Title of the Invention
PORTAL SITE SYSTEM
Technical Field
[0001]
The present invention relates to a portal site that includes links relating to
use of various applications, content, services, and the like, and especially relates to a
portal site system that can simplify a use procedure including charging when using
an application, content, or a service provided on a portal site.
Background Art
[0002]
Services available to users via a network have diversified in recent years.
For example, a portal site is known to, in the case of using various applications or
content such as electronic books, music, and movies or various services such as
accommodation reservations on websites, provide these applications, content, and
services together to users. Patent Document 1 as an example proposes a portal site
provision apparatus that is connected with server apparatuses of a plurality of
vendors for providing applications and is also connectable with a client apparatus of
a user. The portal site provision apparatus operates as follows. Once the user has
obtained authentication as a procedure for using the portal site, when the user uses
an application from the portal site, the authentication data of the user is transmitted
from the portal site to a vender that provides the application. This is a system that,
once the user has completed the use procedure with the portal system, allows
individual use procedures for applications provided on the portal site to be omitted.
[0003]
As described in Patent Document 2, the following application execution
- 2 -
system is also known. A personal computer of a user is connected to an application
service provider (ASP) via a network such as the Internet. An accessible period is
set for each application of evaluation version so that there is no charge within a trial
period and, only when the user wants to use the application even after the trial period,
the user is authorized to use the application by paying a license fee for the product
version.
Citation List
Patent Documents
[0004]
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-
175436
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-
286899
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 367960
Summary of the Invention
Problem to be Solved by the Invention
[0005]
In the portal site provision apparatus described in Patent Document 1, for
example, charging is a prerequisite in the case of using a charged application.
However, even in the case where, after starting using the application, the user
decides the application is unnecessary and stops using it halfway, a normal charge
could be incurred.
[0006]
In the application execution system described in Patent Document 2, the
accessible period is set for the evaluation version so that there is no charge within
the trial period. Only when the user wants to use the application even after the trial
period, the user is authorized to use the application by paying the license fee for the
- 3 -
product version. Thus, no charge is required during initial use. For example
regarding paid content such as a movie or music, however, the user inevitably needs
to select whether or not to use the content in the middle of viewing. This complicates
the operation. Besides, typically the evaluation version of the application is partially
limited in functions, which is not convenient for the user.
[0007]
As described in Patent Document 3 as an example, a system of determining
the amount of payment for the user according to the amount of use by the user is
also known. In Patent Document 3, an image forming apparatus in which a program
for controlling the processes of, for example, a combination machine integrating
scanner, printer, copy, and fax functions is installed includes use amount
management means for managing the use amount for each program using a counter.
According to the control program in the image forming apparatus, for example, a
predetermined operation which is a copy operation using an image processing
application is counted and managed as the use amount, and the data is transmitted
to an application vendor via a network so that the user is notified of a charge
corresponding to the use amount of the application. However, this cannot be easily
applied to the above-mentioned portal site that includes links relating to use of
various applications, content, and services. There is thus a need to simplify a use
procedure including a charging process when using an application, content, or a
service provided on a portal site.
[0008]
The present invention accordingly has an object of providing a portal site
system that can enhance convenience by simplifying a use procedure and a
procedure including a charging process when using an application, content, or a
service, in a portal site that includes links for using various applications, content,
services, and the like.
Means for solving the Problems
- 4 -
[0009]
To solve the problem stated above, a portal site system according to the
present invention employs the following structure.
[0010]
The portal site system according to the present invention is a portal site
system that is connectable with servers of a plurality of vendors for providing a
plurality of applications, content, services, and the like and a client terminal of a user
via a network, the portal site system including: a user information DB for storing user
information of a user who has contracted a portal site; and a record collection system,
wherein the portal site system specifies a user accessing the portal site based on the
user information in the user information DB and, when the specified user selects an
application, content, or a service provided on the portal site, executes a use
procedure between the user and a vendor, and wherein the record collection system
analyzes a use history of the application, content, or service selected by the user and
collects the use history as a use record, calculates a fee for the vendor based on the
collected use record, and executes a distribution process of the fee on the vendor.
[0011]
The portal site system according to the present invention includes a use
procedure conversion rule DB, wherein the portal site system executes the use
procedure for the vendor according to a use procedure conversion rule, for the user
accessing the portal site system.
[0012]
In the portal site system according to the present invention, the record
collection system calculates a recovery fee (affiliate) according to a use record of a
free application, content, or service, and executes a request process of the recovery
fee on the vendor.
Advantageous Effect of the Invention
[0013]
- 5 -
According to the present invention, the user who has contracted the portal
site system is able to receive the plurality of applications, content, and services from
the single portal site, with no need to perform an individual use procedure with each
vendor. Moreover, the portal site system executes the process of distribution
(incentive) or recovery (affiliate) on each vendor according to the use record, so that
there is no need to perform a charging procedure or a cancellation procedure
individually with each vendor. Further, when using an application or the like, the user
can use not the evaluation version with limited functions but the application having
the same functions as the normal version. Besides, when the user stops using the
application halfway, the fee is calculated according to the use record. Such a portal
site system is rational and very convenient.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0014]
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an overall system including a portal
site system representing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the system at the beginning of service use in
the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a process at the beginning of service use in
the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a user information
table in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a use procedure
conversion rule table in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the system at the time of service use in the
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process at the time of service use in the
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the system at the end of service use in the
- 6 -
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a process at the end of service use in the
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a log standardization system in the
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a use record information process in the
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12A is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a book content
log information table in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12B is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reservation
service log information table in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12C is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a provision
information app log information table in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a log conversion
information table in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14A is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a book content
analysis log information table in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14B is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reservation
service analysis log information table in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14C is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a provision
information app analysis log information table in the embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a weighting
information table in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a block diagram including a use record search system in the
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a use record confirmation process in the
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing a fee distribution and recovery system
- 7 -
in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing a fee distribution and recovery process in the
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a use record
table in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an analysis result
table in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an amount
conversion information table in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a recovery fee
information table in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a distribution fee
information table in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 25 is a block diagram including a use record and fee search system in
the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 26 is a flowchart showing a use record and fee reference process in
the embodiment of the present invention.
Modes for carrying out the Invention
[0015]
The following describes an embodiment of a portal site system according to
the present invention based on drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a
portal site system 1 according to the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the
portal site system 1 is connected with servers 2A, 2B, and 2C of a plurality of
vendors and a client terminal 3 of a user via a network 4, and guides the user to
applications, content, and services provided by the vendors. Each of the servers 2A,
2B, and 2C of the vendors stores a control program 5 corresponding to the
application, content, or service provided by the vendor, and includes databases
(hereafter referred to as “DB”) 6, 7, and 8 for storing user information, content
- 8 -
information, and log information. Although the schematic block diagram in FIG. 1
shows only the specific structure of the application vendor and omits the specific
structures of the content vendor and the service vendor, each of the content vendor
and the service vendor equally includes a program for operating the content or
service provided by the vendor and DBs (not shown) for storing user information,
content information, and log information.
[0016]
The portal site system 1 includes a web server 10, a DB server 20, and a
record collection server 40. The web server 10 includes a portal server 11. The DB
server 20 includes a DB 21 for storing user information, a DB 22 for storing use
procedure conversion rule information, a DB 23 for storing use record information, a
DB 24 for storing amount conversion information, a DB 25 for storing weighting
information, a DB 26 for storing use record analysis result information, a DB 27 for
storing recovery fee information, a DB 28 for storing distribution fee information, a DB
29 for storing log conversion information, and a DB 30 for storing log-converted
standard log information (the DBs 29 and 30 are shown in FIG. 10). The record
collection server 40 includes a record collection system 41.
[0017]
The client terminal 3 of the user includes a typical personal computer,
notebook-size personal computer, PDA, mobile phone, smartphone, tablet terminal,
or the like. The client terminal 3 includes at least a communication function of
transmitting information to the portal server 11 via the network 4, a display function
such as a display of displaying information from the portal server 11 or each of the
servers 2A, 2B, and 2C of the provision vendors, and an input function such as a
keyboard, a pointing device, or a touch panel. The communication function, the
display function, and the input function will be described later.
[0018]
A process at the beginning of service use is described below, with reference
to a block diagram in FIG. 2 and a flowchart in FIG. 3. When a user information
- 9 -
transmission unit 31 (communication function) in the client terminal 3 of the user
transmits user information at the beginning of service use (step S1), a user
information registration unit 50 in the web server 10 registers the user information
transmitted from the client terminal 3, in a user information table T stored in the user
information DB 21 (step S2). FIG. 4 shows an example of the user information table
T. The user information table T stores data including: a user code; a user name; a
user address, age, OS used, and whether or not to use encryption as procedure
information 1 to procedure information n; a belonging company name; a use state of
each of service 1 to service n provided by the vendor; a user contract state; a
deletion flag; a login date and time; a logout date and time; a terminal identification
code; a login state; a use start date and time; and a use end date and time. The user
information registration unit 50 determines the contract possibility for the user. For
example, if the user is a corporate member, the user information registration unit 50
compares the information with corporate member information, to determine the
belonging state of the user. The user information registration unit 50 also determines
whether or not the use is limited, according to the past record, etc. (step S3). The
user information registration unit 50 thus identifies the user (step S4). In the case
where the user information registration unit 50 fails to identify the user, the user
information registration unit 50 changes the user information table T and sets the
deletion flag for the user (step S5). In the case where the user information
registration unit 50 identifies the user in step S4, on the other hand, a use procedure
conversion and transmission unit 51 converts the user information according to a rule
defined in a use procedure conversion rule table 10T stored in the use procedure
conversion rule DB 22 in the DB server 11, and transmits the converted user
information to each of the servers 2A, 2B, and 2C of the provision vendors (step 6).
The use procedure conversion rule table 10T stores information for defining a rule
when performing a use procedure for each provision vendor. As an example, as
shown in FIG. 5, the use procedure conversion rule table 10T stores data including:
an application name (hereafter simply referred to as “app name”) provided by the
- 10 -
vendor; a conversion number indicating a conversion rule for the use procedure; user
procedure information; a type attribute (character string or numeric); and the number
of digits. Thus, the use procedure conversion and transmission unit 51 transmits the
user information converted according to the use procedure conversion rule table 10T
to each of the servers 2A, 2B, and 2C of the provision vendors, and a use procedure
processing unit 60 in each of the servers 2A, 2B, and 2C registers the user
information in the user information DB 6 in the server (step 7). The use procedure
processing unit 60 in each of the servers 2A, 2B, and 2C also transmits the user
information registered in the user information DB 6 to a user authentication unit 52 in
the web server 10, to set a use flag in the user information DB 21 in the DB server 11
(step 8). The user authentication unit 52 transmits a registration completion
notification to the client terminal 3 of the user. A user authentication result display
unit 32 (display function) in the client terminal 3 of the user displays the registration
completion notification (step 9).
[0019]
Once the user has contracted the portal site in the above-mentioned
manner, the user is able to receive various applications, content, and services
provided on the portal site. A process at the time of such service use is described
below, mainly with reference to a block diagram in FIG. 6 and a flowchart in FIG. 7.
When the user information transmission unit 31 in the client terminal 3 of the user
transmits the user information to the portal site at the time of service use (step S10),
a user specifying unit 53 searches the user information table T in the user information
DB 21 to specify the user, and acquires the information of the service contracted by
the user (step S11). The use procedure conversion and transmission unit 51
transmits the user information converted according to the use procedure conversion
rule table 10T stored in the use procedure conversion rule DB 22, to the use
procedure processing unit 60 in each of the servers 2A, 2B, and 2C of the provision
vendors (step S12). The use procedure processing unit 60 searches the user
information table T in the user information DB 6 of the vendor for the corresponding
- 11 -
user information, extracts apps, content, or services available to the user, and
determines the use possibility (step S13). The use procedure processing unit 60
transmits the information of the available apps to the user authentication unit 52 in
the web server 10. The user authentication unit 52 outputs the available app/service
names to a result display unit 35 in the user client terminal 3, to notify the user (step
S14). The user selects a desired app, content, or service and starts the use by
operating an operation input unit 34 (step S15). The operation input unit 34 outputs
the information to a function processing unit 61 in the provision vendor. The function
processing unit 61 executes a process according to a program of the app, content, or
service, and transmits the corresponding operation log to a use record reception unit
55 in the web server 10 as use information (step S16). The use record reception unit
55 receives the use record, and receives the use information converted according to
the use procedure conversion rule table 10T (step S17). The use record reception
unit 55 registers it in the use record information DB 23 (step S18). The function
processing unit 61 determines the type, i.e. determines which type is selected by the
user from the apps, content, and services provided by the vendors (step S19). In the
case where the user selects an app, the function processing unit 61 transmits the
execution result of the app (step S20), and the result display unit 35 in the user client
terminal 3 displays the app processing result (step S21). In the case where the user
selects a service, the function processing unit 61 transmits the service reception
result (step S22), and the result display unit 35 in the user client terminal 3 displays
the service processing result (step S21). In addition, a service reception unit 71 in
the vendor terminal 70 receives the operation input from the user client terminal 3 as
a service (step S23), and a service result transmission unit 72 transmits the service
execution result (step S24). The result display unit 35 in the user client terminal 3
displays the service provision result (step S25).
[0020]
A process at the end of service use is described below, with reference to a
block diagram in FIG. 8 and a flowchart in FIG. 9. When the user information is input
- 12 -
from the client terminal 3 of the user (step S30) and the user information
transmission unit 31 transmits the user information to the web server 10 at the end of
service use, the user specifying unit 53 searches the user information table T in the
user information DB 21 using the user information to specify the user, and acquires
the information of the service contracted by the user (step S31). The use procedure
conversion and transmission unit 51 performs an end procedure with the vendor,
according to the conversion rule in the use procedure conversion rule table 10T (step
S32). The use procedure processing unit 60 in the vendor deletes the user
information from the user information DB 6 in the vendor (step S33). The user
authentication unit 52 in the portal site deletes the corresponding service from the
user information table T in the user information DB 21 (step S34), and changes the
user information table T and sets the deletion flag (step S35). The user
authentication result display unit 32 in the user client terminal 3 displays the deletion
completion (step S36).
[0021]
The following describes the record collection system 41. The record
collection system 41 is a system for analyzing logs from the provision vendors and
quantifies the user’s use records as points.
[0022]
When the user uses an app, content, or a service, a log storage unit 8A in
each of the servers 2A, 2B, and 2C stores a log in the log information DB 8 as use
history. Such logs are different for each vendor, and also different depending on type
such as apps, content, or services provided by the vendors. Hence, the record
collection system 41 converts each log transmitted from a log transmission unit 8B in
each of the servers 2A, 2B, and 2C of the vendors in unified format to standardize it,
and then analyzes the log and quantifies the use record of the user as points. A
process for standardizing a log is described below. As shown in a block diagram in
FIG. 10, the record collection system 41 includes a log reception unit 80, a log
conversion unit 81, a log type analysis unit 82, a weighting unit 83, and a use record
- 13 -
storage unit 84. Each use log stored in the log storage unit 8A in the DB 8 of each
vendor is transmitted from the log transmission unit 8B to the log reception unit 80 in
the record collection system 41. After the standardization by the log conversion unit
81, the use record is quantified as points, and stored in the use record information
DB 23. This process is described below, with reference to a flowchart in FIG. 11.
[0023]
For example, when the user uses an application, the corresponding
operation history is left as a log. The log is stored in the log information DB 8 in the
application server 2 as any of log information tables 20Ta to 20Tc shown in FIGS.
12A, 12B, and 12C (step S40), and the log transmission unit 8B transmits the log to
the DB server 11 in the portal site (step S41). The log reception unit 80 in the record
collection system 41 receives the log information transmitted to the DB server 11
(step S42). The log is converted in standard form based on log conversion
information, and the resulting log information (standard) is stored in the log
information DB 30. A rule used when standardizing the log is a conversion rule
defined in a log conversion information table 30T shown in FIG. 13. The log
conversion information table 30T defines a rule for classifying logs not unified among
vendors or types of apps provided, according to use function. In detail, the portal site
provides various applications, content, and services and, when the user uses a paid
application, content, or service, the user pays a use fee to the provision vendor
(incentive). Regarding various free services such as guide services or reservation
services, for example, when the user makes a reservation or buys a product via a link
on the portal site, a reward (affiliate) may be paid to the operator of the portal site.
Accordingly, a rule for classifying each application, content, or service as incentive or
affiliate is defined. As an example, as shown in FIG. 13 , the log conversion
information table 30T stores data including; an app name; a rule type; a record type
(incentive or affiliate); a type (document name, reservation type, information type); a
process (information type); and a use time (reference time). Log information
summarized in the record collection system 41 is converted according to the rule
- 14 -
defined in the log conversion information table 30T, and the resulting log information
(standard) is stored in the log information DB 30 in the DB server 10 (step S43). The
log type analysis unit 82 analyzes the log standardized in this way (step S44),
classifies the log according to type, e.g. book content such as an electronic book, a
reservation service for travel, move, etc., and a provision app such as map search,
game, sightseeing guide, or route search as shown in FIGS. 14A, 14B, and 14C, and
stores it in any of analyzed log information tables 40Ta to 40Tc. Further, the
weighting unit 83 performs weighting in order to calculate a distribution amount
(incentive) or a recovery amount (affiliate) according to the use record (step S45),
and the use record storage unit 84 stores it in the use record information DB 23 in the
DB server 11.
[0024]
The weighting process is described in detail below. The portal site
according to the present invention provides various applications, content, and
services, and there is a need to calculate a distribution amount paid from the portal
operator to the provision vendor as an incentive, or a recovery amount paid from the
provision vendor to the portal operator for a free application, content, or service,
according to the use record. In the present invention, the use record is quantified as
points to calculate the distribution amount or the recovery amount. In the case of
quantifying the use record as points, however, if the evaluation is based only on the
use time, the use time for an electronic book or the like differs for each person even
though the same number of pages are read. To quantify the use record as points by
fair evaluation, a rule is defined for each application, content, or service, and stored
in a weight information table 50T. As an example, as shown in FIG. 15, the weight
information table 50T stores data including: an app name; an information type (e.g.
electronic book, game, transfer guide, etc.); a process type (page reference or page
change in the case of an electronic book, reference in the case of a game, search in
the case of transfer guide, etc.); a service number; a weight value; and use time
conversion. In FIG. 15, for example, a rule in the case where the user views a book
- 15 -
“Shanghai” as an electronic book about travel is defined as follows: the weight value
is “2” when referencing a page, and the weight value is “1” when performing a page
change. The user record is quantified as points according to such a rule, and the
distribution amount or the recovery amount is calculated according to the points.
[0025]
The quantified use record can be also confirmed from the provision vendor
side. In detail, as shown in FIG. 16, the vendor terminal 70 of each of the servers 2A,
2B, and 2C includes a use record search unit 73 and a use record display unit 74,
and the record collection system 41 in the record collection server 40 includes a use
record inquiry reception unit 101, a use record summarization unit 102, and a use
record transmission unit 103. A process when confirming the use record is described
below, with reference to a flowchart in FIG. 17. When a use record search condition
is input to the use record search unit 73 in the vendor terminal 70, the use record
search unit 73 transmits the search condition to the use record inquiry reception unit
101 in the record collection system 41 (steps S50, S51). The use record inquiry
reception unit 101 collects the use record corresponding to the search condition from
the use record information DB 23 in the DB server 11 (step S52). The use record
transmission unit 103 transmits the collected use record information to the vendor
terminal 70, and the use record display unit 74 in the vendor terminal 70 displays the
quantified use record (steps S53, S54). Thus, the provision vendor can confirm the
distribution amount paid from the portal operator to the provision vendor as an
incentive or the recovery amount paid as an affiliate for a free application, content, or
service according to the use record.
[0026]
In the present invention, a fixed-rate charging system is employed when the
user contracts with the portal site operator. When the user uses an application,
content, or a service provided on the portal site, no charge is required. When the
user uses a selected application, content, or service, a fee distribution amount
(incentive) or a fee recovery amount (affiliate) is calculated according to the use
- 16 -
record, and the portal site operator performs a fee distribution or fee recovery
process for each provision vendor. This fee distribution and recovery system is
described below. As shown in FIG. 18, the record collection system 41 in the record
collection server 40 includes an execution planning unit 88, a use record extraction
unit 89, a recovery and distribution information analysis unit 90, a use record
transmission unit 91, a record correction unit 92, a recovery calculation unit 93, a
distribution calculation unit 99, and a use information and fee transmission unit 100.
The use record information DB 23 in the DB server 20 stores a use record table 60T
storing use record information shown in FIG. 20, and the use record analysis result
DB 26 stores an analysis result table 70T shown in FIG. 21. The analysis result table
70T stores information about distribution (incentive) or recovery (affiliated) as a result
of analyzing the use record table 60T. The amount conversion information DB 24,
the recovery fee information DB 27, and the distribution fee information DB 28 store
an amount conversion information table 80T, a recovery fee information table 90T,
and a distribution fee information table 100T, respectively. The amount conversion
information table 80T stores information for calculating the distribution amount or the
recovery amount according to the use record of the application, content, service, or
the like used by the user. As an example, as shown in FIG. 22, the amount
conversion information table 80T stores data including: a type (distribution or
recovery); points as a result of quantifying the use record; a conversion rate between
points and a distribution amount or a recovery amount; a target year; and a target
month. The analysis results converted according to the conversion rates in the
amount conversion information table 80T are reflected in the recovery fee information
table 90T and the distribution fee information table 100T shown in FIGS. 23 and 24.
The vendor terminal 70 includes a record reference unit 73, a record approval unit 74,
and a use information and fee display unit 75.
[0027]
A process for performing fee distribution or fee recovery for each provision
vendor in the above-mentioned structure is described below, with reference to a
- 17 -
flowchart in FIG. 19. First, the execution planning unit 88 performs scheduling, and
the use record extraction unit 89 extracts the use record within the scheduled period
(steps S60, S61). In the use record extraction, the period is designated as the
search condition so that the use record within the period can be extracted from use
record information stored in the use record table 60T (see FIG. 20) in the use record
information DB 23. The use record extraction unit 89 determines the type of the
record (fee distribution or recovery) (step S62). In the case where the type is
determined as distribution fee, the distribution calculation unit 99 calculates the
distribution fee based on the conversion rate in the distribution fee information table
100T (step S63), and the use information and fee transmission unit 100 transmits the
distribution fee to the vendor (step S64). In the case where the type is determined as
recovery fee in step S62, the use record transmission unit 91 transmits the use
record of the service to the vendor (step S65). The record reference unit 73 in the
vendor references the use record of the service transmitted from the portal site
operator, and the record approval unit 74 approves the use record (step S66). The
record approval unit 74 transmits the approval result to the record correction unit 92
in the record collection server 40 (step S67). Upon receiving the approval result, the
record correction unit 92 stores the service use as fee recovery, and also the
recovery calculation unit 93 calculates the recovery fee (steps S68, S69). The use
information and fee transmission unit 100 transmits the recovery fee to the vendor
(step S64), thus completing the process.
[0028]
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 25, the vendor terminal 70 of each of the
servers 2A, 2B, and 2C includes a use record and fee search unit 76 and a use
record and fee display unit 77, and the record collection system 41 in the record
collection server 40 includes a use information reception unit 110, a use information
and fee extraction unit 111, and a use information and fee transmission unit 112.
The vendor terminal 70 can then reference the use record and the corresponding fee
in the record collection server 40 of the portal site. A process of referencing the use
- 18 -
record and the fee is described below, with reference to a flowchart in FIG. 26.
[0029]
When a use information and fee are input to the use record and fee search
unit 76 in the vendor terminal 70 as a search condition and the use record and fee
search unit 76 transmits the use information and fee to the use information reception
unit 110 (step S70), the use information reception unit 110 in the record collection
server 40 receives the search condition, and the use information and fee extraction
unit 111 extracts the use record and the recovery fee or distribution fee
corresponding to the search condition from the use record analysis result DB 26, the
recovery fee information DB 27, and the distribution fee information DB 28 in the DB
server 11 based on the search condition (steps S71, S72). The use information and
fee transmission unit 112 transmits the extracted use record and recovery fee or
distribution fee to the use record and fee display unit 77 in the vendor terminal 70
(step S73). The use record and fee display unit 77 in the vendor terminal 70 displays
the use record and the corresponding fee (step S74). Thus, the provision vendor can
confirm the distribution fee paid from the portal site operator to the provision vendor
as an incentive or the recovery fee charged from the portal operator to the provision
vendor as an affiliation fee for a free application, content, or service according to the
use record.
[0030]
As described above, in the portal site system 1 according to the present
invention, the user who has completed the use procedure and contracted the portal
site system 1 is able to receive the plurality of applications, content, and services
from the single portal site, with no need to perform an individual use procedure with
each vendor. Moreover, the portal site operator executes the process of distribution
(incentive) or recovery (affiliated) on each vendor according to the use record, so that
there is no need to perform a charging procedure or a cancellation procedure
individually for each vendor as long as the contract is in the form in which the user
pays a fixed fee to the portal site system 1. Further, when using an application or the
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like, the user can use not the evaluation version with limited functions but the
application having the same functions as the normal version. Besides, when the user
stops using the application halfway, the fee is calculated according to the use record.
Such a portal site system is rational. For example, in the case where the portal site
prepares a mobile terminal in which various overseas search services, reservation
services, route guide, or overseas apps are packaged and employs the contract form
of renting the mobile terminal to the user, upon overseas travel on business or
pleasure the user does not need to search for such services abroad. The portal site
system is therefore very convenient.
Description of Reference Numerals
[0031]
1 portal site system
3 client terminal
4 Internet (network)
22 use procedure rule DB
23 use record DB
41 record collection system
60 use procedure processing unit

CLAIMS
1. A portal site system that is connectable with servers of a plurality of vendors
for providing a plurality of applications, content, services, and the like and a client
terminal of a user via a network, the portal site system comprising;
a user information DB for storing user information of a user who has
contracted a portal site; and
a record collection system,
wherein the portal site system specifies a user accessing the portal site
based on the user information in the user information DB and, when the specified
user selects an application, content, or a service provided on the portal site, executes
a use procedure between the user and a vendor, and
wherein the record collection system analyzes a use history of the
application, content, or service selected by the user and collects the use history as a
use record, calculates a fee for the vendor based on the collected use record, and
executes a distribution process of the fee on the vendor.
2. The portal site system according to claim 1, comprising
a use procedure conversion rule DB,
wherein the portal site system executes the use procedure for the vendor
according to a use procedure conversion rule, for the user accessing the portal site
system.
3. The portal site system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the record
collection system calculates a recovery fee (affiliate) according to a use record of a
free application, content or service, and executes a request process of the recovery
fee on the