System and method for providing information, and recording medium

Abstract

To provide a system and a method for providing information and a recording medium, by which communications cost and network traffic are reduced in a system which provides a plurality of pages including successive contents via a communication network. A story provider site 100 generates user ID for identifying a reader terminal 300 and reader information which includes information representing a last page, and transmits web page data segments based on the reader information together with the user ID to the reader terminal 300 concerned. The reader terminal 300 requests the pages with transmitting the user ID. The story provider site 100 transmits web page data segments based on the reader information corresponding to the returned user ID. The story provider site 100 updates the reader information based on the transmitted web page.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An information providing system which is connected to a communications network, and which individually provides web page data segments representing a plurality of pages which include successive description to respective individual user terminals at respective individual timings via the communications network, said system comprising:
 a web page storage unit which stores the web page data segments; 
 an ID information managing unit which stores ID information corresponding to each of the user terminals and additional information corresponding to each of the user terminals, said additional information comprising information indicating a web page data segment most recently transmitted to the corresponding user terminal; 
 a web page providing unit which, in response to designation of continuous provision by one of the user terminals, retrieves at least one web page data segment subsequent to the most recently transmitted web page data segment from the web page storage unit, based on the additional information stored in the ID information managing unit corresponding to the user terminal, and individually transmits the retrieved at least one web page data segment to the user terminal at an individual timing based on the ID information corresponding to the user terminal; and 
 an additional information managing unit which, when the web page providing unit transmits the at least one web page data segment following the most recently transmitted web page data segment, updates the additional information corresponding to the user terminal to indicate a last transmitted web page data segment as the most recently transmitted web page data segment; 
 wherein the additional information further comprises date/time information representing a date and time when the additional information was last updated; and 
 wherein, if the designation of continuous provision by the user terminal is made after a predetermined time has elapsed after the date and time indicated by the date/time information, the at least one web page data segment transmitted to the user terminal comprises a plurality of sequential said web page data segments beginning at a head page of the web page data segments and extending to a web page data segment that is a predetermined number of web page data segments subsequent to the most recently transmitted web page data segment indicated by the additional information corresponding to the user terminal. 
 
     
     
       2. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the web page storage unit stores file name data corresponding to the web page data segments, and the additional information includes file name data of the web page data segment; and
 wherein the web page providing unit, in response to a designation of repeat transmission from the user terminal, transmits at least a head page of the web page data segments based on the file name data in the additional information to the user terminal. 
 
     
     
       3. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the web page providing unit deletes at least one of the ID information and the additional information corresponding to a user terminal, if the user terminal does not issue a request for the web page data segments for a predetermined time after the date and time indicated by the date/time information. 
     
     
       4. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the web page storage unit stores file name data corresponding to the web page data segments, and the additional information includes file name data of the web page data segment; and 
 the web page providing unit, in response to a request from one of the user terminals for one of a next page and a previous page, retrieves a corresponding web page data segment from the web page storage unit based on the file name of the web page data segment, and transmits the retrieved web page data segment to the user terminal based on the corresponding ID information; and 
 the additional information managing unit updates, in response to a designation of an end of reading by the user terminal, the additional information to indicate the most recently transmitted web page data segment, and stores the updated additional information. 
 
     
     
       5. An information providing method for individually providing web page data segments representing a plurality of pages including successive description from an information providing apparatus to a plurality of respective individual user terminals at respective individual timings, said method comprising:
 storing the web page data segments; 
 storing ID information corresponding to each of the user terminals and additional information corresponding to each of the user terminals, said additional information comprising information indicating a web page data segment most recently transmitted to the corresponding user terminal; 
 retrieving, in response to designation of continuous provision by one of the user terminals, at least one stored web page data segment subsequent to the most recently transmitted web page data segment, based on the stored additional information corresponding to the user terminal, and individually transmitting the retrieved at least one web page data segment to the user terminal at an individual timing based on the ID information corresponding to the user terminal; and 
 updating, when the at least one web page data segment following the most recently transmitted web page data segment is transmitted, the additional information corresponding to the user terminal to indicate a last transmitted web page data segment as the most recently transmitted web page data segment; 
 wherein the additional information further comprises date/time information representing a date and time when the additional information was last updated; and 
 wherein, if the designation of continuous provision by the user terminal is made after a predetermined time has elapsed after the date and time indicated by the date/time information, the at least one web page data segment transmitted to the user terminal comprises a plurality of sequential said web page data segments beginning at a head page of the web page data segments and extending to a web page data segment that is a predetermined number of web page data segments subsequent to the most recently transmitted web page data segment indicated by the additional information corresponding to the user terminal. 
 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising storing file name data of web page data corresponding to the web page data segments, said additional information including file name data of the web page data segment;
 wherein, in response to a designation of repeat transmission by the user terminal, at least a head page of the web page data segments is transmitted to the user terminal based on the file name data in the additional information. 
 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein at least one of stored the ID information and the stored additional information corresponding to a user terminal is deleted, if the user terminal does not issue a request for the web page data segments for a predetermined time after the date and time indicated by the date/time information. 
     
     
       8. An information providing system comprising:
 an information providing apparatus connected to a communications network; and 
 a plurality of terminals each of which individually receives, at respective individual timings, web page data segments representing a plurality of pages including successive description from the apparatus via the communications network; 
 wherein each said terminal comprises:
 a web page browser which receives the web page data segments and ID information for identifying the terminal from the information providing apparatus, and which outputs the received web page data segments; and 
 an additional information generator which generates additional information that designates a most recently outputted web page data segment outputted by the web page browser, and which transmits the generated additional information to the information providing apparatus together with the ID information when requesting at least one said web page data segment; and 
 
 wherein the information providing apparatus comprises:
 a storage unit which stores the ID information and the additional information transmitted by the terminal in association with each other; and 
 a transmitter which, in response to a request for the at least one said web page data segment from one said user terminal, individually transmits at least one web page data segment subsequent to the most recently outputted web page data segment to the terminal designated by the ID information at an individual timing, based on the stored additional information corresponding to the user terminal; 
 wherein the additional information further comprises date/time information representing a date and time when the additional information was last updated; and 
 wherein, if a designation of continuous provision of the web page data segments is made by the user terminal after a predetermined time has elapsed after the date and time indicated by the date/time information, the at least one web page data segment transmitted to the user terminal comprises a plurality of sequential said web page data segments beginning at a head page of the web page data segments and extending to a web page data segment that is a predetermined number of web page data segments subsequent to the most recently transmitted web page data segment indicated by the additional information corresponding to the user terminal. 
 
 
     
     
       9. An information providing system for individually providing ordered web page data segments representing successive sections of a document to a respective individual user terminal at a respective individual timing via a communication network, the system comprising:
 a web page storage section which stores the ordered web page data segments; 
 an ID information managing section which, when a request is received from the user terminal, (i) generates ID information to identify the user terminal if the user terminal is a new user terminal, (ii) generates additional information for tracking a web page data segment most recently transmitted to the user terminal, and (iii) stores the ID information in association with the additional information; 
 a web page providing section which retrieves at least one web page data segment designated by the new user terminal from the web page storage section, and which individually transmits the retrieved web page data segment to the user terminal at an individual timing together with the generated ID information; 
 a provision progress managing section which updates the additional information to identify a final web page data segment of the transmitted at least one web page data segment as the most recently transmitted web page data segment; and 
 an ID information receiving section which, when the user terminal is a returning user terminal, receives the ID information from the user terminal which was generated by the ID information managing section; 
 wherein when the user terminal is a returning user terminal and the request from the returning user terminal includes an instruction to retrieve at least one web page data segment following the most recently transmitted web page data segment, the web page providing section: accesses the stored additional information corresponding to the ID information received from the user terminal, retrieves the at least one web page data segment following the most recently transmitted web page data segment identified in the accessed additional information, and transmits the retrieved at least one web page data segment; 
 wherein the additional information further comprises date/time information representing a date and time when the additional information was last updated; and 
 wherein, if a designation of continuous provision of the web page data segments is made by the returning user terminal after a predetermined time has elapsed after the date and time indicated by the date/time information, the at least one web page data segment transmitted to the user terminal comprises a plurality of sequential said web page data segments beginning at a head page of the web page data segments and extending to a web page data segment that is a predetermined number of web page data segments subsequent to the most recently transmitted web page data segment indicated by the additional information corresponding to the user terminal. 
 
     
     
       10. An information providing system which is connected to a communications network, and which provides page data segments representing a plurality of pages which include successive description via the communication network, said system comprising:
 a page data storage unit which stores the page data segments; 
 an ID information managing unit which generates: (i) ID information representing a requester in response to a request for page data transmission, and (ii) additional information corresponding to the requester indicating a page data segment most recently transmitted to the requestor and a date and time when the most recently transmitted page data segment was transmitted, and which stores the generated ID information and additional information; 
 a page providing unit which retrieves, from the page data storage unit, at least one page data segment in accordance with the page data segment indicated by the additional information, and which transmits the retrieved at least one page data segment to the requester together with the ID information representing the requester, wherein if the request for page data transmission is received a predetermined amount of time after the date and time indicated by the additional information, the at least one page data segment transmitted to the requester comprises a plurality of sequential said page data segments beginning at a head page of the page data segments and extending to a page data segment that is a predetermined number of web page data segments subsequent to the most recently transmitted page data segment indicated by the additional information; and 
 a status managing unit which updates the additional information when a page data segment subsequent to the most recently transmitted page data segment is transmitted, and which cancels at least one of the additional information and the ID information corresponding to the requester if no request for page data transmission is received from the requester for a predetermined amount of time after the date and time indicated by the additional information. 
 
     
     
       11. An information providing system, the system comprising:
 a first storage unit configured to store a web page data segment;   a second storage unit configured to store ID information corresponding to an individual user or individual user terminal;   a database configured to store reader information, wherein the reader information comprises
 an indication of a last transmitted web page data segment; and 
 date/time information representing a date and time when the reader information was last updated; 
   a providing unit configured to
 retrieve the web page data segment from the first storage unit in response to a command from the individual user terminal; and 
 transmit the retrieved web page data segment to the individual user terminal; and 
   a management unit configured to update the reader information to indicate a new last transmitted web page data segment;   wherein, upon a start of a new session, if a predetermined time period has lapsed since the date and time when the reader information was last updated, the providing unit transmits to the individual user terminal a plurality of sequential web page data segments beginning at a head page of the web page data segments and extending to a web page data segment that is a predetermined number of web page data segments subsequent to a most recently transmitted web page data segment indicated by the date/time information.   
     
     
       12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first storage unit is a web page storage unit, and wherein the second storage unit is a user ID storage unit. 
     
     
       13. The system of claim 11, wherein the web page data segment is a web page data segment immediately subsequent to the last transmitted web page data segment. 
     
     
       14. The system of claim 11, wherein the providing unit is configured to retrieve and transmit a web page data segment subsequent to the last transmitted web page data segment in response to a corresponding command received from the individual user terminal. 
     
     
       15. The system of claim 11, wherein the providing unit is configured to transmit the retrieved web page data segment based at least in part on the ID information corresponding to the individual user terminal. 
     
     
       16. The system of claim 11, wherein the management unit is configured to update the reader information upon transmission of the retrieved web page data segment by the providing unit. 
     
     
       17. The system of claim 11, wherein the first storage unit is configured to store file name data corresponding to the web page data segment, and wherein the file name data includes the ID information corresponding to the individual user or the individual user terminal. 
     
     
       18. The system of claim 17, wherein the providing unit is configured to transmit the head page of the web page data segment based at least in part on the stored file name data of the web page data segment. 
     
     
       19. The system of claim 11, wherein the providing unit is configured to delete at least a portion of the stored ID information corresponding to the individual user or the individual user terminal if the individual user or the individual user terminal does not issue a request for the web page data segment for a second predetermined time period. 
     
     
       20. The system of claim 11, wherein the providing unit is configured to, in response to a request from the individual user terminal for a next page or a previous page, retrieve a corresponding web page data segment from the first storage unit and transmit the corresponding web page data segment to the individual user terminal. 
     
     
       21. The system of claim 11, wherein the management unit is configured to update the reader information to indicate the new last transmitted web page data segment in response to a designation of an end of reading by the individual user or the individual user terminal. 
     
     
       22. The system of claim 11, wherein the reader information further comprises a bookmark flag or a repeat flag, wherein the bookmark flag indicates a designation of continuous provision of webpage data segments subsequent to the last transmitted web page data segment upon the start of the new session, and wherein the repeat flag indicates a designation that the head page of the last transmitted web page data segment is to be transmitted upon the start of the new session. 
     
     
       23. The system of claim 11, wherein the providing unit is configured to compare user information submitted by the individual user to the ID information stored in the second storage unit to determine if the individual user is a registered user. 
     
     
       24. A method for providing information, said method comprising:
 storing a web page data segment at a first storage unit;   storing ID information at a second storage unit, wherein the ID information corresponds to an individual user or an individual user terminal;   storing reader information at a database, wherein the reader information comprises
 an indication of a last transmitted web page data segment; and 
 date/time information representing a date and time when the reader information was last updated; 
   retrieving the web page data segment from the first storage unit in response to a command from the individual user terminal;   transmitting the retrieved web page data segment to the individual user terminal; and   updating the reader information to indicate a new last transmitted web page data segment;   wherein, if a predetermined time period has lapsed since the date and time when the reader information was last updated, the transmitting step comprises transmitting to the individual user terminal a plurality of sequential web page data segments beginning at a head page of the web page data segments extending to a web page data segment that is a predetermined number of web page data segments subsequent to a most recently transmitted web page data segment indicated by the date/time information.   
     
     
       25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first storage unit is a web page storage unit, and wherein the second storage unit is a user ID storage unit. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 25, wherein the web page data segment is a web page data segment immediately subsequent to the last transmitted web page data segment. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim 25, wherein the retrieving step comprises retrieving a web page data segment subsequent to the last transmitted web page data segment in response to a corresponding command received from the individual user terminal, and wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the web page data segment subsequent to the last transmitted web page data segment in response to the corresponding command. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim 25, wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the retrieved web page data segment based at least in part on the ID information corresponding to the individual user terminal. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim 25, wherein the updating step comprises updating the reader information to indicate the new last transmitted web page data segment in response to the transmission of the retrieved web page data segment. 
     
     
       30. The method of claim 25, further comprising deleting at least a portion of the stored ID information corresponding to the individual user or the individual user terminal if the individual user or the individual user terminal does not issue a request for the web page data segment for a second predetermined time period. 
     
     
       31. The method of claim 25, further comprising, in response to a request from the individual user or individual user terminal for a next page or a previous page, retrieving a corresponding web page data segment from the first storage unit and transmitting the corresponding web page data segment to the individual user terminal. 
     
     
       32. The method of claim 25, further comprising updating the reader information to indicate the new last transmitted web page data segment in response to a designation of an end of reading by the individual user or the individual user terminal. 
     
     
       33. The method of claim 25, further comprising comparing user information submitted by the individual user to the ID information stored in the second storage unit to determine if the individual user is a registered user. 
     
     
       34. An information providing system, the system comprising:
 an information providing apparatus comprising   a first storage unit configured to store a web page data segment;   an second storage unit configured to store ID information corresponding to an individual user or individual user terminal;   a database configured to store reader information, wherein the reader information comprises
 an indication of a last transmitted web page data segment; and 
 date/time information representing a date and time when the reader information was last updated; 
   a providing unit configured to
 retrieve the web page data segment from the first storage unit in response to a command from the individual user terminal; and 
 transmit the retrieved web page data segment to the individual user terminal; and 
   a management unit configured to update the reader information to indicate a new last transmitted web page data segment;   wherein, upon a start of a new session, if a predetermined time period has lapsed since the date and time when the reader information was last updated, the providing unit transmits to the individual user terminal a plurality of sequential web page data segments beginning at a head page of the web page data segments and extending to a web page data segment that is a predetermined number of web page data segments subsequent to a most recently transmitted web page data segment indicated by the date/time information; and   the individual user terminal configured to individually receive at a respective individual timing the transmitted web page data segment.   
     
     
       35. The system of claim 34, wherein the individual user terminal comprises:
 a browser configured to receive and display the transmitted web page data segment; and   an information generator configured to generate a designation of the last transmitted web page data segment for transmission to the information providing apparatus.   
     
     
       36. The system of claim 34, wherein the providing unit is configured to, in response to a request from the individual user terminal for a next page or a previous page, retrieve a corresponding web page data segment from the first storage unit and transmit the corresponding web page data segment to the individual user terminal. 
     
     
       37. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon, computer executable instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:
 storing a web page data segment at a first storage unit;   storing ID information at a second storage unit, wherein the ID information corresponds to an individual user or an individual user terminal;   storing reader information at a database, wherein the reader information comprises
 an indication of a last transmitted web page data segment; and 
 date/time information representing a date and time when the reader information was last updated; 
   retrieving the web page data segment from the first storage unit in response to a command from the individual user terminal;   transmitting the retrieved web page data segment to the individual user terminal; and   updating the reader information to indicate a new last transmitted web page data segment;   wherein, if a predetermined time period has lapsed since the date and time when the reader information was last updated, the transmitting step comprises transmitting to the individual user terminal a plurality of sequential web page data segments beginning at a head page of the web page data segments and extending to a web page data segment that is a predetermined number of web page data segments subsequent to a most recently transmitted web page data segment indicated by the date/time information.   
     
     
       38. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the web page data segment is a web page data segment immediately subsequent to the last transmitted web page data segment. 
     
     
       39. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the updating step comprises updating the reader information to indicate the new last transmitted web page data segment in response to the transmission of the retrieved web page data segment. 
     
     
       40. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the computer executable instructions cause the computing device to perform the method further comprising, in response to a request from the individual user or individual user terminal for a next page or a previous page, retrieving a corresponding web page data segment from the first storage unit and transmitting the corresponding web page data segment to the individual user terminal.