Patent ID: 8635160
Filing Date: 2014-01-21
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. An information providing apparatus having a hardware processor, comprising: a receiver configured to receive a request for purchasing a content from an information processing apparatus, the receiver being further configured to receive user identification data for identifying a user of the information processing apparatus, identification information of the information processing apparatus, and identification information of a portable device; a controller, implemented on the hardware processor, configured to authenticate the user based on the received user identification data; a transmitter configured to transmit the request for purchasing a content to a server via a network when the user has been authenticated by the controller, the request including identification information of the information processing apparatus and the identification information of the user of the information processing apparatus, the transmitter configured to transmit the content to the portable device via the information processing apparatus; a storage device configured to store the content and a usage right corresponding to the content, the usage right being determined based on the content and the user identification data, and the usage right including checkout data which indicates a number of times that the content can be checked out, and the storage device configured to store the identification information of the portable device and the identification of the information processing apparatus in association with the identification data for identifying the user of the information processing apparatus, the storage device configured to store the identification information of the portable device, the identification of the information processing apparatus, and the identification data for identifying the user of the information processing apparatus in association with content transmitted to the information processing apparatus, and the content is simultaneously checked out to the portable device and the information processing apparatus; and a content management unit configured to manage distribution of the content based on the checkout data, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the content to the information processing apparatus after receiving the content from the server, and the content management unit is configured to update the checkout data when the content is transmitted to the information processing apparatus.