Information providing method and information providing system

Abstract

A terminal can play back song or video information in real time without downloading it, and thus restrictions on the hardware of the terminal are reduced and a large amount of music can be listened to anytime and anywhere. Also, the user can listen to music more cheaply than if it was downloaded, and copyright problems are reduced. Further, the terminal is charged based on the playback time or the amount of information. Accordingly, when the user stops playback because he or she does not like a song, the price is less than it is when the user listens to the song to the end, and thus the user can feel free to use this service.

1 . A method for providing music or video information from a server to a terminal through a network, the method comprising: 
 transmitting the information from the server to the terminal;    playing back the transmitted information in real time in the terminal;    stopping transmission of the information from the server to the terminal when the terminal outputs a playback stop instruction while the information is being played back; and    determining a charge to the terminal for the transmitted information based on a factor selected from the group consisting of an amount of the transmitted information and an amount of time the transmitted information was played back.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the charge to the terminal when all the information in a unit of information has been transmitted to the terminal or played back in the terminal is less than (i) the charge to the terminal when all the information in the unit of information has been downloaded to the terminal, and (ii) a cost of purchasing a medium recorded with the unit of information.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the charge to the terminal is zero when the amount of time the transmitted information was played back or the amount of the transmitted information does not reach a predetermined level.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 specifying in the terminal a genre or an artist of the information; and    transmitting from the server to the terminal at least one piece of information corresponding to the specified genre or artist.    
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 evaluating a preference of a user of the terminal for the information in advance in the server;    selecting in the server a plurality of pieces of information according to the preference of the user; and    transmitting at least one of the plurality of pieces of information from the server to the terminal as the at least one piece of information corresponding to the specified genre or artist.    
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 requesting, from the terminal to the server, information in units of files so as to specify at least one piece of information; and    transmitting the information in the units of files from the server to the terminal in response to the request.    
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 adding to the information in the server predetermined information related to the information; and    transmitting the information together with the predetermined information from the server to the terminal.    
     
     
         8 . A method for providing music or video information from a server to a terminal through a network, the method comprising: 
 sequentially transmitting from the server to the terminal pieces of specific partial information selected in advance from a plurality of pieces of information;    playing back the transmitted pieces of specific partial information in real time in the terminal;    selecting in the terminal a desired piece of information from the plurality of pieces of information based on the played back pieces of specific partial information; and    transmitting the selected piece of information from the server to the terminal.    
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 providing the pieces of specific partial information from the server to the terminal free of charge;    playing back the selected piece of information in real time in the terminal;    stopping transmission of the selected piece of information from the server to the terminal when the terminal outputs a playback stop instruction while the selected piece of information is being played back; and    determining a charge to the terminal for the selected piece of information based on a factor selected from the group consisting of an amount of the selected piece of information transmitted and an amount of time the selected piece of information was played back.    
     
     
         10 . A system for providing music or video information, comprising: 
 a server;    a terminal; and    a network operable to carry information between the server and the terminal;    the terminal including: 
 means for playing back in real time information transmitted from the server; and  
 means for communicating a playback stop instruction to the server while the information is being played back; and  
   the server including: 
 means for transmitting the information to the terminal;  
 means for stopping transmission of the information to the terminal when the terminal communicates the playback stop instruction to the server; and  
 a charge determining unit operable to determine a charge to the terminal for the transmitted information based on a factor selected from the group consisting of an amount of the transmitted information and an amount of time the transmitted information was played back.  
   
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the charge determining unit determines the charge to the terminal when all the information in a unit of information has been transmitted to the terminal or played back in the terminal, the charge being less than (i) the charge to the terminal when all the information in the unit of information has been downloaded to the terminal, and (ii) a cost of purchasing a medium recorded with the unit of information.  
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the charge determining unit determines that the charge to the terminal is zero when the amount of time the transmitted information was played back or the amount of the transmitted information does not reach a predetermined level.  
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the terminal further comprises: 
 means for specifying a genre or an artist of the information; and    wherein the server further comprises: 
 means for transmitting to the terminal at least one piece of information corresponding to the specified genre or artist.  
   
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the server further comprises: 
 a database for storing evaluation data of a preference of a user of the terminal for the information; and    means for selecting a plurality of pieces of information according to the evaluation data, whereby the means for transmitting transmits at least one of the plurality of pieces of information to the terminal as the at least one piece of information corresponding to the specified genre or artist.    
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the terminal further comprises: 
 means for requesting from the server information in units of files so as to specify at least one piece of information; and    wherein the server further comprises: 
 means for transmitting the information in the units of files to the terminal in response to the request.  
   
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the server further comprises: 
 a database for storing predetermined information related to the information, the predetermined information being added to the information when the information is transmitted to the terminal; and    means for transmitting to the terminal the information together with the predetermined information.    
     
     
         17 . A system for providing music or video information, comprising: 
 a server;    a terminal; and    a network operable to carry information between the server and the terminal;    the server including: 
 means for sequentially transmitting to the terminal pieces of specific partial information selected in advance from a plurality of pieces of information; and  
 means for transmitting to the terminal a desired piece of information selected in the terminal, and  
   the terminal including: 
 means for playing back the transmitted pieces of specific partial information in real time; and  
   means for selecting the desired piece of information from the plurality of pieces of information based on the played back pieces of specific partial information.    
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the pieces of specific partial information are provided from the server to the terminal free of charge, the terminal further comprising: 
 means for playing back the selected piece of information in real time,    and the server further comprising: 
 means for stopping transmission of the selected piece of information to the terminal when the terminal outputs a playback stop instruction while the selected piece of information is being played back; and  
 a charge determining unit operable to determine a charge to the terminal for the selected piece of information based on a factor selected from the group consisting of an amount of the selected piece of information and an amount of time the selected piece of information was played back.