Information servicing method, recording medium recording with programs for realizing the method, and information servicing system

• US 7,930,366 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Sakaguchi, Hironobu, Kokubo, Keizo, Narita, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Chankong; Dohm
• Application Number:
  US11/220,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20060069748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,049 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/227, 709/229, 715/867, 715/744, 715/747, 715/745, 715/963, 715/730
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling

Abstract

An information servicing method for communicating information between a server and a client terminal through a network, comprising: deciding whether a predetermined time period has elapsed without user input; switching a prevailing processing to a background processing when it is decided that the no user input has occurred during the predetermined time period; transmitting to the server personal information comprising user preference data and/or a schedule, registered in advance, each time the prevailing processing becomes background processing; and displaying an answer corresponding to the transmitted personal information when the answer is received from the server, the answer comprising push information correlating to the personal information.

Claims

1. An information servicing method for communicating information between a server and a client terminal through a network, comprising:

deciding whether a predetermined time period has elapsed without any user input;

switching a prevailing processing to a background processing when it is decided that no user input has occurred during the predetermined time period;

transmitting, to the server, each time the prevailing processing is switched to the background processing, personal information comprising at least a schedule of a user, the personal information being registered in advance;

displaying, on the client terminal, each time the prevailing processing is the background processing, an answer corresponding to the transmitted personal information when the answer is received from the server, the answer comprising push information correlating to the schedule of the user; and

setting, when the answer is displayed on the client terminal, an input operation of the client terminal that normally switches the prevailing processing, that was switched to the background processing, to the prevailing processing to connect the client terminal with the push information of the answer and to not switch the prevailing processing, that was switched to the background processing, to the prevailing processing,

wherein the schedule comprises a daily schedule indicating actions of the user and the push information correlates to each of the actions on the basis of the daily schedule.

2. The information servicing method of claim 1, wherein the personal information further comprises user preference data indicating preferences of the user and the push information correlates to each of the preferences on the basis of the schedule.

3. The information servicing method of claim 1, further comprising:

simultaneously displaying push information of a plurality of answers when the plurality of answers are received.

4. The information servicing method of claim 1, wherein the network is connected to an internet.

5. The information servicing method of claim 4, further comprising:

connecting, by the client terminal and through the internet, with a web page identified by the push information when the input operation is inputted to the client terminal.

6. The information servicing method of claim 1, wherein the push information comprises an advertisement.

7. The information servicing method of claim 1, wherein the schedule of the user indicates scheduling data allowed by the schedule, and the push information correlates to the scheduling data.

19. The information servicing method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, each time the prevailing processing is the background processing, whether a predetermined idle time period has elapsed since the prevailing processing was switched to the background processing;

retransmitting the personal information to the server each time it is determined that the predetermined idle time period has elapsed; and

displaying, on the client terminal, an updated answer corresponding to the retransmitted personal information when the updated answer is received from the server, each time the prevailing processing is the background processing.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium stored with a program for communicating information between a server and a client terminal through a network,

wherein the program executes:

under control of the client terminal,

to decide whether a predetermined time period has elapsed, during which no user input has occurred;

to switch a prevailing processing to a background processing, when it is decided that the no user input has occurred during the elapsed predetermined time period;

to transmit, to the server, each time the prevailing processing is switched to the background processing, personal information comprising at least a schedule of a user;

to display, on the client terminal, each time the prevailing processing is the background processing, an answer corresponding to the transmitted personal information when the answer is received from the server, the answer comprising push information correlating to the schedule of the user; and

to set, when the answer is displayed on the client terminal, an input operation of the client terminal that normally switches the prevailing processing, that was switched to the background processing, to the prevailing processing to connect the client terminal with the push information of the answer and to not switch the prevailing processing, that was switched to the background processing, to the prevailing processing, and

under control of the server,

to receive the personal information transmitted from the client terminal;

to select the push information, the push information correlating to the schedule of the user; and

to transmit the selected push information as the answer to the client terminal,

wherein the schedule comprises a daily schedule indicating actions of the user and the push information correlates to each of the actions of the daily schedule.

9. The recording medium of claim 8, wherein the program further executes:

under the control of the client terminal,

to start a screen saver when the prevailing processing switches to the background processing.

10. The recording medium of claim 8, wherein the personal information further comprises user preference data indicating preferences of the user and the push information correlates to each of the preferences on the basis of the schedule.

11. The recording medium of claim 8, wherein the program further executes:

under the control of the client terminal,

to simultaneously display push information of a plurality of answers when the plurality of answers are transmitted by the server.

12. The recording medium of claim 8, wherein the network is connected to an internet.

13. The recording medium of claim 12, wherein the program further executes:

under the control of the client terminal,

to connect the client terminal, through the internet, with a web page identified by the push information when the input operation is inputted to the client terminal.

14. The recording medium of claim 10, wherein the push information contains an advertisement.

15. The recording medium of claim 8, wherein the schedule of the user indicates scheduling data allowed by the schedule, and the push information correlates to the scheduling data.

20. The recording medium of claim 8, wherein the program further executes, under the control of the client terminal:

to determine, each time the prevailing processing is the background processing, whether a predetermined idle time period has elapsed since the prevailing processing was switched to the background processing;

to retransmit the personal information to the server each time it is determined that the predetermined idle time period has elapsed; and

to display, on the client terminal, an updated answer corresponding to the retransmitted personal information when the updated answer is received from the server, each time the prevailing processing is the background processing.

16. An information servicing system for communicating information, comprising:

a client terminal, comprising;

a determiner that determines whether a predetermined time period has elapsed without any user input;

a processing switcher that switches a prevailing processing to a background processing, when the determiner determines that no user input has occurred during the predetermined time period;

a transmitter that transmits, to a server, each time the prevailing processing is switched to the background processing, personal information comprising at least a schedule of a user, the personal information being registered in advance;

a displayer that displays, each time the prevailing processing is the background processing, an answer corresponding to the transmitted personal information when the answer is received from the server, the answer comprising push information correlating to the schedule of the user; and

a setter that sets, when the answer is displayed on the client terminal, an input operation of the client terminal that normally switches the prevailing processing, that was switched to the background processing, to the prevailing processing to connect the client terminal with the push information of the answer and to not switch the prevailing processing, that was switched to the background processing, to the prevailing processing, and

the server communicates with the client terminal through a network, the server comprising;

a receiver that receives the personal information transmitted from the client terminal;

a selector that selects the push information, the push information correlating to the schedule of the user;

a collector that collects the push information selected by the selector, through the network; and

an answerer that transmits the push information collected by the collector, as the answer to the client terminal,

wherein the schedule comprises a daily schedule indicating actions of the user, and the push information correlates to each of the actions of the daily schedule.

17. The information servicing system of claim 16, wherein the personal information further comprises user preference data indicating preferences of a user, and the push information correlates to each of the preferences on the basis of the schedule.

18. The information servicing system of claim 16, wherein the client terminal simultaneously displays push information of a plurality of answers when the plurality of answers are received from the server.

21. The information servicing system of claim 16, wherein the client terminal further comprises:

an idle determiner that determines, each time the prevailing processing is the background processing, whether a predetermined idle time period has elapsed since the prevailing processing was switched to the background processing; and

a retransmitter that retransmits the personal information to the server each time it is determined that the predetermined idle time period has elapsed,

wherein the displayer displays, on the client terminal, an updated answer corresponding to the retransmitted personal information when the updated answer is received from the server, each time the prevailing processing is the background processing.

22. The information servicing system of claim 16, wherein the schedule of the user indicates scheduling data allowed by the schedule, and the push information correlates to the scheduling data.