Information collection system connected to a communication network for collecting desired information in a desired form

• US 5,963,941 A
• Filed: 04/06/1998
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirakawa, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Choules, Jack M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Application Number:
  US09/055,302
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 707/5, 707/1-6, 707/10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/30 of unstructured textual data document management systems G06F16/93
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/337 Profile generation, learning or modification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/345 Summarisation for human users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

An information collection system comprises a user interface unit for executing input/output information with respect to a user, an external interface unit for exchanging various types of information with an external unit, a user model determination unit for preparing at least one of user information for discriminating information required by the user, user information for defining an information proposition method, and user information for defining an information modification method in accordance with information input from the user interface unit, an information drawing-out unit for drawing out and modifying information input from the external interface unit in accordance with the user information acquired from the user model determination unit, an information proposition processing unit for converting information acquired by the information drawing-out unit into a proposition form for the user in accordance with the information acquired from the user model determination unit, and a control unit for receiving information from the individual units mentioned above, and executing control of the individual units and information exchange therewith in accordance with the received information.

Claims

1. An information collection system connected to a communication network for receiving a plurality of information including electronic mail and for collecting desired information from said communication network, comprising:

user interface means for executing input/output information with respect to a user;

external interface means for exchanging various types of information with a plurality of external units connected to said communication network;

user model determination means for preparing first user-information for discriminating and modifying information required by said user, and second user-information for defining an information proposition method in a form of a user-desired format;

information drawing-out means for drawing out information input from said external interface means in accordance with said first user-information;

information modify means for modifying the drawn out information into a user-desired information by performing desired processing in accordance with the first user-information;

information proposition processing means for converting information modified by said information modify means into a proposition form for said user in accordance with said second user-information;

output means for outputting information converted by said information proposition processing means; and

control means for receiving information from said individual means mentioned above, and executing control of said individual means and information exchange therewith in accordance with said received information.

2. An information collection system according to claim 1, wherein said user model determination means prepares said first and second user-information as a user information unit, and said user information unit includes:

a search object item for specifying a destination for information collection;

a search condition item for discriminating said user-desired information from unnecessary information;

a proposition content item for proposing only said user-desired information among acquired external information;

a proposition method item for proposing said external information at a user-desired timing and in a form of user-desired contents; and

a data proceeding determination item for defining a save form and an erase timing of said external information.

3. An information collection system according to claim 2, wherein said search condition item includes:

a key word input through said user interface means by a user; and

a logical key-word representation generated from said key word.

4. An information collection system according to claim 1, wherein said user model determination means includes importance determination means that a user determines an importance rank for collected information.

5. An information collection system according to claim 4, wherein said information drawing-out means includes:

a function to filter input external information at a high speed; and

a function to analyze and determine said external information in more detail.

6. An information collection system according to claim 1, wherein said information proposition processing means includes a function to integrate multiple pieces of information acquired through said external interface means respectively from said plurality of external units and converting the integrated information into the proposing form for the user.

7. An information collection system according to claim 1, wherein said information proposition processing means includes a function to change a proposition method for information acquired through said external interface means and a proposing amount of said information in accordance with one of an elapsing time from an input time of said information and an amount of information drawn out by said information drawing-out means and modified by said information modify means.

8. An information collection system according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes means for accessing an external database via said external interface means in accordance with said first user-information proposed by said user model determination means.

9. An information collection system according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes a function to propose and output said information converted by said information proposition processing means through said user interface means at a timing determined in accordance with said first user-information prepared by said user model determination means.

10. An information collection system according to claim 1, further comprising data storage means for storing said first and second user-information and external information.

11. An information collection system connected to a communication network for receiving a plurality of information including electronic mail and for collecting desired information from said communication network, comprising:

user interface means for executing input/output information with respect to a user;

external interface means for exchanging various types of information with a plurality of external units connected to said communication network;

user model determination means for preparing first user-information for discriminating and modifying information required by said user, and second user-information for defining an information proposition method in a form of a user-desired format;

information drawing-out means for drawing out information input from said external interface means in accordance with said first user-information;

information modify means for modifying the drawn out information into a user-desired information by performing desired processing in accordance with the first user-information;

information proposition processing means for converting information modified by said information modify means into a proposition form for said user in accordance with said second user-information; and

output means for outputting information converted by said information proposition processing means.

12. An information collection system according to claim 11, wherein said information proposition processing means includes a function to integrate multiple pieces of information acquired through said external interface means respectively from said plurality of external units and converting the integrated information into the proposing form for the user.

13. An information collection system according to claim 11, wherein said information proposition processing means includes a function to change a proposition method for information acquired through said external interface means and a proposing amount of said information in accordance with one of an elapsing time from an input time of said information and an amount of information drawn out and modified by said information drawing-out means.

14. An information collection system according to claim 11, further comprising data storage means for storing said first and second user-information and external information.