Upgrade of online access client software

Abstract

In the communication network for distributing messages such as advertisements to terminal users, an information providing system provides the suitable information to each user. The system includes a terminal connected to a communications network, a user database for storing the characteristics of each user, a message database for storing messages, and a transmittal condition database for storing the user characteristics of the class of suitable recipients for each message. A message searcher searches for messages from the transmittal condition database based on the characteristics read out from the user database. A reader reads the retrieved messages from the message database and a transmitter transmits the messages to the terminal. An adder increases the value of a parameter associated with each user when the transmitted message is displayed on the terminal. A detector detects whether the user is active, and a stop means prevents the value of the parameter from being increased when the user is inactive.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A communication system comprising: 
 a communications network;    a terminal connected to the communications network;    a message database which is connected to the communications network and which stores messages including at least one of images, texts, sounds and combinations thereof;    a transmitter for reading out a message from the message database and transmitting the message to the terminal;    a display for displaying the message transmitted to the terminal by the transmitter;    a storage for storing a parameter which indicates an amount of messages transmitted to the terminal;    an adder for increasing a value of the parameter as the message is displayed on the display;    a detector for detecting whether a user of the terminal is actively recognizing the message displayed on the display; and    a stop means for preventing the value of the parameter from being increased by the adder when the detector detects that the user is not actively recognizing the displayed message.    
     
     
         2 . A communication system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a user database being connected to the communications network and storing characteristics of each user in association with a user ID of the user;    a transmittal condition database which is connected to the communications network and which stores, for each message, the characteristics of a class of users to whom it would be appropriate to transmit the message, in association with a message ID for identifying that message;    a means for reading out the characteristics from the user database based on the user ID when the user requests a message;    a message searcher for retrieving message IDs from the transmittal condition database based on the characteristics read out from the user database; wherein 
 the transmitter reads out the message identified by the message ID, which is retrieved by the message searcher and transmits the message to the terminal.  
   
     
     
         3 . A communication system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 means for offering a good or service to the user through the communications network; and    means for determining prices of the good or service depending on the value of the parameter; and    means for decreasing the value of the parameter when the user orders the good or service.    
     
     
         4 . A communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the detector determines whether the user is actively recognizing the displayed message by detecting whether an action has been performed on the terminal within a predetermined period of time.    
     
     
         5 . A communication system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 means for displaying a manipulation area for manipulating the displayed message, wherein: 
 the detector determines whether the user is actively recognizing the displayed message by detecting whether the message is manipulated in the manipulation area.  
   
     
     
         6 . A communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the detector determines whether the user is actively recognizing the displayed message by detecting whether the user has input an appropriate response to the text in the message.    
     
     
         7 . A communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the stop means prevents the value of the parameter from being increased by preventing the message from being displayed on the display.    
     
     
         8 . A communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the message database has a first message which increases the value of the parameter when displayed on the display, and a second message which does not increase the value of the parameter when displayed on the display; and    the stop means prevents the value of the parameter from being increased by preventing the first message from being displayed on the display.    
     
     
         9 . A communication system according to  claim 2 , further comprising means for connecting to Internet, wherein: 
 Internet is further connected to a host computer; and    the terminal comprises: 
 means for establishing a first data link to the host computer through the communications network and Internet;  
 means for establishing a second data link to the transmittal condition database through the communications network; and  
 means for transmitting data to the transmittal condition database through the second data link.  
   
     
     
         10 . A communication system according to  claim 9 , wherein: 
 the transmitter has a notification means for providing the terminal with information which identifies the transmitter when the terminal requests access to the host computer; and    the terminal establishes the first data link with the transmitter using this information, and further establishes the second data link.    
     
     
         11 . A communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the adder increases the value of the parameter when the user inputs a correct answer to a question displayed in the message.  
     
     
         12 . A communication system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an update information storage which is connected to the communications network and which stores update information being updated independently of the terminal; and    an update information transmitter for transmitting the update information to the terminal a predetermined number of times through the communications network.    
     
     
         13 . A communication system according to  claim 12 , wherein: 
 the predetermined number of times is one; and    the update information transmitter has a determination means for determining whether the update information has already been transmitted to the user, and for transmitting the update information when the determination means determines that the update information has not already been transmitted.    
     
     
         14 . A communication system according to  claim 12 , wherein: 
 the update information transmitter has a counter for counting, for each user, the number times the update information has been transmitted, and the update information transmitter transmits the update information to a user when the update information has not been transmitted to that user the predetermined number of times.    
     
     
         15 . A communication system according to  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the update information transmitter has a comparison means for comparing the time which has elapsed since the last transmission of the update information with a predetermined period of time, and the update information transmitter transmits the update information when the time lapse is longer than the predetermined period of time.    
     
     
         16 . A communication system comprising: 
 a communications network;    a terminal connected to the communications network;    a message database which is connected to the communications network and which stores messages including at least one of images, texts, sounds and combinations thereof, in association with a message ID for identifying each message;    a transmitter for reading a message out of the message database and transmitting the message to the terminal;    a display for displaying the message transmitted from the transmitter to the terminal;    a user database which is connected to the communications network and which stores characteristics of each user of the terminal, in association with a user ID for identifying each user;    a receiver for receiving the user ID from the terminal through the communications network;    a characteristics reader for reading the characteristics from the user database based on the user ID received by the receiver; and    a statistics recording means for storing the characteristics read out by the characteristics reader, in association with the message ID of the message being displayed on the display by the user whose characteristics were read out by the characteristics reader.    
     
     
         17 . A communication system according to  claim 16 , wherein: 
 the statistics recording means has a storage; and    when the user operates a message transmitted to the terminal by the transmitter, the storage stores the type of operation in association with the message ID of the message transmitted to the terminal.    
     
     
         18 . A communication system according to  claim 16 , wherein: 
 the statistics recording means has a storage; and    when the user operates a message transmitted to the terminal by the transmitter, the storage stores the type of access in association with the user's characteristics read out by the characteristics reader.    
     
     
         19 . A communication system comprising: 
 a communications network;    a terminal connected to the communications network    a message database which is connected to the communications network and which stores multiple messages in association with respective a message ID for identifying the messages, the messages including at least one of images, texts, sounds and combinations thereof;    a user database which is connected to the communications network and which stores characteristics of each user of the terminal in association with respective user ID for identifying the users;    a transmittal condition database which is connected to the communications network and which stores, for each message, the characteristics of the class of users to whom it would be appropriate to transmit the message, in association with a message ID for that message;    a receiver for receiving the user ID of the user from the terminal through the communications network;    a characteristics reader for reading out the characteristics from the user database based on the user ID;    a message searcher for retrieving a message ID from the transmittal condition database based on the characteristics read out from the user database;    a transmitter for reading out the messages which are associated with the message ID retrieved by the message searcher and transmitting those messages to the terminal; and    a display for displaying the messages transmitted to the terminal by the transmitter.    
     
     
         20 . A communication system according to  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 a user ID storage for storing the user ID of users who operate a message transmitted to the terminal in association with the message ID of the transmitted message, wherein:    the transmittal condition database stores the message ID in association with other message ID of a related message; and    the message searcher searches for the message on a condition that the user ID storage stores the user ID of the user in association with the message ID of a related message.    
     
     
         21 . A host computer connected to a terminal through a communications network comprising: 
 a transmittal condition database for storing a message ID which identifies a message to be transmitted to the terminal, the message including at least one of images, texts, sounds and combinations thereof;    a transmitter for transmitting the message ID read out from the transmittal condition database;    a storage for storing a parameter which indicates an amount of access made by a user of the terminal to the messages transmitted to the terminal;    an adder for increasing the value of the parameter when a message transmitted by the transmitter is displayed on the terminal;    a detector for detecting whether the user is actively recognizing a displayed message; and    a stop means for preventing the value of the parameter from being increased when the user is not actively recognizing the displayed message.    
     
     
         22 . A host computer according to  claim 21 , wherein: 
 the transmittal condition database stores the message ID in association with characteristics of the class of users to whom it is appropriate to transmit the message,    the host computer further comprises; 
 a user database for storing the characteristics of each user of the terminal connected to the communications network; and  
 a message searcher for retrieving the message ID from the transmittal condition database based on the characteristics read out from the user database, and  
 the transmitter transmits the message ID retrieved by the message searcher.  
   
     
     
         23 . A host computer according to  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 means for selling a good or service to the user through the communications network;    means for determining the prices of the good or service depending on the value of the parameter; and    a subtractor for decreasing the value of the parameter when the user orders the good or service.    
     
     
         24 . A host computer according to  claim 21 , wherein the stop means determines that the user is actively recognizing the message when the message is operated on.  
     
     
         25 . A host computer according to  claim 21 , wherein the stop means determines that the user is actively recognizing the message when the user inputs an appropriate answer in response to the text in the message.  
     
     
         26 . A host computer according to  claim 21 , wherein the stop means stops the value of the parameter from being increased by preventing the message from being displayed on a display of the terminal.  
     
     
         27 . A host computer according to  claim 21  further comprising: 
 a message database which has a first message which increases the value of the parameter when displayed on a display of the terminal, and a second message which does not increase the value of the parameter when displayed on the display; and  
 the stop means prevents the value of the parameter from being increased by preventing the first message from being transmitted to the terminal when the user is not actively recognizing the originally displayed message.  
 
     
     
         28 . A host computer according to  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 an update information storage which is connected to the communications network and which stores update information updated independently from the terminal; and    an update information transmitter for transmitting the update information to the user a predetermined number of times through the communications network.    
     
     
         29 . A host computer according to  claim 28 , wherein: 
 the predetermined number of times is one; and    the update information transmitter transmits the update information to those users to whom the update information has not been transmitted.    
     
     
         30 . A host computer connected to a terminal through a communications network, comprising: 
 a message database which is connected to the communications network and which stores a message in association with a message ID for identifying each of the messages, the messages including at least one of images, texts, sounds and combinations thereof;    a transmitter for reading out a message from the message database and transmitting the message to the terminal;    a user database which is connected to the communications network and which stores characteristics of a user of the terminal in association with a user ID for identifying the user;    a receiver for receiving the user ID from the terminal through the communications network;    a characteristics reader for reading out the characteristics of the user from the user database based on the user ID received by the receiver; and    a statistics recording means for storing the characteristics read out by the characteristics reader, in association with the message ID of the message transmitted to the terminal being used by the user whose characteristics were read out by the characteristics reader.    
     
     
         31 . A host computer according to  claim 30 , wherein: 
 when the user operates the message transmitted to the terminal by the transmitter, the statistics recording means stores the type of the access in association with the message ID of the message.    
     
     
         32 . A host computer according to  claim 30 , wherein: 
 when the user operates the message transmitted to the terminal by the transmitter, the statistics recording means stores the type of the access in association with the characteristics of the user, read out by the characteristics reader.    
     
     
         33 . A host computer connected to a terminal through a communications network comprising: 
 a message database which is connected to the communications network and which stores messages in association with a message ID for identifying each message, the messages including at least one of images, texts, sounds and combinations thereof;    a user database which is connected to the communications network and which stores characteristics of users of the terminal, in association with a user ID for identifying the user;    a transmittal condition database which is connected to the communications network and which stores the message ID in association with the characteristics of the class of users to whom it would be appropriate to transmit the message;    a receiver for receiving the user ID from the terminal through the communications network;    a characteristics reader for reading out the characteristics from the user database based on the user ID;    a message searcher for retrieving the message ID from the transmittal condition database using the characteristics read out from the user database by the characteristics reader; and    a transmitter for reading out the messages corresponding to the message ID retrieved by the message searcher, from the message database and transmitting the messages to the terminal.    
     
     
         34 . A host computer according to  claim 33 , further comprising: 
 a user ID storage for storing the user ID of any user who operates a message transmitted to the terminal, in association with the message ID of the message, wherein: 
 the transmittal condition database stores the message ID of the message in association with the message ID of related messages; and  
 the message searcher searches for the message ID stored in the transmittal condition database in association with the message ID of related messages, which is further stored in the user ID storage in association with the user ID of the user who requested the message.  
   
     
     
         35 . A recording medium storing a program to be executed by a terminal connected to a communications network, the communications network being further connected to a message database which stores messages including at least one of images, texts, sounds and combinations thereof and a user database storing a parameter for each user, which represents the extent to which the user accessed messages, the program comprising: 
 a message ID receiving means for causing the terminal to receive a message ID identifying a specific message, from the communications network;    means for causing the terminal to request the specific message from the message database, based on the message ID received by the message ID receiving means;    a message receiving means for causing the terminal to receive the specific message read out from the message database;    a display means for causing the terminal to display the specific message received by the message receiving means;    means for causing the terminal to instruct the user database to increase the value of the parameter when the specific message is displayed on the terminal;    detection means for causing the terminal to detect whether the user is actively recognizing the specific message; and    stop means for causing the terminal to prevent the parameter from being increased when the detection means detects that the user is not actively recognizing the specific message.    
     
     
         36 . A recording medium according to  claim 35 , wherein: 
 the user database stores characteristics of the users,    the communications network is further connected to a transmittal condition database which stores the characteristics of the classes of users to whom it would be appropriate to transmit the message, in association with the message ID of the message; and    the message ID receiving means causes the terminal to receive the message ID retrieved from the transmittal condition database, based on the characteristics read out from the user database.    
     
     
         37 . A recording medium according to  claim 35 , wherein: 
 the detection means causes the terminal to determine that the user is actively recognizing the message if the terminal has been operated on within a predetermined period of time.    
     
     
         38 . A recording medium according to  claim 35 , wherein: 
 the detection means causes the terminal to determine that the user is actively recognizing the message if the message has been manipulated within a predetermined period of time.    
     
     
         39 . A recording medium according to  claim 35 , wherein: 
 the detection means causes the terminal to determine that the user is actively recognizing the message if the user inputs an appropriate answer in response to text in the message.    
     
     
         40 . A recording medium according to  claim 35 , wherein: 
 the stop means stops the value of the parameter from being increased by preventing the message from being displayed by the display means.    
     
     
         41 . A recording medium according to  claim 35 , wherein: 
 the message database has a first message which increases the value of the parameter when displayed on the display, and a second message which does not increase the value of the parameter when displayed on the display; and    the stop means prevents the value of the parameter from being increased by preventing the first message from being displayed when the user is not actively recognizing the original message.    
     
     
         42 . A recording medium according to  claim 35 , wherein: 
 the communications network is further connected to a host computer through Internet; and    the program further comprises: 
 means for causing the terminal to establish a first data link to the host computer through the communications network and Internet;  
 means for causing the terminal to establish a second data link to the transmittal condition database through the communications network; and  
 means for causing the terminal to transmit data to the transmittal condition database through the second data link.  
   
     
     
         43 . A recording medium according to  claim 35 , wherein: 
 the communications network is further connected to an update information storage for storing update information updated independently of the terminal, and    the program further comprises: 
 a receiving means for causing the terminal to receive the update information a predetermined number of times from the update information storage through the communications network.  
   
     
     
         44 . A recording medium according to  claim 43 , wherein: 
 the predetermined number of times is one; and    the program causes the terminal to receive the update information from the update information storage if the update information has not yet been transmitted from the update information transmitter to the user.    
     
     
         45 . A recording medium according to  claim 44 , wherein: 
 the update information transmitter has a counter for counting the number of times the update information is transmitted to each user, and    the program causes the terminal to receive the update information from the update information storage if the update information has not already been transmitted a predetermined number of times at the time when communication with the terminal is established.    
     
     
         46 . A recording medium according to  claim 45 , wherein: 
 the update information transmitter has a counter for measuring the time which has elapsed from the last transmission of the update information, and    the program causes the terminal to receive the update information from the update information storage if the time lapse is longer than a predetermined period of time.