Communication system capable of providing user with picture meeting characteristics of user and terminal equipment and information providing device used for the same

Claim 2

A communications system comprising an information provider which provides a connection to the World Wide Web, and a terminal which accesses the World Wide Web through the information provider, wherein, the terminal has: a means for establishing a communication line to the information provider; a means for transmitting user information about a user of the terminal to the information provider; a means for activating a browser for displaying a browser window and a first image provided on the World Wide Web; a means for establishing a first TCP/IP link with a first link identification on the communication line; a means for receiving the first image from the information provider using the first TCP/IP link and displaying the first image within the browser window; and a means for establishing a second TCP/IP link on the communication line with a second link identification, the second link identification being different from the first link identification; the information provider has: a message database storing second images; and a means for transmitting one of the second images selected from the message database based on the user information, to the terminal through the second TCP/IP link; and the terminal further has; a means for activating a viewer for displaying a viewer window and the second image; and a means for receiving the second image through the second TCP/IP link and displaying the second image within the viewer window.

Claim 3

A terminal connected to the World Wide Web through an information provider for receiving a first image provided on the World Wide Web and a second image provided on the information provider, comprising: a means for establishing a communication line to the information provider; a means for activating a browser for displaying the first image; a means for establishing a first TCP/IP link with a first link identification on the communication line; a means for receiving the first image through the first TCP/IP link and displaying the first image within a browser window opened by the browser; a means for activating a viewer for displaying the second image; a means for establishing a second TCP/IP link on the communication line with a second link identification, the second link identification being different from the first link identification; a means for receiving the second image through the TCP/IP link and displaying the second image within a viewer window opened by the viewer.

Claim 4

A terminal connected to the World Wide Web through an information provider for receiving a first image provided on the World Wide Web and a second image provided on the information provider, comprising: a means for establishing a communication line to the information provider; a means for activating a browser for displaying the first image; a means for establishing a first TCP/IP link with a first link identification on the communication line; a means for receiving the first image through the first TCP/IP link and displaying the first image within a browser window opened by the browser; a means for activating a viewer for displaying the second image; a means for establishing a second TCP/IP link on the communication line with a second link identification, the second link identification being different from the first link identification; a means for receiving the second image through the TCP/IP link and displaying the second image within a viewer window opened by the viewer.

Claim 5

The terminal according to claim 2, wherein the second image has correspondence information for designating the first image; and the viewer has: a means for displaying a button within the viewer window; a means for reading the correspondence information from the second image when the button is selected; a means for supplying the correspondence information to the browser so as to display the first image designated by the correspondence information within the browser window.

Claim 6

A terminal according to claim 3, wherein the viewer has a means for supplying information which indicates that the first image designated by the linking information has been selected, to the information provider.

Claim 7

A terminal according to claim 4, wherein the communication line is established as a PPP connection.

Claim 8

An information provider connected to a communications network for transferring a first image provided in the communications network, to a terminal, comprising: a means for establishing a communication line to the terminal; a connection manager for establishing a first logical link having a first link identification on the communication line; a means for transferring the first image from the communications network to the terminal using the first logical link, based on a request sent from a user of the terminal for display of the first image in a browser window on the terminal; a message distribution system for storing identification information of second images and transmittal conditions for the second images, and for selecting a one of the second images for receipt by the terminal; a means for establishing a second logical link having a second link identification on the communication line; a message manager, operating outside of the user's control, for causing one of the second images to be transmitted to the terminal using the second logical link for display in a viewer window of the terminal, the second images selected by the message distribution system based on user information stored in association with the user.

Claim 9

An information provider connected to a communications network for transferring a first image provided in the communications network, to a terminal, comprising: a means for establishing a communication line to the terminal; a connection manager for establishing a first logical link having a first link identification on the communication line; a means for transferring the first image from the communications network to the terminal using the first logical link, based on a request sent from a user of the terminal for display of the first image in a browser window on the terminal; a message distribution system for storing identification information of second images and transmittal conditions for the second images, and for selecting a one of the second images for receipt by the terminal; a means for establishing a second logical link having a second link identification on the communication line; a message manager, operating outside of the user's control, for causing one of the second images to be transmitted to the terminal using the second logical link for display in a viewer window of the terminal, the second images selected by the message distribution system based on user information stored in association with the user.

Claim 10

An information provider according to claim 6, the message database having a plurality of second images, and the information provider further comprising: a user identification receiving means for receiving, from the terminal, a user identification which identifies the user; a connection means for connecting a second communication line to a searcher which stores the user information in association with the user identification, and stores transmittal conditions of the second images in association with image identifications of the second images; a user identification transferring means for transferring the user identification received by the user identification receiving means, to the searcher using the second communication line; a reading means for reading a second image from the message database based on an image identification searched for by the searcher based on the user information, which is read by the searcher using the user identification; and a message transmitting means for transmitting the second image read by the reading means to the terminal.

Claim 11

An information provider according to claim 7, wherein the connection manager has: a means for requesting the user identification from the terminal before establishing the first logical link; the user identification receiving means; and a means for transmitting the user identification to the message manager; and the message manager has: the connection means; and the user identification transferring means.

Claim 12

An information provider according to claim 8, wherein: the message manager further has a means for receiving an image request requesting a second image, from the terminal through the second logical link; and the message transmitting means transmits the second image to the terminal in response to the image request.

Claim 13

An information provider according to claim 9, wherein the message manager has a means for sending a notification indicating a display status of the terminal, to the connection manager.

Claim 14

An information provider according to claim 10, wherein the connection manager has a means to stop charging the terminal when the notification indicates that the second image is displayed on the terminal, and a means to start charging the terminal when the notification indicates that the second image is not displayed on the terminal.

Claim 15

An information provider according to claim 10, wherein the connection manager has a means to stop charging the terminal when the notification indicates that the whole second image is displayed on the terminal, and a means to start charging the terminal when the notification indicates that the whole of the second image is not displayed on the terminal.

Claim 16

An information provider according to claim 10, wherein the connection manager has a means to stop charging the terminal when the notification indicates that a viewer, which displays the second image on the terminal, is active, and a means to start charging the terminal when the notification indicates that the viewer is not active.

Claim 17

An information provider according to claim 10, wherein the connection manager has: a means to stop charging the terminal upon determining, based on the notification, that the whole second image was displayed on the terminal for a predetermined period of time; and a means to start charging the terminal upon determining, based on the notification, that the whole of the second image was not displayed on the terminal for the predetermined period of time.

Claim 18

An information provider according to claim 14, wherein the communications network is the World Wide Web.

Claim 19

A communications system comprising an information provider for providing a connection to the World Wide Web, and a terminal which accesses the World Wide Web through the information provider, wherein, the terminal has: means for establishing a communication line to a gateway of the information provider; means for transmitting user information about a user of the terminal to the information provider; means for activating a browser for displaying a browser window and a first image stored within the World Wide Web; means for establishing a first TCP/IP link with a first link identification on the communication line; means for receiving the first image from the information provider using the first TCP/IP link and displaying the first image within the browser window; and means for establishing a second TCP/IP link on the communication line with a second link identification, the second link identification being different from the first link identification; the information provider has: a message distribution system for storing identification information of second images and transmittal conditions for the second images, and for selecting a one of the second images for transmission to the terminal; and means for transmitting location information of second images to the terminal; and the terminal further has; means for activating a viewer for displaying a viewer window and the second image; and means for receiving the location information of the second images; means for receiving a one of the selected second images through the second TCP/IP link and displaying the one second image within the viewer window.

Claim 20

A communications system comprising an information provider for providing a connection to the World Wide Web, and a terminal which accesses the World Wide Web through the information provider, wherein, the terminal has: means for establishing a communication line to a gateway of the information provider; means for transmitting user information about a user of the terminal to the information provider; means for activating a browser for displaying a browser window and a first image stored within the World Wide Web; means for establishing a first TCP/IP link with a first link identification on the communication line; means for receiving the first image from the information provider using the first TCP/IP link and displaying the first image within the browser window; and means for establishing a second TCP/IP link on the communication line with a second link identification, the second link identification being different from the first link identification; the information provider has: a message distribution system for storing identification information of second images and transmittal conditions for the second images, and for selecting a one of the second images for transmission to the terminal; and means for transmitting location information of second images to the terminal; and the terminal further has; means for activating a viewer for displaying a viewer window and the second image; and means for receiving the location information of the second images; means for receiving a one of the selected second images through the second TCP/IP link and displaying the one second image within the viewer window.

Claim 21

A terminal connected to the World Wide Web by an information provider, the terminal for receiving a first image provided on the World Wide Web and a second image selected by the information provider, comprising: means for establishing a communication line to a gateway of the information provider; means for transmitting user information about a user of the terminal to the information provider; means for activating a browser for displaying the first image; means for establishing a first logical link with a first link identification on the communication line; means for receiving the first image through the first logical link and displaying the first image within a browser window opened by the browser; means for establishing a second logical link on the communication line with a second link identification, the second link identification being different from the first link identification; means for receiving the second image selected by the information provider through the second logical link and displaying the second image within a viewer window opened by the viewer.

Claim 22

A terminal connected to the World Wide Web by an information provider, the terminal for receiving a first image provided on the World Wide Web and a second image selected by the information provider, comprising: means for establishing a communication line to a gateway of the information provider; means for transmitting user information about a user of the terminal to the information provider; means for activating a browser for displaying the first image; means for establishing a first logical link with a first link identification on the communication line; means for receiving the first image through the first logical link and displaying the first image within a browser window opened by the browser; means for establishing a second logical link on the communication line with a second link identification, the second link identification being different from the first link identification; means for receiving the second image selected by the information provider through the second logical link and displaying the second image within a viewer window opened by the viewer.

Claim 23

The terminal connected to the World Wide Web by an information provider of claim 17 wherein the first link identification comprises a first IP address and the second link identification comprises a second IP address.

Claim 24

The terminal connected to the World Wide Web by an information provider of claim 17 wherein the first link identification comprises a first port and the second link identification comprises a second port.

Claim 25

The terminal connected to the World Wide Web by an information provider of claim 17 wherein the viewer window is distinct from the browser window.

Claim 26

The terminal connected to the World Wide Web by an information provider of claim 17 wherein the viewer controls the viewer window to remain fully displayed so long as a condition is met.

Claim 29

The method of claim 22 wherein the viewer controls the viewer window to remain fully displayed so long as a condition is met.

Claim 30

The method of claim 22 wherein the viewer window is distinct from the browser window.

Claim 33

The method of claim 25 wherein the viewer controls the viewer window to remain fully displayed so long as a condition is met.

Claim 34

The method of claim 25 wherein the viewer window is distinct from the browser window.