Content recommendation system and method, and communication terminal device

• US 8,170,003 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Toru, Sako, Yoichiro, Terauchi, Toshiro, Inoue, Makoto, Takehara, Mitsuru, Yamashita, Kosei, Miyajima, Yasushi, Nakamura, Takatoshi, Matsuda, Masafumi, Asukai, Masamichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laekemariam, Yosef K
• Application Number:
  US11/390,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20060250994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,226 Days
• Field of Search: 379/51, 379/67.1, 379/102.02, 379/93.01, 379/93.24, 379/93.07, 379/114.01, 370/278, 370/352, 370/493, 370/353
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00

Abstract

A content recommendation system includes first and second communication devices which are connected to each other and in which content recommendation information is transmitted and received between both devices. The first communication device includes a storage section for storing pieces of content recommendation information to be transmitted, a selecting section for selecting a piece of content recommendation information to be transmitted from the storage section, and a transmitting section for transmitting the selected piece of content recommendation information. The second communication device includes a receiving section for receiving the piece of content recommendation information transmitted from the first communication device, and a storage section for storing the received piece of content recommendation information.

Claims

1. A content recommendation system comprising:

a first portable communication device adapted to be carried by a first user; and

a second portable communication device adapted to be carried by a second user,

wherein the first portable communication device and the second portable communication device are within communication range of each other and are connected to each other wirelessly without using an access point, and content recommendation information is transmitted and received between the first portable communication device and the second portable communication device, wherein the content recommendation information enables the second user to determine whether further information concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data is desired, and wherein the content recommendation information comprises a user-generated textual comment concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data;

the first portable communication device comprises;

storage means which stores pieces of content recommendation information to be transmitted,

selecting means which accesses user preference information associated with the second portable communication device, the user preference information comprising at least one alphabetic preference keyword, and selects, based at least in part on the user preference information associated with the second portable communication device, a piece of content recommendation information to be transmitted to the second portable communication device, from among the pieces of content recommendation information stored in the storage means, the piece of content recommendation information matching the at least one alphabetic preference keyword, and

transmitting means which transmits the piece of content recommendation information selected by the selecting means to the second portable communication device; and

the second portable communication device comprises;

receiving means which receives the piece of content recommendation information transmitted from the first portable communication device, and

storage means which stores the piece of content recommendation information received by the receiving means.

2. The content recommendation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the second portable communication device further comprises transmitting means which transmits user preference information concerning content; and

the first portable communication device further comprises receiving means which receives the user preference information transmitted from the second portable communication device; and

in the first portable communication device, the selecting means selects the piece of content recommendation information, which matches the user preference information received by the receiving means.

3. The content recommendation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the second portable communication device further comprises transmitting means which transmits identification information of the second portable communication device to the first portable communication device;

the first portable communication device further comprises;

preference-information storage means which stores the identification information of the second portable communication device, and preference information of content for the second user who is identified by the identification information of the second portable communication device, in a form in which the identification information of the second portable communication device and the preference information are associated with each other, and

receiving means which receives the identification information of the second portable communication device transmitted from the second portable communication device; and

in the first portable communication device, the selecting means extracts a piece of the preference information stored in the preference-information storage means correspondingly to the identification information of the second portable communication device received by the receiving means, and selects the piece of content recommendation information, which matches the piece of the preference information.

4. The content recommendation system according to claim 1, wherein the second portable communication device further comprises storage control means in which, when a piece of information identical to the piece of content recommendation information received by the receiving means of the second portable communication device is not included in pieces of content recommendation information stored in the storage means of the second portable communication device, the storage control means controls the storage means of the second portable communication device to store the piece of content recommendation information received by the receiving means of the second portable communication device.

12. The content recommendation system of claim 1, wherein the content recommendation information comprises a sample of the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data or information that enables access thereof.

17. The content recommendation system of claim 1, wherein the user-generated textual comment concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data comprises a user'"'"'s reason for recommending the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data.

5. A communication terminal device adapted to be carried by a first user, the communication terminal device being a first portable device comprising:

communication means which establishes, without using an access point, wireless communication with a second portable device adapted to be carried by a second user, when the second portable device is within communication range of the first portable device, the second portable device being different from the first portable device;

transmitting-information storage means which stores pieces of content recommendation information to be transmitted, wherein the content recommendation information enables the second user to determine whether further information concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data is desired, and wherein the content recommendation information comprises a user-generated textual comment concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data;

selecting means which accesses user preference information associated with the second portable device, the user preference information comprising at least one alphabetic preference keyword, and selects, based at least in part on the user preference information associated with the second portable device, a piece of content recommendation information to be transmitted to the second portable device, from among the pieces of content recommendation information stored in the transmitting-information storage means, the piece of content recommendation information matching the at least one alphabetic preference keyword; and

transmission control means which controls the communication means to transmit the piece of content recommendation information selected by the selecting means to the second portable device.

6. The communication terminal device according to claim 5, further comprising received information storage means in which, when a piece of content recommendation information addressed to the first portable device is received by the communication means, the received information storage means stores the piece of content recommendation information received by the communication means.

7. The communication terminal device according to claim 6, further comprising storage control means in which, when a piece of information identical to the piece of content recommendation information received by the communication means is not included in pieces of content recommendation information stored in the received information storage means, the storage control means stores the piece of content recommendation information received by the communication means.

8. The communication terminal device according to claim 5, further comprising identification-information storage means which stores identification information of the second portable device, and preference information of content for the second user in a form in which the identification information of the second portable device and the preference information are associated with each other,

wherein, when the identification information of the second portable device is received by the communication means, the selecting means extracts the preference information from the identification-information storage means on the basis of the received identification information of the second portable device, and, from among the pieces of content recommendation information stored in the transmitting-information storage means, selects the piece of content recommendation information, which matches the extracted preference information.

13. The communication terminal device of claim 5, wherein the content recommendation information comprises a sample of the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data or information that enables access thereof.

18. The communication terminal device of claim 5, wherein the user-generated textual comment concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data comprises a user'"'"'s reason for recommending the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data.

9. A content recommendation method for transmitting and receiving content recommendation information between first and second portable communication devices that are within communication range of each other and are connected to each other wirelessly without using an access point, the first portable communication device being adapted to be carried by a first user and the second portable communication device being adapted to be carried by a second user, the content recommendation method comprising the steps of:

by the first portable communication device, accessing user preference information associated with the second portable communication device;

by the first portable communication device, selecting, based at least in part on the user preference information associated with the second portable communication device, a piece of content recommendation information to be transmitted to the second portable communication device, from among pieces of content recommendation information stored in the first portable communication device, wherein the content recommendation information enables the second user to determine whether further information concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data is desired, and wherein the content recommendation information comprises a user-generated textual comment concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data;

by the first portable communication device, transmitting the piece of content recommendation information selected in the selecting step to the second portable communication device;

by the second portable communication device, receiving the piece of content recommendation information transmitted from the first portable communication device; and

by the second portable communication device, storing the piece of content recommendation information received in the receiving step in storage means included in the second portable communication device.

14. The content recommendation method of claim 9, wherein the content recommendation information comprises a sample of the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data or information that enables access thereof.

19. The content recommendation method of claim 9, wherein the user-generated textual comment concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data comprises a user'"'"'s reason for recommending the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data.

10. A content recommendation system comprising:

a first portable communication device adapted to be carried by a first user; and

a second portable communication device adapted to be carried by a second user,

wherein the first portable communication device and the second portable communication device are within communication range of each other and are connected to each other wirelessly without using an access point, and content recommendation information is transmitted and received between the first portable communication device and the second portable communication device, wherein the content recommendation information enables the second user to determine whether further information concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data is desired, and wherein the content recommendation information comprises a user-generated textual comment concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data;

the first portable communication device comprises;

a storage section storing pieces of content recommendation information to be transmitted,

a selecting section accessing user preference information associated with the second portable communication device, the user preference information comprising at least one alphabetic preference keyword and selecting, based at least in part on the user preference information associated with the second portable communication device, a piece of content recommendation information to be transmitted to the second portable communication device, from among the pieces of content recommendation information stored in the storage section, the piece of content recommendation information matching the at least one alphabetic preference keyword, and

a transmitting section transmitting the piece of content recommendation information selected by the selecting section to the second portable communication device;

the second portable communication device comprises;

a receiving section receiving the piece of content recommendation information transmitted from the first portable communication device, and

a storage section storing the piece of content recommendation information received by the receiving section.

15. The content recommendation system of claim 10, wherein the content recommendation information comprises a sample of the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data or information that enables access thereof.

20. The content recommendation system of claim 10, wherein the user-generated textual comment concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data comprises a user'"'"'s reason for recommending the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data.

11. A communication terminal device adapted to be carried by a first user, the communication terminal device being a first portable device comprising:

a communication section establishing, without using an access point, wireless communication with a second portable device adapted to be carried by a second user, when the second portable device is within communication range of the first portable device, the second portable device being different from the first portable device;

a transmitting-information storage section storing pieces of content recommendation information to be transmitted, wherein the content recommendation information enables the second user to determine whether further information concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data is desired, and wherein the content recommendation information comprises a user-generated textual comment concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data;

a selecting section accessing user preference information associated with the second portable device and selecting, based at least in part on the user preference information associated with the second portable device, a piece of content recommendation information to be transmitted to the second portable device, from among the pieces of content recommendation information stored in the transmitting-information storage section; and

a transmission control section controlling the communication section to transmit the piece of content recommendation information selected by the selecting section to the second portable device.

16. The communication terminal device of claim 11, wherein the suggestion or recommendation concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data comprises a sample of the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data or information that enables access thereof.

21. The communication terminal device of claim 11, wherein the user-generated textual comment concerning the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data comprises a user'"'"'s reason for recommending the at least one of audio, image, book, traffic, or map content data.