Transmission apparatus and method, reception apparatus and method, management apparatus and method, charging apparatus and method, providing apparatus and method, and recording medium
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorsShin Iima, Makoto Saito
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention relates to a transmission apparatus for transmitting digital content data via a communication medium, comprising attachment means for attaching cost information per unit data volume to the digital content data; and transmission means for transmitting the digital content data attached with the cost information after converting a data format of the digital content data attached with the cost information into a data format suitable to the communication medium.
Claims13
A digital content data distribution system for delivering and selling digital content data over a network to a user, the system comprising:
- means for computing a content fee per unit volume of said digital content data;
- means for computing a communication fee charged for the delivery of said digital content data over the network;
- means for integrating said content fee with said communication fee, wherein the integration of said content fee with said communication fee produces a total fee, said means for integrating configured to include the total fee in the digital content data;
- and
- means for delivering said digital content data to the user over the network,
- wherein said digital content data is reproduced by the user by removing said total fee from said delivered digital content data.
(canceled)
(canceled)
A digital content data distribution method for delivering and selling digital content data over a network to a user, the method comprising:
- computing a content fee per unit volume of said digital content data;
- and
- computing a communication fee charged for the delivery of said digital content data over the network;
- integrating said content fee with said communication fee, wherein the integration of said content fee with said communication fee produces a total fee, said means for integrating configured to include the total fee in the digital content data;
- and
- delivering said digital content data to the use after verifying that the total fee was received from the user,
- wherein said digital content data is reproduced by the user by removing said total fee from said delivered digital content data.
A recording medium recording a computer-readable program for delivering and selling digital content data to a user over a network, said computer-readable program comprising:
- computing a content fee per unit volume of said digital content data;
- and
- computing a communication fee charged for the delivery of said digital content data over the network;
- integrating said content fee with said communication fee, wherein the integration of said content fee with said communication fee produces a total fee, said means for integrating configured to include the total fee in the digital content data;
- and
- delivering said digital content data to the user after verifying that the total fee was received from the user,
- wherein said digital content data is reproduced by the user by removing said total fee from said delivered digital content data.
A reception apparatus for receiving digital content data and a cost per unit volume information of said digital content data transmitted via a communication medium, the apparatus comprising:
- means for receiving said digital content with its data format converted into a data format suitable for said communication medium and restoring the received digital content data;
- means for removing said cost per unit volume information from the restored digital content data;
- and
- reproduction means for reproducing said digital content data without said cost per unit volume information.
(canceled)
A reception method for receiving digital content data and cost per unit volume information of said digital content data transmitted via a communication medium, the method comprising:
- receiving said digital content with its data format converted into a data format suitable for said communication medium and restoring the received digital content data;
- removing said cost per unit volume information from the restored digital content data;
- and
- reproducing said digital content data without said cost information.
A recording medium recording a computer-readable program for receiving digital content data and a cost per unit volume information of said digital content data transmitted via a communication medium, said computer-readable program comprising:
- receiving said digital content data with its data format converted into a data format suitable for said communication medium and restoring the received digital content data;
- removing said cost per unit volume information from the restored digital content data;
- and
- reproducing said digital content data without said cost per unit volume information.
13-37. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.