ACCESS SYSTEM FOR INFORMATION SERVICES

Abstract: A system for providing access to an information service from a service provider, comprises a trading commodity, e.g. a periodical, which is supplied from the service provider through ordinary marketing channels, as well as a data storage unit, e.g. a CD ROM disc, which is supplied together with the trading commodity. The data storage unit contains, in addition to entertainment, advertisements and similar information, a code that provides, when the data storage unit is used in a computer having a modem, access to the information service.

Description: ACCESS SYSTEM FOR INFORMATION SERVICES The present invention relates to a system for providing access to an information service from a service provider, based upon the feature that the system comprises a trading commodity supplied by the service provider, and, together with the trading commodity, a data storage unit as an extra. Little by little it has become quite usual to equip a newspaper or any commodity with a data storage unit as an addition to said commodity. Most often a CD ROM disc is supplied as an extra together with a periodical. Usually this data storage unit contains entertainment in the form of games, advertising or other types of information. However, the use of such data storage units is limited to direct use together with a computer, e.g. a PC, and the purpose of the present invention is to extend the potentialities thereof, especially in connection with the fact that many people are now able to perform data communication via public or private communication networks. The applicant's own Norwegian patent application no. 93.0063 discloses a system which may seem similar to the system of the present invention, however the prior art system is a system for maintaining anonymity for a user of a tele- communication service, and the system therefore has particular features which make it inappropriate in connection with a system for providing access to an information service, as in the present invention. Also the prior art system relates to buying a commodity, however it is the commodity itself that contains a certain code. The user/buyer buys the commodity in order to get hold of the code, and then uses the code when making a call to a branch exchange, only for the purpose of maintaining anonymity while the branch exchange nevertheless will be able to authorize the service. This prior art system is not able to provide set-up of any type of general data communication between a user and an information service provider, i.e. in a case where computers are required for processing the general type of information that is of interest, and besides, a simple numerical code attached to a general commodity, is rather unsuitable in comparison to the type of protection/safeguarding inherent in an optionally complicated data code that has been entered into a data storage medium Thus, the present invention has been conceived to provide a new opportunity to establish access to information services only supplied by a service provider for payment Hence, in accordance with the invention a system has been created for providing access to an information service from a service provider, the system comprising a trading commodity supplied by the service provider for sale through ordinary marketing channels, e g a periodical sold in a shop, and a data storage unit that is supplied together with the trading commodity The system is characterized in that the data storage unit contains, preferably in addition to a storage content which comprises entertainment, advertisements and similar information, a code that, when used in a computer having a modem against a communication network to which also the service provider is connected, provides access to said information service In a favourable embodiment of the invention, the data storage unit is a CD The information service may advantageously be an interactive service The code in the data storage unit may be a common code for a number of the trading commodity that is sold, or it may be an individual code for each respective commodity unit At the outset the invention will be implemented by a newspaper or a periodical being supplied with a CD ROM disc, so that these two units are sold together as one commodity in an ordinary shop, or via mail order More generally, the data storage unit may be some other kind of data disc or, for that matter, a data tape cassette, and the trading commodity may be any other commodity, no limitation can be seen in this respect However, the novelty of the invention is that the data storage unit, in addition to entertainment, advertisements etc , is equipped with a code that makes it possible to receive services from and/or communicate with a service provider/information channel owned by the service provider and operated subject to the service provider's supervision, which service provider may be a commodity manufacturer, a newspaper company or other types of service providers. In principle, the communication may be interactive, or it may relate to receiving only. By entering the data storage unit into e.g. a PC type computer having equipment for receiving/reading the type of data storage unit in question, one will, via a modem, be able to participate in and/or receive the services transmitted/ made available by the service provider, i.e. the newspaper company, the commodity manufacturer etc., on the computer network to which the user is attached, because the data storage unit that has been bought and paid, contains the required code for achieving access to the service. Thus, such services can only be received by a user who has bought the newspaper, the commodity or similar with a code stored in the enclosed data storage unit. Hence, this code will be an additional incentive to buy the commodity/newspaper/periodical etc. The information service paid for when the trading commodity and data storage unit are bought, may be considered to be of a very expensive character. In such a case one may also envision two price levels of the original trading commodity, i.e. one price without a data storage unit, and another price when the data storage unit is enclosed. Further, it is possible to develop the system in such a manner that an individual code is used for each trading commodity unit that is sold, or it will be possible with a common code for one edition or one lot of the trading commodity. Communication takes place via the ordinary, existing communication networks, based upon telecommunication networks, computer networks, satellite communication, and using any intermediary of data signals and similar, e.g. the internet.

Claims: PATENT CLAIMS 1. A system for providing access to an information service from a service provider, said system comprising - a trading commodity supplied by the service provider for sale through ordinary marketing channels, e.g. a periodical sold in a shop, and a data storage unit supplied together with said trading commodity, characterized in that said data storage unit contains, preferably in addition to a storage content that comprises entertainment, advertisement and similar, a code which provides, when used in a computer having a modem against a communication network to which also the service provider is connected, access to said information service. 2. The system of claim 1 , characterized in that said data storage unit is a CD ROM disc. 3. The system of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said information service is an interactive service. 0 4. The system of claim 1 , 2 or 3, characterized in that said code is a common code for a number of said trading commodity. 5. The system of claim 1 , 2 or 3, ? characterized in that said code is an individual code for each respective trading commodity unit.

Inventors: HANSEN HROAR A, HANSEN, HROAR, A.
Applicants: HANSEN HROAR A, TORDENSTIERNE A S, HANSEN, HROAR, A., TORDENSTIERNE A/S
Application year: 1997
Main classification: G06F1
IPC codes: G06F1, G06Q30