Loading patent…
OwnerMichele Giudilliinventor
Estimating the term…
The invention concerns a method for charging costs of enjoying contents transmitted over a telecommunications network, preferably the Internet network, wherein chargeable contents, in the shape of one or more digital documents or files, are transmitted from at least one server (3) of a Contents Provider (or CP), which a user accesses by means of a computer (4) connected to said at least one server (3) through the telecommunications network, a gateway system (2, 5, 7) carrying out the checks for authorization of the user's access to the chargeable contents, an electronic wallet (5) performing operations of charging costs to a user's account, the method being characterized in that it preliminary associates one or more additional information related to file charging criteria with each chargeable file, and in that it comprises the following steps: A. at each transmission of at least one portion of a chargeable file from said at least one server (3) of the CP to the user's computer (4), reading and interpreting said additional information associated with the file; B. transmitting to the user's computer (4) said at least one portion of the chargeable file, and C. transmitting to the electronic wallet (5) data related to charging as a function of said additional information associated with the file. The invention further concerns the related system and the related instruments and apparatuses performing the method.
Method for charging costs of enjoying contents transmitted over a telecommunications network, preferably the Internet network, wherein chargeable contents, in the shape of one or more digital documents or files, are transmitted from at least one server (3) of a Contents Provider (or CP), which a user accesses by means of a computer (4) connected to said at least one server (3) through the telecommunications network, a gateway system (2, 5, 7) carrying out the checks for authorisation of the user's access to the chargeable contents, an electronic wallet (5) performing operations of charging costs to a user's account, the method being characterised in that it preliminary associates one or more additional information related to file charging criteria with each chargeable file, and in that it comprises the following steps:
Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one part of steps A, B, and C is performed by a routing electronic apparatus or router (1).
Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said additional information associated with each chargeable file comprise:
Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said at least one chargeable file portion transmitted in step A is included in a data packet.
Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said additional information associated with each chargeable file are directly encoded in the chargeable file and/or are included in an auxiliary file associated with the chargeable file.
Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said at least one chargeable file portion and said associated additional information are encoded in a transmission protocol.
Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that step C is performed immediately before start of transmission of step B or immediately after the end of transmission of step B or periodically during transmission of step B.
Method according to any one of the preceding claims,. characterised in that it further comprises the following step:
Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the gateway system (2, 5, 7) comprises a first gateway apparatus (2).
Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the gateway system (2, 5, 7) operates as escrow between the server (3) and the user accessing by means of the computer (4).
Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that in step B information related to cost and/or to the status of chargeable file transmission are transmitted to the user's computer (4).
Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the user is apt to access two or more servers (3) by means of the computer (4) by inputting data registered in the gateway system (2, 5, 7) which define a sole user's digital identity recognised as valid for all said two or more servers (3).
System according to any one of claims from 21 to 24, characterised in that the gateway system (2, 5, 7) comprises a first gateway apparatus (2).
Computer program characterised in that it comprises code means adapted to execute, when running on at least one server (3) of a Contents Provider (or CP) apt to transmit one or more chargeable file, the operation of association of one or more additional information related to file charging criteria with each chargeable file.
Computer program characterised in that it comprises code means adapted, when running on at least one computer, to interface to the http server of the server (3) and to re-address the authentication requests of at least one user and the data flow towards the router (1) of which it has stores the IP address.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.