JP3299610B2 - Electronic publishing system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic publishing system using an information recording medium, an information supply device, and an information reproduction device. In particular, the present invention relates to an electronic publishing system that supplies general information such as newspapers and magazines to users.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various kinds of specialized information are stored in cassette tapes,
There are vending machines that sell in a state of being recorded on an information recording medium such as a floppy disk, an optical disk, or an IC card.

For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 4-182894, a vending machine is provided with an information recording medium insertion port and a delivery port, an information selection key, and a fee insertion port, and the information recording medium is inserted into the vending machine insertion port. When inserting, charging, and specifying information with the information selection key, the information recording medium is exchanged for an information recording medium containing the specified information, or
There has been proposed a system characterized in that the information is rewritten with designated information and sent out from an outlet.

[0004]

However, in the prior art, for example, in the case of supplying electronic publications of a plurality of publishers, a plurality of types of information are combined to provide one.
In a method of exchanging information recording media using a ROM when recording on an information recording medium and supplying the information to a user, an information recording medium that must be prepared when there are many combinations of information Types increase.

[0005] On the other hand, in the method of rewriting an information recording medium using a RAM, when the total amount of information is increased by writing a plurality of types of information, it is very difficult for the information recording medium to come out of a vending machine. It takes time. There was a problem.

It is an object of the present invention to supply a plurality of types of combined information on one information recording medium and to supply the information instantly to a user.

Further, in order to make the use convenient, information is supplied in combination with another device such as an automatic ticket gate system at a station, the use of information is prevented when the user has left the information unread, and the use is prevented. To prevent accidental loss of information,
It is an object of the present invention to obtain information from a user using an information recording medium, to prevent the information recording medium from being stained or damaged when exchanging the information recording medium, and to identify the user.

[0008]

For a plurality of pieces of information, a system using an information recording medium, an information supply device, and an information reproduction device prepares an information recording medium on which a plurality of pieces of information are recorded in advance, and A flag section is provided in the medium, a flag setting means having an attribute of prohibiting reading is provided in the information supply apparatus, and a flag discriminating means is provided in the information reproducing apparatus.

In the case of an automatic ticket gate system at a station, a ticket information recording section is provided on an information recording medium, and a ticket information processing means is provided in an information supply device.

For the unread information, a recording means is provided in the information reproducing apparatus.

In order to prevent erroneous loss of information, an erasure prohibition identifier is provided on the information recording medium, and erasure prohibition determining means is provided in the information supply device.

In order to obtain information from a user, a recording section for user writing is provided on the information recording medium, an information collecting means is provided in the information supply apparatus, and an information input means is provided in the information reproducing apparatus.

In order to prevent the information recording medium from becoming dirty or scratched,
A case for protecting the information recording medium is provided, and the case is provided with user identification means.

[0014]

In the case of a plurality of pieces of information, an information recording medium in which a plurality of pieces of information are recorded in advance is created in the information supply device, and the flag setting means sets the flag portion of the information recording medium to a state where all information cannot be read. The user inserts the information recording medium containing the old information into the information supply device,
When some information is selected, setting of the flag portion of the information recording medium in the flag setting means is set such that only the one selected by the user is readable and transmitted, and when the transmitted information recording medium is inserted into the information reproducing apparatus, The flag discriminating means of the information reproducing device discriminates the flag portion of the information recording medium,
Only the readable information is reproduced.

In an automatic ticket gate system at a station, publishing information and ticket information are recorded on one information recording medium, and when the ticket information is processed by the ticket information processing means when passing through an automatic ticket gate. Publication information is updated at the same time.

In the unread information, when the information recording medium is ejected from the information reproducing apparatus, the information is written into the recording means of the information reproducing apparatus, or the information indicating that there is unread information in the flag section of the information recording medium. And return the corresponding fee to the user.

In order to prevent erroneous loss of information, when the information recording medium is inserted into the information supply device, the information supply device checks the erasure prohibition identifier of the information recording medium with the erasure prohibition discriminating means. When in the state, the information recording medium is returned to the user as it is.

In order to obtain information from the user, the information written by the user in the recording section for user writing of the information recording medium by the information input means of the information reproducing apparatus is absorbed by the information collecting means of the information supply apparatus. I do.

In order to prevent the information recording medium from being stained or damaged,
The information recording medium is used in a protective case, and the information supply device exchanges only the information recording medium inside the case and does not exchange the case. Since the case is not replaced, a user identification unit is provided in the case, and the information supply device determines the user.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic publishing system as one embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes an information recording medium using a flash memory; 101, an information supply device;
Is an information reproducing device, 103 is an insertion unit for inserting an information recording medium into the information supply device 101, 104 is a sending unit for sending the information recording medium from the information supply device 101, and 105 is a device for moving the information recording medium within the information supply device 101. An information rewriting device for rewriting information on an information recording medium; 107, information rewriting data for rewriting information on an information recording medium; and 108, a computerized publication such as a newspaper or magazine. Information recording medium storage means for storing a set of information recording media on which information is recorded; 109, a flag conversion means for changing a flag for permitting a user to read information; Temporary storage means for storing.

The information recording medium 100 records information such as characters, graphics, and voice.

In the information supply device 101, the information recording medium 1
Replace 00.

In the information reproducing apparatus 102, the information recording medium 1
The information such as characters, graphics, and sound recorded in 00 is reproduced.

The information recording medium inserted by the user from the insertion means 103 is carried to the temporary storage means 110 by the information recording medium moving means 105 and temporarily stored therein, and is temporarily stored by the information recording medium moving means 110.
And is rewritten to new information by the information rewriting data 107.

The information recording medium rewritten with the new information is carried by the information recording medium moving means 105 to the information recording medium storage means 108 and stored.

On the other hand, when sending the information recording medium, the information recording medium on which the new information is recorded is transferred from the information recording medium storage means 108 to the flag conversion means 109 by the information recording medium moving means 105. As described below, read permission processing is performed, the information is transferred to the sending means 104 by the information recording medium moving means 105, and the sending means 1
04 and arrives at the user's hand.

The information recording medium 100 and the information reproducing apparatus 1
02 is separate, but the information recording medium 100 may be incorporated in the information reproducing apparatus 102 and used.

In this case, the information reproducing apparatus 102 in which the information recording medium 100 is incorporated is taken into the information supply apparatus 101 and exchanged with the information reproducing apparatus 102 in which new information is written in advance.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of an internal data configuration of the information recording medium 100.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 200 denotes an information reproduction designation flag which cannot be rewritten by the user, 201 denotes an information supply designation flag which can be rewritten by the user, 202
Is a data area of information A which is the first information, and 203 is a data area of information B which is the second information.

A large amount of information is recorded on another information recording medium 100 in the information supply device 101 in advance. Here, it is assumed that information A and information B are recorded on the information recording medium.

A user inserts the information recording medium 100 into the information supply device 101 and presses a button on the information supply device 101 to select information. Here, it is assumed that the user has selected the information A.

Then, the information supply device 101 moves the new information recording medium 100 from the information recording medium storage means 108 to the flag conversion means 109, and
In the information reproduction designation flag 200, the bit for the information A is set to 1, and the information recording medium 100 is transmitted from the transmission means 104.

The information reproducing apparatus 102 can reproduce only the information A whose bit is 1 in the information reproducing designation flag 200.

The information can be selected by the information reproducing apparatus 102.

When the user specifies necessary information with the information reproducing apparatus 102, the bit corresponding to the information specified by the information supply specification flag 201 of the information recording medium 100 becomes 1.

In the information supply apparatus 101, the information supply designation flag 201 of the information recording medium 100 inserted by the user is transmitted to the information reproduction designation flag 200 of the new information recording medium 100 by the flag converting means 109, and the information is supplied to the user. A new information recording medium 100 is supplied.

The information supply designation flag 201 may be made non-rewritable and used exclusively for specific information.

As described above, the information recording medium 100
By recording a plurality of pieces of information in advance and supplying only necessary information to the user by removing the protection, it is not necessary to generate many types of information recording media, and the information can be quickly supplied to the user. .

FIG. 3 shows an application of the electronic publishing system.
This is an example of an automatic ticket gate system at a station.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 300 denotes the information recording medium 10.
This is a ticket information processing means for processing the ticket information of No. 0.

Although not shown, ticket information is further recorded on the information recording medium 100, and the information supply device 101 is further provided with a ticket information processing means 300.

The information recording medium inserted by the user from the insertion means 103 is carried to the ticket information processing means 300 by the information recording medium moving means 105, and the boarding section, date of issue, It reads out the ticket information such as the waypoints and fares, and reads the ticket information processing means 30.
Stored as 0.

Then, the information recording medium 100 is transported to the temporary storage means 110 by the information recording medium moving means 105.

[0047] At the same time, the recorded information recording medium 100 the new information moved to ticket information processing means 300, records the ticket information to the information recording medium 100, performs flag processing flag converting means 10 9 It is sent from the sending means 104.

Meanwhile, the temporary storage means the information recording medium 100 accumulated to 110, the information recording medium moving means 1 05 sent to the information rewriting device 106 is rewritten to new information by the information rewriting data 107.

The information recording medium 100 rewritten with new information is stored in the information recording medium storage means 108.

In the above, an example in which the present invention is incorporated in an automatic ticket gate system of a station has been described, but it may be introduced in another card system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a questionnaire function of the electronic publishing system.

The questionnaire information is recorded on the information recording medium 100, and the user is answered by the information reproducing apparatus 102. The response result is recorded on the information recording medium 100,
When the information supply device 101 collects the information recording medium 100, the responses to the questionnaire are read and counted.

When a prize is to be given, the registered contents of the user are also recorded together with the answer to the questionnaire.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing that the information left unread is stored in the information reproducing apparatus.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 500 denotes the information reproducing apparatus 10.
2 is a recording means built in.

In the information on the information recording medium 100, a flag is provided for determining whether each information has been read or not read. Immediately before the information recording medium 100 is unplugged from the information reproducing apparatus 102, the information that has not been read is , To the recording means 500 provided in the information reproducing apparatus 102.

The information to be transferred may be individually specified by the user.

The recording means 50 does not need to read the unread information.
It can be transferred to 0.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how the information supply device handles the information left unread.

As shown in FIG. 6, the information supply device 101 may detect that the information purchased by the user has not been read, and return the fee.

An example of erasure prohibition will also be described.

Although not shown, an erasure prohibition identifier is provided on the information recording medium 100.

To determine the erasure prohibition identifier, an erasure prohibition detecting device (not shown) is provided in the information supply device 101.

When the information recording medium 100 is inserted into the information supply device 101 from the insertion slot 104, the information recording medium 10
0 is determined by the erasure prohibition detecting device, and if the erasure prohibition state is set, the information supply device 101
Is notified to the user that the erasure is prohibited, and the information recording medium 100 is ejected as it is. Or, it does not accept insertion.

Incidentally, a physical means such as a notch or an electric means such as a flag may be used for the erasure prohibition identifier.

FIG. 7 is a diagram in which the information recording medium 100 is provided with a case.

In FIG. 7, reference numeral 700 denotes an information recording medium 1.
00, a bar code 701 for identifying the user.

Case 7 to which information recording medium 100 can be attached and detached
00, the contents of the case 700, that is, only the information recording medium 100, is replaced by the information supply device 101. This can prevent the information recording medium from being stained, scratched, and the like.

Further, by providing the bar code 701 for identifying the user in the case 700, the case 700 is not replaced even when the information recording medium 100 is replaced, so that the user identifier does not need to be rewritten.

Although the means for identifying the user has been described as a barcode, other physical or electrical means such as a magnetic tape may be used.

Although the insertion means 103 and the sending means 104 are described separately from each other, the insertion means 103 and the sending means 104
May be together.

Although the information recording medium 100 has been described as using a flash memory, the SRA
An M card, a magneto-optical disk, or the like may be used. In the information supply apparatus 101, the information recording medium 100 is exchanged. However, the information on the information recording medium 100 may be rewritten. However, by using a flash memory as the information recording medium 100, the information recording medium 100 can be made inexpensive and have a high reading speed.

Further, the type of the information recording medium 100 may be determined by the information supply device 101, and the rewriting process and the exchange process may be selected. The method of determining the information recording medium 100 is as follows.
Any method such as a bar code, a magnetic coil in a card, physical and electric may be used.

[0074]

According to the present invention, a plurality of information is recorded in advance on an information recording medium, and only the necessary information is unprotected and supplied by the user. Can be quickly supplied to the people.

By combining the automatic ticket gate and the electronic publishing system, the user can obtain information only by passing the ticket through the automatic ticket gate, which is very convenient.

By storing the unread information in the information reproducing apparatus, the next information can be obtained without discarding the information on the information recording medium. Alternatively, the information supply device returns the fee for the unread information, so that the user can easily pull out a large amount of information from the information supply device.

By providing the information recording medium with the erasure prohibition identifying means, it is possible to prevent erroneous loss of information.

By providing a questionnaire function in the electronic publishing system, an information supplier can obtain user information.

By using the information recording medium in a detachable case, the information recording medium is protected from dirt and scratches. Further, by providing the user identifier in the case,
Even if the information recording medium is replaced, the case is not replaced, so that the user identifier does not need to be rewritten.

By using a flash memory as the information recording medium, the information recording medium can be made inexpensive and have a high reading speed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic publishing system as one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of an internal data configuration of the information recording medium 100.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example in which the electronic publishing system is applied to an automatic ticket gate system at a station as an application.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a questionnaire function of the electronic publishing system.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing that information left unread is stored in an information reproducing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing how the information supply device handles information left unread.

FIG. 7 is an external view in which a case is provided on an information recording medium.

[Description of Signs] 100: Information recording medium using flash memory 101: Information supply device 102: Information reproduction device 103: Insertion device 104: Transmission device 105: Information recording medium moving device 106: Information rewriting Apparatus, 107: Information rewriting data, 108: Information recording medium storage means, 109: Flag conversion means, 110: Temporary storage means, 200: Information reproduction designation flag which cannot be rewritten by the user, 201: Rewriting by the user Possible information supply designation flag, 202: data area of information A, 203: data area of information B, 300: ticket information processing means, 500: recording means, 700: case, 701: user identification means.

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroshi Shimizu 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside Hitachi, Ltd.Video Media Research Laboratories (72) Inventor Takashi Nakasugi 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, Japan Inside Hitachi Media Research Laboratory (72) Inventor Tamotsu Ito 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Hitachi Media Media Research Laboratory (56) References JP-A-4-182894 (JP, A) Hei 3-210697 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G07F 17/00

Claims (11)

(57) [Claims] An information supply device (101) and an information recording medium (100)
And an electronic publishing system comprising an information reproducing apparatus (102), wherein a plurality of first information
(202, 203), and for each information of the first information, a read prohibition attribute (2
00), when the information recording medium is supplied to the user, the second information indicating the type of the first information selected by the user in advance among the plurality of information is recorded, and the second information An electronic publishing system characterized in that the read prohibition attribute is released only for the first information designated by the user indicated in (1). 2. An electronic publishing system comprising an information supply device, an information recording medium, and an information reproducing device, wherein second information indicating a type of first information selected in advance by a user is recorded on the information recording medium. An electronic publishing system, wherein the information supply device supplies only the first information selected by a user in advance to the information recording medium according to the second information. 3. The electronic publishing system according to claim 1, wherein said information supply device includes a ticket information processing means.
(300) is provided, and the ticket information is added to the information recording medium.
Process to replace the information recording medium with the ticket information.
An electronic publishing system characterized by inheriting information . 4. The electronic publishing system according to claim 1, wherein the information recording medium has a flag indicating whether or not information recorded in the information recording medium has been read, Reading the flag by unread information detecting means, and transferring information not reproduced in the information recording medium to the recording means (500) in the information reproducing apparatus according to the content of the flag. Publishing system. 5. The electronic publishing system according to claim 4, wherein the information reproducing apparatus deletes information that has not been reproduced by the information reproducing apparatus before performing the process of taking out the information recording medium from the information reproducing apparatus. As unread information, a message for allowing the user to determine whether or not to write the flag as unread on the information recording medium is displayed, the user's determination is input by the input means, and the determination is written. An electronic publishing system characterized by writing the flag to an information recording medium when an instruction is issued. 6. An electronic publishing system according to claim 1, wherein said information recording medium is provided with erasure prohibition setting means for erasing all information recorded thereon, and said information reproducing apparatus or information supply apparatus is provided with: When erasing,
The electronic publishing system according to claim 1, wherein the information of the erasure prohibition setting means is confirmed, and if the erasure is prohibited, the erasure / writing is not performed on the information recording medium. 7. The electronic publishing system according to claim 1, wherein the information reproducing apparatus includes a first information selected by the user in advance as information to be added to the information recording medium.
An electronic publishing system, wherein the information supply device rewrites second information indicating a type of information and additionally writes the first information on an information recording medium according to the second information. 8. The electronic publishing system according to claim 1, wherein said information recording medium is detachable.
0), a user identifier (701) is provided in the case,
The user of the information recording medium by inserting each of the case to the information supply device, within the information supply apparatus reads the user identifier, performs identification of the user, the exchange of only the information recording medium Electronic publishing system featuring. 9. The electronic publishing system according to claim 8 , wherein said information supply device is provided with a ticket information processing means,
The ticket information is added to the information recording medium, and the ticket information is added.
An electronic publishing system , wherein information processing means processes the ticket information and inherits the ticket information when exchanging the information recording medium. 10. The electronic publishing system according to claim 1, wherein the information recording medium has a flag indicating whether information recorded in the information recording medium has been read, and the information supply medium has An electronic publishing system having a function of returning a price corresponding to unread information to a user according to the flag. 11. The electronic publishing system according to claim 1, wherein the information recording medium has questionnaire information, and the information reproducing apparatus displays a question to the user according to the questionnaire information, and Electronic publishing characterized by inputting a user's answer, recording the input information on an information recording medium as questionnaire result information, and an information supply medium having a questionnaire totalizing function of reading and totaling the questionnaire result information. system.