Patent Application
20070278304
In order to understand the manner in which embodiments of the present invention are obtained, a more particular description of various embodiments of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention that are not necessarily drawn to scale and are not therefore to be considered to be limited of its scope, the embodiments of the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
In the following description, numerous details are set forth. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form, rather than in detail, in order to avoid obscuring the present invention.
The present invention provides a system of collecting information for distribution with a terminal and billing according to distribution times, comprising:
an information carrier for carrying barcode information;
a mobile communication terminal for reading the information on the information carrier;
an information inputting terminal for transmitting information to be distributed and barcode information to an information distributing server;
an information distributing server having a barcode managing module therein, the barcode managing module associating the barcode information with the information for distribution;
transmitting the information to be distributed and barcode information to the information distributing server through the information inputting terminal, and the barcode managing module associating the barcode information with the information for distribution; the mobile communication terminal reading the barcode information on the information carrier, and when the barcode information obtained is the same as the barcode information in the barcode managing module, the information for distribution associated with the barcode being partially or fully displayed on the mobile communication terminal through a network; the information distributing server performing statistics on the distribution times of the information for distribution associated with the barcode, and billing according to a pre-set charging table based on the distribution times.
Preferably, in the system of collecting information for distribution with a terminal and billing according to distribution times, the barcode managing module comprises a storage module for storing the barcode information and the information for distribution.
Preferably, in the system of collecting information for distribution with a terminal and billing according to distribution times, the barcode managing module further comprises a matching module for matching the received barcode information to one or more storage records in the information distributing server.
Preferably, in the system of collecting information for distribution with a terminal and billing according to distribution times, the barcode managing module comprises a statistic block for performing statistics on the access times of the information for distribution led by the barcode.
Preferably, in the system of collecting information for distribution with a terminal and billing according to distribution times, the barcode managing module comprises a charging block for setting various charging formulas or tables based on the information distribution times, and calculating the charging result.
Preferably, in the system of collecting information for distribution with a terminal and billing according to distribution times, the mobile communication terminal includes an information reading apparatus.
Preferably, in the system of collecting information for distribution with a terminal and billing according to distribution times, the information reading apparatus is a photoelectric reading apparatus such as a digital camera, a barcode identifying device and the like.
A method of collecting information for distribution with a terminal and billing according to distribution times, comprising the following steps:
The information reading apparatus is a photoelectric reading apparatus such as a digital camera, a barcode identifying device and the like, which is installed in or connected to the mobile communication terminal. The information reading apparatus may identify the encoded information on the information carrier.
The mobile communication terminal has the function of communication. By the information communication function (for example, browser function) of the mobile communication terminal, the information codes transmitted by the information reading apparatus are sent to the information distributing server via the network. Meanwhile, the mobile communication terminal may also receive information from the information distributing server.
The information distributing server is comprised of: a storage module for storing the barcode information, the information for distribution and so on; a matching module for matching the received barcode information to one or more storage records (for example, multiple pieces of price information corresponding to one barcode) in the server; a statistic block for performing statistics on the access times of the information for distribution led by the barcode; and a charging block for setting various charging formulas or tables based on the information distribution times, and calculating the charging result.
In a system of collecting information for distribution with a terminal and billing according to distribution times in accordance with example 1 of the present invention, a barcode, which includes one dimensional code and two dimensional code, is used as the information carrier. The applicable barcode patterns are shown in
As shown in the 8 (8 Yuan) per bottle’ and the barcode information such as ‘7000123’ to the information distributing server 104 through the information inputting terminal 105 via the network 103. The information distributing server 104 associates the barcode with the information for distribution by the barcode managing module. The user reads the information on the information carrier 101 by the mobile communication terminal 102 with the information reading apparatus. The decoded information (7000123) is matched to the stored barcode information in the barcode managing module, and if they are the same, the information for distribution (‘sales for the Grapefruit Juice of DAHU Brand,
8 per bottle’) which is associated with barcode information will be partially or fully displayed on the display screen of the mobile communication terminal 102 via the network. The service provider performs statistics on the distribution times of the information for distribution associated with the barcode (i.e., the times that the users has accessed the information for distribution by scanning the barcode), and charges according to a fixed payment for each distribution (for example,
3 per time).
In this example, the associating relationship between the barcode and the information for distribution which are collected through the information inputting terminal is “one to one”. However, as the skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is not so limited, and other associating mechanism may be employed. Furthermore, associated barcode and information for distribution may be re-associated according to changed associating mechanism with other information/barcode, as needed for specific applications.
In a system of collecting information for distribution with a terminal and billing according to distribution times in accordance with example 2 of the present invention, a barcode, which comprises the one dimensional code and the two dimensional code, is used as the information carrier. The barcode patterns are shown in
The flow of the information distribution is the same as that of example 1, except that the methodology for charging is different. The methodology of charging according to unequal payments may be any one of the following:
1) The methodology of charging according to descending payments, that is, the payment for each distribution descending as the distribution times increasing, for example: 5 per distribution for total distribution times being within 100,
4 per distribution for total distribution times being between larger than 100 and not greater than 300, and
3 per distribution for total distribution times greater than 300.
2) The methodology of charging according to incremental payments, that is, the payment for each distribution increasing as the distribution times increasing, for example: 3 per distribution for total distribution times being within 100,
4 per distribution for total distribution times being between greater than 100 and not greater than 300 and
5 per distribution for total distribution times greater than 300.
3) The methodology of charging according to progressive descending payments, that is, the payment for each distribution progressively descending as the distribution times increasing, for example: 5 per distribution for those distributions when distribution times being within 100,
4 per distribution when distribution times being between greater than 100 and not greater than 300, and
3 per distribution when distribution times greater than 300. As such, the payment for 500 distributions is: 100×5+200×4+200×3=
1900.
4) The methodology of charging according to progressive incremental payments, that is, the payment for each distribution progressively increasing as the distribution times increasing, for example: 3 per distribution for those distributions when distribution times being within 100,
4 per distribution when distribution times being between greater than 100 and not greater than 300, and
5 per distribution when distribution times greater than 300. As such, the payment for 500 distributions is: 100×3+200×4+200×5=
2100.
5) The methodology of charging according to a fixed total payment, that is, the total payment being fixed despite of the distribution times.
6) The methodology of a combination of charging according to a fixed payment and charging according to equal payments, that is, the payment being fixed when the distribution times is within a set number, and charging according to equal payments (for each distribution) when the distribution times exceeds the set number. For example, the payment for distributions when the distribution times is within 300 is set to be 1000, and when the distribution times exceeds, payment for each distribution is
3, as such, if the distribution times is 500, then the total payment is: 1000+200×3=
1600.
7) The methodology of a combination of charging according to a fixed payment and charging according to unequal payments, that is, the payment being fixed when the distribution times is within a set number, and charging according to unequal payments as 1) or 2) or 3) or 4) when the distribution times exceeds the set number.
As it may be seen from
All the modules or blocks described above may be implemented in one or a combination of hardware, firmware, and software. Alternatively, the modules and blocks of the invention may also be implemented as instructions stored on a machine-readable medium, which may be read and executed by a computing platform to perform the operations described herein. A machine-readable medium may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). For example, a machine-readable medium may include read only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media; flash memory devices; electrical, optical, acoustical or other form of propagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.), and others. Although the information distributing server is illustrated as having several separate functional modules or blocks, one or more of the functional modules or blocks may be combined and may be implemented by combinations of software-configured elements, such as processing elements including digital signal processors (DSPs), other hardware elements.
Although flow diagrams may have been used herein to describe embodiments, the inventions are not limited to those diagrams or to corresponding descriptions herein. For example, flow need not move through each illustrated box or exactly in the same order as illustrated and described herein. In addition, program instructions may be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processing system that is programmed with the instructions to perform the operations described herein. Alternatively, the operations may be performed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logic for performing the operations, or by any combination of programmed computer components and custom hardware components. The methods described herein may be provided as a computer program product that may include a machine accessible medium having stored thereon instructions that may be used to program a processing system or other electronic device to perform the methods.
The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expression, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described (or portions thereof), and it is recognized that various modifications, variations, alternatives, and equivalents are possible within the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the claims are intended to cover all such modifications, variations, alternatives, and equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200610083105.3 | May 2006 | CN | national |
