Method for providing and obtaining content   

Abstract: In a data providing server, whether or not specified compressed content data generated by means of a specified compression coding method corresponding to terminal identification information has been stored in a content database is detected, according to content specifying data transmitted from a portable dedicated terminal. If the specified compressed content data has been stored, the data providing server reads and transmits this to the portable dedicated terminal. And if the specified compressed content data has not been stored, the data providing server generates the specified compressed content data by means of the specified compression coding method, and transmits this to the portable dedicated terminal.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/449,640, filed Apr. 18, 2012, entitled “Method For Providing And Obtaining Content,” which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/353,819, filed Jan. 29, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,175,976, issued May 8, 2012, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Japanese Patent Application Serial No. 2002-020767, filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Jan. 29, 2002. Each of the documents listed above is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a content providing and obtaining system, and is applicable, for example, to a data providing system for providing data on various distribution information such as various content data and the advertisement, of music, motion pictures, etc. (hereinafter, this is referred to as distribution data) to a customer by means of the Internet.

2. Description of the Related Art

In recent years, the Internet being a computer communication network that it had been used in many institutes or the like for research and study in the world scale, has been quickly popularized also among companies and customers as a computer communication tool, by a use in business such as sale for merchandise, distribution of content data, and advertisement of a company and merchandise.

By using the Internet in business, the customer can buy desired merchandise and can obtain desired content data by a personal computer for instance, while staying at home. At the same time, the customer can obtain various distribution data such as the advertisement of a company and merchandise by the personal computer.

In the distribution of content data on the Internet, the transmission efficiency of the content data can be improved by transmitting compressively-coded content data to a customer\'s personal computer.

In the customer\'s personal computer, thus obtained compressively-coded content data is decoded, and the customer can view a content based on the content data.

However, in recent years, plural kinds of methods have been introduced into the market as methods of compressively coding content data. A compression coding method to be used is different depending on the manufacturing company of the content data or the like.

On the other hand, in the customer\'s personal computer, normally, a decoding software corresponding to a specified compression coding method is installed, or a decoding circuit only corresponding to the above specified compression coding method is provided to restrain increasing the circuit scale or the like.

Therefore, in the customer\'s personal computer, if the decoding software and the decoding circuit do not cope with the compression coding method that was used in the compression coding of the obtained content data, the content data cannot be decoded until the customer newly obtain a decoding software and a decoding circuit cope with that. There has been a problem that the customer cannot easily view the content.

SUMMARY

In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a content providing and obtaining system that the customer can easily view a content based on content data.

The foregoing object and other objects of this invention have been achieved by the provision of a content providing apparatus for providing compressed content data generated by compressively coding content data by a specified compression coding method, by receiving identification information peculiar to a content obtaining apparatus and specifying information representing specified content data that the customer wants to obtain from the content obtaining apparatus applying a specified decoding method corresponding to the specified compression coding method, by detecting whether or not specified compressed content data generated by compressively coding the specified content data by the specified compression coding method corresponding to the identification information has been stored in the data storing means for storing plural kinds of compressed content data, according to the above received identification information and the specifying information, and according to the detection result, if the specified compressed content data has been stored in the data storing means, by reading the specified compressed content data from the data storing means, or if the specified compressed content data has not been stored in the above data storing means, by compressively coding the specified content data being the original data of that specified compressed content data by the specified compression coding method, and generating the specified compressed content data, and by transmitting the specified compressed content data read from the data storing means or the generated specified compressed content data to the content obtaining apparatus. Accordingly, every time when the customer requests to obtain specified content data from the above content obtaining apparatus, the content providing apparatus can accurately provide specified compressed content data generated by compressively coding that specified content data by a specified compression coding method corresponding to a specified decoding method, without newly applying another decoding method different from a specified decoding method previously applied to the content obtaining apparatus. Thus, the customer can easily view a content based on the content data.

The nature, principle and utility of this invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a conceptual view showing the usage pattern of the Internet by a data providing system;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the usage pattern of a portable dedicated terminal that was rented to the customer;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the usage pattern of a portable dedicated terminal that was sold to the customer;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first embodiment of a data providing system according to the present description;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a data providing system according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the data format of header data to be added to content data;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are flowcharts showing a rental reservation processing procedure in a data providing system;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a data providing system according to a third embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the data format of content obtaining request data for obtaining content data from a content server;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a rental reservation processing procedure in a data providing system;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a data providing system according to a fourth embodiment;

FIGS. 12A and 12B are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of advertiser/company registration information;

FIGS. 13A and 13B are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of customer registration information;

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the contract terms between the customer and an advertiser/company;

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of customer registration information updated on the Internet by the customer;

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a matching part;

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of advertiser/company introducing information;

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of customer introducing information;

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of advertiser/company information updated by the conclusion of a contract;

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of customer registration information updated by the conclusion of a contract;

FIGS. 21A and 21B are flowcharts showing an advertiser/company registration processing procedure in a data providing system;

FIGS. 22A and 22B are flowcharts showing an advertiser/company introducing processing procedure in a data providing system;

FIGS. 23A and 23B are flowcharts showing the advertiser/company introducing processing procedure in the data providing system;

FIGS. 24A to 24C are flowcharts showing a contract processing procedure in the data providing system;

FIG. 25 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a data providing system according to a fifth embodiment;

FIG. 26 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a matching part;

FIGS. 27A and 27B are flowcharts showing an advertiser/company introducing processing procedure in the data providing system;

FIG. 28 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a data providing system according to a sixth embodiment;

FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of content selecting screens using three-dimensional virtual reality space pictures representing the inside of an agency;

FIGS. 30A and 30B are schematic diagrams for explaining the reproducing of commercial data in a content selecting screen;

FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of content selecting screens customized according to a customer\'s request;

FIGS. 32A and 32B are flowcharts showing a content providing processing procedure using content selecting screen data in the data providing system;

FIGS. 33A and 33B are flowcharts showing the subroutine of the content providing processing procedure in the data providing system;

FIGS. 34A and 34B are flowcharts showing a customizing processing procedure in the data providing system;

FIGS. 35A and 35B are flowcharts showing a content providing processing procedure using customized screen data in the data providing system;

FIG. 36 is a conceptual view for explaining the customizing of a content selecting screen according to another embodiment than the sixth embodiment;

FIG. 37 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of providing content data from a content server to a data providing server;

FIG. 38 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a data providing system according to a seventh embodiment;

FIG. 39 is a schematic diagram for explaining the rental of content data;

FIG. 40 is a schematic diagram for explaining the request of an equivalent exchange;

FIGS. 41A and 41B are conceptual views for explaining equivalent exchanges of the content data of a single tune for packaged media of a single CD;

FIG. 42 is a conceptual view for explaining the delivery of packaged media by an equivalent exchange;

FIGS. 43A to 43C are flowcharts showing an equivalent exchange processing procedure in the data providing system;

FIGS. 44A to 44C are flowcharts showing the equivalent exchange processing procedure in the data providing system;

FIG. 45 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a data providing system according to an eighth embodiment;

FIG. 46 is a schematic diagram for explaining the request of an equivalent exchange;

FIGS. 47A to 47C are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of data tables in a packaged media database;

FIGS. 48A to 48C are conceptual views for explaining equivalent exchanges of plural content data for the packaged media of an album CD;

FIGS. 49A to 49C are flowcharts showing an equivalent exchange processing procedure in the data providing system;

FIGS. 50A to 50C are flowcharts showing the equivalent exchange processing procedure in the data providing system;

FIG. 51 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a data providing system according to a ninth embodiment;

FIG. 52 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of a system management server;

FIG. 53 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of a request terminal;

FIG. 54 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of a data providing server;

FIG. 55 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of a package providing server;

FIG. 56 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of an advertiser/company server;

FIG. 57 is a schematic external view showing the configuration of a portable dedicated terminal;

FIG. 58 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the portable dedicated terminal;

FIG. 59 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a data providing system according to a tenth embodiment;

FIG. 60 is a schematic external view showing the configuration of a portable dedicated terminal;

FIG. 61 is a schematic external view showing the configuration of the back of the main body of the terminal;

FIG. 62 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the portable dedicated terminal;

FIG. 63 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a data providing system according to an eleventh embodiment;

FIG. 64 is a schematic diagram for explaining the obtaining of specified compressed content data in the data providing server;

FIG. 65 is a schematic diagram for explaining the providing of specified compressed content data in the data providing server;

FIGS. 66A to 66C are flowcharts showing a content providing and obtaining processing procedure in the data providing system; and

FIGS. 67A to 67C are flowcharts showing the content providing and obtaining processing procedure in the data providing system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Preferred embodiments of this invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings:

As shown in FIG. 1, in a data providing system 1, communication can be performed on the Internet (not shown) between a system management site 2 that integrally manages the above data providing system and the customer 3, between the system management site 2, plural kinds of shops 4A to 4N such as retail stores and rental shops, to that the customer 3 comes (hereinafter, these are referred to as agencies), and a sales company 5 that sells merchandise described later to these agencies 4A to 4N, and between the system management site 2 and a site for providing distribution data 6 established by an advertiser/company (hereinafter, this is referred to as advertiser/company site), respectively.

In this case, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the agencies 4A to 4N are rental shops that sell and rent the content (composed of audio data, video data, text data, etc.) of music, a motion picture, game software, a novel, a photograph, a comic, etc., as commercial packaged media such as a compact disc (CD), a digital video disc (DVD), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), and a book (hardcovered novel, photo book, picture book, comic book). The agencies 4A to 4N are shops that deal in contents such as preparatory schools for selling and renting the contents (composed of text data, etc.) of reference books, question books, literatures for entrance examination, etc., as commercial packaged media of books.

If the agencies 4A to 4N desire to use the Internet in the state where they will start new business or already started business and are in business, they notify the system management site 2 of that by the use of a personal computer or the like.

If the use of the Internet is requested from the agency 4A-4N, the system management site 2 obtains agency information such as a name, a kind of contents that the agency will deal in, and an account number at a dealing bank from the above agency 4A-4N, and executes agency registrations.

Then, the system management site 2 provides plenty of content data to each agency 4A to 4N respectively from among various content data of music, motion pictures, game software, novels, photographs, comics, reference books, question books, literatures, etc. that have been previously stored in a content database (not shown), according to the kind of contents specified by the agencies 4A to 4N. The above agencies 4A to 4N form a content database for these content data peculiar to each agency.

At this time, the sales company 5 sells portable dedicated terminals 7A to 7N only for recording and reproducing content data, and commercial packaged media such as CDs, DVDs, CD-ROMs, and books, that the above agencies 4A to 4N will deal in, to the agencies 4A to 4N according to instructions from the system management site 2.

On the other hand, the customer 3 who wants to use the Internet accesses the above system management site 2 and notifies it of that he/she wants to use the Internet, for instance, by operating a request terminal dedicated to the system management site installed in a stand such as KIOSK, a convenience store or the like.

If to use the Internet is wanted by the customer 3, the system management site 2 obtains personal information (hereinafter, this is referred to as customer information) such as a name, sex, age, and an account number at a dealing bank from the above customer 3, and executes a customer registration. The system management site 2 stores the above customer information as customer registration data, and generates a customer database 8.

The agencies 4A to 4N will provide plural kinds of content data to the registered customer 3 by two types of systems: a purchase system and a rental system. If the customer 3 notifies an agency 4A-4N of content specifying information for specifying desired content data and system specifying data representing the way of obtaining for the above content data, purchase or rental, by using the request terminal via the system management site 2, the agency 4A-4N accepts the reservation of the purchase or the rental of the content data responding to that.

If the agency 4A-4N accepts the reservation from the customer 3 in that manner, the agency 4A-4N executes electronic accounting for the purchase (selling price) and the rental (rental term) of the content data, by using the customer registration information on the customer 3 (the account number of the customer 3) read from the customer database 8 in the system management site 2. Then, the agency 4A-4N reads the desired content data according to the request from the content database, and records this in a predetermined recording medium provided in a portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N.

Here, the agency 4A-4N can make the customer 3 also use the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N by either system of purchase and rental. If content data is requested, the agencies 4A to 4N simultaneously executes electronical accounting for the purchase (selling price) and the rental (rental term) of the above portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N by using the customer registration information.

Therefore, for instance, if the customer 3 requested to use the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N by rental, the agency 4A-4N rents the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N storing the content data according to the request of the customer 3, according to the way of delivery requested by the customer 3: by directly handing it to the customer 3 at the shop or by delivering it by a delivery company 9.

Thereby, the customer 3 who previously reserved to purchase/rent the content data and the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N by the request terminal can enjoy the content data by reproducing it with the above portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N as soon as he/she gets the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N.

Such portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N can access only the agency 4A-4N that recorded the content data via the system management site 2 by a communication function provided inside, and can execute processing for purchasing/renting content data (including accounting).

Therefore, when the customer 3 newly requests to purchase/rent content data by the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N in rental, the agency 4A-4N can transmit the requested content data to the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N in rental via the system management site 2, and the content data can be recorded therein. Thus, content data can be easily distributed on the Internet also to a customer 3 who does not own a device connectable to the Internet (hereinafter, this is referred to as device for connecting to the Internet) such as a personal computer, similarly to a customer 3 who owns a device for connecting to the Internet.

By the way, the system management site 2 relays the request for purchasing/renting the content data sent from the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N and the request terminal, to the agency 4A-4N. Thus, the contents of that request are added to the customer registration information in the customer database 8 as additional customer information, and the above customer registration information is updated. Thereby, customer\'s taste (for example, the genre of content data that the customer obtained), the state of the using of the Internet or the like can be grasped from the customer registration information.

Furthermore, the system management site 2 obtains advertiser/company information composed of advertiser name information and company name information, business contents information that represents the genre of the above providing distribution data or the like, from advertisers and companies that will provide various distribution data at an advertiser/company site 6, stores this as advertiser/company registration information and generates an advertiser/company database 10.

If the customer 3 sends release permission information representing that he/she permits to release his/her customer information to the advertisers and companies from the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N in rental as customer permission data, the system management site 2 retrieves data in the advertiser/company database 10 based on his/her customer registration information, selects advertisers and companies that can provide distribution data matching his/her taste, and introduces the above selected advertisers and companies to the customer 3 via the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N.

As a result, if the customer 3 selects an advertiser/company wanting to contract from among the advertisers and the companies that were introduced to him/her, the system management site 2 provides a part of his/her customer registration information to the selected advertiser/company as investment information, and introduces the customer 3 to the advertiser/company.

Thereby, the system management site 2 can make the customer 3 using the Internet and the advertiser/company selected by the above customer 3 mutually negotiate and close contract. If the contract is concluded, various distribution data such as the advertisement of merchandise desired by the above customer 3 is provided from the advertiser/company site 6 to the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N rented to the customer 3 via the system management site 2.

In this manner, in the data providing system 1, only the advertiser/company that can provides desired distribution data can be introduced to the customer 3, and the customer 3 can easily select desired one. At the same time, even if the customer 3 does not own device for connecting to the Internet, only desired distribution data can be efficiently provided to him/her via the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N being rented to the customer 3.

In this connection, since if the customer permission data is sent from the customer 3, the system management site 2 introduces the customer 3 who is beneficial for the advertiser/company to the advertiser/company, if the system management site 2 transmits the investment information to the advertiser/company, the system management site 2 receives a consideration for that from the above advertiser/company.

Furthermore, if the system management site 2 introduces the customer 3 to the advertiser/company, it forms a customer introduction database 11 based on the investment information on the above customer 3 without regard to the presence/absence of an advertiser and/or a company to which the customer 3 wants to contract. The above customer introduction database 11 will be used when advertisers and/or companies to be introduced to the customer 3 will be newly selected after that.

Here, if the customer 3 accessed the agency 4A-4N to request content data from the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N via the system management site 2, the agency 4A-4N returns a content selecting screen to be used to select content data to the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N so that the customer 3 selects desired content data on that content selecting screen.

The agency 4A-4N customizes the content selecting screen to be displayed at the display part of the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N according to a request by the customer 3. Thus, when the customer 3 requests content data, a content selecting screen matching the request by the customer 3 can be displayed at the display part of the portable dedicated terminals 7A to 7N.

In this connection, if the customer 3 specifies his/her favorite color on a case body at the time of renting the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N, the agency 4A-4N switches the above portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N to be rented to another portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N painted in his/her favorite color. In addition to the customizing software, also the hardware of a case body can be customized.

If the customer 3 requests the agency 4A-4N to customize the case body of the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N in rental (that is, to change the color of the case body), the agency 4A-4N moves all data in the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N rented by the customer 3 (that is, the content data, the desired distribution data provided from the advertiser, etc.) into the other portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N in the color specified by the customer 3, and changes them.

By the way, when the agency 4A-4N starts to rent content data with the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N to the customer 3, the customer 3 can arbitrary choice the rental terms of the above portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N and the content data respectively. Moreover, the customer 3 can freely extend the rental term once chosen by a request.

The agency 4A-4N monitors the end of the rental term of the content data being rented to the customer 3. If the rental term of the content data expires before the expiration of the rental term of the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N, that is informed to the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N being rented to the customer.

If terminating the rental of the content data according to the period is replied from the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N being rented to the customer 3 via the system management site 2, the agency 4A-4N prompts the customer 3 to bring the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N to the above agency 4A-4N. If the customer 3 brings that portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N, the agency 4A-4N erases the content data from the internal recording medium and is returns the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N to the customer 3.

On the other hand, if extending the rental term of the content data is replied from the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N being rented to the customer 3 via the system management site 2, the agency 4A-4N monitors the end of that extended rental term of the above content data.

Although the rental term of the content data has expired, if the customer 3 does not bring that portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N, for instance, the agency 4A-4N sends an erasing command to erase the content data that the rental term has expired to the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N for return. Thereby, in the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N, the specified content data is erased from the internal recording medium to prevent its illegal use.

If the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N in rental is returned from the customer 3, the agency 4A-4N erases the content data from the recording medium in the above portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N, and that the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N can be rented again.

If the customer requests to change the content (for example, the content data of a single tune) occupying by purchasing or renting the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N to packaged media storing the same content data (for example, a single CD), the agency 4A-4N transmits equivalent exchange information composed of a price when the customer obtained the occupying content data (that is, the purchase price or the rental price), the selling price of the packaged media, and a difference between both these prices to the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N via the system management site 2.

As a result, if the customer 3 notifies the agency 4A-4N of the approval of exchanging them by the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N via the system management site 2, the agency 4A-4N performs electronical accounting only for the difference between the price to obtain the content data being occupied by the customer 3 and the selling price of the packaged media read from the customer database 8 at the system management site 2. It is because the purchase/rental price for the content data being occupied by the customer 3 being the same as the content data stored in the packaged media has been already paid. Then, the agency 4A-4N hands the packaged media to the customer 3 at the shop or delivers it by the delivery company 9 from the sales company 5.

In this manner, the agency 4A-4N makes the exchange value of the content data being occupied by the customer for the packaged media to be almost equal, and exchanges the content data for the above packaged media (hereinafter, this exchange is referred to as equivalent exchange). Thereby, wasting the content data purchased/rented by the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N when that portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N is returned can be prevented, and the packaged media can be provided by a minimum investment without making the customer 3 wastefully invest in both of the content data and the packaged media.

In this connection, the system management site 2 collects charges for the use of the Internet from the customer 3 every time when the customer 3 uses the Internet (that is, every time when the customer 3 purchases/rents content data and the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N). The system management site 2, however, issues a point to give a privilege such as a discount to the customer 3 according to the using state of the above Internet, and stores it in the customer database 8.

At the agency 4A-4N, the customer 3 can use the obtaining point for electronical accounting instead of a part or all of the payment, when in purchasing/renting content data and a portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N, and when in exchanging content data for packaged media, etc.

Furthermore, the agency 4A-4N can accept also payment by cash and a prepaid card at the shop, instead of electronical accounting, when the customer 3 purchases/rents a portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N, or exchanges content data for packaged media, or the like.

Here, if electronical accounting for the purchase of the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N is executed responding to the purchase request of the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N by that the customer 3 notified from the request terminal or the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N in rental via the system management site 2, the agency 4A-4N directly hands that portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N to the customer 3 or delivers it to the customer 3 from the sales company 5 by the delivery company 9.

In this connection, if the customer 3 requests to purchase the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N, the agency 4A-4N sells the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N having a case body in a color specified by the above customer 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the customer 3 who purchased the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N can purchase/rent desired content data only from the agency 4A-4N that sold the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N, by the above portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N via the Internet, and can obtain desired distribution data by contracting to an advertiser and/or a company similarly to the case described above with reference to FIG. 2.

Furthermore, the customer 3 who purchased the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N can customize a content selecting screen that will be sent from the agency 4A-4N when the customer 3 requests to purchase/rent content data by the above portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N. In the case where the exchange values of the content data being occupied by the customer 3 by the purchase/rental and the packaged media storing the same content data are equal, they can be exchanged.

In the above data providing system 1, instead of the portable dedicated terminal 7A-7N, the customer 3 can use the Internet by using a device for connecting to the Internet such as a personal computer, similarly to the case described above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

In the data providing system 1, both of a business system using the Internet, and an existent business system so that merchandise is practically sold and/or rented in retailing stores or the, like can be compatibly used. Thereby, a new business model in which the customer 3 who does not own a device for connecting to the Internet and agencies 4A to 4N having the feeling of crisis in the popularization of the Internet can freely and easily use the Internet for business can be formed.

Referring to FIG. 4, a reference numeral 50 generally shows a data providing system according to a first embodiment. The agencies 4A to 4N and the sales company 5 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a request terminal 52 corresponding to the customer 3 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 (that is, the request terminal used by the customer 3) and a portable dedicated terminal 53 only for the agencies 4A to 4N corresponding to the portable dedicated terminals 7A to 7N described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 are connected to a data providing server 51 corresponding to the system management site 2.

The data providing server 51 has a customer database 55 for storing customer registration information and customer registering screen data, a content database 56 for storing a lot of content data and content selecting screen data or the like, a packaged media database 57 for storing a data table by listing the selling prices and the rental prices of content data, and the selling prices and the titles or the like of packaged media that can be exchanged for the above content data, and an advertiser/company database 58 for storing advertiser/company registration information obtained from advertisers and companies establishing an advertiser/company site.

If registration request data for requesting the registration of the customer is sent from the request terminal 52, the data providing server 51 receives this by a receiving part 59, reads customer registering screen data from the customer database 55 based on that registration request data by an updating part 60, and sends the above read customer registering screen data from a sending part 61 to the request terminal 52.

If customer information that was entered on a customer registering screen based on the customer registering screen data is sent from the request terminal 52 as customer information data, the data providing server 51 receives this by the receiving part 59, and stores customer information based on that customer information data as customer registration information by the updating part 60, and registers the customer. Thereby, the above customer becomes possible to use the Internet.

If obtaining request data for requesting to obtain content data is sent from the request terminal 52 by operation by the registered customer, the data providing server 51 receives this by the receiving part 59, reads content selecting screen data from the content database 56 based on that obtaining request data by a content retrieving part 62, and transmits the above read content selecting screen data from the sending part 61 to the request terminal 52.

As a result, if desired content data is selectively specified on the content selecting screen based on the content selecting screen data, either of the systems to obtain the content data and the portable dedicated terminal 53, purchase or rental is selectively specified respectively, and reservation data for representing these specified information (hereinafter, this is referred to as customer reservation information) is transmitted from the request terminal 52. The data providing server 51 receives this by the receiving part 59.

At this time, the data providing server 51 reads the specified content data from the content database 56 based on the reservation data by the content retrieving part 62, and transmits the above read content data from the sending part 61 to the portable dedicated terminal 53 for recording before it is delivered to the customer.

In this manner, the data providing server 51 can prepare the customer the portable dedicated terminal 53 storing the content data according to the customer\'s request for purchase and rental. Thus, the portable dedicated terminal 53 can be sold and rented to the customer by directly handing or delivery.

Then, if obtaining request data for requesting the obtaining of content data is sent from the portable dedicated terminal 53 sold or rented to the customer, the data providing server 51 receives this by the receiving part 59, reads content selecting screen data from the content database 56 based on that obtaining request data by the content retrieving part 62, and transmits the above read content selecting screen data from the sending part 61 to the customer.

As a result, if desired content data is specified on the content selecting screen based on that content selecting screen data and the way to obtain the content data, purchase or rental, is specified, and content specifying data representing these specified information (hereinafter, this is referred to as specifying information) is transmitted from the portable dedicated terminal 53 sold or rented to the customer, the data providing server 51 receives this by the receiving part 59.

At this time, the data providing server 51 reads the specified content data from the content database 56 based on that content specifying data by the content retrieving part 62, and transmits the above read content data from the sending part 61 to the customer\'s portable dedicated terminal 53 for recording.

In this manner, the data providing server 51 enables the customer to easily use content distribution on the Internet, and freely obtain desired content data by the portable dedicated terminal 53.

By the way, the data providing server 51 issues customer identification information peculiar to each customer (hereinafter, this is referred to as customer ID) in a customer registration, adds this to customer information, and stores them in the customer database 55 as customer registration information to manage the above stored customer registration information by the customer ID.

The data providing server 51 transmits the customer ID issued to the customer in the customer registration from the sending part 61 to the request terminal 52 and notifies the customer of this. Thereafter, when the customer makes various requests of various agencies by means of the request terminal 52 and the portable dedicated terminal 53, the data providing server 51 makes the customer use that customer ID to identify the customer who made a request of these various agencies by the customer ID.

If the data providing server 51 receives various data (e.g. content specifying data) from the request terminal 52 and the portable dedicated terminal 53 sold/rented to the customer by the receiving part 59, the data providing server 51 sends the contents of that data (information such as the title and the rental term of the content data that will be purchased/rented by the customer) to the customer database 55 as additional customer information to add that additional customer information to customer registration information on the customer who requested the obtaining of the content data, and updates the above customer registration information, by the updating part 60.

The data providing server 51 can grasp customer\'s taste or the like based on the customer registration information in the customer database 55.

Then, if customer permission data meaning that the customer permitted the data providing server 51 to release the customer information to the advertiser/company is transmitted from the portable dedicated terminal 53 sold/rented to the customer, the data providing server 51 receives this by the receiving part 59, reads the customer registration information on the customer who permitted from the customer database 55 based on that customer permission data by a matching part 63, and retrieves advertiser/company registration information in the advertiser/company database 58 based on the above read customer registration information.

As a result of the retrieval of advertiser/company registration information by the matching part 63, if an advertiser and/or a company that can provide distribution data matching to the customer\'s tastes, the data providing server 51 generates advertiser/company introducing data based on advertiser/company registration information on the above selected advertiser/company, and sends this from the sending part 61 to the customer\'s portable dedicated terminal 53. Thus, the data providing server 51 can introduce the advertiser and/or company that can provide distribution data matching to the customer\'s tastes to the customer.

In this manner, the data providing server 51 enables the customer to easily select an advertiser and/or a company that can provide desired distribution data to the customer from among many advertisers and/or companies. Moreover, advertisers and companies can efficiently provide distribution data to the customer as requested.

If customizing request data for customizing the portable dedicated terminal 53 purchased/rented to the customer is transmitted, the data providing server 51 receives this by the receiving part 59, reads customizing registering screen data previously stored in the content database 56 based on the above received customizing request data by the content retrieving part 62, and sends this from the sending part 61 to the portable dedicated terminal 53.

As a result, if screen customizing information for the content selecting screen that was entered on a customizing registering screen based on the customizing registering screen data is sent from the portable dedicated terminal 53 sold/rented to the customer, the data providing server 51 receives this by the receiving part 59, and supplies that screen customizing information to the customer database 55 to add this to the customer registration information on the above customer, and updates that customer registration information by the updating part 60.

Thereafter, if obtaining request data is sent from the portable dedicated terminal 53 by the customer who requested the customizing of the content selecting screen, the data providing server 51 receives this by the receiving part 59, reads the screen customizing information added to the customer registration information from the customer database 55 by the updating part 60, and supplies this to the content retrieving part 62.

The data providing server 51 reads content selecting screen data from the content database 56 by the content retrieving part 62, converts this based on the screen customizing information, and sends thus obtained customized screen data from the sending part 61 to the customer\'s portable dedicated terminal 53.

In this manner, the data providing server 51 customizes the content selecting screen based on the screen customizing data every time when obtaining request data is sent from the customer requesting the customizing of the content selecting screen by the portable dedicated terminal 53. The customer can select content data on thus customized screen.

In this connection, in the portable dedicated terminal 53 rented to the customer, also sending information for customizing the color of the case body of the above portable dedicated terminal 53 can be selected on the customizing registering screen. If the case body customizing information for specifying the color of the case body is sent from the portable dedicated terminal 53, the data providing server 51 receives this by the receiving part 59, supplies this to the customer database 55, and adds this to the customer registration information on the above customer and updates the customer registration information by the updating part 60.

Thus, thereafter, when the customer rents/purchases a portable dedicated terminal 53, the portable dedicated terminal 53 in a color specified by the case body customizing information can be delivered.

Furthermore, if equivalent exchange request data for requesting the equivalent exchange of the content data (e.g. a single tune) purchased/rented for packaged media (e.g. a single CD) is sent from the portable dedicated terminal 53 sold/rented to the customer, the data providing server 51 receives this by the receiving part 59.

The data providing server 51 reads the customer registration information on the customer who requested the equivalent exchange from the customer database 55 based on that equivalent exchange request data, and detects the way of the obtaining of the content data that the customer requested to equivalently exchange (that is, purchase or rental) by the updating part 60. Then, the data providing server 51 retrieves a data table in the packaged media database 57 based on that equivalent exchange request data and the detected result by the updating part 60 by a package retrieving part 64. Thereby, the obtaining price of the content data occupied by the customer, and the selling price and the title of packaged media storing the above content data are detected as the target of the equivalent exchange.

The data providing server 51 computes a balance between thus detected obtaining price of the content data occupied by the customer and the selling price of the packaged media by the package retrieving part 64, and transmits the above computed balance from the sending part 61 to the customer\'s portable dedicated terminal 53 as retrieval result information, with these obtaining price of the content data and the selling price and the title of the packaged media.

The customer has already paid the purchase or the rental price of the content data stored in the packaged media by the purchase or the rental via the portable dedicated terminal 53. Thus, if exchange acceptance data to accept the equivalent exchange is sent from the portable dedicated terminal 53 sold/rented to the customer, the data providing server 51 electronically performs accounting only for the balance between the obtaining price of the content data occupied by the customer and the selling price of the packaged media. Then, the packaged media is delivered to the above customer directly or by delivery.

In this manner, in the data providing server 51, the exchange value of the content data occupied by the customer for the packaged media to be exchanged is equal, and they can be equivalently exchanged. Therefore, the data providing server 51 can provide the packaged media to the customer by exchanging the content data purchased/rented by the portable dedicated terminal 53 for the packaged media by a minimum investment.

In this connection, the data providing server 51 issues a point to give a privilege such as discount to the customer according to the using state by a point issuing part not shown, every time when the customer uses the Internet by the request terminal 52 and/or the portable dedicated terminal 53. The above issued point is transmitted to the customer database 55, sequentially added to the customer registration information, and the above customer registration information is updated by the updating part 60.

If the customer requests to use the point for equivalent exchange or the like instead of money, the data providing server 51 balances the difference between the obtaining price of the content data occupied by the customer and the selling price of the packaged media by using the point issued for the above customer.

Furthermore, if the customer rents content data, the data providing server 51 constantly retrieves customer registration information in the customer database 55 by the updating part 60 to detect whether or not the rental term of the content data in rental expires. If the expiration of the rental term of the above content data is near, the data providing server 51 sends confirmation screen data to confirm whether or not the rental finishes from the sending part 61 to the customer\'s portable dedicated terminal 53.

If a rental finish notification to finish the rental of the content data as the term is sent from the portable dedicated terminal 53 sold/rented to the customer, the data providing server 51 receives this by the receiving part 59, adds this to corresponding customer registration information in the customer database 55 and updates the customer registration information by the updating part 60. And the data providing server 51 sends coming-to-shop request screen data to prompt the customer to return the content data (that is, to erase the content data from the portable dedicated terminal 53) at the agency, from the sending part 61 to the above portable dedicated terminal 53.

On the contrary, as a result of that the confirmation screen data was sent to the portable dedicated terminal 53, if a rental extending notification to extend the rental term of the content data is transmitted, the data providing server 51 receives this by the receiving part 59, adds this to the corresponding customer registration information in the customer database 55 and updates the customer registration information by the updating part 60.

If although its rental term has expired, the content data has not been returned, the data providing server 51 adds erasing information to forcibly erase the content data to the corresponding customer registration information in the customer database 55 and updates the customer registration information by the updating part 60. At the same time, the data providing server 51 transmits the erasing command of the content data of which the rental term expires from the sending part 61 to the portable dedicated terminal 53, and erases that content data in the above portable dedicated terminal 53.

On the other hand, if the customer enters a customer registration request via an operating part 70, the request terminal 52 generates registration request data representing that registration request by a request data generating part 71, and sends this from a sending part 72 to the data providing server 51.

As a result, if the request terminal 52 receives customer registering screen data from the data providing server 51 by a receiving part 73, the request terminal 52 transmits this from a display control part 74 to a display part 75, and displays a customer registering screen based on the customer registering screen data.

In the request terminal 52, if customer information is entered on the customer registering screen according to the operation of the operating part 70 by the customer, the request terminal 52 sends the customer information from the sending part 72 to the data providing server 51 as customer information data via the request data generating part 71.

If a content data obtaining request is entered by the customer via the operating part 70, the request terminal 52 generates obtaining request data representing the obtaining request by the request data generating part 71, and sends this from the sending part 72 to the data providing server 51.

As a result, if the request terminal 52 receives content selecting screen data from the data providing server 51 by the receiving part 73, the request terminal 52 transmits this from the display control part 74 to the display part 75, and displays a content selecting screen based on the content selecting screen data.

If the customer entered reservation information by customer on the content selecting screen according to the operation of the operating part 70, the request terminal 52 generates reservation data by the request data generating part 71, and sends this from the sending part 72 to the data providing server 51.

Thereby, the portable dedicated terminal 53 before it is sold/rented to the customer receives the content data sent from the data providing server 51 by a receiving part 80, and records this in a recording medium 82 by a recording control part 81. Then, the portable dedicated terminal 53 will be sold/rented to the customer in this state.

In the portable dedicated terminal 53 that was actually sold/rented to the customer, if a reproducing command is entered by the customer via an operating part 83, the portable dedicated terminal 53 reproduces the content data from the recording medium 82 based on that reproducing command by a reproducing control part 84, and transmits the above reproduced content data to a reproducing part 85 composed of a display control part, a display part, a speaker or the like. Thus, the customer can enjoy the content.

If a content data obtaining request is entered by the customer via the operating part 83, the portable dedicated terminal 53 generates obtaining request data representing that obtaining request by a request data generating part 86, and sends the above generated obtaining request data from a sending part 87 to the data providing server 51.

As a result, if the portable dedicated terminal 53 receives content selecting screen data from the data providing server 51 by the receiving part 80, the portable dedicated terminal 53 transmits this to the reproducing part 85 to display a content selecting screen based on the content selecting screen data.

Then, if content data is selectively specified (including the specifying of purchase and/or rental) on the content selecting screen according to the operation of the operating part 83 by the customer, the portable dedicated terminal 53 generates content specifying data by the request data generating part 86, and transmits this from the sending part 87 to the data providing server 51.

If the portable dedicated terminal 53 receives the content data from the data providing server 51 by the receiving part 80, the portable dedicated terminal 53 records this in the recording medium 82 by the recording control part 81. Thus, thereafter, that content data can be reproduced from the recording medium 82 by a reproducing control part 84 according to the operation of the operating part 83 by the customer.

Furthermore, if the customer permits the release of the customer information via the operating part 83, the portable dedicated terminal 53 generates customer permission data representing that permission by the request data generating part 86, and sends this from the sending part 87 to the data providing server 51.

As a result, if the portable dedicated terminal 53 receives advertiser/company introducing data from the data providing server 51 by the receiving part 80, the portable dedicated terminal 53 transmits this to the reproducing part 85 to displaying it. In this state, the customer selects desired advertiser and/or company by operating the operating part 83.

Then, the portable dedicated terminal 53 sends information on the advertiser and/or company selected by the customer to the data providing server 51 sequentially via the request data generating part 86 and the sending part 87. As a result, if the customer concludes a contract to the advertiser and/or company that he/she selected, the portable dedicated terminal 53 receives desired distribution data such as advertisement sent from the advertiser and company site by the receiving part 80, and records this in the recording medium 82 by the recording control part 81.

The portable dedicated terminal 53 reproduces that distribution data from the recording medium 82 by the reproducing control part 84 according to the operation of the operating part 83 by the customer, and transmits the above reproduced distribution data to the reproducing part 85. Thus, the customer can enjoy the distribution data provided from the advertiser and company site.

In addition to this, if the customer enters a customizing request via the operating part 83, the portable dedicated terminal 53 generates customizing request data representing that customizing request by the request data generating part 86, and sends this from the sending part 87 to the data providing server 51.

As a result, if the portable dedicated terminal 53 receives customizing registering screen data from the data providing server 51 by the receiving part 80, the portable dedicated terminal 53 transmits this to the reproducing part 85 to display a customizing registering screen based on that customizing registering screen data.

If screen customizing information for customizing the content selecting screen is entered on the customizing registering screen according to the operation of the operating part 83 by the customer, the portable dedicated terminal 53 sends this to the data providing server 51 sequentially via the request data generating part 86 and the sending part 87.

The customer can enter also case-body customizing information for customizing the color of the case body of the portable dedicated terminal 53 on the customizing registering screen by operating the operating part 83. If the case-body customizing information is entered, the portable dedicated terminal 53 sends this from the sending part 87 to the data providing server 51 via the request data generating part 86.

In this manner, the customer can request the data providing server 51 to customize the content selecting screen and the case body of the portable dedicated terminal 53. Therefore, after the customer requested such customizing, the customer can selectively specify content data while viewing the display of the customized selecting screen that was obtained by processing the content selecting screen based on the screen customizing information, and also the customer can switch the portable dedicated terminal 53 to a portable dedicated terminal 53 in a color that the customer specified.

Furthermore, in the portable dedicated terminal 53, if the customer enters an equivalent exchange request via the operating part 83, the portable dedicated terminal 53 generates equivalent exchange request data representing that equivalent exchange request by the request data generating part 86, and sends this from the sending part 87 to the data providing server 51.

As a result, if retrieval result information on the equivalent exchange is sent from the data providing server 51, the portable dedicated terminal 53 receives this by the receiving part 80, and transmits this to the reproducing part 85 to display the obtaining price of the content data that the customer occupies by purchase or rental, the selling price and the title of packaged media, and the difference between these prices based on that retrieval result information.

If the customer approves the equivalent exchange via the operating part 83, the portable dedicated terminal 53 generates exchange approval data representing the approval by the request data generating part 86, and sends this from the sending part 87 to the data providing server 51. Then, electronical accounting for the difference between the obtaining price of the content data that the customer occupies and the selling price of the packaged media is performed by a method that the customer specified (that is, payment by money or points). Therefore, the customer can obtain the packaged media by a minimum investment.

In this connection, if confirmation screen data for content data that the rental term is near expiration is sent from the data providing server 51, the portable dedicated terminal 53 receives this by the receiving part 80, and transmits this to the reproducing part 85 to display a confirmation screen based on that confirmation screen data, and notifying the customer of that the rental term of the content data will expire by the above confirmation screen.

Then, at this time, if terminating or extending the rental term is specified by the customer via the operating part 83, the portable dedicated terminal 53 notifies the data providing server 51 of that from the sending part 87 via the request data generating part 86.

Furthermore, if the rental term of the content data has expired before the content data is returned, an erasing command to erase the content data is sent from the data providing server 51 to the portable dedicated terminal 53. The portable dedicated terminal 53 receives this by the receiving part 80, and erases the content data of which the rental term has expired from the recording medium 82 based on that erasing command by the recording control part. Thus, illegal use (reproducing) of the content data can be prevented.

According to the above configuration, in this data providing system 50, the data providing server 51 records content data specified by the customer in a portable dedicated terminal 53 only for an agency that the customer specified according to reservation data sent from a request terminal 52 by customer\'s operation, and they are sold/rented to the customer.

Then, if the customer sends content specifying data from the portable dedicated terminal 53, the data providing server 51 reads content data from the content database 56 according to the content specifying data, and sends the above read content data to that portable dedicated terminal 53 for recording.

Furthermore, in the data providing server 51, customer registration information on the customer who purchased or is renting the portable dedicated terminal 53 is registered in the customer database 55. The customer registration information is updated according to the using state of the portable dedicated terminal 53 every time when the customer uses the portable dedicated terminal 53 for purchasing or renting content data. If the release of the customer information is permitted from the customer by the portable dedicated terminal 53, the data providing server 51 retrieves advertiser/company registration information in the advertiser/company database 58 based on the customer registration information, selects an advertiser and/or a company that can provide distribution data matching to the customer\'s tastes, and introduces it to the customer.

If customizing a content selecting screen is requested from the customer by the portable dedicated terminal 53, the data providing server 51 customizes the content selecting screen according to that request, and provides a customized screen obtained by customizing the above content selecting screen to the customer\'s portable dedicated terminal 53 so that the customer can select content data on the customized screen.

In addition to this, if the equivalent exchange of the purchased/rented content data for packaged media is requested from the customer by the portable dedicated terminal 53, the data providing server 51 provides the packaged media to the customer by the payment of the difference between the obtaining price of the content data occupied by the customer and the selling price of the packaged media.

Accordingly, in this data providing system 50, even if the customer does not have a device for accessing the Internet, by previously reserving the purchase or the rental of a portable dedicated terminal 53 that can record and reproduce content data by a request terminal 52 installed in a KIOSK or the like, the customer can obtain content data distributed to the portable dedicated terminal 53 after the customer received the reserved portable dedicated terminal 53.

In this data providing system 50, by using the portable dedicated terminal 53, the customer can easily select content data on a customized screen that was customized by a customer\'s request, and also the customer can exchange the content data obtained by distribution for packaged media storing the same content data by a minimum investment. Furthermore, the customer can easily select an advertiser and/or a company that can provide distribution data matching to customer\'s tastes from many advertiser and company sites, and can use distribution data.

As a result, in the data providing system 50, also a customer who does not have a device for accessing the Internet can easily use this system while sufficiently enjoying the convenience of the Internet.

In this data providing system 50, the customer uses the portable dedicated terminal 53 only for an agency by purchase and/or rental. Therefore, agencies can easily get customers who use not only the Internet but also the agencies, and also can easily use and can participate in the Internet.

According to the above configuration, in the data providing server 51, the portable dedicated terminal 53 only for an agency that can record and reproduce content data is sold or rented to the customer according to reservation data sent from the request terminal 52. Content data is distributed according to content specifying data sent from the sold/rented portable dedicated terminal 53, and is recorded in the portable dedicated terminal 53. An advertiser and/or a company is selected based on customer registration information according to customer\'s permission sent from that portable dedicated terminal 53, and is introduced to the customer. A content selecting screen is customized according to a customizing request sent from the above portable dedicated terminal 53, and is provided to the portable dedicated terminal 53. And the exchange values of the content data occupied by the customer by distribution and packaged media storing the same content data are equal, and they are equivalently exchanged according to an equivalent exchange request sent from the portable dedicated terminal 53. Thereby, a customer who does not have a device for accessing the Internet can easily use this system while sufficiently enjoying the convenience of the Internet. By the portable dedicated terminal 53 only for an agency that uses the Internet, this system can easily get customers. Thus, a data providing system that can further popularize the Internet can be accomplished.

Note that, in the aforementioned first embodiment, it has dealt with the case where the customer requests a customer registration and the purchase or the rental of the portable dedicated terminal 53 by the request terminal 52. However, this invention is not only limited to this but also the customer may request the customer registration and the purchase or the rental of the portable dedicated terminal 53 by a device for accessing the Internet such as a personal computer. Thereby, in addition to a customer who does not have a device for accessing the Internet, a customer who owns the above device can enjoy the convenience of the Internet more than the present by using the portable dedicated terminal 53.

FIG. 5 shows a data providing system 100 according to a second embodiment. A portable dedicated terminal 102 similar to the portable dedicated terminals 7A to 7N described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 is directly connected to a data providing server 101 that corresponds to the system management site 2 and the agencies 4A to 4N described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. A request terminal 103 that corresponds to the customer 3 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 (that is, the request terminal that the customer 3 had been used) and a settlement processing server 104 are connected to the above data providing server 101 on the Internet 105, respectively.

The data providing server 101 has a customer database 110 and a content database 111. In the customer database 110, customer registration information generated by executing a customer registration similar to the customer registration described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 (composed of a customer\'s name, a customer ID, an account number in a bank that the customer deals with, etc.) will be stored.

Furthermore, the data providing server 101 stores a lot of content data in the content database 111, and also a data table generated by listing content additional information composed of content identification information peculiar to each of the content data (hereinafter, this is referred to as content ID), a title (for example, the title of tune), prices (selling price and rental price), etc.

If customer reservation information to reserve content data by rental (hereinafter, specially this is referred to as rental reservation request data) is sent as reservation request data, from the request terminal 103 via the Internet 105 by operation by the customer who wants to rent the content data, the data providing server 101 receives this by a receiving part 115, converts the above received rental reservation request data into recording control data by an accounting part 116, and transmits this to a recording control part 117.

Here, the data providing server 101 generates rental reservation acceptance data including dedicated terminal identification information (hereinafter, this is referred to as dedicated terminal ID) peculiar to the portable dedicated terminal 102 for recording the content data that the customer requested to rent by the recording control part 117, and transmits this to the request terminal 103 from a sending part 118 via the Internet 105 to notify the customer of that the rental reservation of the desired content data has been accepted.

The data providing server 101 reads the content data that the customer requested to rent from the content database 111 according to the recording control data by the recording control part 117, and sends this to the portable dedicated terminal 102 having the dedicated terminal ID that notified to the customer, so that the content data is recorded in a recording medium in the portable dedicated terminal 102.

In this manner, the data providing server 101 makes the portable dedicated terminal 102 having a content data recording and reproducing function record the content data requested from the customer. Then, when the customer came to, for example, an agency installing the above data providing server 101, the content data that the customer requested to rent is handed to the customer with the portable dedicated terminal 102.

By the data providing server 101, content data can be rented to the customer with the portable dedicated terminal 102 according to a rental term. The customer can enjoy the content data by reproducing this by the portable dedicated terminal 102.

By the way, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, rental reservation request data D2 sent from the request terminal 103 has information such as a customer\'s name, a customer ID, a password, the title of content data D1 of which the rental is requested, a rental term, a paying method of rental charges (payment by cash or prepaid card at shop, payment by prepaid card by request terminal, payment by credit).

If the data providing server 101 receives the rental reservation request data D2 from the request terminal 103 by the receiving part 115, the data providing server 101 extracts information on the paying method of the rental charge (hereinafter, this is referred to as payment data) from the rental reservation request data D2 by the accounting part 116.

If payment specified by the payment information is credit, the data providing server 101 reads the customer registration information on the customer who requested to rent the content data D1 from the content database 111 based on the customer ID included in the rental reservation request data D2 by the accounting part 116, retrieves a data table in the content database 111 based on the title of the content data D1 included in the above rental reservation request data D2, and reads the additional information on the content data D1 that the customer is requesting to rent.

The data providing server 101 executes accounting by the accounting part 116, based on the rental charge for the portable dedicated terminal 102 and an account number in the dealing bank of the agency previously stored in the contents database 111, the rental reservation request data D2, the customer registration information, and the additional information on the content data D1. Thereby, the data providing server 101 generates accounting information representing the amount of charge according to the rental term of the content data D1 to the customer, the account numbers of the agency and the customer, etc., and sends this from the sending part 118 to the settlement processing server 104 via the Internet 105.

If the electronical settlement processing based on the accounting information is completed and a settlement completion notification is sent from the settlement processing server 104, the data providing server 101 receives this by the receiving part 115, recognizes this and adds the agency ID to the rental reservation request data D2 and generates recording control data D3 by the accounting part 116, and sends this to the recording control part 117.

In this connection, when in generating the recording control data D3 by the accounting part 116, the data providing server 101 changes the customer\'s name included in the rental reservation request data D2 to a coded customer\'s name registered as the customer registration information, changes the title of the content data D1 to the content ID, encodes the number of days of the rental term, and adds the customer\'s account number to the recording control data D3.

If the data providing server 101 transmits the recording control data D3 from the accounting part 116 to the recording control part 117, the data providing server 101 generates rental reservation acceptance data by the above recording control part 117, and sends this from the sending part 118 to the request terminal 103.

Then, the data providing server 101 generates header data D4 based on the recording control data D3 by adding the dedicated terminal ID of the portable dedicated terminal 102 storing the content data D1 that the customer requested to rent, and copy history information showing a copy history when the above content data D1 had illegally copied, to the above recording control data D3 as the content by the recording control part 117. The data providing server 101 adds this to the content data D1 that the customer requested to rent, and they are recorded in the portable dedicated terminal 102.

Thereby, in the data providing server 101, that the portable dedicated terminal 102 rented to the customer and the content data D1 were rented at the shop installing the data providing server 101 can be easily recognized by the header data D4.

Furthermore, the portable dedicated terminal 102 rented to the customer monitors whether or not the rental term of the content data D1 has expired according to information on the rental term stored in the header data D4. In the case where although the rental term has passed, the above content data D1 has not been returned (that is, in the case where the content data D1 was not returned with the portable dedicated terminal 102), the portable dedicated terminal 102 forbids reproducing the content data D1. Thus, the illegal use of the rented content data D1 can be prevented after the expiration of the rental term.

Furthermore, if the content data D1 in rental is illegally copied while it has been rented to the customer, the portable dedicated terminal 102 records the number of the times of copy as copy history information in the header data D4. Thereby, when the portable dedicated terminal 102 is returned to the agency, the agency can know that the customer illegally copied the content data D1 from the copy history information in the header data D4.

On the other hand, if payment by a prepaid card by the request terminal 103 is specified by the rental reservation request data D2 from the request terminal 103, the data providing server 101 executes accounting according to the rental charges for the portable dedicated terminal 102, the rental reservation request data D2, and the additional information on the content data D1, by the accounting part 116. The data providing server 101 computes the amount of charges to the customer according to the rental term of the content data D1, and sends information on the above computed amount of charges as accounting data from the sending part 118 to the request terminal 103 via the Internet 105.

If the data providing server 101 receives payment-by-prepaid completion data from the request terminal 103 by the receiving part 115 by that the payment by a prepaid card has completed based on the accounting data, the data providing server 101 generates recording control data D3 by adding the agency ID to the rental reservation request data D2 storing information representing that the payment by the prepaid card has completed by the request terminal 103, instead of the customer\'s account number by an accounting part 116, and transmits this to the recording control part 117.

Then, if the data providing server 101 transmits the recording control data D3 from the accounting part 116 to the recording control part 117, the data providing server 101 sends rental reservation acceptance data from the sending part 118 to the request terminal 103 by the recording control part 117 similarly to the above. At the same time, the data providing server 101 generates header data D4 based on that recording control data D3, and records this in the portable dedicated terminal 102 with the content data D1.

Furthermore, if payment by cash or a prepaid card at the shop is specified by the rental reservation request data D2 sent from the request terminal 103, the data providing server 101 generates recording control data D3 by adding the agency ID to the rental reservation request data D2 storing information representing that the payment by cash or a prepaid card at the shop has completed instead of the customer\'s account number by the accounting part 116, and sends this to the recording control part 117.

Also in this case, the data providing server 101 transmits the recording control data D3 from the accounting part 116 to the recording control part 117 similarly to the above, and sends rental reservation acceptance data from the sending part 118 to the request terminal 103 by the above recording control part 117. At the same time, the data providing server 101 generates header data D4 based on the recording control data D3, and records this in the portable dedicated terminal 102 with the content data D1.

In this connection, in the data providing server 101, a slot for a prepaid card is provided on the accounting part 116. When the payment by a prepaid card at the shop is specified, an amount of charge to the customer according to the rental term of the content data D1 is computed by the accounting part 116. And if the customer inserts his/her prepaid card into the slot when the customer came to receive the portable dedicated terminal 102, the rental charges is settled by the prepaid card.

Note that, the above data providing server 101 also can be used in the case where the customer came to the shop and requested to rent content data D1. In this case, a clerk in the shop inputs rental information having the same contents as the rental reservation request data D2 described above with reference to FIG. 6 via an operational information input part. The above entered rental information is transmitted to the accounting part 116. Thereby, the content data D1 is recorded in the portable dedicated terminal 102 similarly to the aforementioned rental reservation by the request terminal 103.

On the other hand, if the customer inputs rental reservation information having the same contents as the aforementioned rental reservation request data D2 via an operational information input part 120, the request terminal 103 (FIG. 5) generates the aforementioned rental reservation request data D2 based on that rental reservation data by a request data generating part 122 via an operational information discriminating part 121, and sends this from a sending part 123 to the data providing server 101 on the Internet 105.

If rental reservation acceptance data is sent from the data providing server 101 via the Internet 105, the request terminal 103 receives this by a receiving part 124, and transmits this from a discriminating part 125 to a display part 126. Thus, completion of the acceptance of the rental reservation of the desired content data requested by the customer is notified to the customer, with the dedicated terminal ID of the portable dedicated terminal 102 that will be rented with the above content data D1.

In this connection, in the request terminal 103, an accounting part 127 having a slot for a prepaid card is provided. If payment by a prepaid card by the request terminal 103 is specified by the customer via the operational information input part 120, the operational information discriminating part 121 discriminates this and notifies the accounting part 127 of this.