Information distribution method and system

• US 20020049835A1
• Filed: 10/09/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mito, Tomoko, Kageyama, Uemitsu, Ohkado, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 7,058,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

One objective of this invention is to provide means for selecting, from among an enormous amount of data, truly necessary information, and for distributing such selected information while maintaining the secrecy of personal information. Information, such as public user information, that a user permits to be registered is stored in the server of an information provider, which refers to such information in order to filter information that is to be distributed and to generate information choices. The information choices are then transmitted to the user terminal and the user filters them and makes second choices by referring to secret user information stored in the user terminal. The user then requests from the server the main body of information for such second choices. Upon the receipt of the user'"'"'s request, the server transmits the requested main body of information and the user terminal receives and displays the information.

Claims

1. An information distribution method, for a network system including a first information processing apparatus for providing information, a second information processing apparatus for obtaining said information, and a network for connecting said first and said second information processing apparatuses, comprising the steps of:

said first information processing apparatus recording first information for a user;

said second information processing apparatus recording second information for said user;

said first information processing apparatus, while referring to said first information, generating a single first choice or multiple first choices concerning said information;

said second information processing apparatus receiving said first single or multiple choices from said first information processing apparatus via said network;

said second information processing apparatus, while referring to said second information, selecting as a single second choice said single first choice or selecting multiple second choices from among said multiple first choices concerning said information;

said second information processing apparatus requesting that said first information processing apparatus obtain part or all of said information correlated with said single second choice or said multiple second choices;

said first information processing apparatus transmitting said requested information to said second information processing apparatus, and said second information processing apparatus receiving said requested information; and

said second information processing apparatus displaying said received information.

2. The information distribution method according to claim 1, wherein said first information is information concerning said user that can be disclosed, and said second information is secret information held by said user.

3. The information distribution method according to claim 1, wherein said first single choice or said first multiple choices and said second single choice or said second multiple choices are attribute information for said information.

4. An information distribution method comprising the steps of:

recording first information concerning a user;

referring to said first information to generate a first single choice or first multiple choices concerning information to be provided;

transmitting said first single choice or said first multiple choices across a network to a second information processing apparatus; and

transmitting to said second information processing apparatus, in response to a request, part or all of said first information concerning said first single choice selected as a second single choice or said first multiple choices selected as multiple second choices.

5. An information distribution method comprising the steps of:

recording second information concerning a user;

receiving a first single choice or first multiple choices across a network concerning information generated by a first information processing apparatus;

referring to said second information to select as a second single choice said first single choice or to select as second multiple choices said first multiple choices concerning said information;

requesting part or all of said information correlated with said second single choice or said second multiple choices;

receiving said information from said first information processing apparatus; and

displaying said received information.

6. An information distribution system, including a first information processing apparatus for providing information, a second information processing apparatus for obtaining said information, and a network for connecting said first and said second information processing apparatuses, comprising:

means for recording first information for a user in said first information processing apparatus;

means for recording second information for said user in said second information processing apparatus;

means for permitting said first information processing apparatus to, while referring to said first information, generate a single first choice or multiple first choices concerning said information;

means for permitting said second information processing apparatus to receive said first single or multiple choices from said first information processing apparatus via said network;

means for permitting said second information processing apparatus to, while referring to said second information, select as a single second choice said single first choice or selecting multiple second choices from among said multiple first choices concerning said information;

means for permitting said second information processing apparatus to request that said first information processing apparatus obtain part or all of said information correlated with said single second choice or said multiple second choices;

means for permitting said first information processing apparatus to transmit said requested information to said second information processing apparatus, and for permitting said second information processing apparatus to receive said requested information; and

means for permitting said second information processing apparatus to display said received information.

7. The information distribution system according to claim 6, wherein said first information is information concerning said user that can be disclosed, and said second information is secret information held by said user.

8. The information distribution system according to claim 6, wherein said first single choice or said first multiple choices and said second single choice or said second multiple choices are attribute information for said information.

9. An information processing apparatus comprising:

means for recording first information concerning a user;

means for referring to said first information to generate a first single choice or first multiple choices concerning information to be provided;

means for transmitting said first single choice or said first multiple choices across a network to a second information processing apparatus; and

means for transmitting to said second information processing apparatus, in response to a request, part or all of said first information concerning said first single choice selected as a second single choice or said first multiple choices selected as multiple second choices.

10. An information processing apparatus comprising:

means for recording second information concerning a user;

means for receiving a first single choice or first multiple choices across a network concerning information generated by a first information processing apparatus;

means for referring to said second information to select as a second single choice said first single choice or to select as second multiple choices said first multiple choices concerning said information;

means for requesting part or all of said information correlated with said second single choice or said second multiple choices;

means for receiving said information from said first information processing apparatus; and

means for displaying said received information.

11. A computer program product for permitting a computer to perform:

a function for recording first information concerning a user;

a function for referring to said first information to generate a first single choice or first multiple choices concerning information to be provided;

a function for transmitting said first single choice or said first multiple choices across a network to a second information processing apparatus; and

a function for transmitting to said second information processing apparatus, in response to a request, part or all of said first information concerning said first single choice selected as a second single choice or said first multiple choices selected as multiple second choices.

12. A computer program product for permitting a computer to perform:

a function for recording second information concerning a user;

a function for receiving a first single choice or first multiple choices across a network concerning information generated by a first information processing apparatus;

a function for referring to said second information to select as a second single choice said first single choice or to select as second multiple choices said first multiple choices concerning said information;

a function for requesting part or all of said information correlated with said second single choice or said second multiple choices;

a function for receiving said information from said first information processing apparatus; and

a function for displaying said received information.