JP2005311809A - Content provision system, relay server used for the system, and compound machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an advertisement provision system which can be easily used by everybody. <P>SOLUTION: An advertisement provision system 10 has a relay server 12, and a plurality of compound machines 14 connected to the relay server 12 through the Internet 24. The relay server 12 is provided with a list provision means preparing a content list which is a list of contents registered from the compound machines 14 to be provided to each of the compound machines 14, and a content provision means providing contents to the compound machines 14 according to an acquisition request from the compound machines 14. The compound machine 14 has a digitalization means digitalizing contents, a registration means registering electronic contents in the relay server, a selection means accepting a selection of a user from among the content list provided by the relay server 12, an acquisition request means requesting an acquisition of contents selected from the relay server 12, and an output means printing and outputting the contents provided from the relay server 12 according to the acquisition request. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a content providing system for registering and providing content via a network, a relay server used in the content providing system, and a multifunction peripheral.

  Conventionally, many content providing systems for registering and providing content via a network have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a content providing system in which an advertiser registers a content in a server by transmitting a manuscript by facsimile, and a user acquires content registered in various terminals connectable to the Internet. It is disclosed. According to this, the content recorded on the paper can be easily digitized, and the registration of the content can be facilitated.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a system that collects leaflets for newspaper folding for each region and provides leaflet information on a homepage. This scans the advertisement information of the newspaper insert, creates data, and registers it in the server. The user accesses the Internet and searches for advertisement information by narrowing down the area. According to this, the advertisement for every area can be browsed easily.

JP 2002-183164 A JP 2002-15202 A

  However, in the above-described method, it is necessary for both registrants and users to possess devices used for content registration and browsing, and it has been difficult to use them easily. Further, after registering the content, it is difficult for the registrant to know how the content is used by the user.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a content providing system, a relay server, and a multifunction machine that anyone can use easily.

  The advertisement providing system of the present invention is connected to a relay server via a network, a plurality of providing-side multifunction peripherals that register contents in the relay server, and connected to the relay server via the network. A content providing system having a plurality of acquisition-side multifunction peripherals that acquire registered content, wherein the relay server creates and acquires a content list that is a list of registered contents from the provider-side multifunction peripheral A list providing means for providing to the multi-function peripheral, and a content providing means for providing the content related to the acquisition request to the acquiring multi-function peripheral in response to the acquisition request from the acquiring multi-function peripheral. An electronic means for reading the content original and digitizing the content, and a registration method for registering the electronic content in the relay server The acquisition-side multifunction peripheral displays a content list provided from the relay server, and receives a user's selection from the contents included in the content list, and acquires the selected content It has an acquisition request means for making a request to the relay server, and an output means for printing out the content provided from the relay server in response to the acquisition request.

  In a preferred aspect, the relay server stores multifunction device information management means for managing multifunction device information including the installation location of the acquisition-side multifunction device, and stores the usage status of content for each acquisition-side multifunction device, and stores the stored usage status. And usage information management means for managing the usage status of the content for each installation location based on the MFP information. In another preferred aspect, the providing side multifunction device and the obtaining side multifunction device are assigned to each multifunction device and have multifunction device authentication information to be transmitted when communicating with the relay server, and the relay server is transmitted. Based on the MFP authentication information, whether or not the providing-side MFP and the acquiring-side MFP can access the relay server is determined.

  In another preferred embodiment, the registration unit of the providing side multifunction device stores the digitized content in a storage device of the providing side multifunction device and transmits the index information of the content to the relay server to register the content. The providing multi-function peripheral performs confirmation polling means for performing confirmation polling to the relay server to confirm whether or not there is an acquisition request from the acquisition multi-function peripheral for the content stored in the storage device, and confirmation polling And upload means for uploading the content related to the acquisition request to the relay server when the acquisition request is confirmed, and the acquisition request means of the acquisition-side MFP receives the content related to the acquisition request from the relay server. Until the request is received, the relay server performs the acquisition polling. A request notifying unit for storing a content acquisition request from a device and notifying the providing multifunction device of the presence or absence of the acquisition request as a response to the confirmation polling from the providing multifunction device holding the content related to the acquisition request, and an upload unit When the content related to the acquisition request is uploaded, the transmission unit transmits the content to the acquisition side MFP as a response to the request polling requesting the acquisition of the content.

  In another preferred embodiment, the list providing means of the relay server, when there is a request for a content list from an information terminal connected to the network, the content identification information for identifying the content list and each content to the information terminal, In the acquisition-side multifunction device, the selection unit accepts input of content identification information, and the acquisition request unit makes a content acquisition request corresponding to the input content identification information to the relay server. And In another preferred aspect, the content is advertising information. In another preferred aspect, the providing-side multifunction device also functions as the obtaining-side multifunction device.

  In another preferred aspect, the providing multi-function peripheral includes a deletion notification means for notifying the relay server when the electronic data of the content registered in the relay server is deleted. List update means for deleting the notified content from the content list is provided. In another preferred aspect, charging for providing content is made to the content provider. At this time, preferably, the billing amount is calculated based on the usage status managed by the usage status management means of the relay server.

  Another relay server of the content providing system according to the present invention receives content registration from a providing multi-function peripheral connected via a network, and registers the content registered for the acquiring multi-functional peripheral connected via the network. Is a relay server for a content providing system that accepts registration of content digitized by the electronic means of the providing multifunction device, creates a content list that is a list of registered content, and obtains this A list providing unit provided to the multi-function peripheral; and a content providing unit for providing the content related to the acquisition request to the acquiring multi-function peripheral in response to the acquisition request from the acquiring multi-function peripheral.

  Another providing machine of the content providing system according to the present invention is a providing machine of the content providing system that is connected to the relay server via the network and registers the content to be provided to the acquiring machine in the relay server. In addition, an electronic unit that reads an original of content to be provided to the acquisition-side multifunction peripheral via the relay server and digitizes the content, and a registration unit that registers the digitized content in the relay server.

  Another acquisition-side MFP of the content providing system according to the present invention is an acquisition-side MFP of the content providing system that is connected to the relay server via the network and acquires the content registered in the relay server by the providing-side MFP. A selection unit that accepts the provision of a list of contents registered in the relay server by the providing side multifunction peripheral from the relay server, displays the list, and accepts a user's selection from the contents included in the list of contents; An acquisition request unit that makes an acquisition request for the selected content to the relay server, and an output unit that prints out the content provided from the relay server in response to the acquisition request.

  Here, the compound machine refers to a compound printer having a plurality of functions such as a printer, a copier, and a FAX. In addition to advertisement information, content refers to various information such as map information and entertainment information.

  According to the present invention, since content can be registered and acquired using a multifunction peripheral, anyone can use the content providing system with ease.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an advertisement providing system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The advertisement providing system 10 includes a relay server 12, a plurality of multifunction devices 14 (composite printers), and a plurality of information terminals 16. The multifunction machine 14 is arranged in a local area network 20 such as a company or a convenience store, and is connected to the relay server 12 via the Internet 24. The local area network 20 is connected to the Internet 24 via a firewall 22 to prevent unauthorized access from the outside. Therefore, the relay server 12 and each multifunction device 14 are connected via the firewall 22. The firewall 22 can pass only predetermined communication from the outside. Examples of the predetermined communication include a response to an HTTP communication request and an e-mail message.

  The information terminal 16 is a terminal that can be connected to the Internet 24, such as a PC 16a (personal computer), a PDA, or a mobile phone 16b. The information terminal 16 can communicate with the relay server 12 and the multifunction device 14 via the Internet 24. Further, the relay server 12 provides a list of registered advertisement information, provides advertisement information in response to a request, and the like.

  Advertisement information provision and advertisement information acquisition in the advertisement provision system 10 are as follows. When it is desired to provide advertisement information, the advertisement information is registered in the relay server 12 using the multifunction machine 14 arranged in a company or a convenience store. On the other hand, when it is desired to acquire advertisement information, the relay server 12 is accessed using the multifunction device 14 or the information terminal 16 and a list of advertisement information is browsed. If there is advertisement information that is particularly desired to be acquired, actual data of the advertisement information is acquired from the relay server 12 using the multi-function device 14. Hereinafter, the advertisement providing system 10 will be described in detail.

  First, the relay server 12 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the relay server 12. The relay server 12 includes a list providing unit 30, an advertisement providing unit 32, a multifunction machine information management unit 34, a usage status management unit 36, and an authentication unit 38 and a communication I / F 40 used in communication.

  The list providing unit 30 creates a list of advertisement information registered from each multifunction device 14 and provides it to the multifunction device 14 and the information terminal 16. This includes an advertisement information database (hereinafter referred to as “advertisement information DB 46”) that stores an index of advertisement information, an information search unit 42 that accesses the advertisement information DB 46 to search and list information, A list transmission unit 44 that transmits the list to the multifunction device 14 and the information terminal 16 is provided.

  The advertisement information DB 46 stores an index of advertisement information registered from the multifunction machine 14. The advertisement information index includes an identification ID of the advertisement information, a registration date, a summary of the advertisement information, a genre and a provision area of the advertisement target product, advertiser information, a thumbnail, and the like. In the advertisement information DB 46, such an index is stored in a database instead of the actual data of the advertisement information.

  The information search unit 42 accesses the advertisement information DB 46, searches for advertisement information, and lists the search results. This search is performed in response to a request from a multifunction device 14 or an information terminal 16 described later. The list transmission unit 44 transmits the list of advertisement information created by the information search unit 42 in response to a request from the multifunction device 14 or the information terminal 16 to the multifunction device 14 or the information terminal 16. That is, if there is a list request for advertisement information satisfying a specific condition (for example, a specific region or genre) from the multifunction device 14 or the information terminal 16, the list transmission unit 44 sends an advertisement satisfying the condition to the information search unit 42. Instructs the search for information. Then, the list transmission unit 44 transmits the list of advertisement information obtained as a result of the search to the multi-function device 14 and the information terminal 16.

  The advertisement providing unit 32 provides actual data of advertisement information to the multifunction device 14 in response to a request from the multifunction device 14. The advertisement providing unit 32 includes a request notification unit 48, an actual data transmission unit 50, and an actual data spool unit 52. The request notification unit 48 notifies an acquisition request from the multifunction device 14 (acquisition side multifunction device) that requests actual data of the advertisement information to the multifunction device 14 (providing side multifunction device) that holds the actual data. This notification is made by confirmation polling from the providing side multifunction device 14 described later. The providing MFP 14 notified of the actual data acquisition request transmits the actual data of the advertisement information to the relay server 12. The transmitted actual data is temporarily held in the actual data spool unit 52. Then, the spooled actual data is transmitted by the actual data transmission unit 50 of the relay server 12 to the acquisition-side multifunction device 14 that has requested this. After the transmission, the actual data of the advertisement information held in the actual data spool unit 52 is deleted.

  The multi-function peripheral information management unit 34 manages information of a plurality of multi-function peripherals 14 connected and multi-function peripheral information. The multifunction machine information includes the identification ID and installation location of the multifunction machine 14, and multifunction machine authentication information held by each multifunction machine 14. The list providing unit 30, the advertisement providing unit 32, the usage status management unit 36, and the authentication unit 38 appropriately identify the multifunction device 14 with reference to the multifunction device information.

  The usage status management unit 36 stores the usage status of the advertisement information for each MFP 14, and based on the stored usage status and the MFP location information included in the MFP information, the advertisement for each installation location is stored. Manage information usage. Here, the usage status refers to the number of printed advertisement information acquired by the multifunction peripheral.

  The communication I / F 40 provides an interface for communication with the multifunction device 14 and the information terminal 16. This communication I / F includes an HTTP or HTTPS protocol that returns a response to a request. In communication, the authentication unit 38 authenticates the communication partner. That is, when communicating with the multifunction device 14, the authentication information attached to the communication message from the multifunction device 14 is compared with the multifunction device authentication information stored in the multifunction device information management unit 34. Checking the communication partner. This prevents unauthorized access such as impersonation of the communication partner.

  Next, the multifunction device 14 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the multifunction machine 14. The multifunction device 14 described here functions as both a providing-side multifunction device 14 that provides advertisement information and an acquisition-side multifunction device 14 that acquires advertisement information. In other words, the MFP 14 can be used by both the advertiser and the advertising target.

  The multifunction machine 14 is a printer having a plurality of functions including a printer unit 64, a FAX unit 62, a copying unit 60, and the like. Usually, the multifunction machine 14 is arranged in a public place such as a convenience store in addition to being arranged in a company, and can be used by various users. Further, regardless of the location, each multifunction device 14 is connected to the Internet 24 via the firewall 22 in order to prevent unauthorized access from the outside.

  The multifunction machine 14 includes a storage device 70, an advertisement providing unit 66, and an advertisement acquisition unit 68, in addition to the printer unit 64 described above. In addition, a communication I / F 76 for communication via the Internet 24, MFP authentication information 74 used for authentication in the relay server 12, and a user interface that mediates between the user and the MFP 14 (hereinafter referred to as “U / I 72”). ")".

  The storage device 70 is provided in the multi-function device 14 and is further roughly divided into a shared area 70a and a personal area 70b. The shared area 70a is a storage area that can be used by all users, and holds, for example, advertisement information acquired from the relay server 12. On the other hand, the personal area 70b is a storage area that can be used only by a specific user. The personal area 70b is protected by, for example, a password so that only a specific user can read and write information. In the personal area 70b, for example, actual data of advertisement information, information sent to a specific user by the FAX unit 62, and the like are stored.

  The actual data of the advertisement information stored in the personal area 70b is created by the reading unit 61 provided in the copy unit 60 (copy function). The reading unit 61 is a document fixing type reading device that reads a document placed on a platen glass or a document sent from a feeder to create image data. Accordingly, when it is desired to create electronic data of advertisement information, an advertisement original is set on the platen glass or on a feeder, and reading is instructed. The created electronic data is stored in the personal area 70b. In other words, the reading unit 61 provided in the copying unit 60 functions as an electronic unit that reads a document of advertisement information and digitizes the advertisement information. In this way, by using the reading unit 61 of the copying unit 60, the advertiser can generate electronic data of advertising information in almost the same procedure as that for copying. Further, the created advertisement information can be held in the personal area 70b accessible only by the advertiser. Furthermore, since the reading unit 61 includes a document fixing method for reading a document placed on a platen glass, even if the advertisement document is a three-dimensional document such as cloth or embossed paper, it can be easily digitized. .

  The advertisement providing unit 66 is mainly used when the advertiser registers advertisement information in the relay server 12. The advertisement providing unit 66 includes a registration unit 80, a request confirmation unit 82, and an upload unit 84. When the registration of advertisement information is instructed by the advertiser, the registration unit 80 communicates with the relay server 12 and registers the advertisement information in the relay server 12. Specifically, an index of advertisement information to be registered (summary, genre and provision area of advertisement target product, advertisement thumbnail, etc.) is created and transmitted to the relay server 12.

  Here, the information such as the genre and the service area of the advertisement target product included in the index is input from the advertiser through the operation panel in the U / I 72. The advertisement information summary may be input by the advertiser on the operation panel, or the registration unit 80 may automatically generate the advertisement information summary.

  The request confirmation unit 82 confirms with the relay server 12 whether or not there is an acquisition request from another multi-function device 14 for the registered advertisement information, that is, the advertisement information holding the actual data in its own storage device. Specifically, the relay server 12 is accessed at a predetermined polling interval, and it is confirmed whether there is an actual data acquisition request from another multifunction device 14 for the registered advertisement information. That is, the request confirmation unit 82 functions as a confirmation polling unit that performs confirmation polling on the relay server in order to confirm whether or not there is an acquisition request from another multifunction device.

  The upload unit 84 transmits the actual data to the relay server 12 when there is a request for acquiring the actual data held by the other multifunction device 14. That is, since the relay server 12 normally holds only the index of the advertisement information, it cannot respond to the actual data acquisition request from the other multifunction device 14. Therefore, when there is a request for acquisition of the actual data, the upload unit 84 of the multi-function peripheral 14 that holds the actual data transmits the actual data to the relay server 12.

  The advertisement acquisition unit 68 is mainly used when an advertisement target person acquires advertisement information. The advertisement acquisition unit 68 includes a list acquisition unit 86 and an actual data request unit 88. The list acquisition unit 86 acquires a list of advertisement information registered in the relay server 12. Here, the acquired advertisement information list is a collection of advertisement information indexes that satisfy a predetermined condition. That is, the advertising target person instructs the product genre and the providing area of the advertisement to be acquired via the U / I 72. The list acquisition unit 86 transmits the instructed condition to the relay server 12, and acquires a list of advertisement information in which the index of advertisement information meeting the condition is listed. The acquired list is displayed on a display panel provided in the U / I 72. That is, not the advertisement information itself, but only a summary of each advertisement information and target products are displayed. The advertisement target person looks at the list displayed on the display panel and specifies advertisement information to be acquired.

  The actual data request unit 88 acquires actual data of advertisement information designated by the advertisement target person. This is done by transmitting the advertisement information acquisition request to the relay server 12. However, the relay server 12 does not always hold actual data of advertisement information. Therefore, when the relay server 12 receives an acquisition request for actual data, the relay server 12 stores the acquisition request. Then, when confirmation polling is performed from another multi-function peripheral 14 that holds the actual data, a request to transmit the actual data of the advertisement information related to the acquisition request is returned. If the actual data is transmitted from another multifunction device 14, the actual data is stored in the actual data spool unit 52. The actual data request unit 88 of the multifunction device 14 confirms whether or not the actual data has been uploaded to the actual data spool unit 52 of the relay server 12 at a predetermined polling interval. And if it is uploaded, this is acquired. The actual data of the acquired advertisement information is temporarily stored in the shared area, and the advertisement information is printed by the printer unit 64 based on the stored data.

  Further, the actual data request unit 88 notifies the relay server 12 of the usage status of the advertisement information. The usage status to be notified includes information such as whether or not the acquired actual data has been printed, and the number of printed data if it has been printed. Since this notification is transmitted along with the MFP authentication information, the relay server 12 manages which MFP 14 is used and how the advertisement information is used (printed). Can do.

  The MFP authentication information 74 is identification information given to each MFP 14. The MFP authentication information 74 is attached to a communication message to the relay server 12 in order to prevent unauthorized access to the relay server 12. The relay server 12 confirms whether the authentication information attached to the communication message is correct based on the MFP information stored in the MFP information management unit. This can prevent unauthorized access such as impersonation.

  The U / I 72 has a display panel and an operation panel, and accepts an operation instruction from the user or presents information to the user. Specifically, a list of advertisement information provided from the relay server is displayed, or selection of advertisement information to be acquired from the displayed list by the user is accepted. That is, the U / I 72 functions as a selection unit. However, the U / I 72 not only functions as a selection unit but also accepts operation instructions for the copying unit 60 and the printer unit 64. It also functions as an input means for inputting information necessary for the advertiser to register the advertisement information (for example, advertiser identification information and advertisement attribute information).

  Next, the information terminal 16 will be briefly described. The information terminal 16 is mainly used for browsing an index of advertisement information. The type of the information terminal 16 is not particularly limited as long as it can be connected to the relay server 12 via the Internet 24, such as a PC 16a, a PDA, or a mobile phone 16b, and includes a display unit.

  Further, since the information terminal 16 is used for browsing the advertisement information list, the information terminal 16 needs to have a function corresponding to the list acquisition unit 86 (see FIG. 3) in the multifunction machine 14. That is, a condition instructed by an advertising target person (a user who wants to acquire advertisement information) is transmitted to the relay server 12, and a list of advertisement information that meets the condition is acquired. Then, the acquired list is displayed on display means (such as the display of the PC 16a or the mobile phone 16b).

  The advertisement target person looks at the list displayed on the display means and specifies advertisement information to be acquired in particular. Here, the information terminal 16 cannot directly acquire the actual data of the advertisement information. Therefore, the information terminal 16 displays the identification ID of each advertisement information on the display means instead of the actual data. The advertisement target person can acquire the actual data of the advertisement information by inputting the displayed identification ID into the actual data request unit 88 (see FIG. 3) of the multifunction machine 14.

  That is, the information terminal 16 is basically used only for browsing the advertisement information list. The actual data is acquired by the multifunction device 14. However, when acquiring the actual data, the identification ID acquired by the information terminal 16 can be used, so that the trouble of browsing the list again and retrieving information can be saved.

  Next, the flow of registration and acquisition of advertisement information in the advertisement providing system 10 having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of registration of advertisement information, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of acquisition of advertisement information.

  First, the flow of registration of advertisement information will be described. An advertiser who wants to register advertisement information operates the operation panel of the multi-function device 14 arranged in the company or a convenience store to instruct start of registration of advertisement information (RS10). A message prompting the user to input electronic data of advertisement information is displayed on the display panel. The advertiser reads the advertisement information manuscript with the reading unit 61 provided in the copying unit 60, and creates electronic data of the advertisement information (RS12). In other words, if the advertisement information document is in a sheet form, the advertiser reads it with a feeder or the like, and creates electronic data of the advertisement information. When the original is three-dimensional (such as embossed paper or a product), the original is placed on the platen glass, and the original is read by the original fixing method. That is, according to the present embodiment, even if the original is three-dimensional, it can be easily digitized. Also, the operation itself is almost the same operation as copying. Even if the advertiser is not good at operating electronic devices, it can be easily digitized. The digitized advertisement information is stored in the advertiser's personal area.

  Next, attribute information and the like of advertisement information are input via the operation panel (RS14). Here, the input attribute information includes advertiser information, product genre to be advertised, provision area, advertisement summary, and the like. The inputted attribute information is stored in the advertiser's personal area in association with the digitized advertisement information.

  The registration unit 80 of the relay server 12 transmits the input attribute information as an index to the relay server 12 (RS16). The relay server 12 stores the transmitted index in the advertisement information DB 46. At this time, each advertisement information is given an identification ID, and this identification ID is also stored as part of the index. Then, the index is stored in the advertisement information DB 46 of the relay server 12. The relay server 12 transmits the identification ID given to the advertisement information and a message indicating successful registration of the advertisement information to the multi-function device 14 as a response to the transmission of attribute information (RS16). The multifunction device 14 stores the transmitted identification ID in association with the actual data of the advertisement information stored in the personal area. This completes the registration of advertisement information.

  Next, the flow of obtaining advertisement information will be described. First, a case where an index of advertisement information is browsed by the multifunction device 14 will be described. The advertisement target person who wants to acquire the advertisement information operates the operation panel of the multi-function device 14 arranged in the company or a convenience store to instruct the start of acquisition of the advertisement information (GS10). On the display panel, a message prompting the user to specify conditions for the advertisement information to be acquired is displayed. Specifically, a message prompting the designation of the region or the product genre is displayed. The advertisement target person operates the operation panel to input the product providing area or the product genre of the advertisement information to be acquired (GS12).

  The list acquisition unit 86 of the multifunction device 14 requests the relay server 12 for a list of advertisement information corresponding to the specified condition. The relay server 12 searches for an index of advertisement information that meets the conditions specified from the advertisement information DB 46, lists the search results, and returns the list to the multifunction device 14. The multi-function device 14 that has received the list displays it on the display panel (GS14). The advertising subject looks at the displayed index and selects advertisement information to be acquired (GS16).

  The actual data request unit 88 acquires actual data of the selected advertisement information. The flow of actual data acquisition will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG.

  First, an actual data acquisition request for the selected advertisement information is transmitted to the relay server 12 from the actual data request unit 88 of the multifunction machine 14 used by the advertisement target person. Receiving this, the relay server 12 stores that there was an acquisition request for the advertisement information. In addition, NG is returned as a response to the actual data request unit 88 of the multifunction device 14. That is, since the actual data of the advertisement information does not exist in the relay server 12 at this time (the relay server 12 holds only the index information at this time), NG is not accepted in response to the acquisition request from the actual data request unit 88. return.

  When the actual data request unit 88 (multifunction device 14 used by the advertising target person) receives NG in response to the acquisition request, the actual data request unit 88 continues to transmit the acquisition request to the relay server 12 at a predetermined polling interval. That is, the actual data request unit 88 performs request polling on the relay server 12. This request polling is performed until the actual data of the advertisement information is transmitted from the relay server 12 as a response.

  On the other hand, as described above, the relay server 12 stores that there is an acquisition request for the advertisement information. In addition, the request confirmation unit of all the multifunction devices 14 connected to the relay server 12 confirms whether there is an acquisition request for the advertisement information held by itself at a predetermined polling interval. That is, the multi-function device 14 (other multi-function devices) holding the advertisement information also confirms whether there is an acquisition request for the advertisement information held by itself at a predetermined polling interval. If there is an acquisition request for the advertisement information held by itself, the upload unit 84 uploads the actual data of the advertisement information to the relay server 12.

  The relay server 12 temporarily stores the uploaded actual data in the actual data spool unit 52. Then, after the actual data is uploaded, if there is an acquisition request polling from the multifunction machine 14 that has requested the acquisition of the actual data, the actual data is transmitted as a response. When the multifunction device 14 receives the actual data, it stores it in the shared area of the storage device 70. In addition, a request to delete the actual data is transmitted to the relay server 12. Receiving this, the relay server 12 deletes the actual data held in the document spool unit. This is the end of the acquisition of advertisement information.

  Returning again to FIG. 5, the overall flow will be described. If the advertisement information is acquired, the multifunction machine 14 prints the acquired advertisement information by the printer unit 64 (GS20). Thereby, the advertising subject can obtain printed advertisement information, in other words, a flyer. The advertisement target person looks at the leaflet and instructs the number of further prints if necessary. If no further printing is required, an instruction to end advertisement information acquisition or an instruction to acquire other advertisement information is issued. The actual data acquisition unit of the multi-function peripheral 14 transmits the printed advertisement information identification ID and the number of printed sheets to the relay server 12 (GS22). The usage status management unit 36 of the relay server 12 stores, as usage status information, the identification ID of the printed advertisement information, the identification ID of the printed multifunction device 14, and the number of printed pages.

  Through the above flow, the actual data of the advertisement information instructed to be acquired by the advertisement target person is exchanged. The reason for exchanging data using such polling is as follows. As described above, each multifunction device 14 is connected to the Internet 24 via the firewall 22 in order to prevent unauthorized access from the outside. This firewall 22 can pass only predetermined communications, e-mail messages and responses to requests from the outside. Therefore, it is impossible to exchange actual data directly between the multifunction devices 14.

  Therefore, as described, actual data is exchanged via the relay server 12. Moreover, at the time of registration of advertisement information and browsing of the list, only an index having a smaller capacity than actual data is exchanged. Thereby, the communication load at the time of registration and browsing of advertisement information can be reduced. Further, since the relay server 12 does not hold the actual data until an acquisition request is received from the multifunction machine 14, the storage capacity of the actual data spool unit 52 and the like can be reduced.

  In the communication from each multifunction device 14 to the relay server 12 in the above description, all of the relay servers 12 perform authentication based on the authentication information held in the multifunction device 14. By performing authentication based on the authentication information, unauthorized access to the relay server 12 can be prevented. In addition, since the personal information of the advertising target is not required at the time of authentication, the advertising target can acquire the advertising information without worrying about leakage of personal information.

  In addition, the advertiser sees the usage status information managed by the usage status management unit 36 of the relay server 12, so that the MFP 14 from which each advertisement information is acquired, the number of printed sheets, and the installation of the MFP are installed. You can know the number of printed advertisement information for each location. On the other hand, the advertisement target person who acquired the advertisement information does not need to input personal information at all as described above. That is, by using the multifunction device 14 to exchange advertisement information, it is possible to provide the advertiser with the usage status of the advertisement information while protecting the personal information of the person to be advertised.

  Next, the flow of advertisement information acquisition using the information terminal 16 such as the PC 16a or the mobile phone 16b will be briefly described. When the information terminal 16 is used, the advertising target person operates the information terminal 16 to instruct the condition of the advertisement information to be acquired. The information terminal 16 acquires a list of advertisement information that meets the specified conditions from the relay server 12 and displays it. The advertisement target person sends an identification ID of advertisement information to be acquired from the displayed list to a memo or e-mail to a mobile terminal such as the mobile phone 16b.

  Then, it goes to the nearest multifunction machine 14 and instructs the start of advertisement information acquisition. However, in this case, the process of acquiring and displaying the list is skipped, and the process of acquiring actual data is started directly. At this time, the advertising target person inputs the noted identification ID into the multifunction device 14. The multi-function device 14 transmits to the relay server 12 an acquisition request for actual data of advertisement information having this identification ID. Then, the actual data of the advertisement information is acquired and printed in the same flow as the actual data acquisition described above.

  As described above, by browsing the list with the information terminal 16 other than the multifunction device 14 and acquiring the actual data with the multifunction device 14, it is possible to specify advertisement information to be acquired in various situations. In addition, since the actual data is acquired by the multi-function device 14, even an advertising target person who does not have a printing device or the like can easily obtain printed information. Further, by using the multi-function device 14 for acquiring actual data, it is possible to provide the advertiser with the usage status of the advertising information while protecting the personal information of the advertising target person.

  Next, a brief description of the suspension of advertisement information provision will be given. When the advertiser wants to stop providing advertisement information, the actual data of the advertisement information stored in the multi-function device 14 is deleted or a provision stop instruction is issued. When instructing to stop providing, the advertiser inputs to the multi-function device 14 the request to stop providing and the identification ID of the advertisement information. The multifunction device 14 transmits the identification ID of the advertisement information related to the deletion or provision stop instruction to the relay server 12 together with the notice that the provision is stopped. The relay server 12 deletes the advertisement information index related to the identification ID. Thereby, the provision of the advertisement information is stopped.

  That is, if the actual data is deleted, the provision of the advertisement information is automatically stopped. Therefore, the advertisement information index is not provided even after the actual data is deleted. Accordingly, the advertising target can always see a list of advertising information for which actual data exists. Moreover, provision can be stopped as needed without deleting actual data. Since the actual data can be saved even if the provision is stopped, the provisional advertisement can be temporarily stopped and the provided advertisement information can be used later.

  The billing associated with the provision of the advertisement information is made to the advertiser based on the usage status information managed by the usage status management unit 36. There are various charging methods. For example, there is a method of charging an advertiser according to the number of printed sheets, the number of times actual data is acquired, and the like. By performing for the advertiser, the advertising target person can more easily acquire the advertising information. Further, since the advertiser is charged according to the usage situation, the advertisement can be provided with an appropriate cost-effectiveness. The calculation of the billing amount may be performed by the relay server 12 or each multifunction device 14. Or you may perform by another management server.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, advertisement information is registered and acquired using a multi-function peripheral. Therefore, even if the reader does not have a connection environment to the Internet or a printing environment, You can register and get advertisement information. Further, the advertiser can easily know the usage status of the advertisement information. At that time, since the personal information leakage of the advertising target person can be almost completely prevented, the advertising target person can easily use the system of the present embodiment. Furthermore, since actual data exchange using polling is performed, it is possible to exchange data across the firewall 22 while reducing the communication load.

  In the present embodiment, a list of advertisement information is acquired in accordance with an instruction from an advertisement target person. However, a list may be automatically acquired and displayed on a display panel. For example, a list of newly registered advertisement information may be automatically acquired from the relay server 12 and displayed on the display panel of the multifunction device 14 as needed. Thereby, the interest in an advertisement can be aroused also to the advertising target person who does not aim at advertisement browsing.

  In this embodiment, advertisements are information to be provided. However, the present invention can be applied to a system that provides various information (contents) such as map information, news, and entertainment information. Further, in the present embodiment, data exchange using polling is performed in consideration of security. However, the present embodiment is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment. In other words, data may be exchanged directly between the multifunction devices 14, or actual data may be transmitted to the relay server 12 when advertising information is registered.

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the content provision system which is this Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of a relay server. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the multifunction peripheral. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of advertisement information registration. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of advertisement information acquisition. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of acquisition of advertisement information.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Advertisement provision system, 12 Relay server, 14 MFP, 16 Information terminal, 20 Local area network, 22 Firewall, 24 Internet, 30 List provision part, 32 Advertisement provision part, 34 MFP information management part, 36 Usage condition management part , 38 Authentication unit, 61 Reading unit, 66 Advertisement providing unit, 68 Advertisement acquisition unit, 70 Storage device, 74 MFP authentication information, 80 Registration unit, 82 Request confirmation unit, 84 Upload unit, 86 List acquisition unit, 88 Actual data Request part.

Claims (10)

A relay server;
A plurality of multi-function peripherals connected to the relay server via the network and registering content in the relay server;
A plurality of acquisition-side multifunction peripherals connected to a relay server via a network and acquiring content registered in the relay server;
A content providing system comprising:
The relay server
A list providing means for creating a content list that is a list of contents registered from the providing multifunction device and providing the content list to the obtaining multifunction device;
Content providing means for providing the content related to the acquisition request to the acquisition-side multifunction device in response to the acquisition request from the acquisition-side multifunction device;
Have
The providing MFP is
Electronic means for reading the content manuscript and digitizing the content;
Registration means for registering the digitized content in the relay server;
Have
Acquisition side MFP
A selection means for displaying the content list provided from the relay server and receiving a user's selection from the contents included in the content list;
An acquisition request means for making an acquisition request for the selected content to the relay server;
Output means for printing out the content provided from the relay server in response to the acquisition request;
A content providing system characterized by comprising: The content providing system according to claim 1,
The relay server
MFP information management means for managing MFP information including the location of the acquisition MFP,
Usage status management means for storing the usage status of content for each acquisition-side MFP and managing the usage status of content for each installation location based on the stored usage status and MFP information;
A content providing system characterized by comprising: The content providing system according to claim 1 or 2,
The providing side multifunction device and the obtaining side multifunction device have a multifunction device authentication information that is given to each multifunction device and transmitted when communicating with the relay server.
The content providing system, wherein the relay server determines whether or not the providing multifunction device and the acquiring multifunction device can access the relay server based on the transmitted multifunction device authentication information. The content providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The registration unit of the providing side multifunction device stores the digitized content in the storage device of the providing side multifunction device, registers the content by transmitting the index information of the content to the relay server,
The providing MFP is
Confirmation polling means for performing confirmation polling on the relay server in order to confirm whether or not there is an acquisition request from the acquisition-side MFP for the content stored in the storage device;
When it is confirmed that there is an acquisition request by confirmation polling, upload means for uploading the content related to the acquisition request to the relay server,
With
The acquisition request unit of the acquisition-side MFP performs request polling to request acquisition of the content until the content related to the acquisition request is provided from the relay server,
The relay server
A request notifying means for storing a content acquisition request from the acquisition-side multifunction peripheral and notifying the providing-side multifunction peripheral of the presence or absence of the acquisition request as a response to the confirmation polling from the providing-side multifunction peripheral holding the content related to the acquisition request; ,
When the content related to the acquisition request is uploaded by the upload unit, a transmission unit that transmits the content to the acquisition-side MFP as a response to request polling for requesting acquisition of the content;
A content providing system characterized by comprising: The content providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
When there is a request for a content list from an information terminal connected to the network, the list providing means of the relay server provides the content list and content identification information for identifying each content to the information terminal,
In the acquisition side MFP,
The selection means accepts input of content identification information,
The content providing system, wherein the acquisition request unit makes a content acquisition request corresponding to the input content identification information to the relay server. The content providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A content providing system, wherein the content is advertisement information. The content providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The content providing system, wherein the providing side multifunction device also functions as the obtaining side multifunction device. A relay server of a content providing system that receives content registration from a providing multifunction peripheral connected via a network and provides the registered content to an acquiring multifunction peripheral connected via the network,
A list providing means for accepting registration of the contents digitized by the electronic means of the providing-side multifunction peripheral, creating a content list that is a list of registered contents, and providing this to the acquiring-side multifunction peripheral;
Content providing means for providing the content related to the acquisition request to the acquisition-side multifunction device in response to the acquisition request from the acquisition-side multifunction device;
A relay server for a content providing system, comprising: A content-providing multifunction peripheral that is connected to a relay server via a network and registers content to be provided to the acquisition-side multifunction peripheral in the relay server,
An electronic means for digitizing the content by reading a document of the content to be provided to the acquisition-side MFP via the relay server;
Registration means for registering the digitized content in the relay server;
A content-providing-side multifunction machine having a content providing system. An acquisition-side multifunction device of a content providing system that is connected to a relay server via a network and acquires the content registered in the relay server by the providing-side multifunction device,
A selection unit that accepts the provision of a list of contents registered in the relay server by the providing multi-function peripheral from the relay server, displays the list, and accepts a user's selection from the contents included in the list of contents;
An acquisition request means for making an acquisition request for the selected content to the relay server;
Output means for printing out the content provided from the relay server in response to the acquisition request;
An acquisition-side multifunction device of a content providing system, comprising:

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