System for providing a virtual communication space corresponding to sensed information from the real world

• US 20020032037A1
• Filed: 11/21/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Segawa, Satoko
• Application Number:
  US09/989,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032037A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A virtual communication space is constructed, in which people that actually see, hear or experience the same thing in the real world can exchange impressions or opinions in real-time.

A user carrying a user terminal 20 moves in the real world and enters a predetermined space of the real world that is controlled and supervised by a virtual communication space providing portion 30. The virtual communication space providing portion 30 sends communication channel identification information with a communication channel identification information notifying means 32, and a communication channel identification information sensing means 21 of the user terminal 20 senses the communication channel identification information. Login into that communication channel is performed with a channel login/logout means 22. By logging in, the virtual communication space provided by the virtual communication space providing portion 30 is shared, and applications such as an electronic bulletin board and chat can be used. The supervisor terminal collects/analyzes a log of the conversation.

Claims

1. A system for providing a virtual communication space, corresponding to sensed information of the real world, between users that have sensed information that is shared in the real world, comprising:

a communication medium providing a communication channel that makes communication in a limited space of the real world possible;

a user terminal comprising a communication channel identification information sensing means for sensing identification information of a communication channel that has been assigned in that limited space of the real world;

a channel login means for selecting a communication channel based on the communication channel identification information;

a communication means;

a means for inputting information; and

a communication application for sending and receiving information via the communication channel;

a virtual communication space providing means comprising a communication means;

a means for grouping user terminals by assigning a communication channel to the user terminals present in the limited space of the real world;

a communication channel identification information transmission means for transmitting identification information of the assigned communication channel to the user terminals;

a user-sent information storage means for storing information that has been sent by a user terminal; and

a user-sent information providing means for providing information stored in the user-sent information storage means to the user terminal logged into the communication channel.

2. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 1, wherein the communication channel login means comprises a logout means, and the user terminal logs out of the communication channel to which it is logged in by retiring from the virtual communication space or by logging into a communication channel that is assigned to another virtual communication space.

3. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 1, wherein the user-sent information providing means provides user-sent information by posting information on an electronic bulletin board that is maintained for a certain period of time.

4. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 1, wherein the user-sent information providing means provides user-sent information by providing all user-sent information that has been accumulated as history of a predetermined period of time prior to login to user terminals that have newly logged into the communication channel, and thereafter immediately exchanging user-sent information among user terminals that are logged in as chat.

5. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 1,

further comprising a supervisor terminal outside the limited space of the real world;

wherein the communication means comprises an external communication means for external communication with the supervisor terminal; and

wherein the supervisor terminal comprises a channel login means for logging into the communication channel on which communication has become possible with the external communication means, and a communication application for sending and receiving information via the communication channel, wherein information can be sent and received among user terminals in the limited space of the world via the virtual communication space providing means.

6. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 5,

wherein the supervisor terminal further comprises a user-sent information collecting means for collecting the sent records of user-sent information that has been stored by the user-sent information storage means, and a user-sent information database accumulating the user-sent information that has been collected, and

the supervisor terminal further comprises a keyword classification means for classifying by keyword the content of the user-sent information in the user-sent information database, a user-sent information analyzing means for analyzing statistical qualities of the user-sent information that has been classified by keyword, and a direct electronic mail sending means for sending information that is associated with the keyword classification to the user terminal that has sent the user-sent information that has been classified by keyword.

7. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 1,

wherein the communication channel identification information transmission means includes a communication channel identification information notifying means for notifying the assigned transmission channel identification information wirelessly;

and

wherein the communication channel identification information sensing means is a receiving means sensing communication channel identification information that has been notified wirelessly from the communication channel identification information notifying means.

8. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 7,

further comprising a supervisor terminal outside the limited space of the real world;

wherein the communication means comprises an external communication means for external communication with the supervisor terminal; and

wherein the supervisor terminal comprises a channel login means for logging into the communication channel on which communication has become possible with the external communication means, and a communication application for sending and receiving information via the communication channel, wherein information can be sent and received among user terminals in the limited space of the world via the virtual communication space providing means.

9. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 8,

wherein the supervisor terminal further comprises a user-sent information collecting means for collecting the sent records of user-sent information that has been stored by the user-sent information storage means, and a user-sent information database accumulating the user-sent information that has been collected, and

the supervisor terminal further comprises a keyword classification means for classifying by keyword the content of the user-sent information in the user-sent information database, a user-sent information analyzing means for analyzing statistical qualities of the user-sent information that has been classified by keyword, and a direct electronic mail sending means for sending information that is associated with the keyword classification to the user terminal that has sent the user-sent information that has been classified by keyword.

10. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 1,

wherein the communication channel identification information transmission means is a communication channel identification information display means for displaying the assigned communication channel identification information;

and

wherein the communication channel identification information sensing means is a reading means for reading the communication channel identification information displayed by the communication channel identification information display means.

11. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 10,

further comprising a supervisor terminal outside the limited space of the real world;

wherein the communication means comprises an external communication means for external communication with the supervisor terminal; and

wherein the supervisor terminal comprises a channel login means for logging into the communication channel on which communication has become possible with the external communication means, and a communication application for sending and receiving information via the communication channel, wherein information can be sent and received among user terminals in the limited space of the world via the virtual communication space providing means.

12. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 11,

wherein the supervisor terminal further comprises a user-sent information collecting means for collecting the sent records of user-sent information that has been stored by the user-sent information storage means, and a user-sent information database accumulating the user-sent information that has been collected, and

the supervisor terminal further comprises a keyword classification means for classifying by keyword the content of the user-sent information in the user-sent information database, a user-sent information analyzing means for analyzing statistical qualities of the user-sent information that has been classified by keyword, and a direct electronic mail sending means for sending information that is associated with the keyword classification to the user terminal that has sent the user-sent information that has been classified by keyword.

13. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 1, wherein the user terminal further comprises a position detecting means for detecting position information, and the virtual communication space providing means further comprises a position/communication channel correspondence table showing the correspondence between position information of the real world and communication channel identification information assigned to places indicated by that position information;

and

wherein the communication channel identification information sensing means is a means for notifying the detected position information to the virtual communication space providing means, and sensing the communication channel identification information that is returned based on the position/communication channel correspondence table.

14. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 13, wherein the communication channel login means comprises a logout means, and the user terminal logs out of the communication channel to which it is logged in by retiring from the virtual communication space or by logging into a communication channel that is assigned to another virtual communication space.

15. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 13, wherein the user-sent information providing means provides user-sent information by posting information on an electronic bulletin board that is maintained for a certain period of time.

16. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 13, wherein the user-sent information providing means provides user-sent information by providing all user-sent information that has been accumulated as history of a predetermined period of time prior to login to user terminals that have newly logged into the communication channel, and thereafter immediately exchanging user-sent information among user terminals that are logged in as chat.

17. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 13,

further comprising a supervisor terminal outside the limited space of the real world;

wherein the communication means comprises an external communication means for external communication with the supervisor terminal; and

wherein the supervisor terminal comprises a channel login means for logging into the communication channel on which communication has become possible with the external communication means, and a communication application for sending and receiving information via the communication channel, wherein information can be sent and received among user terminals in the limited space of the world via the virtual communication space providing means.

18. The system for providing a virtual communication space according to claim 17,

wherein the supervisor terminal further comprises a user-sent information collecting means for collecting the sent records of user-sent information that has been stored by the user-sent information storage means, and a user-sent information database accumulating the user-sent information that has been collected, and

the supervisor terminal further comprises a keyword classification means for classifying by keyword the content of the user-sent information in the user-sent information database, a user-sent information analyzing means for analyzing statistical qualities of the user-sent information that has been classified by keyword, and a direct electronic mail sending means for sending information that is associated with the keyword classification to the user terminal that has sent the user-sent information that has been classified by keyword.

20. The storage medium according to claim 12,

wherein the storage medium further comprises a processing program for a supervisor terminal that is outside the limited space of the real world;

wherein the communication control program further includes an external communication control program controlling external communication with the processing program for the supervisor terminal;

wherein the processing program for the supervisor terminal comprises a channel login processing operation of logging into the communication channel with which the external communication program has enabled communication, and a communication application for sending and receiving information via the communication channel, and wherein the processing program for the supervisor terminal can exchange information with the processing programs for the user terminals in the limited space of the real world via the virtual communication space providing processing program.

19. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for realizing a system for providing a virtual communication space between users that have sensed information that is shared in the real world, the storage medium comprising:

a communication control program for controlling a communication means for providing a communication channel that makes communication in a limited space of the real world possible;

a user terminal processing program comprising a processing operation of sensing identification information of communication channels that have been provided by the communication means;

a channel login processing operation of selecting communication channels based on the communication channel identification information; and

a communication application for sending and receiving information via the communication channel;

a virtual communication space providing processing program comprising a processing operation of logging into user terminals by a assigning communication channel to user terminals present in the limited space of the real world;

a communication channel identification information transmission processing operation of transmitting identification information of an assigned communication channel to a user terminal;

a user-sent information storage processing operation of storing information that has been sent by a user terminal via the communication channel; and

a user-sent information providing processing operation of providing information stored in the user-sent information storage processing operation to the user terminal accessible via the communication channel.