Abstract:
A system for returning a rate back to a content provider, includes (a) at least one user terminal receiving and transmitting packets, (b) a plurality of content providers each of which provides contents to an internet, and (c) a packet communication network connected to both the user terminal and the internet through radio signals, the packet communication network allowing packets to pass therethrough between the user terminal and the content providers, and charging the user terminal making access to the content providers, for packet rates. When the user terminal receives packets provided from a content provider to which at least a part of the packet rates is to be returned back, the part of the packet rates is returned back to the content provider.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The invention relates to a system for returning rates back to a small-sized content provider which distributes contents through an internet. The invention relates further to a gateway used in such a system, and a method of doing the same.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    A charging system in packet communication includes, for instance, a system in which a rate is determined in accordance with the numbers of packets a packet communication user receives, a system in which a communication administrator charges a user for packet communication in place of a content provider, and a system in which a content provider carries out authentication for charging a user packet communication rate. These systems are carried out by a communication administrator or a content provider which can receive communication rates in an end-to-end manner.  
           [0005]    Recently, a communication administrator newly presents service in which a cellular phone such as an “i-mode” type cellular phone can make access to an internet. As a result, as a greater number of users have a cellular phone, access is made in the greater number to an internet from cellular phones in packet communication. One of reasons why the number of access is increased is that a lot of small-sized voluntary content providers present various contents to cellular phones through an internet. Such various contents satisfy various demands of a lot of cellular phone users.  
           [0006]    Such various contents are presented for the purpose of reducing costs necessary for maintaining shops in which a content provider makes direct contact with users, for instance. In general, a content provider earns an income as running costs for providing contents, in accordance with the following ways.  
           [0007]    First, a content provider can earn an income by inserting an advertisement in his/her content.  
           [0008]    Second, a content provider can earn an income by running a toll site for presenting music or games to a cellular phone, in which case, a communication administrator charges a cellular phone user a rate for communication in place of the content provider.  
           [0009]    Third, a content provider can have a server which is capable of authenticating a packet communication network user for charging the user a communication rate in an end-to-end manner.  
           [0010]    However, some content providers among a lot of content providers do not charge users a rate for presenting contents to him/her. Such content providers are called voluntary content providers. If such voluntary content providers are not able to earn running costs in accordance with the above-mentioned ways, they cannot earn an income for newly constructing or running their sites.  
           [0011]    In order for a communication administrator to earn a packet communication rate much, it would be necessary that content providers including the above-mentioned voluntary content providers present attractive contents to users, and resultingly, users make much access to the contents. Hence, if a communication administrator returns a part of a packet communication rate back to voluntary content providers for assistance of their growth, it would be a significant merit for a communication administrator.  
           [0012]    For instance, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-334145 has suggested a server which is capable of charging a user a communication rate on behalf of a content provider.  
           [0013]    However, the suggested server just charges a packet network user a communication rate for purchasing contents on a network, and is not designed to have a function of returning a part of a communication rate back to a voluntary content provider which cannot earn an income.  
           [0014]    Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-66182 has suggested a system for charging a user a communication rate and receiving the communication rate on behalf of a content provider.  
           [0015]    Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-296583 has suggested a system of charging a user a communication rate. When a user purchases goods in a cyber shop through the use of an identifier or a password of a registered provider, the suggested system allows a user to purchase goods from a plurality of providers at a time.  
           [0016]    Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-13371 has suggested a method of charging a user a communication rate, including the steps of monitoring a period of time necessary for downloading content data to a user, calculating a period of time per one unit of data, and controlling a period of time necessary for downloading content data which time is varied due to a speed at which content data is transmitted.  
           [0017]    Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-76339 has suggested a method of calculating a communication rate, including the steps of monitoring how degree certain content data is used, and calculating a rate to a content holder in accordance with the results of monitoring.  
           [0018]    Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-67401 has suggested a method of on-line charging a user a communication rate, including the steps of connecting a communication terminal to a center storing content data, calculating a communication rate in accordance with a size of a package of content data when the center transmits the content data to the communication terminal, and charging the communication terminal a sum of the thus calculated communication rate and a rate for the content data.  
           [0019]    Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-77953 has suggested a system for presenting toll images, including first means for outputting a combination of image data and additional image data, and second means for calculating a rate by subtracting a rate associated with the additional image data out of a rate associated with the image data.  
           [0020]    Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-186125 has suggested a method of charging a user a communication rate in a data communication network including a server of a data-providing administrator, a plurality of user terminals receiving data from the server, and a relay unit through which the server transmits data to the user terminals. The relay unit carries out the steps of storing first data about the data-providing administrator, receiving second data from the server which second data is indicative of whether a rate is a rate to be charged to the data-providing administrator, judging, when data received from the server is transmitted in accordance with the first data, whether a rate is to be charged to the data-providing administrator for the data, based on the second data, and charging the data-providing administrator the rate when it is judged that the rate should be charged to the data-providing administrator for the data.  
           [0021]    Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-285825 has suggested a system including first means for accumulating contents to which advertisement data is added, and providing the contents to a client through a network in response to a request of the client, and second means for calculating points given in accordance with the number of times by which the first means provides the contents to the client, and returning profits back to a content provider in accordance with the points.  
           [0022]    However, a system for a communication administrator to return a part of a packet communication rate back to a voluntary content provider is not disclosed and suggested yet.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0023]    In view of the above-mentioned problems in the prior systems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system which enables a communication administrator to return a part of a packet communication rate back to a voluntary content provider.  
           [0024]    It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of enabling a communication administrator to return a part of a packet communication rate back to a voluntary content provider.  
           [0025]    It is further an object of the present invention to provide a gateway used in the above-mentioned system and method.  
           [0026]    In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for returning a rate back to a provider, including (a) at least one user terminal receiving and transmitting packets, (b) a plurality of content providers each of which provides contents through an internet, and (c) a packet communication network connected to both the user terminal and the internet through radio signals, the packet communication network allowing packets to pass therethrough between the user terminal and the content providers, and charging the user terminal making access to the providers, for packet rates, wherein when the user terminal receives packets provided from a provider to which at least a part of the packet rates is to be returned back, the part of the packet rates is returned back to the provider.  
           [0027]    In accordance with the above-mentioned system, when a user terminal receives packets provided from a content provider to which at least a part of a packet rate is to be returned back, the part of the packet rate is returned back to the content provider. As a result, a lot of small-sized voluntary content providers can earn an income, and hence, a communication administrator can assist voluntary content providers to construct attractive contents. If voluntary content providers can present a lot of attractive contents, the number of accesses made to such voluntary content providers is increased, ensuring that a communication administrator which presents a packet communication network can earn an increased income.  
           [0028]    There is further provided a system for returning a rate back to a content provider, including (a) at least one user terminal receiving and transmitting packets, (b) a plurality of content providers each of which provides contents through an internet, and (c) a packet communication network including a gateway, the packet communication network being connected to the user terminal through radio signals, and further to the internet through the gateway through radio signals, the packet communication network allowing packets to pass therethrough between the user terminal and the content providers, and charging the user terminal making access to the content providers, for packet rates, wherein the gateway, when the user terminal receives packets provided from a certain content provider, judges whether the certain content provider is a content provider to which at least a part of the packet rates is to be returned back, and if the certain content provider is a content provider to which at least a part of the packet rates is to be returned back, the part of the packet rates is returned back to the certain content provider.  
           [0029]    In accordance with the above-mentioned system, when a user terminal receives packets provided from a certain content provider, the gateway judges whether the certain content provider is a content provider to which at least a part of the packet rates is to be returned back. If the certain content provider is such a content provider, the part of the packet rate is returned back to the certain content provider. As a result, a lot of small-sized voluntary content providers can earn an income, and hence, a communication administrator can assist voluntary content providers to construct attractive contents. If voluntary content providers can present a lot of attractive contents, the number of accesses made to such voluntary content providers is increased, ensuring that a communication administrator which presents a packet communication network can earn an increased income.  
           [0030]    It is preferable that the gateway compares a content identifier applied to the certain content provider to a content identifier included in packets transmitted from the user terminal, for judging whether the user terminal receives packets provided from a content provider to which at least a part of the packet rates is to be returned back.  
           [0031]    It is preferable that the packet communication network includes a database in which the content identifier applied to the certain content provider is stored.  
           [0032]    It is preferable that the packet communication network includes a log file to which the gateway transmits access data when the content identifier applied to the certain content provider is identical with the content identifier included in packets transmitted from the user terminal, and wherein the part of the packet rates is returned back to the certain content provider in accordance with the access data.  
           [0033]    For instance, the content identifier may be comprised of a universal resource locator (URL).  
           [0034]    For instance, the access data may include an amount of packets transmitted to the user terminal.  
           [0035]    For instance, the access data may include the number of access made to each of the content providers.  
           [0036]    For instance, the access data may include a period of time in which the user terminal makes communication with the certain content provider.  
           [0037]    In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of returning a rate back to a content provider in a system including (a) at least one user terminal receiving and transmitting packets, (b) a plurality of content providers each of which provides contents through an internet, and (c) a packet communication network connected to both the user terminal and the internet through radio signals, the packet communication network allowing packets to pass therethrough between the user terminal and the content providers, and charging the user terminal making access to the content providers, for packet rates, the method including the step of, when the user terminal receives packets provided from a content provider to which at least a part of the packet rates is to be returned back, returning the part of the packet rates back to the content provider.  
           [0038]    There is further provided a method of returning a rate back to a content provider in a system including (a) at least one user terminal receiving and transmitting packets, (b) a plurality of content providers each of which provides contents through an internet, and (c) a packet communication network connected to both the user terminal and the internet through radio signals, the packet communication network allowing packets to pass therethrough between the user terminal and the content providers, and charging the user terminal making access to the content providers, for packet rates, the method including the steps of (a) when the user terminal receives packets provided from a certain content provider, judging whether the certain content provider is a content provider to which at least a part of the packet rates is to be returned back, and (b) if the certain content provider is a content provider to which at least a part of the packet rates is to be returned back, returning the part of the packet rates back to the certain content provider.  
           [0039]    It is preferable that the step (a) includes a sub-step of comparing a content identifier applied to the certain content provider to a content identifier included in packets transmitted from the user terminal, for judging whether the user terminal receives packets provided from a content provider to which at least a part of the packet rates is to be returned back.  
           [0040]    It is preferable that the method further includes the steps of storing the content identifier applied to the certain content provider, into a database, and reading the content identifier out of the database, when the sub-step is carried out.  
           [0041]    It is preferable that the method further includes the step of transmitting access data to a log file, when the content identifier applied to the certain content provider is identical with the content identifier included in packets transmitted from the user terminal, in which case, the part of the packet rates is returned back to the certain content provider in the step (b) in accordance with the access data.  
           [0042]    In still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gateway arranged in a packet communication network through which a plurality of content providers each of which provides contents through an internet transmits packets to and receives packets from a user terminal, the gateway acting as an interface through which the packet communication network makes communication with the internet, the packet communication network charging the user terminal making access to the content providers, for packet rates, wherein the gateway, when the user terminal receives packets provided from a certain content provider, judges whether the certain content provider is a content provider to which at least a part of the packet rates is to be returned back, and if the certain content provider is judged by the gateway to be a content provider to which at least a part of the packet rates is to be returned back, the part of the packet rates is returned back to the certain content provider.  
           [0043]    It is preferable that the gateway compares a content identifier applied to the certain content provider to a content identifier included in packets transmitted from the user terminal, for judging whether the user terminal receives packets provided from a content provider to which at least a part of the packet rates is to be returned back.  
           [0044]    It is preferable that the gateway reads the content identifier applied to the certain content provider, out of a database arranged in the packet communication network.  
           [0045]    It is preferable that the gateway transmits access data to a log file arranged in the packet communication network, when the content identifier applied to the certain content provider is identical with the content identifier included in packets transmitted from the user terminal, in which case, the part of the packet rates is returned back to the certain content provider in accordance with the access data.  
           [0046]    The advantages obtained by the aforementioned present invention will be described hereinbelow.  
           [0047]    In accordance with the present invention, when a user terminal receives packets provided from a certain content provider, it is judged as to whether the certain content provider is a content provider to which at least a part of the packet rates is to be returned back. If the certain content provider is such a content provider, the part of the packet rate is returned back to the certain content provider. As a result, a lot of small-sized voluntary content providers can earn an income, and hence, a communication administrator can assist voluntary content providers to construct attractive contents. If voluntary content providers can present a lot of attractive contents, the number of accesses made to such voluntary content providers is increased, ensuring that a communication administrator which presents a packet communication network can earn an increased income.  
           [0048]    The above and other objects and advantageous features of the present invention will be made apparent from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0049]    [0049]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system for returning a packet communication rate back to a voluntary content provider, in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 2 is a flow-chart showing an operation of the system in accordance with the first embodiment.  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a system for returning a packet communication rate back to a voluntary content provider, in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 4 is a flow-chart showing an operation of the system in accordance with the second embodiment. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0053]    Preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention will be explained hereinbelow with reference to drawings.  
         [0054]    [First Embodiment] 
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system  100  for returning a packet communication rate back to a voluntary content provider, in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0056]    The system  100  in accordance with the first embodiment is comprised of a user terminal  10 , a packet communication network  80 , and a plurality of content providers  60  each of which provides contents through an internet network  90 .  
         [0057]    The packet communication network  80  connects the user terminal  10  to the internet network  90 , and is provided by a communication administrator. The packet communication network  80  is comprised of an exchange  20 , an interface  30 , and a charger  70 .  
         [0058]    The exchange  20  and the interface  30  are designed to make communication to each other. The exchange  20  acts as an interface through which the packet communication network  80  makes communication with the user terminal  10  through radio signals, and the interface  30  allows the packet communication network  80  to make communication with the internet network  90 .  
         [0059]    The user terminal  10  transmits packets to the content providers  60  through the exchange  20  and the interface  30 , and the content providers  60  transmit packets to the user terminal  10  through the interface  30  and the exchange  20 . The charger  70  is connected to the exchange  20 .  
         [0060]    The user terminal  10  is comprised of a data processor which is capable of making packet communication to receive various services, such as a cellular phone or a personal computer. Each of the content providers  60  is comprised of a data processor arranged in the internet network  90 , such as a workstation server, and provides contents through the internet network  90 .  
         [0061]    The user terminal  10  is designed to be able to make access to the content providers  60  through the packet communication network  80 , and have a display screen in which contents having been received from the content providers  60  can be displayed.  
         [0062]    The exchange  20  receives a request of making access to the content providers  60 , from the user terminal  10 , and receives packets transmitted from the content providers  60  in response to the request and transmits the packets to the user terminal  10 .  
         [0063]    The charger  70  is arranged by a communication administrator providing the packet communication network  80 . The charger  70  calculates an amount of packets to be transmitted to the user terminal  10  in response to the above-mentioned request, and charges a user of the user terminal  10  a packet communication rate in accordance with the calculated amount of packets.  
         [0064]    The interface  30  is comprised of a data processor such as a workstation server. The interface  30  charges a user a communication rate on behalf of a toll content provider. It is assumed that a content provider  60 A among the content providers  60  is a voluntary content provider to which a part of a packet communication rate which a communication administrator charges a user of the user terminal  10  is to be returned back. If the user terminal  10  receives packets provided from the voluntary content provider  60 A, the interface  30  transmits an instruction to the charger  70  through the exchange  20  to pay a part of a packet communication rate to the voluntary content provider  60 A.  
         [0065]    [0065]FIG. 2 is a flow-chart showing an operation of the system  100  in accordance with the first embodiment. Hereinbelow is explained the operation of the system  100  with reference to FIG. 2.  
         [0066]    First, the terminal user  10  transmits a request of presenting contents thereto, to the exchange  20 , in step S 110 .  
         [0067]    On receipt of the request from the user terminal  10 , the exchange  20  retrieves the content providers  60  to find a content provider which provides the contents requested by the user terminal  10 , in step S 120 . It is assumed that the thus found content provider is a voluntary content provider  60 A to which a part of a packet communication rate which a communication administrator charges a user of the user terminal  10  is to be returned back.  
         [0068]    Then, the exchange  20  transmits an instruction to the voluntary content provider  60 A through the interface  30  to provide contents to the exchange  20 , in step S 130 .  
         [0069]    On receipt of the instruction from the exchange  20 , the voluntary content provider  60 A transmits contents to the exchange  20  through the interface  30 , in step S 140 .  
         [0070]    Since the contents or packets passing through the interface  30  are transmitted from the voluntary content provider  60 A, the interface  30  transmits an instruction to the charger  70  through the exchange  20  that the packets are transmitted from the voluntary content provider  60 A, and hence, a part of a packet communication rate should be paid to the voluntary content provider  60 A, in step S 150 .  
         [0071]    The user terminal  10  receives the contents transmitted from the voluntary content provider  60 A through the interface  30  and the exchange  20 , in step S 160 .  
         [0072]    The charger  70  charges a user of the user terminal  10  a packet communication rate, in step S 170 . In accordance with the instruction transmitted from the interface  30 , the charger  70  pays a part of the thus charged packet communication rate to the voluntary content provider  60 A, in step S 180 .  
         [0073]    [Second Embodiment] 
         [0074]    [0074]FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a system  200  for returning a packet communication rate back to a voluntary content provider, in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0075]    The system  200  in accordance with the second embodiment is comprised of a user terminal  10 , a packet communication network  80 A, and a plurality of content providers  60  each of which provides contents through an internet network  90 .  
         [0076]    The packet communication network  80 A connects the user terminal  10  to the internet network  90 , and is provided by a communication administrator. The packet communication network  80 A is comprised of an exchange  20 , a gateway  30 A, and a charger  70 .  
         [0077]    The exchange  20  and the gateway  30 A are designed to make communication to each other. The exchange  20  acts as an interface through which the packet communication network  80 A makes communication with the user terminal  10  through radio signals, and the gateway  30 A acts as an interface through which the packet communication network  80 A makes communication with the internet network  90 .  
         [0078]    The user terminal  10  transmits packets to the content providers  60  through the exchange  20  and the gateway  30 A, and the content providers  60  transmit packets to the user terminal  10  through the gateway  30 A and the exchange  20 . The charger  70  is connected to the exchange  20 . The gateway  30 A includes a database  40  and a log file  50 .  
         [0079]    The user terminal  10 , the content providers  60 , the exchange  20  and the charger  70  have the same structure as the structure of them in the first embodiment, and operate in the same manner as the corresponding parts in the first embodiment.  
         [0080]    The gateway  30 A is comprised of a data processor such as a workstation server. The gateway  30 A charges a user a communication rate on behalf of a toll content provider.  
         [0081]    In addition, the gateway  30 A compares a content identifier stored in the database  40  to a content identifier indicated in a packet transmitted from the user terminal  10  as a request to provide contents to the user terminal  10 . Herein, a content identifier means an identifier which identifies only one content provider. In the second embodiment, a content identifier is comprised of a host in a hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP) in the request transmitted from the user terminal  10 . For instance, it is assumed that the request is comprised of a phrase “GET “http://www.xxx.co.jp/index.html HTTP//1.0” made in accordance with the hyper text transfer protocol, a content identifier is comprised of “www.xxx.co.jp” which is a host of the request. That is, a content identifier is comprised of a universal resource locator (URL).  
         [0082]    A content identifier of a content provider to which a part of a packet communication rate which a communication administrator charges a user of the user terminal  10  is to be returned back is stored in the database  40 . For instance, if it is assumed that a content provider  60 A among the content providers  60  is a voluntary content provider to which a part of a packet communication rate which a communication administrator charges a user of the user terminal  10  is to be returned back, a content identifier of the voluntary content provider  60 A is in advance stored in the database  40 .  
         [0083]    If the gateway  30 A judges that a content identifier indicated in the request transmitted from the user terminal  10  is identical with a content identifier of the voluntary content provider  60 A, stored in the database  40 , the gateway  30 A transmits access data to the log file  50 . The access data includes the content identifier and an amount of packets which the voluntary content provider  60 A transmitted to the user terminal  10  through the gateway  30 A. The log file  50  stores the received access data therein.  
         [0084]    The access data including the content identifier and an amount of the packets may be displayed in a display screen of the user terminal  10 .  
         [0085]    If packets passing through the gateway  30 A are to be received by the user terminal  10 , only access data of packets having a content identifier compared to a content identifier of packets having been transmitted from the user terminal  10  in the past is transmitted to the log file  50 .  
         [0086]    The access data is transmitted to the log file  50  each time a request to make access to the content providers  60  is transmitted from the user terminal  10 . An amount of packets stored in the log file  50  is used for detecting an amount of packets transmitted each of the content providers  60 .  
         [0087]    A communication administrator providing the packet communication network  80 A returns a part of a packet communication rate back to the voluntary content provider  60 A in accordance with the access data stored in the log file  50 , for instance, in accordance with a ratio of packets transmitted from the voluntary content provider  60 A to packets transmitted from all of the content providers  60 .  
         [0088]    [0088]FIG. 4 is a flow-chart showing an operation of the system  200  in accordance with the second embodiment. Hereinbelow is explained the operation of the system  200  with reference to FIG. 4.  
         [0089]    First, a user of the user terminal  10  selects a content which the user desired to have, in a menu displayed in a display screen of the user terminal  10 , in step S 210 . Then, the user terminal  10  transmits a request packet which requests to provide the selected content thereto, to the exchange  20 , in step S 220 . Specifically, the user terminal  10  transmits a packet to the exchange  20  which packet has an argument to which a universal resource locator (URL) of the selected content is applied in accordance with “GET method” presenting a hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP) request defined by RFC (Request For Comments) in IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force).  
         [0090]    On receipt of the request packet, the exchange  20  establishes session with the gateway  30 A, and transmitting the request packet to the gateway  30 A, in step S 230 .  
         [0091]    On receipt of the request packet, the gateway  30 A recognizes the universal resource locator (the above-mentioned “www.xxx.co.jp”) included in the received request packet, as a content identifier, in step S 240 .  
         [0092]    Then, the gateway  30 A retrieves the database  40  to check whether a content identifier identical with the thus recognized content identifier is stored in the database  40 , in step S 250 .  
         [0093]    If a universal resource locator of contents provided from the voluntary content provider  60 A is not stored in the database  40  (NO in step S 260 ), the gateway  30 A notifies the user terminal  10  through the exchange  20  that contents which a user of the user terminal  10  requested to have cannot be obtained, in step S 350 .  
         [0094]    If a universal resource locator of contents provided from the voluntary content provider  60 A is stored in the database  40  as a content identifier (YES in step S 260 ), the gateway  30 A transmits access data to the log file  50 , in step S 270 . The access data includes the universal resource locator and an amount of packets of the contents.  
         [0095]    Then, the gateway  30 A retrieves the universal resource locator in a domain name server (DNS) (not illustrated) in order to have an internet protocol (IP) address of the voluntary content provider  60 A to which the user terminal  10  requested to provide contents thereto, in step S 280 .  
         [0096]    Thereafter, the gateway  30 A establishes a connection with the voluntary content provider  60 A by virtue of the internet protocol address, and transmits the request packet to the voluntary content provider  60 A through the internet network  90 , in step S 290 .  
         [0097]    In response to the request transmitted from the user terminal  10 , the voluntary content provider  60 A transmits contents to the gateway  30 A through the session having been already established, in step S 300 . The gateway  30 A transmits an amount of packets of the contents received from the voluntary content provider  60 A, to the log file  50  as access data, in step S 310 . The contents provided from the voluntary content provider  60 A are transmitted to the user terminal  10  through the gateway  30 A and the exchange  20 , in step S 320 .  
         [0098]    Thus, a user of the user terminal  10  can watch, listen to or download the contents which he/she requested to have.  
         [0099]    A communication administrator presenting the packet communication network  80 A periodically makes access to the log file  50  to collect the access data stored in the log file  50 , in step S 330 .  
         [0100]    Then, a communication administrator returns a part of a packet communication rate which a communication administrator charged a user of the user terminal  10  through the charge  70 , back to the voluntary content provider  60 A in accordance with an amount of packets indicated in the access data, in step S 340 .  
         [0101]    In the system  200  in accordance with the second embodiment, a packet communication rate is returned back to the voluntary content provider  60 A in accordance with an amount of packets of the contents transmitted from the voluntary content provider  60 A. However, it should be noted that the number of accesses or hits made to the voluntary content provider  60 A or a period of time during which the user terminal  10  makes communication with the voluntary content provider  60 A may be used in place of an amount of packets of the contents.  
         [0102]    In accordance with the above-mentioned system  200 , when the user terminal  10  receives packets provided from a certain content provider, the gateway  30 A judges whether the certain content provider is the voluntary content provider  30 A. If the certain content provider is the voluntary content provider  30 A, a part of a packet communication rate is returned back to the voluntary content provider  60 A in accordance with an amount of packets of the contents which the voluntary content provider  60 A transmitted. As a result, a lot of small-sized voluntary content providers can earn an income, and hence, a communication administrator can assist voluntary content providers to construct attractive contents. If voluntary content providers can present a lot of attractive contents, the number of accesses made to such voluntary content providers is increased, ensuring that a communication administrator which presents the packet communication network  80 A can earn an increased income.  
         [0103]    While the present invention has been described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the subject matter encompassed by way of the present invention is not to be limited to those specific embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended for the subject matter of the invention to include all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as can be included within the spirit and scope of the following claims.  
         [0104]    The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-60450 filed on Mar. 6, 2002 including specification, claims, drawings and summary is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.