Information providing method, information providing system, terminal device, central apparatus and computer memory product

• US 20030065794A1
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Otsuka, Masafumi, Fukuichi, Masanao, Akazawa, Yoshiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,519,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

One terminal device accepts provision information to be provided, and furthermore, recipient information relating to a recipient capable of receiving the provision information, and accepts a provision format of the provision information for each recipient. The accepted provision information, recipient information and provision format are transmitted to a central apparatus. In the case where a request of the provision information and the recipient information is transmitted from one of terminal devices, provision information corresponding to the registered provision format is provided to the one of terminal devices based on the received recipient information.

Claims

1. An information providing method for providing provision information which is to be provided and registered in a central apparatus in response to a request from plural terminal devices which are connected to said central apparatus by a communication network, comprising the steps of:

accepting, by one terminal device, a provision information, a recipient information relating to a recipient who is authorized to receive said provision information, and a provision format of said provision information to be applied to said recipient;

transmitting, by said one terminal device to said central apparatus, said accepted provision information, recipient information, and provision format;

registering, in said central apparatus, said transmitted provision information, recipient information, and provision format;

receiving, by said central apparatus, a request and recipient information transmitted from one of terminal devices; and

providing, by said central apparatus to said one of terminal devices which transmitted said request and recipient information, a registered provision information corresponding to the registered provision format based on said received recipient information.

2. An information providing system for providing provision information to be provided, comprising:

a central apparatus in which provision information is registered; and

plural terminal devices which are connected to said central apparatus by a communication network, and issue a request for receiving provision information, wherein

one terminal device includes a processor capable of performing the following operations of;

accepting a provision information, a recipient information relating to a recipient who is authorized to receive said provision information, and a provision format of said provision information to be applied to said recipient; and

transmitting said accepted provision information, recipient information, and provision format to said central apparatus; and

said central apparatus includes a processor capable of performing the following operations of;

registering said provision information, recipient information, and provision format transmitted from said one terminal device;

receiving a request and recipient information transmitted from one of terminal devices; and

providing to said one of terminal devices which transmitted said request and recipient information a registered provision information corresponding to the registered provision format based on said received recipient information.

3. The information providing system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the provision format includes the PDF which is converted from provision information and an original format which is not converted from provision information.

4. The information providing system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said processor of said one terminal device is further capable of performing an operation of accepting name disclosure information indicating whether or not a name of provider who provides the provision information to be disclosed;

said operation of transmitting further transmitting said accepted name disclosure information;

said operation of registering further registering a name disclosure information; and

said operation of providing further providing to said one of terminal devices which transmitted said request and recipient information a name of provider based on said received recipient information and said name disclosure information.

5. The information providing system as set forth in claim 4, wherein the provision format includes the PDF which is converted from provision information and an original format which is not converted from provision information.

6. The information providing system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said operation of registering further registering auxiliary provision information whose information volume is reduced from said transmitted provision information;

said processor of said central apparatus is further capable of performing an operation of judging whether a request from said one of terminal devices is transmitted through said network or through another network different from said network; and

said operation of providing further providing an auxiliary provision information according to said registered provision format to said one of terminal devices based on the received recipient information when it is judged that said one of terminal devices transmits the request through said another network.

7. The information providing system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the provision format includes the PDF which is converted from provision information and an original format which is not converted from provision information.

8. A terminal device for registering provision information to be provided to a computer, comprising a processor capable of performing the following operations of:

accepting a provision information, a recipient information relating to a recipient who is authorized to receive said provision information, and a provision format of said provision information to be applied to said recipient; and

transmitting said accepted provision information, recipient information, and provision format to another computer.

9. A central apparatus for providing registered provision information to be provided in response to a request from a computer, comprising a processor capable of performing the following operations of:

registering a provision information, recipient information relating to a recipient who is authorized to receive said provision information, and a provision format of said provision information to be applied to said recipient transmitted from exterior;

receiving a recipient information transmitted from another computer; and

providing to said another computer a registered provision information corresponding to the registered provision format based on said received recipient information.

10. A computer memory product in which a computer program is recorded, said program causing a computer to provide registered provision information to be provided in response to a request from a computer, and said computer program comprising the steps of:

causing a computer to register a provision information, recipient information relating to a recipient who is authorized to receive said provision information, and a provision format of said provision information to be applied to said recipient transmitted from exterior;

causing a computer to receive a recipient information transmitted from another computer; and

causing a computer to provide to said another computer a registered provision information corresponding to the registered provision format based on said received recipient information.

11. A computer memory product in which a computer program is recorded, said program causing the computer to register provision information to be provided to a computer, and said computer program comprising the steps of:

causing a computer to accept a provision information, recipient information relating to a recipient who is authorized to receive said provision information, and a provision format of said provision information to be applied to said recipient; and

causing a computer to transmit said accepted provision information, recipient information, and provision format to another computer.

12. An information providing system for providing provision information to be provided, comprising:

a central apparatus in which provision information is registered; and

plural terminal devices which are connected to said central apparatus by a communication network and issues a request for receiving provision information, wherein

one terminal device includes;

means for accepting a provision information, a recipient information relating to a recipient who is authorized to receive said provision information, and a provision format of said provision information to be applied to said recipient; and

means for transmitting said accepted provision information, recipient information, and provision format to said central apparatus; and

said central apparatus includes;

means for registering said provision information, recipient information, and provision format transmitted from said one terminal device;

means for receiving a request and recipient information transmitted from one of terminal devices; and

means for providing to said one of terminal devices which transmitted said request and recipient information a registered provision information corresponding to the registered provision format based on said received recipient information.

13. The information providing system as set forth in claim 12, wherein

said one terminal device further including means for accepting name disclosure information indicating whether or not a name of provider who provides the provision information to be disclosed;

said means for transmitting further transmitting said accepted name disclosure information;

said means for registering further registering a name disclosure information; and

said means for providing further providing to said one of terminal devices which transmitted said request and recipient information a name of provider based on said received recipient information and said name disclosure information.

14. The information providing system as set forth in claim 12, wherein

said means for registering further registering auxiliary provision information whose information volume is reduced from said transmitted provision information;

said central apparatus further including means for judging whether a request from said one of terminal devices is transmitted through said network or through another network different from said network; and

said means for providing further providing an auxiliary provision information according to said registered provision format to said one of terminal devices based on the received recipient information when it is judged that said one of terminal devices transmits the request through said another network.

15. A terminal device for registering provision information to be provided to a computer, comprising:

means for accepting a provision information, a recipient information relating to a recipient who is authorized to receive said provision information, and a provision format of said provision information to be applied to said recipient; and

means for transmitting said accepted provision information, recipient information, and provision format to another computer.

16. A central apparatus for providing registered provision information to be provided in response to a request of a computer, comprising:

means for registering a provision information, recipient information relating to a recipient who is authorized to receive said provision information, and a provision format of said provision information to be applied to said recipient transmitted from exterior;

means for receiving a recipient information transmitted from another computer; and

means for providing to said computer which transmitted said recipient information a registered provision information corresponding to the registered provision format based on said received recipient information.