SERVER, METHOD OF CONTROLLING SERVER, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM

• US 20160261537A1
• Filed: 08/21/2015
• Published: 09/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LY Corp. (A Holdings Corp.), Z Intermediate Global Corporation (A Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: LINE Corporation (A Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: YANG, Heechan, SUGIMOTO, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,887,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Disclosed is a server capable of improving convenience for a user at the time of service registration. The server includes a service providing unit which provides a service to an unregistered user who is not registered in the service when the unregistered user accesses the service, and a storage device which stores a service history provided to the unregistered user by the service providing unit. When the unregistered user is registered in the service, the service providing unit allows the unregistered user to use the service while taking over a service history used when the unregistered user is not registered in the service.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a server, the method comprising:

providing, using at least one processor, a service to an unregistered user who is not registered in the service when the unregistered user accesses the service;

storing, using the at least one processor, a service history on a storage device; and

allowing, once registered, the unregistered user to use the service while taking over a service history from when the unregistered user was not registered.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, using the at least one processor, an invitation request for inviting the unregistered user to the service from a registered user who is registered in the service;

transmitting, using the at least one processor, an invitation message to the service to the unregistered user according to the invitation request; and

providing, using the at least one processor, the service to an unregistered user who accesses the service according to the invitation message.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

acquiring, using the at least one processor, user identification information of the unregistered user who accesses the service according to the invitation message;

storing, using the at least one processor, the invitation message and the user identification information in association with each other on the storage device; and

providing, using the at least one processor, the service to a user having user identification information associated with the invitation message among users who access the service according to the invitation message.

4. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

limiting, using the at least one processor, the content of the service to be provided to the unregistered user based on the content of the service to be provided to the registered user.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the service includes a messaging service for exchanging messages between registered users;

and

the service history is a message history exchanged by the unregistered user and a registered user.

6. The method according to claim 4, the method further comprising:

prohibiting, using the at least one processor, the unregistered user to use content usable by a registered user other than a text message as the message; and

wherein the service includes a messaging service for exchanging messages between registered users.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the content includes at least one of an image, a video, an animation, an audio file, and a digital sticker.

8. The method according to claim 4, the method further comprising:

prohibiting, using the at least one processor, the unregistered user to exchange a message with a registered user not included in the information; and

wherein

the service includes a messaging service for exchanging messages between registered users; and

the invitation message includes information about one or more registered users who are able to exchange a message with the unregistered user.

9. The method according to claim 8, the method further comprising:

transmitting, using the at least one processor, information for displaying a registered user included in the information on a desired display device of the unregistered user as candidates of friends of the unregistered user when the unregistered user is registered in the service; and

wherein the messaging service exchanges a message between registered users set as friends.

10. The method according to claim 4, the method further comprising:

prohibiting, using the at least one processor, the unregistered user to use the call service, and wherein the service includes a call service for allowing a voice call using a communication line between registered users.

11. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

skipping, using the at least one processor, an input procedure of a telephone number at the time of new registration in the service when the invitation message is transmitted using a communication protocol capable of using a telephone number as an address.

12. A server comprising:

a memory having computer readable instructions stored thereon;

at least one processor configured to execute the computer readable instructions to,

provide a service to an unregistered user who is not registered in the service when the unregistered user accesses the service,

store a service history on a storage device; and

allow, once registered, the unregistered user to use the service while taking over a service history from when the unregistered user was not registered.

13. The server according to claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive an invitation request for inviting the unregistered user to the service from a registered user who is registered in the service;

transmit an invitation message to the service to the unregistered user according to the invitation request; and

provide the service to an unregistered user who accesses the service according to the invitation message.

14. The server according to claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

acquire user identification information of the unregistered user who accesses the service according to the invitation message;

store the invitation message and the user identification information in association with each other on the storage device; and

provide the service to a user having user identification information associated with the invitation message among users who access the service according to the invitation message.

15. The server according to claim 12, the at least one processor is further configured to limit the content of the service to be provided to the unregistered user based on the content of the service to be provided to the registered user.

16. The server according to claim 12, wherein the service includes a messaging service for exchanging messages between registered users, and

the service history is a message history exchanged by the unregistered user and a registered user.

17. The server according to claim 15, wherein:

the service includes a messaging service for exchanging messages between registered users, and

the at least one processor is further configured to prohibit the unregistered user to use content usable by a registered user other than a text message as the message.

18. The server according to claim 17,

wherein the content includes at least one of an image, a video, an animation, an audio file, and a digital sticker.

19. The server according to claim 15, wherein:

the service includes a messaging service for exchanging messages between registered users;

the invitation message includes information about one or more registered users who are able to exchange a message with the unregistered user; and

the at least one processor is further configured to prohibit the unregistered user to exchange a message with a registered user not included in the information.

20. The server according to claim 19, wherein:

the messaging service exchanges a message between registered users set as friends; and

the at least one processor is further configured to transmit information for displaying a registered user included in the information on a desired display device of the unregistered user as candidates of friends of the unregistered user when the unregistered user is registered in the service.

21. The server according to claim 15, wherein:

the service includes a call service for allowing a voice call using a communication line between registered users; and

the at least one processor is further configured to prohibit the unregistered user to use the call service.

22. The server according to claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to skip an input procedure of a telephone number at the time of new registration in the service when the invitation message is transmitted using a communication protocol capable of using a telephone number as an address.

23. A method of controlling a server, the method comprising:

providing, using at least one processor, a service to an unregistered user who is not registered in the service when the unregistered user accesses the service;

storing, using the at least one processor, a service history on a storage device; and

allowing, once registered, the unregistered user to use the service while taking over a service history from when the unregistered user was not registered.

24. A system comprising:

at least one server;

the at least one server including a memory having computer readable instructions stored thereon, and

at least one processor configured to execute the computer readable instructions to,

receive a service registration request from a terminal device,

determine whether the received service registration request includes information indicating a limited service user,

receive a unique identifier from the terminal device,

register a user for the service based on the results of the determination and the received unique identifier, and

transmit service registration information to the terminal.