JP2002189946A - Contents use fee charging system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To vary the use fee that a user bears each time contents are used according to the property of the user. SOLUTION: A gateway server 10 sends screen data for making users to input previously registered passwords to user terminals 2 and 3 when receiving HTTP requests for the execution of service with some contents from the user terminals 2 and 3, and performs authentication based upon the passwords, reads out the properties of the users stored in a database while made to correspond to the passwords, and imposes predetermined amounts on the users according to the read properties when receiving HTTP requests including the passwords from the user terminals 2 and 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a content usage fee charging apparatus which provides a service for charging a usage fee for content on a network to a user who uses the content through a normal computer or mobile phone.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the usage fee for web contents on the Internet is not limited to free of charge, unless an operator of a server that provides each web content (hereinafter, referred to as "operator").
"Content provider"). For example, a content provider has concluded a usage contract with a user in advance and collected a fixed monthly fee as a usage fee through a credit card company or the like applied for by the user.

[0003] In the Internet environment in which the web content usage fee is collected for each content provider, the user has to make a use contract with each content provider for each web content used by the user. Therefore, you must avoid the trouble of signing individual contracts, fear that the sum of usage fees will be enormous and enormous, or keep paying the usage fee contrary to your wishes because it can not be easily canceled. He was afraid of having to do so and tended to hesitate to sign a contract. As a result, the number of contracts for paying web contents did not increase so much, and the Internet was not necessarily an attractive market for content providers providing high-quality web contents.

[0004] Against this background, in cooperation with a plurality of content providers, a user is contracted to use these content providers in accordance with the unified rules, and the content provided by these content providers is provided. There are service providers that provide a service for collectively collecting usage fees. The first examples are i-mode (registered trademark of NTT DoCoMo, Inc.) and WAP (Wi-Fi
A telecommunications carrier that provides an Internet connection service from a mobile phone in a format such as the reless Application Protocol (reless Application Protocol) uses a server operated by an affiliated content provider in a gateway device that relays between the mobile communication network and the Internet. , A "content provider server") that manages access from the user's mobile phone, and adds a charge for the paid content in the content provider server selected by the user to the call charge for this user and collectively bills the user It is. Another example is that a company that has conventionally operated a personal computer communication business accesses a content provider server from this service area in a gateway device that relays between the Internet and a service area for its service member. This is a business model in which transfer is managed, and a usage fee for paid content in a content provider server selected by a user is added together with a service usage fee for this user, and a lump sum charge is made.

[0005] When such a business model is implemented, as a user, these service providers who can put their trust because they have already performed transactions without worrying about the creditworthiness of the content provider are unified. In accordance with the application method prepared in the above, a use contract of the contents can be concluded formally with the service provider. Therefore, since the procedure is simple and the contract for use can be concluded with peace of mind, the usage rate of these paid contents has increased, and the Internet has become an attractive market for content providers. .

[0006]

The gateway device of these service providers allows a user to transmit a password when the user applies for use of any paid content, and the transmitted password is stored in advance by the user. The user is authenticated based only on whether or not the password matches the password held in the database in association with the password. Therefore, the usage conditions for the target pay content recognized by the user as a result of the personal authentication have to be uniform.

[0007] The present invention is a content usage fee billing device devised in view of such a problem, and the problem is that each time a user uses a paid content, the user accepts the usage application and pays for one usage fee. In the case of charging, by identifying the user's attribute at the time of personal authentication for the use application, the usage fee for one charge can be changed according to the user's attribute, and thus the usage conditions for the content can be more appropriately adjusted. And to further improve the content usage rate.

[0008]

A content usage fee charging apparatus according to the present invention devised to solve the above-mentioned problem communicates with a user terminal via a network and performs processing in response to a request from the user terminal. And a database for registering attribute information and charging amount information in association with the identification information of each member, and a request for receiving a request from the user terminal. If the request received by the requesting unit and the request received by the request receiving unit is to request service execution for any content, the user terminal is used for the user terminal that transmitted the request. Transmitting screen data requesting transmission of identification information registered in the database for the member, After that, if the identification information is included in the request received by the request receiving unit, authentication is performed based on the identification information, and as a result of the authentication, the member operates the user terminal. If approved, request the content server that provides the content to execute the service, and determine the usage fee for the service according to the attribute information stored in the database for the member, A control unit for adding the determined usage fee to the billing amount information stored in the database for the member.

[0009] With this configuration, all access to the content is made via the content usage fee charging device. Then, the member whose attribute information and charging information are registered in the database in advance operates the user terminal, and requests the content execution fee charging device to execute a service for any content from the user terminal. When the request is transmitted, in the content usage fee charging device, the control unit which has received the request via the request receiving unit transmits the identification information corresponding to the attribute information and the charging information in the database to the user terminal. The requested screen data is transmitted, and based on the identification information transmitted from the user terminal in response thereto, the operator of the user terminal is authenticated as a member registered in the database, and the authentication is performed. Only when the operator of the user terminal is recognized as a member, the service execution is Ntsu requests the content server that provides. Therefore, authentication is performed each time the member uses the content, so that unauthorized access to the content can be effectively prevented. Also, at the same time as requesting the content server to execute the service, the member is charged (addition of the usage fee to the charging amount information registered in the database), so that appropriate charging is performed according to the actual usage amount. can do. In addition, since the fee is determined according to the attribute information registered in the database for the member, the usage fee of the content is determined by charging the user appropriately according to the characteristics of the content and the attribute of the user. The rate can be further improved.

The "attribute information" in the present invention is
The gender, age, qualifications, distinction of individuals or legal entities, occupations,
One or several pieces of information used to classify members.

The “billing amount information” in the present invention may be the currency amount itself, or may be value information having a fixed relationship with the currency amount.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. <Schematic Configuration of Internet System> First, via a gateway server device 1 according to an embodiment of a content usage fee charging device according to the present invention, content provider servers 11, 41 by user terminals (PC2, mobile phone 3). An outline of an Internet system that enables access to contents in the Internet will be described.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the Internet system. As shown in FIG. 1, each PC (personal computer) 2 which is a user terminal can communicate with the gateway server device 1 via the Internet IN or the access point 5. Each of these PC2
Is an ordinary computer terminal in which a CPU executes an operation system having a communication function and a web browser program. In addition, the access point 5
It is a communication facility for connecting a public telephone line connected to the user terminal (PC2) and a dedicated line connected to the gateway server device 1.

On the other hand, the mobile phone 3 as a user terminal
In addition to the function as a normal mobile phone, screen data (C-HTML [Comp
actHTML], HDML [Handheld Device Markup Langua
ge] or structured document data described according to a specification such as WML (Wireless Markup Language). This mobile phone 3
Executes a process in accordance with a relatively large liquid crystal display, a memory for holding a web browser program that defines processing for interpreting screen data and displaying the screen indicated by the screen data on the liquid crystal display, and Processing device, a plurality of buttons for giving an operation instruction to the processing device (cursor keys for raising and lowering a cursor [inverted display of each line] in a screen displayed on a liquid amount display according to a web browser program), and a cursor position. Items (hyperlinks, etc.)
, A numeric keypad for inputting characters to be written on the screen, etc.).

The mobile telephone 3 is wirelessly connected to a ground station of a mobile communication network (packet communication network) PN, connected to a mobile communication company gateway 6 via the mobile communication network PN, and further to a gateway via the Internet IN. It can communicate with the server device 1.

The mobile communication company gateway 6 terminates the mobile communication network PN and the Internet IN, and the mobile communication network P
This is a device for mutually converting between a protocol of a packet circulating in N (PDC packet protocol) and a protocol of a packet circulating in the Internet IN (TCP / IP protocol). Further, if the web browser program in the mobile phone 3 supports a language other than C-HTML, the mobile communication company gateway 6 converts the screen data of the HTML specification from the Internet IN to the mobile phone 3 into Rewrite to specifications such as HDML or WML.

The gateway server device 1 is a server device connected to the Internet IN. The hardware configuration inside the gateway server device 1 is as a request receiving unit that accommodates a dedicated line connected to the Internet backbone and the access point 5 and transmits and receives signals. Communication device 101, a hard disk 102 storing various programs and various data, a CPU 103 as a control unit for executing the various programs in the hard disk 102 to control the entire gateway server device 1, and
RAM 1 in which a work area by CPU 103 is expanded
From 04, it has become.

A part of various programs stored in the hard disk 102 is transmitted from each of the user terminals 2 and 3 in accordance with the HTTP protocol from a gateway program for terminating a dedicated line connected to the Internet IN or the access point 5. A web server program that executes a process for an HTTP request,
These two processes cooperate with various CGI programs to realize a function as the gateway server 10. The various programs stored in the hard disk 102 are also programs that realize the function of the file server 12 that reads and transfers various screen data from the hard disk 102 in accordance with a request from the gateway server 10 or are transferred by the gateway server 10. A program (including a web server program and a CGI program) that realizes a function as the content provider server 11 that executes a process for an HTTP request is included.

In the various data stored in the hard disk 102, in addition to the various screen data 13 read out by the file server 12 described above, data on members of the service provided by the gateway server device 1 are registered. Member database 1
4, and usage fees for various contents in the content provider server 41 implemented on the content provider server 11 in the gateway server device 1 and the content server device 4 operated by the affiliated content provider (for each use) Is a service-specific billing definition 15 defined according to the attributes of the user. The part of the hard disk 102 that stores the member database 14 corresponds to a “database”, and the part that stores the service-specific billing definition 15 corresponds to a “storage unit”.

FIG. 2 is a table showing a specific data structure of the member database 14. As shown in FIG.
The member database 14 includes, for each member, a member ID uniquely assigned to the member and the member ID.
Attribute information such as member password, member's name, age, gender, address, corporate / individual, enrollment date, etc., as well as fixed charge amount as charge amount information (basic charge on a monthly basis) The basic amount of the service usage fee for the service) and the pay-as-you-go amount (the additional amount of the service usage fee for the basic service and the service usage fee for the additional service, which are charged according to the usage amount and totaled monthly),
It is registered as a mandatory matter. Furthermore, in the member database 14, for each member, a mail address (mobile mail address) given by the mobile communication company to the mobile terminal 3 and a four-digit password for simple authentication (identification information) Mobile password as)
Can be registered arbitrarily.

FIG. 3 is a table showing a specific data structure of the service-specific charge definition 15. As shown in FIG. 3, the service-specific charge definition 15 includes, for each content in each of the content provider servers 11 and 41, identification information (service identification information) for identifying the content, and the content. The name of the content provider to provide (provider), the condition of the attribute for classifying the user who uses the content into one or a plurality (separation condition), and the charge amount (one time The billing amount added to the “pay-as-you-go billing amount” of the member database 14 for each use is defined.

Although not shown, the various programs stored in the hard disk 102 include, at the end of each month, a fixed charge amount and a pay-as-you-go amount for each member registered in the member database 14. Add up
A billing program for clearing the pay-as-you-go amount and billing the total amount to the member through a credit card company (not shown), and counting the number of times of use for each content on a condition-by-condition basis. Also included is a sales distribution program that calculates the total usage fee for each content provider, and deposits the amount obtained by subtracting a predetermined fee from the calculation result into each content provider.

The content server device 4 operated by each partner content provider is an Internet server device having substantially the same hardware configuration as the gateway server device 1, and inside the content server device 41, which is a web server. Function has been realized. The content provider server 41 receives the HT transferred from the gateway server 10.
The processing for the TP request is executed, and screen data indicating the processing result is returned to the gateway server 10. H related to the screen data responded in this way
When the TTP request is transferred from the gateway server 10, the content provider server 41 further executes a process for the HTTP request,
The screen data indicating the processing result is transmitted to the gateway server 1
Responds to 0. A series of processes executed in this manner is the content provided by the content provider server 41. Then, "resulting in service" in the content is to finally leave a useful processing result or to send the value-added information and the like to the user terminals 2 and 3 via the gateway server 10 while including the screen data. By executing this service, the user's purpose of using the content is fulfilled. The “execution of the service” means, for example, in the content corresponding to the service identification information = fortune-telling 0001 in FIG. 3, “acquire the fortune-telling result and transmit the screen data including the fortune-telling result”.
That is, in the content corresponding to the service identification information = banking 0021, “the operation such as transfer to the designated account is performed”, and the service identification information = information search 0022.
In the content corresponding to the above, "performs a search in accordance with the specified search condition and transmits screen data including the search result". <Processing by Gateway Server> A part of the processing by the gateway server 10 will be described below with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

First, a process executed by the gateway server 10 when an HTTP request including a URL of a PC service top screen described later is received will be described. In this case, in S001 of FIG. 4, the gateway server 10 transmits the image data for displaying the PC service top screen shown in FIG. 10 to the user terminal (usually, it is assumed to be PC2) of the request transmission source. respond. The PC service top screen includes items “Menu 1” and “Menu 1” associated with URLs of different screen data, respectively.
“Menu 2” is included. When the user selects any item on the PC 2 (that is, by pressing the mouse click button or the return key of the keyboard with the cursor over the item to be selected using the function of the operating system), the PC 2 The web browser program running above sends an HTTP request to the gateway server 10 including the URL associated with the item.

The gateway server 10 performs the following S002
Waits for an HTTP request from the user terminal 2 and determines that it is a content for selecting “menu 1” (that is, the HTTP request including the URL associated with “menu 1”).
If it is a TP request, the process proceeds to S003, and if it is the content for selecting “Menu 2” (ie,
HTTP containing the URL associated with "Menu 2"
If it is a request), the process proceeds to S026.

In S003, the gateway server 10
Responds screen data for displaying the purchase confirmation screen shown in FIG. 11 to the user terminal 2 that transmitted the request. The purchase confirmation screen includes an item “purchase”.

The gateway server 10 performs the following S004
Waits for an HTTP request from the user terminal 2 and, if it is a content indicating selection of "purchase", the process proceeds to S005.

In S005, the gateway server 10
Responds the screen data for displaying the form input screen shown in FIG. 12 to the user terminal 2 that has transmitted the request. This form input screen displays the user's member ID
A member ID box 71 in which a member password (see FIG. 2) is written, a member password box 72 in which a member password (see FIG. 2) is written, and an item “transmit” are included. The user operates both boxes 71 and 72 on PC2.
When the item "Send" is selected in a state where characters are written in the boxes 2, respectively, the web browser program executed on the PC 2 includes the "member ID" and the "member password" entered in these two boxes 71 and 72, respectively. HTT
The P request is transmitted to the gateway server 10.

The gateway server 10 performs the following S006
Waits for an HTTP request from the user terminal 2, and if it includes the "member ID" and the "member password", the process proceeds to S007.

In S007, the gateway server 10
Performs authentication based on whether or not the combination of the “member ID” and the “member password” included in the HTTP request is registered in the member database 14 as the same member.

In the next S008, it is checked whether or not the user of the user terminal 2 has already been registered as a member as a result of the authentication in S007. If the user is not registered as a member, the gateway server 10 executes a process for causing this user to take an enrollment procedure in S009.

On the other hand, if the user is already registered as a member, the gateway server 10
Responds to the request source user terminal 2 with the screen data for displaying the mobile password setting screen shown in FIG. 13 in S010. The mobile password setting screen displays the mobile mail address (FIG. 2) given by the mobile communication company to the mobile phone 3 of the user.
), A mobile password box 74 in which a four-digit mobile password (see FIG. 2) arbitrarily determined by the user is written, and an item “Send”.
include. The user operates both boxes 7 on the PC 2
When the item "Send" is selected in a state where characters are written in the boxes 3 and 74, respectively, the web browser program executed on the PC 2 causes the "mobile mail address" and the "mobile mail address" input in the boxes 73 and 74 respectively. An HTTP request including the “password” is transmitted to the gateway server 10.

The gateway server 10 performs the following S011
Waits for an HTTP request from the user terminal 2 and if it contains a "mobile mail address" and a "mobile password", the process proceeds to S012.

In S012, the gateway server 10
Replaces the "mobile mail address" and "mobile password" contained in the HTTP message with S007.
Is registered in the member database 14 in association with the "member ID" and the "member password" used for the authentication.

In the next S013, the gateway server 1
0 is obtained by performing a predetermined operation on the “member ID”, “member password”, “mobile mail address”, and “mobile password” of the user registered in the member database 14 and encrypting the same. An access key uniquely corresponding to the combination of the user and the mobile phone 3 is generated.

In the next S014, the gateway server 1
0 generates a user-specific URL that includes the access key generated in S013 and specifies a page inside the gateway server 10 (a dynamically generated page dedicated to the user).

In the next S015, the gateway server 1
0 is an electronic mail including the user-specific URL generated in S014 for bookmark registration in the member database 1
4 to the mobile mail address registered. In the mobile phone 3 that has received the e-mail, the URL included in the e-mail can be registered in the bookmark by performing a predetermined operation by the user.

In the next S016, the gateway server 1
0 responds to the request source user terminal 2 with screen data for displaying the setting completion screen shown in FIG. The setting completion screen includes an item “enter service”.

The gateway server 10 performs the following S017
, Waits for an HTTP request from the user terminal 2, and if the received request indicates that “enter service” has been pressed, the process proceeds to S018.

On the other hand, "Menu 2" on the PC service top screen is selected by the user who has registered "Mobile mail address" and "Mobile password" by selecting "Menu 1". . In S026 to S030 executed at this time, the gateway server 10 executes the above-described S005 to S00
By executing the same processing as in step 9, authentication for the user (authentication as to whether the user is registered as a member) is executed. And once the authentication is done,
The gateway server 10 performs the processing from S029 to S01
Proceed to 8.

On the other hand, the user who has registered the dedicated URL included in the e-mail transmitted in S015 in the bookmark of the mobile phone 3 operates the dedicated URL in the bookmark.
If you select L and connect to the Internet, this exclusive UR
An HTTP request including L is transmitted from the mobile phone 3 to the gateway server 10. in this case,
The gateway server 10 determines in S101 of FIG.
Perform mobile password authentication process.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a mobile password authentication process subroutine executed in S101. First S201 after entering this subroutine
Then, the gateway server 10 responds to the request source user terminals 2 and 3 with screen data (screen data for requesting transmission of identification information) for displaying the mobile password input screen shown in FIG. The mobile password input screen includes a mobile password box 75 in which the mobile password of the user (see FIG. 2) is written, and an item “send”.
When the user selects the item “Send” while writing characters in the mobile password box 75 on the user terminals 2 and 3, the web browser program running on the user terminals 2 and 3 inputs the item into the mobile password box 75. An HTTP request including the “mobile password” is transmitted to the gateway server 10.

The gateway server 10 performs the following S202
Waits for an HTTP request from the user terminals 2 and 3, and if it contains a "mobile password", the process proceeds to S203.

In S203, the gateway server 10
Is the mobile password received in S202 and the HTTP that was previously set from the same user terminals 2 and 3.
Check the access key in the user-specific URL included in the request.

In the next S204, the gateway server 1
If it is 0, it is checked whether or not both match as a result of the comparison in S203. Then, if both do not correspond, the process proceeds to S208, and if both correspond, the process proceeds to S208.
Proceed to 205.

In S205, the gateway server 10
Searches the member database 14 for user information including the mobile password determined to be compatible in S204.

In the next S206, the gateway server 1
0 checks whether or not there is information of the corresponding user. If there is no corresponding user information, the process proceeds to S208. If there is any corresponding user information, the process proceeds to S207.

In S208, the gateway server 10
Sets the return value to "NG" and ends the mobile password authentication process subroutine. On the other hand, in S207, the gateway server 10 sets the return value to "authentication OK" and all the information of the corresponding user found from the member database 14, and ends the mobile password authentication process subroutine.

When the mobile password authentication process subroutine is completed, the gateway server 10
The process proceeds from S101 to S102. In S102,
The gateway server 10 checks whether the return value set as a result of the execution of the mobile password authentication process in S101 is “authentication OK”. And
If it is not “authentication OK”, the gateway server 10 advances the processing to S005 and registers as a member (S009)
Alternatively, the user is prompted to register a mobile password (S012). On the other hand, if "authentication is OK",
The gateway server 10 advances the processing to S103.

In S103, the gateway server 10
Responds the image data for displaying the mobile phone service top screen shown in FIG. 16 to the mobile phone 3 which has transmitted the request. The mobile phone service top screen includes three items, “unset”, “confirm”, and “enter service”.

The gateway server 10 performs the following S104
In step S105, an HTTP request from the mobile phone 3 is waited, and if the HTTP request is a content for selecting “cancel setting” or “confirmation”, a process corresponding to the selected item is executed in step S105. On the other hand, if the content to select "enter service" is selected, the gateway server 10
Advances the process to S108.

In S018, the gateway server 10
Transmits screen data for displaying a service entrance screen (not shown) to the user terminals 2 and 3 that transmitted the request. On the service entrance screen (not shown), a plurality of category names forming the uppermost layer in a hierarchical menu for classifying each content provided through the gateway server 10 in a tree format by category are displayed in lower hierarchical levels corresponding to the respective hierarchical names. It is included in a state linked to the URL of the menu screen.

The gateway server 10 performs the following S019
Waits for an HTTP request from the user terminals 2 and 3 and, upon receiving the HTTP request, proceeds to S0.
Proceed to 20. In S020, it is checked whether or not the HTTP request received from the user terminals 2 and 3 requests "execution of a service". That is, when the image data for displaying the screen including the item “purchase” is transmitted immediately before, it is checked whether an HTTP request indicating the selection of the item “purchase” is received. If the received HTTP request does not request the execution of the service, the gateway server 10 proceeds to S021.
Proceed to.

In S021, the gateway server 10
Is the HTTP request received in S019 for any content provider server (content provider server 11 in gateway server device 1 or content provider server 41 in affiliated content server device 4)? Whether or not
To check. If the content is not for the content in any of the content provider servers, the gateway server 10 determines in step S022 that H
The screen data indicated by the URL included in the TTP request is responded to the requesting mobile phone 3. For example, if the URL corresponding to the menu screen of any layer is H
When the request is included in the TTP request, screen data for displaying the menu screen is responded to the mobile phone 3 that transmitted the request. After that, the gateway server 10 returns the process to S019, and
Wait for the next HTTP request from 3.

On the other hand, the HT received in S019
If the TP request is for a content in any of the content provider servers, the gateway server 10 proceeds from S021 to S023. In S023, the gateway server 10 transfers the HTTP request to the content provider servers 11 and 41 that provide the requested content.

In the next S024, the gateway server 1
0 waits for a response corresponding to the HTTP request transferred in S023,
If there is a response from 1, the process proceeds to S025. S0
In 25, the gateway server 10 displays the screen data returned from the content provider servers 11 and 41,
The request is transmitted to the user terminals 2 and 3 that transmitted the request, and a screen showing the contents of the response is displayed. After that, the gateway server 10 returns the processing to S019, and waits for the next HTTP request from the user terminals 2, 3.

FIG. 17 shows one of the content servers 1
3 shows an example of the top screen of the contents (contents registered as service identification information = fortune-telling 0001 in FIG. 3). HTT requesting this screen
Since the P request does not request “execution of a service”, “NO” is determined in S020, and
At 025, screen data for displaying this screen is responded. In the user terminals 2 and 3 displaying the screen of FIG. 17, when the user writes the date of birth and selects the item “send”, an HTTP request indicating that the item “send” is selected is sent to the gateway. Although transmitted to the server 10, this HTTP does not request “execution of the service”, so a “NO” determination is made in S 020, and in FIG.
Screen data for displaying the screen shown in FIG. 8 is returned. Since this screen includes the item "purchase", the HTTP request sent to the gateway server 10 when the user selects "purchase" requests "execution of service". Therefore, S02
If it is 0, a determination of "YES" is made.

If the gateway server 10 determines in S020 that the HTTP request received in S019 requests "execution of a service", the gateway server 10 advances the processing to S026. In S026, the gateway server 10 executes a mobile password authentication process. Specifically, the gateway server 10 executes a mobile password authentication process subroutine shown in FIG.

In the next S027, the gateway server 1
0 indicates whether the return value set as a result of the execution of the mobile password authentication process in S026 is "authentication OK", that is, the member registered in the member database 14 operated the user terminal 2, 3. Check to see if it is acceptable. If it is not “authentication OK”, the gateway server 10 proceeds to S00
Then, the user is prompted to register as a member (S009) or register a mobile password (S012). On the contrary,
If the authentication is "OK", the gateway server 1
If “0”, the process proceeds to S028.

In S028, the gateway server 1
0 transfers the HTTP request received in S019 to the corresponding content provider server 11, 41,
Request service execution. The content servers 11 and 41 requested to execute the service execute corresponding processing based on various information included in the HTTP request received up to that time. For example, when the item “purchase” on the screen shown in FIG. 18 is selected, the content provider server 1 that provides the content
1, 41 executes horoscope processing (data search from the fortune-telling database) based on the date of birth included in the HTTP request transmitted when the item “transmit” in the screen shown in FIG. 17 is selected. Then, screen data for displaying a screen as shown in FIG. 19 showing the fortune-telling result is returned to the gateway server 10.

The gateway server 10 performs the following S029
, A response corresponding to the HTTP request transferred in S028 (response to "service execution" request)
, And if there is a response from the content provider servers 11 and 41, the process proceeds to S030. In S030, the gateway server 10 transfers the screen data returned from the content provider servers 11 and 41 to the user terminals 2 and 3 that transmitted the request, and displays a screen indicating the contents of the response.

In the next S031, the gateway server 1
0 is based on the type of service (service identification information) requested to execute the service in S028 and the user information (user attribute information) included in the return value set as a result of the execution of the mobile password authentication process in S026. With reference to the service-specific billing definition 15, the corresponding billing amount (the billing amount for one use) is read. Then, the billing amount read from the service-specific billing definition 15 is added to the “metered billing amount” for the user authenticated in S026 in the member database 14. This S031
Is completed, the gateway server 10 returns the process to S019 in order to wait for the next HTTP request from the user terminals 2 and 3.

When the gateway server 10 according to the present embodiment described above is used, every time a user requests a service execution, the user is authenticated by transmitting the four-digit mobile password to the user, and the content for one time is transmitted. Charge usage fees for use. Moreover,
By reading information about the user when referring to the member database 14 for authentication, the usage fee charged to the user can be adjusted to an amount appropriate for the user attribute. As a result, the usage rate of each content can be further improved, and the content business using the Internet can be made attractive.

[0064]

As described above, according to the content usage fee charging apparatus of the present invention, each time a user attempts to use a paid content, the user is authenticated for the use application and the service is executed for the content. Is requested to the content server and the user is charged. At this time, the attribute of the user is identified, and the usage fee for one charge is changed according to the attribute of the user. Therefore, the usage conditions for the content can be made more appropriate, and the usage rate of the content can be further improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an Internet system including a content usage fee charging device according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a table showing a data structure in a member database.

FIG. 3 is a table showing a data structure in a service-specific billing definition.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a part of processing by a gateway server;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a part of processing by the gateway server;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a part of processing by the gateway server;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a part of processing by the gateway server;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a part of processing by the gateway server.

9 is a flowchart showing a mobile password authentication process subroutine executed in S101 of FIG. 7 and S026 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a service top screen for PC.

FIG. 11 shows a purchase confirmation screen.

FIG. 12 shows a form input screen.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a mobile password setting screen.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a setting completion screen.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a mobile password input screen.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a mobile phone service top screen.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a content example.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a content example.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a content example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Gateway server apparatus 2 PC 3 Mobile telephone 10 Gateway server 11 Content provider server 41 Content provider server 101 Communication apparatus 102 Hard disk 103 CPU IN Internet

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06F 17/60 502 G06F 17/60 502 H04B 7/26 H04M 15/00 Z H04M 15/00 H04B 7/26 M

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A content usage fee billing device that communicates with a user terminal via a network and executes processing and billing in response to a request from the user terminal. A database in which attribute information and billing amount information are registered in association with each other, a request receiving unit that receives a request from a user terminal, and a request received by the request receiving unit requesting service execution of any content. Is transmitted to the user terminal of the request source, screen data for requesting transmission of identification information registered in the database for the member using the user terminal, and thereafter, the request When the identification information is included in the request received by the receiving unit Performs authentication based on the identification information,
If it is determined that the member operates the user terminal as a result of the authentication, the member requests the content server providing the content to execute the service, and the member is stored in the database. And a control unit for determining a usage fee for the service execution according to the attribute information, and adding the determined usage fee to billing amount information stored in the database for the member. Billing device. A storage unit that defines a usage fee set in accordance with the attribute of the member for each content, and wherein the control unit refers to the storage unit to execute the service. 2. The content usage fee charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the usage fee set for the content requested to be executed is set according to the attribute of the member. 3. The content usage fee charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit requests the content server to execute the service via a network.