Business management method, business management apparatus and data broadcast delivery method

Abstract

A business management method, a business management apparatus and a data broadcast delivery method are disclosed which allows contents to be broadcast over an unused bandwidth in satellite broadcasting so that the contents are stored and later reproduced as needed for quick access to a desired destination recorded in the contents. A data broadcast is assigned to an unused broadcast bandwidth over a broadcast band for transmitting programs in satellite broadcasting. The data broadcast over the unused bandwidth are stored onto a storage medium in a TV set. The stored data contents are sorted out by category for selective viewing by operation of the TV set. If the selected content offers e-commerce, a virtual shop handing desired offerings is accessed as per the content.

1 - 22 . (canceled)  
     
     
         23 . A business management method comprising the steps of: 
 obtaining information about earnings and expenses based on expenses incurred by content providers supplying users with recording devices compatible with contents offered by the providers, on content subscription fees paid by said users for receiving said contents, and on earnings derived from services and/or advertisements included in said contents;    determining said services and/or advertisements to be provided to said users based on said users viewing history data;    controlling fees to be paid for said services and/or said advertisements in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses thus obtained;    judging whether a share of the earnings can be paid back; and    initiating a process to decide on items applicable to pay back when that pay back is judged possible.    
     
     
         24 . A business management method according to  claim 23 , wherein said services constitute electronic commerce practiced by virtual shops.  
     
     
         25 . A business management method according to  claim 23 , wherein the share of said earnings is passed on to manufacturers of said recording devices in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses.  
     
     
         26 . A business management method according to  claim 25 , wherein said recording devices are leased free of charge to said users.  
     
     
         27 . A business management method according to  claim 23 , wherein said content subscription fees paid by said users are controlled based on said information about said earnings and expenses.  
     
     
         28 . A business management method according to  claim 23 , wherein the business management method further comprises the steps of managing the number of recording devices compatible with said contents provided by said content providers to said users, and determining fees to be paid for said services and/or said advertisements included in said contents in accordance with the managed number of recording devices.  
     
     
         29 . A business management method according to  claim 23 , wherein said recording devices each include a hard disc drive.  
     
     
         30 . A business management apparatus comprising: 
 an information processing element for obtaining information about earnings and expenses obtained based on said expenses incurred by content providers supplying users with recording devices compatible with contents offered by said providers, on content subscription fees paid by said users for receiving said contents, and on said earnings derived from services and/or advertisements included in said contents;    a first determining element for determining said services and/or advertisements to be provided to said users based on said users viewing history data;    a controlling element for controlling fees to be paid for said services and/or said advertisements in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses thus obtained;    a judging element for judging whether a share of the earnings can be paid back; and    an initiating element for initiating a process to decide on items applicable to pay back when that pay back is judged possible.    
     
     
         31 . A business management apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein said services constitute electronic commerce practiced by virtual shops.  
     
     
         32 . A business management apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein said controlling element further allows the share of said earnings to be passed on to manufacturers of said recording devices in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses.  
     
     
         33 . A business management apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein said controlling element further controls said content subscription fees paid by said users based on said information about said earnings and expenses.  
     
     
         34 . A business management apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein the business management apparatus further comprises: 
 a managing element for managing the number of recording devices compatible with said contents provided by said content providers to said users; and    a second determining element for determining fees to be paid for said services and/or said advertisements included in said contents in accordance with the managed number of recording devices.    
     
     
         35 . A data broadcast delivery method comprising the steps of: 
 allocating a data broadcast to any unused bandwidth over a broadcast band used by a broadcasting station to broadcast programs;    receiving said data broadcast at a receiving side for storage onto a storage medium in each of a plurality of television sets;    sorting out contents, including services and/or advertisements, in the stored data broadcast;    determining said services and/or advertisements to be provided to users based on said users viewing history data;    operating said plurality of television sets for selective viewing of the sorted-out contents;    judging whether a share of the earnings can be paid back; and    initiating a process to decide on items applicable to pay back when that pay back is judged possible.    
     
     
         36 . A data broadcast delivery method according to  claim 35 , further comprising the step of: 
 if a content selected by said receiving side is related to electronic commerce practiced by a virtual shop, then permitting access to said virtual shop associated with the selected content.    
     
     
         37 . A data broadcast delivery method according to  claim 35 , further comprising the step of storing said data broadcast successively onto said storage medium in such a manner that when a storage capacity of said storage medium either drops below a predetermined level or is completely exhausted, the initially recorded broadcast data are deleted from said storage medium to make room for the most recently received broadcast data.  
     
     
         38 . A data broadcast delivery method according to  claim 35 , wherein the data broadcast that may be stored onto said storage medium is delivered only to viewers having subscribed to membership in advance.  
     
     
         39 . A data broadcast delivery method according to  claim 38 , wherein the subscription to said membership is chargeable.  
     
     
         40 . A data broadcast delivery method according to  claim 35 , wherein said data broadcast includes audio data and video data.  
     
     
         41 . A business management method comprising the steps of: 
 obtaining information about earnings and expenses based on costs incurred by equipment manufacturers supplying users either free of charge or for a fee below cost with recording devices compatible with contents offered by content providers to said users, on content subscription fees paid by said users for receiving said contents, and on earnings derived from services and/or advertisements included in said contents;    determining said services and/or advertisements to be provided to said users based on said users viewing history data;    controlling amounts of money to be paid back to said equipment manufacturers in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses;    judging whether a share of the earnings can be paid back; and    initiating a process to decide on items applicable to pay back when that pay back is judged possible.    
     
     
         42 . A business management method according to  claim 41 , wherein said business management method further comprises the step of controlling fees to be paid for said services and/or said advertisements in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses.  
     
     
         43 . A business management apparatus comprising: 
 an information processing element for obtaining information about earnings and expenses based on costs incurred by equipment manufacturers supplying users either free of charge or for a fee below cost with recording devices compatible with contents offered by content providers to said users, on content subscription fees paid by said users for receiving said contents, and on earnings derived from services and/or advertisements included in said contents;    a determining element for determining said services and/or advertisements to be provided to said users based on said users viewing history data;    a controlling element for controlling amounts of money to be paid back to said equipment manufacturers in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses;    a judging element for judging whether a share of the earnings can be paid back; and    an initiating element for initiating a process to decide on items applicable to pay back when that pay back is judged possible.    
     
     
         44 . A business management apparatus according to  claim 43 , wherein said controlling element further controls fees to be paid for said services and/or said advertisements in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses.