Information servicing method, recording medium recording with programs for realizing the method, and information servicing system

• US 20020019855A1
• Filed: 01/19/2001
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Square Co Ltd (Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sakaguchi, Hironobu, Kokubo, Keizo, Narita, Ken
• Granted Patent: US 6,961,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling

Abstract

To provide information beneficial for a user, with proper contents. Each client starts a screen saver when a user input has been idle for a predetermined time period. Personal information is transmitted at the start to a push server by a push demand program. The push server has an information database with push information of different categories. The push server selects the appropriate push information when it receives personal information in response to the push demand from the client. The selected push information is sent from the push server to the client that demanded the push information, to be displayed on a display device when the screen saver is operating.

Claims

1. An information servicing method for communicating information between a server and a client terminal through a network, comprising:

under the control of said client terminal,

deciding whether an idle time with no user input has elapsed for a predetermined time period;

switching a prevailing processing to a background processing, when it is decided that the idle time has elapsed for the predetermined time period, and transmitting personal information, registered in advance, to the server; and

displaying an answer corresponding to the transmitted personal information, when an answer is received from the server, and

under the control of the server,

selecting push information, correlating one of directly and indirectly to the personal information, when the personal information is received from the client terminal;

collecting the selected personal information through the network; and

transmitting collected push information as the answer to the client terminal.

2. The information servicing method of claim 1, further comprising:

under the control of the client terminal,

starting a screen saver when the prevailing processing is switched to the background processing.

3. The information servicing method of claim 2, further comprising:

under the control of the client terminal,

returning the prevailing processing from the background processing to a main routine in response to an operation of the user while the screen saver is being started.

4. The information servicing method of claim 1, wherein the personal information contains a schedule indicating an action of the user so that under the control of said server, push information correlating to each action is selected on the basis of the schedule.

5. The information servicing method of claim 1, wherein the personal information contains information indicating a preference of a user so that under the control of the server, push information correlating to each preference is selected on the basis of the schedule indicating the preference.

6. The information servicing method of claim 1, wherein the personal information contains a schedule indicating an action and a preference of a user so that under the control of the server, correlating push information is selected on the basis of the schedule and the preference.

7. The information servicing method of claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein a database stored with various push information is connected with the server so that under the control of the server, push information is selected from the database.

8. The information servicing method of claim 1, further comprising:

under the control of the client terminal,

simultaneously displaying push information of a plurality of answers when the answers are made from the server.

9. The information servicing method of claim 1, wherein the network is connected with an internet.

10. The information servicing method of claim 9, further comprising:

under the control of the client terminal,

making a connection, when an operation is made by the user for the displayed answer, with a Web page correlating the operated answer, through the internet.

11. The information servicing method of claim 1, wherein said push information comprises an advertisement.

13. The recording medium of claim 12, wherein said computer is further programmed:

under the control of the client terminal,

to start a screen saver when the prevailing processing is switched to the background processing.

14. The recording medium of claim 13, wherein the computer is further programmed:

under the control of the client terminal,

to return the prevailing processing from the background processing to a main routine in response to an operation of the user while the screen saver is being started.

15. The recording medium of claim 12, wherein the personal information contains a schedule indicating an action of the user so that, under the control of the server, push information correlating to each action is selected on the basis of the schedule.

16. The recording medium of claim 12, wherein the personal information contains information indicating the preference of the user, so that under the control of the server, push information correlating to each preference is selected on the basis of the schedule indicating the preference.

17. The recording medium of claim 12, wherein the personal information contains a schedule indicating an action and a preference of the user, so that under the control of the server, correlating push information is selected on the basis of the schedule and the preference.

18. The recording medium of claim 15, 16 or 17, wherein a database storing various push information is connected with the server, so that under the control of the server, push information is selected from the database.

19. The recording medium of claim 12, wherein the computer is further programmed:

under the control of the client terminal,

to simultaneously display push information of a plurality of answers when the answers are made from the server.

20. The recording medium of claim 12, wherein the network is connected with an internet.

21. The recording medium of claim 20, wherein the computer is further programmed:

under the control of the client terminal,

to make a connection, when an operation is made by the user for the displayed answer, with a Web page correlating the operated answer, through the internet.

22. The recording medium of claim 12, wherein the push information contains an advertisement.

24. The information servicing system of claim 23, wherein said client terminal starts a screen saver when said prevailing processing switches to said background processing.

25. The information servicing system of claim 24, wherein said client terminal returns said prevailing processing from said background processing to a main routine in response to an operation of a user when said screen saver is started.

26. The information servicing system of claim 23, wherein said personal information contains a schedule indicating an action of the user, so that said server selects push information correlated to each action on an the basis of said schedule.

27. The information servicing system of claim 23, wherein said personal information contains information indicating a preference of a user, so that said server selects push information correlated to each preference on the basis of said schedule indicating said preference.

28. The information servicing system of claim 23, wherein said personal information contains a schedule indicating an action and a preference of a user, so that said server selects correlating push information on the basis of said schedule and said preference.

29. The information servicing system of claim 26, 27 or 28, wherein a database storing various push information is connected with said server, so that said server selects said push information from said database.

30. The information servicing system of claim 23, wherein said client terminal simultaneously displays push information of a plurality of answers when said answers are made from said server.

31. The information servicing system of claim 23, wherein said network is connected with an internet.

32. The information servicing system of claim 31, wherein said client terminal makes a connection, when an operation is made by a user for said displayed answer, with a Web page correlating said operated answer, through said internet.

33. The information servicing system of claim 23, wherein said push information comprises an advertisement.

12. A computer-readable recording medium stored with a program for realizing a method for communicating information between a server and a client terminal through a network, wherein the computer is programmed:

under the control of the client terminal,

to decide whether an idle time with no user input has elapsed for a predetermined time period;

to switch a prevailing processing to a background processing, when it is decided that the idle time with no user input has elapsed for the predetermined time period, and to transmit personal information, registered in advance, to the server; and

to display an answer corresponding to the transmitted personal information, when the answer is received from the server, and

under the control of the server,

to select push information correlating one of directly and indirectly to the personal information when the personal information is received from the client terminal;

to collect selected personal information through the network; and

to transmit the collected push information as an answer to the client terminal.

23. An information servicing system for communicating information between a server and a client terminal through a network, wherein the client terminal comprises:

a determining device that determines whether a user input has been idle for a predetermined time period;

a transmission device that switches a prevailing processing to a background processing, when said determining device determines that said user input has been idle for said predetermined time period, said transmission device further transmitting personal information, registered in advance, to said server; and

a display device that displays an answer corresponding to said transmitted personal information, when said answer is received from said server, and

wherein said server comprises;

a selector that selects push information correlated to said personal information when said personal information is received from said client terminal by said transmission means;

a collection device that collects said personal information selected by said selector, through said network; and

an answering device that transmits said push information collected by said collection means, as an answer to said client terminal.