METHODS OF PROVIDING SOCIAL NETWORK SERVICE AND SERVER PERFORMING THE SAME

• US 20150312260A1
• Filed: 04/27/2015
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Sun-kyung, ALIEKSIEIEV, Mykola, KULAKOV, Aleksey, MOKHONKO, Aleksey
• Granted Patent: US 9,781,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for sharing content through a chatting space of a social networking service (SNS) are provided. The method includes detecting an access of a plurality of users to the chatting space, and decrypting encrypted content that was previously shared by the plurality of users in the chatting space, in response to the plurality of users accessing the chatting space.

Claims

1. A method of sharing content in a chatting space of a social networking service (SNS), the method comprising:

detecting whether a plurality of users included in a sharing group of users are accessing the chatting space; and

decrypting encrypted content that was previously shared in the chatting space by the sharing group of users, in response to detecting that the plurality of users included in the sharing group of users are accessing the chatting space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of users comprise a first user, a second user, and a third user, and

the method further comprises decrypting the encrypted content that was previously shared in the chatting space, in response to at least two selected from the group consisting of the first through third users accessing the chatting space.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting the shared content that was decrypted, in response to at least one selected from the group consisting of the plurality of users being disconnected from the chatting space after the decrypting of the encrypted content is performed.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the chatting space, wherein the generating of the chatting space comprises setting a decryption condition with respect to content that is shared in the chatting space.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the setting of the decryption condition comprises determining at least two essential users that have to access the chatting space to decrypt the encrypted content, from among the plurality of users.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a sharing limitation with respect to the decrypted content so that the decrypted content is shared between only the plurality of users.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining of the sharing limitation comprises determining at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a providing time for the decrypted content,

whether a visible watermark is included in the decrypted content,

whether a print screen function is prohibited with respect to the decrypted content,

whether a device shaking request message is transmitted while the decrypted content is being played, and

whether to stop providing of the decrypted content based on a real-time detection of whether the plurality of users are viewing the decrypted content.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the setting of the decryption condition comprises determining at least one of a method of transmitting a decryption request to the plurality of users and a method of receiving a decryption approval from the plurality of users.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method of transmitting the decryption request comprises transmitting a decryption request to the plurality of users using at least one of a text message, an e-mail, a notification window, and a chatting message.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the method of receiving the decryption approval comprises receiving a decryption approval from the plurality of users using at least one of a video phone call, biometric identification data, a password, and a pin code.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the setting of the decryption condition comprises setting different decryption conditions for different pieces of content, respectively.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the generating the chatting space further comprises determining the plurality of users.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining of the plurality of users comprises transmitting a message asking the plurality of users about whether the plurality of users are to participate in the chatting space, based on an address book that is accessible by an application providing the chatting space.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining of the plurality of users further comprises requesting the plurality of users for a user identification certification via at least one of a video phone call, biometric identification data, a password, and a pin code.

15. The method of claim 4, wherein the generating the chatting space further comprises determining a generation condition with respect to the content that may be shared in the chatting space.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining the generation condition comprises determining at least two essential users that have to access the chatting space to generate the content, from among the plurality of users.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the content that is shared in the chatting space, in response to the plurality of users accessing the chatting space.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating a sharing folder for the generated content in at least one device from among respective devices of the plurality of users, and a server.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising encrypting the generated content.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing the encrypted content in at least one device from among respective devices of the plurality of users, and the server.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the encrypting comprises:

generating an encryption key for encrypting the content and a plurality of partial keys of the encryption key;

distributing the generated plurality of partial keys to the plurality of devices, respectively; and

encrypting the content using the encryption key.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the encrypting of the content further comprises encrypting the plurality of partial keys, and

the distributing of the generated plurality of partial keys comprises distributing the encrypted plurality of partial keys to the plurality of devices, respectively.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising storing the distributed encryption keys in a security zone of the respective devices of the plurality of users.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the decrypting comprises:

recovering a decryption key corresponding to the encryption key from the distributed plurality of partial keys of the encryption key, in response to the plurality of users accessing the chatting space; and

decrypting the encrypted content using the recovered decryption key.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the chatting space, and generating a user interface (UI) object corresponding to the chatting space which is configured to be accessed by the plurality of users.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program that is executable by a computer to perform the method of claim 1.

26. A server configured to share content in a chatting space of a social networking service (SNS), the server comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from one of a plurality of users of a sharing group of users, a request for generating a chatting space that may be accessed by the plurality of users;

a controller configured to generate the chatting space, and decrypt encrypted content that was previously shared by the plurality of users of the sharing group in the chatting space, in response to the plurality of users of the sharing group accessing the chatting space; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the decrypted content to the chatting space.

27. The server of claim 26, wherein the plurality of users comprise a first user, a second user, and a third user, and

the controller is configured to decrypt the encrypted content that was previously shared in the chatting space in response to at least two selected form the group consisting of the first through third users accessing the chatting space.

28. The server of claim 26, wherein the controller is configured to determine a decryption condition with respect to content that is shared in the chatting space or a generation condition with respect to the content that is shared in the chatting space.

30. A method of protecting content that is shared in a chatting space of a social networking service (SNS), the method comprising:

generating content in the chatting space by at least one terminal from among a plurality of terminals included in a secure group of terminals;

encrypting the generated content using an encryption key; and

dividing the encryption key into a plurality of partial encryption keys and distributing the plurality of partial encryption keys to the plurality of terminals.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein a number of the partial encryption keys corresponds to a number of the plurality of terminals, and the distributing comprises distributing all of the partial encryption keys such that only one partial encryption key is distributed to each respective terminal.