KR20020001217A - Brokerage Method for Exchanging Contents - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a content transaction intermediation method that allows a content buyer to receive the content to be transmitted directly from the computer of the content provider via the Internet.

According to the method of the present invention, there is provided a client program for storing a content file to be provided by a content provider, communicating with a server, and requesting a certificate issuing request for downloading a content and a request for verifying a certificate from a server. The content purchaser provides the content purchaser computer, and the content provider and the content purchaser perform a member registration process so that the content provider registers the content information to be provided after the client accesses the server by running the client program. The content purchaser runs a client program to access the server, searches for and retrieves the content information, pays for the content to be purchased, and receives the information necessary for downloading the content for purchase request from the server to receive the content. Allow download from the provider computer.

Description

Brokerage Method for Exchanging Contents

The present invention relates to a content transaction brokerage method, and more particularly, to a content transaction brokerage method that allows a content purchaser to directly receive content to be transmitted from a computer of a content provider through an internet network.

Generally, content is provided by posting contents information such as pictures, photographs, music, novels, software, and other information through a PC communication network or an internet network, and paying a certain price to a person who wants to obtain the posted contents. A service provider is called a content provider (CP) or an information provider (IP). Such a content provider uploads contents to be sold to a server system prepared by an intermediary such as a PC communication company, and a buyer accesses the server system of the broker and receives desired contents from the server system for a fee or free. . When the content is sold to the buyer, the content provider or the like divides the payout with the broker at a predetermined rate, or pays a certain amount of the commission as a commission from the payout.

As described above, the content provider uploads the content to be provided through the server of the broker, and the content buyer makes a transaction about the content by downloading and purchasing the content from the server of the broker, in which case the broker is It is very expensive to operate the system because a large number of servers and databases must be constructed to store and manage contents. In addition, since the operation of the system of the broker is expensive, the content provider and the like can provide a relatively low revenue.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a content transaction intermediation method that enables a content purchaser to directly download desired content from a content provider.

Another object of the present invention is to upload a brief information of the content to the server of the broker without the need to upload all of the content content that the content provider intends to provide to the server of the broker, so that the transaction of the content is made, the configuration of the system of the broker is more An object of the present invention is to provide a content trading method that can be simplified.

1 is a schematic representation of a system environment for carrying out the invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a program module of a client program downloaded to a computer of a content provider and a content buyer shown in FIG. 1;

3 is a block diagram for explaining a more detailed configuration of the server shown in FIG.

4 is a flowchart schematically showing the overall process of the content transaction brokerage method according to the present invention;

5 is a flowchart illustrating a member registration process according to the present invention;

6 is a flowchart illustrating a content information registration process according to the present invention;

7 is a flowchart illustrating a payment process according to the present invention;

8 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which a content purchaser directly downloads content from a content provider.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: content provider computer 11: content buyer computer

20: Server 21: Application Program Interface

22: Application 23: Database Management System

30: Payment Agency 40: Database

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a content provider computer and a content purchaser computer that is accessible through the Internet network and comprises a server including an application program, a search engine, a category classification and a database. In a content transaction intermediation method for mediating transmission and reception of content between content buyers, the content provider stores a content file, communicates with the server, and requests for issuing a certificate for downloading content and verifying the certificate. Providing a client program from the server to the content provider and the content buyer computer; Storing the member information of the content provider and the content information by the server in a member information DB and a content information DB; The content purchaser runs the client program installed in his computer to access the server and searches for and retrieves the content information registered in the content information DB using the search engine or category classification of the server to purchase the content. Receiving a content purchase request signal at the server; Performing a payment for the purchase request content in the server; Receiving at the server a download request signal for the purchase request content from the computer of the content buyer; And transmitting, from the server, information necessary for downloading the purchase request content from the server to the content purchaser computer, by using the information required for the download by the client program installed in the content purchaser computer. And access the computer of the content provider through an internet network, and download the purchase request content from the content provider computer to the content purchaser computer.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

1 schematically depicts a preferred embodiment of a system environment in which the present invention may be practiced.

Referring to FIG. 1, the content provider computer 10 and the content purchaser computer 11 may access a server 20 for a service of the present invention through an internet network.

As used herein, the term "Internet network" refers to a set of networks interconnected by standard protocols such as TCP / IP, HTTP, and wireless Internet protocols (e.g., WAP), and changes or additions to existing standard protocols. The concept includes various changes that can be made in the future, including.

The content provider and the content purchaser access the server 20 through the internet network using the computers 10 and 11, and perform a member registration, content information registration, and content purchase process.

Computers 10 and 11 include network interfaces, operating systems and web browsers for Internet access. The network interface is a hardware and communication connection program or a networking program such as a modem or a LAN card, and a commercial program such as Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows 2000 may be used as the operating system. Examples of web browsers are Netscape's Navigator and Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

The server 20 has a database 40 for storing various data for providing the intermediary service of the present invention. In addition, when operating the service of the present invention for a fee, the server 20 is connected to a payment institution 30 such as a bank or a credit card company through a dedicated line or an internet network so as to perform a payment processing of a member.

The server 20 provides a client program to the content purchaser and the content provider to enable the content purchaser computer 11 to download the content directly from the content provider computer 10. That is, the content purchaser and the content provider connect to the server 20 using a web browser (for example, Microsoft's explorer or Netscape's navigator) installed on each computer 10, 11, and at the server 20 Select a menu for downloading the client program from the menu of the provided HTML document to download and install to the computer (10, 11).

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating program modules of a client program downloaded and installed to the computers 10 and 11.

Referring to FIG. 2, the client program includes a content storage module, a user management module, a browsing module, an authentication module, and a communication module.

The content storage module stores the content to be sold by the content provider in a predetermined directory. For example, the content storage module creates a directory called CONTENTS in the hard disk of the computer 10 and stores the content file to be sold in the CONTENTS directory. Therefore, when a content provider selects a content file to sell and stores it using the client program of the present invention, the content file is stored in the path of C: \ CONTENTS \ content file name. In addition, the content storage module performs a function of storing content downloaded from a content provider by a content purchaser in a specific directory.

The user management module receives and stores some or all of the member information of the content provider or content buyer registered in the member information DB of the server 20. On the other hand, the member registration process may be performed on the server 20, but may be performed using the present client program. In this case, the user management module performs the same function as the member registration module of the application program of the server 20 which will be described later. When the member registration process is performed by the user management module and the first connection is made between the computers 10 and 11 and the server 20, the member information is transferred to the server 20 and stored in the member information DB.

The web browsing module transmits a request signal for transmitting an HTML document to the server 20 and performs a function of a general web browser such as supporting a web document made of an HTML language provided by the server 20. .

The authentication module transmits a certificate issuance request signal according to the content purchase of the content purchaser to the server 20, and receives download information including the personal identification number and IP (Internet Protocol) address of the certificate and the content provider from the server 20. do.

The communication module connects to the server 20 when the client program is running, and communicates the content purchaser's computer with the content provider's computer through the Internet using the IP address of the content provider received by the authentication module. do.

3 is a view for explaining a more detailed configuration of the server 20 shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 3, the server 20 includes an application program interface (API) 21, an application program 22, a database management system (DBMS) 23, and a database 40. In a preferred embodiment, the application 22, DBMS 23 and database 40 are implemented within one physical server 20, but in other embodiments of the invention are distributed across a plurality of servers 20. Can be implemented.

The server 20 acts as an HTML server 20 that provides HTML documents for each computer 10, 11 and accesses an application program via the API 21 to be applied at the request of each computer 10, 11. The program 22 is executed.

The application program 22 includes a member registration module, a content information registration module, a member authentication module, a certificate issuing module, and a member account management module.

The member registration module requests a user to input personally identifiable information necessary for member registration, such as a member's name, address, social security number, e-mail address, and bank account number. ) Is stored in the member DB. The member registration module generates a member account in which sales payouts to be paid to the member at the same time as the member registration are generated and stored together with the member identification information in the member account DB of the database 40.

The content information registration module enables content related matters to be registered in the content information DB of the database 40. That is, the content provider is provided with an input window that allows the content provider to enter a category corresponding to the content, a keyword to be used for searching, and a sale price. When the member's input is completed, the input information is input to the content information DB. Register.

The member authentication module registers the content information in the database of the server 20 when the content provider who has completed member registration, the content provider who has already registered the content information, or wants to modify the registered content information. In the case of searching for and purchasing purchased content information, an authentication process is performed for the connection to the server 20.

In order to perform the authentication, the server 20 requests the member to input identification information such as ID and password, and checks whether the input data is the same as the ID and password data previously stored in the member information DB of the database 40. If the check is the same, various operations are allowed in the server 20, and if not, an error message is generated and a message is requested to re-enter ID and password or to perform a member registration procedure.

The certificate issuing module receives a certificate issuance request signal by the authentication module of the client program when the content purchaser wants to search for and purchase (download) specific content, and the certificate (for example, the purchaser ID and file number of the requested content). And a set of binary codes consisting of an authentication number generated with the purchaser ID and the requested content file number and transmitted to the authentication module of the client program of the content purchaser. In addition, certificate verification is performed on the certificate verification request signal from the content purchaser computer 11.

The member account management module extracts and accumulates the content selling price for each ID of the content provider from the payment DB.

The database 40 includes a member information DB, a content information DB, a member account DB, a payment DB, a download DB, and a statistics DB.

The member information DB stores personally identifiable information necessary for member registration, such as the member's name, address, social security number, e-mail address, and bank account number.

The content information DB stores the content information input by the content provider in the content information registration module, that is, information including a title, an outline, a category, a keyword to be used for searching, and a sale price.

The member account DB stores details of the member's ID and the member's content sale price.

The payment DB stores order information including the ID of the content buyer, the ID of the content provider, the content file name, the price, and the payment status.

The download DB is generated for each member ID. When the content purchaser completes payment for the purchase of the content information, the download DB receives and stores the ID and IP address of the content provider, the content purchaser ID, and the content file name from the server 20.

The statistics DB stores information necessary for operating the server 20, such as the number of times of sales of each content and the price of sales.

4 to 8 are flowcharts for explaining a content transaction brokering method according to the present invention.

4 is a flowchart schematically illustrating the overall process of the content transaction brokering method according to the present invention.

First, a content provider or a content purchaser who wants to use the content transaction intermediation method according to the present invention executes a web browser installed on each computer 10 or 11 to access the server 20 and download a client program to each computer. The content file to be installed at (10, 11) and sold is stored in a predetermined directory by using the content storage module of the client program (S100).

A user who wants to register content information in the server 20 or searches for and purchases already registered content information runs a client program installed in the computer 10 or 11 to execute the server 20 through a network interface such as a modem. Access to the member registration process by the process provided in the member registration program of the application 22 of the server 20 (S200).

A member who completes member registration and wants to register content information in the database 40 of the server 20 selects a content information registration menu screen among HTML documents provided by the server 20 and registers information about content to be provided. (S300).

When the registration of the content information is completed, the content buyer searches for the registered content information using a keyword search or a search method based on category classification (S400). In response to the search, the server 20 provides a search result as contents including a title, an outline, a keyword, a selling price, a content provider ID, and the like for each content.

When the content purchaser wants to purchase a specific content after searching the search result, the content purchaser displays a content purchase intention by placing a cursor bar on the corresponding content file name and clicking a purchase button (S500).

When the server 20 receives the content purchase signal, the payment method selection menu is transmitted to the content purchaser's computer to allow the content purchaser to make a payment (S600).

When the payment is completed, the server 20 transmits the download information including the IP address of the content provider's computer that stores the content to be purchased to the content purchaser's computer so that the content purchaser's computer transfers the content from the content provider's computer. Direct download is possible (S700).

In the following FIGS. 5 to 8, detailed steps will be described for each step outlined in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for describing the member registration step S200 described with reference to FIG. 4 in detail.

Referring to FIG. 5, in order to register a member, a user of a computer 10 or 11 drives a web browser to access a server 20 through an internet network (S201). If the user connected to the server 20 selects the member registration menu provided by the server 20, the server 20 transmits an HTML document input window for inputting information necessary for member registration (S202). . The necessary information for membership registration includes personal identification number (ID), password, name, social security number, e-mail address and bank account number. When the user inputs the necessary information for member registration and transmits it to the server 20 (S203), the server 20 searches the member information DB to check whether the same ID exists (S204), and if the same ID exists In step S205, a message is sent to the user and a user inputs an ID again (S205). If the same ID does not exist in the past, the input data is stored in the member information DB of the database 40 (S206). (The next paragraph will be deleted.) At this time, the member information DB stores the IP address of the user's computer identified by the server 20 so that it can be used later when the buyer's computer and the content provider's computer are interconnected. . The server 20 also registers the input data in the database 40 and simultaneously creates a member account for storing the deposits to be paid to the member who is the content provider and stores it in the member account DB of the database 40 together with the member ID. do.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for describing in detail a step (step S300 of FIG. 4) for a member to register content information in the database 40 of the server 20.

Referring to FIG. 6, when a member who wants to register content information accesses the server 20 to perform a member authentication process and selects a content information registration menu of a web document provided by the server 20 (S301), the server ( 20) transmits an HTML document input window for inputting the necessary information for the registration of the content information (S302). Member's input includes the title and outline of the contents, category classification, keywords, sales price, and the like. As for the category, the category classification provided by the server 20 is selected from the highest category to the lowest category (for example, when the content is a program produced in JAVA), the computer-> development tool-> java-> The program can be inputted sequentially), and if necessary, the server 20 provides a menu for allowing the member to generate necessary categories for each category step.

When the member completes inputting all the items necessary for content registration (S303), the server 20 registers the input items in the content information DB of the database 40 (S304).

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a step (step S600 of FIG. 4) for performing a payment when a member searches for content information and searches a search result and then purchases specific content.

When the server 20 receives the purchase signal from the computer of the content buyer, the server 20 transmits a menu of payment method selection (for example, credit card, electronic money, bank transfer, etc.) to the content buyer's computer so that the content buyer can make a payment. (S601).

The content buyer selects one of the payment method selection menus. If the credit card or electronic money is selected, if the content purchaser inputs the credit card number or the electronic money number by transmitting an input window requesting the input of the credit card or the electronic money number (S602), the server 20 An authentication procedure for a credit card or electronic money is performed through the payment authority 30 (S603). If the credit card or electronic money is not authenticated, the server 20 generates an error message (S604), and again transmits a payment method selection menu to the content purchaser's computer 10. If the credit card or electronic money is successfully authenticated, the server 20 transmits and stores the order information including the ID of the content buyer, the ID of the content provider, the content file name, the price, and the payment status to the payment DB of the database 40. (S605).

If the content purchaser selects a bank transfer from the payment method selection menu (S606), the server 20 extracts the deposit account number from the member information DB of the content provider and transmits it to the computer of the content purchaser (S607). The order information including the ID of the content buyer, the ID of the content provider, the content file name, the price, and the payment status is stored in the payment DB of 40) (S608). If the payment status value stored in the payment DB is initially stored with a value indicating an outstanding payment (for example, "0"), and later a bank transfer is made using the content provider's bank account number already received by the content buyer, (20) The payment status value is changed to a value indicating payment completion (for example, "1") through a communication network with an operator or a bank.

Meanwhile, the server 20 determines whether the payment is completed by the payment method selected by the content buyer based on whether the payment status value of the payment DB is "1" (S609), and the ID and IP of the content provider associated with the corresponding content. In addition to storing download information including an address, a content purchaser ID, and a content file name in a download DB, the purchase price is accumulated in the member account DB of the content provider and used as payment data to be paid to the content provider (S610). The download DB may store a plurality of download information related to the content selected by the content buyer.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process (step S700 of FIG. 4) of directly downloading content to be purchased by a content purchaser's computer from the content provider's computer.

The content purchaser requests a download by selecting a download menu provided by the server 20 to download the ordered content (S701). When the server 20 receives the download request signal from the content purchaser, a download information selection menu is provided to select download information stored in the download DB corresponding to the ID of the corresponding purchaser (S702).

When the content purchaser selects desired download information from the download selection menu and requests transmission (S703), the authentication module of the client program installed in the content purchaser's computer transmits a certificate issuing request signal to the server 20 (S704). 20 transmits the certificate generated by the certificate issuing module of the application program and the selected download information to the authentication module via the communication module of the installation program of the content buyer (S705).

The client program connects the content purchaser's computer to the content provider's computer through the communication module using the IP address of the content provider included in the download information, and requests a content transmission by transmitting a certificate (S706).

When the content provider computer receives the certificate, the content provider computer requests verification of the certificate from the server 20 (S707), and receives and confirms the result of the verification from the server 20 (S708). When the content stored by the content storage module of the content provider computer 10 is transmitted to the content buyer computer 11 through the communication module (S709), if the verification result is abnormal, transmits an error message to the content buyer computer (11) (S710).

The specific embodiments described in the present specification so far are for clarity of technical content of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed in consultation with only such examples.

As described above, although the member registration process (S200, S201-S206) and the content information registration process (S300, S301-S304) are described as being performed by the content provider inputting the registration information to the input window provided by the server. In the modified embodiment, a member registration menu and a content information registration menu and an input window for inputting member registration and content information are provided by the client program, and the input member registration and content information registration items are sent to the server 20. It can be delivered and stored in the member information DB and the content information DB. Similarly, the payment process may be modified so that the content buyer selects a payment method selection menu provided by the client program.

On the other hand, as described above, in order for the content purchaser to download the content from a specific content provider, both the content purchaser and the content provider may execute a client program and access the server 20. At this time, in order for the content buyer to easily know whether the content provider is logged on to the server 20, the information indicating whether the content provider accesses the server 20 in the download information provided in step S702 of FIG. It is also possible to add. In this case, the content purchaser can easily know whether the content provider is connected to the server 20, and there is an advantage when selecting the download information in step S703. In addition, after the download information is stored in the download DB (step S610) and before the download request signal transmission step (S701), an instant message notifying whether a content provider stored in the download DB is connected to the server 20. ) Can be provided to the content buyer, so that it is easy to know whether the provider of the content to be purchased is connected to the server 20.

As described above, the present invention can simplify the configuration of the system of the content transaction broker by allowing the content buyer to download the desired content directly from the content provider, and also provide increased profits to the content provider and provide content buyers. It is accompanied by the effect of enabling the purchase of the content required at a lower price.

Claims (4)

Content provider computer and content purchaser computer is accessible through the Internet network and provided with a server including an application, a search engine, a category classification and a database, mediation of content transactions for mediating transmission and reception between the content provider and the content buyer In the method, (A) the content provider stores the content file, communicates with the server, and requests a client program for performing a certificate issuance request for content download and a verification request for the certificate from the server and the content provider. Providing the content buyer computer; (B) storing the member information of the content provider and the content information in the member information DB and the content information DB by the server; (C) The content purchaser runs the client program installed in his computer to access the server and searches for and retrieves the content information registered in the content information DB using the search engine or category classification of the server to retrieve the content. Receiving a content purchase request signal to be purchased at the server; (D) performing payment on the purchase request content in the server; (E) receiving at the server a download request signal for the purchase request content from the computer of the content purchaser; And, (F) transmitting the information necessary for downloading of the purchase request content from the server to the content buyer computer, wherein the client program installed on the content buyer computer receives the information necessary for the download. And accessing the content provider computer through an internet network, and downloading the purchase request content from the content provider computer to the content purchaser computer. The method of claim 1, wherein in the step (d), (D-1) storing payment information including a content provider ID and an IP address, a content buyer ID, and a content file name associated with the purchase request content in a download DB of the database when payment is completed; (D-2) accumulating the sales price in the member account DB of the content provider of the database. According to claim 2, Between the step (e) and the (bar), (a) receiving a download request signal for the purchase request content from a server and providing a download information selection menu to the content purchaser computer for selecting download information stored in the download DB corresponding to the ID of the content purchaser; step; And, (b) when one of the download information selection menus is selected, a client program of the content purchaser computer transmitting a certificate issuing request signal to the server; And, (c) the server further generating a certificate by the application, The information necessary for downloading in the step (f) includes the certificate and the selected download information. The method of claim 3, wherein And the download information further includes information indicating whether the content provider is connected to the server.