” and “shopping / no” are URLs of a screen to be displayed next when consent for confirmation is obtained and when consent for confirmation is not obtained.

  The billing proxy 11 analyzes the data on the confirmation screen, calculates a billing amount, and stores the billing amount. In addition, since these pieces of information are stored together with the IP address and the member information obtained from the WWW browser, the billing proxy 11 can perform billing processing for a plurality of WWW browsers.

  In step S88, the user looks at the confirmation screen shown in FIG. 16 and determines whether or not he / she agrees to purchase the product. If the user does not wish to purchase the product, the process proceeds to step S89, and the user selects the reject button (the button displaying the character number NO in FIG. 16). When this operation is performed, the terminal device 1-i outputs a signal for requesting transfer of a URL screen (designated screen) corresponding to the operated button to the WWW server via the charging proxy 11.

  In step S90, the accounting proxy 11 having received the request for the designated screen transfer transfers the request to the WWW server. When the WWW server receives the request for transfer of the designated screen in step S91, the WWW server reads the rejection acceptance screen in response to the request and transfers the data to the accounting proxy 11. When receiving the data of the rejection acceptance screen in step S92, the accounting proxy 11 further transfers the data to the WWW browser. When the WWW browser receives the data of the rejection acceptance screen in step S93, it outputs this to the display 49 and displays it. The user can see this display to confirm that the refusal to purchase the product has been accepted.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S88 that the user agrees to the purchase of the product, the process proceeds to step S94 and selects the agreement button (the button in which the character YES is displayed in FIG. 16). At this time, the WWW browser requests transfer of the URL screen corresponding to this agreement button selection. When the billing proxy 11 receives a signal for requesting the transfer of the designation screen for selecting the consent button from the WWW browser in step S95, the billing proxy 11 stores the user information corresponding to the user ID, such as the name, address, and telephone number, in the user ID database. Get more. Then, the process proceeds to step S96, in which the transfer request signal for the designated screen received from the WWW browser is transferred to the WWW server together with the user information obtained in step S95.

  When the WWW server receives the request for transferring the designated screen by selecting the consent button from the charging proxy 11, the WWW server generates a consent acceptance screen in step S97, and transfers this to the charging proxy 11. In addition, the product delivery procedure is executed in accordance with the user information transmitted from the accounting proxy 11.

  If the shipping destination of the product is different from the registered address of the user, the user inputs the destination address in step S94.

  The online shopping business uses the information obtained by the WWW server to carry out product delivery, accounting processing, etc. If such processing is troublesome, the billing company can also provide an order slip to create an order slip. It is also possible to make it happen. The order slip can be sent by mail, e-mail, or the like. However, by connecting the system of the charging proxy 11 and the system of the online shopping business online, the sending process of the order slip is automated. It is also possible.

  Next, in step S98, the charging proxy 11 acquires a credit card number corresponding to the user ID from the user ID database. Then, in step S99, a process is executed in which the amount calculated and stored in step S85 is charged to the credit card company acquired in step S98. However, actually, based on a contract between the credit card company and the charging company having the charging proxy 11, the charging company charges the credit card company for a predetermined amount lower than the purchase price of the product. Then, the credit card company charges the user for the purchase price of the product.

  In step S100, billing proxy 11 further transfers the data of the consent acceptance screen supplied from the WWW server to the WWW browser. In step S101, the WWW browser receives this screen data and displays it on the display 49. As a result, a screen for accepting consent is displayed, for example, as shown in FIG. The user can confirm that the purchase has been completed from this display screen.

  In the case of HTTP, a session from a request from a WWW browser to a response from a corresponding WWW server constitutes one session, and connection and disconnection of a line are performed for each session. Thus, the charging proxy 11 can monitor the user's IP address and process requests from a plurality of WWW browsers. If the above-described processing is stopped for some reason, it is determined that the input of the selection signal of the consent button in step S94 has not been obtained, and the shopping processing ends.

  In the above embodiment, when the purchase of a product is selected in the WWW browser in step S76, the selection data is transferred from the charging proxy 11 to the WWW server in step S77, and the access from the member is performed in the WWW server. It is determined whether or not the access is from a non-member. If the access is made by a non-member, the unusable screen is transferred from the WWW server to the charging proxy 11 in step S79. However, the processing in steps S78 and S79 is performed. Can also be performed at

  In step S82, if the inventory check is not automated so as to be performed in real time, the out-of-stock products may not be displayed on the menu screen, or the inventory check process may be performed later. You can also. In this case, as a result of the inventory check, if it is determined that there is no inventory, the server issues an order acceptance cancellation slip to the billing company, and also sends the user an e-mail, letter, telephone, etc. , And the purpose of order acceptance cancellation.

  In the above-described embodiment, the shopping process and the registration process of the credit card number and the like may be performed by encryption.

  Further, as a settlement account for settlement of a fee, a bank account or the like can be used in addition to a credit card.

  In the above embodiment, the charging proxy 11 is made to function also as an access provider and an information provider. In this case, the data supplied from the information providers 4-1 to 4-3 are transmitted to the charging proxy 11 by the terminal. A caching function may be executed to supply the data to the devices 1-1 to 1-4. At this time, the data supplied by the terminal device in the past is stored in the charging proxy 11. Thereby, when a predetermined terminal device receives supply of the same data, the data stored in the accounting proxy 11 is transferred instead of actually accessing the corresponding information provider 4-j. Information can be provided more quickly.

  Of course, the charging proxy 11 may not have a function as an access provider or an information provider.

  Furthermore, the member information database function of the billing proxy 11 can be provided with a dedicated member information server, and the burden is placed on it.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, only one charging proxy 11 is provided for the Internet 3. However, as shown in FIG. A plurality of charging proxies 11-1 to 11-3 may be connected to each other by the dedicated line 81.

  In this way, each user can select the nearest charging proxy and access the desired information provider from the nearest charging proxy.

  In this case, the charging proxy to be used causes the WWW browser to set the domain name of the charging proxy. Therefore, in the DNS for converting the domain name into the IP address, the IP address of the charging proxy having an advantageous access efficiency is notified to the WWW browser in correspondence with the IP address of the terminal device of the WWW browser, so that the charging proxy has the same charging proxy. It can be specified by domain name. Therefore, virtually, it can be seen as one billing proxy. Further, according to this method, access from the majority of WWW browsers can be distributed by a plurality of charging proxies.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where a predetermined product is purchased is described as an example. However, the present invention can be applied to a case where other services are provided, such as receiving a pay broadcast.

  It is also possible to statistically process the access history stored in the charging proxy 11 and analyze the popularity rank of products and services, the configuration of users who have purchased predetermined products and services, and use this as marketing information.

  In the above embodiment, information such as the type and number of the credit card, the address and name of the owner of the credit card is registered in the charging proxy 11 from the terminal device 1-i via the telephone line (or the Internet 3). It is only transmitted first and is not transmitted in the subsequent purchase stage of the actual goods or services. Therefore, there is less possibility that such information is leaked to another person and abused.

  Further, since the charging proxy 11 grasps the credit status of the cards of a plurality of credit card companies, the information provider 4-j does not need to make a contract individually with the credit card companies, and the system becomes simple. Companies and individuals with relatively small business scales can easily become information providers.

  In the above embodiment, different services are provided to the user according to the validity period of the credit card, among the member information (personal information) of the user. In other words, the user whose expiration date has expired cannot use the online shopping, and only the user who has a valid credit card can receive the online shopping service. I did it. Alternatively, for example, different menu screens may be transferred between the A member and the B member.

  To do this, for example, the process of requesting the transfer of the designated screen of the charging proxy 11 in step S72 of FIG. 9 is performed as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

  That is, in step S161 in FIG. 19, the CPU 21 of the charging proxy 11 acquires the user ID and the password of the WWW browser according to the HTTP authentication function. Then, the process proceeds to step S162, and it is determined whether the user ID and the password acquired in step S161 are registered in the user ID database described with reference to FIG. 7, that is, whether the user is an access member. If it is determined that the accessing user is not an access member, the process advances to step S163 to execute a process of rejecting access.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S162 that the user who has just accessed is an access member, the process advances to step S164 to determine whether the user is an A member or a B member. This determination can also be made from the member type registered in the user ID database.

  If it is determined that the user is an A member, the process proceeds to step S165, and the CPU 21 outputs a designated screen transfer request from the WWW browser to the WWW server as a designated member transfer screen request. On the other hand, if it is determined that the user is a B member, in step S166, a request is made to the WWW server to transfer a designated screen for the B member.

  Other processes are the same as those shown in FIGS. Accordingly, in this case, in step S73, the menu screen transferred from the WWW server to the WWW browser is a menu screen for A member if the accessing user is an A member, and if the accessing user is a B member. For example, a menu screen for the B member is displayed. Thereby, the WWW server can provide different products and services or provide the same products and services at different prices according to the type of the member.

  Alternatively, it is also possible to provide different products and services according to the age, interest, and the like of the user. For example, a user under the age of 20 may be refused to provide an adult movie, and only a user over the age of 20 may be provided with an adult movie.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a network system to which an information processing device according to the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a charging proxy 11 in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a terminal device 1-i in FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an online sign-up process in a charging proxy 11 of FIG. 1. It is a flowchart following FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating basic text-based input in the network system of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a user ID database. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an IP address assignment table. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the embodiment of FIG. It is a flowchart following FIG. It is a flowchart following FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display example in step S71 of FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a display example in step S75 of FIG. 9. 10 is a flowchart showing the details of the selected data transfer process in step S77 in FIG. 9; It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the access determination process from the member in step S78 of FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of step S87 of FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a display example of step S101 in FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another configuration example of a network system to which the information processing device of the present invention is applied. 10 is a flowchart illustrating details of a process in step S72 of FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a conventional network system. It is a figure showing the example of a display of the conventional online shopping. It is a figure showing other examples of a display of conventional online shopping.

Explanation of reference numerals

  1-1 to 1-12 terminal device, 2-1 to 2-3 access provider, 3 Internet, 4-1 to 4-5 information provider, 5 CAFIS, 6-1 to 6-3 computer system, 11, 11- 1 to 11-3 charging proxy, 81 dedicated line

Claims (11)

A storage unit connected to the terminal device via the Internet and storing predetermined information, a communication unit for communicating predetermined data, a control unit for controlling the storage unit and the communication unit, and detecting an access efficiency of a plurality of servers An information processing apparatus comprising at least a detecting unit and a converting unit for converting a domain name into an IP address;
The control means,
When receiving access from the terminal device via the Internet, obtain the domain name specified by the terminal device that has accessed,
The detecting means detects access efficiency of a plurality of servers corresponding to the domain name,
By the detection, an IP address of a server having an advantageous access efficiency is specified,
An information processing apparatus, wherein a domain name designated by the terminal device is converted into an IP address of a server having an advantageous access efficiency. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the server is a billing server. A storage unit connected to the terminal device via the Internet and storing predetermined information, a communication unit for communicating predetermined data, a control unit for controlling the storage unit and the communication unit, and detecting an access efficiency of a plurality of servers An information processing apparatus comprising at least a detection unit and a conversion unit for converting a domain name into an IP address;
The control means,
Unique information that can be changed via the Internet assigned to the terminal device is stored in the storage unit in advance,
Upon receiving access via the Internet, the communication means causes the unique information assigned to the accessed device to be obtained from the device accessed via the Internet,
Determined whether the unique information acquired by the communication means matches the unique information stored in advance in the storage means,
When it is determined that the unique information matches the unique information stored in advance, a domain name specified by the terminal device that has accessed the content is acquired,
The detecting means detects access efficiency of a plurality of servers associated with the domain name,
By the detection, an IP address of a server having an advantageous access efficiency is specified,
An information processing apparatus, wherein a domain name designated by the terminal device is converted into an IP address of a server having an advantageous access efficiency. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein the server is a billing server. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the unique information that can be changed via the Internet is an IP address. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the unique information that can be changed via the Internet is a user ID corresponding to an IP address. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the user ID corresponding to the IP address is member information corresponding to the user ID. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the member information corresponding to the user ID includes at least one of a credit card type, a credit card number, and a credit card validity period. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the member information corresponding to the user ID includes at least one of a name, an address, and a telephone number. In a terminal device that accesses a server via the Internet,
Means for transmitting the specified domain name to the information processing device;
Means for receiving, from the IP address of a plurality of servers associated with the domain name, the result of conversion to the IP address of one server,
Means for accessing the server using the received IP address. The terminal device according to claim 10, wherein the server is a billing server.

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