JPH06178017A - Charging method for video distribution - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a charging system for video distribution which has high flexibility to change the charge by the value of information to be distributed and to select the information before the charging is started in an air to ground multi-spot simultaneous broadcast system. CONSTITUTION:A charging method includes a means with which a distribution exchange node 12 included in a network 13 connects together the terminals 14 and 15 and distributes the video information sent from an image distribution center 11 and a means which collects the charging information on each terminal. Then the center 11 occasionally informs the node 12 of the charge together with the charging start/end chances of charging of the images to be distributed. Meanwhile the node 12 calculates the charging based on the charge and the charging start/end chances.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video distribution charging method in multi-point simultaneous broadcast communication in which the same video is simultaneously distributed to a plurality of terminals via a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the conventional video distribution billing method, billing calculation is performed with the connection to a terminal as a trigger for billing and the disconnection as a trigger for finishing billing. The billing target was either the caller or the callee, which was selected when the call was connected. Usually, the caller is charged, but the caller can be charged by using the toll-free 0120, for example. Further, in any case, the charge target is not changed in the middle of the process. In addition, the charge is the connection distance, the amount of information,
Calculations are based on connection time.

The conventional billing calculation has, for example, a billing table for each terminal in a distribution switching node in the network, and when a terminal is connected, the billing table of the terminal is started to increment. The timing of the increment may be a certain fixed time period or a certain information amount. For example, a telephone network or a circuit switching network is charged by time, and a packet switching network or an ATM (Asynchronous T
In the ransfer mode network, the amount of information is charged. The increment value is a constant value that is predetermined depending on the connection distance.

[0004]

Therefore, in the conventional video distribution billing method, when the user tries to bill the user, the billing starts when the terminal is connected. However, there is a problem in that, in addition to being charged, it is also charged for selecting necessary information. There is also a problem that even if the value of information has a different value depending on the content, it is charged uniformly. The object of the present invention is made in view of such circumstances, and the object thereof is to make it possible to change the charge depending on the value of the information to be distributed, and to have a high flexibility to select information before the start of charging. It is to provide a charging method for video distribution.

[0005]

According to a video distribution charging method of the present invention, a distribution exchange node in a network connects a plurality of terminals to distribute video information from a video distribution center, and a method for distributing the terminals. The video distribution center notifies the distribution switching node of the start timing and the termination timing of the charging of the video to be distributed to the distribution switching node at any time, and the distribution switching node has the start timing and the termination timing. It is characterized in that the charge calculation is performed based on the charge.

[0006]

According to the present invention, the charging start timing, the end timing,
By notifying the distribution / exchange node for each video information to which the charge is distributed, it is possible to perform the charging commensurate with the value of the video information. After the start of distribution of video information, the start timing of billing is not notified for a certain period of time, the terminal is allowed to watch the video information for a certain period of time, if necessary, the information is continuously received, and if not necessary It becomes possible to select information.
Of course, the predetermined fixed time can be changed by the video information. In addition, before the target video information is distributed, the notice (preview) is distributed, the notice is not charged, and the target video information is also charged, so that the image can be selected. Further, it is possible to charge the information provider without charging the terminal when distributing the commercial information and the like.

As described above, the charging start timing, the termination timing, and the charge can be changed depending on the contents of the video information, so that it is possible to provide a charging method with extremely high flexibility.
Further, in combination with the conventional charging method, the charging calculation can be performed in consideration of the connection distance, the amount of information, the connection time and the like.

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

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the structure of the present invention. Reference numeral 11 is a video distribution center, 12 is a distribution switching node, 13 is a network, and 14 and 15 are terminals. First, it is assumed that the terminals 14 and 15 are connected to the video distribution center 11 via the distribution exchange node 12 and the network 13.

FIG. 2 shows a communication sequence chart of the present invention. Immediately before starting the distribution of video information, the video distribution center 11 makes a charging start request 16 to the distribution exchange node 12. The charge start request 16 includes a charge as a parameter. In the present case, the video information 17 is assumed to be a preview (for example, a movie trailer) for selecting the video information 20 and is free. Therefore, the charge, which is a parameter of the charging start request 16, is 0 yen.

The terminal 14 selects to continuously watch the video information 20 from the video information 17, and the terminal 15 stops watching and tries to disconnect the call 18. As soon as the distribution of the video information 17 is completed, the video distribution center 11 makes a billing change request 19 to the distribution exchange node 12. According to the charge that is the parameter of the charge change request 19,
The distribution exchange node 12 starts charging for the connected terminal 14. When the video distribution center 11 finishes transmitting the video information 20, it makes a billing end request 21 to the distribution exchange node 12. The distribution exchange node 12, when receiving the charging end request 21, ends the charging. It should be noted that as a trigger for termination of billing, even when the above-mentioned other terminal is disconnected, the billing for that terminal is of course terminated. Therefore, in the above, the terminal
There is no charge for 15, and video information can be sorted out before the start of charge.

In the above description, the trigger for charging is transmitted at the break of the video information. However, it is possible to make non-charging for a certain period by making a charging change request during the distribution of the video information. is there. In addition, in combination with the conventional charging method, the charging calculation can be performed in consideration of the connection distance, the amount of information, the connection time and the like.

If the terminal is not charged, the video distribution center 11 can be charged. Also,
The charge to the video distribution center 11 can be made uniform or can be made separately from the charge at the terminal side depending on the connection time, the amount of information and the like.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, the video distribution center notifies the distribution start node, the distribution start node, and the charge of the charge start timing, the end timing, and the charge, so that the charge corresponding to the value of the information is charged. This makes it possible to realize an extremely flexible charging method.

Further, after the start of distribution of video realization, the start timing of charging is not notified for a fixed time, the terminal is made to watch the video information for a fixed time, the information is continuously received if necessary, and disconnected if unnecessary. Or, by distributing the notice (preview) before distributing the video information, not charging the notice, and charging the target video information, it is possible to select information before the charging starts. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a communication sequence chart of the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Video distribution center 12 Distribution switching node 13 Network 14 Terminal 15 Terminal 16 Request to start charging 17 Video information 18 Call disconnection 19 Request to change charging 20 Video information 21 Request to end charging

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In multi-point simultaneous broadcast communication for simultaneously distributing the same video to a plurality of terminals via a network, a distribution switching node in the network connects a plurality of terminals and video information from a video distribution center. Means for distributing
A means for collecting charging information for each terminal, and the video distribution center notifies the distribution switching node at any time of the start timing and the termination timing of the charging of the video to be distributed, together with the charge, and the distribution switching node starts the processing. A billing method for video distribution, characterized by performing billing calculation based on a trigger, a termination trigger, and a fee.