Abstract:
The present invention provides a digital content sales server supporting a digital content provider in selling digital content. The digital content sales server  200  communicatively connected with a digital content terminal  10 . The digital content sales server stores a predetermined digital content, receives a volume range of the digital content, receives an input of the charging amount related to the received volume range, and associates and stores the digital content with the volume range and the charging amount to allow a user to view the digital content through the digital content terminal  10 b.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is based on and claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2014-233015 filed on Nov. 17, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a digital content sales server, a method of selling digital content, and a program for the digital content sales server. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0003]    Recently, portable terminals called smartphone and tablet have been widespread. These portable terminals enable users to watch digital contents including electronic books, moving images like movies, and music by installing a predetermined application. 
         [0004]    For these digital contents, a technology such as a content delivery system which assigns content ID to the contents for preventing an illegal use of charged contents is disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1). 
       CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
       [0005]    Patent Document 1: JP 2001-325459 A 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0006]    However, in Patent Document 1, a method of supporting a copyright holder of the digital contents in selling the contents is not disclosed. In the sales of digital contents, a method allowing a user to preview a predetermined range of content free of charge and charging only when the user continues to watch the digital content can encourage a user to purchase the content smoothly. For example, if the digital content is an electronic book, the promotion of the sales can be supported by allowing a user to read a predetermined number of pages free of charge and charging the user for the rest of the pages. 
         [0007]    In this context, the objective of the present invention is to provide a digital content sales server, a method of selling a digital content, and a program for the digital content sales server to support digital content providers in selling content. 
         [0008]    According to the first aspect of the present invention, a digital content sales server communicatively connected with a digital content terminal, includes: 
         [0009]    a digital content storing unit storing a predetermined digital content, 
         [0010]    a volume receiver unit receiving a volume range of the digital content, 
         [0011]    a charging receiver unit receiving an input of the charging amount related to the received volume range. 
         [0012]    The digital content sales server associates and stores the digital content with the volume range and the charging amount to allow a user to view the digital content through the digital content terminal. 
         [0013]    According to the first aspect of the present invention, the digital content sales server stores a predetermined digital content, receives a volume range of the digital content, receives the input of the charging amount related to the received volume range, associates and stores the digital content with the volume range and the charging amount to allow a user to view the digital content through the digital content terminal. 
         [0014]    The first aspect of the present invention is related to the category of a server, but another category e.g. a method category has similar functions and the effects according to their categories. 
         [0015]    According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the digital content sales server according to the first aspect of the invention, 
         [0016]    the digital content is an electronic book, the volume receiver unit determines a predetermined number of pages of the electronic book or a predetermined number of lines displayed on a predetermined page as a certain volume range, and the charging receiver unit charges for each of the certain volume range. 
         [0017]    According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the digital content sales server according to the first aspect of the invention, 
         [0018]    the digital content is a video content, 
         [0019]    the volume receiver unit determines a video content output during a predetermined amount of time as a certain volume range, and the charging receiver unit charges for each of the certain volume range. 
         [0020]    The present invention can provide a digital content sales server supporting a digital content provider in selling content, a method of selling a digital content, and a program for the digital content sales server. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  shows the overall schematic diagram of a digital content sales system  1 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  shows the functional block diagram of a digital content terminal  10  and a digital content sales server  200 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  shows the flow chart of a digital content sales process executed by the digital content terminal  10  and the digital content sales server  200 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  shows an example image of the input screen (for a movie) displaying a volume range and the charging conditions on a digital content terminal  10   a.    
           [0025]      FIG. 5  shows an example image of the input screen (for an electronic book) displaying a volume range and the charging conditions on the digital content terminal  10   a.    
           [0026]      FIG. 6  shows an example image of the screen displaying limitation for the digital content on a digital content terminal  10   b.    
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]    Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, this is illustrative only, and the technological scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. 
       Configuration of Digital Content Sales System  1   
       [0028]      FIG. 1  is a configuration diagram of the digital content sales system  1  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The digital content sales system  1  includes a digital content terminals  10   a  and  10   b  (hereinafter simply referred to as “a digital content terminal  10 ”), a digital content sales server  200 , and a public line network  3  (the Internet, the third and the fourth generation communication networks, and the like). 
         [0029]    The digital contents are the data that can be watched through a digital content terminal  10 . The digital contents may be electronic books, movies, televisions, moving images like videos, music, games, websites, software, applications, texts, comics, animated cartoons, photographs, arts, computer graphics, characters, broadcasting, and e-learning materials. 
         [0030]    The digital content terminal  10  has the functions to be mentioned below, can perform data communication, and is an electrical appliance for domestic or business use. The digital content terminal  10  may be an information appliance such as a smartphone, a tablet, a net book terminal, a slate terminal, an electronic book terminal and a potable music player in addition to a mobile terminal, a cellular phone, and a portable terminal. The digital content terminal  10  also maybe a general electrical appliance that can show digital content such as a refrigerator, an audio device, a speaker, a washing machine, a router, a television, a printer, a multifunction printer, a heater, an air conditioner, a telephone, and a recording medium, and a reproducing device in addition to a computer. The digital content terminal  10  has a function to enable Internet communication using a protocol such as TCP/IP. 
         [0031]    The digital content terminal  10  may function as a terminal providing digital content (10 a ) or displaying digital content ( 10   b ). That is, both of these functions may be provided in one single terminal. 
         [0032]    The digital content sales server  200  receives digital content from a digital content terminal  10   a  and allows a user to view the contents from another digital content terminal  10   b . This server has the following functions described later. The functions executed by the digital content sales server  200  may be separately performed on a plurality of physically divided server. 
       Functions 
       [0033]    The configuration of each device will be explained with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
         [0034]    The digital content terminal  10  transmits and displays a digital content and includes a control unit  11  provided with a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as “CPU”), random access memory (hereinafter referred to as “RAM”), and read only memory (hereinafter referred to as “ROM”), and the like and a communication unit  12  including a device communicating with other devices, for example a device connecting to a mobile communication network to perform communication or a Wireless Fidelity or Wi-Fi® enabled device complying with IEEE 802.11. 
         [0035]    The digital content terminal  10  also includes a display unit as an input-output unit  14  to output data and images controlled by the control unit. The input-output unit  14  displays the digital content and the data received from the digital content sales server  200 . The input-output unit  14  also receives an instruction from a user to transmit the digital content, a specified volume range, and charging conditions etc. 
         [0036]    In the digital content terminal  10 , the control unit  11  reads a predetermined program and cooperates with the communication unit  12  to run a digital content transmitter module  17 , a volume range transmitter module  18 , and a charging condition transmitter module  19 . Moreover, the control unit  11  reads a predetermined program and cooperates with the input-output unit  14  to run a volume range input receiver module  20 , and a charging condition input receiver module  21 . 
         [0037]    The program read in the digital content terminal  10  may be an application program installed in the digital content terminal  10 . The application program, at installation, may have a function to register the user identifier of a user operating the digital content terminal  10 . The digital content terminal  10  appropriately receives an input from a user such as an email address, a short message address, a telephone number, a product ID, and an ID associated with the application, etc. that are used to receive electronic book contents and the data from the digital content sales server  200 . Then the digital content terminal  10  transmits the received input to the digital content sales server  200  for registration. 
         [0038]    The digital content sales server  200 , in the same way as the digital content terminal  10 , includes a control unit  201  provided with a CPU, a RAM, and a ROM, and the like; and a communication unit  202  provided with a device that performs data communication with other computers, such as Wi-Fi® enabled device complying with, for example, IEEE802.11, and a device connectable with cables. The digital content sales server  200  also includes a data storage unit such as a hard disk, semiconductor memory, a recording medium, or a memory card as a storage unit  203  storing data, files and database tables. 
         [0039]    In the digital content sales server  200 , the control unit  201  reads a predetermined program and cooperates with the communication unit  202  to run a digital content receiver module  205 , a volume range receiver module  206 , a charging condition receiver module  207 , and a digital content delivery module  208 . Moreover, the control unit  201  reads a predetermined program and cooperates with the storage unit  203  to run a digital content storing module  209 . 
         [0040]    A digital content DB  210  and a volume range and charging condition DB  211  may be external database servers. Original digital contents are stored in the digital content DB  210 . The volume range and the charging condition associated with original digital content is stored in the volume range and charging condition DB  211 . 
         [0041]    Here, the volume range is a part of the original digital content, specified by the copyright holder of the digital content, and allowed to be free of charge. For example, when the digital content is movie, the range is a predetermined time (with hours, minutes, and seconds) after start of the movie. When the digital content is an electronic book, the range is a predetermined number of pages, a predetermined number of lines or rows on a predetermined page. The volume range may be limited by for example, time, pages, areas, volume, a game progress state, a function of software, a predetermined web page, etc. In addition, the charging condition is charging condition for the volume range specified by a copyright holder of digital content, for example specific charging amount or charging rate. 
       Digital Content Sales Process 
       [0042]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart of the digital content sales process executed by the digital content terminals  10 ( a,b ) and the digital content sales server  200 . The process executed by the module of each of the above-mentioned devices will be explained together with the present process. 
         [0043]    First, the digital content transmitter module  17  of the digital content terminal  10   a  transmits (uploads) a digital content to the digital content sales server  200  (Step S 01 ) in response to the operation from the copyright holder of the digital content. Accordingly, the digital content receiver module  205  receives the transmitted digital content and stores it in the digital content DB  210  (Step S 02 ). 
         [0044]    Next, the volume range receiver module  206  and the charging condition receiver module  207  transmit an input interface for receiving an input of a volume range and charging conditions from the copyright holder to the digital content terminal  10   a  (Step S 03 ). Accordingly, the volume range input receiver module  20  and the charging condition input receiver module  21  receives and displays the transmitted input interface (Step S 04 ). 
         [0045]      FIGS. 4 and 5  show the example images of the screen displaying the input interface on the digital content terminal  10   a.    FIG. 4  shows an example screen when the digital content is a movie. The charging start time falls within the volume range, which is 12 minutes and 25 seconds. When the charge amount meets the charging conditions, preview after the volume range (12 minutes 25 seconds) is charged at 360 JPY. 
         [0046]    On the other hand,  FIG. 5  shows an example screen when the digital content is an electronic book. The charging start page falls within the volume range, which is page 10. When the charge amount meets the charging conditions, preview after the volume range page 10 is charged at 20 JPY per page. Besides these charging conditions described above, copyright holder can specify the charge amount as 360 JPY in a single payment and an increase rate per page. That is, if the increase rate per page is specified as 5% and if the start page is 25, the charging amount of the page 25 is 20 JPY×105% =21 JPY (per page), and the charging amount of the page 26 is 22 yen (after rounding off to the closest number). 
         [0047]    The volume range input receiver module  20  and the charging condition input receiver module  21  receives the input of a volume range and charging conditions, and the volume range transmitter module  18  and the charging condition transmitter module  19  transmits the received data to the digital content sales server  200  (Steps S 05  and S 07 ). Accordingly, the volume range receiver module  206  and charging condition receiver module  207  of digital content sales server  200  receives the volume range and the charging conditions, accepts the input (Steps S 06  and S 08 ) and associates and stores the digital content with the volume range and the charging conditions in the volume range and charging condition DB  211 . 
         [0048]    In the process described above, the transmitted digital content is stored to be allowed for preview of within the input volume range and under the input charging conditions through the digital content terminal  10   b.  The digital content terminal  10   b,  which is used to view digital content, requests the download of a digital content from the digital content sales server  200  in response to a user&#39;s request (Step S 10 ). 
         [0049]    Accordingly, the digital content delivery module  208  of the digital content sales server  200  transmits the volume range and the charging conditions of the requested digital content in addition to the explanation of the content (Step S 11 ) and explicitly shows them to the user of the digital content terminal  10   b.  In addition, when the user requests the digital content, the digital content delivery module  208  transmits the digital content with limitation of the volume range and the charging conditions to the digital content terminal  10   b  (Step S 12 ). The digital content input-output module (not shown in the figures) outputs the received digital content with limitation (Step S 13 ). 
         [0050]    The output of a digital content with limitation means that a digital content within the specified volume range is output without any charge and that the content without the volume range is not output. For example, as shown in  FIG. 6 , in the case of electronic book content, the volume range (charging for the pages from page 10) and the charging condition (20 JPY per page) according to above-mentioned  FIG. 5 , the charging condition is displayed to encourage the user to pay the charge when the page 10 is output (Step S 14 ). 
         [0051]    Accordingly, when the user, who is watching the digital content terminal  10   b,  instructs the charging process (for example, presses the Buy button  32  in  FIG. 6 ) (Step S 14 ), the charging condition receiver module  207  executes the charging process (Step S 15 ). When a charging process is completed, the digital content sales server  200  transmits a key that releases the limitation of digital content to the digital content terminal  10   b  (Step S 16 ). The digital content terminal  10   b  receives the key, releases the limitation, and outputs the digital content (Step S 17 ). 
         [0052]    The above-mentioned example assumes that a user views a digital content because the movie and the electronic book are mainly described as the examples of digital content. But when the digital content is game and software, etc. the progress state of the digital content varies in response to the user&#39;s operation, whether the volume range is reached or not is determined based on the progress status. 
         [0053]    To achieve the means and the function that are described above, a computer (including CPU, an information processor, and various terminals) reads and executes a predetermined program. For example, the program is provided in the form recorded in a computer-readable medium such as a flexible disk, CD (CD-ROM, etc.), and DVD (DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, etc.). In this case, a computer reads a program from the recording medium, forwards and stores the program to and in an internal or an external storage, and executes it. The program may be previously recorded in, for example, a storage (recording medium) such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, and a magneto-optical disk and provided from the storage to a computer through a communication line. 
         [0054]    The embodiment of the present invention is described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. The effect described in the embodiment of the present invention is only the most preferable effect produced from the present invention. The effect of the present invention is not limited to those described in the embodiment of the present invention. 
       REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
       [0055]      1  digital content sales system 
         [0056]      10   a  and  10   b  digital content terminal 
         [0057]      200  digital content sales server