JPH09114783A - Device and method for processing information - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide changeful information services to a user. SOLUTION: In a system in which a terminal equipment is connected to a server through an internet, when access is performed from the terminal equipment to the server, whether or not the server is an access member is judged in a step S162 and the access is rejected in the step S163 when he is not the access member. In the case that he is the access member, in the step S164, whether or not he is an A member or a B member is judged. When it is judged that he is the A member or the B member, the transfer of a specified screen for the A member or for the B member is requested to the server in the step S165 or S166. The server transfers the specified screen (menu screen) for the A member to the A member and transfer the specified screen (menu) for the B member to the B member corresponding to it.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, and more particularly to controlling information provided from a server connected to the Internet to a terminal device in accordance with personal information of a user. The present invention relates to a processing device and method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 20 shows a configuration example of a network system in a conventional information processing apparatus. Subscribers (users) have terminal devices 1-1 to 1-12, and predetermined access providers (AP) 2-1 to 2 respectively.
-3, it is connected to the internet 3. Information providers (information providers: IP) 4-1 to 4-3 are also connected to the Internet 3. In Internet 3, Transm
ision Control Protocol / I
Computers can communicate with each other in accordance with a protocol defined by the Internet Protocol (TCP / IP).

On the Internet 3, Wo
An information retrieval system called rld Wide Web (WWW) has been constructed. In this WWW,
Hyper Text Transfer Protc
Data is transferred by a protocol called ol (HTTP), and HTML (HyperText Mark) is used.
By describing the screen in up Language, it is possible to easily search and display information. As the application software (WWW browser) on the terminal device side for this WWW, Netscape
Company (trade name) Netscape Navigator
(Trademark), NCSA's Mosaic (trademark), and Netscape Commerce S as application software (WWW server) on the information provider side.
server ™ is known in each case. Each user can access the WWW server by using this WWW browser and receive information and service provision. Moreover, each information provider can use the WWW server to provide information and services to the WWW browser.

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

As a method of restricting access to information from these servers, an IP address that can be used for each URL in the WWW server can be set, but in the case of an access provider of dial-up connection,
This method cannot be used because IP addresses are dynamically assigned.

As another method, the HTTP authentication function can be used, but in this case, the user needs to input personal information as a member of each service and register it in each server. And even on a WWW server,
It is necessary to operate a database that manages many member information. In addition, the user also has to input the user ID and password for each service each time he / she receives the service, which is difficult to remember, and the input is troublesome.

[0007]

In the conventional network system, as described above, the information that each user can receive from each server is the same for each user, and uniform information and service information can be obtained. There were issues that could only be provided.

Further, in order to restrict access for each user in the information server, it is necessary to register 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 in order to check the credit card credit for billing for shopping etc. Will be a heavy burden on

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

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus comprising: a registration means for registering personal information of a user of a terminal device; a recognition means for recognizing the user; and a request from a user to a server. And a control unit for controlling the personal information of the user registered in the registration unit.

According to a fourth aspect of the information processing method, personal information of the user of the terminal device is registered in advance, and a request from the user to the server is controlled corresponding to the personal information of the registered user. Characterize.

In the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, the registration means registers the personal information of the user of the terminal device, the recognition means recognizes the user, and the control means makes a request from the user to the server. , Corresponding to the personal information of the user registered in the registration means.

In the information processing method according to the fourth aspect, the personal information of the user of the terminal device is registered in advance, and the request from the user to the server is controlled corresponding to the personal information of the registered user.

[0014]

1 shows an example of the configuration of a network system to which an information processing apparatus of the present invention is applied.
The parts corresponding to those in FIG. 20 are designated by the same reference numerals. Also in this system, a plurality of information providers (I
P) (information providers) 4-1 to 4-4 are connected. Each of the terminal devices 1-1 to 1-3 is connected to the 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.

In this embodiment, the charging proxy 11 also functions as an access provider (AP) and also as an information provider. In addition, the charging proxy 11 is C
Through AFIS5, computer systems (approval systems) 6-1 to 6-3 of a plurality of credit card companies
Is connected to Therefore, this charging proxy 11 also
Application software that can be used in a WWW system (for example, Netscape Commer
ce Server).

FIG. 2 shows an example of a concrete structure of the charging proxy 11. The CPU 21 is adapted to execute various kinds of processing in accordance with programs stored in the ROM 22. Further, the RAM 23 is configured to appropriately store programs, data and the like required for the CPU 21 to execute various processes. A hard disk (HD) 25, a magneto-optical disk 26, a communication unit 27, an input unit 28, a display 29, and the like are connected to the interface 24.

The hard disk 25 is adapted to appropriately store data, programs, etc. which 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 communicates with the Internet, a private line, a public telephone line, or the like. The input unit 28 includes a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, and is operated when inputting various commands. The display 29 is a CRT, LCD
It is configured to display predetermined characters, images, and the like.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the internal structure of the terminal device 1-i. This terminal device 1-i has a CPU 41 to a display 49, and a CPU 21 to a display 2
It is basically configured in the same manner as the charging proxy 11 having the number 9. However, the charging proxy 11 has a larger capacity and a higher speed than the terminal device 1-i. Although illustration is omitted, the information provider 4-j is basically configured similarly to the charging proxy 11.

In this embodiment, each user (subscriber) uses a terminal device 1-i to select a predetermined information provider (hereinafter referred to as a server) 4-j.
You can access to, receive goods and services from there, and pay the charges by automatically debiting your credit card or bank account. In this case, the user needs to perform the admission procedure in advance to become a member of the predetermined charging proxy 11. It is possible to complete this procedure by filling out the prescribed items on the prescribed application form and mailing it.
It is also possible to access the charging proxy 11 from each terminal device 1-i via the telephone line or, if necessary, the Internet 3 to perform this enrollment procedure online. 4 and 5 show the online signup process in this case.

First, in step S1, the terminal device 1-i accesses the charging proxy 11 via an ordinary telephone line. At this time, the CPU of the charging proxy 11
In step S2, the 21 reads from the magneto-optical disk 26 an online service name, a greeting, a sentence briefly explaining the outline of this service (electric commerce service), and the terminal 27-i from the communication unit 27.
To be transmitted. These names, greetings, and the like are received by the communication unit 47 of the terminal device 1-i via the telephone line and displayed on the display 49.

Further, the charging proxy 11 makes a step S
In 3), "Individual members cannot accept unless they have a credit card." Or, "If you are under 20 years old, if you are a member of a company organization or a group, we will send you a separate membership application by mail. We are sorry, but please apply by mail. "

In step S4, the user determines whether or not the precautions displayed in step S3 are met, and if so, operates the input section 48 to
Enter that fact. The CPU 41 transmits this input to the communication unit 27 of the charging proxy 11 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 and, for example, "please request the membership application form by telephone or e-mail to the following contact. A message such as "A membership application will be sent." Is transmitted to the communication section 47 of the terminal device 1-i via the communication section 27 and displayed on the display 49 thereof. At this time, the reception time, telephone number, e-mail address, etc. are further transmitted and displayed. According to this message, the user will complete the membership procedure by telephone or e-mail.

Then, in step S6, the line is disconnected and the online enrollment procedure is terminated.

Alternatively, in step S4, 2
If it is determined that the application is from a user under 0 years old, a company organization, an organization, etc., the process proceeds to step S7, and the name, address, zip code, telephone number, etc. are input to the input unit 48 of the terminal device 1-i. When the input is received, the CPU 21 of the charging proxy 11 transmits the reception date and the reception number to the terminal device 1-i, and displays them on the display 49 thereof.

Then, in step S9, the input in step S7 is registered in, for example, the inquiry-only database formed on the magneto-optical disk 26 of the charging proxy 11, and in step S10, the address and name input in step S7 are registered. The application form will be sent to the address. When the user receives this application form by mail, the user fills out the prescribed items and returns it to complete the membership procedure.

In each of the processes shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each user basically inputs data in the procedure shown in FIG.

That is, "Please enter **" is displayed on the display 49 of the terminal device 1-i.
Furthermore, if there is a list or input format,
These are also displayed. The user operates the input unit 48 in response to this display to make a predetermined input. Billing proxy 1
The CPU 21 of No. 1 checks the input contents, and if the contents are incorrect, the CPU 21 makes the input again.

Then, when the correct input is made, the input content is displayed on the display 49, and further a display for confirmation (1: OK 2: NG) is made and the user is made to make an input for this display. . Then, when the input is made, the process moves to the next item.

Returning to FIG. 4, in step S4, 2
If it is determined that the application is not from a user under the age of 0 or from a company organization or a group, the process proceeds to step S11, and online sign-up processing is started. In step S12, the message "Do you want to see the terms?" Is displayed on the display 49 of the terminal device 1-i. When the user inputs to view the terms and conditions, the process proceeds to step S13, and the CPU 21 transmits the terms and conditions to the terminal device 1-i and causes the display 49 to display them.

Next, in step S14, a message "Do you agree with the terms and conditions?" Is displayed on the display 49. When the user inputs that he / she does not agree to the terms and conditions, the process proceeds to step S15, and further, the user is prompted to input whether or not it (not to agree to the terms and conditions) is certain. When the input is not certain, the process returns to step S14, and the message "Do you agree with the terms and conditions?" Is displayed again, but if it is confirmed again that you do not agree with the terms and conditions,
The process proceeds from step S15 to step S16, and a message such as "I'm waiting for your new membership. Thank you." Is displayed, and the process goes to step S6 to disconnect the line and finish the process.

In step S14, when the user inputs that the user agrees to the terms and conditions, the process proceeds to step S17, and the name, its phonetic guide, gender, date of birth, occupation, current address (prefecture), current address (address below prefecture) ), The phonetic code, postal code, telephone number, type of telephone (public line or ISDN), fax number, communication environment used, etc.

Next, in step S18, the user is prompted to enter the presence / absence of an emergency contact, and if there is an emergency contact, the process proceeds to step S19 to further enter the name and telephone number of the emergency contact. When this input is performed, or when it is input that the emergency contact does not exist in step S18, the process proceeds to the user ID input routine process of FIG.

In the user ID input routine, first, in step S31, the desired user I
Enter D. When this input is performed, the CPU 21 of the charging proxy 11 proceeds to step S32, and the member master (user I) formed on the magneto-optical disk 26 is processed.
D database) to search whether or not the user ID just entered is already used by another member. Furthermore, in step S33, the temporary member master (member master from the application for membership until the completion of the membership examination) formed on the magneto-optical disk 26 is also accessed, and the user I just entered.
Search whether D is already registered in the temporary member master.

In step S34, step S3
It is determined whether or not the user ID input in 1 is the same as the user ID already registered in the member master or the temporary member master. If it is determined that the user ID is duplicated, the process returns to step S31, and a new user is added. Prompt for user ID.

When 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 the password. In step S36, the password is entered again. 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, and the message "The password is incorrect" is displayed on the terminal device 1-i.
Displayed on the display 49, the process returns to step S35, and the password is input again.

If it is determined in step S37 that the two passwords input in step S35 and step S36 match, the process proceeds to step S39.
Display the "Password Confirm OK" message.

Next, in step S40, the charging proxy 11 causes the terminal device 1-i to display the usage price list of the A member and the B member. For example, an A member is charged a predetermined basic fee every month, but the purchase unit price of each product or service is lower than that of the B member. On the other hand, if the user becomes a B member, the basic charge is not charged, but when purchasing individual products or services, the unit price is higher than the unit price 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 which of A member and B member he / she wants to be. 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 approved when purchasing the product, service, or the like.

Further proceeding to step S43, the CPU 21 of the charging proxy 11 displays, for example, a magazine advertisement, a magazine article, an introduction as a list display for giving a message of "Why did you know this service?" , WW
Display items such as W, over-the-counter campaign, and others. The user will select one of the items and respond.

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

After the processing of step S45, or when it is input in step S44 that the member does not have an enrollment registration code, the process proceeds to step S46, and the message "5 items of current interest ( Please write each message (up to 10 characters). " Step S
Proceeding to 47, the user inputs hobbies such as golf, music, and movie viewing here, if necessary.

When the input is made as described above, in step S48, for example, "Thank you for the enrollment procedure. * The result of the enrollment examination will be mailed to you within a day. If you have any questions, please contact us. If you have any questions, please contact the following contact. "Is displayed on the terminal device 1-i, and the telephone number, e-mail address, etc. are displayed. Then, in step S49, line disconnection processing is performed, and in step S50, the items input by the above processing are registered in the temporary member master formed on the magneto-optical disk 26.

When the admission is approved as a result of the admission examination, the user is informed by mail and the registration information is transferred from the temporary member master to the member master for storage. In addition, as a result of the membership examination, if the membership cannot be admitted for some reason, the user is notified by mail and the registration in the temporary member master is deleted.

As described above, the user ID database as shown in FIG. 7, for example, is formed in the member master of the magneto-optical disk 26 of the charging proxy 11. This user ID database contains the above-mentioned FIG. 4 and FIG.
The items entered in each step of the
Registered every time. In this user ID database, in addition to the above items, the assignment I assigned to each terminal device is assigned.
The access history of the P address, the server accessed by each terminal device, the accessed file, etc. is also stored.

Here, the assigned IP address means an IP address assigned to each terminal device 1-i. That is, for one information processing device connected to the Internet 3, the Network Information
on Center (NIC) (Jap in Japan
an Network Information Ce
IP (Inter) from Internet (JPNIC)
However, since the charging proxy 11, which also functions as an access provider, allocates it to the terminal device 1-i of the member that it manages, a predetermined number of IP addresses are pre-selected from the NIC, JPNIC, or the like. Be assigned. Since the charging proxy 11 is not always accessed by all the members, the user using the terminal device connected to the access point via the telephone line is required to input the ID and password. It is confirmed whether or not the user of the terminal device is a member, and when it is confirmed that the user is a member, a free IP address at that time is assigned to the terminal device.

Therefore, the CPU 21 of the charging proxy 11
Stores the IP address allocation table at that time in the RAM 23, for example, as shown in FIG. Then, when an access is made from a predetermined terminal device, an unused IP address is searched from this allocation table and is allocated to that terminal device.

Therefore, each terminal device is connected to the Internet 3
To access via dial-up connection,
The IP address will change each time. In this way, the user ID database also stores the assigned IP address assigned to each user as one of the access histories.

The IP address is assigned by ASE
A computer system having a modem supporting the PPT protocol, as represented by the ND ™ system, may be connected to the charging proxy 11 and executed by the charging proxy 11.

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

Next, referring to the flow charts 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 to make a product online. The process for purchasing the will be described. For the sake of convenience, in these drawings, each of the terminal device 1-i (subscriber) (WWW browser), the charging proxy 11 (charger) and the information provider 4-j (online shopping operator) (WWW server) performs. The processes are shown in different columns.

As described above, in this system as well, since the WWW search system is used, each terminal device has a WWW browser (for example, Netscape N
information provider 4-j has a WWW server, and the charging proxy 11 also has a WWW server.
Applications running on WW (eg Nets
It has a Cape Commerce Server).

The terminal device (WWW browser) 1-i first designates the menu screen (home page) of the online shopping company (information provider 4-j) in step S71. In the WWW system, URL (Uniform Resource)
A predetermined screen (file) on the Internet 3 is designated by a kind of address called e Locator). In the URL, the WWW server is usually designated by the domain name. URL
But http: // www. sony. co. jp / s
When it is ononydrive / index / html,
The domain name is www. sony. co. jp.
Since the actual access to the server is performed by the IP address, the DNS (Domain Name) is used as a system for obtaining the IP address from this domain name.
Server), and the WWW browser makes an inquiry there.

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

When this designation is made, the terminal device 1-i outputs a corresponding request to the WWW server.
Actually, the charging proxy 11 set in the terminal device in advance is used.
This request will be forwarded through the billing proxy 11
Is input to When receiving this request, the charging proxy 1
In step S72, according to the HTTP authentication function, the user 1 receives the input of the user ID and the password, determines whether or not the access is made by a pre-registered access member, and if the access member is not a registered access member, makes an access. Reject. This determination can be made by the IP address assigned to the terminal, because the identification is made by the user ID and the password when connecting to the access point. When the access is from the 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, as shown in FIG. 12, shopping and VOD are displayed on the display 49 by the WWW browser.
When the cursor 53 is moved and displayed on, for example, the shopping button 51 while the (Video On Demand) button is displayed, the display 49 is displayed.
This shopping button 5 is displayed on the URL display section 52 of
The URL corresponding to 1 is displayed. Then, the user moves the cursor 53 onto the shopping button 51.
When the mouse is clicked while the
Access to URL displayed on L display section 52 (access to online shopping server)
Is performed.

When the WWW server receives a request to transfer this menu screen (online shopping menu screen), it outputs the data of the corresponding menu screen to the WWW browser in step S73. This data is sent to the charging proxy 11 via the Internet 3.
Is forwarded to When the charging proxy 11 receives the data of the menu screen in step S74,
This is further forwarded to the WWW browser.

As described above, in the WWW system, since the screen is composed of the text format data called HTML, the HT is connected between the WWW browser, the charging proxy 11 and the WWW server.
ML text will be sent and received.

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

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

In step S75, the user determines whether or not there is a desired product for purchase in the state where the product purchase menu screen as shown in FIG. 13 is displayed on the display 49 of the WWW browser. If there is no desired product, for example, the end button in FIG. 13 is clicked with the mouse. This completes the online shopping process.

On the other hand, if it is determined that there is a desired product for purchase on the menu screen, step S7.
Go to step 6, and select the product you want to purchase from the menu screen. That is, in the example of FIG. 13, the product is selected by moving the cursor 53 to a predetermined button among the buttons of the products W to Z and clicking the mouse.

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

In the process of FIG. 14, first, step S12 is performed.
In 1, the CPU 21 acquires the 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 can be known from the IP address assignment table shown in FIG. Next, step S122.
Proceed to step 3, and from the database of user IDs corresponding to the IP address, member information (for example, credit card type,
Number, card validity period). The user ID corresponding to the IP address can also be acquired from the IP address allocation table shown in FIG. And this user I
Member information (card validity period, etc.) corresponding to D is shown in FIG.
Can be acquired from the user ID database shown in.

When obtaining the data of the validity period of the credit card, not only is it obtained from the user ID database, but the CAFIS 5 is accessed as necessary to determine whether or not there is any change. CAFIS 5 is a computer system 6 of the corresponding credit card company.
-1 to 6-3 to obtain data of the current valid period of the card. Then, this is transferred to the charging proxy 11.

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

Next, in step S123, the CPU 2
1 sets a category ID and a password corresponding to the member information acquired in step S122. For example, if it is determined that the card is currently valid from the card validity period acquired in step S122, the category ID
As valid, and as password, ok
Set. When the card has expired, the category ID is set to expired and the password is set to ok.

When the WWW server service is for only a specific member and the member who is currently accessing cannot receive this service, "denied" as the ID and "O" as the password.
K ”is set for each. The URL requested by the WWW browser is the UR of the service registered in advance.
You can know whether it is L or not.

Next, in step S124, the selection data input from the WWW browser is transferred to the WWW server in accordance with HTTP, and the IP address of the charging proxy 11 and the category I set in step S123 are set.
Transfer D and the password 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 accesses it from that data. As a member who performs the online shopping, it is determined whether or not the member is previously registered in the WWW server. The details of this determination are shown in FIG.

In FIG. 15, first, in step S14
1, data from the charging proxy 11, IP address,
Acquire the category ID and password. The billing company makes a contract not only with many users and makes it an online shopping member of himself but also with many online shopping companies (WWW server), and he / she (the charging proxy 11) himself / herself in the WWW server. Become a member of online shopping. The WWW server is
It has the same configuration as the charging proxy 11 (FIG. 2),
The member information is registered in advance in the 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.

When 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 this access is made by a non-member.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S142 that the IP address acquired in step S141 is equal to the IP address of the pre-registered accounting company, the process proceeds to step S144 and step S14.
It is determined whether or not the category ID acquired in 1 is registered as an accessible ID.

When the WWW server makes a contract with the charging proxy 11, when the access is from a user who has a valid card, when the access is from a user whose card is invalid and when the card is valid Decides in advance so as to transmit the expired as the category ID. And
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 when the category ID is determined to be expired, proceeds to step S143. , It is determined that the access is from a non-member.

Returning to FIG. 9, in step S78,
When it is determined that the access is not made by the member, the process proceeds to step S79, the WWW server reads the unavailable screen and transfers it to the charging proxy 11. Billing proxy 1
Upon receiving the transfer of the data of the screen that cannot be used, No. 1 further transfers this to the WWW browser in step S80. In the WWW browser, when the unavailable screen is transferred from the charging proxy 11 in step S81, the purchase of the product by the online shopping is abandoned.

Although the member access is restricted in step S78 of FIG. 9, in step S77, the judgment is made directly based on the member information, and the screen in which the charging proxy 11 cannot use is transferred in step S80. Is also possible. 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 or not the product is in stock. For the purpose of this inventory confirmation process, the WWW server uses the Common Gateway Interface.
Utilizing the mechanism of e (CGI), the inventory management system 12 as an external program is accessed to inquire in real time about the presence or absence of inventory. Then, if it is determined in step S76 that the designated product is out of stock, the process proceeds to step S83, and the screen data indicating that the product is currently out of stock is transferred to the charging proxy 11. The charging proxy 11 is
When the data of the out-of-stock screen is received, it is transferred to the WWW browser in step S80. In step S81, when the WWW browser receives the data of the screen out of stock, the data is displayed and the purchase of the product is abandoned from this display.

On the other hand, in step S82, when it is determined that the product is in stock, the process proceeds to step S84, and the WWW server generates the data of the confirmation screen displaying the product designated as the product to be purchased and the price thereof. Then, this is transferred to the charging proxy 11. It should be noted that this processing can also be executed by an external program by using the CGI as needed. When the billing proxy 11 receives this screen data transfer in step S85, the billing proxy 11 temporarily stores the product and the amount thereof in the hard disk 25, for example. In this way, the screen data for confirmation is
By temporarily storing the data in advance in the charging proxy 11 before actually transferring it to the user, the data can be stored in the terminal device 1.
-After being transferred to i, prevent it from being modified there.

Then, in step S86, the charging proxy 1
1 transfers the confirmation screen data 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, a product W of 1200 yen and a product Y of 3500 yen are ordered, and the total amount is 4
It is displayed that it is 700 yen. In addition, at the lower right of the screen, buttons for displaying YES and NO characters for inputting whether to agree to purchase the product are displayed.

As described above, in the data of the confirmation screen, the total price of the purchased commodities, the detailed price, and the like are described as HTML comments or as display data. Which display format is used is determined in advance between the charging proxy 11 and the WWW server. When describing in HTML, for example, SUM = 4700 UNIT = YENY
ES = “shoppig / ok” NO = “shopp
ing / no ”, such as keywords (SUM, UNI
T) and a value (4700, YEN, etc.). "Shoppig / ok" and "shop
“Ping / no” is the URL of the screen to be displayed next when the confirmation consent is obtained and when it is not obtained.

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

The user proceeds to step S88 in FIG.
Looking at the confirmation screen as shown in 6, it is determined whether or not to agree 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 in which the character NO is displayed in FIG. 16). When this operation is performed, the terminal device 1-i outputs a signal requesting the transfer of the screen (designated screen) of the URL corresponding to the operated button to the WWW server via the charging proxy 11.

In step S90, the charging proxy 11 that has received the request for the designated screen transfer sends the request W
Transfer to WW server. The WWW server makes the step S9.
When the request for transferring the designated screen is received in step 1, the screen for rejecting acceptance is read in response to the request, and the data is transferred to the charging proxy 11. Billing proxy 11
In step S92, when the data of the refusal acceptance screen is supplied, the data is further transferred to the WWW browser. When the WWW browser is supplied with the data of the rejection acceptance screen in step S93, the WWW browser outputs it to the display 49 and displays it. The user can see this display and 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 merchandise, the process proceeds to step S94 to select the consent button (the button in which the character YES in FIG. 16 is displayed). At this time, the WWW browser requests transfer of the screen of the URL corresponding to this consent button selection. When the billing proxy 11 receives a signal requesting the transfer of the designated screen for selecting the consent button from the WWW browser in step S95, it stores the user information such as name, address, and telephone number corresponding to the user ID in the user ID database. Get more. Then, step S9
In step 6, the transfer request signal of the designated screen received from the WWW browser is transferred to the WWW server together with the user information acquired in step S95.

When the WWW server receives a request from the charging proxy 11 to transfer the designated screen by selecting the consent button, it creates a consent acceptance screen in step S97 and transfers it to the charging proxy 11. In addition, the charging proxy 11
The delivery procedure of the product is executed according to the user information transmitted from the.

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

The online shopping business is WWW
The information obtained by the server is used for product delivery, accounting processing, etc., but if these processes are time-consuming, it is possible to have the billing company also create an order slip for you. Is. The order slip can be sent out by mail, e-mail, etc., but by connecting the system of the charging proxy 11 and the system of the online shopping company online, the order slip sending process itself is automated. It is also possible.

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

The charging proxy 11 further executes step S1.
At 00, the data of the consent acceptance screen supplied from the WWW server is transferred to the WWW browser. In step S101, the WWW browser receives the data of this screen and displays it on the display 49. As a result, a consent acceptance screen as shown in FIG. 17, for example, is displayed.
The user can confirm the successful purchase from this display screen.

In the case of HTTP, the request from the WWW browser and the corresponding response from the WWW server are 1
One session is established, and the line is connected and disconnected for each session. Therefore, the charging proxy 11 can monitor the IP address of the user and process requests from a plurality of WWW browsers. If the above process is canceled for some reason, the above step S9 is performed.
It is determined that the selection signal of the consent button in 4 is not input, and the shopping process is ended.

In the above embodiment, step S
In step S76, if the product purchase is selected by the WWW browser, the charging proxy 11 is selected in step S77.
The selected data is transferred from the WWW server to the WWW server, and the WWW server determines whether the access is from a member. If the access is from a non-member, the unavailable screen is displayed from the WWW server to the charging proxy 11 in step S79. Although the transfer is performed, the processing of steps S78 and S79 may be performed by the charging proxy 11.

In step S82, if the inventory check is not automated so as to be performed in real time, the unstocked items are not displayed on the menu screen or the inventory check process is performed later. You can also In this case, if it is determined that the stock is out of stock as a result of checking the stock, the server issues a voucher for canceling the order acceptance to the billing company, and also notifies the user by e-mail, letter, telephone, etc. , Make sure that the purpose of canceling the order is communicated.

Also in the above embodiment, it is possible to encrypt the shopping process and further the registration process of the credit card number and the like.

Further, as a settlement account for settlement of charges,
Besides a credit card, it is also possible to use a bank account or the like.

In the above embodiment, the charging proxy 1
1 is also made to function as an access provider and an information provider. In this case, the charging proxy 11 receives the data supplied from the information providers 4-1 to 4-3 to the terminal devices 1-1 to 1-4. It is also possible to supply a caching function to supply. At this time, the terminal device stores the data supplied in the past in the charging proxy 11. Thus, when a predetermined terminal device is supplied with the same data, the data stored in the billing proxy 11 is transferred instead of actually accessing the corresponding information provider 4-j. It becomes possible to provide information more promptly.

Of course, it is possible that the charging proxy 11 does not have a function as an access provider or an information provider.

Furthermore, the member information database function of the charging proxy 11 may be provided with a dedicated member information server, and the member information server may be charged.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, only one charging proxy 11 is provided for the Internet 3, but as shown in FIG. 18, the charging proxies 11-1 to 11 for the Internet 3 are provided. -3 are connected to each other, and each charging proxy 11-1 to 11-3 is connected to the dedicated line 8
You may make it connect to each other by 1.

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 used is WW
Let the W browser set the domain name of the charging proxy.
Therefore, a DN that converts this domain name into an IP address
In S, the IP address of the charging proxy corresponding to the IP address of the terminal device of the WWW browser is advantageous in access efficiency.
By notifying the WWW browser of the address, it becomes possible to specify the charging proxy with the same domain name. Therefore, it can be virtually viewed as one charging proxy. Further, according to this method, the access from the majority of WWW browsers can be distributed by a plurality of charging proxies.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case of purchasing a predetermined product is taken as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to the case of receiving other services such as receiving pay broadcasting. Is.

It is to be noted that the access history stored in the charging proxy 11 is statistically processed to analyze the popularity ranking of products, services, predetermined products, configurations of users who have purchased services, etc., and use this as marketing information. You can also

In the above embodiment, the information such as credit card type, number, owner's address, name, etc. is registered in the charging proxy 11 when the terminal device 1-i is used.
From the mobile phone via the telephone line (or the Internet 3) first, and not at the subsequent stage of purchasing an actual product or service. Therefore, it is less likely that such information will be leaked to others and misused.

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 individually contract with the credit card companies.
The system becomes simple, and it becomes easy for companies and individuals with a relatively small business scale to become information providers.

In the above embodiments, different services are provided to the user in accordance with the membership information (personal information) of the user, particularly in accordance with the validity period of the credit card. That is, online shopping services can be disabled for users whose validity period has expired, and online shopping services can be provided only to users who have a valid credit card. I did it. Other than this, it is possible to transfer different menu screens for A member and B member, for example.

To do so, 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 of FIG. 19, the CPU 21 of the charging proxy 11 acquires the user ID and password of the WWW browser according to the HTTP authentication function. Then, the process proceeds to step S162, and the user ID and password acquired in step S161 are
It is determined whether or not the user is registered in the user ID database described with reference to FIG. 7, that is, whether or not the user is an access member. If it is determined that the accessing user is not an access member, step S1
In step 63, the process of rejecting access is executed.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S162 that the user who is currently accessing is an access member, the process proceeds to step S164 to determine whether the user is an A member or a B member. This determination can also be made from the membership 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 sets the W
A transfer request for the designated screen from the WW browser is output to the WWW server as a transfer request for the designated screen for the A member. On the other hand, when it is determined that the user is a B member,
In step S166, the WWW server is requested to transfer the designated screen for the B member.

The other processes are the same as those shown in FIGS. 9 to 11. Therefore, in this case, in step S73, the menu screen transferred by the WWW server to the WWW browser becomes the menu screen for the A member if the accessing user is the A member, and the accessing user is the B member. For example, the menu screen will be for B members. As a result, the WWW server can provide different products and services, or even the same products and services at different prices, depending on the type of member.

Alternatively, it is also possible to provide different products and services according to the age of the user, interests and the like. For example, it is possible to refuse the provision of adult movies to users under the age of 20, and to provide adult movies only to users over the age of 20.

[0112]

As described above, according to the information processing apparatus of the first aspect and the information processing method of the fourth aspect, the personal information of the user of the terminal device is registered in advance and the request from the user to the server is made. Since it is controlled according to the registered personal information, it becomes possible to provide various information and services for each user.

Further, since it is not necessary for the server to manage a lot of member information and restrict access, the load on the server system is reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a network system to which an information processing apparatus of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a charging proxy 11 of FIG.

3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a terminal device 1-i of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an online sign-up process in the charging proxy 11 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart following FIG. 4;

6 is a diagram illustrating basic text-based input in the network system of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a user ID database.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an IP address allocation table.

9 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart following on from FIG.

11 is a flowchart following FIG.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a display example in step S71 of FIG.

13 is a diagram showing a display example in step S75 of FIG.

14 is a flowchart showing more details of the selected data transfer process of step S77 of FIG.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing details of member access determination processing in step S78 of FIG.

16 is a diagram showing a display example of step S87 of FIG.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a display example of step S101 of FIG.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing another configuration example of a network system to which the information processing apparatus of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating details of the process in step S72 of FIG.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional network system.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a display example of conventional online shopping.

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing another display example of conventional online shopping.

[Explanation of symbols]

 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 Billing Proxy 81 leased line

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ───

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] February 9, 1996

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Brief description of drawings

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a network system to which an information processing apparatus of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a charging proxy 11 of FIG.

3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a terminal device 1-i of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an online sign-up process in the charging proxy 11 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart following FIG. 4;

6 is a diagram illustrating basic text-based input in the network system of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a user ID database.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an IP address allocation table.

9 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart following on from FIG.

11 is a flowchart following FIG.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a display example in step S71 of FIG.

13 is a diagram showing a display example in step S75 of FIG.

14 is a flowchart showing more details of the selected data transfer process of step S77 of FIG.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing details of member access determination processing in step S78 of FIG.

16 is a diagram showing a display example of step S87 of FIG.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a display example of step S101 of FIG.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing another configuration example of a network system to which the information processing apparatus of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating details of the process in step S72 of FIG.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional network system.

FIG. 21 is a photograph of a halftone image displayed on a display showing a display example of conventional online shopping.

FIG. 22 is a photograph of a halftone image displayed on a display showing another display example of conventional online shopping.

[Description of Reference Signs] 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 Private line

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. Connected to a plurality of terminal devices,
In an information processing device connected to a plurality of servers via a network, a registration unit that registers personal information of a user of the terminal device, a recognition unit that recognizes the user, and a request from the user to the server. An information processing apparatus, comprising: a control unit that controls the personal information of the user registered in the registration unit. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the personal information is an age of the user or a condition when the personal information is registered. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit converts or limits the request. 4. An information processing method in a network in which a plurality of terminal devices and a plurality of servers are connected, wherein personal information of a user of the terminal device is registered in advance, and a request from the user to the server is registered. The information processing method, characterized in that the control is performed in accordance with the personal information of the user.