Content sharing system and content importance level judging method

• US 8,010,516 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishii, Shinya, Totsuka, Takashi, Manabe, Yoshihiro, Hiraki, Norikazu, Imaizumi, Ryoichi, Nakamura, Kenichiro, Abe, Yuichi, Shimada, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz; Apu M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bibbee; Jared M
• Application Number:
  US11/134,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,294 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 707/102, 707/705, 707/749, 709/207
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A content sharing system and content importance level judging method are provided.

The content sharing system provides an importance level of arbitrary content is individually judged with respect to users and a notice message valuable for a user is appropriately notified to a client or the outside tool. Further, an access user is able to set the disclosure level of access record of a user accessed the content.

In the content sharing system, an importance level of content of multimedia data on a server shared with clients of a plurality of users is judged, in which the importance level of the content with respect to each user is individually calculated by interpreting existing data or a user environment, the client condition is judged, a notice rule setting is changed in accordance with the client condition or an instruction from the client, and a notice message is issued to an appropriate address based on the calculated importance level and a notice rule of the content.

Claims

1. A content sharing system in which content including multimedia data on a server is shared with a first client of a first user and a second client of a second user, the content sharing system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

(a) extract user taste from user performance of at least one of;

(i) the content;

(ii) user profile information; and

(iii) user group information;

(b) acquire first position information of the first client;

(c) calculate an importance level of said content for each user with respect to at least one other user by using;

a similarity level between the first user and the second user, said similarity level being calculated by;

(A) acquiring first attribute information of the first user, wherein the first attribute information belongs to a first type;

(B) acquiring second attribute information of the second user, wherein the second attribute information belongs to a second type;

(C) determining whether the first type is the same as the second type;

(D) if the first type is the same as the second type, determining whether;

(x) the first attribute information includes a first subordinate data; and

(y) the second attribute information includes a second subordinate data;

(E) if the first attribute information includes the first subordinate data and the second attribute information includes the second subordinate data, calculating a similarity level of the first subordinate data and the second subordinate data;

(F) determining whether the first subordinate data is the same as the second subordinate data; and

(G) if the first subordinate data is the same as the second subordinate data, for additional subordinate data, repeating steps (D) to (F);

(ii) existing data;

(iii) metadata of the content, said metadata being set by the first user, said content being stored in the server by the first user, wherein the metadata set by the first user is indicative of said first user'"'"'s desire for said second user to view said content stored by the first user, said metadata having second position information; and

(iv) a user environment including a distance determined by using the acquired first position information of the first client and the second position information of the metadata of the content; and

(d) preserve a notice rule;

(e) judge a client condition;

(f) change a notice rule setting based on said client condition or an instruction from said client; and

(g) issue a notice message to an appropriate address based on;

(i) said calculated content importance level; and

(ii) said notice rule.

2. The content sharing system of claim 1, wherein said metadata set by the first user is manually set when the first user registers the content.

3. The content sharing system of claim 2, wherein:

(a) the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to extract a specific string; and

(b) the existing data includes keywords extracted from said content.

4. The content sharing system of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to manage user communication record information of a user that includes a content contribution record and a content browsing record; and

(b) the existing data includes said content contribution record.

5. The content sharing system of claim 1, wherein the position information of said first client is acquired using GPS.

6. The content sharing system of claim 1, wherein the user environment includes information of an outside application that a user simultaneously uses.

7. The content sharing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

(a) preserve information about user taste;

(b) set preserved user taste data; and

(c) judge content importance level based on information on said content and said user taste data.

8. The content sharing system of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to automatically modify user taste data based on feedback of said client to the notice.

9. The content sharing system of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

(a) extract operation information in the past from said user communication record data; and

(b) automatically modify said user taste data based on said extracted operation information.

10. The content sharing system of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to automatically modify said user taste data based on a client condition.

11. The content sharing system of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to modify said user taste data by detecting that importance level threshold setting means displayed on a user interface of said content sharing system is operated or that importance level threshold setting means installed in a terminal computer in which said client is installed is operated.

12. The content sharing system of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to calculate a content importance level based on a recommendation level of said content that is set by a content producer and said user taste data.

13. The content sharing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to issue a notice message to said client or said outside application based on said calculated content importance level and said notice rule.

14. The content sharing system of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to automatically determine, or dynamically by manual operation of a user a notice destination of said notice message based on active level information that is an index indicating whether or not notice in said notice rule is issued.

15. The content sharing system of claim 13, wherein a notice method in said first client is modified in accordance with said content importance level.

16. The content sharing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

(a) preserve content data and access right data with respect to each content;

(b) preserve;

(i) an access record table in which a record of a request command from said client is recorded;

(ii) a permission table in which permission information including a user as disclosure object and a disclosure level is recorded;

(iii) a user data table; and

(iv) a user group data table; and

(c) perform predetermined processing with respect to content

(d) preserve a record of the command, wherein said client sets permission information on a content access record.

20. The content sharing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to calculate a content importance level by comparing the similarity of content from at least two users.

21. The content sharing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to calculate a content importance level based on a user communication record.

22. The content sharing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to calculate a content importance level by comparing the similarity of profile information from at least two users.

25. The content sharing system of claim 1, wherein the acquired first position information of the first client is manually input after a user searches for said first position information of the first client.

28. The content sharing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to automatically add said metadata set by the first user.

30. The content sharing system of claim 1, wherein the calculated similarity level of the first subordinate data and the second subordinate data indicates a geographical distance.

17. A content importance level judging method in which content including multimedia data on a server is shared with a first client of a first user and a second client of a second user, the method comprising:

extracting user taste from user performance of at least one of;

(a) the content;

(b) user profile information; and

(c) user group information;

acquiring first position information of the first client;

calculating an importance level of said content for each user with respect to at least one other user by using;

(a) a similarity level between the first user and the second user, said similarity level being calculated by;

(i) acquiring first attribute information of the first user, wherein the first attribute information belongs to a first type;

(ii) acquiring second attribute information of the second user, wherein the second attribute information belongs to a second type;

(iii) determining whether the first type is the same as the second type;

(iv) if the first type is the same as the second type, determining whether;

(A) the first attribute information includes a first subordinate data; and

(B) the second attribute information includes a second subordinate data;

(v) if the first attribute information includes the first subordinate data and the second attribute information includes the second subordinate data, calculating a similarity level of the first subordinate data and the second subordinate data;

(vi) determining whether the first subordinate data is the same as the second subordinate data; and

(vii) if the first subordinate data is the same as the second subordinate data, for additional subordinate data, repeating steps (iv) to (vi);

(b) existing data;

(c) metadata of the content, said metadata being set by the first user, said content being stored in the server by the first user, wherein the metadata set by the first user is indicative of said first user'"'"'s desire for said second user to view said content stored by the first user, said metadata having second position information; and

(d) a user environment including a distance determined by using the acquired first position information of the first client and the second position information of the metadata of the content;

judging a condition of said client;

modifying a notice rule setting in accordance with said client condition or an instruction from said client; and

issuing a notice message to an appropriate address based on;

(a) said calculated content importance level; and

(b) said notice rule.

18. The content importance level judging method of claim 17, which includes issuing a notice message to said client or said outside application based on said content importance level calculated and said notice rule.

19. The content importance level judging method of claim 17, which includes:

preserving an access right data with respect to each content data and content;

preserving an access record table in which record of a request command from said client is recorded, a permission table in which permission information including a user as disclosure subject and a disclosure level is recorded, a user data table, and a user group data table;

performing predetermined processing with respect to said content and preserving a record of the command in an access record preservation section; and

setting permission information on a content access record by said client.

23. The content importance level judging method of claim 17, which includes calculating the importance level by comparing the similarity of content from at least two users.

24. The content importance level judging method of claim 17, which includes calculating the importance level by comparing the similarity of profile information from at least two users.

26. The content importance level judging method of claim 17, wherein the acquired first position information of the first client is manually input after a user searches for the said first position information of the first client.

27. The content importance level judging method of claim 17, wherein said metadata set by the first user is manually set when the first user registers the content.

29. The content importance level judging method of claim 17, wherein said metadata set by the first user is automatically added.