COMMUNICATION METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20170034679A1
• Filed: 10/14/2016
• Published: 02/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sako, Yoichiro, Takehara, Mitsuru, Terauchi, Toshiro, Inoue, Makoto, Takai, Motoyuki, Asukai, Masamichi, Shirai, Katsuya, Nakamura, Takatoshi, Sasaki, Toru, Sakai, Yuichi, Matsuda, Masafumi
• Granted Patent: US 10,291,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

A communication method includes the steps of transmitting, by means of a first communication apparatus, personal information to a second communication apparatus; receiving, by means of the second communication apparatus, the personal information and searching, by means of the second communication apparatus, whether or not personal information having the same content as the received personal information exists in the second communication apparatus; and notifying, by means of the second communication apparatus, the first communication apparatus of a search result.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A device for providing information, the device comprising:

at least one memory configured to store a personal information database and instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to;

retrieve, from the personal information database, first personal information regarding a first user and second personal information regarding a second user, the first personal information including a name of a school to which the first user previously belonged or currently belongs, the second personal information including a name of a school to which the second user previously belonged or currently belongs;

determine, based at least in part on the first personal information and the second personal information, a similarity between the first user and the second user;

determine whether to notify a first device of the first user of a name of the second user based upon the determined similarity between the first user and the second user; and

receive, from the first device of the first user, an instruction as to whether to perform a subsequent communication with a second device of the second user in response to notifying the first device the first user of the name of the second user.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the first personal information includes a name of a company to which the first user previously belonged or currently belongs, and the second personal information includes a name of a company to which the second user previously belonged or currently belongs.

33. The device of claim 31, wherein the first personal information includes a name of music liked by the first user, and the second personal information includes a name of music liked by the second user.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein the name of music liked by the first user comprises a name of a singer liked by the first user, and the name of music liked by the second user comprises a name of a singer liked by the second user.

35. The device of claim 31, wherein the subsequent communication includes an exchange of text messaging between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

36. The device of claim 31, wherein the subsequent communication includes a voice conversation between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

37. The device of claim 31, wherein the subsequent communication includes same content data shared between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

38. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for providing information, the method comprising:

retrieving, from a personal information database, first personal information regarding a first user and second personal information regarding a second user, the first personal information including a name of a school to which the first user previously belonged or currently belongs, the second personal information including a name of a school to which the second user previously belonged or currently belongs;

determining, based at least in part on the first personal information and the second personal information, a similarity between the first user and the second user;

determining whether to notify a first device of the first user of a name of the second user based upon the determined similarity between the first user and the second user; and

receiving, from the first device of the first user, an instruction as to whether to perform a subsequent communication with a second device of the second user in response to notifying the first device the first user of the name of the second user.

39. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 38, wherein the first personal information includes a name of a company to which the first user previously belonged or currently belongs, and the second personal information includes a name of a company to which the second user previously belonged or currently belongs.

40. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 38, wherein the first personal information includes a name of music liked by the first user, and the second personal information includes a name of music liked by the second user.

41. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 40, wherein the name of music liked by the first user comprises a name of a singer liked by the first user, and the name of music liked by the second user comprises a name of a singer liked by the second user.

42. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 38, wherein the subsequent communication includes an exchange of text messaging between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

43. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 38, wherein the subsequent communication includes a voice conversation between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

44. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 38, wherein the subsequent communication includes same content data shared between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

45. A method for providing information, the method comprising:

retrieving, from a personal information database, first personal information regarding a first user and second personal information regarding a second user, the first personal information including a name of a school to which the first user previously belonged or currently belongs, the second personal information including a name of a school to which the second user previously belonged or currently belongs;

determining, based at least in part on the first personal information and the second personal information, a similarity between the first user and the second user;

determining whether to notify a first device of the first user of a name of the second user based upon the determined similarity between the first user and the second user; and

receiving, from the first device of the first user, an instruction as to whether to perform a subsequent communication with a second device of the second user in response to notifying the first device the first user of the name of the second user.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the first personal information includes a name of a company to which the first user previously belonged or currently belongs, and the second personal information includes a name of a company to which the second user previously belonged or currently belongs.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the first personal information includes a name of music liked by the first user, and the second personal information includes a name of music liked by the second user.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the name of music liked by the first user comprises a name of a singer liked by the first user, and the name of music liked by the second user comprises a name of a singer liked by the second user.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein the subsequent communication includes an exchange of text messaging between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein the subsequent communication includes a voice conversation between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein the subsequent communication includes same content data shared between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

52. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor of a first device of a first user, perform a method for providing information, the method comprising:

receiving a name of a second user based on a similarity between the first user and the second user, wherein;

the similarity between the first user and the second user is determined based at least in part on first personal information regarding the first user and second personal information regarding the second user stored in at least one memory connected to a personal information server, the first personal information including a name of a school to which the first user previously belonged or currently belongs, the second personal information including a name of a school to which the second user previously belonged or currently belongs;

controlling to display, at least on a display of the first device of the first user, the name of the second user; and

controlling to transmit, from the first device of the first user to a second device of the second user, an instruction as to whether to perform a subsequent communication with the second device of the second user.

53. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 52, wherein the first personal information includes a name of a company to which the first user previously belonged or currently belongs, and the second personal information includes a name of a company to which the second user previously belonged or currently belongs.

54. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 52, wherein the first personal information includes a name of music liked by the first user, and the second personal information includes a name of music liked by the second user.

55. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 54, wherein the name of music liked by the first user comprises a name of a singer liked by the first user, and the name of music liked by the second user comprises a name of a singer liked by the second user.

56. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 52, wherein the instruction includes a predetermined text message.

57. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 52, wherein the subsequent communication includes an exchange of text messaging between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

58. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 52, wherein the subsequent communication includes same content data shared between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

59. A method for providing information, the method comprising:

receiving a name of a second user based on a similarity between the first user and the second user, wherein;

the similarity between the first user and the second user is determined based at least in part on first personal information regarding the first user and second personal information regarding the second user stored in at least one memory connected to a personal information server, the first personal information including a name of a school to which the first user previously belonged or currently belongs, the second personal information including a name of a school to which the second user previously belonged or currently belongs;

controlling to display, at least on a display of the first device of the first user, the name of the second user; and

controlling to transmit, from the first device of the first user to a second device of the second user, an instruction as to whether to perform a subsequent communication with the second device of the second user.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the first personal information includes a name of a company to which the first user previously belonged or currently belongs, and the second personal information includes a name of a company to which the second user previously belonged or currently belongs.

61. The method of claim 59, wherein the first personal information includes a name of music liked by the first user, and the second personal information includes a name of music liked by the second user.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the name of music liked by the first user comprises a name of a singer liked by the first user, and the name of music liked by the second user comprises a name of a singer liked by the second user.

63. The method of claim 59, wherein the instruction includes a predetermined text message.

64. The method of claim 59, wherein the subsequent communication includes an exchange of text messaging between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.

65. The method of claim 59, wherein the subsequent communication includes same content data shared between the first device of the first user and the second device of the second user.