JP2002197070A - System, method, and server for providing contents, and computer-readable recording medium with recorded contents providing program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To actualize a diversified and flexible contents providing system, etc., on which user's actions and states are reflected in a simple and safe network environment. SOLUTION: In the contents providing system built on the Internet 1 to which user's terminals 4 of a plurality of users previously provided with basic contents can be connected, a user performs retrieval through the user terminal 4 by using a search engine 5 to access a contents providing server 3 to which an address that the use is not previously notified of is set and makes a request to download related contents related to the basic contents. Then the obtained related contents are made to cooperated with the basic contents to actualize the diversified and flexible contents providing system on which the user's actions and states are reflected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a contents providing system for providing contents via a network, and more particularly, to providing basic contents in advance among the entire contents composed of basic contents and related contents.
Thereafter, it belongs to the technical field of a content providing system for providing related content via a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, contents handled by a personal computer are generally provided on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM. In this case, the user must use a CD-ROM
Etc. are obtained in advance and set on a personal computer,
Various data such as recorded image data can be read out and used for various purposes as needed.

On the other hand, with the rapid spread of the Internet in recent years, an environment in which contents can be obtained without using a recording medium such as a CD-ROM has been realized. That is,
The Internet has been widely used as a means for acquiring contents, such as distributing various contents to users via the Internet, accessing specific addresses and browsing desired information.

[0004]

When contents are provided using a recording medium such as a CD-ROM which is a general method as described above, the data contents are fixedly determined in advance. It is difficult to provide sexual content.

[0005] On the other hand, when using the Internet as described above, there is no restriction on the data content of the recording medium, but diverse contents are constructed by reflecting the actions and situations of individual users. It is difficult. Also,
If a specific address on the Internet is known to a malicious person, it may be targeted for unauthorized access.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and provides various contents to a user in a simple and secure network environment by reflecting various actions and situations of the user. An object is to realize a flexible content providing system and the like.

[0007]

In order to solve the above problem, a content providing system according to claim 1 is constructed on a network to which user terminals of a plurality of users who have been provided basic content in advance can connect. In the content providing system, one or a plurality of related contents associated with the basic content are arranged in one or a plurality of content providing servers that can be searched from the user terminal by a search unit on the network, Content management means for managing the entire content including the content and the one or more related content on the network, and the content providing server is arranged in the content providing server in response to a request from an accessing user. Providing the related content to the user terminal. It is characterized in.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a content providing method for providing content via a network connectable to user terminals of a plurality of users to which basic content has been provided in advance, wherein One or a plurality of related contents related to the basic content are arranged on one or a plurality of content providing servers that can be searched from the user terminal by a search unit, and are configured from the basic content and the plurality of related contents. Managing the entire content on the network, and providing the related content located in the content providing server to the user terminal in response to a request from a user accessing the content providing server. .

According to the first and twelfth aspects of the present invention, basic contents having a specific purpose are provided to a user in advance, and related contents as various kinds of data necessary for the basic contents are provided. Acquisition situation occurs. At this time, the user performs a search using, for example, a general-purpose search engine or the like via a network, and accesses the content providing server based on the search result to acquire related content. Therefore, the basic content and the related content can be made to cooperate, and it is possible to provide various and flexible contents that are not restricted by the original basic content.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the content providing system according to the first aspect, wherein the content providing server is set to an address not notified to the user. .

[0013] According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the content providing method according to the twelfth aspect, wherein the content providing server is set to an address not notified to the user. And

According to the second and thirteenth aspects of the present invention, an address which has not been notified to the user is set in the content providing server searched by the search means. Therefore, the user can enjoy the process of searching for related content on the network.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the content providing system according to the first aspect, wherein the content providing server transmits one or a plurality of content providing home pages to which an address not notified to the user is set. Wherein the content providing homepage is capable of providing one or more types of related content to an accessing user.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the content providing method, the content providing server has one or a plurality of content providing homepages to which an address not notified to a user is set. One or more types of related content can be provided to an accessing user.

According to the third and fourteenth aspects of the present invention, the content providing homepage searched by the user by the search means is set to an address not informed to the user, and provides the related content. This is a page opened by the server. Therefore, the user can enjoy the process of searching for the content providing homepage by himself, and can add value to the content providing homepage.

A content providing system according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the content providing system according to the first aspect, wherein the content providing server responds to a download request of a user who has accessed the content providing homepage. Is transmitted to the user terminal.

A content providing method according to a fifteenth aspect is the content providing method according to the fourteenth aspect,
In response to a download request of a user who has accessed the content providing homepage, the related content arranged on the content providing homepage is transmitted to the user terminal.

According to the invention described in claims 4 and 15, the user who has searched for the content providing homepage as described above only has to download the related content that has been placed via the network. Related content can be acquired easily and quickly.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a content providing method comprising:
2. The content providing system according to claim 1, wherein the content management means changes the address of the content providing homepage over time.

[0020] A content providing method according to claim 16 is the content providing method according to claim 14, wherein
The address of the content providing homepage is changed over time.

According to the inventions set forth in claims 5 and 16, since the address of the home page accessed by the user changes over time, the content providing home page can be freely moved according to the time and situation. ,
It is possible to provide more varied contents.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the content providing system according to the third aspect, wherein the content providing server determines an unauthorized access to the content providing homepage, The address of the content providing homepage is changed.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, in the content providing method according to the fourteenth aspect, an unauthorized access to the content providing homepage is determined, and when the unauthorized access is performed, the content providing homepage is determined. Is changed.

According to the inventions described in claims 6 and 17, when unauthorized access to the content providing homepage is performed, the content is determined and the address is changed. An attack can be effectively prevented.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the content providing system according to the third aspect, the content providing server sets a limit on the number of users who provide the related content from the content providing homepage. Features.

[0026] According to a eighteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the content providing method according to the fourteenth aspect, wherein the number of users who provide the related content from the content providing homepage is limited.

According to the present invention, the provision of related content is restricted based on the number of users accessing the content providing homepage. This is effective when the content is limited to have a rare value, and it is possible to provide content that is more interesting to the user.

[0028] In a content providing system according to an eighth aspect, in the content providing system according to the first aspect, an advertisement information prepared by a business entity is added to the related content. According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, in the content providing method of the twelfth aspect or the fourteenth aspect, the related content is added with advertisement information prepared by a business operator. I do.

According to the invention described in claims 8 and 19, the advertisement information of the specific business is added to the related content and arranged on the content providing homepage, so that the user finds the content providing homepage by himself / herself. Motivated and effective advertising effect can be obtained.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the content providing system according to the first or third aspect, the content managing means includes a user information registering means for registering user information. Only the user is permitted to provide the related content.

According to the present invention, user information of available users is registered, and provision of related content is performed only to registered users, so that user management in the content providing system can be easily performed.

In the content providing system according to a tenth aspect, in the content providing system according to the ninth aspect, when the content providing server provides the related content to the user terminal, the content providing server may communicate with the user. A mutual authentication process based on information is performed, and after confirming authentication, the related content is provided to the user terminal.

According to the present invention, the mutual authentication process is performed when the related content is provided to the registered user, and the related content is provided after the authentication is confirmed. The provision of content can be eliminated, and the content providing system can be operated safely and reliably.

A content providing server according to a twentieth aspect is constructed on a network connectable to a user terminal to which basic content has been provided in advance, and holds one or a plurality of related content associated with the basic content. The content providing server of a content providing system including one or a plurality of content providing servers that provide the related content in response to a download request of an accessing user, and counts the number of download requests for the related content A counter, and control means for preventing the related content from being downloaded when the count value of the counter reaches a predetermined number.

According to the present invention, in the content providing system, a content providing server for realizing the above-described operation is provided, and the content providing server counts the number of download requests made by the user, thereby executing the download. Since control is performed, provision of related content to the user can be easily managed.

A content providing server according to a twenty-first aspect of the present invention is the content providing server according to the twentieth aspect, further comprising a history management unit for storing information for specifying a user terminal that has downloaded the related content, and The means refers to the history management unit in response to the download request, and does not update the count value of the counter when the user terminal that has issued the download request has previously downloaded the same related content. I do.

According to the present invention, the content providing server controls updating of the counter when a download request is made by the user based on the information stored in the history management unit, so that related content is concentrated on a specific user. Can be controlled so that related content is distributed to many users.

A content providing server according to a twenty-second aspect is the content providing server according to the twenty-first aspect, wherein the content providing system manages a download permission status of related content in the plurality of content providing servers. The server further includes a server, wherein the content providing server does not execute the download of the related content when the count value reaches a predetermined number.

According to the present invention, when the number of times of downloading related content reaches the permitted upper limit, the content providing server notifies the management server of this fact. Can be handled.

[0040] A computer-readable recording medium storing the content providing program according to claim 23 is constructed on a network to which a plurality of user terminals provided with a program corresponding to the basic content in advance can be connected. The content providing server of a content providing system including one or a plurality of content providing servers that holds one or a plurality of related content related to the content and provides the related content in response to a download request of an accessing user And counting the number of download requests for the related content and, when the count value reaches a preset number, prevents the computer from executing the download for the related content. To.

According to a twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable recording medium recording the content providing program according to the twenty-third aspect. The included computer further stores information identifying the user terminal that downloaded the related content, and when the user terminal that has issued the download request has previously downloaded the same related content, the count value of the counter Is made to function so as not to be updated.

According to the inventions described in claims 23 and 24, in the content providing system, useful software for realizing the function of the content providing server is provided, and the construction of the content providing system is facilitated. be able to.

[0043]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which the present invention is applied to a content providing system that provides content usable by many users. An example of such a content providing system is a network game system that provides a user with a network game via a network.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the content providing system according to the present embodiment. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, a content providing system according to the present embodiment includes a management server 2 as a content management unit for managing the entire system, and a plurality of content providing servers 3.
, A plurality of user terminals 4 and a search engine 5 are connected to the Internet 1, respectively, and
(Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protoco
It is configured to perform data communication according to l).
In FIG. 1, three user terminals 4 and two content providing servers 3 are shown, but the number of user terminals 4 and the content providing servers 3 is not limited thereto, and may be larger.

In the above configuration, the management server 2 is a server that is provided with a predetermined address, provides basic functions of the content providing system according to the present embodiment, and manages the construction of the content providing server 3. User terminal 4
The basic content including the basic program and the necessary data of the content providing system according to the present embodiment is provided in advance by various means such as a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or distribution from the management server 2. Also,
The address of the official homepage of the content providing system according to the present embodiment is open (for example, the address of the official homepage is set in the basic content). Then, the basic content of the user terminal 4 and the management server 2 and the content providing server 3 cooperate with each other to realize the function of the entire content providing system.

The plurality of content providing servers 3 are provided with an independent address different from the address of the official homepage, and one or more content providing homepages in which related content related to the basic content of the user terminal 4 is arranged. have. The management server 2
The installation, movement, and management of all the content providing servers 3 on the Internet 1 are performed. The related content arranged in each of the content providing servers 3 includes items and keywords that are associated with the basic content and should be searched by the user according to the situation, or related programs related to the basic program.

The search engine 5 is a system for searching, from various information provided on the Internet 1, a page including information that matches search conditions set by keywords or the like. The user terminal 4 can freely access the general-purpose search engine 5, and can use the search engine 5 when searching for the related content as described later.

As the user terminal 4, the Internet 1
A personal computer or the like equipped with a browser for accessing the content providing server 3 or the search engine 5 via the PC and referring to various information is used. Then, in the user terminal 4 permitted to access the content providing system, a process using the basic content is executed by a browser, a general-purpose application, or the like.

Next, FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the management server 2 described above. As shown in FIG. 2, the management server 2 includes a communication interface 21 and a control unit 22.
, A storage unit 23, a table management unit 24, and a table update unit 25. Communication interface 2
1 establishes a connection with each user terminal 4 and the content providing server 3 via the Internet 1 and establishes the TCP / I
An interface operation for data communication according to P is performed. The control unit 22 includes a CPU and a memory for controlling the overall operation of the management server 2 as a whole. Storage unit 2
Numeral 3 is a memory such as a hard disk in which programs executed on the official website or programs and data necessary for other processes are stored.

The table management unit 24 manages management data of related contents provided from the contents providing homepage by using a table. As will be described later, this content management table is prepared for each type of related content, and manages, for example, the order in which content providing homepages are opened. Then, when a new content providing homepage is opened, the table updating unit 25 updates the contents of the table of the table managing unit 24 based on the management data. When the administrator of the management server 2 acquires the address of the newly opened content providing homepage, it is necessary to additionally register the management data in the table.

Here, FIG. 3 shows the table management unit 24 described above.
1 shows an example of a table for content management in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, a table is formed in which management data of related content (related content a in FIG. 3) specified by the provided content name is sequentially described. Of the management data included in the table, the opening order is
Indicates the order in which a content providing homepage providing related content is opened. Here, the opening order is 1.
When the download of the related content from the preceding content providing homepage is completed, if the subsequent content providing homepage is not open, it is opened immediately. The HP address is an address set in the corresponding content providing homepage.

Next, the management data of the table including the providing server name, the registration date, the open date, the download start date, the download end date, and the close date is configured corresponding to the related contents in which the open schedule order is determined. Is done. Among these, the providing server name is the name of the content providing server 3 that provides the related content. The registration date is the date when the administrator of the management server 2 registered in the table. At this point, the preparation of the target content providing homepage is completed. The open date is the date when the target content providing homepage was opened. In the case of a content providing homepage that provides a plurality of related contents, it is an open date when any of the related contents is provided. The download start date is a date to start downloading the related content, and the download end date is a date to end the download of the related content. The download start date of the specific management data on the table always coincides with the download end date of the preceding management data. The close date is a date on which the target content providing homepage is closed, and is a date after all the related content has been provided. In addition,
Even when the provision of the related content ends, the hint of the next content providing homepage may be posted without closing the content providing homepage.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the content providing server 3 described above. As shown in FIG. 4, the content providing server 3 includes a communication interface 31, a control unit 32, a storage unit 33, and a history management unit 34.
And a counter 35. The communication interface 31 establishes a connection with each user terminal 4 and the management server 2 via the Internet 1,
Performs an interface operation for data communication according to. The control unit 32 includes a CPU and a memory for generally controlling the entire operation of the content providing server 3.
The control unit 32 executes a later-described connection possibility collation process for the related content as necessary. The storage unit 33 includes a memory such as a hard disk in which related content including a related program to be downloaded is stored in a hierarchical structure, such as a program for a download process executed on the content providing homepage.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the data structure in the storage unit 33. As shown in FIG. 5, in the storage area of the storage unit 33, data is recorded for each of a plurality of WEB pages as a content providing homepage. In FIG. 5, a specific address is set to each of the WEB pages indicated by numbers, and each WEB page is accompanied by one or a plurality of related contents. For example, three related contents a, b, and c correspond to the WEB page (1) in FIG. 5, and respective related programs and the like are sequentially recorded as data. When the user accesses the content providing homepage, specific related content is selectively transmitted to the user terminal 2 in response to a download request.

Next, returning to FIG. 4, the history management section 34 allows the user to access the content providing homepage,
When a download request is made, history information including the IP address of the user is managed. The data managed by the history management unit 34 manages the above-described history information for each content providing homepage attached to the content providing server 3 or for each related content. The counter 35 counts the number of times the user downloads related content. If the content providing server 2 has a plurality of types of related content, the number of downloads is counted for each. When the count value of the counter 35 reaches a predetermined number, the content providing server 3 notifies the management server 2 that the reception of the download of the related content is ended.

Next, a procedure for a user operating the user terminal 4 to use the content providing system will be described. First, when the basic content is provided by a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, the recording medium must be prepared, and when the basic content is distributed from the management server 2, it must be downloaded in advance.

Then, in the user terminal 4, for example, when participating in a network game, a basic program included in the basic content is started to start the game.
Thereafter, a situation arises in which related contents such as image data and items are acquired in accordance with the progress of the basic contents. These related contents are arranged on any one of the content providing homepages. However, since the address of the target content providing homepage is not notified to the user, it is unknown at this time, and the user needs to find out by some method.

Therefore, the user accesses the search engine 5 on the Internet 1 and inputs a word which is a hint of the related content to be searched, and the search engine 5 executes the search processing. When the search processing is completed, the search engine 5 displays a list of search results, and the user selects a specific homepage from the list. Then, the user accesses the selected homepage, and if the homepage corresponds to the target content providing homepage, related contents to be searched are arranged. On the other hand, if it does not correspond to the target content providing homepage, another homepage is selected and the above operation is continued.

By acquiring related contents using the search engine 5 in various situations as described above,
Finally, the purpose of the content providing system of the present embodiment can be achieved. As described above, the content providing system according to the present embodiment is configured to start from the basic content acquired by the user at first, but to gradually expand the range of action of the user on the Internet 1 thereafter. .

Next, processing performed in the content providing system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a process executed by the access destination content providing server 3 when a user who has acquired basic content attempts to acquire related content.

When the processing in FIG. 6 is started, the content providing server 3 monitors access by the user via the Internet 1 and determines whether or not there is access from the user terminal 4 (step S11). The user using the content providing system starts up a browser or the like on the user terminal 4 and performs access based on the address recognized based on the search result of the search engine 5 or the like as described above, thereby identifying the user terminal 4. Is established with the content providing server 3. If there is no user access (step S11; N
O) The monitoring of the access is continued, and when the access of the user is determined (step S11; YES), it is determined whether or not the unauthorized access is performed by the user (step S12).

Step S12 is a process performed to prevent the content providing homepage from being targeted by an attack from a malicious third party who knows the address of the content providing homepage. For example, if a large number of accesses are intensively received at a specific timing due to a so-called DOS attack, access to the content providing homepage from the user terminal 4 will be hindered. Therefore, in the present embodiment, using a known technique such as filtering a command received at the time of access, for example, it is determined that a command intended for unauthorized access has been transmitted, and whether or not unauthorized access has been performed is determined. Judge.

In step S12, if an unauthorized access is determined (step S12; YES), the connection between the user terminal 4 to be determined and the content providing server 3 is disconnected (step S13). Then, in order to eliminate unauthorized access thereafter, the content providing homepage to be accessed is closed by the management server 2 (step S14), and the processing in FIG. 2 is ended. At this time, the main server 2 notifies the management server 2 that the content providing homepage has been closed by the content providing server 3 so that the new content for providing the related content provided on the closed content providing homepage can be provided. A new content providing website. As described above, since the content providing homepage is closed by the content providing server 3, it is necessary to know a new address to obtain specific related content thereafter, which is effective in preventing unauthorized access.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the access is valid as a result of the determination in step S12 (step S1).
2; NO), it is determined whether there is a download request from the user terminal 4 (step S15). As a result, when a download request is received (step S15; YES),
Mutual authentication processing is performed between the user terminal 4 and the content providing server 3 (step S16). On the other hand, if the download request has not been received (step S15; N
O) The process immediately proceeds to step S21.

Here, in the mutual authentication process of step S16, the content providing server 3 and the user terminal 4 send IDs to each other and determine whether or not the IDs are appropriate. At this time, the content providing server 3 may refer to user information described below via the network 1 and the user terminal 2 may determine the respective IDs based on the basic content. In this way, the content providing server 3 confirms that the user is a legitimate user registered in the management server 2 and the user terminal 4 has the content providing server 3 place related content. It is necessary to confirm that the page is provided by the management server 2 as a prerequisite for the mutual authentication processing in step S16. The management server 2 functions as a user information registration unit,
A user registration process is performed according to a predetermined procedure when a user accesses. At this time, various information such as the name and address input by the user is stored as user information in, for example, a storage unit of the management server 2, and the above-mentioned I information unique to the user
D is given. At this time, if the user needs to be charged, a simple charging process can be performed in conjunction with the user registration process.

Further, in the mutual authentication process in step S16, by inputting information that can be obtained only by the user holding the basic content, more reliable authentication can be performed. For example, the user may be allowed to input a product number of a recording medium on which basic content or the like is recorded.

Next, when a normal authentication result is obtained in step S16 and the download is permitted (step S16).
17; YES), with reference to the history information held in the history management unit 34, it is determined whether or not a download history of the same related content exists for the accessed user (step S18). As a result, if there is no download history of the user (step S18; NO),
The number of downloads is incremented by the counter 35 (step S19), and the process proceeds to step S20. on the other hand,
If the download history of the user exists (step S18; YES), the process proceeds to step S20 without performing step S19. Accordingly, when a user who has downloaded the specific related content in the past repeatedly downloads the same related content, control is performed so that the number of downloads is not incremented. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the content providing homepage from being closed by multiple downloads by the same user.

Next, content data corresponding to the arranged related content is transmitted to the user terminal 4 (step S20). On the other hand, if the download is not permitted based on the authentication result of step S16 (step S1
7; NO), the process immediately proceeds to step S21 without executing steps S18 to S20.

Next, the connection between the user terminal 4 and the content providing server 3 is disconnected (step S21).
Subsequently, it is determined whether the number of downloads has exceeded a preset value N (step S22). Here, the number of downloads is the total of the number of downloads since the specific content providing server 3 was installed, and is counted for the purpose of limiting the number of downloads. If the number of downloads is N or less (step S22; NO), the process returns to step S11 and repeats the same processing.

On the other hand, if the number of downloads exceeds N (step S22; YES), the download of the related content is terminated after that, and the content providing server 3 notifies the management server 2 to that effect. Is performed (step S23), and the processing in FIG. 6 ends. At this time, the main server 2 that has received the notification opens a new content providing homepage that provides the same related content. In the processing of step S23, the hint of the next content providing homepage may be posted on the content providing homepage. Step S22 is effective, for example, when the number of users to whom related content provided by the content providing system is provided is limited to a certain number. When it is not necessary to limit the number of users to be provided to a certain number, the processing of steps S22 and S23 may be omitted.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, the case where the related content placed on the content providing homepage is obtained by downloading is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the user may simply browse the related content on the content providing server 3. It may be. For example, in a case where the user is searching for a required keyword, the processing related to downloading may be omitted.

Further, in the example of FIG. 6, the content providing server 3 determines the number of downloads and the presence or absence of unauthorized access.
Although the example of closing or moving the content providing server has been described, the content providing server 3 may be closed or moved as time elapses. That is, the related content on the content providing server 3 may be provided to the user only for a certain period of time, or the address of the content providing server 3 where the specific related content is arranged may be sequentially changed according to the progress of time. Good.

Next, processing performed by the management server 2 in response to the notification (step S23 in FIG. 6) by the content management server 2 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

In FIG. 7, the management server 2 monitors that the content providing server 3 has notified that the reception of the related content has been completed (step S31). As a result, when the notification is received (step S31; YES), it is determined whether or not a new content providing homepage providing the same related content as the related content whose download has been completed has been opened (step S32). ). Step S
32 (step S31; N)
O), and step S31 is continued.

As a result of the determination in step S32, when a new content providing homepage is opened by the management server 2 (step S32; YES), the related content is downloaded to the content providing server 2 to which the content providing homepage belongs. Is notified to start receiving (step S33). On the other hand, when the new content providing homepage has not been opened (step S32; NO), the fact that the new content providing homepage is to be opened to the content providing server 2 to which the content providing homepage belongs, and the download of the related content Is notified to start receiving (step S34).

Subsequently, the contents of the table managed by the table management unit 24 are automatically updated by the table updating unit 25 (step S35), and the processing in FIG. 7 is completed. Specifically, management data such as the opening date and the download start date of a new content providing homepage is registered in the table.

[0077] The content providing homepage that provides the specific related content may be changed as the set time elapses. Further, the content providing homepage that provides the specific related content is not limited to one, and may be plural.

Next, an application example of the content providing system according to the present embodiment will be described. As described above, when the user acquires and uses various contents by combining the basic contents provided to the user in advance and the related contents distributed and arranged in the plurality of content providing servers 3, the content provision according to the present embodiment is performed. A system can be built. For example, a content providing system can be constructed for sweepstakes, quizzes, wallpaper collection, or network games performed on the Internet 1. Also, as an example of a network game,
For example, there can be mentioned a content growth type game such as treasure hunting, orienteering, pet breeding and robot assembly performed on the Internet 1, and a multi-story game in which various stories progress. Less than,
The case where the content providing system according to the present embodiment is applied to these application examples will be specifically described. (1) Sweepstakes When the content providing system according to the present embodiment is applied to sweepstakes, a plurality of content offer homepages are opened for users who apply for sweepstakes, and related contents each having a role as a sweepstakes hint. Is arranged. Here, a case where the content providing system is applied to a prize will be described using a specific example of FIG.

First, it is assumed that a specific business recruits prizes in a manner as shown in FIG. FIG.
The form shown in (a) plays a role of basic content for wide disclosure, and is disclosed through a published homepage on the Internet 1 or a medium such as a magazine, and the contents of the prize are transmitted. Then, a user who intends to apply for a prize must answer a predetermined keyword or the like as shown in FIG. The hint for this is placed on the content providing homepage, but its address is private, and the user is required to search for the content providing homepage by himself as described above.

On the other hand, the content providing homepage includes
In the mode as shown in FIG. 8B, a prize hint as a related content is presented. The user who searched for and browsed this content providing home page is, for example, the one shown in FIG.
It is possible to recognize that the keyword to be answered in (a) is "super", and to apply for a prize. Note that a plurality of keywords may be arranged on a plurality of content providing home pages to make the content more complicated. Here, as shown in FIG. 8B, the related content has a function as an advertisement by a business entity. As described above, if the advertisement information is added to the related content, since the user is motivated to search the content providing homepage as described above, an effective advertisement effect can be obtained. (2) Quiz When applying the content providing system according to the present embodiment to a quiz, a plurality of content providing homepages for users who answer the quiz are opened, and related contents each serving as a quiz hint or the like. Is arranged. It is also assumed that the contents and rules of the quiz are released as basic contents as described above. Then, in order to find the answer to the quiz, it is necessary to use the search engine 5 to find a content providing homepage.

Here, in a quiz including a plurality of questions, an item or keyword serving as a proof of answering each of the questions may be arranged on a content providing homepage so that the user can obtain the proof. Also, scores may be competed among a plurality of users based on the time and score (number of answers) when answering the quiz. In this case, it is desirable that the ranking is calculated for each user based on the user information managed by the management server 2 so that each user can refer to the ranking. For example, the management server 2 may total the scores (or times) of the respective users in real time and display them as rankings on the official homepage. Further, the number of users participating in the quiz may be limited to a certain value. (3) Wallpaper Collection When the content providing system according to the present embodiment is applied to wallpaper collection, a plurality of content providing homepages are set up for users with the purpose of collecting desired wallpaper, and each of the homepages is provided with a wallpaper. Related content corresponding to the image data is arranged. It is also assumed that software for displaying the image data of the wallpaper on the display is incorporated in the user terminal 4. When the user searches for the content providing homepage by using the search engine 5 as described above, the user downloads the image data of the wallpaper in accordance with the processing shown in FIG.

Here, if the wallpaper is given a series of features by adding common features, it is possible to enhance the collection property, and to give the user an incentive for collecting the wallpaper. In addition, the number may be limited for each type of wallpaper to have rare value. Also, if a dedicated program for wallpaper is distributed to the user in advance as basic content and a unique function is provided, the collection property can be further enhanced. Although the wallpaper has been described as an example here, image data of other forms can be applied in the same manner as described above.

Next, the following (4) to (7) are examples of network games constructed by the content providing system according to the present embodiment. (4) Treasure Search When a network game constructed by the content providing system is applied to a treasure hunt, a plurality of content providing homepages are opened, and various items to be searched for are arranged in each of them. The user uses the search engine 5 to search for a content providing homepage in which items and keywords are hidden based on hints obtained with the progress of the game program, and collects necessary items and the like. In this case, it is possible to make each user compete for the time required to collect a predetermined item.
Note that the items and keywords placed on each content providing homepage may be changed over time. (5) Orienteering When applying the network game constructed by the content providing system to orienteering, the user proceeds to a target point set in the game with reference to map data included in the basic content. At this time,
Items and keywords serving as proof of passing a predetermined point on the map are arranged on the content providing homepage, and the user searches for the content providing homepage in order to obtain the proof. The hint for arriving at the content providing homepage can be obtained from, for example, a preset official homepage. Then, the address of the content providing homepage may be displayed, for example, in correlation with the position on the map.

In the case of such orienteering, for example, Based on the time until the related content for certification is collected, a plurality of users compete for points. Therefore, it is desirable that the rankings be totaled so that the user can refer to them. For example, the management server 2 may total the scores (or times) of the respective users in real time and display them as rankings on the official homepage. In addition to the ranking of each user,
Information on the situation such as the current position of each user can be displayed together. Note that such ranking display on the official homepage is not limited to orienteering, and can be widely applied to games in which many people compete for scores. (6) Content Growing Game A case where a network game constructed by a content providing system is applied to a content growing game will be described using a robot assembly game as an example. In this case, the basic content provided to the user in advance includes the configuration data of the basic character of the robot. Then, robot parts that can be added to the basic characters are arranged on a plurality of content providing homepages. The user can obtain hints about parts as the game program progresses, search for a content providing homepage, collect parts, and combine them with basic characters to gradually grow the robot.

At this time, the management server 2 manages the parts acquisition status of each user. Then, in addition to assembling the robot, the user may add a process of causing his / her robot to fight with another user's robot via the Internet 1. In this case, if the battle situation between the users is acquired by the management server 2, the rankings can be displayed by summing up the wins and losses of each user. Further, at the time when a specific user has finally collected all the parts that can be obtained, a program for generating an event accompanying the completion of the robot may be sent to the user. (7) Multi-story game A case where a network game constructed by the content providing system is applied to a multi-story game will be described with reference to FIGS. Such a multi-story game is a game with a story,
This is a type of game in which the progress of the story changes according to the action of the user.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the story progress of a multi-story game constructed in a network game system. As shown in FIG. 9, the multi-story game proceeds in the order of stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, and stage 4 (the rest is omitted). At each stage after stage 2, there are a plurality of contents corresponding to various story progresses, and the connection relation between the preceding stage and the following stage is defined in each content.

The first stage 1 includes one content 1A corresponding to the basic content provided to the user in advance. The program for the content 1A is provided to the user in advance by a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or by distribution via the Internet 1. In the stage of stage 1, the story is common among the users, and does not branch yet. As shown in FIG. 9, the content of each stage is managed by giving a unique content ID, and the content 1A of the stage 1 is
D: 001 is assigned.

Content 2 corresponding to the following stage 2
A and 2B are prepared, and each has a unique content ID. These contents 2A, 2B
Are respectively located on predetermined content providing homepages. Then, the user moves from stage 1 to stage 2
When moving to, it is necessary to find the content providing homepage in the above-described procedure from the hint obtained by the story progress. Therefore, whether to shift to the content 2A or the content 2B as the stage 2 varies depending on the action of the user. At the time of acquiring the content at the time of moving to the stage, a process of collating the connection possibility of the story and determining to reject the content execution is performed, which will be described in detail later.

Similarly, three contents 3A, 3B, and 3C are prepared corresponding to stage 3, and three contents 4A, 4B, and 4C are further prepared corresponding to stage 4. Each content is assigned a unique content ID, and is placed on a different content providing homepage. Also in this case, the user needs to find each content providing homepage on which the content is placed as described above, when shifting from stage 2 to stage 3 and when shifting from stage 3 to stage 4.

Here, as shown in FIG. 9, when moving from stage 2 to stage 3, it is possible to transfer contents 3A and 3B from contents 2A and to transfer only contents 3B and 3C from contents 2B. There is a difference in the content that can be connected between the two. Similarly, there is a difference in connectable contents when moving from stage 3 to stage 4. This is a limitation in consideration of the consistency of story progress in the multi-story game, and the possibility of connection between contents is determined by the processing described below.

Next, in the multi-story game configured as shown in FIG. 9, the data structure of the content acquired at the stage transition and the process of collating the possibility of connecting the story to the content will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11.
This will be described with reference to FIG. In executing the multi-story game shown in FIG. 9, a method performed on the user terminal 4 after downloading the content and a method performed on the content providing server 3 before downloading the content are used to check the possibility of connecting the story in the content. Yes,
Each content has a data structure corresponding to two methods.

First, a case will be described in which the contents included in the multi-story game are downloaded and then the connection possibility of the story is verified. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the data structure of the content 1A in the stage 1 and the data structure of each content in the stages subsequent to the stage 2 as contents prepared corresponding to each stage. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 10, the content data corresponding to the content 1A includes a game ID, a content ID, a game basic program, a content program, and a collation program.

In the above configuration, the game ID is a unique ID given to the target network game.
The same game ID is set for all contents constituting one network game. On the other hand, the content ID is a unique ID given to the content 1A of the stage 1, and each content is distinguished.
The game basic program is a program corresponding to a basic function common to the entire multi-story game, and the content program is a program corresponding to a story portion of the content 1A of the stage 1. The collation program is a program that determines the possibility of connection from the stage 1 to the stage 2 by performing collation of the downloaded content when shifting from the stage 1 to the stage 2.

On the other hand, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 10, the contents after stage 2 include a game ID, a contents ID, a contents program, and a collation program. Compared to the case of the content 1A shown in the upper part of FIG. 10, the game basic program is not included, but the content program corresponding to the individual story part of each content is included, and the game ID and the matching program are as described above. Has functions.

Prior to the process of checking the connection possibility of the story, the user who is executing the multi-story game accesses the found content providing homepage on the user terminal 4, and then downloads the content according to the process shown in FIG. Done. Next, the above-mentioned collation program for the content corresponding to the current stage is executed on the user terminal 4, and the connection possibility of the downloaded content is determined. In this case, the connection possibility can be determined by referring to the content ID of the downloaded content and determining whether or not the content matches a preset connection destination.

Taking the configuration shown in FIG. 9 as an example, when the content 2A of the stage 2 is currently being executed, it is determined that only the content 3A and 3B of the subsequent stage 3 can be connected, and the other content is not connected. It is determined that connection is not possible. Even if the content is once downloaded by the user, the game does not proceed with the content if it is determined that connection is not possible. In this case, the user needs to search for a content providing homepage on which correct content is placed according to the story by searching or the like.

Next, a case will be described in which the possibility of story connection is verified before downloading the content included in the multi-story game. FIG. 11 shows stage 1
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a comparison between the data structure of the content 1A and the data structure of the content in each stage after the stage 2; Compared to FIG. 10, each content is different in that a collation program is not included, and the user terminal 4 does not perform the connectivity possibility collation process. In addition, in the data structure of the content in FIG.
Since it is the same as 0, the description is omitted.

In the content providing homepage in which the content for the multi-story game configured as shown in FIG. 11 is placed, when a request for downloading the content is received from the user at the time of access by the user, the game progress status of the user at that time Is confirmed. Then, in the content providing server 3 or the management server 2, a predetermined collation program is executed, and the connection possibility of the content requested to be downloaded is determined. Then, the user terminal 4 can download only the content determined to be connectable, and is not permitted to download the content determined to be unconnectable, so that the user terminal 4 searches for a new content providing homepage.

When the user information is managed in the management server 2, the story progress of the multi-story game may be changed for each user. For example, prepare different content according to the age and gender of the user,
What is necessary is just to change the connection relation between contents suitably.

Next, when a plurality of users play a multi-story game, time management during the progress of the game will be described.
The multi-story game according to the present embodiment includes a first time management in which a unique time is set in each user's game, and a second time management in which a common time is set among the users. According to the first time management, the time according to the game progress flows from the time when each user starts the game, and the time in the game of each user is shifted. On the other hand, according to the second time management, the game progresses according to a common time axis within the game of each user even when the game start time of each user is different.

In the case of the second time management, if an event based on the behavior of a specific user occurs at a certain point in time, the event affects other users. For example, if a specific user acquires an item that has only one item, then the item cannot be acquired by another user. By using both the first time management and the second time management, a common time is set for a specific event, and otherwise, a unique time is set for each user in the game. You may.

Although the specific example in which the content providing system of the present embodiment is applied has been described above, the present embodiment is not limited to the above example, but has the system configuration of FIG. The present invention can be widely applied to a content providing system on the network 1 that can perform the operation.

[0103]

As described above, according to the present invention, when various contents are provided to the user, the entire contents are constituted from the basic contents provided in advance and the related contents managed in association with the basic contents. In addition, under a simple and secure network environment, it is possible to realize a diverse and flexible content providing system or the like that reflects the behavior and situation of the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system configuration of a content providing system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration of a management server.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a content management table in a table management unit of the management server.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration of a content providing server.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a data structure in a storage unit of the content providing server.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing executed on a content providing homepage to which a user accesses.

FIG. 7 corresponds to the notification by the content management server,
5 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed by the management server.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a specific example in a case where the content providing system is applied to a prize.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the story progress of a multi-story game constructed in the network game system.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of content in each stage when the possibility of story connection is verified after downloading content included in a multi-story game.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a data structure of content in each stage when the possibility of story connection is checked before downloading the content included in the multi-story game.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Internet 2 ... Management server 3 ... Content providing server 4 ... User terminal 5 ... Search engine 21, 31 ... Communication interface 22, 32 ... Control part 23, 33 ... Storage part 24 ... Table management part 25 ... Table update part 34 ... History management unit 35 ... Counter

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06F 17/60 302 G06F 17/60 302E 326 326 512 512 (72) Inventor Akira Imamura 4 Hanazono, Tokorozawa, Saitama 2610 Chome Pioneer Corporation Tokorozawa Plant F-term (reference) 5B075 KK43 5B085 AA08 BC01 CA04 CA07

Claims (24)

[Claims] 1. A content providing system constructed on a network connectable to user terminals of a plurality of users who have been provided basic content in advance, wherein one or more of the user terminals are searchable by the search means on the network. One or a plurality of related contents related to the basic content are arranged in a plurality of content providing servers, and the entire content composed of the basic content and the one or more related contents is managed on the network. A content providing system, comprising: content management means, wherein the content providing server provides the related content arranged in the content providing server to the user terminal in response to a request from an accessing user. 2. The content providing system according to claim 1, wherein the content providing server is set to an address that has not been notified to a user. 3. The content providing server has one or more content providing homepages to which an address not notified to the user is set, and the content providing homepage has one or more types of content for the accessing user. The content providing system according to claim 1, wherein the related content can be provided. 4. The content providing server sends the related content arranged on the content providing homepage to the user terminal in response to a download request of a user who has accessed the content providing homepage. The content providing system according to claim 3. 5. The content providing system according to claim 1, wherein said content management means changes the address of said content providing homepage over time. 6. The content providing server according to claim 3, wherein the content providing server determines an unauthorized access to the content providing homepage, and changes the address of the content providing homepage when the unauthorized access is performed. Content providing system. 7. The content providing server according to claim 3, wherein the number of users who provide the related content from the content providing homepage is limited.
Content providing system according to 1. 8. The content providing system according to claim 1, wherein advertisement information prepared by a business entity is added to the related content. 9. The content management system according to claim 1, wherein the content management unit includes a user information registration unit for registering user information, and permits only a registered user to provide the related content. Content providing system as described. 10. The content providing server, when providing the related content to the user terminal, performs a mutual authentication process based on the user information with a user, and after confirming authentication, transmits the related content to the user terminal. 10. The content providing system according to claim 9, wherein the content is provided to the user. 11. The content management means includes a management server that manages a download permission status of related content from the content providing homepage, wherein the content providing server downloads related content from a content providing homepage to which the content providing server belongs. 11. The content providing system according to claim 3, wherein when ending, the management server is notified of the fact. 12. A content providing method for providing content via a network connectable to user terminals of a plurality of users to which basic content has been provided in advance, wherein a search unit on the network can search from the user terminal. In one or more content providing servers, arrange one or more related content related to the basic content, and manage the entire content composed of the basic content and the plurality of related content on the network. And providing the related content located in the content providing server to the user terminal in response to a request from a user accessing the content providing server. 13. The content providing method according to claim 12, wherein the content providing server is set to an address that has not been notified to the user. 14. The content providing server has one or a plurality of content providing homepages to which an address not notified to a user is set, and the content providing homepage has one or a plurality of types for an accessing user. The content providing method according to claim 12, wherein the related content can be provided. 15. The content providing system according to claim 14, wherein, in response to a download request from a user who has accessed the content providing homepage, the related content placed on the content providing homepage is transmitted to the user terminal. Content provision method. 16. The content providing method according to claim 14, wherein the address of the content providing homepage is changed over time. 17. The content providing method according to claim 14, wherein an unauthorized access to the content providing homepage is determined, and when the unauthorized access is performed, an address of the content providing homepage is changed. 18. The content providing method according to claim 14, wherein the number of users who provide the related content from the content providing homepage is limited. 19. The content providing method according to claim 12, wherein advertisement information prepared by a business entity is added to the related content. 20. A user terminal to which basic content has been provided in advance is constructed on a connectable network, holds one or a plurality of related contents associated with the basic content, and responds to a download request of an accessing user. The content providing server of a content providing system including one or a plurality of content providing servers that provide the related content, wherein a counter that counts the number of download requests for the related content, and a count value of the counter is: When the specified number of times has been reached,
Control means for preventing the related content from being downloaded; and a content providing server. 21. A history management unit for storing information for specifying a user terminal that has downloaded the related content, wherein the control unit refers to the history management unit in response to the download request, and performs a user requesting the download. 21. The content providing server according to claim 20, wherein when the terminal has previously downloaded the same related content, the count value of the counter is not updated. 22. The content providing system further includes a management server that manages a download permission status of the related content in the plurality of content providing servers, wherein the content providing server is configured to: when the count value reaches a predetermined number, 22. The content providing server according to claim 21, wherein the management server is notified that the related content is not downloaded. 23. A program corresponding to the basic content is constructed on a network to which a plurality of user terminals provided in advance can be connected, holds one or a plurality of related contents related to the basic content, and accesses the content. A computer included in the content providing server of the content providing system including one or a plurality of content providing servers that provide the related content in response to a download request of a user, counting a number of download requests for the related content, A computer-readable recording medium recording a content providing program, wherein a function of preventing the related content from being downloaded when the count value reaches a preset number of times. 24. A computer included in the content providing server, further comprising information for identifying a user terminal that has downloaded the related content, wherein the user terminal that has issued the download request downloads the same related content before. 24. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 23, wherein the computer is operable to prevent the count value of the counter from being updated.