Content Sharing System and Content Sharing Method

Abstract

A content sharing system and a content sharing method of sharing contents following a free will of a user through belonging to a plurality of groups are disclosed. Identification information on each of one or more groups to which respective users belong is stored while associating it with identification information on the users. A download history of a content via user terminals by respective users is stored while associating it with the identification information on the users. A group or groups to which a user accessing via a user terminal belongs is/are determined. Whether a content already primarily downloaded by another user belonging to the determined group(s) exists is determined based on the download history and identification information. If the content already primarily downloaded by the another user exists, secondary download to the user terminal accessing the above-mentioned content is permitted.

1 . A content sharing system for managing, by controlling distribution of contents toward user terminals from a content distributing apparatus for each group composed of a plurality of users, sharing of the respective contents in the group, the content sharing system comprising:
 a content distributing unit that distributes content data to the user terminal in accordance with a download request from the respective user terminals connected to the content distributing apparatus via the communication network;   a storage unit that stores a download history of a content via the user terminal by the respective users while being associated with user identification information and also stores identification of each of one or more groups to which the respective users belong while being associated with the user identification information;   a group determination unit that determines a group to which a user accessing via the user terminal belongs; and   a sharing control unit that determines whether a content already primarily downloaded by another user belonging to the determined group exists on the basis of the download history, and permits secondary download of the content primarily downloaded by the another user to the accessing user terminal, upon existence of the content.   
     
     
         2 . The content sharing system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the primary download is a first download of a content accompanied by a payment of a cost by a user, and the secondary download is a download of a content which is not accompanied by the payment of the cost by the user; and   wherein the primary download and the secondary download include transfer of a content file or stream data from the content sharing apparatus to the user terminal by the content distributing unit.   
     
     
         3 . The content sharing system according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein:
 the storage unit further stores sharing instruction information instructing whether or not the content primarily downloaded by the user him/herself is shared with another user in the group; and 
 wherein the sharing control unit permits or forbids the secondary download to the user terminal accessing the content primarily downloaded by the another user on the basis of the sharing instruction information. 
 
     
     
         4 . The content sharing system according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein:
 the storage unit further stores upper limit instruction information instructing an upper limit conduct number in a predetermined period with regard to the number of secondary download availabilities for the content primarily downloaded by the another user; 
 wherein the download history further includes a secondary download conduct number in the predetermined period associated with the user; 
 wherein the content sharing system further comprises a utilization upper limit determination unit that determines whether the number of secondary download within the predetermined period is smaller than the upper limit conduct number on the basis of the upper limit instruction information and the download history; and 
 wherein the sharing control unit permits the secondary download to the accessing user terminal, upon the secondary download conduct number in the predetermined period being smaller than the upper limit conduct number. 
 
     
     
         5 . The content sharing system according to  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising:
 a particular content determination unit that determines whether a user belonging to a particular group (“group user”) selects a particular content and performs primary download; 
 wherein the storage unit further stores information related to a first restriction removal condition in a case where a third user who does not belong to the particular group (“out-of-group user”) is permitted to perform secondary download via the user terminal of the particular content primarily downloaded by the group user and 
 stores, in response to the primary download of the particular content by the group user, identification information on the group user while being associated with identification information on the out-of-group user; and 
 wherein the sharing control unit further determines whether or not the first restriction removal condition is satisfied in accordance with an access by the out-of-group user, and permits secondary download to the accessing user terminal of the out-of-group user with regard to the particular content primarily downloaded by the group user, upon the condition being satisfied. 
 
     
     
         6 . The content sharing system according to  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising:
 a particular content determination unit that determines whether a third user who does not belong to a particular group (“out-of-group user”) selects a particular content and performs primary download; 
 wherein the storage unit further stores information related to a second restriction removal condition in a case where a user belonging to the particular group (“group user”) is permitted to perform secondary download via the user terminal of the particular content primarily downloaded by the out-of-group user and 
 stores, in response to the primary download of the particular content by the out-of-group user, identification information on the out-of-group user while being associated with identification information on the group user; and 
 wherein the sharing control unit further determines whether or not the second restriction removal condition is satisfied in accordance with an access by the group user, and permits secondary download to the accessing user terminal of the group user with regard to the particular content primarily downloaded by the out-of-group user, upon the condition being satisfied. 
 
     
     
         7 . The content sharing system according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein:
 the storage unit further stores information related to a third restriction removal condition in a case where a user belonging to a particular group (“group user”) or a third user who does not belong to the particular group (“out-of-group user”) is permitted to perform secondary download via the user terminal of a content primarily downloaded by a particular user; and 
 wherein the sharing control unit further determines whether or not the third restriction removal condition is satisfied in accordance with an access by the group user or the out-of-group user, and permits secondary download to the accessing user terminal of the group user or out-of-group user with regard to the particular content primarily downloaded by the particular user, upon the condition being satisfied. 
 
     
     
         8 . The content sharing system according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein:
 the content distributing unit generates display data which is composed of a first display part showing meta data on a primarily downloaded content and/or a second display part showing meta data on a content where secondary download can be performed and which is transmitted to the user terminal. 
 
     
     
         9 . A content sharing method of managing, by controlling distribution of contents toward user terminals from a content distributing apparatus for each group composed of a plurality of users, sharing of the respective contents in the group, the content sharing method comprising the steps of:
 storing a download history of a content via a user terminal by the respective users while being associated with user identification information;   storing identification information on each of one or more groups to which the respective users belong while being associated with the user identification information;   determining a group to which a user accessing via the user terminal connected to the content distributing apparatus via the communication network belongs;   determining whether a content already primarily downloaded by another user belonging to the determined group exists on the basis of the download history;   permitting secondary download of the content primarily downloaded by the another user to the accessing user terminal, upon existence of the content; and   distributing content data on the content where the secondary download is permitted to the user terminal in accordance with a download request from the user terminal.   
     
     
         10 . The content sharing method according to  claim 9  wherein:
 the primary download is a first download of a content accompanied by a payment of a cost by a user, and the secondary download is a download of a content which is not accompanied by the payment of the cost by the user; and 
 wherein the primary download and the secondary download include transfer of a content file or stream data from a content sharing apparatus to the user terminal from the content sharing apparatus. 
 
     
     
         11 . The content sharing method according to  claim 9  or  10  further comprising the steps of:
 storing sharing instruction information instructing whether or not the content primarily downloaded by the user him/herself is shared with another user in the group; and 
 permitting or forbidding the secondary download to the user terminal accessing the content primarily downloaded by the another user on the basis of the sharing instruction information. 
 The content sharing method characterized in. 
 
     
     
         12 . The content sharing method according to  claim 9  or  10  further comprising the steps of:
 storing upper limit instruction information instructing an upper limit conduct number in a predetermined period with regard to the number of secondary download availabilities for the content already primarily downloaded by the another user; 
 storing a secondary download conduct number in the predetermined period associated with the user to be included in the download history; 
 determining whether the number of secondary download within the predetermined period is smaller than the upper limit conduct number on the basis of the upper limit instruction information and the download history; and 
 permitting the secondary download to the accessing user terminal upon the secondary download conduct number in the predetermined period being smaller than the upper limit conduct number. 
 
     
     
         13 . The content sharing method according to  claim 9  or  10  further comprising the steps of:
 determining whether a user belonging to a particular group (“group user”) selects the particular content and performs the primary download; 
 storing information related to a first restriction removal condition in a case where a third user who does not belong to the particular group (“out-of-group user”) is permitted to perform secondary download via the user terminal of the particular content primarily downloaded by the group user; 
 storing, in response to the primary download of the particular content by the group user, identification information on the group user while being associated with identification information on the out-of-group user; and 
 determining whether or not the first restriction removal condition is satisfied in accordance with an access by the out-of-group user, and permitting secondary download to the accessing user terminal of the out-of-group user with regard to the particular content primarily downloaded by the group user, upon the condition being satisfied. 
 
     
     
         14 . The content sharing method according to  claim 9  or  10  further comprising the steps of:
 determining whether a third user who does not belong to the particular group (“out-of-group user”) selects the particular content and performs primary download; 
 storing information related to a second restriction removal condition in a case where a user belonging to a particular group (“group user”) is permitted to perform secondary download via the user terminal of the particular content primarily downloaded by the out-of-group user; 
 storing, in response to the primary download of the particular content by the out-of-group user, identification information on the out-of-group user while being associated with identification information on the group user; and 
 determining whether or not the second restriction removal condition is satisfied in accordance with an access by the group user, and permitting secondary download to the user terminal of the accessing group user with regard to the particular content primarily downloaded by the out-of-group user, upon the condition being satisfied. 
 
     
     
         15 . The content sharing method according to  claim 9  or  10  further comprising the steps of:
 storing information related to a third restriction removal condition in a case where a user belonging to a particular group (“group user”) or a third user who does not belong to the particular group (“out-of-group user”) is permitted to perform secondary download via the user terminal of a content primarily downloaded by the particular user; and 
 determining whether or not the third restriction removal condition is satisfied in accordance with an access by the group user or the out-of-group user and if the condition is satisfied, with regard to the particular content primarily downloaded by the particular user, permitting secondary download to the user terminal of the accessing group user or out-of-group user. 
 
     
     
         16 . The content sharing method according to  claim 9  or  10  further comprising the step of:
 generating display data which is composed of a first display part showing meta data on a primarily downloaded content and/or a second display part showing meta data on a content where secondary download can be performed and transmitting to the user terminal. 
 
     
     
         17 . A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for instructing a computer to execute a content sharing method of managing, by controlling distribution of contents toward user terminals from a content distributing apparatus for each group composed of a plurality of users, sharing of the respective contents in the group, the method comprising the steps of:
 storing a download history of a content via a user terminal by the respective users while being associated with user identification information;   storing identification information on each of one or more groups to which the respective users belong while being associated with the user identification information;   determining a group to which a user accessing via the user terminal connected to the content distributing apparatus via the communication network belongs;   determining a whether a content already primarily downloaded by another user belonging to the determined group exists on the basis of the download history;   permitting secondary download of the content primarily downloaded by the another user to the user terminal accessing the content, upon existence of the content; and   distributing content data on the content where the secondary download is permitted to the user terminal in accordance with a download request from the user terminal.