JP2002041393A - Information distribution method using communication network system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To provide an information distribution method capable of distributing information considered necessary at that time from an information distribution server to a communication terminal desired by an information receiver. SOLUTION: A portable storage device and a communication terminal owned by an information receiver, a simple wireless station that wirelessly communicates with the portable storage device, a proxy server that communicates with the simple wireless station and the communication terminal, and a communication terminal for distributing information. An information distribution method using a communication network system having an information distribution server for transmitting to a communication server, wherein the proxy server has a related table for specifying a distribution information type and a communication terminal of the transmission destination by an identifier, and A step in which the wireless station reads the identifier stored in the portable storage device and transmits the identifier to the proxy server; and the proxy server reads the distribution information specified by the identifier from the information distribution server, and converts the distribution information by the identifier. Transmitting to the specified communication terminal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an information distribution method for distributing information to a communication terminal possessed by an information receiver.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional method for distributing information to a communication terminal has been to unilaterally distribute information from a information distribution server regardless of whether or not the communication terminal requires the distribution information. Examples of such an information distribution method include distribution of news information to a pager (registered trademark), distribution of a mail magazine using electronic mail to a communication terminal, and the like. In particular, regarding distribution of a mail magazine, a mail address is registered in an information distribution server, and the information distribution server transmits a mail magazine to the registered mail address at regular intervals.

[0003]

However, the conventional information distribution method cannot transmit distribution information based on the current position of the information receiver. Further, in the conventional information distribution method, the distribution information and the communication terminal have a one-to-one correspondence, and it is possible to freely transmit the distribution information to another communication terminal only during a certain specific period. A high degree of information distribution cannot be realized.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an information distribution method capable of distributing information considered necessary at that time from an information distribution server to a communication terminal desired by an information receiver.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a portable storage device and a communication terminal owned by an information receiver, a simple wireless station that wirelessly communicates with the portable storage device, and a communication with the simple wireless station and the communication terminal. An information distribution method using a system having a proxy server and an information distribution server for transmitting distribution information to a communication terminal is provided.

[0006] In the information distribution method using the communication network system according to the present invention, the proxy server has an association table for specifying the type of distribution information and the communication terminal to which the information is to be transmitted by an identifier. A first step of reading an identifier stored in a portable storage device and transmitting the identifier to the proxy server, and the proxy server reading distribution information specified by the identifier from the information distribution server, and identifying the distribution information with the identifier. And transmitting to the communication terminal specified in the second step. It is also preferable that the association table can be specified from the communication terminal. Thereby, when the identifier is read out by the simple radio station, the information considered necessary at that time can be distributed from the information distribution server to the desired communication terminal of the information receiver.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the proxy server records, for each identifier, the transmission date and time of the distribution information for each distribution information. The update date / time of the specified distribution information is read from the information distribution server, and the update date / time of the distribution information is compared with the transmission date / time of the distribution information. If the update date / time is later than the transmission date / time, the distribution information is read. And transmits the distribution information to the communication terminal specified by the identifier, records the transmitted date and time in the update date and time, and otherwise ends the processing.
It is also preferred. Thus, the information receiver does not receive the information once received again.

[0008] According to another embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that in the second step, charging is performed when the distribution information is transmitted to the communication terminal.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, it is also preferable that the portable storage device is an IC card and the simple radio station is a contactless IC card reader. In addition, the communication terminal
It may be a mobile phone or a PHS phone having a display screen. Of course, the communication terminal has a mobile phone function or PH
A portable personal computer having an S function may be used, or a fixed personal computer may be used. Therefore, for example, an IC owned by an information receiver
By bringing the card close to the non-contact type IC card reader, the distribution information can be displayed on the display screen of the mobile phone possessed by the information receiver.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the most preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram according to the present invention. In this system, the information receiver comprises: an IC card 1 which is a portable storage device storing an identifier;
Alternatively, the user owns the personal computer 22. The mobile phone 21 has a display screen for displaying distribution information. On the other hand, the information distributor has an information distribution server 6.

The system includes an IC card reader 3 which is a simple radio station for reading an identifier from the IC card 1 as an important component for realizing the present embodiment.
And a proxy server 5 for controlling the transmission destination of the distribution information. The identifier stored in the IC card 1 is uniquely given when the information receiver contracts with the intermediary that operates the proxy server 5.

Communication between the IC card 1 and the IC card reader 3 is performed by a micro data transmission system. When the IC card 1 approaches within a certain distance, the IC card reader 3
The identifier can be read automatically. The read identifier is transmitted to the proxy server 5 via the communication network 4. The IC card reader 3 is a simple wireless station, and can be installed at a ticket gate at or near a station, at an entrance of a building, or the like.

The communication between the proxy server 5 and the mobile phone 21 is performed via the existing wireless network 7 and the wireless station 8, and the communication between the wireless station 8 and the mobile phone 21 is based on the PDC.
(Personal Digital Cellular) method is used. The communication between the proxy server 5 and the personal computer 22 is as follows.
This is performed via the Internet 9.

A specific service will be described. For example, when commuting in the morning, "I want to read XX news on my personal computer as soon as I arrive at the office."
At this time, the information can be transmitted to the personal computer of the company simply by holding the IC card over the IC card reader at the ticket gate at the station. In particular, ○ ×
If the news content is large and downloading takes a long time, the effect of such a service is great. Further, for example, when approaching a certain attraction in a place such as a theme park, the identifier is automatically read from the IC card, and a description of the attraction can be displayed on the mobile phone of the information recipient. .

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the information distribution method of the proxy server according to the present invention. The cause of the start of the flowchart is the reception of the identifier from the IC card reader 3.

First, the proxy server 5 checks distribution information types A, B, and C for the received identifier XXX (S1). The proxy server 5 has, for example, an association table as shown in FIG. Further, by adding an address of an information distribution server that provides the distribution information, for example, a URL on the Internet, to the association table, it is possible to handle a plurality of information distribution servers. For identifier XXX, the transmission destination of distribution information type A is terminal 1, the transmission date and time is January 6, 1999. The transmission destination of distribution information type B is terminal 2 and the transmission date and time is January 1999. 6th The transmission destination of the distribution information type C is the terminal 3 and the transmission date and time is September 20, 1999. For the identifier YYY, the transmission destination of the distribution information type P is the terminal 10 and the transmission date and time is 00 years. January 5 The transmission destination of the distribution information type Q is the terminal 11, and the transmission date and time is January 5, 2000.

The relation between the distribution information type and the communication terminal can be changed from the communication terminal. For example, the information A normally distributed to the communication terminal 1 is set to be distributed to the communication terminal B for several days from tomorrow, or the information distribution is set to be stopped for a certain period or a specific day. You can also. As described above, the relationship between the distribution information type in the association table and the communication terminal can be applied to various applications depending on the system to be realized.

Next, the proxy server 5 sets the distribution information type A,
An inquiry is made to the information distribution server about the update date and time of B and C (S2).

Next, the proxy server 5 is connected to the information distribution server 6
, The update date and time of the distribution information types A, B and C are received (S3). The update date and time of the distribution information type A is October 9, 1998. The update date and time of the distribution information type B is February 6, 1999. The update date and time of the distribution information type C is October 18, 1999.

Next, the proxy server 5 compares the update date and time with the transmission date and time for each distribution information type (S4). If the update date / time is earlier than the transmission date / time for all distribution information types, the processing is terminated because the newest distribution information has already been transmitted. On the other hand, if the update date and time is later than the transmission date and time for at least one distribution information type,
It is necessary to transmit the distribution information to the communication terminal. In the example of this embodiment, it is necessary to transmit the distribution information types B and C to the communication terminal.

Next, the proxy server 5 requests the distribution information server for distribution information on the distribution information types B and C (S5).

Next, the proxy server 5 is connected to the distribution information server 6
(S6).

Next, the proxy server 5 transmits the distribution information B to the communication terminal 2 and the distribution information C to the communication terminal 3 (S
7). It is preferable to charge at this time from the viewpoint of the distribution information providing service. For example, the proxy server 5 leaves a transmission record when transmitting the distribution information to the communication terminal. And
The proxy server 5 determines the transmission record when receiving the reception completion signal from the communication terminal, and can request the information receiver to pay a fee based on the total of the transmission records.

Finally, the proxy server 5 updates the transmission date and time to the transmission date and time for the distribution information types B and C in the related table (S8).

Various changes, modifications and omissions within the scope of the technical idea and viewpoint of the present invention can be easily made by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the above-described embodiment is merely an example, and is not intended to limit the present invention. The invention is limited only as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

[0027]

As described above, according to the information distribution method of the present invention, it is possible to distribute the information which is deemed necessary at that time from the information distribution server to the communication terminal desired by the information receiver. Further, the information once received by the communication terminal of the information receiver is not received again. As described above, various services can be handled by controlling the transmission destination of the distribution information via the proxy server.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram used in an information distribution method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an information distribution method according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Portable storage device, IC card 21 Communication terminal, mobile telephone 22 Communication terminal, personal computer 3 Simple wireless station, IC card reader 4 Communication network 5 Proxy server 6 Information distribution server 7 Communication network for wireless network 8 Wireless station 9 Internet

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Yukio Okazaki 1-6, Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo F-term in Japan Telegraph and Telephone Corporation 5K033 BA13 DA19 DB14 EC04

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A portable storage device and a communication terminal owned by an information receiver, a simple wireless station communicating wirelessly with the portable storage device, a proxy server communicating with the simple wireless station and the communication terminal, and distribution information. An information distribution method using a communication network system having an information distribution server that transmits the distribution information type to the communication terminal, wherein the proxy server specifies the distribution information type and the communication terminal of the transmission destination by the identifier. A first step in which the simplified radio station reads an identifier stored in the portable storage device and transmits the identifier to the proxy server; Reading the specified distribution information from the information distribution server and transmitting the distribution information to the communication terminal specified by the identifier. Information distribution method using a communication network system. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the association table held by the proxy server can be specified from the communication terminal. 3. The proxy server records the transmission date and time of the distribution information for each of the identifiers for each of the identifiers. In the second step, the proxy server is specified by the identifier. The update date / time of the distribution information is read from the information distribution server, and the update date / time of the distribution information is compared with the transmission date / time of the distribution information. If the update date / time is later than the transmission date / time, the Reading the distribution information from the information distribution server, transmitting the distribution information to the communication terminal specified by the identifier, recording the transmitted date and time in the update date and time, and otherwise terminating the process. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises: 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second step charges a fee when the distribution information is transmitted to the communication terminal. 5. The portable storage device is an IC card,
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the simple radio station is a contactless IC card reader. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication terminal is a mobile phone or a PHS phone having a display screen. 7. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the communication terminal is a personal computer.
The method described in the section.