Abstract: A cyber mall system has a contents sales apparatus for selling digital contents, a contents purchasing apparatus, and a network for connecting these components. When digital contents are registered into the contents sales apparatus, digital contents personal using conditions are generated on the basis of digital contents using conditions and are provided to a customer. If the digital contents are again purchased after the delivery of the digital contents fails, as long as the digital contents personal using conditions provided at the time of purchase are valid, the digital contents are again delivered without again collecting a digital contents value.

Abstract: A cyber mall system has a contents sales apparatus for selling digital contents, a contents purchasing apparatus, and a network for connecting these components. When digital contents are registered into the contents sales apparatus, digital contents personal using conditions are generated on the basis of digital contents using conditions and are provided to a customer. If the digital contents are again purchased after the delivery of the digital contents fails, as long as the digital contents personal using conditions provided at the time of purchase are valid, the digital contents are again delivered without again collecting a digital contents value.

Abstract: A cyber mall system has a contents sales apparatus for selling digital contents, a contents purchasing apparatus, and a network for connecting these components. When digital contents are registered into the contents sales apparatus, digital contents personal using conditions are generated on the basis of digital contents using conditions and are provided to a customer. If the digital contents are again purchased after the delivery of the digital contents fails, as long as the digital contents personal using conditions provided at the time of purchase are valid, the digital contents are again delivered without again collecting a digital contents value.

Abstract: Preparation of Braille books and audio books by man has a problem that a great deal of costs including the work cost for recitation or translation (printing) of Braille, composition, examination and the like and the distribution cost are required as compared with general books. Further, there is a problem that books that visually handicapped people wish to read cannot be delivered immediately at an inexpensive price. The user (reader) himself participates in editing or correction in processing for producing an audio book which reads an electronic book aloud using the speech synthesis technique and pronunciation symbol text constituting the basis of the audio book to thereby reduce the cost required for the production processing of the audio book and the pronunciation symbol text and improve the quality of the audio book and the pronunciation symbol text.

Abstract: A content metadata registering method for registering metadata utilized during a retrieving operation at a specific position on a time axis of content is comprised of: a step for storing a content play log which contains a distribution starting time instant when the content is played, a time code when a distribution is commenced, a playing direction, and a playing speed into a storage apparatus; a step for storing information which contains an input starting time instant of the metadata and the inputted metadata into a storage apparatus; and a step for calculating a time code at the input starting time instant of the metadata stored in the storage apparatus based upon the information of the content play log stored in the storage apparatus, and for storing the metadata in combination with the calculated time code into the storage apparatus.

Abstract: In comparison to unnecessary page generation of the prior art, the page generation time according to the current invention is substantially reduced, and the generated page is efficiently accessed. Since in response to at least one of a predetermined set of update events, a page is dynamically generated in advance of a user page request and the dynamically generated page is stored, the current invention allows the efficient page access. The use of the prior art technologies such as proxy servers in combination further improves the cost of transmission of the page to the user according to the current invention.

Abstract: In comparison to unnecessary page generation of the prior art, the page generation time according to the current invention is substantially reduced, and the generated page is efficiently accessed. Since in response to at least one of a predetermined set of update events, a page is dynamically generated in advance of a user page request and the dynamically generated page is stored, the current invention allows the efficient page access. The efficient page access is accomplished by storing the dynamically generated page as a static page at a URL identified by a page access call with an argument. Thus, the user accesses the previously generated dynamic page at a high-speed. The use of the prior art technologies such as proxy servers in combination further improves the cost of transmission of the page to the user according to the current invention.

Abstract: In a digital content distribution method to distribute digital contents via a network, distribution of a digital content is instructed according to a distribution schedule, the digital content is distributed according to the distribution schedule indicated, and a particular digital content is selected from the digital contents distributed and is then sold, thereby conducting the distribution of digital contents at a high speed.

Abstract: In a digital content distribution method to distribute digital contents via a network, distribution of a digital content is instructed according to a distribution schedule, the digital content is distributed according to the distribution schedule indicated, and a particular digital content is selected from the digital contents distributed and is then sold, thereby conducting the distribution of digital contents at a high speed.

Abstract: A digital contents area displayed on a terminal is detected, and an area to be charged is calculated according to the detected area. A criterion for determining that a user reads the digital contents is a time during which the area of the contents is displayed. If the time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, the displayed contents area is determined to be an area to be charged. There are two methods, a page-change button method and a scroll method, as a method that measures a contents display time for determining whether an area is to be charged.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a digital contents selling system for selling digital contents. Identification information of digital contents selected by a customer is received. Personal digital contents are generated by setting identification information for identifying the customer in the selected digital contents as status information for permitting the customer to replay the selected digital contents. The generated digital contents are sold. Thereby, a technique is provided for preventing the illegal use of the sold digital contents.

Abstract: When digital contents sold to a user become useless to the user, the digital contents and the license of the digital contents are collected or purchased from the user so that a privilege such as discount sale of other digital contents or addition of discount points is granted to the user having the license.

Abstract: If a commodity desired to purchase is selected in a purchaser terminal, a list of users (information providers) having a purchase history of the commodity at a shopping site is displayed. The purchaser terminal exchanges messages in real time with an information terminal of an information provider selected from the list, and obtains information concerning the commodity (information provision). In the case where the purchaser purchases the commodity, its commodity ID and a user ID of the information provider are associated with each other and stored in a shopping site operation apparatus. After the purchase of the commodity, a comment and/or evaluation concerning the information provision are input. On the basis of the comment and/or evaluation, privilege is granted to the information provider. The comment and/or evaluation are reflected in information of the information providers.

Abstract: A cyber mall system has a contents sales apparatus for selling digital contents, a contents purchasing apparatus, and a network for connecting those components. When the digital contents are registered into the contents sales apparatus, in the case where the digital contents are sold by the contents sales apparatus for defining digital contents using conditions constructed by a server side access control to the digital contents which is executed on the contents sales apparatus side and a physical act restriction to control an access to the digital contents which is executed on the contents purchasing apparatus side that purchased the digital contents, digital contents personal using conditions are generated on the basis of the digital contents using conditions and are given to a customer.

Abstract: In a digital content distribution method to distribute digital contents via a network, distribution of a digital content is instructed according to a distribution schedule, the digital content is distributed according to the distribution schedule indicated, and a particular digital content is selected from the digital contents distributed and is then sold, thereby conducting the distribution of digital contents at a high speed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a digital contents selling system for selling digital contents. Identification information of digital contents selected by a customer is received. Personal digital contents are generated by setting identification information for identifying the customer in the selected digital contents as status information for permitting the customer to replay the selected digital contents. The generated digital contents are sold. Thereby, a technique is provided for preventing the illegal use of the sold digital contents.

Abstract: A delivery schedule management method of managing delivery schedule of delivery data in an electronic data in an electronic data in an electronic data distribution system. The system connects a delivery data server for inputting the delivery data, a digitization server for digitizing the delivery data, a storage and management server for storing and managing electronic delivery data, a delivery management sever for managing delivery of the electronic delivery data, and an electronic user terminal for receiving delivered electronic data and treating received electronic data to one another through a network.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a digital contents selling system for selling digital contents. Identification information of digital contents selected by a customer is received. Personal digital contents are generated by setting identification information for identifying the customer in the selected digital contents as status information for permitting the customer to replay the selected digital contents. The generated digital contents are sold. Thereby, a technique is provided for preventing the illegal use of the sold digital contents.

Abstract: The invention provides a personalized playback continuation system for digital content that allows continuation of content playback even when the user is at a different location or a different playback terminal. For each user, a server manages a personal playback action history, e.g., which content was played back up to which point. If playback is interrupted, playback continuation information for the content at that point in time is sent from the playback terminal device to the server and stored in the personal playback action history. When an interrupted content playback is resumed, the server uses the personal playback action history and the content information describing the properties of the content to generate playback start information, which is sent to the playback terminal.

Abstract: In a method of preventing an illegal use of digital contents, a status information for controlling the replay processing of the digital contents is set in the digital contents. The replay processing of the digital contents is controlled in accordance with a value of the status information thus set. Thereby, a technique can be provided which is capable of preventing the illegal use of the digital contents within the various types of shopping centers and retail outlets.