GROUP CONTACTING SYSTEM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM FOR STORING COMPUTER INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXECUTING OPERATIONS OF THE CONTACT SYSTEM

• US 20030093474A1
• Filed: 01/27/1999
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: MATSUI, KAZUKI, SUGANO, HIROYASU, KAKUTA, JUN
• Granted Patent: US 6,714,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management

Abstract

A group contact system includes a server 4 for managing user information, and a plurality of user terminals (2) which mutually and commonly engage in a communication service operated on the server. The user terminal (2) includes a card forming instruction means (5) and a content acquiring means (9). The server (4) includes a user information storage means (7) and a card forming means (8). Members who establish communications in, for instance a chat of the communication service, are eligible to be designated a group member. Anyone using the service can request that the server form a group card. Every item to be included in the group card has an access level that may be set by a user so that certain items may be excluded from the group card. As a result, the group card for user A may not have the same items as a corresponding card for user B. The group members acquire the formed group card and save the content of the formed group card. The invention also permits any group member to mutually make contact with other members by using the information on the card to access another communication means such as a telephone or a facsimile. Also, a snapshot of each member of the group members may be included on the card. Therefore, a friendship may develop among the group members.

Claims

1. A group contact system comprising:

a plurality of first information terminals each being configured for a respective user to communicate via a communication service over a network; and

a second information terminal connected to the network, said second information terminal being configured for management of the communication service;

wherein;

each of said first information terminals includes;

means for selecting members of a group by a selecting user for designating at least one other user as a designated user so as to form the group of designated users with the selecting user, said selecting means also configured to designate corresponding group information identifying designated users in the group, each of the designated user and the selecting user accessing the communication service from respective ones of said first communication terminals;

said second information terminal includes;

user information storing means for storing user information, said user information including information identifying each user and a corresponding one of said first information terminals on said network utilized by the user to access the communication service; and

means for compiling group information including user information relating to each designated user designated by said group forming means in response to said selecting means in said first information terminal.

2. The group contact system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said first information terminals further includes means for acquiring the contents of the compiled group information relating to each of the designated users in the group from said second information terminal.

3. The group contact system as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

said first information terminal further includes acquisition confirming means configured to receive notification of compiled group information to be transmitted from said second information terminal, and said acquisition confirming means being further formed to notify to said content acquiring means of incoming transmission of the compiled group information; and

said content acquiring means further being configured to receive said group information based upon notification issued from said acquisition confirming means.

4. The group contact system as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

said first information terminal is connected to an external communication apparatus; and

said first information terminal further includes;

communication control means configured to access said external communication apparatus in response to selection by the corresponding user at said first information terminal of one designated user of the compiled group information, said communication control means being further configured to contact said one designated user via said external communication apparatus.

5. The group contact system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said second information terminal further includes identification information forming means for forming said identification information in said group information.

6. The group contact system as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

said first information terminal further includes;

snapshot forming instruction means for processing instructions relating to formation of a snapshot, said snapshot to contain images representing each of the designated users in the group, said snapshot forming instruction means also being configured for transmitting the instructions to said second information terminal; and

said second information terminal further includes;

snapshot forming means configured for forming said snapshot in response to the instructions from said snapshot forming instruction means, said snapshot forming means being configured to compile image information about each designated user in the group to produce a snapshot, and said snapshot forming means being further configured for transmitting said snapshot to each said first information terminals designated in said group information in said group, and said snapshot forming means being further configured for compiling group information to accompany said snapshot.

7. The group contact system as set forth in claim 6 wherein:

said first information terminal further includes auxiliary information selecting means for selecting auxiliary visual information to be added to said snapshot and also for adding said selected auxiliary visual information to the instructions sent to said snapshot forming means; and

said second information terminal further includes;

a storage apparatus for storing therein contents of said auxiliary visual information; and

information adding means for reading the contents of said selected auxiliary visual information from said storage apparatus and also for adding the read contents to said snapshot.

8. The group contact system as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

said first information terminal further includes output means for visually outputting the group information stored by said content acquiring.

9. A group contact managing apparatus for managing user information communicated between a plurality of information terminals, the information terminals communicating with each other via a communication service over a network, said group contact managing apparatus comprising:

means for operating the communication service;

user information storing means for storing user information relating to users at respective user terminals; and

group information forming means for receiving a group information forming request from any one of the information terminals, the group information forming request having a group list identifying designated users who define a group, each of the designated users accessing the communication service from respective said information terminals, said group information forming means further configured for forming group information containing user information relating to each of said designated users, and said group information forming means further configured for transmitting compiled group information to the information terminals of said designated users.

10. A group contact apparatus connected to an information server which manages information related to users and their respective information terminals, the information server providing a communication service to the information terminals over a network, the group contact apparatus comprising:

group information forming instruction means configured for designating users in communication with the communication service, said group information forming instructions means also configured for requesting said information server to form group information simultaneously with the operation of the communication service between a plurality of group contact apparatus; and

content acquiring means for acquiring formed group information from said information server and saving the acquired group information in storage.

11. A computer readable recording medium for recording thereon a group contact management program employed in a second information terminal for managing user information communicated between a plurality of first information terminals which mutually and commonly communicate with one another via a communication service operated from the second information terminal, said group contact management program executing the following steps:

A) a user information storing step for storing information related to users at each of the first information terminals;

B) a group information forming step which compiles group information in response to a request from any one of the first information terminals, the request including a designation of users accessing the communication service who have been selected to be in a group, the group information including user information about each designated user; and

C) a group information transmitting step for transmitting the compiled group information to each first information terminal corresponding to a respective one of the designated users.

12. A computer readable recording medium for recording thereon a group contact program employed in a first information terminal, a plurality of the first information terminals being mutually and commonly in communication with one another via a communication service operated from a second information terminal, said group contact program executing the following steps:

A) a group information instruction forming step wherein a selecting user selects at least one user as a designated user from users communicating via the communication service, the designated users to subsequently define a group with the selecting user, the first communication terminal thereafter transmitting formed instructions to the second communication terminal for subsequent formation of group information based upon the formed instructions, said group information instruction forming step allowing continued communication between respective ones of said first information terminals; and

B) a content acquiring step for acquiring contents of the subsequently formed group information formed in response said group information instruction forming step.

13. A group communication method for effecting selection, designation and compilation of group information in conjunction with a communication service operated over a network communication system in which a plurality of users commonly communicate via the communication service, including the steps of:

A) operating a communication service;

B) collecting user information from a plurality of users accessing the communication service and storing the information in a common storage space;

C) selecting at least one user from users accessing the communication service, the selected users defining a group of users;

D) requesting group information be compiled from the user information corresponding to the selected users in the group; and

E) compiling group information corresponding to the selected users in the group in response to the request of step (D).

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising the step of:

F) forming a snapshot that includes image information corresponding to each selected user, the formed snapshot combined with the compiled group information; and

G) transmitting the compiled group information and snapshot to each of the selected users.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein step (D) further includes designation of a background for insertion into the snapshot formed in step (F).