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US 6,714,920 B1Granted
Information processing apparatus and information processing method
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorToshiyuki Arai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An efficient as well as rational information distribution system where retrieval can be carried out based on various kinds of retrieval information related to download information and particularly, at a time when the download information is specified from the retrieval information, if the retrieval information is outputted to a user as an advertisement, the amount of money to be billed for the download information is reduced by what the advertisement is worth.
Claims27
An information processing apparatus comprising:
- an information storage unit for storing a plurality of information attached with respective information identifying data;
- a retrieval information storage unit for storing a plurality of retrieval information attached with respective retrieval identifying data as well as correspondence information indicating that said retrieval identifying data and said information identifying data correspond to each other;
- a manipulating unit for manipulation by a user;
- a control unit for selecting retrieval information corresponding to an input from said manipulating unit from a plurality of retrieval information read out from said retrieval information storage unit as well as for reading out said information identifying data which corresponds to any one of the input from said manipulating unit and said retrieval information selected by said control unit based on the correspondence information stored in said retrieval information storage unit;
- a retrieving unit for retrieving and outputting information corresponding to the information identifying data read out by said control unit from the plurality of information stored in said information storage unit based on the information identifying data read out by said control unit;
- and
- a bill processing unit for carrying out a billing process based on history information showing one of whether said information identifying data is read out by said control unit by using retrieval information stored in said retrieval information storage unit and whether said information identifying data is read out based on an input from said manipulating unit.
4 more elements
An information processing method comprising the steps of:
- selecting retrieval information corresponding to an input from a manipulating unit from a plurality of retrieval information read out from a retrieval information storage unit;
- reading out information identifying data corresponding to any one of an input from said manipulation unit and said retrieval information selected based on correspondence information indicating that retrieval identifying data attached to said retrieval information stored in said retrieval information storage unit and information identifying data attached to a plurality of information stored in the information storage unit, correspond to each other;
- retrieving and outputting information corresponding to said information identifying data from a plurality of information stored in said information storage unit;
- and
- carrying out a billing process based on history information showing one of whether said information identifying data is read out by using retrieval information stored in said retrieval information storage unit and whether said information identifying data is read out based on an input from said manipulating unit.
2 more elements
An information processing apparatus, comprising:
- an information storage unit in which a plurality of information associated with information identifying data including at least audio data is stored;
- a retrieval information storage unit for storing a plurality of retrieval information associated with retrieval identifying data and correspondence information indicating that said retrieval identifying data and said information identifying data correspond to each other;
- a manipulating unit for manipulation by a user;
- a control unit for selecting retrieval information corresponding to an input from said manipulating unit from among a plurality of retrieval information read out from said retrieval information storage unit as well as reading out said information identifying data corresponding to any one of an input from said manipulating unit and said selected retrieval information based on correspondence information stored in said retrieval information storage unit;
- a retrieving unit for retrieving and outputting information corresponding to information identifying data read out by said control unit from among a plurality of information stored in said information storage unit based on information identifying data read out by said control unit;
- and
- a billing processing unit for carrying out a billing process based on history information showing one of whether said information identifying data is read out by said control unit by using retrieval information stored in said retrieval information storage unit and whether said information identifying data is read out based on an input from said manipulating unit.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.