Information providing method, information providing system and program

• US 20020199097A1
• Filed: 06/12/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IPG Healthcare 501 Limited (Coller IP Capital Limited)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Narita, Izuru, Terashita, Yoshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/153
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A user 100 makes an inquiry through a billing institution 103 to a gene analyzing institution 104 retaining gene analysis information, and the billing institution 103 transfers the gene analysis information received from the gene analyzing institution 104 to the user 100 using a routing address that was dynamically set. The gene analysis information is encrypted at the gene analyzing institution 104 in such a way that decryption at the billing institution 103 is infeasible. Since the gene analyzing institution 104 cannot identify the user 100, and the billing institution 103 cannot know the content of the gene analysis information, privacy of the user 100 can thus be protected.

Claims

1. An information providing method comprising the steps of:

receiving user specific information by way of a routing address selected dynamically from a plurality of addresses determined in advance with a relay institution;

encrypting information corresponding to said user specific information with a first encryption key corresponding to a first decryption key held by a user; and

transmitting said encrypted information to said routing address.

2. The information providing method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

encrypting a second encryption key corresponding to a self held second decryption key with said first encryption key;

transmitting said second encryption key encrypted to said user by way of said relay institution; and

receiving an information category requested by said user with respect to said information,

said information category or said user specific information being encrypted with said second encryption key.

3. The information providing method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving said routing address transmitted from said relay institution;

setting a service ID corresponding to said routing address;

transmitting said service ID to said user by way of said relay institution;

receiving said user specific information and said service ID;

judging whether a combination of the routing address through which said user specific information was transmitted and the service ID received simultaneously with said user specific information matches with a combination of the routing address transmitted from said relay institution and the service ID set correspondingly with said routing address transmitted; and

stopping the transmission of said information if said judgment is false.

4. The information providing method according to claim 1, wherein said user specific information is a secret number issued to said user.

5. The information providing method according to claim 1, wherein said user specific information is physical characteristics data of said user, and said method further comprises the steps of:

receiving data on physical characteristics that can be delivered by an electronic method or in an electronic form;

judging whether said data received matches with pre-registered physical characteristics data of said user or physical characteristics data obtained from a sample extracted from said user; and

authenticating said physical characteristics data as said user specific information if said judgment is true.

6. An information providing method comprising the steps of:

receiving an inquiry about information from a user;

selecting a routing address from a plurality of addresses determined in advance with an information providing institution that provides said information;

receiving said information transmitted from said information providing institution at said routing address; and

transferring said information received at said routing address to said user.

7. The information providing method according to claim 6, wherein said information received at said routing address is encrypted with a first encryption key corresponding to a first decryption key held by said user.

8. The information providing method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

receiving user specific information transmitted from said user; and

transferring said user specific information to said information providing institution by way of said routing address,

said user specific information being encrypted with a second encryption key corresponding to a second decryption key held at said information providing institution.

9. The information providing method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an information category transmitted from and requested by said user with respect to said information;

transferring said information category to said information providing institution;

receiving a charge amount for said information category transmitted from said information providing institution;

calculating a bill amount charged on said user by adding a commission to said charge amount; and

transmitting said bill amount to said user,

said information category being encrypted with a second encryption key corresponding to a second decryption key held at said information providing institution.

10. An information providing method implemented in an information providing system including a user who is to be provided with information, an information providing institution for providing said information, and a relay institution for relaying communications between said user and said information providing institution, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving an inquiry about said information from said user at said relay institution;

selecting a routing address from a plurality of addresses which said relay institution and said information providing institution have agreed on in advance;

transmitting user specific information from said user to said information providing institution via said routing address of said relay institution;

selecting information corresponding to said user specific information in said information providing institution; and

transmitting said information from said information providing institution to said user via said routing address,

said user specific information being encrypted with a second encryption key corresponding to a second decryption key held by said information providing institution,

said information being encrypted with a first encryption key corresponding to a first decryption key held by said user.

11. An information providing system comprising:

means for receiving user specific information by way of a routing address selected dynamically from a plurality of addresses determined in advance with a relay institution;

means for encrypting information corresponding to said user specific information with a first encryption key corresponding to a first decryption key held by a user; and

means for transmitting said encrypted information to said routing address.

12. The information providing system according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for encrypting a second encryption key corresponding to a self held second decryption key with said first encryption key;

means for transmitting said second encryption key encrypted to said user by way of said relay institution; and

means for receiving an information category requested by said user with respect to said information,

said information category or said user specific information being encrypted with said second encryption key.

13. The information providing system according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for receiving said routing address transmitted from said relay institution;

means for setting a service ID corresponding to said routing address;

means for transmitting said service ID to said user by way of said relay institution;

means for receiving said user specific information and said service ID;

means for judging whether a combination of the routing address through which said user specific information was transmitted and the service ID received simultaneously with said user specific information matches with a combination of the routing address transmitted from said relay institution and the service ID set correspondingly with said routing address transmitted; and

means for stopping the transmission of said information if said judgment is false.

14. The information providing system according to claim 11, wherein said user specific information is a secret number assigned to said user.

15. The information providing system according to claim 11,

wherein said user specific information is physical characteristics data of said user, and

wherein said system further comprises:

means for receiving data on physical characteristics that can be delivered by an electronic method or in an electronic form;

means for judging whether said data received matches with pre registered physical characteristics data of said user or physical characteristics data obtained from a sample extracted from said user; and

means for authenticating said physical characteristics data as said user specific information if said judgment is true.

17. The information providing system according to claim 16, wherein said information received at said routing address is encrypted with a first encryption key corresponding to a first decryption key held by said user.

18. The information providing system according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for receiving user specific information transmitted from said user; and

means for transferring said user specific information to said information providing institution by way of said routing address,

said user specific information being encrypted with a second encryption key corresponding to a second decryption key held at said information providing institution.

19. The information providing system according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for receiving an information category transmitted from and requested by said user with respect to said information;

means for transferring said information category to said information providing institution;

means for receiving a charge amount for said information category transmitted from said information providing institution;

means for calculating a bill amount charged on said user by adding a commission to said charge amount; and

means for transmitting said bill amount to said user,

said information category being encrypted with a second encryption key corresponding to a second decryption key held at said information providing institution.

16. An information providing system, comprising:

means for receiving an inquiry about information from a user;

means for selecting a routing address from a plurality of addresses determined in advance with an information providing institution that provides said information;

means for receiving said information transmitted from said information providing institution at said routing address; and

means for transferring said information received at said routing address to said user.

20. An information providing system, including:

a user who is to be provided with information;

an information providing institution for providing said information;

a relay institution for relaying communications between said user and said information providing institution;

means for receiving an inquiry about said information from said user at said relay institution;

means for selecting a routing address from a plurality of addresses which said relay institution and said information providing institution have agreed on in advance;

means for transmitting user specific information from said user to said information providing institution via said routing address of said relay institution;

means for selecting information corresponding to said user specific information in said information providing institution; and

means for transmitting said information from said information providing institution to said user via said routing address,

said user specific information being encrypted with a second encryption key corresponding to a second decryption key held by said information providing institution,

said information being encrypted with a first encryption key corresponding to a first decryption key held by said user.

21. A computer executable program for making a computer perform the functions of:

receiving user specific information by way of a routing address selected dynamically from a plurality of addresses determined in advance with a relay institution;

encrypting information corresponding to said user specific information with a first encryption key corresponding to a first decryption key held by a user; and

transmitting said encrypted information to said routing address.

22. A computer executable program for making a computer perform the functions of:

receiving an inquiry about information from a user;

selecting a routing address from a plurality of addresses determined in advance with an information providing institution that provides said information;

receiving said information transmitted from said information providing institution at said routing address; and

transferring said information received at said routing address to said user.