Ticket issuing system, storage medium and electronic ticket issuing and managing method

Abstract

There is provided a ticket issuing system issuing an electronic ticket for digital content to a user system attempting to utilize the digital content by means of the electronic ticket. The ticket issuing system includes a receiver that receives a request to issue the electronic ticket for the digital content from the user system attempting to utilize the digital content using the electronic ticket, and an issuance controller that controls issuance of the electronic ticket for the digital content to the user system, on the basis of a retained electronic ticket in the user system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail by reference to the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an example configuration of a system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of an issuing rule;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of process steps performed in the system according to the exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4 shows a modified example of the configuration of the system;

FIG. 5 shows an example of history information managed by an issuance history managing section;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of process steps performed in the system according to the modified example;

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining another example of the issuing rule;

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a further example of the issuing rule;

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a still further example of the issuing rule;

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining yet another example of the issuing rule;

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a yet further example of the issuing rule;

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining another example of the issuing rule; and

FIG. 13 shows an example hardware configuration of a computer.

Claims

1. An ticket issuing system issuing an electronic ticket for digital content to a user system attempting to utilize the digital content by means of the electronic ticket, comprising: a receiver that receives a request to issue the electronic ticket for the digital content from the user system attempting to utilize the digital content using the electronic ticket; andan issuance controller that controls issuance of the electronic ticket for the digital content to the user system, on the basis of a retained electronic ticket in the user system.

2. The ticket issuing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a history storage that stores an issuance history of the electronic ticket issued to the user system, whereinthe issuance controller refers to the history storage to find the retained electronic ticket in the user system having made the request.

3. The ticket issuing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a register that registers, in a history managing apparatus that manages an issuance history of the electronic ticket, information that the electronic ticket is issued to the user system when the issuance controller issues the electronic ticket to the user system, whereinthe issuance controller inquires the history managing apparatus to find the retained electronic ticket in the user system having made the request.

4. The ticket issuing system according to claim 1, wherein the issuance controller controls issuance of a first electronic ticket which is a target of the request, so that the first electronic ticket is issued only when the user system having made the request retains a second electronic ticket necessary for the issuance of the first electronic ticket.

5. The ticket issuing system according to claim 1, wherein the issuance controller controls issuance of the requested electronic ticket on the basis of the retained electronic ticket and a usage history of the retained electronic ticket in the user system having made the request.

6. The ticket issuing system according to claim 1, wherein the issuance controller controls issuance of the requested electronic ticket so that the requested electronic ticket is issued only when the user system having made the request retains at least a predetermined number of electronic tickets among electronic tickets associated with the digital content which is a target of the request.

7. The ticket issuing system according to claim 1, wherein the issuance controller controls issuance of a first electronic ticket which is a target of the request so that the first electronic ticket is issued only when the user system having made the request retains a second electronic ticket necessary for the issuance of the first electronic ticket and the request is made within a predetermined time period from an issuing date of the second electronic ticket.

8. The ticket issuing system according to claim 1, wherein the issuance controller controls preliminary issuance of a first electronic ticket which is a target of the request so that the first electronic ticket is issued in advance only when the user system having made the request retains a second ticket constituting a condition for the preliminarily issuance of the first electronic ticket.

9. A computer readable storage medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for issuing an electronic ticket, the process comprising: receiving a request to issue an electronic ticket for digital content from a user system; andcontrolling issuance of the electronic ticket for the digital content on the basis of a retained electronic ticket in the user system.

10. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the controlling issuance of the electronic ticket comprises controlling issuance of a first electronic ticket which is a target of the request so that the first electronic ticket is issued only when the user system having made the request retains a second electronic ticket necessary for the issuance of the first electronic ticket.

11. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the controlling issuance of the electronic ticket comprises controlling issuance of the requested electronic ticket on the basis of a retained electronic ticket and a usage history of the retained electronic ticket in the user system having made the request to issue the electronic ticket.

12. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the controlling issuance of the electronic ticket comprises controlling issuance of the requested electronic ticket so that the requested electronic ticket is issued when the user system having made the request retains at least a predetermined number of electronic tickets among electronic tickets associated with digital content which is a target of the request.

13. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the controlling issuance of the electronic ticket comprises performing control so that a first electronic ticket which is a target of the request is issued only when the user system having made the request retains a second electronic ticket necessary for issuance of the first electronic ticket and the request is made within a predetermined time period from a issuing date of the second electronic ticket.

14. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the controlling issuance of the electronic ticket comprises controlling preliminary issuance of a first electronic ticket which is a target of the request so that the first electronic ticket is issued in advance when the user system having made the request retains a second electronic ticket constituting a condition for the preliminarily issuance of the first electronic ticket.

15. The storage medium according to claim 9, the process further comprising: referring to an issuance history of an electronic ticket issued to the user system having made the request to find the retained electronic ticket in the user system.

16. The storage medium according to claim 9, the process further comprising: registering, in a history managing apparatus that manages an issuance history of an electronic ticket, information that an electronic ticket is issued to the user system at the time when the electronic ticket is issued to the user system; andinquiring the history managing apparatus to find the retained electronic ticket in the user system having made the request.

17. An electronic ticket issuing and managing method performed in an ticket issuing system that issues an electronic ticket for digital content to a user system that attempts to utilize the digital content using the electronic ticket, comprising: receiving a request to issue the electronic ticket for the digital content from the user system, andcontrolling issuance of the electronic ticket to the user system on the basis of a retained electronic ticket in the user system.

18. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for enabling a computer to perform a process for issuing an electronic ticket, the process comprising: receiving a request to issue an electronic ticket for digital content from a user system, andcontrolling issuance of the electronic ticket for the digital content to the user system on the basis of a retained electronic ticket in the user system.