Interactive video distribution systems – Billing in video distribution system – Having variable cost or free preview period
Reexamination Certificate
1996-06-26
2001-08-14
Gregory, Bernarr E. (Department: 3662)
Interactive video distribution systems
Billing in video distribution system
Having variable cost or free preview period
C725S005000, C380S200000, C380S210000, C380S216000, C380S217000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275988
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to providing information in a multimedia network system for transmitting information such as dynamic image data, still image data, audio data, computer data, and the like, and an image transmission apparatus, an image transmission system, and a communication apparatus used therefor.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, so-called information service industries are growing along with the use of optical fiber networks in trunk communication networks, spread of cable television systems, practical use of satellite communications, spread of local area networks, and the like.
The information service industries provide various kinds of information using the above-mentioned communication networks, and charge users in correspondence with the contents and volume of information. In such information service industries, it is important to appropriately charge or ask an account for the provided information.
However, the conventional information service industries use a month-to-month accounting system independently of the use frequency as in the cable television system or the satellite broadcast system, or an accounting system for counting only the use frequency (or use time) independently of the kind or quality of information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its first object to perform accounting processing in consideration of the kind and quality of information provided.
It is the second object of the present invention to prevent an illicit act against information transmitted/received in an image transmission system.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an image transmission apparatus which processes hierarchically encoded image information, comprises accounting means for performing accounting processing in correspondence with a resolution of the image information.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, an image transmission apparatus which processes hierarchically encoded image information, comprises accounting means for performing accounting processing in correspondence with a resolution of the image information, and charge storage means for storing a charge of the image information calculated by the accounting means.
According to still another embodiment, an image transmission apparatus which processes hierarchically encoded image information, comprises accounting means for performing accounting processing in correspondence with a resolution and a volume of the image information.
According to still another embodiment, an image transmission apparatus which processes hierarchically encoded image information, comprises accounting means for performing accounting processing in correspondence with a resolution of the image information, information volume measuring means for measuring a volume of the image information, and charge storage means for storing a charge of the image information calculated by the accounting means.
According to still another embodiment, the apparatus comprises payment means for paying a charge of the image information at predetermined time intervals.
According to still another embodiment, an image transmission apparatus which processes hierarchically encoded image information, comprises accounting means for performing accounting processing in correspondence with a resolution of the image information, charge storage means for storing a charge of the image information calculated by the accounting means, and payment means for paying the charge of the image information at predetermined time intervals.
According to still another embodiment, the accounting means is arranged at the transmitter side.
According to still another embodiment, the accounting means is arranged at the receiver side.
According to still another embodiment, the accounting means are arranged at both the transmitter and receiver sides.
According to still another embodiment, an apparatus comprises image destination designation means for designating an arbitrary image reception apparatus as a destination of an image and requesting an image provider to transmit the image, image transmission means for transmitting the image to the image reception apparatus designated by the image destination designation means, and accounting means for performing accounting processing for a user who designated the destination of the image or a user who received the image.
According to still another embodiment, the apparatus comprises cipher means for performing at least one of encipherment or digital signature of the information to be transmitted.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an image transmission system which processes hierarchically encoded image information, comprises a transmission apparatus, which comprises accounting means for performing accounting processing in correspondence with a resolution and a volume of the image information, information volume measuring means for measuring the volume of the image information, and charge storage means for storing the charge of the image information calculated by the accounting means, and a reception apparatus, which comprises payment means for paying the charge of the image information at predetermined time intervals.
According to another embodiment, a communication apparatus which receives data via a network, comprises detection means for detecting a traffic state of the network, and designation means for designating a transmission format of the data in correspondence with the detection result of the detection means.
According to still another embodiment, the designation means designates the transmission format to a transmission terminal via the network.
According to still another embodiment, the transmission format is a layer in hierarchical encoding.
Since the above-mentioned embodiment has the above technical means, charges of images can be calculated in units of resolutions.
According to another embodiment, since the accounting processing is performed in correspondence with the resolution and volume of the image information, charges of images can be calculated in units of resolutions, and can also be determined in consideration of the information volume.
According to still another embodiment, since the payment means for paying a charge at the predetermined time intervals is arranged, accounts can be settled at the predetermined time intervals by calculating an accumulated charge.
According to still another embodiment, the accounting processing can be performed in correspondence with the hierarchical encoding technique.
It is the third object of the present invention to perform accounting processing in correspondence with the traffic of a transmission line, and to prevent an illicit act against information transmitted/received in an image transmission system.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an image transmission system for transmitting hierarchically encoded image information, comprises selection means for selecting a layer of an image to be transmitted in correspondence with a traffic of a transmission line for transmitting the hierarchically encoded image information, and accounting processing means for performing accounting processing of the image information to be transmitted in correspondence with the layer selected by the selection means.
According to another embodiment, an image transmission system which transmits image information, which is hierarchically encoded to have different resolutions in units of layers, between a transmission terminal and a reception terminal, comprises a reception terminal, which comprises traffic checking means for checking a traffic of a transmission line for transmitting the hierarchically encoded image information, and resolution selection means for selecting a resolution of an image to be transmitted in correspondence with the checking result of the traffic checking means, and a transmission terminal which comprises accounting processing means for performing accounting processing
Iwamura Keiichi
Nagashima Takayuki
Suzuki Toshiaki
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Gregory Bernarr E.
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