System and method for intermediating information

• US 6,658,410 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2000
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accessify, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Omata, Shingo, Sakamaki, Katsuya, Wakui, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): KINDRED, ALFORD W
• Application Number:
  US09/679,223
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-4, 707/102, 707/104.1, 707/500-501, 707/513, 707/526, 709/200-203, 715/500-501, 715/513, 715/526, 705/64, 705/402-403, 345/700-701, 345/811
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A system extracts a member who matches with search option given by a target member who searches the other members. The target member is informed of URL indicating an open profile web page of the extracted member. The target member refers to the open profile of the introduced member, and sends a message to the introduced member. The target member is charged for the message transmission if the target member sends the message to the introduced member concerned first time. The introduction member refers to the message posted to his/her bulletin board, and refers to an open profile of the message sender. If the introduced member decides to send a reply to the target member after referring to the message and the open profile, the introduced member post a message to a bulletin board of the target member. The introduced member is not charged for the reply transmission.

Claims

1. A system for intermediating messages comprising:

a database which stores attribute information of a plurality of members;

a member extraction unit which extracts members to be introduced to another member based on the attribute information stored in said database;

a member introducing unit which introduces the member extracted by said member extraction unit to a target member;

an intermediate unit which intermediates messages between the target member and the introduced member, the intermediate unit comprising;

an electronic bulletin board storage unit which stores electronic bulletin boards prepared for each member;

a message posting unit which posts a message to the bulletin board of the member introduced by said member introducing unit in response to a request from the target member; and

a message presenting unit which presents the message posted to the bulletin board of the introduced member in response to a request from the member concerned;

a web page storage unit which stores web pages each showing profile data of each member;

a message storage unit which stores messages posted to the members;

a web page providing unit which provides each member with a web page on which a list indicating extracted members to be introduced, and a message arrival indicator item representing that messages from the other members have arrived;

a web page read unit which reads out the web page showing profile data of the introduced member from said web page storage unit in response to selecting the introduced member from the list on the web page of the target member, and provides the target member with the read-out profile web page;

a message read unit which reads out messages posted to the target member from said message storage unit in response to selecting the message arrival indicator item, and provides the target member with the read-out messages;

a form providing unit which provides a form page for inputting and transmitting the message in response to selecting the request transmission item;

a charge unit which carries out charging; and

a charging execution unit which activates said charge unit while storing the message from the member on said message storage unit;

wherein each of the web pages for showing the profile data of the members has a request transmission item for transmitting a request for transmitting a message.

2. A system for intermediating messages comprising:

a database which stores attribute information of a plurality of members;

a member extraction unit which extracts members to be introduced to another member based on the attribute information stored in said database;

a member introducing unit which introduces the member extracted by said member extraction unit to a target member;

an intermediate unit which intermediates messages between the target member and the introduced member;

the intermediate unit comprising;

an electronic bulletin board storage unit which stores electronic bulletin boards prepared for each member;

a message posting unit which posts a message to the bulletin board of the member introduced by said member introducing unit in response to a request from the target member; and

a message presenting unit which presents-the message posted to the bulletin board of the introduced member in response to a request from the member concerned;

a web page storage unit which stores web pages each showing profile data of each member;

a message storage unit which stores messages posted to the members;

a web page providing unit which provides each member with a web sage on which a list indicating extracted members to be introduced, and a message arrival indicator item representing that messages from the other members have arrived;

a web page read unit which reads out the web sage showing profile data of the introduced member from said web page storage unit in response to selecting the introduced member from the list on the web sage of the target member, and provides the target member with the read-out profile web sage;

a message read unit which reads out messages posted to the target member from said message storage unit in response to selecting the message arrival indicator item, and Provides the target member with the read-out messages;

a first form providing unit which provides a form page for inputting and transmitting a message to the introduced member, in response to selecting the selective indication;

a first storage control unit which receives a message inputted through the form page from the target member, and stores the received message-on a first message memory prepared for the destination member;

a second form providing unit which provides a form page for inputting and transmitting a reply message to the message stored in said first message memory, in response to a request given by the member who received the message; and

a second storage-control unit which receives the reply message inputted through the form page provided by said second form providing unit, and stores the received reply message on a second message memory;

wherein each of the web sages for showing the profile data of the members has a request transmission item for transmitting a request for transmitting a message.

3. A system for intermediating messages comprising:

a database which stores attribute information of a plurality of members;

a member extraction unit which extracts members to be introduced to another member based on the attribute information stored in said database;

a member introducing unit which introduces the member extracted by said member extraction unit to a target member;

an intermediate unit which intermediates messages between the target member and the introduced member, the intermediate unit comprising;

an electronic bulletin board storage-unit which stores electronic bulletin boards prepared for each member;

a message posting unit which posts a message to the bulletin board of the member introduced by said member introducing unit in response to a request from the target member; and

a message presenting unit which presents the message posted to the bulletin board of the introduced member in response to a request from the member concerned;

a web page storage unit which stores web pages each showing profile data of each member;

a message storage unit which stores messages posted to the members;

a web page providing unit which provides each member with a web page on which a list indicating extracted members to be introduced, and a message arrival indicator item representing that messages from the other members have arrived;

a web sage read unit which reads out the web page showing profile data of the introduced member from said web page storage unit in response to selecting the introduced member from the list on the web page of the target member, and provides the target member with the read-out profile web page;

a message read unit which reads out messages posted to the target member from said message storage unit in response to selecting the message arrival indicator item, and provides the target member with the read-out messages; and

a charge unit which carries out charging when said second storage control unit stores the reply message on said second message memory.