# US 7,611,053 B2 · Ticket issuing system, storage medium and electronic ticket issuing and managing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,611,053 B2 - Document ID: US7611053B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/515,453 - Filed: 2006-09-01 - Published: 2007-08-09 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2006-02-03 - Assignees: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Takanori Nakanowatari; Mitsuhisa Kamei - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7611053B2 ## CPC - G06F 21/10: Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material (protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16) {; Digital rights management [DRM]} - G06Q 20/367: {involving electronic purses or money safes} - G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract There is provided a ticket issuing system issuing an electronic ticket for digital content to a user system attempting to utilize the digital content by means of the electronic ticket. The ticket issuing system includes a receiver that receives a request to issue the electronic ticket for the digital content from the user system attempting to utilize the digital content using the electronic ticket, and an issuance controller that controls issuance of the electronic ticket for the digital content to the user system, on the basis of a retained electronic ticket in the user system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A ticket issuing system issuing an electronic ticket for digital content to a user system attempting to utilize the digital content by means of the electronic ticket, comprising: a receiver that receives a request to issue a first electronic ticket for the digital content from the user system attempting to utilize the digital content using the first electronic ticket; a storage that stores a correspondence relationship between the digital content and a second electronic ticket necessary for issuance of the first electronic ticket for the digital content; and an issuance controller that controls issuance of the first electronic ticket for the digital content to the user system according to the request, and issues the first electronic ticket if the user system retains the second electronic ticket, identified by the correspondence relationship stored in the storage, necessary for issuance of the first electronic ticket for the digital content. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ticket issuing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a history storage that stores an issuance history of the first electronic ticket issued to the user system, wherein the issuance controller refers to the history storage to find the retained second electronic ticket in the user system having made the request. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ticket issuing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a register that registers, in a history managing apparatus that manages an issuance history of the first electronic ticket, information that the first electronic ticket is issued to the user system when the issuance controller issues the first electronic ticket to the user system, wherein the issuance controller inquires the history managing apparatus to find the retained second electronic ticket in the user system having made the request. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ticket issuing system according to claim 1, wherein the issuance controller controls issuance of a the first electronic ticket which is a target of the request, so that the first electronic ticket is issued only when the user system having made the request retains the second electronic ticket necessary for the issuance of the first electronic ticket. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ticket issuing system according to claim 1, wherein the issuance controller controls issuance of the first electronic ticket on the basis of the retained second electronic ticket and a usage history of the retained second electronic ticket in the user system having made the request. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ticket issuing system according to claim 1, wherein the issuance controller controls issuance of the first electronic ticket so that the first electronic ticket is issued only when the user system having made the request retains at least a predetermined number of electronic tickets among electronic tickets associated with the digital content which is a target of the request. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ticket issuing system according to claim 1, wherein the issuance controller controls issuance of the first electronic ticket which is a target of the request so that the first electronic ticket is issued only when the user system having made the request retains the second electronic ticket necessary for the issuance of the first electronic ticket and the request is made within a predetermined time period from an issuing date of the second electronic ticket. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ticket issuing system according to claim 1, wherein the issuance controller controls preliminary issuance of a the first electronic ticket which is a target of the request so that the first electronic ticket is issued in advance only when the user system having made the request retains a the second ticket constituting a condition for the preliminarily issuance of the first electronic ticket. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The ticket issuing system according to claim 1, wherein said issuance controller controls issuance of the first electronic ticket for the digital content to the user system based upon information associated with the retained second electronic ticket in the user system and issuing rules associated with the first electronic ticket for the digital content. ### Claim 10 A computer readable storage medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for issuing an electronic ticket, the process comprising: receiving a request to issue first electronic ticket for digital content from a user system attempting to utilize the digital content using the first electronic ticket; storing a correspondence relationship between the digital content and a second electronic ticket necessary for issuance of the fast electronic ticket for the digital content; controlling issuance of the first electronic ticket for the digital content to the user system according to the request; and issuing the first electronic ticket if the user system retains the second electronic ticket, identified by the stored correspondence relationship, necessary for issuance of the first electronic ticket for the digital content. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the controlling issuance of the electronic ticket comprises controlling issuance of the first electronic ticket which is a target of the request so that the first electronic ticket is issued only when the user system having made the request retains the second electronic ticket necessary for the issuance of the first electronic ticket. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the controlling issuance of the first electronic ticket comprises controlling issuance of the requested electronic ticket on the basis of a the retained second electronic ticket and a usage history of the retained second electronic ticket in the user system having made the request to issue the first electronic ticket. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the controlling issuance of the electronic ticket comprises controlling issuance of the first electronic ticket so that the first electronic ticket is issued when the user system having made the request retains at least a predetermined number of electronic tickets among electronic tickets associated with digital content which is a target of the request. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the controlling issuance of the first electronic ticket comprises performing control so that the first electronic ticket which is a target of the request is issued only when the user system having made the request retains the second electronic ticket necessary for issuance of the first electronic ticket and the request is made within a predetermined time period from a issuing date of the second electronic ticket. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the controlling issuance of the first electronic ticket comprises controlling preliminary issuance of a the first electronic ticket which is a target of the request so that the first electronic ticket is issued in advance when the user system having made the request retains the second electronic ticket constituting a condition for the preliminarily issuance of the first electronic ticket. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The storage medium according to claim 10, the process further comprising: referring to an issuance history of the first electronic ticket issued to the user system having made the request to find the retained second electronic ticket in the user system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The storage medium according to claim 10, the process further comprising: registering, in a history managing apparatus that manages an issuance history of the first electronic ticket, information that the first electronic ticket is issued to the user system at the time when the first electronic ticket is issued to the user system; and inquiring the history managing apparatus to find the retained second electronic ticket in the user system having made the request. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the controlling of the issuance of the first electronic ticket for the digital content to the user system based upon information associated with the retained second electronic ticket in the user system and issuing rules associated with the first electronic ticket for the digital content. ### Claim 19 An electronic ticket issuing and managing method performed in a ticket issuing system that issues an electronic ticket for digital content to a user system that attempts to utilize the digital content using the electronic ticket, comprising: receiving a request to issue first electronic ticket for digital content from a user system attempting to utilize the digital content using the first electronic ticket; storing a correspondence relationship between the digital content and a second electronic ticket necessary for issuance of the first electronic ticket for the digital content; controlling issuance of the first electronic ticket for the digital content to the user system according to the request; and issuing the first electronic ticket if the user system retains the second electronic ticket, identified by the stored correspondence relationship, necessary for issuance of the first electronic ticket for the digital content. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The electronic ticket issuing and managing method according to claim 19, wherein the controlling of the issuance of the first electronic ticket for the digital content to the user system based upon information associated with the retained second electronic ticket in the user system and issuing rules associated with the first electronic ticket for the digital content. ### Claim 21 A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for enabling a computer to perform a process for issuing an electronic ticket, the process comprising: receiving a request to issue first electronic ticket for digital content from a user system attempting to utilize the digital content using the first electronic ticket; storing a correspondence relationship between the digital content and a second electronic ticket necessary for issuance of the first electronic ticket for the digital content; controlling issuance of the first electronic ticket for the digital content to the user system according to the request; and issuing the first electronic ticket if the user system retains the second electronic ticket, identified by the stored correspondence relationship, necessary for issuance of the first electronic ticket for the digital content. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave according to claim 21, wherein the controlling of the issuance of the first electronic ticket for the digital content to the user system based upon information associated with the retained second electronic ticket in the user system and issuing rules associated with the first electronic ticket for the digital content.