U.S. patent application number 09/944610 was filed with the patent office on 2002-03-21 for book data service system with data delivery by broadcasting.
Invention is credited to Asano, Yoko, Hanabe, Kenichi, Kato, Syuichi, Kurihara, Sadami, Minei, Masayoshi, Ogawa, Katsuhiko, Ueno, Kaori, Yoshimune, Toshiya.
Application Number | 20020034296 09/944610 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27528353 |
Filed Date | 2002-03-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020034296 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yoshimune, Toshiya ; et
al. |
March 21, 2002 |
Book data service system with data delivery by broadcasting
Abstract
A book data service system in which the book data can be
delivered by the broadcasting such that the book data can be
delivered to any user located at any place promptly and
economically, without causing the waste of the resources. A book
data service system if formed by at least one data center
including: a data center computer for storing and managing book
data; and a broadcasting facility for broadcasting the book data
stored and managed by the data center computer according to a
prescribed communication protocol using a synchronization control
and an error correction scheme suitable for data delivery by
broadcasting without confirmation from a receiving side; and a
plurality of user terminals, each user terminal including: a
receiver for receiving the book data broadcasted from the
broadcasting facility of the data center; a user terminal computer
for storing and managing the book data received by the receiver;
and a display for displaying the book data stored and managed by
the user terminal computer.
Inventors: |
Yoshimune, Toshiya;
(Kanagawaken, JP) ; Asano, Yoko; (Kanagawaken,
JP) ; Ueno, Kaori; (Kanagawaken, JP) ; Minei,
Masayoshi; (Kanagawaken, JP) ; Kato, Syuichi;
(Tokyo, JP) ; Kurihara, Sadami; (Kanagawaken,
JP) ; Ogawa, Katsuhiko; (Kanagawaken, JP) ;
Hanabe, Kenichi; (Kanagawaken, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BANNER & WITCOFF, LTD.
TEN SOUTH WACKER DRIVE
SUITE 3000
CHICAGO
IL
60606
US
|
Family ID: |
27528353 |
Appl. No.: |
09/944610 |
Filed: |
August 31, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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|
09944610 |
Aug 31, 2001 |
|
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|
08905655 |
Aug 4, 1997 |
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08905655 |
Aug 4, 1997 |
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08270030 |
Jul 1, 1994 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
380/239 ;
380/277; 705/51 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 21/10 20130101;
G06F 2221/2135 20130101; G06Q 10/10 20130101; G06F 12/1408
20130101; G06Q 30/0241 20130101; G06F 2211/007 20130101; H04N
21/8126 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
380/239 ; 705/51;
380/277 |
International
Class: |
H04L 009/00; H04N
007/167 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 2, 1993 |
JP |
P5-164804 |
Jul 21, 1993 |
JP |
P5-179578 |
Jul 21, 1993 |
JP |
P5-179580 |
Jul 21, 1993 |
JP |
P5-180438 |
Aug 25, 1993 |
JP |
P5-210720 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A book data service system, comprising: at least one data center
including: data center computer for storing and managing book data;
and broadcasting means for broadcasting the book data stored and
managed by the data center computer according to a prescribed
communication protocol using a synchronization control and an error
correction scheme suitable for data delivery by broadcasting
without confirmation from a receiving side; and a plurality of user
terminals, each user terminal including: receiver means for
receiving the book data broadcasted from the broadcasting means of
the data center; user terminal computer for storing and managing
the book data received by the receiver means; and display means for
displaying the book data stored and managed by the user terminal
computer.
2. The book data service system of claim 1, wherein the display
means displays the book data in an image of a book.
3. The book data service system of claim 1, wherein the user
terminal computer manages the book data to enable retrieval and
selection of the book data according to management information
provided in the book data.
4. The book data service system of claim 1, wherein the data center
provides re-broadcasting of the book data, and the user terminal
computer stores each book data which is incompletely received by
the receiver means, and supplements said each book data by the book
data re-broadcasted by the data center.
5. The book data service system of claim 1, wherein the data center
further includes data center side communication means for enabling
one-to-one communication with each user terminal through a
communication network, key returning means for returning a key for
deciphering enciphered book data broadcasted by the broadcasting
means through the data center side communication means to the user
terminal which requested the key, and charging means for charging
the user terminal which requested the key.
6. The book data service system of claim 5, wherein each user
terminal further includes user terminal side communication means
for enabling one-to-one communication with the data center through
a communication network, inspection means for inspecting whether
the book data received by the receiver means is enciphered, key
acquiring means for requesting the key to the data center through
the user terminal side communication means when the inspection
means finds the enciphered book data and obtaining the key returned
from the key returning means through the user terminal side
communication means, and means for deciphering the enciphered book
data by using the key received by the key acquiring means.
7. The book data service system of claim 5, wherein the enciphered
book data is divided into a plurality of items, and the key for
deciphering the enciphered book data is different for different
item of the enciphered book data.
8. The book data service system of claim 5, wherein the charging
means charges a user using the user terminal every time the user
terminal requests the key.
9. The book data service system of claim 8, wherein the charging
means charges a user using the user terminal in response to a
request for the key from the user terminal after the enciphered
book data is broadcasted by the broadcasting means and the key
returning means returns the key to the user terminal after the user
terminal is charged by the charging means.
10. The book data service system of claim 8, wherein the charging
means charges a user using the user terminal in response to a
request for the key from the user terminal before the enciphered
book data is broadcasted by the broadcasting means, and the key
returning means returns the key to the user terminal after the user
terminal is charged by the charging means and before the enciphered
book data is broadcasted by the broadcasting means.
11. The book data service system of claim 1, wherein the data
center further includes data center side communication means for
enabling one-to-one communication with each user terminal through a
communication network, remote record inspection means for
inspecting book data service utilization record at each user
terminal through the data center side communication means, and
charging means for charging said each user terminal according to
the book data service utilization record inspected by the remote
record inspection means.
12. The book data service system of claim 11, wherein: each user
terminal further includes user terminal side communication means
for enabling one-to-one communication with the data center through
a communication network, inspection means for inspecting whether
the book data stored by the user terminal computer and selected by
a user is enciphered, and deciphering request means for requesting
a deciphering of enciphered book data to the user terminal side
communication means when the inspection means finds the enciphered
book data and obtaining deciphered book data from the user terminal
side communication means; and the user terminal side communication
means contains communicating means for making one-to-one
communication with the data center through the communication
network, deciphering means for deciphering the enciphered book data
requested by the deciphering request means and returning the
deciphered book data to the deciphering request means, recording
means for recording the book data service utilization record
whenever the deciphering means deciphers the enciphered book data,
and means for returning the book data service utilization record
recorded by the recording means through the communicating means to
the remote record inspection means.
13. The book data service system of claim 12, wherein the recording
means records the book data service utilization record in terms of
at least one of a time in use of the deciphering means, an amount
of data deciphered by the deciphering means, and a number of cases
deciphered by the deciphering means.
14. The book data service system of claim 12, wherein the recording
means records the book data service utilization record according to
a book code of each book data deciphered by the deciphering means,
so as not to change the book data service utilization record in a
case of re-deciphering of once deciphered book data indicated by
the book code.
15. The book data service system of claim 1, wherein the book data
broadcasted from the data center contains broadcast schedule table,
and each user terminal further includes means for storing the
broadcast schedule table, means for making a storing reservation of
desired book data on the stored broadcast schedule table, means for
inspecting whether the book data received by the receiver means is
the desired book data for which the storing reservation has been
made, where the user terminal computer stores only the desired book
data for which the storing reservation has been made among all the
book data received by the receiver means.
16. The book data service system of claim 1, wherein each book data
broadcasted from the data center contains an advertisement entry
code assigned to an advertisement entry describing a content of
said each book data briefly, and each user terminal further
includes means for selecting the advertisement entry of a desired
book data, means for memorizing the advertisement entry code of the
selected advertisement entry, and means for comparing the
advertisement entry code assigned to each book data received by the
receiver means with the memorized advertisement entry code, where
the user terminal computer stores only the desired book data whose
advertisement entry code coincides with the memorized advertisement
entry code.
17. The book data service system of claim 1, wherein each book data
broadcasted from the data center is assigned with a book code, and
each user terminal further includes means for comparing the book
code of each book data received by the receiver means with the book
code of the book data already stored in the user terminal computer,
where the user terminal computer stores only such a book data whose
book code does not coincide with the book code of the already
stored book data.
18. The book data service system of claim 1, wherein: the book data
broadcasted from the data center contains at least one of user
entry spaces and choice indication columns; the data center further
includes data center side communication means for enabling
one-to-one communication with each user terminal through a
communication network, and means for receiving user input data
transmitted from the user terminal through the data center side
communication means and returning a receipt notice through the data
center side communication means to the user terminal from which the
user input data is received; and each user terminal further
includes user terminal side communication means for enabling
one-to-one communication with the data center through a
communication network, means for editing the user input data from
data entered by a user in said at least one of user entry spaces
and choice indication columns on the book data in response to a
transmission command given by the user, means for transmitting the
user input data to the data center through the user terminal side
communication means and receiving the receipt notice returned from
the data center through the user terminal side communication means,
and means for displaying the receipt notice received from the data
center for a confirmation by the user.
19. The book data service system of claim 18, wherein the book data
broadcasted from the data center contains a communication network
ID and a subscriber ID used by the data center, and the user
terminal side communication means sets up a communication path with
the data center side communication means according to the
communication network ID and the subscriber ID contained in the
book data.
20. A method for providing a book data service, comprising the
steps of: storing and managing book data on a data center side by a
data center computer of a data center; broadcasting the book data
stored and managed by the data center computer according to a
prescribed communication protocol using a synchronization control
and an error correction scheme suitable for data delivery by
broadcasting without confirmation from a receiving side; receiving
the book data broadcasted from the data center at each user
terminal; storing and managing the book data on a user terminal
side by a user terminal computer of the user terminal; and
displaying the book data stored and managed by the user terminal
computer on a display in an image of a book.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a system for presenting
data in an image of a book, and more particularly, to a book data
service system in which the book data can be delivered by the
broadcasting, only the necessary book data can be selectively
stored, the service can be charged according to the accesses to the
book data actually made, and the feedback from the user to a data
center can be supported.
[0003] 2. Description of the Background Art
[0004] In conjunction with the wide spread of the computers,
various schemes for making it easier for a user to utilize the
computer have been developed, including the so called Book-Metaphor
which is an example of a system generally called electronic book in
which the data are presented in an image of a book. The
Book-Metaphor is a scheme for displaying the data on a computer in
an image imitating a visual appearance of a usual book, in which
various operation functions associated with the usual book such as
a jumping from the table of contents to a desired page, turning
pages one by one, etc. are also supported. The software for this
Book-Metaphor comprises book data produced in accordance with the
prescribed format, and a program for the display of the book data
along with the operation functions of a book.
[0005] An exemplary book data display image in the Book-Metaphor is
shown in FIG. 1, which incorporates a number of navigation buttons
for selectively activating the operation functions of a book
supported in the Book-Metaphor arranged below the image of the
book. Here, as summarized in FIG. 2, the navigation buttons include
(a) a button for commanding a display of the front cover, (b) a
button for commanding a display of the back cover, (c) a button for
commanding a display of a next page (one page forward shift), (d) a
button for commanding the display of a previous page (one page
backward shift), (e) a button for commanding a continuously forward
shift, (f) a button for commanding a continuously backward shift,
(g) a button for commanding an attaching/removing of a slip, (h) a
button for commanding a restoring of an original state before the
previous operation (undo), and (i) a button for commanding an end
of the use of the Book-Metaphor. it is noted that the types and
shapes of the navigation buttons are not necessarily limited to
those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and described here, but the buttons
for shifting one page forward and backward are indispensable. In
addition, the Book-Metaphor also incorporates a basic function for
displaying a page having a table of contents on which any desired
chapter or section can be specified, and displaying a page
corresponding to the desired chapter or section specified.
[0006] In the exemplary display shown in FIG. 1, the image of the
book incorporates a number of tags attached on a side edge of the
book, which are shifted when the pages are shifted, and a number of
slips attached on an upper edge of the book which can be attached
or removed by the navigation button (g) mentioned above. When any
of these tags or slips is specified, the page at which the
specified tag or slip is attached is opened immediately.
[0007] Using this Book-Metaphor as described, it becomes possible
for a user to read a series of data quickly in a manner similar to
that of reading a usual book, in addition to the ordinary manners
of utilizing the computer such as the processing of the entered
data, the retrieval of a desired data from the database, etc. In
particular, as the size and weight of the computer are
progressively reduced, it is feasible for this Book-Metaphor to
replace the conventional books in future. In addition, in this
Book-Metaphor, the manner of data access is so intuitive that
practically anyone can understand it immediately, so that it is
particularly suitable for a case requiring a continuous access to a
series of very large data, in contrast to the conventional data
access scheme in which it is necessary to narrow down the range of
data to be displayed minutely by interactive operations, which is
not necessarily intuitive for anyone.
[0008] Conventionally, the available means for entering the book
data in such a Book-Metaphor system included the exchangeable
memory medium such as floppy disks, CD-ROMs, and IC memory cards.
Namely, the data provider must outputs the produced book data to
the exchangeable medium once and then offers the exchangeable
medium to the user, while the user must use the book data by
displaying the stored book data using a book data display program,
either directly from the exchangeable medium or by copying them to
a large capacity file memory.
[0009] In such a conventional scheme using the exchangeable medium
for entering the book data into the system, the medium storing the
book data must be sold just as the books or video tapes are sold
today. However, except for a case of buying the widely distributed
materials such as magazines, the user still have to suffer from the
tedious inconvenience of finding an appropriate bookstore first,
and then finding a desired book in the bookstore. Also, the data
provider may also suffer from the problems of the excessive
returned copies or the shortage of the stock copies unless the
sales of the book is properly judged beforehand. Moreover, as a
physical medium for carrying the data is required for each copy,
there is also a problem concerning the waste of resources.
[0010] As for the management of the electronic books, as the medium
storing the data of the electronic book has conventionally been
sold at the bookstore in a manner similar to the usual book, a
large number of such media must be managed by the user in a manner
similar to the usual books. In addition, even when the user
terminal is equipped with a large capacity files capable of storing
a plurality of electronic books, it has been difficult to manage a
number of independently acquired book data efficiently. Thus, in
the conventional electronic books, only the manner of data access
and display on the computer have been changed, without changing the
manner of providing data and managing data.
[0011] Also, when the book data of the electronic book contain the
questionnaire or the advertisement for the mail-order, the feedback
from the user has been relying on the mail or the telephone just as
in a case of the usual books.
[0012] As such, compared with the conventional book in paper, the
electronic book has advantages related to the possibility of
multi-media expression, the powerful data retrieval operation, and
the data storage requiring less storage area, but it is still
unable to come even close to the conventional book in terms of the
beauty of the visual appearance and the easiness of the visual
comprehension. Consequently, in order to expect the full-scale
spread of the electronic books, it appears necessary to take more
advantages of their electronic nature in the aspects related to the
manners of providing data, managing data, and supporting the user
feedback.
[0013] On the other hand, there has been a system in which the
database can be remotely inspected from a data center
interactively, or a system which broadcasts the mainly text data
repeatedly in short cycles, such that the user at the user terminal
can selectively acquire and display the broadcasted data as if the
user has interactively communicated with the data center. However,
it has been impossible to make accesses to a variety of data freely
in such a conventional system because of the severe conditions
required for the communication cost and the amount of data that can
be delivered within one cycle of the broadcast. In particular, it
has been impossible in such a conventional data access scheme to
make a continuous access to the very lengthy data without minutely
specifying the range of the desired data, as required in dealing
with the contents of the books.
[0014] As for the method of access to the data stored in the
database, the conventionally available methods included a method
using the command or the keyword entered by the user, and a method
for selecting from a menu. However, in the method using the user's
command input, there is a need for the user to remember the special
command, whereas in the method using the user's keyword input,
there is a problem that the user must enter the keyword as
registered in the database itself. On the other hand, in the method
for selecting from a menu, especially when the database is of a
very large scale, the database has a complicated data structure
which requires many hierarchical levels in menu such that the
selection of a desired data becomes difficult especially when the
classification made used in the database differs from the
classification made by the user. Moreover, in this method for
selecting from a menu, the operation of the system is difficult
such that a considerable amount of time is required in acquiring
sufficient system operation skills.
[0015] As a solution for these problems, the aforementioned
Book-Metaphor is also effective, because in the Book-Metaphor, in
addition to the data retrieval based on the index or the list
display, it is also possible to realize the data retrieval by
browsing through the data content of the database in a manner of
turning pages one by one, so that it becomes easier to comprehend
the data structure and the operation method from the viewpoint of
the data retrieval. In other words, it becomes possible to make a
necessary access to the data even without knowing the specific
keyword for each data.
[0016] Now, in conjunction with the development of the
communication technology, the utilization of the database data
through the communication network has become fairly common, and it
is expected that the utilization of the database data is going to
play even more important role in our society in future. As the data
plays increasingly more important role, there arises a problem
concerning the security of the data. Also, there is a need for a
system which provides the data only to the selected users having
specific rights assigned, in which the users making access to the
data must be charged for the use of the database data.
Conventionally, the charging for the utilization of the database
data has been realized by carrying out the charging processing on
the host computer side at a time of transmitting the data content
of the requested data from the database.
[0017] Moreover, as a method for protecting the security of the
data, several digital enciphering methods have been developed, and
a conventional scheme for protecting the security of the data has
been the uniform enciphering of all the data to be transmitted to
the user side according a certain enciphering algorithm. However,
in such a conventional scheme, because no clue for recognizing the
data contents has been provided, in a case of the retrieval and
display of the book data, there arises the problem that the
selection of the necessary data cannot be made. For this reason,
there has been a proposition of a scheme for deciphering only a
part of the data content so as to provide a clue for the retrieval
of the data contents.
[0018] However, when the deciphering of the enciphered data at the
user terminal side is allowed freely, there arises the problem that
the accurate charging processing for the utilization of the data
becomes impossible. Moreover, when the enciphered data are
transmitted for the purpose of the data retrieval, the data content
to be accessed must be enciphered and transmitted once again at the
host computer side after the selection of the desired data was
made, so that the security of the data cannot be maintained and the
amount of communication can also be increased as it is necessary to
transmit the same data content twice.
[0019] Also, in a case of measuring the utilization state of the
data delivered by the broadcasting, the conventionally employed
method has been that in which a recording device given to a
specific data user in advance is connected to a receiver device and
the utilization state of this specific user is recorded. However,
the data user can utilize the broadcasting even when the recording
device is disconnected from the receiver device so that there is a
possibility for the specific data user to disconnect the recording
device, and therefore it has been impossible to make the accurate
measurement of the utilization states of all the data users.
[0020] Also, in a case of utilizing the enciphered data delivered
by the broadcasting, as the data cannot be utilized unless the data
are deciphered, it has been necessary for the data user to connect
a decoder for deciphering the enciphered data to the receiver
device. However, conventionally, the decoder without the
measurement function has been used for this purpose, so that at a
time of charging the fee for utilization of the data to the data
user, a particular data utilization fee independent of the amount
of data utilization has been charged. From a point of view of the
user, this implies that the same fee is charged even when the
amount of data utilization is small so that the user may very well
consider it as unfair, and this has been a reason for may potential
users to refrain from subscribing to the use of the data delivered
by the broadcasting.
[0021] On the other hand, conventionally, there has been a
discussion of a data communication system for carrying out
exchanges of the book data among a plurality of systems connected
through a network, so as to make it possible for a variety of
people to obtain various book data easily. In addition, there has
also been a discussion of a manner of displaying the obtained book
data to be as easily readable as possible.
[0022] However, as a huge number of data become obtainable by such
a data communication system, it rather becomes difficult for each
user to smoothly select and store the data which are actually
required according to each user's need.
[0023] Now, the usual book in paper often contains a questionnaire,
a quiz, or a solicitation for the reader's opinions or impressions,
which requires the feedback from the user, and in such a case, the
feedback from the reader to the publisher is normally made via mail
or facsimile.
[0024] However, in a case of making the feedback to the publisher
via mail or facsimile, the reader is required to carry out a work
of mailing or facsimile transmitting, which has a qualitatively
quite different nature from that of the work of reading, so that it
can interrupt the flow of the reading work. Also, because of the
reluctance to take a trouble of carrying out the work of
qualitatively quite different nature on the user side, the
sufficient amount of feedbacks cannot be collected from the users
in many cases. From the point of view of the publisher, in a case
of computer processing the information obtained from the user
feedback, it requires a considerable time and labor to read the
contents of the mail or facsimile and entering necessary
information into a computer, and it in turn requires a considerable
cost and time for this human labor.
[0025] On the other hand, there is a book in a form of a catalogue
according to which the user can make an order for items or a
reservation for an event. From the point of view of the publisher
of this catalogue, there is a work of receiving the orders from the
readers, and for the automation of such a work, there has been an
order receiving system or a reservation accepting system in which
the order data or the reservation data produced by an order slip
production tool provided on a personal computer can be transmitted
via a personal computer communication network to a center for
receiving orders. Also, in the so called videotex, there is
provided an order entry system in which the order data, reservation
data, or answer data for questionnaire can be entered in a manner
of interactive dialogue with the center.
[0026] FIG. 3A shows an example of an order receiving system using
a personal computer, which comprises a host computer 1 equipped
with a host terminal 2 located at a data center, which is connected
with a user terminal provided by a personal computer 3 through a
communication network 4. Here, the communication network 4 can be a
transparent network such as the telephone network or ISDN, or a
value added network. In a case of the value added network, it can
either be a network in which the end-to-end dialogue is supported
by the protocol conversion that can be carried out in real time at
the network, or a network in which the data transmission and
reception can be executed for the users by the network which has
long time storage function.
[0027] FIG. 3B shows an operation sequence in a case of using
either a transparent network or a value added network supporting
the dialogue type communication. From the point of view of the
dialogue between the terminals, there is no difference among these
networks. In the operation sequence of FIG. 3B, in a case the user
makes an order, the ordering software is activated at the user
terminal personal computer 3, and the order slip is produced by the
dialogue between the user and the personal computer 3. Then, the
communication software is activated from the ordering software, and
the communication path is set up with respect to the host computer
1 through the communication network 4. Here, the host computer 1 is
in a state of waiting for communication all the times, and the
communication path is set up in response to the call from the user
terminal. When the communication path is set up, the order slip
data are transmitted collectively, and the host computer 1 which
receives the order slip data then carries out the admission
processing while returning the admission notice to the user
terminal. When there are other order slip data to be transmitted,
the user terminal repeats the similar operations for the other
order slip data. After the admission notices for all the order slip
data are received, the communication path is leased and the
communication software and the ordering software are
terminated.
[0028] In this operation sequence, the contents of the admission
processing and the admission notice depend on the required
conditions of the system. For instance, it is possible to have a
case of immediately making an inventory check and a notification, a
case of making an inventory check later on and a notification is
made later on by the transmission from the data center side, or a
case in which the notification based on the inventory check is
omitted as the stock is large enough to eliminate any possibility
for the shortage of the stock. In a case of involving the lot
drawing as in a case of the ticket reservation, the winners are
going to be notified afterwards.
[0029] FIG. 4A shows an example of the order entry system in the
videotex, in which the videotex terminal 5 replaces the personal
computer 4 in FIG. 3A as the user terminal. The similar remarks as
mentioned above for the network 4 in FIG. 3A also apply in this
case. In the videotex of FIG. 4A, unlike the order receiving system
of FIG. 3A, all the screen displays at the videotex terminal 5 are
transmitted from the data center in response to the requests made
from the videotex terminal 5. Therefore, the production of the
order slip is also carried out by the dialogue with the data
center.
[0030] FIG. 4B shows an operation sequence in this videotex of FIG.
4A, in which the videotex terminal 5 is activated first, and then
the communication path is set up with respect to the host computer
1. In response, the initial display is transmitted from the host
computer 1, and then using the ordering display transmitted from
the host computer 1 in response to the ordering display retrieval
request, the order data are entered and the accordingly updated
ordering display is transmitted from the host computer 1. Then, the
host computer 1 which receives the order data then carries out the
admission processing while transmitting the admission notice. After
the admission notice is received, the communication path is leased
and the videotex terminal 5 is terminated.
[0031] By comparing these cases of FIG. 3B and FIG. 4B, the
ordering software is required on the user terminal side in a case
of FIG. 3B, but the appropriate ordering software may be different
according to the conditions of the data center side for receiving
the orders, so that the burden on the user can be heavy in a case
of dealing with many order receivers. In addition, there is a need
to modify the software at the user terminal side in a case of
changing the ordering item or the ordering number. In contrast, in
a case of FIG. 4B, the function required on the user terminal side
is a simple screen display alone, so that the number of order
receivers is of no concern as long as a standard protocol is
used.
[0032] However, in this case, the communication path is maintained
even during the production of the order slip, so that when the use
of the communication network 4 costs the communication fee, the fee
can be higher. Moreover, in a case of using the packet
communication network, it can be inconvenient to have such a large
amount of data transmission from the data center.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0033] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a book data service system in which the book data can be
delivered by the broadcasting and managed by a centralized
management, only the necessary book data can be selectively stored
at each user terminal, the service can be charged according to the
accesses to the book data actually made, and the feedback from the
user to a data center can be made by simply entering the feedback
content into the displayed book data.
[0034] More specifically, it is an object of the present invention
to provide a book data service system in which the book data can be
delivered to any user located at any place promptly and
economically, without causing the waste of the resources.
[0035] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
book data service system in which the accurate charging for the use
of the book data can be made without requiring the transmission of
the same data content twice.
[0036] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
book data service system capable of measuring the amount of
utilization of the data delivered by the broadcasting by each
user.
[0037] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
book data service system in which the user is allowed to make a
selection of a desired data efficiently according to the
advertisement for the book data, so as to improve the easiness in
handling of the system using the data delivery by the
broadcasting.
[0038] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
book data service system in which the feedback to the data center
side can be made without interrupting the book data reading
operation of the user, the computer input operation for the
collected feedback content is unnecessary at the data center side,
and the flexible data input from the user terminal to the data
center can be realized by requiring only a low communication cost
to each user.
[0039] According to one aspect of the present invention there is
provided a book data service system, comprising: at least one data
center including: data center computer for storing and managing
book data; and broadcasting means for broadcasting the book data
stored and managed by the data center computer according to a
prescribed communication protocol using a synchronization control
and an error correction scheme suitable for data delivery by
broadcasting without confirmation from a receiving side; and a
plurality of user terminals, each user terminal including: receiver
means for receiving the book data broadcasted from the broadcasting
means of the data center; user terminal computer for storing and
managing the book data received by the receiver means; and display
means for displaying the book data stored and managed by the user
terminal computer.
[0040] According to another aspect of the present invention there
is provided a method for providing a book data service, comprising
the steps of: storing and managing book data on a data center side
by a data center computer of a data center; broadcasting the book
data stored and managed by the data center computer according to a
prescribed communication protocol using a synchronization control
and an error correction scheme suitable for data delivery by
broadcasting without confirmation from a receiving side; receiving
the book data broadcasted from the data center at each user
terminal; storing and managing the book data on a user terminal
side by a user terminal computer of the user terminal; and
displaying the book data stored and managed by the user terminal
computer on a display in an image of a book.
[0041] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0042] FIG. 1 is an illustration of an exemplary display in the
Book-Metaphor system.
[0043] FIG. 2 is a list of navigation buttons provided in the
display of FIG. 1.
[0044] FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams of a system configuration and
an operation sequence in a conventional order receiving system
using a personal computer.
[0045] FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams of a system configuration and
an operation sequence in a conventional order entry system in the
videotex.
[0046] FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a system
configuration for the first embodiment of a book data service
system according to the present invention.
[0047] FIG. 6 is a detailed block diagram of a configuration of the
user terminal in the book data service system of FIG. 5.
[0048] FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a modified system
configuration for the first embodiment of a book data service
system according to the present invention.
[0049] FIG. 8 is a detailed block diagram of an exemplary specific
configuration of the user terminal in the book data service system
of FIG. 5.
[0050] FIG. 9 is a flow chart for the book data reception
processing at the user terminal in the book data service system of
FIG. 5.
[0051] FIG. 10 is an illustration of an exemplary display in at the
user terminal in the book data service system of FIG. 5.
[0052] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram of a system
configuration for the second embodiment of a book data service
system according to the present invention.
[0053] FIG. 12 is a detailed block diagram of a configuration of
the user terminal in the book data service system of FIG. 11.
[0054] FIG. 13 is a detailed block diagram of one specific
configuration for the second embodiment of a book data service
system according to the present invention.
[0055] FIG. 14 is a flow chart for the operation in the specific
configuration of FIG. 13.
[0056] FIG. 15 is an illustration of the data structure of the
database data in the specific configuration of FIG. 13.
[0057] FIG. 16 is an illustration of a correspondence table used in
the key storage unit in the specific configuration of FIG. 13.
[0058] FIG. 17 is an illustration of an exemplary data for the
table of contents used in the specific configuration of FIG.
13.
[0059] FIG. 18 is an illustration of an exemplary enciphered data
for a specific data content used in the specific configuration of
FIG. 13.
[0060] FIG. 19 is an illustration of a common book data used in the
specific configuration of FIG. 13.
[0061] FIG. 20 is an illustration of the composed book data for the
table of contents used in the specific configuration of FIG.
13.
[0062] FIG. 21 is an illustration of an exemplary deciphered data
for a specific data content used in the specific configuration of
FIG. 13.
[0063] FIG. 22 is an illustration of the composed book data for the
specific data content used in the specific configuration of FIG.
13.
[0064] FIG. 23 is a detailed block diagram of a modified
configuration for the second embodiment of a book data service
system according to the present invention.
[0065] FIG. 24 is a flow chart for the operation in the modified
configuration of FIG. 23.
[0066] FIG. 25 is an illustration of a correspondence table used in
the key storage unit in the modified configuration of FIG. 23.
[0067] FIG. 26 is an illustration of a utilization charge table
used in the charging processing unit in the modified configuration
of FIG. 23.
[0068] FIG. 27 is a schematic block diagram of a system
configuration for the third embodiment of a book data service
system according to the present invention.
[0069] FIG. 28 is a detailed block diagram of a configuration of
the user terminal in the book data service system of FIG. 27.
[0070] FIG. 29 is a detailed block diagram of one specific
configuration for the third embodiment of a book data service
system according to the present invention.
[0071] FIG. 30 is a diagram of the utilization level data used in
the specific configuration of FIG. 29.
[0072] FIG. 31 is an illustration of an exemplary display for the
book data selection unit in the specific configuration of FIG.
29.
[0073] FIG. 32 is an illustration of an exemplary display at the
book data display unit in the specific configuration of FIG.
29.
[0074] FIG. 33 is a detailed block diagram of a modified
configuration for the third embodiment of a book data service
system according to the present invention.
[0075] FIG. 34 is a diagram of the utilization level data used in
the modified specific configuration of FIG. 33.
[0076] FIG. 35 is a detailed block diagram of another modified
configuration for the third embodiment of a book data service
system according to the present invention.
[0077] FIG. 36 is a detailed block diagram of still another
modified configuration for the third embodiment of a book data
service system according to the present invention.
[0078] FIG. 37 is a detailed block diagram of a configuration of
the user terminal in a book data service system according to the
fourth embodiment of the present invention.
[0079] FIG. 38 is an illustration of an exemplary broadcast
schedule table used in the user terminal of the book data service
system of FIG. 36.
[0080] FIG. 39 is a flow chart for the storing of the book data at
the user terminal of the book data service of FIG. 37.
[0081] FIG. 40 is a flow chart for the storing of the broadcast
schedule table at the user terminal of the book data service of
FIG. 37.
[0082] FIG. 41 is a detailed block diagram of one specific
configuration of the book data service system according to the
fourth embodiment of the present invention.
[0083] FIG. 42 is an illustration of an exemplary display of the
advertisement entry in the specific configuration of FIG. 41.
[0084] FIG. 43 is a diagrammatic illustration of the advertisement
entry codes stored in the advertisement entry code memory unit in
the specific configuration of FIG. 41.
[0085] FIG. 44 is a diagrammatic illustration of the book data with
the book code which is used in the specific configuration of FIG.
41.
[0086] FIG. 45 is a diagrammatic configuration of the book data
with the advertisement entry code which is used in the specific
configuration of FIG. 41.
[0087] FIG. 46 is an illustration of an exemplary broadcast
schedule table used in the user terminal of the specific
configuration of FIG. 41.
[0088] FIG. 47 is a flow chart for the operation of the
advertisement entry code comparison unit in the specific
configuration of FIG. 41.
[0089] FIG. 48 is a flow chart for the operation of the book code
matching unit in the specific configuration of FIG. 41.
[0090] FIG. 49 is a schematic block diagram of a system
configuration for the fifth embodiment of a book data service
system according to the present invention.
[0091] FIG. 50 is a detailed block diagram of a configuration of
the user terminal in the book data service system of FIG. 49.
[0092] FIG. 51 is a diagram of an operation sequence in the book
data service system of FIG. 49.
[0093] FIG. 52 is a diagrammatic illustration of the book data
format used in the book data service system of FIG. 49.
[0094] FIG. 53 is an illustration of an exemplary display in at the
user terminal in the book data service system of FIG. 49.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0095] First, the main features of the book data service system
according to the present invention will be summarized briefly.
[0096] In the book data service system according to the present
invention, the book data are presented in an image of a book, and
delivered to each user terminal by the broadcasting. Here, the user
terminal is permanently equipped with means for managing the book
data and means for displaying the book data which are common to all
the user terminals, and only the book data produced according to
the prescribed rules are delivered. In this manner, it becomes
possible to reduce the amount of data to be delivered, while the
display mode and the operation scheme are standardized from the
point of view of a user such that the handling of the system
becomes easier for the user.
[0097] Of course, the degrees of freedom for the manner of
expression and the manner of operation depending on the type of the
book should be retained, but the identical display and operations
are to be used for the same purpose. For example, it is normally
preferable to use the expression in an image of a double sided book
as shown in FIG. 1, but the expression in an image of a single
sided book may also be required in a case involving many wide
figures and tables. These different types of expressions are to be
controlled by the same program for the same operations to realize
the functions such as the page turning and the index search.
[0098] Also, all the books including those which utilize only the
basic function of still image display, as well as those which
contains the speeches or dynamic images are handled by the same
program, with the only difference concerning whether or not to
provide call up buttons for the speeches or dynamic images on the
book data display, such that the functions common to various books
such as the page turning and the index search can be realized by
the same operations. In addition, the management data format and
menu configuration for enabling the search and selection of the
book data are set to be uniform.
[0099] The protocol for the book data broadcasting is that which is
capable of automatic pull in at the terminal side and using the
error correction codes, as it is impossible to make a response or a
re-transmission request from the terminal side. Also, in order to
explicitly indicate the start and end of each book data,
identifiers for indicating the top, middle, and bottom of the book
data are provided at prescribed positions among the synchronization
codes. In addition, the book codes or field codes, the book title,
the author name, the publisher name, etc. which are necessary for
the management of the book data are also provided at prescribed
positions in the book data.
[0100] As the goal of the present invention is to make a large
amount of book data freely accessible to the user, the book data
broadcasting from the data center is not repeated in short period
of time, and the re-broadcasting is limited to those which are
absolutely necessary as the measure against the uncorrectable burst
errors, and those of the popular book data after some period of
time since the initial broadcasting, while the terminal is equipped
with a large capacity file memory such that a large number of book
data can be stored and managed. Here, it is preferable to make at
least one re-broadcasting of each book data, but any further
re-broadcasting is to be carried out according to the aerial state
at a time of the broadcasting or a number of requests from the
users.
[0101] In conjunction with the deliver the book data by the
broadcasting, the following two problems arise. One is a problem of
how to charge the user, which is relevant in a case of providing
the book data in exchange to the fee. The other is a problem that
the shortage of the file memory capacity can be caused easily if
all the broadcasted book data are to be stored, as an enormous
amount of book data are to be delivered day and night.
[0102] As a solution to the problem of charging, it is possible to
consider the scheme for charging a uniform fee per month from all
the subscribers regardless of the amount of accesses actually made,
but the charging according to the amount of accesses actually made
is more reasonable for the users as well as more rewarding for the
author. As a scheme for charging an access to the book data
delivered by the broadcasting, there is a scheme in which the book
data are enciphered and a deciphering key request is transmitted
automatically from the terminal to the data center whenever the
user calls up the book data in response to which the deciphering
key is returned while charging the fee, and a scheme in which the
record of the deciphering operations carried out is inspected by
the regular inspection by an inspection worker or the remote
inspection from the data center. Here, in a case of providing means
for communicating feedbacks from the users to the data center as
will be described below, the end-to-end communication through a
public communication network between each terminal and the data
center is necessary, and such communication means can also be
utilized for the supply of the deciphering key or the remote
inspection described above, so that the investment required for the
purpose of the charging can be reduced.
[0103] As the solution to the problem of the book data amount,
there is a scheme for selectively storing only those book data
whose storing has been reserved by the user in accordance with the
broadcast schedule delivered in advance. Here, unlike the
reservation by specifying time as in the conventional VTR recording
reservation, the reservation is to be made by specifying a book
code assigned to each book data such that those book data having
the book codes coinciding with reserved book codes are stored.
[0104] This reservation scheme is adopted because the reservation
by time is less reliable in view of its accuracy as the book data
of a normal size can be broadcasted in a very short period of time
when one TV broadcasting channel is exclusively used for the
transmission of the book data for example, and because the book
code is necessary even when the reservation by time is adopted as
it is necessary to store the book data with some margins before and
after the significant portion and take out the significant portion
from the stored data afterwards.
[0105] In addition, the reservation by the book code has an
advantage in that it is possible to deal with the change of the
broadcasting time due to the aerial state or the convenience of the
data center. It is also useful in preventing the redundant storage
of the already stored book data in a case of the re-broadcasting.
Of course, it is also possible to limit the reception time range
along with the reservation by the book code from a point of view of
saving the power. It is to be noted here that there is no need for
the user to be conscious about the book code itself, and the
reservation by the book code is made automatically as the user
specifies the desired books on the broadcast schedule delivered to
the user.
[0106] Furthermore, the book data service system according to the
present invention also provides means for communicating feedbacks
from the user terminal to the data center. More specifically, the
user entry spaces or the choice indicating columns are provided in
the book data, and the data entered or selected by the user at
these user entry spaces or the choice indicating columns are
automatically edited in the prescribed format and transmitted to
the data center as soon as the data transmission is specified by
the user after the entry or the selection of the data. Here, more
than one data centers may be involved, so that the subscribed
network type or number of the data center to which the feedback is
to be transmitted is registered in the book data by the prescribed
format, and the connection of the data center and the user terminal
is automatically made according to the registered information. In
response to the feedback received, the data center at least returns
the receipt notice immediately, such that the receipt result can be
displayed at the user terminal side. In a case of returning the
result of the processing at the data center, it is returned along
with the receipt notice immediately if possible, or it is returned
separately by the call initiated by the data center as in a case of
the ticket reservation involving the drawing in which it is
impossible to return it immediately.
[0107] Among these features of the book data service system
according to the present invention, the book data delivery using
the broadcasting is a feature common to all the embodiments
described below, while the features concerning the charging, the
storing reservation, and the feedback communication are mutually
compatible with each other, so that it is possible to construct the
system incorporating all of these features simultaneously.
[0108] Now, the first embodiment of the book data service system
according to the present invention will be described in detail.
[0109] In this first embodiment, the book data service system has a
system configuration as shown in FIG. 5, which comprises: a data
center 50 equipped with a computer 51 containing a book data
storage unit 52 for storing the book data and a book data broadcast
management unit 53 for managing the mroadcasting of the book data,
and a broadcasting facility 54 for executing the broadcasting of
the book data; and a plurality of user terminals 55, each
containing a computer 56 for manipulating the book data and a
broadcast recevier 57 for receiving the broadcast from the data
center 50. Here, it is also possible to provide more than one data
centers 50 in which case the broadcast receiver 57 of the user
terminal 55 is required to have a function for selecting the
frequency or other characteristic of the broadcasting radio waves
from each data center 50. Also, the broadcasting is not necessarily
limited to the radio broadcasting, and can be a wire broadcasting
in a manner of the cable TV.
[0110] The user terminal 55 has a detailed configuration as shown
in FIG. 6, where the broadcast receiver 57 includes a channel
selection and demodulation circuit 67 connected with an antenna or
a CATV connector for removing a broadcasting carrier from the
received signals to obtain demodulated signals, a data signal
separation circuit 68 for separating the error correction encoded
data from the demodulated signals, and an error correction circuit
69 for applying an error correction to the error correction encoded
data to obtain the error corrected data representing the received
book data. On the other hand, the computer 56 includes a book data
storage unit 61, a book data management unit 62, and a book data
display unit 63, while the computer 56 is also equipped with
peripheral devices such as a large capacity file memory 64, an
operation input unit 65, and a display unit 66, which are utilized
in storing and displaying the book data.
[0111] Here, the large capacity file memory 64 is usually realized
by a hard disk device, but it can be realized by the other memory
device as long as sufficient memory capacity and memory access
performance can be provided. The operation input unit 65 usually
incorporates a keyboard and a mouse, but it may also incorporate
the other input device such as a pen input device, or a touch panel
display to be provided integrally with the display unit 66. It is
also noted that these peripheral devices can be provided within the
main body of the computer 56 if desired.
[0112] This system shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 operates as follows.
First, the data delivery from the data center 50 is achieved by
supplying the book data stored in the book data storage unit 52 of
the computer 51 to the broadcasting facility 54 in accordance with
the broadcast schedule registered in advance in the book data
broadcast management unit 53, and then sequentially broadcasting
the supplied book data from the broadcasting facility 54. At this
point, the broadcasted signals are those in which the digital data
are divided into appropriate sizes, the error correction codes and
the synchronization codes are added, and then superposed onto the
broadcast carrier, as in a case of the multi-channel character
broadcasting.
[0113] At the user terminal 55, the broadcasted signals are
received by the broadcast receiver 57, and the error corrected data
are supplied to the computer 56 as described above. In the computer
56, the main body of the book data is taken out from the received
data by separating the management data, and stored into the large
capacity file memory 64 by the book data storage unit 61, while at
the same time, the management data such as the book title, author
name, field name, etc. are taken out and and supplied to the book
data management unit 62 along with a file name of the stored book
data, in response to which the book data management unit 62 updates
the book management data. The book management data are also stored
in the large capacity file memory 64.
[0114] The presentation of the stored book data is made in such a
manner that, in response to an access to the book data management
unit 62 made by the user by using the operation input unit 65, the
book data management unit 62 reads out the book management data
from the large capacity file memory 64, and then produces and
displays the book menu on the display unit 66. In this display of
the book menu, the selection of the book data can be made easier by
narrowing the books listed on the menu by specifying the author
name, the field of the book, etc. as the key data. Then, as the
desired book is selected by the user on the book menu, the book
data management unit 62 supplies the file name of the selected book
data to the book data display unit 63, and the book data display
unit 63 reads out the corresponding book data from the large
capacity file memory 64 and displays the front cover of the read
out book data on the display unit 66. Thereafter, the display of
the book data in accordance with the usual operations and display
functions of the Book-Metaphor is going to be carried out.
[0115] Here, the broadcasting facility 54 of the data center 50
broadcasts the book data according to the prescribed communication
protocol suitable for the data delivery by the broadcasting, in
which the synchroinization control and the error correction can be
made without the confirmation signal from the user terminal 55, by
adding the control data and the error correction codes, and
appropriately modulating the book data. In correspondence, the
broadcast receiver 57 of the user terminal 55 receives the
broadcasting signals of the radio broadcasting or the wire
broadcasting, and extracts the data to be supplied to the computer
56 according to the prescribed communication protocol. In a case of
the radio broadcasting, the communication protocol having a
sufficient redundancy level such as that of the multi-channel
character broadcasting as mentioned above.
[0116] It is also to be noted that the book data storage unit 52 of
the computer 51 may not necessarily be provided in the same
building as the broadcasting facility 54, but the book data
broadcast management unit 53 should be provided in a vicinity of
the broadcasting facility 54, and the book data storage unit 52 and
the book data broadcast management unit 53 can be connected either
by the communication line or by transportation of the data storing
medium.
[0117] FIG. 7 shows an alternative system configuration for this
first embodiment, in which the CATV is utilized for the deliver of
the book data. In this case, the data center is equipped with a
CATV broadcasting facility 71 connected with the broadcast receiver
57 of each user terminal 55 through a CATV cable 72. The rest is
similar to the system configuration of FIG. 5. In this case, the
communication protocol of the multi-channel character broadcasting
is also suitable because of the affinity with the CATV broadcasting
mechanism. However, in this case, the reliability of the data
transmission is high because of the wire broadcasting, so that the
more efficient communication protocol with the lower redundancy
level may be used if desired.
[0118] Here, as a communication scheme similar to the wire
broadcasting, the off-talk communication utilizing the subscriber
lines of the telephone or ISDN may also be used, in which case the
book data can be transmitted instead of the usual facsimile data
within the communication protocol of the off-talk facsimile
communication. Also, by using the digital off-talk communication,
it becomes possible to make the data transmission at a higher
speed. It is to be noted however that, by using the telephone
subscriber lines or the digital subscriber lines of 64 kb/s, the
transmission of the book data for one book can take as long as
several minutes to several tens of minutes, so that the use of
these transmission lines may be limited for the special purposes
until the higher speed ISDN becomes widely available.
[0119] The user terminal 55 shown in FIG. 6 can have a more
specific configuration as shown in FIG. 8, in which the radio
antenna or the CATV wire connector is not explicitly shown. In the
broadcast receiver 57, the channel selection and demodulation
circuit 67 selects and demodulates the channel such as that of the
multi-channel character broadcasting for example, and the data
signal separation circuit 68 extracts the significant data. In a
case of the multi-channel character broadcasting, the character
signals can be separated from the signal waveform of the vertical
interval signals. Then, the error correction circuit 69 carries out
the error correction using the error correction codes of the
received data, and the obtained data are supplied to the computer
56.
[0120] The computer 56 comprises a processor (CPU) 81, a ROM 82 and
a RAM 83 for storing programs, etc., a broadcast receiving
interface 84 for receiving received data from the broadcast
receiver 57, a display controller 85 for controlling the display on
the display unit 66, a hard disk (HD) controller 86 for
controlling-data input/output of the hard disk device 64A, a floppy
disk (FD) controller 87 for controlling data input/output of the
floppy disk device 64B, a keyboard interface 88 for controlling
input from the keyboard 65A, and a mouse interface 89 for
controlling input from the mouse 65B.
[0121] When the book data receiving function of the book data
display program for realizing the operation of the book data
display unit 63 of FIG. 6 is active on the computer 56, the book
code of the received data is checked, and the received data are
written into the hard disk device 64A if the received data are new
data, while updating the list of the books accordingly. When the
book data reception becomes abnormal in a middle, the received data
are discarded and the incoming data are ignored until the next new
book data arrive.
[0122] Here, the book with a large data amount has a higher chance
of encountering the radio obstruction in a middle, so that it is
possible to carry out the storing in units of chapters or pages,
such that the normally received chapters or pages can be stored
even after the book data reception is interrupted in a middle as
parts of the incompletely received book, and the missing parts can
be supplemented afterwards by the book data reception of the
re-broadcasting. In this case, it is necessary to define in advance
the data structure in which the storing units such as chapters or
pages can be re-arranged on the memory.
[0123] In this case, the book data reception processing at the
computer 56 including the data supplementing can be carried out
according to the flow chart of FIG. 9 as follows.
[0124] Namely, the book code is received (step S1), and the list of
the already received books is searched through (step S2) to judge
whether the received book data is the newly received book or not
(step S3). In a case of the newly received book, the book data is
received and stored (step S4), while judging if there is any
missing data or not (step S5). If there is no missing data, the
received book data is classified as the completely received book
data (step S6), and the book list is updated to add the entry for
this book data (step S7). If there is some missing data, the
received book data is classified as the incompletely received book
data (step S8), and then the re-broadcasting is awaited as an
opportunity for supplementing the book data.
[0125] When the received book data is not the newly received book,
whether it is the already received book which is classified as the
incompletely received or not is judged (step S9). If it is not the
incompletely received book data, it implies that it is the already
received book, so that the received book data is discarded (step
S10). If it is the incompletely received book data, the book data
is received and stored (step S11), while judging if there is any
missing data or not (step S12). If there is no missing data, the
received book data is classified as the completely received book
data (step S13), and the book list is updated to add the entry for
this book data (step S14).
[0126] If there is some missing data, whether it is possible to
supplement the missing data from the already received data or not
is judged (step S15). If it is possible, the missing data of the
book data is suppledmented by the already received data (step S16),
and the received book data is classified as the completely received
book data (step S17) while the book list is updated to add the
entry for this book data (step S18). If it is not possible, the
missing data of the book data is suppledmented as much as possible
by the already received data (step S19), and the received book data
is classified as the incompletely received book data (step S20),
and then the re-broadcasting is awaited as an opportunity for
supplementing the missing data.
[0127] As a simpler alternative scheme, the book can be formed in
number of volumes, and the storing and discarding of the book data
can be allowed only in units of volumes, so as to eliminate the
intermediate state such as the incompletely received state.
[0128] When the user reads the book, the book data display program
is called up as a front task. In this book data service system, the
library function to manage the books is indispensable as a large
number of books are to be stored. To this end, as shown in FIG. 10,
the book data display can incorporate a library button 100 as one
of the navigation buttons. In the reading operation, when this
library button 100 is specified by the mouse 65B, the list of the
books stored in the file memory such as the hard disk device 64A is
displayed. Then, when one book title on the list is specified by
the mouse 65B, the corresponding book data is read out from the
file memory and displayed, starting from the front cover.
Thereafter, the user can read any desired page of this book by
specifying appropriate one of the navigation buttons, the table of
contents, tags, and labels by the mouse 65B to control the display
appropriately.
[0129] It is more convenient to provide the user terminal of this
book data service system in a portable type, using a portable
computer for the computer 56. In this case, it is naturally
preferable to utilize the compact and easy to operate portable
computer suitable for the purpose of reading the book. Even in a
case of the desk top type user terminal, in a case of the frequency
use, the integral installation of the broadcast receiver 57 or the
simplification of the keyboard or pointing device may be
beneficial.
[0130] As described, according to this first embodiment, the book
data are delivered by the broadcasting, so that the book data can
be obtained by any user located at any place, quickly and cheaply,
and as no memory medium is required for the purpose of selling the
book data, it is advantageous in saving the resources and the
space.
[0131] In this book data service system, the data center possesses
a number of book data produced at the center computer or other
computers, and supplies the book data to the broadcasting facility
sequentially, while the broadcasting facility carries out the
broadcasting similar to the multi-channel character broadcasting
for example, by adding necessary data and modulating the book data
according to the communication protocol suitable for the data
delivery by the broadcasting. In the communication protocol of the
multi-channel character broadcasting, it is assumed that there is
no confirmation signal from the receiver side, and therefore the
sufficient redundancy is provided in the synchronization codes for
determining the position of the significant data and the error
correction codes for making the data error correction, so that it
is suitable for the data delivery by the broadcasting.
[0132] The multi-channel character broadcasting is only an example
of the communication protocols that can be utilized in this book
data service system, and any communication protocol can be utilized
as long as it is capable of making the data transmission at the
sufficient reliability without using the confirmation signal from
the receiver side. However, in a case of using the radio
broadcasting, the reception error due to the bursty radio
obstruction is unavoidable. There are also possibilities for
failing to receive the desired data in a case of forgetting to turn
on the power at the receiver side, or in a case of using the
computer in which the data reception cannot be handled
simultaneously with the other processing such as the book data
display for example. Consequently, in operating the system, it is
necessary to take these possibilities in consideration and provide
the re-broadcasting of the same book data after some time interval
for instance. Here, in the multi-channel character broadcasting,
the data are transmitted by utilizing the vertical retrace interval
in the TV broadcasting signals, so that when the demand for the
broadcasting of the book data increases, the allocation of the
dedicated frequency channel may be considered.
[0133] On the user terminal side, the received book data are
demodulated, and the extraction of the significant data and the
data error correction are made according to the prescribed
communication protocol, and the obtained book data are stored in
the file memory at the computer. Consequently, when the single task
OS is used, the data reception and the other processing cannot be
carried out simultaneously, but when the multi-task OS is used, the
task concerning the data reception in the book data display program
can be set in a running state all the times in the background, such
that the desired book data can be received without a failure. Here,
when a plurality of computers are connected through the LAN, and
one of them is made to be a book data receiving server implementing
the multi-task OS and the book data receiving function, the book
data reception failure can be prevented for the other computers as
the other computers can copy the necessary book data from the book
data receiving server when they are idle. If the problem related to
the performance such as the display speed is ignored, it is also
possible to adopt the scheme in which the access is made to the
file memory of the book data receiving server whenever the need
arises.
[0134] At a time of the data storing, the book data storage unit 61
checks the received data automatically, so as not to store the
already stored book data again in a case of the re-broadcasting.
Also, by using the book data management unit 62 for allowing the
user to make a selection by displaying the list in which the books
stored in the file memory are appropriately classified, and the
book data display unit 63 for realizing the book functions such as
the page turning on the selected book data, the desired book can be
selected and displayed according to the user's input.
[0135] Thus, in this book data service system, any user at any
place can obtain the book data quickly and cheaply, and read the
desired book data whenever the user wishes. Moreover, the file
memory can store a large number of book data, while the unnecessary
book data can be deleted to make room for new book data, so that
the saving of the resource and space can be achieved
effectively.
[0136] Next, the second embodiment of the book data service system
according to the present invention will be described in detail.
[0137] In this second embodiment, the book data service system has
a system configuration as shown in FIG. 11 where, in addition to
the system configuration of FIG. 5 described above, the data center
50A and the user terminal 55A are equipped with communication
devices 112A and 112B, respectively, which are capable of making
one-to-one communication through a communication network 111.
[0138] Moreover, the computer 51A of the data center 50A further
includes a deciphering key returning unit 113 connected with the
communication device 112A which returns the deciphering key
corresponding to the requested book data in response to the
deciphering key request made from the user terminal 55A, and a
charging unit 114 connected with the deciphering key returning unit
113 which calculates the charge for each user.
[0139] The user terminal 55A has a detailed configuration as shown
in FIG. 12 where the configuration of FIG. 6 described above is
modified such that the book data display unit 63A includes the book
data inspection unit 121 for inspecting whether the book data are
enciphered or not, and the computer 56A further including a
deciphering key acquiring unit 122 for acquiring the deciphering
key via the communication device 112B and a deciphering unit 123
for deciphering the enciphered book data, both of which are
connected with the book data display unit 63A. Here, the
deciphering unit 123 may be provided as an external dedicated
decoder if desired.
[0140] This system shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 operates similarly
as in the first embodiment described above as far as the delivery,
reception, and storing of the book data are concerned. However, the
operation at a time of displaying the book data is different as
follows.
[0141] Namely, at a time of the book data display, first, the
desired book is selected at the book data management unit 62 and
notified to the book data display unit 63A, which reads out the
corresponding book data for the selected book from the large
capacity file memory 64. Then, the book data inspection unit 121 of
the book data display unit 63A inspects whether the read out book
data is enciphered or not. If it is not enciphered, the displaying
of the book data on the display unit 66 is straightforwardly
carried out by the book data display unit 63A. On the other hand,
in a case it is enciphered, the user is inquired as to the need for
deciphering this enciphered book data. When the user refuses the
deciphering, the message to ask for the selection of the other
page, chapter, or book is displayed. When the user requests the
deciphering, the deciphering key acquiring unit 122 produces the
deciphering key request and transmits the produced deciphering key
request to the data center 50A via the communication device
112B.
[0142] In response to the deciphering key request received via the
communication device 112A, the deciphering key returning unit 113
of the data center 50A returns the appropriate deciphering key via
the communication unit 112A, and the deciphering key received via
the communication unit 112B is given to the book data display unit
63A through the deciphering key acquiring unit 122. Then, the book
data display unit 63A supplies the acquired deciphering key along
with the book data to be deciphered to the deciphering unit 123,
which deciphers the book data by using the acquired deciphering key
and returns the deciphered book data to the book data display unit
63A. The book data display unit 63A then carried out the display of
the deciphered book data on the display unit 66.
[0143] Here, when the deciphering key is not free and charged, the
fee charged for the deciphering key is also indicated at a time of
inquiring the need for the deciphering. In a case of returning the
charged deciphering key, the charging unit 114 of the data center
50A charges the fee to the user. The book data is usually not
enciphered entirely, and the front cover, the table of contents, or
the introduction section, etc. is usually left unenciphered so as
to be enable the user to comprehend the outline of the book, and
the inquiry of the need for deciphering is not made at a time of
displaying these unenciphered pages, but made only when the display
of the enciphered pages is requested. Once the deciphering key is
acquired, there is no need to re-acquire the deciphering key while
displaying the effective range of the acquired deciphering key, but
it is not necessary for one book to be able to decipher by only one
deciphering key and the different deciphering keys may be required
in units of chapters, for example. In such a case, it is necessary
to request the deciphering key at every new chapter to be
displayed.
[0144] Whether or not to allow the user terminal 55A to store the
acquired deciphering key and the deciphered book data after the
displaying of the deciphered book data depends on the setting of
the fees. In order not to allow the storing of the of the
deciphering key and the deciphered book data, it is necessary to
make the internal design of the user terminal program to be not
publicly disclosed, and to supply the user terminal program from
the book data service provider's side.
[0145] In further detail, according to this second embodiment, the
book data service system has a detailed configuration as shown in
FIG. 13, which realizes the charging processing according to the
database utilization and management scheme according to the present
invention. In this system, there are more than one user terminals
even though only one user terminal is shown in FIG. 13, and each
user terminal is identified by a user registration number.
[0146] The system of FIG. 13 generally comprises a data center side
system 130 and a user terminal side system 140, which are mutually
connected through communication lines 151 and 152.
[0147] The data center side system 130 comprises: a data base data
storage unit 131 for storing database data; a data enciphering unit
132 for, enciphering different items of the database data stored in
the database data storage unit 131 by different keys; a key storage
unit 133 for storing a key for each item of the database data; a
data transmission unit 134 for transmitting the enciphered database
data and key data to the user terminal side system 140; a display
request receiving unit 135 for receiving a data content display
request from the user terminal side system 140; a key retrieval
unit 136 for retrieving the key for an item specified by the data
content display request from the key storage unit 133 and
transmitting it to the data transmission unit 134, while also
generating a processing signal for a charging processing; a
charging processing unit 137 for carrying out the charging
processing in response to the processing signal from the key
retrieval unit 136; and an individual utilization data management
unit 138 for storing charging data for each user.
[0148] Here, the data transmission unit 134 attaches an item number
for each item of the database data at a time of transmitting the
enciphered database data, and at a time of transmitting the key
data obtained from the key retrieval unit 136, it also transmits a
signal indicating that it is the key data along with the key data.
The display request receiving unit 135 transmits the item number
requested to be displayed and the user registration number of the
requesting user to the key retrieval unit 136 when the data content
display request is received through the transmission line 152. The
key retrieval unit 136 reads out the key data corresponding to the
item number requested to be displayed from the key storage unit
133, and transmits the user registration number to the charging
processing unit 137, while transmitting the read out key data to
the data transmission unit 134. The individual utilization data
management unit 138 stores the a number of utilized database items
in correspondence to each user registration number. Then, the
charging processing unit 137 reads out the number of utilized
database items for the requesting user from the individual
utilization data management unit 138 according to the user
registration number received from the key retrieval unit 136, adds
one to the read out number, and stores the new number of utilized
database items into the individual utilization data management unit
138.
[0149] On the other hand, the user terminal side system 140
comprises: a data receiving unit 141 for receiving the database
data and the key data transmitted from the data center side system
130; a data storage unit 142 for storing the received database
data; a data deciphering unit 143 for deciphering the database data
stored in the data storage unit 142 by using the received key data;
a common book data storage unit 144 for storing common book data
indicating data common to all the book data such as the format
data; a book data composition unit 145 for obtaining the book data
by composing the deciphered database data and the common book data;
a book data display unit 146 for displaying the composed book data
on a display; a data operation input unit 147 for entering data
retrieval operation or data content display request operation by
the user; an input control unit 148 for converting the signals
entered at the data operation input unit 147, recognizing the
content of the entered operation, and transmitting the converted
signals to a data control unit 149 or a display request
transmission unit 150 to be described below according to the
recognized content; a data control unit 149 for controlling the
data storage unit 142 according to the entered operation when the
entered operation is the data retrieval operation; and a display
request transmission unit 150 for transmitting the data content
display request to the data center side system 130 when the entered
operation is the data content display request operation.
[0150] Here, the data receiving unit 141 transmits the database
data by attaching the item number to each item to the data storage
unit 142 when the database data is received, or transmits the key
data to the data deciphering unit 143 when the received data
contains the signal indicating that it is the key data. The data
storage unit 142 stores the database data transmitted from the data
center side system 130 with the item number as an index, and
transmits the database data to the data control unit 149 by
restoring the data structure according to the item numbers, while
transmitting the database data corresponding to the item number
specified from the data control unit 149 to the data deciphering
unit 143. Also, the data deciphering unit 143 transmits the
deciphered database data to the book data composition unit 145 by
deciphering the enciphered database data by using the received key
when the key data is supplied from the data receiving unit 141, or
transmits the received database data as it is to the book data
composition unit 145 when no key data is supplied from the data
receiving unit 141. The display request transmission unit 150
memorizes the user registration number, and transmits the received
item number along with the user registration number to the data
center side system 130 when the item number is received from the
input control unit 148.
[0151] Now, the data retrieval operation and the data content
display request operation in this book data service system of FIG.
13 will be described. The data control input unit 147 is equipped
with an input device such as a keyboard containing a cursor key. In
this embodiment, the data to be displayed is the book data, so that
the operation for specifying the display of the next page or the
previous page is carried out as the data retrieval operation. The
operation for specifying the display of the next page or the
previous page can be made by pressing ".fwdarw." key or ".rarw."
key for example. Also, the data content display request operation
is an operation for requesting the display of the data content by
deciphering the data, which can be made by entering the item number
of the item to be deciphered and displayed from the keyboard for
example. Here, at a time of the system activation, the user
registration number is to be entered from the keyboard of the data
operation input unit 147. In this manner, various input operations
are made at the data operation input unit 147, and in response the
input control unit 148 transmits the commands for the next page or
the previous page to the data control unit 149 when the entered
signal is ".fwdarw." or ".rarw.", or transmits the item number to
the data control unit 149 and the display request transmission unit
150 when the entered signal is the item number, or transmits the
user registration number to the display request transmission unit
150 when the entered signal is the user registration number.
[0152] The data control unit 149 memorizes the item number of the
currently displaying book data, and the data structure received
from the data storage unit 142, and updates the memorized item
number to the item number greater by one when the next page command
is received, or to the item number smaller by one when the previous
page command is received, or to the received item number itself
when the item number is received, and transmits the memorized item
number to the data storage unit 142. As an item number for the data
to be initially displayed, the item number of the table of contents
is memorized, and this item number is transmitted from the data
control unit 149 to the data storage unit 142.
[0153] Now, the operation in this embodiment of FIG. 13 is carried
out according to the flow chart of FIG. 14 as follows.
[0154] First, the database data stored within the database data
storage unit 131 of the data center side system 130 is enciphered
by using different keys for different items at the data enciphering
unit 132, and the key for each item is stored in the key storage
unit 133 (step S101). The enciphered database data are then
transmitted from the data transmission unit 134 to the data
receiving unit 141 of the user terminal side system 140 and stored
in the data storage unit 142. (step S102).
[0155] At this point, in a case the data content display request
operation is made at the data operation input unit 147 of the user
terminal side system 140, the data content display request is
transmitted to the data request receiving unit 135 of the data
center side system 130 through the input control unit 148 and the
display request transmission unit 150. As a result, the key
retrieval unit 136 retrieves the key corresponding to the requested
item from the keys stored in the key storage unit 133, and
transmits the processing signal to the charging processing unit
137. The charging processing unit 137 then carries out the charging
processing in response to the processing signal (step S103). Then,
the data on the number of utilized database item is stored in the
individual utilization data management unit 138. After the
transmission of the processing signal, the key retrieval unit 136
transmits the retrieved key to the data transmission unit 134, and
the data transmission unit 134 transmits this key as the key data
to the data receiving unit 141 of the user terminal side system 140
(step S104).
[0156] The data receiving unit 141 which received the key data then
transmits the received key data to the data deciphering unit 143.
On the other hand, the data control unit 149 which received the
data retrieval operation command from the input control unit 148
calculates the item number of the data to be displayed and
transmits it to the data storage unit 142, and then data storage
unit 142 reads out the corresponding database data from the stored
database data and transmits it to the data deciphering unit 143.
Then, the data deciphering unit 143 deciphers the database data
supplied from the data storage unit 142 by using the key data
supplied from the data receiving unit 141 (step S105). Then, the
book data composition unit 145 composes the book data from the
database data deciphered by the data deciphering unit 143 and the
common book data stored in the common book data storage unit 144,
and the obtained book data is displayed at the book data display
unit 146 (step S106).
[0157] Next, the further detailed concrete examples concerning the
embodiment of FIG. 13 will be described.
[0158] The database data storage unit 131 on the data center side
system 130 stores a plurality of database data, and each database
data is going to be transmitted to the data enciphering unit 132 in
the data structure shown in FIG. 15, where each rectangle
represents an item, and each item corresponds to one spread page of
the book data.
[0159] First, the database data in the data structure of FIG. 15 is
transmitted from the database data storage unit 131 to the data
enciphering unit 132. The data enciphering unit 132 then generates
different enciphering keys for different items of the database data
by using the random number, enciphers the data content of each item
except for the item of the table of contents, and transmits the
enciphered data to the data transmission unit 134 by attaching the
item number to each item, while also transmitting a correspondence
table of the enciphering keys used and the item numbers to the key
storage unit 133. An example of the correspondence table stored in
the key storage unit 133 is shown in FIG. 16. Then, the data
transmission unit 134 transmits the enciphered database data to the
data receiving unit 141 of the user terminal side system 140
through the transmission line 151.
[0160] The data receiving unit 141 then receives the enciphered
database data, and transmits it to the data storage unit 142. The
data storage unit 142 stores the database data transmitted from the
data receiving unit 141 with the item number of each item as an
index, and then produces the data structure of the database data
according to the item numbers and transmits it to the data control
unit 149. At this point, the data storage unit 142 also stores the
data representing the table of contents as shown in FIG. 17, as
well as the enciphered data such as that shown in FIG. 18
representing the data content of the item number "2A" for
example.
[0161] The data control unit 149 memorizes the received data
structure and transmits the item of the table of contents to the
data storage unit 142 as the item number of the data to be
initially displayed. Then, the data storage unit 142 reads out the
data content of this item as shown in FIG. 17 and transmits it to
the data deciphering unit 143. At the data deciphering unit 143,
the deciphering is not carried out as there is no key data
received, and the data content as shown in FIG. 17 is transmitted
as it is to the book data composition unit 145. The book data
composition unit 145 then reads out the common book data as shown
in FIG. 19 from the common book data storage unit 144, produces the
book data by allocating the data content of FIG. 17 received from
the data deciphering unit 143 to the data content display portion
of the common book data as shown in FIG. 19, and transmits the
obtained book data to the book data display unit 146. As a result,
the book data display unit 146 displays the book data as shown in
FIG. 20 on its display.
[0162] Next, the user looks at the displayed table of contents, and
decides which item's data content should be displayed. Here, as an
example, a case of displaying the data content of the item number
"2A" will be described. In this case, the user enters the item
number "2A" from the keyboard of the data operation input unit 147
as a request for deciphering and displaying the data content of the
enciphered data. In response, the input signal indicating this item
number "2A" is transmitted to the input control unit 148, and the
input control unit 148 which received the input signal for "2A"
transmits it to the data control unit 149, while also transmitting
it to the display request transmission unit 150 as an item number
to be the deciphered and displayed. The display request
transmission unit 150 which received this item number "2A" then
transmits this item number "2A" along with the user registration
number such as "A1234" memorized in advance to the display request
receiving unit 135 of the data center side system 130.
[0163] The display request receiving unit 135 receives the item
number "2A" and the user registration number "A1234" through the
transmission line 152, and transmits them to the key retrieval unit
136. The key retrieval unit 136 then reads out the key "2"
corresponding to the item number "2A" according to the stored
correspondence table shown in FIG. 16, and transmits the user
registration number "A1234" as the processing signal to the
charging processing unit 137, and then transmits the key "2" to the
data transmission unit 134. The charging processing unit 137 which
received the processing signal indicating the user registration
number "A1234" then reads out the number of utilized database items
for this user registration number "A1234" such as a number "24" for
example from the individual utilization data management unit 138,
adds on to this number "24" to obtain a new number "25", and stores
this new number "25" as the number of utilized database items for
the user registration number "A1234" in the individual utilization
data management unit 138. Then, the data transmission unit 134
transmits the received key "2" along with a signal indicating that
it is the key data to the data receiving unit 141 on the user
terminal side system 140.
[0164] The data receiving unit 141 receives the key data for this
key "2" through the transmission line 151, and transmits it to the
data deciphering unit 143. On the other hand, the data control unit
149 has already received the item number "2A" as the item number to
be deciphered and displayed from the input control unit 148, so
that it rewrites the index of the currently displaying item from
the "table of contents" to "2A", and transmits it to the data
storage unit 142. The data storage unit 142 which received this
index of the item then reads out the enciphered data content of
this item "2A" as shown in FIG. 18 and transmits it to the data
deciphering unit 143. The data deciphering unit 143 deciphers the
enciphered data content of the item number by using the key "2"
transmitted from the data receiving unit 141. The resulting
deciphered data appears as shown in FIG. 21 for example. Then, the
data deciphering unit 143 transmits the deciphered data content as
shown in FIG. 21 to the book data composition unit 145. The book
data composition unit 145 then reads out the common book data as
shown in FIG. 19 from the common book data storage unit 144,
produces the book data by allocating the data content of FIG. 21
received from the data deciphering unit 143 to the data content
display portion of the common book data as shown in FIG. 19, and
transmits the obtained book data to the book data display unit 146.
As a result, the book data display unit 146 displays the book data
as shown in FIG. 22 on its display.
[0165] In the embodiment of FIG. 13 described above, various
modifications are possible as follows.
[0166] For example, it is possible for the database to be
distributed at a plurality of locations and the accesses to the
distributed database can be made through the communication lines.
Also, the content, the format, or the data structure of the
database data are optional.
[0167] The data units by which the enciphering is to be made are
also optional and not necessarily the items as described above,
such as the units of the paragraphs, or any other specific groups.
The enciphering scheme and the enciphering key generation scheme
are also optional, and the enciphering may be controlled to make no
enciphering in units of the data unit or to change the enciphering
schemes in units of the data unit. Also, the key storage unit 133
may store the enciphering scheme instead of the enciphering
key.
[0168] The connection state of the data center side system 130 and
the user terminal side system 140 for the purpose of data
communication is also optional, and can be any type of broadcasting
such as the wire broadcasting, the radio broadcasting, or the
satellite broadcasting. Also, the data transmission unit 134 may
attach any optional signal other than the signal for distinguishing
the database data and the key data.
[0169] The key retrieval unit 136 has been described as reading out
the key data corresponding to the received item number from the key
storage unit 133 and transmitting the key data to the data
transmission unit 134 after the user registration number is
transmitted to the charging processing unit 137, but in general,
the content to be received and transmitted depends on the content
transmitted from the display request receiving unit 135 and the
content stored in the key storage unit 133. Also, instead of
transmitting the key data to the data transmission unit 134, the
key data may also be transmitted to the data enciphering unit 132
such that the key data are also enciphered and then transmitted. As
for the content to be transmitted to the charging processing unit
137, it is not necessarily limited to the user registration number,
and can be the item number to be displayed for example.
[0170] The charging processing to be carried out at the charging
processing unit 137 may be the calculation of the fee itself rather
than the updating of the number of utilized database items as
described above, or the number to be added in updating the number
of utilized database items can be provided in several levels
depending on the amount of data to be displayed or the content of
the data to be displayed. This charging processing may also be
carried out on the other system terminal connected through the
communication network. The individual utilization data management
unit 138 may also store the utilization history, the type of the
utilized database, the statistical data such as the frequency of
utilization of each type, etc. This individual utilization data
management unit 138 may also be provided on the other system
terminal connected through the communication network.
[0171] The data receiving unit 141 has been described as
transmitting the database data to the data storage unit 142 by
attaching the item number to each item when the database data is
received, but the manner of manipulating the data at this data
receiving unit 141 is also optional.
[0172] The data storage unit 142 has been described as storing the
database data from the data receiving unit 141 in correspondence to
the item number, but the index to be assigned in units of the data
units is also optional, and can be the page number rather than the
item number. Also, instead of producing the data structure
according to the item numbers and transmitting it to the data
control unit 149 at the data data storage unit 142, a separate unit
for producing the data structure may be provided independently.
[0173] The data deciphering unit 143 has been described as
deciphering the data by using the key in a case the key data is
supplied from the data receiving unit 141, but the data deciphering
unit 143 may receive the enciphering scheme from the data receiving
unit 141 instead. Also, it has been described such that the data
are outputted as it is when there is no received key data, but the
basic deciphering scheme may be specified in advance and the
deciphering according to such a basic deciphering scheme may be
applied as a preliminary processing to all the data.
[0174] The data content of the common book data stored in the
common book data storage unit 144 is also optional, and a plurality
of common book data of different types may be provided. It is also
possible to change the style or the size of the characters, or the
layout within each page data at a time of allocating the data
content of each item from the data deciphering unit 143 to the data
content display portion of the common book data at the book data
composition unit 145.
[0175] The input device to be provided on the data operation unit
147 is also optional and not necessarily limited to the keyboard as
described above, and the mouse can be used for example. Also, the
retrieval scheme such as the character string retrieval may also be
provided as the data retrieval operation. The manner of specifying
the item to the deciphered and displayed is also optional, and the
scheme for specifying a desired entry on the list by the mouse may
be employed. Here, a plurality of items may be specified at once as
the items to be deciphered and displayed. In addition, the manner
of recognizing the user is optional and not necessarily limited to
the entering of the user registration number from the keyboard at a
time of the system activation as described above, and the
individual ID card may be utilized for this purpose.
[0176] The rules for converting the input signals and the data
control commands at the input control unit 148 are also optional,
and not necessarily limited to the cases of ".fwdarw." and ".rarw."
which are converted into the next page and previous page commands
as described above.
[0177] The data control unit 149 has been described as memorizing
the item number of the currently displaying data and the data
structure received from the data storage unit 142, but any index
capable of distinguishing the data such as the page data may be
used instead of the item numbers. It is also possible to memorizes
the item numbers displayed in the past. The item number of the data
to be initially displayed which is to be memorized is also
optional.
[0178] The display request transmission unit 150 has been described
as memorizing the user registration number in advance, and
transmitting the item number and the user registration number to
the data center side system 130 whenever the item number is
received, but the user identifier such as the user registration
number may be transmitted at the beginning.
[0179] As described, according to this second embodiment of FIG.
13, the charging processing is carried out at the data center side
in response to the request from the user, and the key for
deciphering the enciphered data has been transmitted to the user
terminal side from the data center side, and the deciphering is
made at the user terminal side. Consequently, without transmitting
the same data twice, the accurate charging processing can be made
at the data center side while making the deciphering processing at
the user terminal side.
[0180] Next, a modification of the above described book data
service system of FIG. 13 will be described in detail. In this
case, the book data service system has a detailed configuration as
shown in FIG. 23, which realizes the charging processing according
to the database utilization and management scheme according to the
present invention. In this system, there are more than one user
terminals even though only one user terminal is shown in FIG. 23,
and each user terminal side system 240 is identified by a user
registration number.
[0181] The system of FIG. 23 generally comprises a data center side
system 230 and a user terminal side system 240, which are mutually
connected through communication line 251.
[0182] The data center side system 230 comprises: a data base data
storage unit 231 for storing a plurality of database data which are
identified by the database numbers; a data enciphering unit 232 for
enciphering the database data stored in the database data storage
unit 231 by using the keys transmitted from the key storage unit
233 which memorizes the enciphering algorithm in advance; a key
storage unit 233 for storing a key corresponding to each database
data specified in advance; a data transmission unit 234 for
transmitting the enciphered database data and key data to the user
terminal side system 240; a key request input unit 235 for entering
the user registration number and the database number as the key
registration data; a key retrieval unit 236 for retrieving the key
data from the key storage unit 233 and transmitting it to the data
transmission unit 234, while also generating a processing signal
for a charging processing; a charging processing unit 237 for
carrying out the charging processing in response to the processing
signal from the key retrieval unit 236; and an individual
utilization data management unit 238 for storing database
utilization charge n correspondence to each user registration
number.
[0183] Here, the data transmission unit 234 transmits the database
data enciphered at the data enciphering unit 232 and the database
number and the key data transmitted from the key retrieval unit 236
to the user terminal side system 240 of the specified user
registration number through the communication line 251. The key
retrieval unit 236 reads out the key data corresponding to the
database number received from the key request input unit 235 out of
the key storage unit 233, and transmits the user registration
number and the database number to the charging processing unit 237,
while transmitting the read out key data along with the received
database number and the user registration number to the data
transmission unit 234. The charging processing unit 237 memorizes a
table of utilization charge of each database, reads out the
utilization data of each user from the individual utilization data
management unit 238 when the user registration number and the
database number are received from the key retrieval unit 236,
carries out the charging processing using the memorized utilization
charge table, and, and stores the obtained new utilization data for
this user into the individual utilization data management unit
238.
[0184] On the other hand, the user terminal side system 240
comprises: a data receiving unit 241 for receiving the database
data and the key data transmitted from the data center side system
230; a data storage unit 242 for storing the received database data
along with the database number; a data deciphering unit 243 for
deciphering the database data stored in the data storage unit 242
by using the received key data; a common book data storage unit 244
for storing common book data indicating data common to all the book
data such as the format data; a book data composition unit 245 for
obtaining the book data by composing the deciphered database data
and the common book data; a book data display unit 246 for
displaying the composed book data on a display; a data operation
input unit 247 for entering the database number specified by the
data retrieval operation by the user; an input control unit 248 for
converting the signals entered at the data operation input unit 247
and transmitting the converted signals to a data control unit 249
to be described below; and a data control unit 249 for controlling
the data storage unit 242 according to the entered data retrieval
operation.
[0185] Here, each database data is attached with the page number,
and when the database number and the page number are transmitted
from the data control unit 249, the data storage unit 242 transmits
the database data of the corresponding page number to the book data
composition unit 245. The data deciphering unit 243 memorizes the
deciphering algorithm and the key data transmitted from the data
receiving unit 241, deciphers the database data corresponding to
the database number for which the key data is memorized when the
database data is received from the data receiving unit 241, and
transmits the deciphered database data to the data storage unit
242. The book data composition unit 245 produces the book data by
allocating the data content received from the data storage unit 242
to the data content display portion of the common book data stored
in the common book data storage unit 244.
[0186] The data control input unit 247 is equipped with an input
device such as a keyboard for example, and the operation for
specifying the display of the next page or the previous page for
example is carried out as the data retrieval operation. The
operation for specifying the display of the next page or the
previous page can be made by pressing ".fwdarw." key or ".rarw."
key for example. The input control unit 248 transmits the commands
for the next page or the previous page to the data control unit 249
when the entered signal is ".fwdarw." or ".rarw.". The data control
unit 249 memorizes the currently displaying database number and
page number, and updates the memorized page number to the page
number greater by one when the next page command is received, or to
the page number smaller by one when the previous page command is
received, and transmits the memorized page number to the data
storage unit 242.
[0187] Now, the operation in this modified embodiment of FIG. 23 is
carried out according to the flow chart of FIG. 24 as follows.
[0188] When the request for transmitting the key is entered at the
key request input unit 235 of the data center side system 230, the
key retrieval unit reads out the corresponding key from the key
storage unit 233. Then, the charging processing unit 237 carries
out the charging processing by updating the utilization data in the
individual utilization data management unit 238 (step S151), and
the key data is transmitted from the data transmission unit 234 to
the user terminal side system 240 (step S152). The key data
received at the data receiving unit 241 of the user terminal side
system 240 is then memorized in the data deciphering unit 243.
[0189] On the other hand, the database data stored in the database
data storage unit 231 is enciphered by the corresponding key read
out from the key storage unit 233 at the data enciphering unit 232
(step S153). The enciphered database data is then transmitted from
the data transmission unit 243 to the data receiving unit 241 of
the user terminal side system 240 (step S154), and deciphered by
using the key data memorized in the data deciphering unit 243 (step
S155). and then stored in the data storage unit 242.
[0190] Here, the user can execute the data retrieval operation from
the data operation input unit 247. The data retrieval operation
entered at the data operation input unit 247 is then converted at
the input control unit 248, and transmitted to the data control
unit 249. The data control unit 249 calculates the page number of
the data to be displayed, and transmits it to the data storage unit
242, in response to which the data storage unit 242 reads out and
transmits the corresponding database data to the book data
composition unit 245. Then, the book data composition unit 245
produces the book data by composing the transmitted database data
with the common book data stored in the common book data storage
unit 244, and the obtained book data is displayed at the book data
display unit 246 (step S156).
[0191] Next, the further detailed concrete examples concerning the
embodiment of FIG. 23 will be described.
[0192] The database data storage unit 231 on the data center side
system 230 stores ten database data A to J, and a case of making an
access to the database data E will be described. Here, it is
assumed that the user registration number corresponding to the user
terminal side system 240 is "A1234", and the database utilization
charge of "3000" is already memorized in the individual utilization
data management unit 238 for this user registration number.
[0193] In this case, the key storage unit 233 stores the
correspondence table of the database data and the keys as shown in
FIG. 25, in correspondence to the ten database data A to J, while
the charging processing unit 237 memorizes the utilization charge
table as shown in FIG. 26 for the ten database data A to J.
[0194] First, the key request input unit 235 enters the user
registration number "A1234" and the database number "E" as the key
request data, which is transmitted to the key retrieval unit 236.
The key retrieval unit 236 then reads out the key "2" corresponding
to the database number "E" according to the correspondence table of
FIG. 25 stored in the key storage unit 233. Then, the key retrieval
unit 236 transmits the user registration number "A1234" to the
charging processing unit 237, and then transmits the user
registration number "A1234", the database number "E", and the key
"2" to the data transmission unit 234. The charging processing unit
237 reads out the database utilization charge of "3000" of this
user from the individual utilization data management unit 238
according to the received user registration number "A1234", adds
the utilization charge of "2500" for the database "E" to this
database utilization charge, and stores the new value of "5500" as
the database utilization charge of the user "A1234" in the
individual utilization data management unit 238. Then, when the
user registration number "A1234", the database number "E", and the
key "2" are received, the data transmission unit 234 transmits the
received database number and the key to the data receiving unit 241
of the user terminal side system 240 for the user with the user
registration number "A1234".
[0195] The data receiving unit 241 of the user terminal side system
240 then receives the transmitted database number "E" and the key
"2" through the communication line 251, and transmits them to the
data deciphering unit 243, which then memorizes these database
number "E" and key "2".
[0196] On the other hand, the database data storage unit 231 of the
data center side system 230 transmits the stored ten database data
A to J to the data enciphering unit 232. The data enciphering unit
232 then reads out the keys corresponding to these database numbers
stored in the key storage unit 233 according to the correspondence
table shown in FIG. 25, enciphers each database data A to J by the
enciphering algorithm memorized in advance by using the
corresponding key, and transmits the enciphered database data to
the data transmission unit 234. The data transmission unit 234 then
transmits the enciphered database data to the data receiving unit
241 of the user terminal side system 240 through the communication
line 251.
[0197] The receiving unit 241 which received the enciphered
database data from the data center side system 230 then transmits
the received database data to the data deciphering unit 243, which
deciphers those received database data whose corresponding keys are
memorized, such as the database data "E" for which the key "2" has
been memorized, according to the deciphering algorithm memorized in
advance., and transmits all the database data to the data storage
unit 242. The data storage unit 242 then stores the transmitted ten
database data.
[0198] Then, the data control unit 249 transmits the database
number "E" and the page number "1" to the data storage unit 242 as
the data to be initially displayed. In response, the data storage
unit 242 reads out and transmits the data content of the first page
of the database data "E" to the book data composition unit 245,
which produces the book data accordingly. At this point, the data
content of the first page of the database data "E" is given in a
form of the above described FIG. 17, while the data content of the
second page is also given in a form of the above described FIG. 21.
Then, the book data composition unit 245 produces the book data by
allocating the data content as in FIG. 17 received from the data
storage unit 242 to the data content display portion of the common
book data as in FIG. 19 stored in the common book data storage unit
244, and transmits the obtained book data to the book data display
unit 246, which then displays the received book data as in the
above described FIG. 20 on its display.
[0199] Here, when the key ".fwdarw." is pressed as the data
retrieval operation at the data operation input unit 247, the input
signal is transmitted to the input control unit 248, which converts
this input signal into the next page command and transmits the
converted command to the data control unit 249. The data control
unit 249 which received this next page command then rewrites the
currently displaying page number from "1" to "2", and transmits the
database number "E" and the page number "2" to the data storage
unit 242. In response, the data storage unit 242 transmits the data
content of the second page of the database data "E" as shown in the
above described FIG. 21 to the book data composition unit 245.
Then, the book data composition unit 245 produces the book data by
allocating the data content as in FIG. 21 received from the data
storage unit 242 to the data content display portion of the common
book data as in FIG. 19 stored in the common book data storage unit
244, and transmits the obtained book data to the book data display
unit 246, which then displays the received book data as in the
above described FIG. 22 on its display.
[0200] In the modified embodiment of FIG. 23 described above,
various modifications are possible as follows.
[0201] In the above, a case of storing ten database data has been
described, but the number of database data to be stored is
optional. It is also possible to control the transmission of the
database data such that only the database data of the database
number for which the key request is made is going to be
transmitted. It is also possible for the database to be distributed
at a plurality of locations and the accesses to the distributed
database can be made through the communication lines. Also, the
content, the format, or the data structure of the database data are
optional. Also, the enciphering algorithm is optional, and may be
changed depending on the database data.
[0202] The key storage unit 233 has been described as storing the
key in correspondence to the database data, but the correspondence
of the key may not necessarily be made in units of database data,
and the same key may be shared by a plurality of database data. It
is also possible to store the enciphering scheme instead of the
key.
[0203] The data transmission scheme and the communication medium
from the data center side system 230 to the user terminal side
system 240 are also optional, and can be the satellite
communication, or the simultaneous broadcasting to a plurality of
the user terminal side system 240.
[0204] The key request input unit 235 has been described as
entering the database number as the key request data, but there may
be a plurality of key request data.
[0205] The input device to be provided on the data operation unit
235 is also optional and can be the mouse, or the remote input
device using the communication line. In addition, the manner of
recognizing the user is optional and not necessarily limited to the
entering of the user registration number as described above, and
the individual ID card may be utilized for this purpose.
[0206] The content to be received and transmitted at the key
retrieval unit 236 depends on the content entered from the key
request input unit 235 and the content stored in the key storage
unit 233. Also, instead of transmitting the key data to the data
transmission unit 234, the key data may also be transmitted to the
data enciphering unit 232 such that the key data are also
enciphered and then transmitted.
[0207] The utilization charge of the database data may be set
optionally, and can be different for different database data as in
the above, or can be uniform for all the database data. This
charging processing may also be carried out on the other system
terminal connected through the communication network, and the
individual utilization data management unit 138 may also be
provided on the other system terminal connected through the
communication network.
[0208] The data storage unit 242 has been described as storing the
database number along with the database data and each database data
has been described as attached with the page number, but the data
units based on the data structure may be used instead of the page
numbers.
[0209] The data content of the common book data stored in the
common book data storage unit 244 is also optional, and a plurality
of common book data of different types may be provided. It is also
possible to change the style or the size of the characters, or the
layout within each page data at a time of allocating the data
content of each item from the data deciphering unit 243 to the data
content display portion of the common book data at the book data
composition unit 245.
[0210] The input device and the procedure of the data retrieval
operation in the data operation unit unit 247 are also optional and
not necessarily limited to the pressing of the keys on the keyboard
as described above, and the mouse can be used for example. Also,
the retrieval scheme such as the character string retrieval may
also be provided as the data retrieval operation. The conversion
rules for converting the input signals into the commands at the
input control unit 248 are also optional.
[0211] The data control unit 249 has been described as memorizing
the currently displaying database number and page number, but it is
not necessarily limited to the page number, and the other index
capable of distinguishing the data such as the item number may be
used instead. It is also possible to memorizes the page numbers
displayed in the past. The page number of the data to be initially
displayed which is to be memorized is also optional.
[0212] As described, according to this modified embodiment of FIG.
23, the charging processing is carried out as the key for
deciphering the specified database data is transmitted from the
data center side system 230 to the user terminal side system 240,
and the corresponding database data transmitted to the user
terminal side system 240 is deciphered at the user terminal side
system 240. Consequently, without transmitting the same data twice,
the accurate charging processing can be made at the data center
side while making the deciphering processing at the user terminal
side.
[0213] As described, according to this second embodiment, the
charging processing is carried out at the data center side and the
key for deciphering the requested data content is transmitted to
the user terminal side from the data center side, and the
deciphering is made at the user terminal side, so that the accurate
charging processing can be made without transmitting the same data
twice. As a result, the safe communication of the data can be
achieved without increasing the amount of communication, while the
accurate management of the database utilization state can be
realized. In addition, as the spread one page in the book data is
used as the data unit, the operation scheme and the data structure
are easily comprehensible, and the retrieval by turning pages one
by one is also possible, so that the easy handling of the system
can be improved.
[0214] Next, the third embodiment of the book data service system
according to the present invention will be described in detail.
[0215] In this third embodiment, the book data service system has a
system configuration as shown in FIG. 27 where, the system
configuration of FIG. 11 for the second embodiment described above
is modified in that the computer 51B of the data center 50B has a
remote record inspection unit 272 which replaces the deciphering
key returning unit 113 in FIG. 11, while the user terminal 55B has
a deciphering communication device 271 which replaces the
communication device 112B in FIG. 11.
[0216] The user terminal 55B has a detailed configuration as shown
in FIG. 28 where the configuration of FIG. 12 for the second
embodiment described is modified in that the computer 56B includes
a deciphering request unit 287 connected between the book data
display unit 63A and the deciphering communication device 271,
while the deciphering communication device 271 includes a
communication unit 281, a deciphering unit 282, and a control unit
283, where the a control unit 283 further comprises a buffer 284
for temporarily storing data to be deciphered or the deciphered
data, a utilization record unit 285 for recording the utilization
record of the book data service, and a remote inspection response
unit 286 for returning the utilization record recorded by the
utilization record unit 285 in response to the remote record
inspection from the data center 50B.
[0217] This system shown in FIG. 27 and FIG. 28 operates similarly
as in the second embodiment described above up until the request
from the user is received by the book data display unit 63A, but
the scheme for deciphering the book data and the scheme for
charging the user are different as follows.
[0218] In this third embodiment, when the deciphering of the book
data is requested by the user, the request is given to the
deciphering request unit 287 from the book data display unit 63A,
and the deciphering request unit 287 transmits the enciphered book
data to the deciphering communication unit 271 by dividing the
entire book data in appropriate units such as units of pages. The
deciphering communication unit 271 receives the enciphered book
data transmitted from the deciphering request unit 287 at the
control unit 283, stores the received book data temporarily in the
buffer 284, and transmits the temporarily stored book data
sequentially to the deciphering unit 282. Then, the deciphered book
data obtained by the deciphering unit 282 is returned to the
control unit 283, stored temporarily in the buffer 284, and
returned to the deciphering request unit 287.
[0219] At a time of returning the deciphered book data to the
deciphering request unit 287, the book code, page number, and
chapter number of the deciphered book data as well as the date and
time of deciphering are reported to the utilization record unit 285
and recorded therein. Here, the detailed record described above is
recorded in order to present the detailed account at a time of the
claiming the payment, but it is possible to adopt the simpler
scheme of adding up the predetermined utilization charges
sequentially at every occasion of utilizing the book data service.
When the deciphered book data is returned to the deciphering
request unit 287, the buffer 284 of the control unit 283 is
released. Whether or not to store the deciphered book data is
similarly handled as in the second embodiment described above.
[0220] The remote record inspection unit 272 of the data center 50B
calls up the deciphering communication unit 271 of each user
terminal 55B at an appropriate interval such as one month, and
requests the transfer of the utilization record. Then, in the
deciphering communication unit 271, the request from the data
center 50B is transmitted through the communication unit 281 to the
control unit 283, and the utilization record is read out from the
utilization record unit 285 and the transfer data is constructed at
the remote inspection response unit 286, and returned to the remote
record inspection unit 272 through the communication unit 281. When
the returning of the transfer data is completed, the utilization
record in the utilization record unit 285 is cleared. The remote
record inspection unit 272 then transmits the received transfer
data to the charging unit 114 which applies the charging processing
to the transfer data.
[0221] In this third embodiment, the high level security of the
utilization record content is required, so that the deciphering
communication device 271 should be provided by the data center side
service provider or by the third party approved by the data center
side service provider, and when the user terminal side does not
respond to the utilization record remote inspection from the data
center, the measure to remove the deciphering communication device
271 can be taken. In addition, it is also possible to encipher the
utilization record in order to prevent the response using the fake
communication device.
[0222] In further detail, according to this third embodiment, the
book data service system has a detailed configuration as shown in
FIG. 29, which generally comprises a data center 290 and a user
terminal 300. The data center 290 includes a book data storage unit
291, an enciphering unit 292, and a book data broadcasting unit
293. Here, the book data storage unit 291 stores the book data as
well as the book frame data, while the enciphering unit 292
enciphers the book data received from the book data storage unit
291 and the book data broadcasting unit 293 broadcasts the
enciphered book data to the user terminal 300 connected with this
data center 290.
[0223] The user terminal 300 includes a book data receiving unit
301, a book data storage unit 302, a book data selection unit 303,
a book data temporal storage unit 304, a book data display unit
305, and a deciphering unit 310. The book data receiving unit 301
receives the enciphered book data from the data center 290, while
the book data storage unit 302 stores the received book data. The
book data selection unit 303 allows the user to select the desired
book data to be deciphered, while the book data temporal storage
unit 304 temporarily stores the deciphered book data. The book data
display unit 305 displays the deciphered book data, while the
deciphering unit 310 deciphers the enciphered book data selected at
the book data selection unit 303.
[0224] Here, the deciphering unit 310 includes a deciphering device
311, a measurement unit 312, a utilization level meter 313, and a
meter indication unit 314. The deciphering device 311 deciphers the
enciphered book data, while the measurement unit 312 measures the
utilization level by adding up such quantities as a time in use for
the deciphering device 311, or an amount of deciphered data, or a
number of deciphered cases whenever the deciphering device 311 is
used. The utilization level meter 313 records the utilization level
measured by the measurement unit 312, while the meter indication
unit 314 indicates the utilization level recorded by the
utilization level meter 313.
[0225] FIG. 30 shows an exemplary data recorded by the utilization
level meter 313 including the time in use, the amount of deciphered
data, and the number of deciphered cases.
[0226] FIG. 31 shows an exemplary display for the book data
selection unit 303 in which the user has selected the desired book
data to be deciphered, which is the comic book called "comics XX"
in an exemplary case shown in FIG. 31 as indicated by the
shading.
[0227] FIG. 32 shows an exemplary display of the book data at the
book data display unit 305 for the book data selected in FIG. 31,
which comprises a number of comic frames 321, while the display
also incorporates a previous page button 322 and a next page button
323.
[0228] Now, for an exemplary case of using the display for the book
data selection unit 303 as shown in FIG. 31, the display of the
book data display unit 305 as shown in FIG. 32, and the indication
of the meter indication unit 314 as shown in FIG. 30, this third
embodiment operates as follows.
[0229] First, the book data stored in the book data storage unit
291 of the data center 290 is supplied to the enciphering unit 292
which enciphers the supplied book data. The enciphered book data is
then supplied to the book data broadcasting unit 293 which
broadcasts the supplied book data.
[0230] Then, the broadcasted book data is received by the book data
receiving unit 301 of the user terminal 300, and stores in the book
data storage unit 302. At this point, the user selects the desired
book data to be deciphered by using the book data selection unit
303. The selected book data is then supplied to the deciphering
device 311 of the deciphering unit 310 which deciphers the selected
book data. Then, the deciphered book data is temporarily stored in
the book data temporal storage unit 304, and displayed at the book
data display unit 305.
[0231] Next, the deciphered book data is given to the measurement
unit 312, and the time in use of the enciphering device 311, or the
amount of deciphered data, or the number of deciphered cases is
measured by the measurement unit 312, and the measured value is
recorded as the utilization level by the utilization level meter
313, while the meter indication unit 314 indicates the utilization
level recorded by the utilization level meter 313.
[0232] It is to be noted that the third embodiment described above
can be modified variously as follows. For example, the meter
indication unit 314 may be made to indicate the utilization level
only when the user requests. Also, a number of the user terminals
to be included in the system is optional. Also, the content of the
book data to be stored in the book data storage unit 291 of the
data center 290 are not necessarily limited to those shown in FIG.
31 such as the comics, magazines, job information, the housing
information, and newspaper, and optional. Also, the number of types
of the book data stored in the book data storage unit 291 of the
data center 290 is not limited to five as in the example described
above, and optional so that it may be one or one hundred. Also, in
a case of classifying the data content of the book data stored in
the book data storage unit 291 of the data center 290, a number of
classes or the hierarchical structures used in the classification
are optional. Also, a number of books registered in the data center
290 is optional, while the color, shape, layout, ornamentation,
thickness, and size of each book data are also optional.
[0233] FIG. 33 shows a modified configuration for the third
embodiment described above, which differs from the configuration of
FIG. 29 in that the deciphering unit 310 further includes a
utilized book code memory unit 315 connected with the deciphering
unit 311 and the measurement unit 312, which stores the book codes
of the book data deciphered and utilized by the user. The rest of
this configuration of FIG. 33 is substantially equivalent to that
of FIG. 29.
[0234] FIG. 34 shows an exemplary data recorded by the utilization
level meter 313 in this modified configuration, including the
utilized book codes along with the time in use, the amount of
deciphered data, and the number of deciphered cases.
[0235] Now, for an exemplary case of using the display for the book
data selection unit 303 as shown in FIG. 31, the display of the
book data display unit 305 as shown in FIG. 32, and the indication
of the meter indication unit 314 as shown in FIG. 34, this modified
configuration of FIG. 33 operates as follows.
[0236] First, the enciphered book data broadcasted from the data
center 290 as in the configuration of FIG. 29 is received at the
book data receiving unit 301 of the user terminal 300, and
deciphered by the deciphering device 311, while the deciphered book
data is temporarily stored in the book data temporal storage unit
304 and displayed by the book data display unit 305 as in the
configuration of FIG. 29.
[0237] Then, the deciphered book data are given to the utilized
book code memory unit 315 and the book codes of the deciphered book
data are memorized by the utilized book code memory unit 315. The
memorized book codes are then supplied to the measurement unit 312
along with the deciphered book data supplied from the deciphering
device 311. Here, the measurement unit 312 does not measure the
utilization level when the book code of the deciphered book data
supplied from the deciphering device 311 coincides with any of the
book codes memorized in the utilized book code memory unit 315.
Thereafter the operation similar to that in the configuration of
FIG. 29 is carried out.
[0238] Thus, in this modified configuration of FIG. 33, the book
codes memorized in the utilized book code memory unit 315 are used
to indicate those book data which had been deciphered before, such
that the re-deciphering of such once deciphered book data by the
deciphering device 310 is not going to be charged, as the
utilization level is left unchanged.
[0239] FIG. 35 shows another modified configuration for the third
embodiment described above, which differs from the configuration of
FIG. 29 in that the deciphering unit 310 further includes a
transmission unit 316 connected with the utilization level meter
313, which transmits the utilization level data such as the time in
use of the deciphering device 311, the amount of deciphered data,
or the number of deciphered cases to a charging center 320
connected to the user terminal 300.
[0240] Here, the charging center 320 includes a reception unit 321,
a charge calculation unit 322, and a charge memory unit 323. The
reception unit 321 receives the utilization level data transmitted
from the transmission unit 316 of the user terminal 300 connected
to the charging center 320. The charge calculation unit 322
receives the utilization level data received by the reception unit
321 and calculates the charges according to the utilization level
data. The charge memory unit 323 memorizes the charges calculated
by the charge calculation unit 322. The rest of this configuration
of FIG. 35 is substantially equivalent to that of FIG. 29.
[0241] Now, this modified configuration of FIG. 35 operates as
follows.
[0242] In this case, the operation up until the book data is
displayed by the book data display unit 305 and the operation up
until the utilization level recorded by the utilization level meter
313 is indicated by the meter indication unit 314 are substantially
similar to those in FIG. 29. The utilization level meter 313
transmits the recorded utilization level data to the transmission
unit 316 at appropriate timing such as at the constant interval or
when the utilization level exceeds a predetermined level. Then, the
transmission unit 316 calls up the charging center 320 to set up
the communication path, and transmits the utilization level data to
the charging center 320.
[0243] At the charging center 320, the utilization level data
transmitted from the transmission unit 316 of the user terminal 310
is received by the reception unit 321, and the charges are
calculated by the charge calculation unit 322 according to the
received utilization level data, and memorized by the charge memory
unit 323.
[0244] It is to be noted that the modified configuration of FIG. 35
described above can be further modified variously as follows. For
example, the transmission and reception of the utilization level
data has been described as called up from the user terminal side,
but this can be modified such that the charging center 320 calls up
the user terminal 300 at appropriate timing to request the
transmission of the utilization level data, and in response, the
transmission unit 316 transmits the utilization level data recorded
by the utilization level meter 313. Also, the transmission unit 316
has been described as included in the deciphering unit 310, but it
may be contained in the main body of the computer constituting the
user terminal 300. Also, a number of user terminal connected to the
charging center is not limited to one as described above, and
optional. Also, the charging center 320 has been described as being
provided outside of the data center 290, but the charging center
320 may be incorporated within the data center 290. Also, the
charging center 320 having the utilization level data management
function as described above may be utilized for the purpose other
than the charging.
[0245] FIG. 36 shows still another modified configuration for the
third embodiment described above, which differs from the
configuration of FIG. 29 in that a part of the book data stored in
the book data storage unit 291 is directly given to the book data
broadcasting unit 293 in the unenciphered state by bypassing the
enciphering unit 292 in the data center 290 side, while the
unenciphered book data received by the book data receiving unit 301
is directly given to the book data display unit 305 by bypassing
the book data storage unit 302, the deciphering unit 310, and the
book data temporal storage unit 304 in the user terminal 300 side.
The rest of this configuration of FIG. 36 is substantially
equivalent to that of FIG. 29.
[0246] Now, this modified configuration of FIG. 36 operates as
follows.
[0247] First, a part of the book data stored in the book data
storage unit 291 is directly given to the book data broadcasting
unit 293 in the unenciphered state while the remaining part of the
book data stored in the book data storage unit 291 is given to the
enciphering unit 292 and enciphered therein, such that the
enciphered book data is given to the book data broadcasting unit
293. Then, the book data in the unenciphered state as well as the
enciphered book data are broadcasted from the book data
broadcasting unit 293 and received by the book data receiving unit
301 of the user terminal 300.
[0248] Then, the unenciphered book data received by the book data
receiving unit 301 is directly given to the book data display unit
305 and displayed thereon, while the enciphered book data are
handled similarly as in the configuration of FIG. 29 up until the
book data is displayed on the book data display unit 305 and the
utilization level data recorded by the utilization level meter 313
is indicated by the meter indication unit 314.
[0249] As described according to this third embodiment, the
enciphered book data are received and stored at the user terminal,
and the book data selected from the stored book data are deciphered
and displayed, while the utilization level data such as the time in
use of the deciphering device, the amount of deciphered data, or
the number of deciphered cases are measured, recorded, and
indicated, so that the data utilization time and the data
utilization amount of all the users can be measured accurately.
Consequently, by utilizing this utilization level data for the
charging, the accurate utilization charges can be charged to all
the users. It is also possible to utilize this utilization level
data for the other purpose such as the check of the access
frequency of a given book for instance.
[0250] Next, the fourth embodiment of the book data service system
according to the present invention will be described in detail.
[0251] In this fourth embodiment, the book data service system has
a system configuration similar to that shown in FIG. 5 for the
first embodiment described above. In this case, however, as shown
in FIG. 37, the computer 56C of the user terminal includes the book
data management unit 62C having a storage reservation unit 371 for
reserving the storage of the book data, and the book data storage
unit 61C having a broadcast schedule storage unit 372 for taking
out the broadcast schedule table from the received book data, and a
book reservation inspection unit 373 for checking whether the book
data other than the broadcast schedule has been reserved or not.
The rest of the user terminal in this fourth embodiment is
substantially equivalent to that of FIG. 6 for the first embodiment
described above.
[0252] It is to be noted that the above features of this fourth
embodiment are totally unrelated with the characteristic features
of the second and third embodiments concerning the deciphering
function and the charging function, so that this fourth embodiment
can be combined with either one or both of the second and third
embodiments described above.
[0253] In this fourth embodiment, the basic feature is that the
book codes of the book data to be stored are memorized, and the
book data received from the broadcasting is stored only when the
book code of the broadcasted book data coincides with any one of
the memorized book codes.
[0254] Here, the reservation of the book code can be made by
activating the book data management unit 62C to display a book
menu, from which the broadcast schedule table can be selected to
display the broadcast schedule table by the book data display unit
63, where this broadcast schedule table is to be regularly
distributed and updated. The display of the broadcast schedule
table is made in a form of a list as shown in FIG. 38, in which the
data concerning the book title, the publisher's name, the author,
the field of the subject matter, etc. are enlisted over a plurality
of pages, from which the desired books can be selected by
specifying the lines of the desired books by the mouse, or setting
a cursor on the lines of the desired books and pressing the return
key on the keyboard, for example. The book codes of the selected
books are then stored in the reservation table provided in a memory
of the computer 56C. Here, the selection can be made easier by
broadcasting the books of the same field consecutively and
providing appropriate headers in the broadcast schedule table.
[0255] In a case the main power of the user terminal is to be
normally turned off in view of the power saving, the time zone at
which the book data are scheduled to be broadcasted is registered
into a timer management function for operating the user terminal
with the minimum possible power while providing ample margins
before and after the book data at the same time the book code is
registered. This timer management function turns on the main power
of the broadcast receiver 57 and the computer 56C automatically
when the reserved time arrives, and controls the computer 56C to
activate the book data storing function automatically. This timer
management unit can be realized by the extension of the timer
function of the computer 56C, or may be provided as a separate
hardware in a case of using the general purpose computer. Also, the
reservation codes are stored in the hard disk device, and read out
after the activation of the book data storing function. The
broadcast schedule table is to be delivered at the predetermined
time so that it can be received without requiring the user to make
a reservation for the broadcast schedule table itself.
[0256] In this fourth embodiment, the storing of the book data is
carried out according to the flow chart of FIG. 39 as follows.
[0257] When the broadcast receiver 57 receives the book data, the
error corrected data are transmitted to the computer 56C (step
S201). Then, the computer 56C searches the book code of the
received data at the book data storage unit 61C, and in a case the
book code cannot be found, the broadcast schedule storage unit 372
of the book data storage unit 61C checks if it is the broadcast
schedule table or not (step S202). If so, the broadcast schedule
storing processing is carried out by the broadcast schedule storage
unit 372 (step S203). Otherwise, the book reservation inspection
unit 373 of the book data storage unit 61C checks whether the book
code of the received data is the reserved book code or not (step
S204). If not, the received data is ignored and the next received
data Is awaited, whereas otherwise, whether there is any reception
error or not is checked (step S205). When there is no reception
error, the received data is stored in the file memory (step S206),
and registered in the management table provided in the book data
management unit 62C as the already stored book (step S207), while
the reservation code is deleted from the reservation table (step
S208).
[0258] When there is a reception error at the step S205, next
whether any partially stored data for this book data exists or not
is inquired to the book data management unit 62C (step S209), and
if there is some partially stored data, the error portion of the
old data is replaced by the correct portion of the new data (step
S210). To this end, the book data is divided into appropriate
blocks, and stored such that the replacement of the error portion
can be made in units of the blocks. For example, the block can be
formed in units of pages. Then, whether the data obtained by the
replacement at the step S210 is the complete data or not is judged
(step S211). If so, the steps S206 to S208 described above are
carried out for this complete data.
[0259] When there is no partially stored data at the step S209, or
when the data obtained by the step S210 is not the complete data,
whether the next broadcast of this book data is scheduled or not is
judged (step S212). If the next broadcast scheduled, the received
data with the errors is partially stored in the file memory with
indications of the errors (step S213) and registered in the
partially storage management table provided in the book data
management unit 62C (step S214), whereas otherwise the received
data is discarded and the reservation code is deleted from the
reservation table (step S215). Here, the deletion of the
reservation code is necessary in order to avoid the redundant
storage at a time of the re-broadcasting.
[0260] Also, in this fourth embodiment, the storing of the
broadcast schedule table is carried out according to the flow chart
of FIG. 40 as follows.
[0261] The broadcast schedule table is assigned with a serial
number, and whether the received broadcast schedule table is the
re-broadcasting of the already stored broadcast schedule table or
not is judged by checking the serial number of the received
broadcast schedule table to the book data management unit 62C (step
S301). If it is the already stored broadcast schedule table, the
operation is terminated without storing the received broadcast
schedule table. Otherwise, whether there is any reception error or
not is checked (step S302). If not, the received broadcast schedule
table is stored in the file memory (step S303) and registered in
the management table provided in the book data management unit 62C
(step S304).
[0262] When there is a reception error at the step S302, next
whether any partially stored data for this broadcast schedule table
exists or not is inquired to the book data management unit 62C
(step S305), and if there is some partially stored data, the error
portion of the old data is replaced by the correct portion of the
new data (step S306). Then, whether the data obtained by the
replacement at the step S306 is the complete data or not is judged
(step S307). If so, the steps S303 and S304 described above are
carried out for this complete data.
[0263] When there is no partially stored data at the step S305, or
when the data obtained by the step S306 is not the complete data,
the received broadcast schedule table with the errors is partially
stored in the file memory with indications of the errors (step
S308) and registered in the partially storage management table
provided in the book data management unit 62C (step S309).
[0264] Here, the serial number of the broadcast schedule table is
to be sufficiently many cyclic numbers such that there is only
sufficiently little possibility for the serial number to come once
around as the reception errors of the broadcast schedule table
occurs recurrently.
[0265] In a case of normally turning off the main power and
limiting the time zone for the broadcast reception, the the main
power is turned on automatically and the book data storage unit 61C
is activated by the operation of the timer management function when
the reserved starting time arrives, and the system is de-activated
and the main power is turned off automatically when the ending time
arrives, but other than that, the operation at a time of receiving
the book data broadcasting is similar to the case of not using the
time zone limitation. Here, however, it is necessary to make the
reservation of the time zone again in a case of expecting the
re-broadcasting as the received broadcast schedule table was
incomplete.
[0266] Alternatively, according to this fourth embodiment, the book
data service system can have a detailed configuration as shown in
FIG. 41, which generally comprises a data center 420 on a data
provider 410 side and a user terminal 430 on a user 440 side. The
data center 420 includes a data input unit 421, an advertisement
entry code assignment unit 422, a data storage unit 423, and a data
transmission unit 424. Here, the data provider 410 enters the book
data and the advertisement entry data which briefly describes the
content of the book through the data input unit 421.
[0267] The book data and the advertisement entry data are
automatically assigned with the book code and the advertisement
entry code, while the advertisement entry data is also assigned
with the broadcast station code to be described below. The book
data with the book code assigned is given in a format shown in FIG.
44.
[0268] The advertisement entry code assignment unit 422 assign the
advertisement entry code assigned to the advertisement entry data
to the corresponding book data. The book data with the
advertisement entry code is given in a format shown in FIG. 45.
[0269] The book data with the advertisement entry code assigned and
the advertisement entry data are then stored in the data storage
unit 423, and the stored book data and the advertisement entry data
are broadcasted from the data transmission unit 424 according to
the broadcast schedule as shown in FIG. 46. Here, the exemplary
broadcast schedule of FIG. 46 shows a case of providing a plurality
of broadcast stations (broadcast channels). In other words, either
a plurality of the data centers 420 are provided, or the data
transmission unit 424 has multi-channel broadcasting function.
[0270] On the other hand, the user terminal 430 includes a data
reception unit 431, an advertisement entry code comparison unit
432, a book code matching unit 433, a data storage unit 434, a book
data output unit 435, an advertisement entry selection input unit
436, and an advertisement entry code memory unit 437.
[0271] The data reception unit 431 receives the broadcast of each
broadcast station selectively, according to the broadcast station
from which the broadcast should be received which is reserved by
the broadcast station code assigned to the advertisement entry data
when the advertisement entry code is entered at the advertisement
entry selection input unit 436 as described below.
[0272] Namely, the user 440 can make a reservation for the desired
book to be stored by switching to the selection input mode in a
state of displaying the advertise entry at the book data output
unit 435. An exemplary display of the advertisement entry is made
as shown in FIG. 42, which shows an exemplary case in a format in
which the advertisement entry data are superposed over the book
data within the advertisement entries 441 and 442. When a cursor
443 is set to the desired advertisement entry by the advertisement
entry selection input unit 436 such as the mouse, and the execution
key such as the click button of the mouse is operated at this
position, the storing of the book described by the selected
advertisement entry can be reserved. In FIG. 42, the cursor 443 is
set on the advertisement entry 442 (as indicated by the shading in
FIG. 42), and the execution key is operated.
[0273] When the advertisement entry 442 is selected, the
advertisement entry code memory unit 437 stores the advertisement
entry code such as "12345A" for example. Also, according to the
broadcast station code assigned to the advertisement entry data,
the reservation of the broadcast station from which the broadcast
should be received by the data reception unit 431 is made.
[0274] When the advertisement entry code is stored in the
advertisement entry code memory unit 437, the corresponding book
data is broadcasted from the data center 420. Then, when the
broadcasted book data is received by the data reception unit 431,
the advertisement entry code assigned to the received book data is
compared with the advertisement entry code stored in the
advertisement entry code memory unit 437 at the advertisement entry
code comparison unit 432.
[0275] As a result of the comparison, when the advertisement entry
codes coincide, the book code of the received book data is
transmitted to the book code matching unit 433, and the matching
with the book code of the book data already stored in the data
storage unit 434 is made. As a result of the matching, when no
identical book code is present in the data storage unit 434, the
received book data is stored in the data storage unit 434, whereas
otherwise the storing is interrupted.
[0276] An exemplary advertisement entry code stored in the
advertisement entry code memory unit 437 is shown in FIG. 43. As
shown in FIG. 43, the advertisement entry code memory unit 437 is
capable of storing a plurality of the advertisement entry codes. In
a case the book data is stored in the data storage unit 434, the
corresponding advertisement entry code is deleted from the
advertisement entry code memory unit 437, so as to utilize the
memory capacity of the advertisement entry code memory unit 437
efficiently.
[0277] The outline of the program implemented in the advertisement
entry code comparison unit 432 is shown in FIG. 47, in which the
received advertisement entry code is set to be Cl (step S471),
while the end flag is set initially to zero (step S472). Then, one
stored advertisement entry code in the advertisement entry code
memory unit 437 is set to be C2 (step S473), and unless it is the
data end, whether C1 is equal to C2 or not is checked (step S475).
If they are equal, the received book data is transmitted to the
book code matching unit 433 (step S476), and then the end flag is
set to 1 (step S477), whereas otherwise the steps S476 and S477 are
skipped. On the other hand, when it is the data end at the step
S473, the end flag is set to 1 (step S474) and the steps S475 to
S477 are skipped. Then, as long as the end flag is not equal to 1,
the loop of the steps S473 to S477 is repeated (step S478). When
the end flag is equal to 1 at the step S478, the operation of the
advertisement entry code comparison unit 432 is terminated.
[0278] The outline of the program implemented in the book code
matching unit 433 is shown in FIG. 48, in which the book code of
the received book data is set to be C1 (step S481), while the end
flag is set initially to zero (step S482). Then, one book code read
out from the data storage unit 434 is set to be C2 (step S483), and
unless it is the data end, whether C1 is equal to C2 or not is
checked (step S485). If they are not equal, as long as the end flag
is not equal to 1, the loop of the steps S483 to S485 is repeated
(step S486). On the other hand, when it is the data end at the step
S483, the end flag is set to 1 (step S484) and the step S485 is
skipped. When the end flag is equal to 1 at the step S486, the
received book data is stored in the data storage unit 434 (step
S487), and the corresponding advertisement entry code in the
advertisement entry code memory unit 437 is deleted (step S488).
When C1 is equal to C2 at the step S485, the steps S486 to S488 are
skipped, and the operation of the book code matching unit 433 is
terminated.
[0279] It is to be noted that the advertisement entries 441 and 442
have been described as being treated as a part of the book data,
but it is also possible to handle the book data and the
advertisement entry data as separate data. In a case of handling
the advertisement entry data, the dedicated memory region for
storing the advertisement entry data is provided in the data
storage unit 434, such that the advertisement entry data is added
to this memory region whenever the advertisement entry data is
received, and the book entirely consisting of the advertisement
data is produced. This book can be looked up by turning pages
consecutively and it becomes possible to search the book while
watching the advertisement entry.
[0280] Here, the format of the book data with the book code is not
necessarily limited to that shown in FIG. 44 and can be changed
optionally. Also, the format of the book data with the
advertisement entry code is also not necessarily limited to that
shown in FIG. 45 and can be changed optionally. The manner for
assigning the advertisement entry code and the book code is also
optional. Also, the broadcast schedule table as shown in FIG. 46
which includes the items such as the broadcast date, the broadcast
station, the start time, the end time, the book code, the book
title, the publisher's name, and the author's name is not
absolutely necessary, and there is no limit to the number of items.
The manner of entering the selection of the advertisement entry is
also optional and can be the pointing using the mouse, or the
keyboard. The number of user terminals or the data centers are free
as they relates to the broadcast. The number of book data to be
broadcasted is also optional. The form of the broadcasting is also
optional, and can be the wire broadcasting such as those using the
optical fiber or the coaxial cable, etc., or can be the radio
broadcasting using the UHF, VHF, or the satellite.
[0281] As described, according to this fourth embodiment, by
attaching the advertisement entry of the other books related to a
certain book, so that the reservation of the book can be made in a
state in which the advertisement entry is displayed during the
reading. Also, in a case of storing only the advertisement entry in
the user terminal 430, the book can be searched while looking at
the advertisement entry, and the desired book to be stored can be
reserved by specifying the corresponding advertisement entry. As a
result, it becomes possible for the user to select and enter the
book data which is absolutely needed for the user. In other words,
the storing operation of the broadcasted book data can be carried
out more smoothly, and as a result, the easiness of the handling of
the book data service system for displaying the book data can be
improved.
[0282] Next, the fifth embodiment of the book data service system
according to the present invention will be described in detail.
[0283] In this fifth embodiment, the book data service system has a
system configuration as shown in FIG. 49 where, the system
configuration of FIG. 11 for the second embodiment described above
is modified in that the computer 51D of the data center 50D has a
reception and response unit 491 which replaces the deciphering key
returning unit 113 in FIG. 11 and a data processing unit 492 which
replaces the charging unit 114 in FIG. 11. In addition, the user
terminal 55B has a detailed configuration as shown in FIG. 50 where
the configuration of FIG. 12 for the second embodiment described is
modified in that the computer 56D has the book data display unit
63D including a data editing unit 501 and a receipt notice display
unit 502 instead of the book data inspection unit 121 in FIG. 12,
and a data transmission and reception unit 503 which replaces the
deciphering key acquiring unit 122 and the deciphering unit 123 in
FIG. 12.
[0284] This fifth embodiment concerns with a scheme for
communicating the data written into the book data by the user at
the user terminal 55D to the data center 50D.
[0285] It is to be noted that the above features of this fifth
embodiment are totally unrelated with the characteristic features
of the second, third and fourth embodiments concerning the
deciphering function and the charging function, and the
communication devices 112A and 112B can be also used for the
requesting and returning of the deciphering key as well, so that it
can easily be combined with the second embodiment. Also, by using
the deciphering communication device 271 of the third embodiment
for transmitting the data other than the book data without applying
any processing, this fifth embodiment can be combined with the
third embodiment as well. It is also obviously possible to combine
this fifth embodiment with the fourth embodiment concerning the
storage reservation as well.
[0286] In this fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 53, it is assumed
that the book data has spaces 531 for the user entry or the columns
530 for indicating choices. Also, when a plurality of data centers
50D are provided, the communication network type (network ID) or
the subscriber number (subscriber ID) of the data center 50D to
which the data are to be transmitted should be given in the book
data. Thus, in this fifth embodiment, the book data is given in a
format shown in FIG. 52 which includes the book code 521, followed
by a number of groups of the item number 522, the data length 523,
and the entered data 524, followed by the communication network ID
525, the subscriber ID 526, and the supplementary information 527
such as the title, author, publisher, etc. of the book, and finally
the text data 528 of the book. Here, when there is only one data
center 50D for the user terminal 55D, there is no need to provide
the communication network ID 525 and the subscriber ID 526 in the
book data. Also, the book data is to be displayed in a manner of
FIG. 1, but the transmission button 532 is added to the navigation
buttons as shown in FIG. 53.
[0287] Now, this fifth embodiment operates according to the data
transmission sequence between the user terminal 55D and the data
center 50D shown in FIG. 51 as follows. First, the book data
management unit 62 of the user terminal 55D is activated (a), and
when the user selects the book data on the book menu (b), the book
data display unit 63D of the user terminal 55D reads out and
displays the selected book data (c). Next, in the book data display
as shown in FIG. 53, when the user enters the user entry into the
user entry space 531 or specifies the choice in the choice
indication column 530 (d), the book data display unit 63D of the
user terminal 55D enters the text data entered by the user or the
symbol or number selected by the user at appropriate positions in
the book data display as shown in FIG. 53. In the book data format
of FIG. 52, the item number 522 of the entered data 524 corresponds
to the entered position on the book data display.
[0288] Next, when the user commands the transmission button 532 on
the book data display as shown in FIG. 53 (e), the user terminal
55D activates the data editing unit 501 which takes out the entered
data from the book data and edits the transmission data (f). Here,
in a case the book data is in the format of FIG. 52, it suffices to
take out the top of the book data in a state having the data entry
to the end of the entered data.
[0289] When the editing of the transmission data is completed, the
data transmission and reception unit 503 is activated (g), and the
data transmission and reception unit 503 activates the
communication device 112 to set up the communication path with the
data center 50D (h), and transmits the edited transmission data to
the data center SOD (i). Here, when a plurality of data centers 50D
are present from the viewpoint of the user terminal 55D, the
network ID 525 and the subscriber ID 526 in the book data in the
format of FIG. 52 are utilized at a time of the communication path
set up. When the entered data is received at the reception and
response unit 491 through the communication device 112A in the data
center SOD (j), the data center 50D produces the receipt notice (k)
and returns it to the user terminal 55D (l).
[0290] Then, the entered data are further processed at the data
processing unit 492, but the detail of this further processing is
not essential to the present invention. Here, in a case the actual
data processing can also be made in a short time in addition to the
receipt, instead of producing the receipt notice at the reception
and response unit 491, the data processing unit 492 produces the
report of the processing result and returns it through the
reception and response unit 491, and then the data transmission and
reception unit 503 of the user terminal 55D receives this report
through the communication device 112.
[0291] When the returning of the receipt notice or the report is
completed as it is received at the user terminal 55D side (m), the
communication path is released (n) on both sides, and the receipt
notice is transmitted to the receipt notice display unit 502 from
the data transmission and reception unit 503 in the user terminal
55D, while deactivating the data transmission and reception unit
503 and the receipt notice display unit 502 carries out the display
of the receipt notice (p). When the user confirms the displayed the
receipt notice (q), the user terminal SSD resumes the usual book
data display mode (r).
[0292] In this operation sequence of FIG. 51, when the amount of
data is small and the size of the entry frame is set up in advance
at each page, it is possible to omit the data length 523 from the
book data of FIG. 52 by adopting the rule that the margins are to
be sent in blanks. However, there may be a data center 50D which
carries out the processing corresponding to the book later on, so
that it is preferable to incorporate the data length 523 in the
book data.
[0293] Also, the editing of the transmission data is required in a
case such as that which involves numerous entry spaces and not
necessarily all of them are filled, as in a case of marking the
answers to the problems and relatively grading the user's aptitude
for instance. In a case involving only a few entry spaces, it
suffices to send the entered data as it is, with the unentered
entry space as blank.
[0294] The received data at the data center 50D side is attached
with the book code or the item number in the prescribed format, so
that it is possible to judge which data content corresponds to
which part of the book, and the effective data can be extracted for
use in the processing corresponding to the book.
[0295] In this fifth embodiment, the entered data is given by the
character data indicating the choice or the key input, but it is
also possible to enter the file name of the image file produced by
the graphics tool, and the file content can be transmitted in
succession to the file name transmission as an application of this
fifth embodiment.
[0296] Also, the data transmission and the receipt notification are
described as being carried out in real time, but it is also
possible to utilize the value added communication network having a
long time storage function, in which case the communication network
can receive the data transmitted from the user terminal on behalf
of the data center even when all the data center side transmission
lines are busy, and transmit the received data to the data center
when the data center side transmission line is released.
[0297] In this case, however, it is impossible to return the
receipt notice immediately, so that when the receipt notice from
the data center is received by the communication network, it is
necessary for the communication network side to call up the user
terminal and notify the receipt notice, while on the user terminal
side, it is regarded as not admitted when there is no receipt
notice within a prescribed period of time. Else, the receipt notice
waiting state can be monitored from the communication network, and
the non-receipt notice can be notified from the communication
network to the user terminal when the receipt notice from the data
center is not received within a prescribed period of time.
[0298] As described, according to this fifth embodiment, the system
for providing the feedbacks from the user can be constructed such
that the user can enter the feedbacks such as the answers to the
questionnaire in the flow of the operation to read the book data,
and can be relieved from the tediousness of using the mail or
facsimile transmission of the feedbacks. The effect of this system
is not limited to making it easier for the user to make the
feedbacks, and the significant effect can be expected in the
development of the user participating type publication culture.
[0299] Also, by utilizing this system in the ordering system using
the catalogue or the reservation system, as it suffices to provide
only one display program regardless of the content of the book data
to be displayed, so that the user can be relieved of the
tediousness to acquire and handle a number of programs suitable for
a number of different order taking centers. In addition, the order
taking side can be relieved from the task of updating the user
program even when the offered items increase, and the communication
requires as short time as the dedicated system for order
taking.
[0300] Also, in this fifth embodiment, it is possible to separate
the data display software in the computer into the book data
display program and the book data, and the book data display
program can be provided with the function for allowing the user to
enter the user entry into the user entry spaces specified by the
book data and the function for communicating with the data center,
such that the data entered by the user can be automatically
transmitted to the data center by the transmission command at the
same level as the book data display command. Consequently, the user
can enter the feedbacks without interrupting the flow of the book
data reading operation, while the data center can enter the
received feedback data automatically into the host computer.
[0301] Also, the book data is produced according to prescribed
rules, displayed according to prescribed rules and assigned with
the book code or the user entry space code, such that the same book
data display program can be used at the user terminal side
regardless of the content of the book data or the conditions of the
data center side, and the communication with the data center can be
established by simply transmitting the entered data.
[0302] As illustrated by the above embodiments, according to the
book data service system of the present invention, the book data
are distributed by the broadcasting so that the data in the book
form which is easy to handle and suitable for the comprehension of
the large data can be distributed at low cost, and the regional
differences concerning the availability of the books can be
resolved. Here, when one channel of the television broadcasting is
exclusively used for the broadcasting of the book data, the
broadcasting time of the book data is of an order of several
seconds to several minutes except for cases involving the dynamic
images, and the book data distribution cost can be expected to be
lower than the transportation cost required for the distribution of
the conventional books as the number of subscribers increases to
some extent.
[0303] Also, all kinds of book data are going to be available even
at the remote region which has no large bookstore or specialized
bookstore, without any time difference. In addition, by providing
the key for deciphering the book data by the communication, or by
renting the deciphering device and making the remote inspection of
the utilization level record, it is possible to resolve the problem
related to the charging of the broadcasted book data.
[0304] Also, by providing the user entry spaces in the book data,
it is possible to provide the feedbacks to the data center almost
automatically without bothering the user to utilize the other media
such as mail or facsimile, so that the book data service system of
the present invention can be utilized quite usefully in variety of
purposes such as the questionnaire, the order taking, the grading
in an education system using correspondences, etc.
[0305] It is to be noted that, besides those already mentioned
above, many modifications and variations of the above embodiments
may be made without departing from the novel and advantageous
features of the present invention. Accordingly, all such
modifications and variations are intended to be included within the
scope of the appended claims.
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