Method of and system for creating profiles

• US 7,181,518 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2000
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Yasuhide, Murakami, Masahiko, Kihara, Hideto
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACOBS, LASHONDA T
• Application Number:
  US09/628,190
• Time in Patent Office: 2,398 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709217-219, 345/758
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

A profile creation system is provided to enable easy communications within virtual spaces. URLs and categories are stored in the category DB 13, such that the URLs and the categories are correlated to each other. Every time a user sends a URL on a conversation system such as the IRC, a category that corresponds to the URL is identified, and stored in the user data DB 14 such that the category is correlated to the user. By having valid periods in the entries of the user data DB 14, it is possible to create a profile that reflects a user'"'"'s current status. It is also possible to include rating data in the user data DB 14, along with the category. By processing messages within a channel based on the rating data and user'"'"'s category, it is possible to make communications within a virtual space easier and more effective.

Claims

1. A profile creation method for use in conversation system having a plurality of terminal devices that can exchange messages among each other, the plurality of terminal devices being connected to a network and sharing one of a plurality of virtual conversation spaces formed on the network, said method comprising:

providing predetermined keywords and predetermined categories such that the keywords and categories are correlated to each other;

monitoring whether a message sent to a virtual space contains at least one of the keywords;

identifying a category that corresponds to a keyword if the message sent to the virtual space contains the keyword, according to the monitoring;

creating a profile of a user by correlating the identified category to the user who sent the message to the virtual space;

storing a valid period for the message and a time at which the message containing the keyword was sent; and

deleting an entry in the user profile upon expiration of the valid period for the message since the time of the message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined categories are a personal interest and a personal characteristic, and the method further comprises:

providing message-attribute-based virtual space services to users in the virtual conversation space according to the profile of the user created based upon the correlating of the personal interest and the personal characteristic predetermined categories to the user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

rating the user according to the personal interest and the personal characteristic categories correlated to the user based upon the message transmitted by the user; and

providing the rating to the users as one of the message-attribute-based virtual space services.

4. A profile creation system for use in a conversation system having a plurality of terminal devices that can exchange messages among each other, the plurality of terminal devices being connected to a network and sharing one of a plurality of virtual conversation spaces formed on the network, said profile creation system comprising:

a category table in which predetermined keywords and predetermined categories are stored such that the keywords and categories are correlated to each other;

a user table that stores users, predetermined keywords sent by the users via messages, the categories, and valid periods for the messages and times at which the messages containing the keywords were sent, such that the users, keywords, and categories are correlated to one another; and

administration means for

monitoring in the conversation system a message sent by a user to a conversation space,

determining based on said category table a category that corresponds to a keyword if the message contains the keyword according to the monitoring,

creating a profile of the user by writing in said user table the user as a sender of the message, the keyword in the message, and the determined category,

obtaining from the conversation system the time at which the message containing the keyword was sent,

writing in said user table the time of the message and the valid period of the message, in addition to the keyword sender, the keyword and the category, and

deleting an entry of the user profile upon expiration of the valid period of the message since the time of the message.

5. The profile creation system as set forth in claim 4, wherein

said user table stores the users, the keywords, the categories and message senders whose messages are related to the keywords;

and

said administration means creates a conversation log in the conversation space, obtains from the conversation log and the conversation system the senders of messages that were sent before and/or after the message containing the keyword was sent, and writes in said user table the senders as related users, such that the related users are correlated with the keywords.

6. The profile creation system as set forth in claim 4, wherein

said user table stores the users, the keywords, the categories and rating data that indicates harmfulness for each user;

and

said administration means updates the rating data of a user when a predetermined harmful keyword is sent.

7. The profile creation system as set forth in claim 4, wherein

the conversation system processes messages exchanged by the conversation devices based on users'"'"' categories stored in said user table.

8. The system of claim 4,

wherein the predetermined categories are a personal interest and a personal characteristic, and

wherein the administration means further provides message-attribute-based virtual space services to users in the virtual conversation space according to the profile of the user created based upon the correlating of the personal interest and the personal characteristic predetermined categories to the user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the administration means further:

rates the user according to the personal interest and the characteristic categories correlated to the user based upon the message transmitted by the user; and

provides the rating to the users as one of the message-attribute-based virtual space services.

10. A computer-readable recording medium having a profile creation program for use in conversation system having a plurality of terminal devices that can exchange messages among each other, the plurality of terminal devices being connected to a network and sharing one of a plurality of virtual conversation spaces formed on the network, said profile creation program executing a process comprising:

A;

storing predetermined keywords and predetermined categories such that the keywords and categories are correlated to each other;

B;

monitoring in the conversation system a message sent to a virtual conversation space;

C;

determining based on the category table a category that corresponds to a keyword if the message contains the keyword, according to the monitoring; and

D;

creating a profile of a sender of the message by correlating the determined category to the sender of the message;

E;

storing a valid period of the message and a time at which the message containing the keyword was sent; and

F;

deleting an entry in the user profile upon expiration of the valid period of the message since the time of the message.

11. A profile creation method for use in a conversation system having a plurality of terminal devices that can exchange messages among each other, the plurality of terminal devices being connected to a network and sharing one of a plurality of virtual conversation spaces formed on the network, said method utilizing a category table that can be referred to via the network, predetermined keywords and predetermined categories being correlated to each other in the category table, said method comprising:

monitoring whether a message sent to a virtual conversation space contains at least one of the keywords;

identifying based on the category table a category that corresponds to a keyword if the message sent to the virtual space contains the keyword, according to the monitoring;

creating a profile of a user by correlating the identified category to the user who sent the message to the virtual space and configuring a valid period for the message; and

deleting an entry in the user profile upon expiration of a valid period of the message since a time of the message.

12. A profile creation system for use in conversation system having a plurality of terminal devices that can exchange messages among each other, the plurality of terminal devices being connected to a network and sharing one of a plurality of virtual conversation spaces formed on the network, said profile creation system utilizing a category table that can be referred to via the network, predetermined keywords and predetermined categories being correlated to each other in the category table, said profile creation system comprising:

a user table storing users, predetermined keywords spoken by the users, the categories, and valid periods of the messages and times at which the messages containing the keywords were sent, such that the users, keywords, and the categories are correlated to one another; and

administration means for

monitoring in the conversation system a message sent by a user to a virtual conversation space,

determining based on the category table whether the message contains one of the keywords, determining based on the category table a category that corresponds to a keyword if the message contains the keyword according to the monitoring,

creating a profile of the user by writing in said user table the user as a sender of the message, the keyword of the message, and the determined category,

obtaining from the conversation system the time at which the message containing the keyword was sent,

writing in said user table the time of the message and the valid period of the message, in addition to the keyword sender, the keyword and the category, and

deleting an entry of the user profile upon expiration of the valid period of the message since the time of the message.

13. A computer-readable recording medium having a profile creation program for use in a conversation system having a plurality of terminal devices that can exchange messages among each other, the plurality of terminal devices being connected to a network and sharing one of a plurality of virtual conversation spaces formed on the network, said profile creation program utilizing a category table that can be referenced via the network, predetermined keywords and predetermined categories being correlated to each other in the category table, said profile creation program executing a process comprising:

A;

monitoring in the conversation system a message sent to a virtual conversation space;

B;

determining based on the category table whether the message contains one of the keywords;

C;

determining based on the category table a category that corresponds to the keyword if the message contains the keyword, according to the monitoring;

D;

creating a profile of a sender of the message by correlating the sender to the determined category and configuring a valid period for the message;

E;

deleting an entry in the user profile upon expiration of a valid period of the message since a time of the message.