Message searching system and terminal

• US 6,356,893 B1
• Filed: 11/10/1998
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GMO Internet Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GMO Internet Incorporated
• Inventors: Itakura, Yuichiro, Tsutsui, Yuichiro, Fujita, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Homere, Jean R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wassum, Luke S
• Application Number:
  US09/188,571
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/104, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217-219, 705/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1439 time-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1471 splitting of costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A message searching and system and a terminal, which display messages to terminal users based on their individual characteristics profile, even when a plurality of users use the same terminal and even when users copy and use the same program. The system includes a message user database for storing records defining user characteristics profiles of terminal users, and a transmittal condition database for storing searching conditions for each message which may be transmitted to the terminal. This system detects a necessity to revise the user characteristics when communicating with the terminal, and revises the user characteristics if necessary. This system reads user characteristics from the message user database, and searches for appropriate messages from the transmittal condition database based on the user characteristics and characteristics associated with each message identifier. The message user database stores each user'"'"'s birth date and the last system communication date. The user'"'"'s characteristics profile is updated based on various conditions. For example, if the date obtained by adding a predetermined period to the user'"'"'s birth date is after the last communication date with the user, the characteristics profile is revised.

Claims

1. A message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via a terminal and a communication line, the system comprising:

a message user database for storing user records constituting a profile of characteristics of each of plural users

a transmittal condition database for storing message records containing identification (ID) information related to messages that can be transmitted to the terminal, together with transmittal conditions for each message

a detector for determining a necessity to revise the user records based on information received from the terminal

revising means for revising the user records stored in the message user database when the detector detects the necessity to do so

reading means for reading the user records to obtain a profile from the message user database in response to a request from the terminal

means for searching the transmittal condition database using characteristics from user records read by the reading means to locate message records whose transmittal conditions are consistent with the read profile and obtaining ID information for located message records

means for transmitting the ID information for located message records to the terminal

wherein;

the characteristics profile for each user includes the user'"'"'s birth date and a last communication time indicating when the user last communicated with the system

the detector determines the necessity when a time obtained by adding a predetermined value to the user'"'"'s birth date is earlier than a current time and later than the last communication time.

2. The message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via a terminal and a communication line according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for adding a new item of data corresponding to a user characteristic to each user record of the message user database;

means for storing an item revision time indicating when the message user database was last modified to include a new item of data, and

wherein the detector detects the necessity when the last communication time is earlier than the item revision time.

3. The message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via a terminal and a communication line as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

means for uploading the terminal revision time from the terminal to the system when the terminal is connected to the message searching system;

means for comparing the terminal revision time with the characteristics revision time;

means for uploading the characteristics stored in the terminal when the characteristics revision time is earlier than the terminal revision time; and

means for revising records of the message user database using characteristics uploaded from the terminal.

7. The message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via a terminal and a communication line according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, further comprising:

means, in the terminal, for locally storing a terminal revision time indicating a revision time of a user'"'"'s profile;

means for uploading from the terminal to the system the terminal revision time when the terminal is connected to the system;

means for comparing the terminal revision time with the characteristics revision time; and

means for downloading from the system to the terminal characteristics stored in the message user database when the characteristics revision time is later than the terminal revision time.

4. A message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via a terminal and a communication line, the system comprising:

a message user database for storing user records comprising a profile of characteristics of each of plural users

a transmittal condition database for storing message records containing identification (ID) information related to messages that can be transmitted to the terminal, together with transmittal conditions for each message

a detector for determining a necessity to revise the user records based on information received from the terminal

revising means for revising the user records stored in the message user database when the detector detects the necessity to do so

reading means for reading the user records to obtain a profile from the message user database in response to a request from the terminal

means for searching the transmittal condition database using characteristics from user records read by the reading means to locate message records whose transmittal conditions are consistent with the read profile and obtaining ID information for located message records

means for transmitting the ID information for located message records to the terminal

wherein;

the user records of the message user database include a user'"'"'s birth date and a characteristic revision time indicating a revision time of the characteristics in the profile; and

the detector detects the necessity when a time obtained by adding a predetermined value to the user'"'"'s birth date is earlier than a current time and later than the characteristic revision time.

5. The message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via a terminal and a communication line according to claim 4, further comprising:

means for adding a new item of data to each record of the message user database; and

means for storing an item revision time indicating a time when the new item it added to the message user database, and

wherein the detector detects the necessity when the characteristic revision time is earlier than the item revision time.

6. The message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via a terminal and a communication line as set forth in claim 4 further comprising:

means for uploading the terminal revision time from the terminal to the system when the terminal is connected to the message searching system;

means for comparing the terminal revision time with the characteristics revision time;

means for uploading the characteristics stored in the terminal when the characteristics revision time is earlier than the terminal revision time; and

means for revising records of the message user database using characteristics uploaded from the terminal.

8. A terminal for communicating with a message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via the terminal and a communication line, comprising:

a storage for storing characteristics of a user of the terminal

a detector for detecting a necessity to revise the characteristics based on information received from the message system

means for requesting through the communication line a dialog for revising the characteristics when the detector detects the necessity

input means for inputting new characteristics of the user using the dialog

means for revising the characteristics stored in the storage using the new characteristics input by the input means

wherein;

the storage stores a user'"'"'s birth date and a last communication time with the system

the detector detects the necessity based on whether a time obtained by adding a predetermined period to the user'"'"'s birth date is earlier than a current time and later than the last communication time.

9. The terminal for communicating with a message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via the terminal and a communication line according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for receiving from the message user database an item revision time indicating a time when a new item is added to the message user database, and

wherein the detector detects the necessity when the last communication time is earlier than the item revision time.

10. The terminal for communicating with a message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via the terminal and a communication line as set forth in claim 8 wherein the system stores characteristics of each user and a characteristic revision time, the terminal further comprising

means for downloading the characteristic time from the message searching system, when connected to the message searching system

means for comparing the terminal revision time with the characteristics revision time

receiving means for downloading the characteristics stored in the system when the characteristics revision time is later than the terminal revision time

means for revising the characteristics stored in the storage using the characteristics received by the receiving means.

11. The terminal for communicating with a message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via the terminal and a communication line as set forth in claim 8 further comprising

a detector for detecting the characteristics in the storage being revised by the user

means for uploading the characteristics in the storage to the message searching system when the detector detects the characteristics in the storage being revised.

16. The terminal for communicating with a message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via the terminal and a communication line according to any of the claims 8 to 13, wherein the message searching system has characteristics of each user and a characteristic revision time, and the terminal further comprises:

means for downloading the characteristic revision time from the system, when connected to the message searching system;

means for comparing the terminal revision time with the characteristics revision time; and

means for uploading the characteristics stored in the storage to the system when the characteristics revision time is earlier than the terminal revision time.

12. A terminal for communicating with a message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via the terminal and a communication line, comprising:

a storage for storing characteristics of a user of the terminal

a detector for detecting a necessity to revise the characteristics based on information received from the message system

means for requesting through the communication line a dialog for revising the characteristics when the detector detects the necessity

input means for inputting new characteristics of the user using the dialog

means for revising the characteristics stored in the storage using the new characteristics input by the input means

wherein;

the storage stores the user'"'"'s birth date and the terminal revision time indicating a last revision time of the characteristics of the user; and

the detector detects the necessity based on whether a time obtained by adding a predetermined period to the user'"'"'s birth date is earlier than a current time and later than the revision time.

13. The terminal for communicating with a message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via the terminal and a communication line according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for receiving an item revision time indicating a time when a new item is added to the message user database, from the message user database, and

wherein the detector detects the necessity when the last revision time is earlier than the item revision time.

14. The terminal for communicating with a message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via the terminal and a communication line as set forth in claim 12 wherein the system stores characteristics of each user and a characteristic revision time, the terminal further comprising:

means for downloading the characteristic revision time from the message searching system, when connected to the message searching system;

means for comparing the terminal revision time with the characteristics revision time; and

receiving means for downloading the characteristics stored in the system when the characteristics revision time is later than the terminal revision time and

means for revising the characteristics stored in the storage using the characteristics received by the receiving means.

15. The terminal for communicating with a message delivery system for providing messages to users interacting therewith via the terminal and a communication line as set forth in claim 12 further comprising:

a detector for detecting the characteristics in the storage being revised by the user; and

means for uploading the characteristics in the storage to the message searching system when the detector detects the characteristics in the storage being revised.

17. A method of providing messages to users interacting with a message distribution system via a terminal and a communication line, the method comprising

providing a first database for storing user records, the user records constituting a profile of characteristics of each of plural users, the profile for each user including the user'"'"'s birth date and a last communication time indicating when the user last communicated with the system

providing a second database for storing message records, the message records including identification (ID) information related to messages that can be transmitted to the terminal, together with transmittal conditions for each message

determining a necessity to revise the user records when a time obtained by adding a predetermined value to the user'"'"'s birth date is earlier than a current time and later than the last communication time

revising the user records stored in the first database when the detector detects the necessity to do so

reading the user records to obtain a characteristics profile from the first database in response to a request from the terminal

searching the second database using characteristics from read user records to locate message records whose transmittal conditions are consistent with the read characteristic profile and obtaining ID information for located message records

transmitting the ID information for located message records to the terminal.

18. The method of providing messages to users of claim 17, the method further comprising

adding a new item of data corresponding to a user characteristic to each user record of the first database

storing an item revision time indicating when the first database was last modified to include a new item of data

determining the necessity also if the last communication time is earlier than the item revision time.

19. A method of providing messages to users interacting with a message distribution system via a terminal and a communication line, the method comprising

providing a first database for storing user records, the user records comprising a profile of characteristics of each of plural users and a user'"'"'s birth date and a characteristic revision time indicating a revision time of the characteristics

providing a second database for storing message records, the message records containing identification (ID) information related to messages that can be transmitted to the terminal, together with transmittal conditions for each message

determining a necessity to revise the user records when a time obtained by adding a predetermined value to the user'"'"'s birth date is earlier than a current time and later than the characteristic revision time

revising the user records stored in the first database when the detector detects the necessity to do so

reading the user records to obtain a profile from the first database in response to a request from the terminal

searching the second database using characteristics from read user records to locate message records whose transmittal conditions are consistent with the read profile and obtaining ID information for located message records

transmitting the ID information for located message records to the terminal.

20. The method of providing messages to users of claim 19, the method further comprising:

adding a new item of data to each record of the first database

storing an item revision time indicating a time when the new item is added to the first database

determining the necessity also if the characteristic revision time is earlier than the item revision time.

21. A method of providing messages to users interacting with a message delivery system via a terminal and a communication line, the method comprising

storing characteristics of a user of the terminal including the user'"'"'s birth date and a last communication time with the system

detecting a necessity to revise the characteristics based on whether a time obtained by adding a predetermined period to the user'"'"'s birth date is earlier than a current time and later than the last communication time

requesting through the communication line a dialog for revising the characteristics when the detector detects the necessity

inputting new characteristics of the user using the dialog

revising the stored characteristics using the new characteristics.

22. The method of providing messages to users according to claim 21, wherein the characteristics are stored in a database, the method further comprising

receiving from the database an item revision time indicating a time when a new item is added to the database, and

determining the necessity also if the last communication time is earlier than the item revision time.

23. A method of providing messages to users interacting with a message delivery system via a terminal and a communication line, the method comprising

storing characteristics of a user of the terminal including the user'"'"'s birth date and the terminal revision time indicating a last revision time of the characteristics of the user

detecting a necessity to revise the characteristics based on whether a time obtained by adding a predetermined period to the user'"'"'s birth date is earlier than a current time and later than the last revision time

requesting through the communication line a dialog for revising the characteristics when the detector detects the necessity

inputting new characteristics of the user using the dialog

revising the stored characteristics using the new characteristics.

24. The method of providing messages to users according to claim 23, wherein the characteristics are stored in a database, the method further comprising

receiving an item revision time indicating a time when a new item is added to the database

determining the necessity also if the last revision time is earlier than the item revision time.

25. A method of providing messages to users interacting with a host system via a terminal and a communication line, the method comprising:

storing user records comprising a user ID and a profile of characteristics of each of plural users in a first database, the profiles including age information of the users

storing message records in a second database, the message records including message IDs related to messages that can be transmitted to the terminal, together with transmittal conditions

determining a necessity to revise a given user record when a comparison of the age information in the given user record and a current date reflects that a current age of the user corresponding to the given user record has passed a predetermined value

when the necessity to revise the given user record has been determined

requesting the user corresponding to the given user record to input information into the terminal about a certain item which is associated with the predetermined value, wherein requesting information about the certain item before the user'"'"'s age has reached the predetermined value is improper

revising the given user record stored in the message user database with the input information

receiving a message request from a given terminal, the message request including one of the user IDs

in response to receiving the message request

reading the profile of the user record corresponding to the message user identifier from the first database

searching the second database using the profile from the read user record to locate message records whose transmittal conditions are consistent with the read profile and obtaining message IDs for located message records

transmitting the message IDs for located message records to the given terminal.

26. The method of providing messages to users interacting with a host system of claim 25, wherein the predetermined value is 20 years.

27. A method of managing profiles of terminal users by a host system, the method comprising:

in a first online session between a terminal and the host system, the host system transmitting a message to the terminal requesting age information of the user of the terminal

the host system receiving age information of the user of the terminal from the terminal

the host system storing the age information in a user record in a first database, the user record comprising a profile of characteristics of the user

in a second online session between the terminal and the host system, the host system comparing the age information of the user of the terminal to the current time and a predefined value, and thereby determining if the user'"'"'s age has passed the predefined value

if the user'"'"'s age has passed the predefined value, then

the host system obtaining personal info of the user

the host system revising the user record with the users answers

the host system using the characteristic profile of the user, including at least some of the personal info, to select information to transmit to the user.

28. The method of managing characteristic profiles of terminal users by a host system of claim 27, wherein the predefined value is 20 years.

29. A host system connected to a terminal via a communication line, the host system comprising

a first database for storing user records comprising a user ID and a profile of characteristics of each of plural users in a first database, the profiles including age information of the users

a second database for storing message records in a second database, the message records including message IDs related to messages that can be transmitted to the terminal, together with transmittal conditions

program code means for determining a necessity to revise a given user record when a comparison of the age information in the given user record and a current date reflects that a current age of the user corresponding to the given user record has passed a predetermined value

program code means for, when the necessity to revise the given user record has been determined

requesting the user corresponding to the given user record to input information into the terminal about a certain item which is associated with the predetermined value, wherein requesting information about the certain item before the user'"'"'s age has reached the predetermined value is improper

revising the given user record stored in the message user database with the input information

program code means for receiving a message request from a given terminal, the message request including one of the user IDs

program code means for, in response to receiving the message request

reading the profile of the user record corresponding to the message user identifier from the first database

searching the second database using the profile from the read user record to locate message records whose transmittal conditions are consistent with the read profile and obtaining message IDs for located message records

program code means for transmitting the message IDs for located message records to the given terminal.

30. The host system connected to a terminal via a communication line of claim 29, wherein the predetermined value is 20 years.

31. A host system for managing profiles of characteristics of terminal users, the host system comprising

program code means for transmitting a message to a terminal, the message requesting age information of the user of the terminal

program code means for receiving age information of the user of the terminal from the terminal

program code means for storing the age information in a user record in a first database, the user record comprising a profile of the user

program code means for comparing the age information of the user of the terminal to the current time and a predefined value, and thereby determining if the user'"'"'s age has passed the predefined value

program code means for, if the user'"'"'s age has passed the predefined value, then

obtaining personal info of the user

revising the user record with the users answers

using the profile of the user, including at least some of the personal info, to select information to transmit to the user.

32. The host system for managing characteristic profiles of terminal users of claim 31, wherein the predefined value is 20 years.