Information providing method and device for sharing user information

• US 10,419,429 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Joo, Jae Seok, Heo, Chang Ryong
• Primary Examiner(s): Steinle, Andrew J
• Application Number:
  US15/390,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20170187711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a communication module, and a processor. The processor is configured to receive a first user context of a first user from a first user device and a second user context of a second user from a second user device via the communication module, to determine when the first user and the second user are within a specified distance, by using location information in the first and second user contexts, to set permissions to access at least a portion of the first and/or second user contexts based on the determination, to receive a request from the first user for information in the second user context, and to provide the information in the second user context to the first user when the permissions of the second user context allows the first user to access the information in the second user context.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a communication module; and

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions, the instructions when executed configured to;

receive a first user context of a first user from a first user device and a second user context of a second user from a second user device via the communication module,

determine when the first user and the second user are within a specified distance, by using location information in the first and second user contexts,

set permissions to access at least a portion of the first and/or second user contexts based on the determination,

set the permissions to allow the first user to access a portion of the second user context associated with an on-line activity performed by the first user and the second user,

receive a request for information in the second user context through conversations with first user,

search for information in the second user context needed to respond to the request from the first user,

verify access permissions set to the searched information in the second user context, and

provide the searched information in the second user context to the first user when the permissions of the second user context allows the first user to access the searched information in the second user context,

wherein the user contexts comprise contents use information, a call history, a message or e-mail sending and receiving history, contents creation information, biometric information, user activity information, a purchasing history, a web surfing history, location information, a user schedule, and state information of user device, and

wherein access permissions for a portion of information included in the second user contexts is in advance set by the second user.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

set the permissions to allow the first user to access the second user context when the first user and the second user are within the specified distance, and

set the permissions to restrict access of the second user context by the first user when the first user and the second user are outside the specified distance.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises a voice recognition module and the processor is further configured to identify the request as being from the first user using the voice recognition module.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the on-line activity comprises at least one of a voice call, a video call, a short message service (SMS), an e-mail, a social network service (SNS), an on-line game, on-line chatting, or a virtual reality (VR) service.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

when the permissions of the second user context restricts access of the information by the first user or when the permissions associated with the information in the second user context is not set, transmit a query to the second user device to ask the second user whether to allow access of the information in the second user context by the first user, and

provide the information to the first user if the second user allows access.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to request the first and second user contexts from the first user device and the second user device when the electronic device is connected with the first and second user devices over a local area network.

7. An information providing method of an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a first user context of a first user from a first user device and a second user context of a second user from a second user device;

determining when the first user and the second user are within a specified distance, by using location information in the first and second user contexts;

setting permissions to access at least a portion of the first and/or second user contexts based on the determination;

receiving a request for information in the second user context through conversations with first user;

searching for information in the second user context needed to respond to the request from the first user;

verifying access permissions set to the searched information in the second user context; and

providing the searched information in the second user context to the first user when the permissions of the second user context allows the first user to access the searched information in the second user context,

wherein setting the permissions comprises setting the permissions to allow the first user to access a portion of the second user context associated with an on-line activity performed by the first user and the second user,

wherein the user contexts comprise at least one of contents use information, a call history, a message or e-mail sending and receiving history, contents creation information, biometric information, user activity information, a purchasing history, a web surfing history, location information, a user schedule, and state information of the first or second user device, and

wherein access permissions for a portion of information included in the second user contexts is in advance set by the second user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein setting the permissions comprises:

setting the permissions to allow the first user to access the second user context when the first user and the second user are within the specified distance; and

setting the permissions to restrict access of the second user context by the first user when the first user and the second user are outside the specified distance.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising identifying the request as being from the first user using a voice recognition module of the electronic device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the on-line activity comprises at least one of a voice call, a video call, an SMS, an e-mail, a SNS, an on-line game, on-line chatting, or a VR service.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

when the permissions of the second user context restricts access of the information by the first user or when the permissions associated with the information in the second user context is not set, transmitting a query to the second user device to ask the second user whether to allow access of the information in the second user context by the first user;

receiving a response allowing access of the information from the second user; and

providing the requested information to the first user.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the first and second user contexts comprises:

connecting to the first user device and the second user device over a local area network;

requesting the first and second user contexts from the first user device and the second user device; and

receiving the first and second user contexts of the first user and the second user from the first user device and the second user device.

13. A non transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a plurality of instruction, the instructions when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a first user context of a first user from a first user device and a second user context of a second user from a second user device;

determining when the first user and the second user are within a specified distance, by using location information in the first and second user contexts;

setting permissions to access at least a portion of the first and/or second user contexts based on the determination;

receiving a request for information in the second user context through conversations with first user;

searching for information in the second user context needed to respond to the request from the first user;

verifying access permissions set to the searched information in the second user context; and

providing the information in the second user context to the first user when the permissions of the second user context allows the first user to access the information in the second user context,

wherein setting the permissions comprises setting the permissions to allow the first user to access a portion of the second user context associated with an on-line activity performed by the first user and the second user,

wherein the user contexts comprise at least one of contents use information, a call history, a message or e-mail sending and receiving history, contents creation information, biometric information, user activity information, a purchasing history, a web surfing history, location information, a user schedule, and state information of the first or second user device, and

wherein access permissions for a portion of information included in the second user contexts is in advance set by the second user.

14. The non transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 13, wherein setting the permissions comprises:

determining that the first user has permission to access the second user context when the first user and the second user are within the specified distance; and

determining that the first user has no permission to access the second user context when the first user and the second user are outside the specified distance.