JP4333099B2 - Content usage fee billing device, content usage fee billing method, content usage fee billing program - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a content usage fee billing apparatus, a content usage fee billing method, and a content usage fee billing program for performing billing processing of a content usage fee.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a content is browsed by connecting a computer to the Internet. The content that can be browsed includes free content that can be browsed for free and paid content that can be browsed by paying a fee. The usage fee for viewing the paid content is paid using a credit card payment paid using a credit card or an account transfer paid by transfer using an account such as a bank.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the content usage fee in the above-described conventional technology is paid using credit card settlement or account transfer, a user who does not have both a credit card and a settlement account can use the content. There was a problem that paid content could not be browsed because the fee could not be paid.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a purpose thereof is a content usage fee billing apparatus, a content usage fee, which can pay a fee for using paid content without having a credit card or a settlement account. The object is to provide a fee billing method and a content usage fee billing program.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a content usage fee billing apparatus connected to a mobile phone settlement apparatus that performs a communication fee settlement process using a mobile phone, and is a target for providing a content distribution service. A member registration unit that issues a user identification number to a user to register as a member, a billing processing unit that charges according to the content used by the user registered as a member, and information charged by the billing processing unit A billing database for storing billing data, and a settlement processing unit for performing processing for having the mobile phone settlement apparatus settle the content usage fee together with the settlement of the communication fee based on the billing data stored in the billing database And whether or not the collection of the content usage fee received by the mobile phone payment apparatus has been completed. And, characterized by having a a collection management unit for registering in the billing database that collection is the collection when completed it was complete.
[0006]
Further, the present invention provides an attribute information input unit for inputting attribute information, which is information for specifying a user who is to provide a content distribution service, and the attribute information input unit in the content usage fee billing fee described above. An attribute information inquiry unit that accesses and inquires about whether or not the user can perform a communication fee settlement process by the mobile phone settlement apparatus based on the input attribute information. The member registration unit registers as a member a user who can process the communication fee by the attribute information inquiry unit.
[0007]
The present invention also relates to a content usage fee billing method using a content usage fee billing apparatus connected to a cellular phone settlement apparatus that performs a settlement process for a communication fee using a cellular phone, and to which a content distribution service is provided. A user identification number is issued to the user to be charged, and charging is performed according to the content used by the user to whom the user identification number is issued, and based on the charged amount, the content usage fee is charged by the mobile phone settlement apparatus The content usage fee is collected from the communication fee including the content usage fee after the communication fee is settled together with the communication fee and the payment of the communication fee is completed by the mobile phone settlement apparatus.
[0008]
The present invention also relates to a content usage fee billing program that uses a content usage fee billing device connected to a mobile phone settlement device that performs settlement processing of a communication fee using a cellular phone, and provides a content distribution service Issuing a user identification number to a user who becomes the user, charging a user according to the content used by the user for whom the user identification number has been issued, and using the mobile phone And causing the computer to execute a step of making a payment with the payment of the communication fee by the payment device.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a content usage fee billing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a content usage fee billing system to which a content usage fee billing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. In this figure, a content usage fee billing apparatus 1 is connected to a mobile phone settlement apparatus 100 that is operated by a net content company that provides paid content and that performs a communication fee settlement process using a mobile phone.
[0010]
The mobile phone settlement apparatus 100 is operated by a mobile phone company and manages the billing of the communication charge of the mobile phone, and at the same time, uses the content usage charge according to the instruction from the content use charge billing apparatus 1 and the mobile phone communication charge. Based on this, a billing amount is calculated, a bill is issued to the user, and whether or not payment based on the bill has been made by the user is managed. The mobile phone number / mail address database 110 stores personal information of a user to whom the mobile phone settlement apparatus 100 provides communication services. This personal information includes the user's name, address, mobile phone number, and e-mail address of the mobile phone in which the mobile phone number is set. The charge database 120 stores information on content usage charges and mobile phone communication charges. The payment management unit 130 manages whether or not the user has paid for the issued bill.
[0011]
The cellular phone 200 can settle a communication fee by the cellular phone settlement apparatus 100 and has a function of transmitting and receiving data including transmission and reception of a call and an e-mail. The PC 300 is connected to the content usage fee billing apparatus 1 via a network such as the Internet, and has a function of browsing content stored in the content distribution server 400. Note that the owners of the PC 300 and the mobile phone 200 are the same user.
[0012]
The content distribution server 400 distributes content in response to a content distribution request. This content includes paid content that can be browsed by paying a fee, and free content that can be browsed free of charge as necessary.
[0013]
Next, the content usage fee billing apparatus 1 will be further described. The attribute information input unit 10 receives attribute information, which is information for specifying a user who is a target for providing a content distribution service, from a user terminal. The attribute information includes the user's name, address, fixed phone number, e-mail address other than the mobile phone (for example, PC 300), the name of the mobile company providing the communication service of the mobile phone 200, the mobile phone 200 The phone number and the e-mail address of the mobile phone 200 are included. The mobile phone 200 included in the attribute information is a mobile phone for which a content usage fee is charged together with a communication fee. Further, the user terminal is either the mobile phone 200 or the PC 300, and the user can register using either the mobile phone 200 or the PC 300.
[0014]
Based on the attribute information input from the attribute information input unit, the attribute information inquiry unit 20 indicates whether or not the user can perform the payment processing of the communication fee of the mobile phone 200 by the mobile phone payment device 100. The mail address database 110 is inquired and inquired. The member registration unit 30 issues a user identification number to the user when the attribute information inquiry unit 20 detects that the communication charge of the mobile phone 200 using the mobile phone payment apparatus 100 can be settled. Register as a member in the member database 40.
[0015]
The member database 40 stores attribute information registered by the member registration unit. The content use management unit 50 performs management for distributing content from the content distribution server 400 to the member's PC registered in the member database 40. This management includes processing for distributing paid content after user authentication and calculating a fee according to the distributed paid content. The content usage management unit 50 issues a usage ID and a usage password set for each user for logging in to the content usage fee billing apparatus 1 when paying content is distributed, and each time the content is used. Issue different billing passwords.
[0016]
The accounting processing unit 60 performs accounting processing for each user based on the content usage fee calculated by the content usage managing unit 50. The content charging database 70 stores the amount charged by the charging processing unit 60 and the user identification number of the user who pays the amount as charging data in association with each other. Also, the content billing database 70 stores the billing data in association with the billed content usage fee billing in association with whether or not the payment has been completed.
[0017]
Based on the charging data stored in the charging database 70, the payment processing unit 80 performs a process for allowing the mobile phone payment apparatus 100 to settle the content usage fee together with the communication fee. The collection management unit 90 detects whether or not the collection (collection) of the content usage fee that has been settled by the mobile phone settlement apparatus 100 is completed, and indicates that the collection is completed when the collection is completed. 70.
[0018]
Next, collection of content usage fees using the content usage fee billing system in the configuration of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Here, a case will be described in which the content usage fee for the paid content used by the PC 300 is paid together with the communication fee of the mobile phone 200.
First, the user uses the PC 300 to access the content distribution home page provided by the content usage fee billing apparatus 1 (step S1) and register for membership (step S2). Here, the attribute information input by the user is transmitted from the PC 300 to the content usage fee billing apparatus 1.
[0019]
The content usage fee billing apparatus 1 receives attribute information transmitted from the PC 300 by the attribute information input unit 10 and accesses the mobile phone number / mail address database 110 by the attribute information inquiry unit 20 based on the received attribute information. Then, an inquiry is made as to whether or not the mobile phone number of the attribute information matches the e-mail address of the mobile phone (step S4). If they do not match, the registration process is not performed.
On the other hand, if the attribute information matches, the content usage fee billing apparatus 1 issues a usage ID and a usage password, which are IDs dedicated to content usage, to the user by the member registration unit 30 to correspond to the attribute information in the member database 40. Then, the contents use management unit 50 transmits the use ID and the use password to the PC 300. Then, the use ID and the use password are received by the PC 300 (step S6).
[0020]
Next, when browsing paid content after membership registration, the user uses the PC 300 to access the homepage of the content usage fee billing apparatus 1 and input a usage ID. The PC 300 transmits the usage ID input by the user to the content usage fee billing apparatus 1 (step S7).
When the content usage management unit 50 of the content usage fee billing apparatus 1 receives the usage ID transmitted from the PC 300, it issues a charging password and obtains the email address of the mobile phone 200 owned by the user of the usage ID from the member database 40. The billing password is transmitted to the e-mail address (step S8), and a message for prompting the PC 300 to input the billing password is transmitted. Furthermore, the content usage management unit 50 temporarily stores the issued charging password and the usage ID in association with each other.
[0021]
After receiving the charging password by the mobile phone 200 (step S9), the user inputs the usage ID, the usage password, and the received charging password to the PC 300 on the login screen. The PC 300 transmits the usage ID, usage password, and billing password to the content usage fee billing apparatus 1 and makes a login request (step S10).
The content use management unit 50 performs authentication using the use ID and the use password transmitted from the PC 300, and compares the charge password stored in association with the use ID with the charge password transmitted from the PC 300. Authenticate. When the authentication is not established, the content use management unit 50 does not permit the login. When the authentication is established, the content use management unit 50 permits the login, and in response to the content transmission request from the PC 300, the content use management unit 50 pays. The content is distributed to the PC 300 (step S11), and the usage fee for the paid content is calculated. When the content usage fee is calculated, the charging processing unit 60 charges and stores the usage ID and the charged amount in the content charging database 70 in association with each other (step S12). Then, billing is performed sequentially according to the distribution of the paid content.
[0022]
The settlement processing unit 80 performs settlement processing at a predetermined timing. That is, the settlement processing unit 80 reads out the billing data that has not been collected from the content billing database 70, aggregates it for each user, and transmits the aggregated billing data for each user to the mobile phone settlement apparatus 100. Then, a request is made for payment processing (step S14).
When receiving the billing data (step S15), the mobile phone settlement apparatus 100 stores the billing data in the fee database 120 in association with the communication fee of the corresponding user, and charges based on the communication fee and the content usage fee. And an invoice is created (step S16). The created invoice is mailed to each user.
[0023]
When the user receives the sent invoice (step S17), the user deposits money (step S18). This payment is made in the same manner as the payment of the mobile phone fee (for example, paying at a convenience store).
After the payment management unit 130 of the mobile phone payment apparatus 100 confirms the payment to the invoice from the user, the mobile phone company pays the amount corresponding to the content usage fee from the mobile phone company to the net content company. Then, the payment management unit 130 notifies that the amount corresponding to the content usage fee has been paid from the mobile phone company to the net content company (step S20).
[0024]
The collection management unit 90 of the content usage fee billing apparatus 1 is notified that the collection of the content usage fee that has been settled by the mobile phone settlement apparatus 100 is completed, and when the completion of the collection is confirmed, the content usage fee Regarding the charging data of the user who has completed the collection, the fact that the collection of the content usage fee has been completed is registered in the charging database 70 (step S21).
[0025]
According to the embodiment described above, a billing password is issued and transmitted to the mobile phone 200 for each login, and the billing password is transmitted from the PC 300. Therefore, the mobile phone company accompanying the change of the phone number of the mobile phone 200 Or a change in the e-mail address of the mobile phone 200 can be prevented. In addition, since the accounting password transmitted to the mobile phone 200 is input from the PC 300, if the user does not have the registered mobile phone 200, the user can log in from the PC 300. Even in the case of falsification, it is possible to prevent false charges and impersonation.
In addition to issuing a charging password for each login, a different charging password may be issued each time paid content is distributed.
[0026]
In the above-described embodiment, when a member is registered in the content usage fee billing apparatus 1, the annual membership fee or registration fee may be collected from the user by using the mobile phone settlement apparatus 1. A content usage fee collection fee may be paid from the content company of the fee billing apparatus 1 to the mobile phone company.
[0027]
Also, a program for realizing the functions of the attribute information input unit 10, attribute information inquiry unit 20, member registration unit 30, content usage management unit 50, billing processing unit 60, settlement processing unit 80, and collection processing unit 90 in FIG. 1. May be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium may be read into a computer system and executed to execute content usage fee billing management. Here, the “computer system” includes an OS and hardware such as peripheral devices.
[0028]
Further, the “computer system” includes a homepage providing environment (or display environment) if a WWW system is used.
The “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, and a CD-ROM, and a storage device such as a hard disk built in the computer system. Furthermore, the “computer-readable recording medium” dynamically holds a program for a short time like a communication line when transmitting a program via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. In this case, a volatile memory in a computer system serving as a server or a client in that case, and a program that holds a program for a certain period of time are also included. The program may be a program for realizing a part of the functions described above, and may be a program capable of realizing the functions described above in combination with a program already recorded in a computer system.
[0029]
The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes design and the like within a scope not departing from the gist of the present invention.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, charging is performed according to the content used by the user, and based on the charged amount, the content usage fee is settled together with the settlement of the communication fee by the mobile phone settlement apparatus. Since the content usage fee is collected from the communication fee including the content usage fee after the payment of the communication fee is completed by the mobile phone payment device, the user can use the content without using credit card payment or account transfer. Since you can pay for billing, even if you do not have a credit card payment or payment account, you can receive paid content distribution services, and you can set up a new credit card payment and payment account. Easily provide paid content delivery services in a short amount of time You can kick it.
Also, for paid content distributors, paid content distribution services can be provided to users who do not have a credit card payment or payment account, so it is easier to pay content compared to registration for credit card payment and payment accounts. Distribution service can be provided, and the effect of increasing the number of users to whom the paid content distribution service is provided can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a content usage fee billing system to which a content usage fee billing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining collection of a content usage fee using the content usage fee billing system in the configuration of FIG. 1;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Content usage fee billing device 10 Attribute information input unit 20 Attribute information inquiry unit 30 Member registration unit 40 Member database 50 Content usage management unit 60 Charging processing unit 70 Content charging database 80 Payment processing unit 90 Collection processing unit 100 Mobile phone payment device 200 Mobile phone 300 PC 400 Content distribution server

Claims (4)

A content usage fee billing device connected to a mobile phone payment device that performs payment processing for a communication fee using a mobile phone and a terminal device to which content is distributed with the mobile phone,
A member registration unit that issues a use ID to a user who is to provide a content distribution service and performs membership registration;
A member database that stores a use ID issued by the member registration unit and a mail address of a mobile phone held by a target user who issued the use ID;
When the usage ID is received from the terminal device, a billing password is issued, the mobile phone email address corresponding to the issued usage ID is read from the member database, and the billing password is transmitted to the read email address. At the same time, the issued charging password is stored in association with the issued usage ID, and when the usage ID and the charging password are received from the terminal device, the usage ID and the charging password transmitted from the terminal device are stored in itself. A content usage management unit that compares the stored usage ID with the billing password and performs authentication, and when the authentication is established, calculates a usage fee according to the content distributed in response to the request from the terminal device;
A billing processing unit that performs billing according to the usage fee calculated by the content use managing unit;
A charging database for storing charging data which is information charged by the charging processing unit;
A settlement processing unit that performs processing for having the content usage fee settled together with the settlement of the communication fee by the mobile phone settlement device based on the billing data stored in the billing database;
A collection management unit that detects whether or not the collection of the content usage fee that has been settled by the mobile phone settlement apparatus is completed, and registers that the collection is completed in the accounting database when the collection is completed;
A content usage fee billing apparatus characterized by comprising: An attribute information input unit for inputting attribute information which is information for specifying a user who is a target for providing a content distribution service;
Based on attribute information input from the attribute information input unit, the user accesses the mobile phone payment apparatus to inquire whether the user can perform communication fee payment processing by the mobile phone payment apparatus. An inquiry department,
The content usage fee billing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the member registration unit registers as a member a user who can perform a communication fee settlement process by the attribute information inquiry unit. This is a content usage fee billing method using a mobile phone payment device that performs payment processing of a communication fee using a mobile phone and a content usage fee billing device connected to the mobile phone and a terminal device to which content is distributed. And
Issuing a usage ID to users who will be providing content distribution services,
Storing the issued usage ID and the email address of the mobile phone held by the target user who issued the usage ID in association with the member database;
When the usage ID is received from the terminal device, a billing password is issued, the mobile phone email address corresponding to the issued usage ID is read from the member database, and the billing password is transmitted to the read email address. At the same time, the issued charging password is stored in association with the issued usage ID, and when the usage ID and the charging password are received from the terminal device, the usage ID and the charging password transmitted from the terminal device are stored in itself. Authentication is performed by comparing the stored usage ID with the billing password, and when the authentication is established, a usage fee corresponding to the content distributed in response to a request from the terminal device is calculated,
Charge according to the calculated usage fee,
Based on the charged amount, the content usage fee is settled together with the communication fee by the mobile phone settlement device,
A content usage fee billing method comprising collecting a content usage fee from a communication fee including the content usage fee after payment of the communication fee is completed by the mobile phone payment apparatus. This is a content usage fee billing program that uses a mobile phone payment device that performs payment processing for a communication fee using a mobile phone and a content usage fee billing device that is connected to the mobile phone and a terminal device to which content is distributed. And
Issuing a usage ID to a user who is to provide a content distribution service;
Storing the issued usage ID and the email address of the mobile phone held by the target user who issued the usage ID in association with the member database;
When the usage ID is received from the terminal device, a billing password is issued, the mobile phone email address corresponding to the issued usage ID is read from the member database, and the billing password is transmitted to the read email address. At the same time, the issued charging password is stored in association with the issued usage ID, and when the usage ID and the charging password are received from the terminal device, the usage ID and the charging password transmitted from the terminal device are stored in itself. Authentication is performed by comparing the stored usage ID with the billing password, and when the authentication is established, a usage fee corresponding to the content distributed in response to a request from the terminal device is calculated,
Charging according to the content used by the user to whom the usage ID is issued;
Having the content usage fee settled together with the communication fee settlement by the mobile phone settlement device based on the charged amount;
Content usage fee billing program for causing a computer to execute.

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