What is claimed is
1. A method of managing user information performed by a computer of an application provider that provides an application to a user terminal, wherein said method comprising the steps of:
a) authenticating the user terminal in response to a request to use the application sent from said user terminal; and
b) requesting, based on a result of said step a), to an application distributing server of another party, the distribution of the application to a user by transmitting a distribution request comprising at least user identifying information and application identifying information to the application distributing server.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said request to use said application comprises first user identifying information that corresponds to at least said user on a one-to-one basis and the application identifying information; and
said distribution request comprises second user identifying information, that corresponds to at least said first user identifying information on a n-to-one basis, and the application identifying information.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said distribution request further comprises application provider identifying information.
4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said method further comprises the step of:
c) requesting to said application distributing server the registration of an application by transmitting at least one application to be provided to said user terminal, and the application provider identifying information to said application distributing server.
5. A method of distributing an application performed by a computer of another party outsourced to distribute the application originally provided from a user information managing server of an application provider; wherein said method comprises the steps of:
a) receiving a distribution request comprising at least user identifying information and application identifying information from said user information managing server;
b) distributing the application in conformity with said application identifying information to a user terminal in conformity with said user identifying information; and
c) storing said user identifying information and said application identifying information as user’s application usage result history information.
6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said user information included in said distribution request comprises first user identifying information that corresponds to said user on a one-to-one basis, and second user information that corresponds to said first user identifying information on a n-to-one basis.
7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said distribution request further comprises application provider identifying information.
8. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said method further comprises the step of:
d) providing said user’s application usage result history information to said user information managing server.
9. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said method further comprises the step of:
d) acquiring at least one set of said second identifying information included in said user’s application usage result history information; and
e) preparing charging information for said application provider based on the number of sets of said second user identifying information acquired in said step d).
10. A user information managing server for managing user information using an application providing service; said user information managing server comprises:
an authenticating part authenticating said user terminal in response to a request to use the application from said user terminal used by said user; and
a distribution requesting part requesting, based on a result obtained from said authentication part, to an application distributing server of another party, the distribution of application to the user by transmitting a distribution request comprising at least user identifying information and application identifying information to the application distributing server.
11. An application distributing server for distributing an application to a user terminal in response to a request from a user information managing server of an application provider; wherein said application distributing server comprises:
a receiving part receiving a distribution request comprising at least user identifying information and application identifying information from said user information managing server;
a distributing part distributing the application in conformity with said application identifying information to the user terminal in conformity with said user identifying information; and
a storing part storing said user identifying information and said application identifying information as user’s application usage result history information.
12. A user information managing program for causing a computer to execute the steps of:
a) authenticating a user terminal in response to a request to use an application from said user terminal used by a user using an application providing service; and
b) requesting, based on a result of said step a), to an application distributing server of another party, the distribution of the application to the user by transmitting a distribution request comprising at least user identifying information and application identifying information to the application distributing server.
13. An application distributing program for causing a computer to execute the steps of:
a) receiving a distribution request comprising at least user identifying information and application identifying information from a user information managing server of an application provider;
b) distributing the application in conformity with said application identifying information to the user terminal in conformity with said user identifying information; and
c) storing said user identifying information and said application identifying information as user’s application usage result history information.
14. A computer readable medium storing a user information managing program for causing a computer to execute the steps of:
a) authenticating a user terminal in response to a request to use an application from said user terminal used by a user using an application providing service; and
b) requesting, based on a result of said step a), to an application distributing server of another party, the distribution of the application to the user by transmitting a distribution request comprising at least user identifying information and application identifying information to the application distributing server.
15. A computer readable medium storing an application distributing program for causing a computer to execute the steps of:
a) receiving a distribution request comprising at least user identifying information and application identifying information from a user information managing server of an application provider;
b) distributing the application in conformity with said application identifying information to the user terminal in conformity with said user identifying information; and
c) storing said user identifying information and said application identifying information as user’s application usage result history information.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A mobile computing device with proximity based communication circuitry, comprising:
one or more processors;
memory;
voice communication circuitry configured for facilitating a telephone call;
communication circuitry configured to receive a request from a server for information to complete an information exchange;
a display device configured to display at least one user interface window in response to receiving the request from the server, wherein the at least one user interface window includes a plurality of data entry fields corresponding to the request;
proximity based communication circuitry configured to:
energize an external proximity based card that is brought into proximity with the mobile computing device; and
upon energizing the external proximity based card, receive information from the external proximity based card to populate at least one of the plurality of data entry fields, wherein the communication circuitry is further configured to submit data from at least some of the plurality of data entry fields to the server to facilitate completion of the information exchange.
2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the proximity based communication circuitry uses a near field communication protocol.
3. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the proximity based communication circuitry uses an RFID protocol.
4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one user interface window further includes a prompt for user authentication as a prerequisite to energizing the external proximity based card.
5. The mobile computing device of claim 4, wherein the prompt for user authentication requires entry of a personal identification number by a user.
6. The mobile computing device of claim 4, wherein the prompt for user authentication activates a biometric input device for user authentication.
7. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one user interface window further includes a prompt for user confirmation before submitting data from the data entry fields to the server.
8. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one user interface window further comprises a prompt for a user to populate at least one data entry field not populated by information received from the card.
9. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the received information includes an expiration date associated with the card.
10. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the received information includes an account number.
11. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the received information includes an address corresponding to an owner of the card.
12. The mobile computing device of claim 1, further comprising a database including stored user information used to populate one or more of the plurality of data entry fields upon receipt of the information from the external proximity based card.
13. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein the stored user information includes an address corresponding to an owner of the card.
14. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein a portion of the information from the external proximity based card forms a lookup key and the database is configured to use the lookup key to locate data for retrieval from the stored user information.
15. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein at least some of the stored user information is encrypted, and the mobile computing device further comprises a decryption module configured to decrypt the stored user information using the information received from the external proximity based card as a decryption key.
16. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the memory includes instructions to authenticate a user of the card as a prerequisite to receiving the information from the card.
17. The mobile computing device of claim 1, further comprising a device authentication module configured to receive an authentication request from the server and to respond to the authentication request by providing a unique identifier of the mobile computing device.
18. The mobile computing device of claim 17, wherein the unique identifier is a MAC address, an IP address, or a phone number.
19. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the communication circuitry is further configured to transmit at least a portion of the data from the data entry fields to a third party distinct from the server.
20. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the received information includes an encrypted value and the encrypted value is transmitted to the server or a third party for the transaction.
21. The mobile computing device of claim 20, wherein a decryption key corresponding to the encrypted value is available at the server, but not available at the mobile computing device.
22. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the received information includes a one-time use token that is associated with an account number, and the submission module is configured to transmit the token to the server or a third party for the transaction.
23. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein a first data entry field of the plurality of data entry fields is populated with information received from the card and the first data entry field includes a visual indicator that the first data entry field is populated without displaying any of the received information in the first data entry field.
24. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the request from the server includes one or more additional data entry fields that are not displayed in the user interface window, the proximity based communication circuitry is configured to populate the one or more additional data entry fields with the received information, and the submission module is configured to submit data from the one or more additional data entry fields to the server for the transaction.