Service server
View Patent ↗A service server can be operated in a more practical rate structure by extending the storage period and/or reducing the recording fee for information having a high utilization factor, or increasing the recording fee for information with a low utilization factor among the information stored in the service server. The service server includes a receiving device which receives the image information from a communication device on the information supplier side and records a recording fee of the received information, a transmitting and receiving device which transmits the information recorded in the recording device to a communication device on the information demander side upon an information service request from the information demander side, a counting device (information processing device) which counts an information service number from the information demander side, a recording device which records the counted information service number to be associated with the information supplier, and a recording fee calculating device (information processing device) which calculates a recording fee by reducing or increasing the recording fee recorded in the recording device.
1. A method of receiving information from an information supplier, storing the received information and providing the received information to an information demander, the method comprising:
receiving the information from the information supplier;
storing the received information received from the information supplier for a predetermined time period such that the stored information itself may be later supplied to the information demander;
transmitting the stored information to the information demander upon receiving an information service request from the information demander;
counting an information service number from the information demander, the information service number tracking how many times the stored information is transmitted to the information demander in response to the information service requests;
said counting step counting the information service number for the predetermined time period;
recording the counted information service number to be associated with the information supplier; and
extending a storage time of the stored information beyond the predetermined time period in accordance with the information service number.