Newspaper publishing system and newspaper publishing method

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a newspaper publishing system and the like for publishing a newspaper that has a different meaning from the conventional system. [Solution] A newspaper publishing system that publishes newspapers created by a publisher, comprising: a reception unit that receives orders for publication of the newspaper from customers via the Internet; a memory unit that stores the orders; a transmission unit that transmits the orders via the Internet; and an output unit that outputs the newspaper in accordance with the orders, wherein the transmission unit is connected to the output unit via the Internet and also transmits article data for the newspaper to the output unit, and the orders include the number of copies to be published.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a newspaper publishing system and a newspaper publishing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, newspapers have played an important role as a media outlet, along with radio and television, in delivering news to the public.

[0003] However, in recent years, the number of people subscribing to newspapers has been declining year by year due to the spread of news websites, etc. In particular, the decline in newspaper circulation nationwide has been significant since around 2008, and if the current situation continues, the survival of newspapers, which play a key role in reporting news, is in jeopardy.

[0004] In this context, a newspaper information output device has been proposed that provides a service of giving a newspaper published on a specific anniversary as a commemorative gift (Patent Document 1). If the number of users of such a service increases, the number of newspapers published will also increase. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-045648 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the service of giving newspapers as souvenirs is not yet commonplace, and a service of giving newspapers to specific individuals is unlikely to necessarily lead to an increase in circulation that would determine the survival of a newspaper.

[0007] In response to this, the inventors of the present application have sought to propose a new meaning for the existence of newspapers.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a newspaper publishing system or the like for publishing a newspaper that has a different meaning from the conventional system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A first aspect of the present invention is a newspaper publishing system for publishing a newspaper created by a publisher, comprising: a reception unit that receives orders for publication of the newspaper from customers via the Internet; a memory unit that stores the orders; a transmission unit that transmits the orders via the Internet; and an output unit that outputs the newspaper in accordance with the orders, wherein the transmission unit is connected to the output unit via the Internet and also transmits article data of the newspaper to the output unit, and the order includes the number of copies to be published.

[0010] A second aspect of the present invention is the newspaper distribution system of the first aspect, wherein the order includes a delivery address to which the number of copies of the newspapers are to be delivered in bulk.

[0011] A third aspect of the present invention is the newspaper publishing system of the first or second aspect, wherein the newspaper article data can be viewed and / or downloaded by the orderer via the Internet.

[0012] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a newspaper publishing system according to the third aspect, wherein the newspaper article data that the orderer can view and / or download is data that can be output in a size other than newspaper format, the newspaper article data that the transmission unit transmits to the output unit is data that can be output in newspaper format, and the output unit outputs the newspaper article data in newspaper format.

[0013] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a newspaper publishing method using a newspaper publishing system that publishes a newspaper created by a publisher, the newspaper publishing system comprising: a reception unit that receives an order for publication of the newspaper from an orderer via the Internet; a memory unit that stores the order; a transmission unit that transmits the order via the Internet; and an output unit that outputs the newspaper in accordance with the order, the newspaper publishing method comprising: an uploading step in which data for the newspaper is uploaded to a website by the publisher; a reception step in which the reception unit receives an order for the newspaper from the orderer via the Internet; a storage step in which the memory unit stores the order; a transmission step in which the transmission unit transmits the order to the output unit via the Internet; and an output step in which the output unit outputs the newspaper in accordance with the order. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to each aspect of the present invention, a newspaper publisher can outsource the printing of newspapers to a company that has an output device at any time, for the number of copies ordered by the customer. This allows the newspaper publisher and the printing company to publish newspapers while minimizing risk. As a result, anyone who can layout a newspaper can publish a full-fledged newspaper.

[0015] For example, in the case of content such as election bulletins, where information is commonly obtained in newspaper format, separating the publisher and the output company makes it easier to create and publish articles in full newspaper format, making it easier than ever to become a newspaper publisher.

[0016] Furthermore, companies that print newspapers (for example, traditional newspaper companies) only need to print the number of newspapers they receive orders for from various publishers. Therefore, companies with output departments that print newspapers can increase orders and boost sales amid a declining trend in the number of newspapers they print.

[0017] Furthermore, with regular newspapers, one copy is delivered to the person who places the order by the newspaper company. In contrast, the second aspect of the present invention is based on the premise that the person who places the order will distribute the newspaper to the final subscriber. This makes it possible to outsource the delivery of the printed newspaper to a company or the like that has an output unit. This makes it easier to increase sales for the publisher and the output company while reducing the workload on the newspaper publisher.

[0018] Furthermore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the orderer can check the contents before placing an order, which makes it easier for the orderer to order multiple copies with peace of mind.

[0019] In addition, it is usually difficult to output in newspaper format unless you are a newspaper company or printing company. Therefore, when a purchaser prints out article data to check it before purchasing, it is desirable to be able to output it in a format other than newspaper format. On the other hand, there is also a need for full-scale newspaper format output.

[0020] Therefore, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, even if the publisher or the orderer does not own a device for outputting in newspaper format, the publisher can publish a full-fledged newspaper in newspaper format and the orderer can distribute it.

[0021] Moreover, it provides the purchaser with the convenience of being able to output in a format other than newspaper format before purchase, while enabling a business model in which full-scale newspaper format is provided for a fee to publishers and printers. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a newspaper publishing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing an outline of a newspaper publishing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a portion of a publisher's website according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of a part of the publisher's website according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a portion of newspaper article data according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. [Example]

[0024] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a newspaper publishing system 1 according to this embodiment. The newspaper publishing system 1 is a system that receives an order from a purchaser (an example of an "orderer" in the claims) to a publisher (an example of a "publisher" in the claims) and causes a printing company to print the required number of newspapers.

[0025] In this example, the publisher is a publisher of a newspaper about an election. The purchaser is a school teacher who intends to have his or her students read the newspaper about the election, and the printer is a newspaper company.

[0026] Referring to Figure 1, newspaper publishing system 1 comprises a purchaser system 3, a publisher system 5, and a printer system 7. Purchaser system 3 is a computer system owned by a purchaser who purchases newspapers. Publisher system 5 is a computer system owned by a publisher who publishes newspapers. Printer system 7 is a system owned by a printer that has an output device that outputs newspapers by printing, etc. Purchaser system 3 is connected to publisher system 5 via the Internet 4. Publisher system 5 is connected to printer system 7 via the Internet 4.

[0027] The purchaser system 3 may be, for example, a smartphone or a PC. The publisher system 5 may be, for example, a server or a PC. The printer system 7 may be, for example, a server or a PC. However, each system is not limited to the above and may be another computer system.

[0028] The purchaser system 3 includes an order sending unit 31. The order sending unit 31 sends the purchaser's order details to the issuer system 5.

[0029] The publisher system 5 has an upload unit 51, an order receiving unit 53 (an example of the "receiving unit" in the claims), a publisher memory unit 55 (an example of the "memory unit" in the claims), and a publisher transmission unit 57 (an example of the "transmission unit" in the claims). The upload unit 51 uploads newspaper article data to the publisher's website. The order receiving unit 53 receives order data from the order transmission unit 31 of the purchaser system 3. The publisher memory unit 55 stores the order data received by the order receiving unit 53. The publisher transmission unit 57 transmits the order data to the printing company system 7.

[0030] The printing company system 7 has a print reception unit 71 and a printing machine 73 (an example of the "output unit" in the claims). The print reception unit 71 receives order data from the publisher transmission unit 57. The printing machine 73 performs printing based on the order data received by the print reception unit 71.

[0031] Next, the newspaper publishing flow according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 5. Figure 2 is a flow diagram showing an overview of the newspaper publishing method according to this embodiment. Figures 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating portions of the publisher's website according to this embodiment. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a newspaper according to this embodiment.

[0032] 2, in step S01, upload unit 51 of publisher system 5 uploads newspaper article data to the publisher's website. The uploaded article data can be downloaded by anyone who accesses the publisher's website. However, this article data can only be output in a size other than the newspaper format, such as A4 size.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the publisher's website displays content that shares information about, for example, the city council election in Munakata City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Here, the website displays an article display button 91 that displays newspaper article data. Website visitors can view the newspaper article data by clicking the article display button 91, for example. It is also possible to download the newspaper article data in sizes other than newspaper format, such as A4 size.

[0034] 3, if a website visitor finds an article interesting, they can order the newspaper in newspaper format. In this embodiment, when a visitor purchases a copy in the price display area 93, the copies are sold in the quantity that the purchaser intends to distribute to others, such as 100 copies for 9,000 yen, 500 copies for 24,000 yen, or 1,000 copies for 36,000 yen.

[0035] In this embodiment, the above-mentioned fees include printing and shipping costs. The paper is published in tabloid format with four pages in full color.

[0036] Next, in step S02, the purchaser transmits order data including the desired newspaper article, the desired number of copies, and the designated address from the order transmitting unit 31 to the order receiving unit 53. The transmitted order data is received by the order receiving unit 53 and stored in the publisher storage unit 55. Then, in step S03, the publisher transmitting unit 57 transmits the order data together with the article data to the printing company system 7.

[0037] Here, the article data sent to the printer system 7 is article data that can be output in newspaper format, unlike the article data uploaded by the upload unit 51. By handling the article data differently in output size in this way, it is not only convenient for readers and printers, but also makes it possible to establish a business model that provides full-scale newspapers for a fee.

[0038] Next, the print order reception unit 71 receives the order data and article data. Then, in step S04, the printer 73 prints the desired number of newspapers based on the order data and article data received by the print order reception unit. The printed newspapers are delivered in bulk to the delivery address included in the order data.

[0039] In this way, the purchaser can receive the desired number of newspapers in a newspaper size such as tabloid at the specified address. In step S05, the purchaser distributes the newspapers received at the delivery address to the recipients, and the newspaper publication flow ends.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the publisher's website may include a date display area 95 that displays the publication start date and / or the most recent update date, allowing customers who have previously purchased a newspaper to easily decide whether or not to purchase the latest edition.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the publisher's website may be provided with a form display button 97 that opens an information submission form that allows readers to submit information. This makes it easier for the publisher to update articles to make them more accurate. In this case, the publisher system 5 may further include a form display unit that displays the information submission form based on the reader's operation.

[0042] Next, a newspaper article will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a portion of newspaper article data according to this embodiment.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 5, the article data has a date display area 101 at the top where the publication date is displayed. In this embodiment, the newspaper, due to its nature as an election bulletin, needs to add information, including the candidates to be published, as the number of candidates gradually increases. Therefore, when a newspaper article is updated, the date of the last update is displayed in the date display area 101. Furthermore, each time the updated article data is updated, the upload unit 51 uploads it to the publisher's website.

[0044] The publisher may sell updated articles at a discount to those who previously purchased the articles. In this case, the order data may include a purchaser ID that identifies the purchaser. The publisher system 5 may further include a determination unit 59 that determines whether or not a discount is available based on whether or not the purchaser ID included in the order data received by the order receiving unit 53 is stored in the publisher storage unit 55. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1;Newspaper publishing system, 4;Internet 3;Purchaser System, 31;Order Sending Department 5; Issuer system, 51; Upload unit, 53; Order reception unit, 55; Issuer storage unit, 57; Issuer transmission unit, 59; Determination unit 7;Printing company system, 71;Printing reception department, 73;Printing machine 91;Article display button, 93;Price display area, 95;Date display area, 97;Form display button 101;Date display area

Claims

1. A newspaper publishing system that publishes a newspaper created by a publisher, a reception unit that receives an order for the publication of the newspaper from an orderer via the Internet; a storage unit that stores the order; a sending unit that sends the order via the Internet; an output unit that outputs the newspaper in accordance with the order, The transmission unit connected to the output unit via the Internet, The newspaper article data is also transmitted to the output unit, The newspaper publishing system, wherein the order includes a circulation number.

2. The newspaper distribution system according to claim 1 , wherein the order includes a destination address to which the number of copies of the newspaper should be delivered.

3. 3. The newspaper publishing system according to claim 2, wherein the newspaper article data can be viewed and / or downloaded by the orderer via the Internet.

4. The newspaper article data that the orderer can view and / or download is data that can be output in a size other than newspaper format, the newspaper article data transmitted by the transmission unit to the output unit is data that can be output in newspaper format, The newspaper publishing system according to claim 3 , wherein the output unit outputs the newspaper article data in a newspaper size.

5. A newspaper publishing method using a newspaper publishing system that publishes a newspaper created by a publisher, comprising: The newspaper publishing system includes: a reception unit that receives an order for the publication of the newspaper from an orderer via the Internet; a storage unit that stores the order; a sending unit that sends the order via the Internet; an output unit that outputs the newspaper in accordance with the order, an uploading step in which the newspaper article data is uploaded to a website by the publisher; a receiving step in which the receiving unit receives an order for the newspaper from the orderer via the Internet; a storage step in which the storage unit stores the order; a transmitting step in which the transmitting unit transmits the order and the newspaper article data to the output unit via the Internet; an output step in which the output unit outputs article data of the newspaper in accordance with the order.

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