Apparatus and method for presenting popular data in a network system

When a content providing control section has received a download request for content, the control section tells this fact to a download number-of-times counting section. The download number-of-times counting section, which has been informed of the fact, counts up the number of times of download, which is stored on an individual content table in a download number-of-times counting table. In addition, a home page management section acquires the number of times of download, which is stored on the individual content table in the download number-of-times counting table. The home page management section successively assigns areas of the home page to contents such that a largest area is assigned to a content with a largest number of times of download. The home page management section updates and manages home page data according to this assignment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-101857, filed Mar. 30, 2001, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a data providing apparatus and a data providing method for providing content such as music data to subscribers via a network such as the Internet. More particularly, the invention relates to a data providing apparatus and a data providing method capable of effectively discriminating handling of data and contents of offered services in accordance with the state of download of content.

2. Description of the Related Art

With recent remarkable development of data communication technologies and prevalence of personal computers, various business using the Internet have been devised. A typical business is a content providing service that provides content such as music data in response to a request from the user.

In the content providing service, a server computer, which holds content such as music data, posts the content on a so-called home page, thus making it published on the network. When the user of a client computer, who accesses the home page via the network, has instructed provision of desired content on the home page, the server computer transmits the content to the client computer according to the instruction. On the other hand, the client computer, from which the provision of the desired content has been instructed, receives the content that has been transmitted according to the instruction. The received content is stored in a storage medium such as a memory card or a magnetic disk. The acquisition of the content by the client computer is called, for example, “download.”

The client computer is equipped with software for using (e.g. reproducing) the content downloaded in the storage medium such as a memory card or a magnetic disk. Thus, the user can acquire desired content via the network at any time, and use the acquired content many times.

When a plurality of contents are posted on a home page, how to arrange the contents on the home page is very important for a content provider. The reason is that the arrangement of contents influences the number of times of download of contents. More specifically, it is effective to assign a popular content at a conspicuous position with a large space. It is thus desirable to manage the home page such that a content with a large number of times of download is posted under such conditions.

In the prior art, however, the manager of a home page manually determines and manages the arrangement of contents on the home page on the basis of a result of a market research, etc. There is no practice of automatically managing the arrangement of contents on the home page on the basis of the number of times of content download.

Nor is there any practice of determining the content of an additional service provided to the user or determining the price of content, on the basis of the number of times of content download.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and the object of the invention is to provide a data providing apparatus and a data providing method capable of effectively discriminating handling of data and contents of offered services in accordance with the state of download of content.

In order to achieve the object, this invention may provide a data providing apparatus which provides data to a plurality of information processing apparatuses via a network, the data providing apparatus comprising: a data storage device to store a plurality of data elements to be sent to the information processing apparatuses; a view screen publishing device configured to post the data elements stored in the data storage device and to publish on the network a view screen for accepting a request for provision of the data elements; a counting device configured to count the number of requests for provision of each data element, which have been accepted on the view screen published by the view screen publishing device; and a view screen managing device configured to manage arrangement of the data elements on the view screen published by the view screen publishing device, on the basis of the number of requests counted by the counting device.

The data providing apparatus of the invention can automatically and appropriately manage the arrangement of contents on the home page, based on the number of times of download of content.

The present invention may also provide a data providing apparatus which provides data to a plurality of information processing apparatuses via a network, the data providing apparatus comprising: a data storage device to store a plurality of data elements to be sent to the information processing apparatuses; a data transmission device configured to transmit the data elements stored in the data storage device, upon request from the information processing apparatus; a counting device configured to count the number of data elements transmitted by the data transmission device with respect to each data element; and a mail sending device configured to prepare a mail listing data elements in an order beginning with a data element with a largest number counted by the counting device, and sending the mail to the information processing apparatus.

The data providing apparatus of the invention can automatically prepare and send so-called direct mails in which popular contents are listed.

The present invention may also provide a data providing apparatus which provides data to a plurality of information processing apparatuses via a network, the data providing apparatus comprising: a data storage device to store a plurality of data elements to be sent to the information processing apparatuses; a data transmission device configured to transmit the data elements stored in the data storage device, upon request from the information processing apparatus; a counting device configured to count the number of data elements transmitted by the data transmission device with respect to each data element; and a price determining device configured to determine the price of data elements on the basis of the number counted by the counting device.

The data providing apparatus of the invention can flexibly and automatically cope with the price strategies. For example, the price of a content with a large number of times of download is lowered, or raised. Alternatively, the price of a content with a small number of times of download is lowered.

The present invention may also provide a data providing apparatus which provides data to a plurality of information processing apparatuses via a network, the data providing apparatus comprising: a data storage device to store a plurality of data elements to be sent to the information processing apparatuses; a recognition device configured to recognize that an operator of the information processing apparatus connected via the network is a registered subscriber; a data transmission device configured to transmit the data elements stored in the data storage device, upon request from the information processing apparatus, the operator of which has been recognized to be the subscriber by the recognition device; a counting device configured to count the number of data elements transmitted by the data transmission device with respect to each subscriber; and an additional service determining device configured to determine the content of an additional service to be provided to each subscriber, on the basis of the number counted by the counting device.

For example, in a case where mails containing tune lists are periodically sent to subscriber users in the content providing service of providing music data, the data providing apparatus of the invention can effectively and automatically discriminate an additional service to be provided, on the basis of the number of times of download. For instance, sample music data may be additionally provided to a user with a large number of times of download.

The present invention may also provide a data providing apparatus which provides data to a plurality of information processing apparatuses via a network, the data providing apparatus comprising: a data storage device to store a plurality of data elements to be sent to the information processing apparatuses; a recognition device configured to recognize that an operator of the information processing apparatus connected via the network is a registered subscriber; a data transmission device configured to transmit the data elements stored in the data storage device, upon request from the information processing apparatus, the operator of which has been recognized to be the subscriber by the recognition device; a counting device configured to count the number of data elements transmitted by the data transmission device with respect to each subscriber; and a price determining device configured to determine the price of data elements to be provided for each subscriber, on the basis of the number counted by the counting device.

The data providing apparatus of the invention can effectively and automatically discriminate the price of content on the basis of the number of times of download. For example, the price of content is lowered for a user with a large number of times of download.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1shows the structure of a data providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As is shown inFIG. 1, the data providing system comprises a data providing server computer1and client computers2, which are connected via the Internet3.

The data providing server computer1stores a great number of contents such as music data. The server computer1posts the contents on home pages and makes them public on the client computers2via the Internet3. When provision of contents on the home pages has been instructed, the server computer1provides the contents to the client computers2.

On the other hand, the client computer2accesses the posted home page of the server computer1via the Internet3and instructs provision of desired content on the home page. The client computer2receives the content that has been transmitted according to the instruction, and stores the received content in a storage medium such as a memory card or a magnetic disk. The acquisition of the content by the client computer2is called “download of content.”

The data providing system is characterized in that the data providing server computer1effectively discriminates handling of each content and the content of additional services in accordance with the number of times of content download. This feature of the invention will now be described in detail.

FIG. 2is a functional block diagram of the data providing server computer1. As is shown inFIG. 2, the server computer1comprises a CPU11and a system memory12. A magnetic disk drive13and a modem14are connected to the server computer1.

The CPU11controls the entirety of the server computer1. The CPU11comprises a content providing control section111, a download number-of-times counting section112, a home page management section113, a mail providing control section114and an accounting process section115, as will be described later. These sections are constituted by programs in which operational procedures of the CPU11are described.

The system memory12is a memory device serving as a main memory of the server computer1. The memory system12is used to store a download number-of-times counting table121and a content price table122for managing prices of contents.

The magnetic disk drive13is a memory device serving as an external storage of the server computer1. The magnetic disk drive13is used to store contents131to be sent to the client computers2, and home page data132, such as HTML (HyperText Markup Language) files or image data, which constitute home pages to be published on the Internet to post the contents131.

The model14controls data transmission between the server computer1and client computers2via the Internet3according to a prescribed protocol.

Referring toFIG. 3, a description will be given of an operational procedure at a time when the data providing server computer1has been requested by the client computer2to download content131.

If the content providing control section111has received a download request for content131from the client computer2(step A1), the control section111tells this fact to the download number-of-times counting section112. On the other hand, the download number-of-times counting section112, which has been informed of the reception of the download request, counts up the number of times of download of the requested content131, which is stored on an individual content table121ain the download number-of-times counting table121(step A2). In addition, the download number-of-times counting section112counts up the number of times of download by the subscriber, who is the origin of the request, which is stored on an individual subscriber table121bin the download number-of-times counting table121(step A3).

The content providing control section111reads out the requested content131from the magnetic disk drive13and returns it to the client computer2used by the subscriber at the origin of the request (step A4).

Referring toFIG. 4, a description will be given of an operational procedure at a time when the data providing server computer1manages a home page on the basis of the number of times of download.

The home page management section113, which is activated, e.g. in a periodic manner, acquires the number of times of download of individual content, which is stored on the individual content table121ain the download number-of-times counting table121(step B1).

The home page management section113successively assigns areas of the home page to contents131such that a largest area is assigned to a content131with a largest number of times of download (step B2). The home page management section113updates the home page data132according to this assignment (step B3).

Assume that a home page made public with the home page data132has a layout as shown inFIG. 5. There are five content posting areas (1)a1to (5)a5for posting contents131, which have sizes decreasing in this order.

The home page management section113assigns image data for content131with a largest number of times of download, which is stored on the individual content table121ain the download number-of-times counting table121, to the content posting area (1)a1. Then, the home page management section113assigns image data for content131with a second largest number of times of download, which is stored on the individual content table121ain the download number-of-times counting table121, to the content posting area (2)a2.

Similarly, the home page management section113assigns image data for contents131to the content posting areas (3)a3to (5)a5.

In this manner, based on the number of times of download of content131, the data providing server computer1automatically and appropriately manages the arrangement of contents on the home page.

Referring toFIG. 6, a description will be given of an operational procedure at a time when the data providing server computer1prepares and sends mails to subscribers on the basis of the number of times of download.

The mail providing control section114, which is activated, e.g. in a periodic manner, acquires the number of times of download of individual content, which is stored on the individual content table121ain the download number-of-times counting table121(step C1).

The mail providing control section114prepares mails in which contents131are listed in an order beginning with a largest number of times of download (step C2) and sends them to all subscribers (step C3).

In this manner, the mail providing control section114automatically prepares and sends so-called direct mails in which popular contents are listed.

Referring toFIG. 7, a description will now be given of an operational procedure at a time when the data providing server computer1determines the price of content131on the basis of the number of times of download.

The accounting process section115, which is activated, e.g. in a periodic manner, acquires the number of times of download of individual content, which is stored on the individual content table121ain the download number-of-times counting table121(step D1).

Based on the acquired number of times of download, the accounting process section115determines the price of each content131and stores the determined price in the content price table122(step D2).

In this way, the data providing server computer1flexibly and automatically copes with the price strategies. For example, the price of a content with a large number of times of download is lowered, or raised. Alternatively, the price of a content with a small number of times of download is lowered.

Referring toFIG. 8, a description will be given of an operational procedure at a time when the data providing server computer1determines the content of an additional service provided to subscribers on the basis of the number of times of download.

The mail providing control section114, which is activated, e.g. in a periodic manner, acquires the number of times of download by individual subscribers, which is stored on the individual subscriber table121bin the download number-of-times counting table121(step E1).

Based on the acquired number of times of download, the mail providing control section114determines the content of an additional service to be provided to each subscriber (step E2). The mail providing control section114executes the provision of the determined additional service (step E3).

For example, in a case where mails containing tune lists are periodically sent to subscriber users in the content providing service of providing music data, the data providing server computer1effectively and automatically discriminates an additional service to be provided, on the basis of the number of times of download. For instance, sample music data may be additionally provided to a user with a large number of times of download.

Referring toFIG. 9, a description will be given of an operational procedure at a time when the data providing server computer1determines the price of content131for individual subscribers on the basis of the number of times of download.

The accounting process section115, which is activated, e.g. in a periodic manner, acquires the number of times of download by individual subscribers, which is stored on the individual subscriber table121bin the download number-of-times counting table121(step F1).

Based on the acquired number of times of download, the accounting section115determines the price of content131for each subscriber and stores the determined price in the content price table122(step F2).

In this way, the data providing server computer1effectively and automatically discriminates the price of content on the basis of the number of times of download. For example, the price of content is lowered for a user with a large number of times of download.

As has been described above, the data providing server computer1can effectively discriminate handling of content131and the content of offered services in accordance with the state of download of content131.