Information intermediary apparatus, information management apparatus, and information communication system

• US 7,051,079 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hiroshi, Yoda, Akira, Shinkai, Yasuhiro, Namiki, Asa
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): DELGADO, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US09/854,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/226, 709/217, 705/27, 455/456.6, 707/10, 707/3
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

An information intermediary apparatus for communicating through a communication network with an information management apparatus having user information stored therein, the information intermediary apparatus, which includes: a first communication section for establishing communication through the communication network with the information management apparatus; a second communication section for communicating with a portable communication apparatus having identification information for identifying a user; an identification information-obtaining section, connected with said second communication section, for obtaining said identification information from said portable communication apparatus through said second communication section; a user information input unit, connected with said first communication section, for inputting user information for the user of the portable communication apparatus; and a data-identifying section, connected with said identification information-obtaining section and said user information input unit, for associating said identification information with the user information.

Claims

1. An information intermediary apparatus for communicating through a communication network with an information management apparatus having user information stored therein, the information intermediary apparatus comprising:

a first communication section for establishing communication through the communication network with the information management apparatus;

a second communication section for communicating with a portable communication apparatus having identification information for identifying a user;

an identification information-obtaining section, connected with said second communication section, for obtaining said identification information from said portable communication apparatus through said second communication section;

a user information input unit, connected with said first communication section, for inputting user information for the user of the portable communication apparatus; and

a data-identifying section, connected with said identification information-obtaining section and said user information input unit, for associating said identification information with the user information,

wherein the information intermediary apparatus communicates through the communication network with the information management apparatus which communicates with another information intermediary apparatus through the communication network, said another information intermediary apparatus stores the user information.

2. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said user information input unit includes at least one of;

an operations unit for inputting a profile of the user;

a microphone for inputting voice data of the user; and

an image-capturing unit for inputting an image of the user, and said data-identifying section associates said profile with said identification information for the user.

3. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said first communication section sends at least one of said image, said voice data, and said profile to the information management apparatus as the user information, with a recognizable association with said identification information for the user.

4. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

an open contents-designating section for designating among said identification information, said image, said voice data, and said profile contents that are to be disclosed.

5. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said second communication section sends said image of the user to said portable communication apparatus of the user, said image being used as wallpaper for said portable communication apparatus.

6. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a voice data-identifying section for associating said voice data of the user with said identification information.

7. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

said image-capturing unit inputs an image of a group user including a plurality of users, said operations unit inputs a profile of the group user, and said data-identifying section associates said image of the group user with said profile of the group user.

8. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said voice data-identifying section associates said voice data with said profile of the group user.

9. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said second communication section communicates with a plurality of said portable communication apparatus of the group user, said identification information-obtaining section obtains said identification information from each user of the group user, and said data-identifying section associates said image with said identification information of each user.

10. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

an instruction section for instructing each user of the group user to lineup in an order corresponding to an order of said identification information of each user of the group user.

11. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

a portable communication apparatus receiving section for receiving and connecting with at least one of said portable communication apparatus, wherein;

said second communication section communicates with said at least one portable communication apparatus through said portable communication apparatus receiving section, and said instruction section instructs the user to lineup in an order corresponding to a position of said at least one portable communication apparatus.

12. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said data-identifying section associates a profile of each user of the group user with said identification information corresponding to said each user.

13. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said operations unit accepts a designation of user information of registered users to obtain from the information management apparatus, and further comprising;

a user information-obtaining section for obtaining said designated user information for a registered user from the information management apparatus; and

a printer for printing said profile and said image, included in said designated user information obtained by said user information-obtaining section.

14. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a transmission section for notifying, through said information management apparatus, said portable communication apparatus of the registered user that said designated user information of the registered user has been printed, when said printer has printed said profile and said image.

15. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said operations unit accepts from a browsing user input of return information, which is to be sent to said portable communication apparatus of the registered user, and said transmission section sends to the information management apparatus information showing that said return information is to be sent from the browsing user to said portable communication apparatus of the registered user.

16. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a paying capacity information-obtaining section for obtaining information relating to a paying capacity of a browsing user from the information management apparatus, using said identification information of said browsing user; and

a judgment section that judges whether or not to provide a service to the browsing user, based on said information relating to said paying capacity, wherein said printer prints said image when said judgment section judges to provide said service.

17. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

a rate-storing section for storing a rate of said service;

a charge amount-deciding section for deciding an amount to charge for said service based on a number of browsing users and said rate stored in said rate-storing section, wherein said first communication section sends to the information management apparatus said charge amount, decided by said charge amount-deciding section with corresponding identification information, as charge information.

18. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a redecision instruction section for instructing said charge amount-deciding section to recalculate said charge amount, based on a number of browsing users said judgment section has judged to provide said service, when there is at least one browsing user said judgment section has judged not to provide said service.

19. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

said charge amount-deciding section obtains a share burden ratio for said rate of said service for each of said browsing users and decides said amount to charge for said service for each of said browsing users, based on said share burden ratio and said rate stored in said rate-storing section.

20. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a user information output section for outputting said user information obtained by said user information-obtaining section when said judgment section judges to provides said service.

21. The information intermediary apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said identification information includes a phone number of said portable communication apparatus.

22. A method for intermediating information with an information management apparatus, which stores user information, through a communication network, the method comprising:

(a) establishing communication with the information management apparatus through the communication network;

(b) communicating with a portable communication apparatus, which stores identification information for identifying a user;

(c) obtaining said identification information from said portable communication apparatus by said communicating with the portable communication apparatus;

(d) inputting user information; and

(e) associating said identification information with the user information,

wherein an intermediary apparatus communicates through the communication network with the information management apparatus which communicates with another information intermediary apparatus through the communication network, said another information intermediary apparatus stores the user information.

23. The method for intermediating information as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

obtaining information relating to a paying capacity of a browsing user from the information management apparatus, using said identification information; and

judging whether or not to provide the browsing user a service, based on said information relating to said paying capacity of the browsing user, and printing user information only when said judging whether or not to provide the service judges to provide said service.

24. The method for intermediating information as claimed in claim 23, further comprising:

storing a rate of said service;

deciding an amount to charge for said service to each browsing user, based on a number of said browsing user and said rate of said service.

25. The method for intermediating information as claimed in claim 24, further comprising:

recalculating said charge amount, based on the number of said browsing user to whom said judging whether or not to provide the service has judged to provide said service, when there is at least one browsing user to whom said judging whether or not to provide the service has judged not to provide said service.

26. The method for intermediating information as claimed in claim 24, wherein:

said deciding an amount to charge includes;

obtaining a share burden ratio for said rate of said service with respect to each of said browsing user and deciding said amount to charge for said service to each of said browsing user, based on said share burden ratio and said stored rate.