Information sharing system and information sharing method

• US 20040133547A1
• Filed: 10/20/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Doi, Miwako
• Granted Patent: US 7,483,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

An information sharing apparatus comprises extracting unit extracting personal information item from acquired information item which includes personal information item, generating unit generating anonymous information item by deleting personal information item from acquired information item, storing unit storing personal information item and anonymous information item, storing unit storing first access level assigned to group of users who can access only anonymous information item, and to store second access level assigned to group of users who can access both of anonymous information item and personal information item, receiving unit receiving request message for accessing acquired information item, transmitting unit transmitting only anonymous information item when access level predetermined to user is equal to first access level, synthesizing unit synthesizing personal information item with anonymous information item, transmitting unit transmitting regenerated second information item, when access level of user is equal to second access level.

Claims

1. An information sharing apparatus, which communicates with at least one terminal corresponding to a first user of users, comprising:

an acquiring unit configured to acquire a first information item which includes an anonymous information item and a personal information item, the personal information item corresponding to an informant of the anonymous information item;

a separating unit configured to separate the personal information item from the first information item, to obtain the anonymous information item;

a first storing unit configured to store the personal information item and the anonymous information item;

a second storing unit configured to store a first access level which is assigned to a first group of the users who can access only the anonymous information item out of the anonymous information item and the personal information item, and to store a second access level which is assigned to a second group of users of the users who can access both of the anonymous information item and the personal information item;

a receiving unit configured to receive a request message for accessing the first information item, the request message being transmitted from the terminal;

a first transmitting unit configured to transmit only the anonymous information item out of the anonymous information item and the personal information item to the terminal in response to the request message, when an access level predetermined to the first user is equal to the first access level;

a second transmitting unit configured to transmit both of the anonymous information item and the personal information item in response to the request message, when the access level of the first user is equal to the second access level.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the anonymous information item is a vital data item of the informant.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a enciphering unit configured to encipher the anonymous information item to obtain an enciphered anonymous information item; and

, wherein the first storing unit stores the enciphered anonymous information item.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the anonymous information item is composed of various information items, and the first transmitting unit and the second transmitting unit transmit one or more requested information items of the various information items, the one or more information items being requested by the request message.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third storing unit configured to store a pair of IDs of each of the personal information item and the anonymous information item;

a second acquiring unit configured to acquire one ID of the pair, based on another ID of the pair, the another ID corresponding to the anonymous information item; and

a third acquiring unit configured to acquire the personal information item which corresponds to the one ID and is to be transmit in response to the request message, from the first storing unit.

2. An information sharing apparatus, which communicates with at least one terminal corresponding to a first user of users, comprising:

an acquiring unit configured to acquire a second information item which includes a personal information item;

an extracting unit configured to extract the personal information item from the second information item, to obtain extracted personal information item;

a generating unit configured to generate an anonymous information item by deleting the personal information item from the second information item;

a first storing unit configured to store the extracted personal information item and the anonymous information item;

a second storing unit configured to store a first access level which is assigned to a first group of users of the users who can access only the anonymous information item out of the anonymous information item and the personal information item, and to store a second access level which is assigned to a second group of users of the users who can access both of the anonymous information item and the personal information item;

a receiving unit configured to receive a request message for accessing the second information item, the request message being transmitted from the terminal;

a first transmitting unit configured to transmit only the anonymous information item out of the anonymous information item and the personal information item to the terminal in response to the request message, when an access level predetermined to the first user is equal to the first access level;

a synthesizing unit configured to synthesize the personal information item with the anonymous information item, to obtain a regenerated second information item;

a second transmitting unit configured to transmit the regenerated second information item in response to the request message, when the access level of the first user is equal to the second access level.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second information item is an image, and the personal information item is an image of a personal face.

8. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a third storing unit configured to store a pair of IDs of each of the extracted personal information item and the anonymous information item;

a second acquiring unit configured to acquire one ID of the pair, based on another ID of the pair, the another ID corresponding to the anonymous information item; and

a third acquiring unit configured to acquire the extracted personal information item which corresponds to the one ID and is to be synthesize with the anonymous information, from the first storing unit.

9. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the generating unit generate the anonymous information item by overwriting into an area corresponding to the personal information item with in arbitrary symbols.

10. A method for sharing an acquired information items with a plurality of terminals corresponding to a plurality of users respectively, comprising:

acquiring a first information item which includes an anonymous information item and a personal information item, the personal information item corresponding to an informant of the anonymous information item;

separating the personal information item from the first information item, to obtain the anonymous information item;

storing the personal information item and the anonymous information item in the first memory device;

storing a first access level which is assigned to a first group of users of the users who can access only the anonymous information item out of the anonymous information item and the personal information item, and a second access level which is assigned to a second group of users of the users who can access both of the anonymous information item and the personal information item, in a second memory device;

receiving a request message for accessing the first information item, the request message being transmitted from one of the terminals;

transmitting only the anonymous information item out of the anonymous information item and the personal information item to the one of the terminals in response to the request message, when an access level predetermined to a first user of the users who is corresponds to the one of the terminals is equal to the first access level;

transmitting both of the anonymous information item and the personal information item in response to the request message, when the access level of the first user is equal to the second access level.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the anonymous information item is a vital data item of the informant.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein the anonymous information item is composed of various information items, transmitting only the anonymous information item transmit one or more requested information items of the various information items, the one or more information items being requested by the request message;

and transmitting both of the anonymous information item and the personal information item transmit the one or more requested information items of the various information items.

15. A method according to claim 10, which includes storing a pair of IDs of each of the personal information item and the anonymous information item in a third memory device;

acquiring one ID of the pair, based on another ID of the pair, the another ID corresponding to the anonymous information item; and

acquiring the personal information item which corresponds to the one ID and is to be transmit in response to the request message, from the first memory device.

11. A method for sharing an acquired information items with a plurality of terminals corresponding to a plurality of users respectively, comprising:

acquiring a second information item which includes a personal information item;

extracting the personal information item from the second information item, to obtain extracted personal information item;

generating an anonymous information item by deleting the personal information item from the second information item;

storing the extracted personal information item and the anonymous information item in a first memory device;

storing a first access level which is assigned to a first group of users of the users who can access only the anonymous information item out of the anonymous information item and the personal information item, and a second access level which is assigned to a second group of users of the users who can access both of the anonymous information item and the personal information item;

receiving a request message for accessing the second information item, the request message being transmitted from one of the terminals;

transmitting only the anonymous information item out of the anonymous information item and the personal information item to the one of the terminal in response to the request message, when an access level predetermined to a first user of the users who is corresponds to the one of the terminals is equal to the first access level;

synthesizing the personal information item with the anonymous information item, to obtain a regenerated second information item;

transmitting the regenerated second information item in response to the request message, when the access level of the first user is equal to the second access level.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the second information item is an image, and the personal information item is an image of a personal face.

16. A method according to claim 11, which includes storing a pair of IDs of each of the extracted personal information item and the anonymous information item in the third memory device;

acquiring one ID of the pair, based on another ID of the pair, the another ID corresponding to the anonymous information item; and

acquiring the extracted personal information item which corresponds to the one ID and is to be synthesize with the anonymous information, from the first memory device.

17. A method according to claim 11, wherein the generating generates the anonymous information item by overwriting into an area corresponding to the personal information item with in arbitrary symbols.