Communication method and apparatus

• US 10,291,577 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2016
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sako, Yoichiro, Takehara, Mitsuru, Terauchi, Toshiro, Inoue, Makoto, Takai, Motoyuki, Asukai, Masamichi, Shirai, Katsuya, Nakamura, Takatoshi, Sasaki, Toru, Sakai, Yuichi, Matsuda, Masafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Laekemariam, Yosef K
• Application Number:
  US15/293,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 379 2909, 379 8811, 379 8821, 379 9323, 37914201, 37914206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

A communication method includes the steps of transmitting, by means of a first communication apparatus, personal information to a second communication apparatus; receiving, by means of the second communication apparatus, the personal information and searching, by means of the second communication apparatus, whether or not personal information having the same content as the received personal information exists in the second communication apparatus; and notifying, by means of the second communication apparatus, the first communication apparatus of a search result.

Claims

1. A server comprising:

at least one memory configured to store a personal information database and instructions, wherein the personal information database stores at least first personal information regarding a first user and second personal information regarding a second user; and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to;

retrieve, from the personal information database, the first personal information regarding the first user and the second personal information regarding the second user, the first personal information including a first permission decision from the first user regarding disclosure of the first personal information, the second personal information including a second permission decision from the second user regarding disclosure of the second personal information;

determine, based at least in part on the first personal information and the second personal information, a similarity between the first user and the second user;

determine whether to notify a first device of the first user of a name of the second user based upon the determined similarity between the first user and the second user and at least one of the first permission decision and the second permission decision;

in response to notifying the first device of the first user of the name of the second user, receive, from the first device of the first user, an instruction as to whether to perform a subsequent communication with a second device of the second user; and

in response to receiving an instruction not to perform the subsequent communication, terminate the subsequent communication.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first personal information includes a name of a company to which the first user previously belonged or currently belongs, and the second personal information includes a name of a company to which the second user previously belonged or currently belongs.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first personal information includes a name of music liked by the first user, and the second personal information includes a name of music liked by the second user.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the name of music liked by the first user comprises a name of a singer liked by the first user, and the name of music liked by the second user comprises a name of a singer liked by the second user.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the subsequent communication includes an exchange of text messaging between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the subsequent communication includes a voice conversation between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the subsequent communication includes same content data shared between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

retrieving, from a personal information database storing at least first personal information regarding a first user and second personal information regarding a second user, the first personal information regarding the first user and the second personal information regarding the second user, the first personal information including a first permission decision from the first user regarding disclosure of the first personal information, the second personal information including a second permission decision from the second user regarding disclosure of the second personal information;

determining, based at least in part on the first personal information and the second personal information, a similarity between the first user and the second user;

determining whether to notify a first device of the first user of a name of the second user based upon the determined similarity between the first user and the second user and at least one of the first permission decision and the second permission decision;

in response to notifying the first device of the first user of the name of the second user, receiving, from the first device of the first user, an instruction as to whether to perform a subsequent communication with a second device of the second user; and

in response to receiving an instruction not to perform the subsequent communication, terminate the subsequent communication.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first personal information includes a name of a company to which the first user previously belonged or currently belongs, and the second personal information includes a name of a company to which the second user previously belonged or currently belongs.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first personal information includes a name of music liked by the first user, and the second personal information includes a name of music liked by the second user.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the name of music liked by the first user comprises a name of a singer liked by the first user, and the name of music liked by the second user comprises a name of a singer liked by the second user.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the subsequent communication includes an exchange of text messaging between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the subsequent communication includes a voice conversation between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the subsequent communication includes same content data shared between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

15. A method comprising:

retrieving, from a personal information database storing at least first personal information regarding a first user and second personal information regarding a second user, the first personal information regarding the first user and the second personal information regarding the second user, the first personal information including a first permission decision from the first user regarding disclosure of the first personal information, the second personal information including a second permission decision from the second user regarding disclosure of the second personal information;

determining, based at least in part on the first personal information and the second personal information, a similarity between the first user and the second user;

determining whether to notify a first device of the first user of a name of the second user based upon the determined similarity between the first user and the second user and at least one of the first permission decision and the second permission decision;

in response to notifying the first device of the first user of the name of the second user, receiving, from the first device of the first user, an instruction as to whether to perform a subsequent communication with a second device of the second user; and

in response to receiving an instruction not to perform the subsequent communication, terminate the subsequent communication.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first personal information includes a name of a company to which the first user previously belonged or currently belongs, and the second personal information includes a name of a company to which the second user previously belonged or currently belongs.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first personal information includes a name of music liked by the first user, and the second personal information includes a name of music liked by the second user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the name of music liked by the first user comprises a name of a singer liked by the first user, and the name of music liked by the second user comprises a name of a singer liked by the second user.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the subsequent communication includes an exchange of text messaging between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the subsequent communication includes a voice conversation between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the subsequent communication includes same content data shared between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

22. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor of a first device of a first user, perform a method comprising:

receiving a name of a second user based on a similarity between the first user and the second user, wherein;

the similarity between the first user and the second user is determined based at least in part on first personal information regarding the first user and second personal information regarding the second user stored in a personal information database stored in at least one memory connected to a personal information server, the first personal information including a first permission decision from the first user regarding disclosure of the first personal information, the second personal information including a second permission decision from the second user regarding disclosure of the second personal information;

controlling to display, at least on a display of the first device of the first user, the name of the second user; and

controlling to transmit, from the first device of the first user to a second device of the second user, an instruction not to perform a subsequent communication with the second device of the second user.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the first personal information includes a name of a company to which the first user previously belonged or currently belongs, and the second personal information includes a name of a company to which the second user previously belonged or currently belongs.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the first personal information includes a name of music liked by the first user, and the second personal information includes a name of music liked by the second user.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the name of music liked by the first user comprises a name of a singer liked by the first user, and the name of music liked by the second user comprises a name of a singer liked by the second user.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the instruction includes a predetermined text message.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the subsequent communication includes an exchange of text messaging between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the subsequent communication includes same content data shared between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

29. A method comprising:

receiving a name of a second user based on a similarity between a first user and the second user, wherein;

the similarity between the first user and the second user is determined based at least in part on first personal information regarding the first user and second personal information regarding the second user stored in a personal information database stored in at least one memory connected to a personal information server, the first personal information including a first permission decision from the first user regarding disclosure of the first personal information, the second personal information including a second permission decision from the second user regarding disclosure of the second personal information;

controlling to display, at least on a display of the first device of the first user, the name of the second user; and

controlling to transmit, from the first device of the first user to a second device of the second user, an instruction not to perform a subsequent communication with the second device of the second user.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the first personal information includes a name of a company to which the first user previously belonged or currently belongs, and the second personal information includes a name of a company to which the second user previously belonged or currently belongs.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the first personal information includes a name of music liked by the first user, and the second personal information includes a name of music liked by the second user.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the name of music liked by the first user comprises a name of a singer liked by the first user, and the name of music liked by the second user comprises a name of a singer liked by the second user.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the instruction includes a predetermined text message.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the subsequent communication includes an exchange of text messaging between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the subsequent communication includes same content data shared between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user, wherein the first user and the second user are not acquainted prior to the subsequent communication.