Patent ID: 6330490
Filing Date: 2001-12-11
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
In a data vending machine including a host computer and a plurality of remote data vending machine connected with the host computer via a communication network, said host computer, comprising:a first database for storing a plurality of digitalized data files;a management database for storing a management data including a list of data files stored therein by each data vending machine, a sold date of each data file, and a sold number of the same;a management data updating means for updating the management database in accordance with a management data transferred from the data vending machine;a deletion instruction message generation means for generating a message for instructing a deletion data file which will be deleted among the data files stored in the data vending machine with reference to the management data corresponding to the management database when a data file transfer request is received from the data vending machine; anda transferring means for transferring a data file requested from the data vending machine to the data vending machine together with a deletion message generated by the deletion instruction message generation means, each data vending machine, comprising:a second database for storing a part of the data files stored in the first database of the host computer;a listing and reserving means for providing a listing and selection function and a procurement reservation function of the lists of the data files stored in the first database stored in the host computer;a fabrication means for reading a data file selected by a customer from the second database of the data vending machine and recording the read data file onto a recording medium;a charge processing means for processing the charge for the cost of the data file; anda main control means for controlling the entire operations of the system, said main control means, comprising:a reservation information processing means for requesting a transfer of the data files which are not stored in the second database among the data files reserved by the listing and reserving means to the host computer;a database managing means for deleting the deletion instructed data file from the second database when a deletion request data file is received from the transfer means of the host computer together with the deletion instruction message and storing the received data file onto the second database;a procurement processing means for reading a data file selected by the customer from the second database and recording the read data file onto a recording medium by instructing to a fabrication means; anda selling information transfer means for storing a selling information related to the procurement data file of the customer and transferring to the host computer.