Information distributing apparatus, information storing apparatus, and information providing system

An information distributing apparatus comprising:

• a reception unit for receiving information;
• an information storage unit for storing thereinto said received information;
• a transmission unit for transmitting information stored in said information storage unit to a designated providing destination;
• a reference information reception unit for receiving reference information transmitted from said providing destination;
• a charge calculation unit for calculating a charge amount in accordance with additional information owned by said transmitted information and said received reference information;
• and
• a charge data storage unit for storing thereinto charge amount information calculated by said charge calculation unit;
• wherein said reference information corresponds to such information related to the reference, which is produced at an arbitrary interval in the case that said providing destination refers to the additional information owned by the information transmitted to said designated providing destination, or irrespective of such a fact that said providing destination does not refer to said additional information.

An information storing apparatus comprising:

• a reception unit for receiving information;
• an information storage unit for storing thereinto said received information;
• a reference record storage unit for recording such information related to information which is requested to be referred among the information stored in said information storage unit;
• and
• a reference control unit for providing information in response to said request, and also for producing a signal used to notify a reference of additional information owned by said information which is requested to be referred.

An information storing/distributing apparatus comprising:

• a reception unit for receiving information;
• an information storage unit for storing thereinto said received information;
• a reference record storage unit for recording such information related to information which is requested to be referred among the information stored in said information storage unit;
• a reference control unit for providing information in response to said request, and also for producing a signal used to notify a reference of additional information owned by said information which is requested to be referred;
• a charge calculation unit for calculating a charge amount in accordance with additional information owned by said information which is requested to be referred and also said reference information;
• and
• a charge data storage unit for storing thereinto charge amount information calculated by said charge calculation unit;
• wherein said reference information corresponds to such information related to the reference, which is produced at an arbitrary interval in the case that said requesting destination refers to the additional information owned by the information transmitted to said designated requesting destination, or irrespective of such a fact that said requesting destination does not refer to said additional information.

An information providing system comprising:

• an information storing/distributing apparatus including:
• a reception unit for receiving information;
• an information storage unit for storing thereinto said received information;
• a reference record storage unit for recording such information related to information which is requested to be referred among the information stored in said information storage unit;
• a reference control unit for providing information in response to said request, and also for producing a signal used to notify a reference of additional information owned by said information which is requested to be referred;
• a charge calculation unit for calculating a charge amount in accordance with additional information owned by said information which is requested to be referred and also said reference information;
• and
• a charge data storage unit for storing thereinto charge amount information calculated by said charge calculation unit;
• wherein said reference information corresponds to such information related to the reference, which is produced at an arbitrary interval in the case that said requesting destination refers to the additional information owned by the information transmitted to said designated requesting destination, or irrespective of such a fact that said requesting destination does not refer to said additional information;
• an information producing apparatus for producing information which is provided via a network to said information storing/distributing apparatus;
• and
• an information reproducing apparatus for arbitrarily selecting the information saved in said information storing/distributing apparatus via the network to reproduce and display the arbitrarily and selectively received information.

An information providing system comprising:

• an information distributing apparatus including:
• a reception unit for receiving information;
• an information storage unit for storing thereinto said received information;
• a transmission unit for transmitting information stored in said information storage unit to a designated providing destination;
• a reference information reception unit for receiving reference information transmitted from said providing destination;
• a charge calculation unit for calculating a charge amount in accordance with additional information owned by said transmitted information and said received reference information;
• and
• a charge data storage unit for storing thereinto charge amount information calculated by said charge calculation unit;
• wherein said reference information corresponds to such information related to the reference, which is produced at an arbitrary interval in the case that said providing destination refers to the additional information owned by the information transmitted to said designated providing destination, or irrespective of such a fact that said providing destination does not refer to said additional information;
• an information storing apparatus including:
• a reception unit for receiving information;
• an information storage unit for storing thereinto said received information;
• a reference record storage unit for recording such information related to information which is requested to be referred among the information stored in said information storage unit;
• and
• a reference control unit for providing information in response to said request, and also for producing a signal used to notify a reference of additional information owned by said information which is requested to be referred;
• an information producing apparatus for producing information which is provided via a network to said information storing/distributing apparatus;
• and
• an information reproducing apparatus for arbitrarily selecting the information saved in said information storing/distributing apparatus via the network to reproduce and display the arbitrarily and selectively received information.