Member registration method, community service system, portable terminal, and member invitation processing program

• US 8,381,265 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Muraki, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): ABYANEH, ALI S
• Application Number:
  US12/642,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20100162412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 726/28, 726/3, 705/319, 713/150, 713/168
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A community member registration method is for registering a member in a community service system in which a community service server, and authentication server and a plurality of portable terminals are connected via a network. The community service server provides community service, the authentication server determines whether or not a member has authority to receive services provided by the community service server, and the portable terminals are capable of direct communication to each other. The method includes: sending a terminal identifier obtained from a portable terminal of an invitee together with a registration request from a portable terminal of an inviter to the authentication server; issuing an account of the invitee in response to the registration request in the authentication server; notifying the account to the portable terminal of the inviter from the authentication server; and sending the account from the portable terminal of the inviter to the portable terminal of the invitee.

Claims

1. A community member registration method for registering a member in a community service system in which a community service server, and authentication server and a plurality of portable terminals are connected via a network, wherein the community service server provides community service, the authentication server determines whether or not a member has authority to receive services provided by the community service server, and the portable terminals are capable of direct communication to each other, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a portable terminal of an inviter, a terminal identifier of a portable terminal of an invitee by direct communication between the portable terminals of the inviter and the invitee;

sending the terminal identifier obtained from the portable terminal of the invitee together with a registration request from the portable terminal of the inviter to the authentication server;

issuing an account of the invitee in response to the registration request in the authentication server;

notifying the account to the portable terminal of the inviter from the authentication server; and

sending the account from the portable terminal of the inviter to the portable terminal of the invitee,

wherein obtaining the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invite comprises;

sending from the portable terminal of the inviter to the portable terminal of the invitee a request to send the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invitee by direct communication between the portable terminals of the inviter and the invitee;

instructing the portable terminal of the invitee to display a message to inquire whether or not to send the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invitee in a case where the portable terminal of the invitee receives the request to send the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invitee; and

sending from the portable terminal of the invitee to the portable terminal of the inviter the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invitee only in a case where an operation to permit sending of the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invitee is performed at the portable terminal of the invitee.

2. The community member registration method according to claim 1,

wherein in sending the terminal identifier to the authentication server, the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invitee and one of a terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the inviter and an account of the inviter, together with the registration request, are sent from the portable terminal of the inviter to the authentication server via the network,

the community member registration method further comprising:

determining whether or not the inviter is the member, based on the one of the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the inviter and the account of the inviter in the authentication server; and

associating the account of the invitee issued in response to the registration request from the portable terminal of the inviter confirmed to be a portable terminal of the member, with the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invitee received with the registration request, and registering the account of the invitee and the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invitee in the authentication server,

wherein in notifying the account, the authentication server notifies the account of the invitee associated with the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invitee to the portable terminal of the inviter, and

wherein in sending the account to the portable terminal of the invitee, the portable terminal of the inviter sends the account of the invitee notified from the authentication server to the portable terminal of the invitee by direct communication between the portable terminals of the inviter and the invitee.

3. The community member registration method according to claim 2, further comprising:

registering authentication authority information indicating whether or not the inviter has authority to invite the invitee to the community service in the authentication server together with a terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the inviter and an account of the inviter, and

determining in the authentication server whether or not to issue the account of the invitee, associate the account of the invitee with the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invitee received with the registration request and register them, based on the authentication authority information.

4. The community member registration method according claim 3, wherein the portable terminal of the inviter sends together with the registration request, grant information indicating whether or not to grant the invitation authority to the invitee to the authentication server, and information of the authentication authority is registered in the authentication server based on the grant information.

5. A community member registration method for registering a member in a community service system in which a community service server, an authentication server and a plurality of portable terminals are connected via a network, wherein the community service server provides community service, an authentication server determines whether or not a member has authority to receive services provided by the community service server, and the portable terminals are capable of direct communication to each other, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a portable terminal of an inviter, a terminal identifier of a portable terminal of an invitee and a mail address of the portable terminal of the invitee by direct communication between the portable terminals of the inviter and the invitee;

sending the terminal identifier obtained from the portable terminal of the invitee together with a registration request from the portable terminal of the inviter to the authentication server;

issuing an account of the invitee in response to the registration request in the authentication server; and

notifying the account to the portable terminal of the invitee from the authentication server,

wherein obtaining the terminal identifier and the mail address of the portable terminal of the invitee comprises;

sending from the portable terminal of the inviter to the portable terminal of the invitee a request to send the terminal identifier and the mail address of the portable terminal of the invitee by direct communication between the portable terminals of the inviter and the invitee;

instructing the portable terminal of the invitee to display a message to inquire whether or not to send the terminal identifier and the mail address of the portable terminal of the invitee in a case where the portable terminal of the invitee receives the request to send the terminal identifier and the mail address of the portable terminal of the invitee; and

sending from the portable terminal of the invitee to the portable terminal of the inviter the terminal identifier and the mail address of the portable terminal of the invitee only in a case where an operation to permit sending of the terminal identifier and the mail address of the portable terminal of the invitee is performed at the portable terminal of the invitee.

6. The community member registration method according to claim 5,

wherein in sending the terminal identifier to the authentication server, the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invitee and the mail address of the portable terminal of the invitee, and one of a terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the inviter and an account of the inviter, together with the registration request, are sent to the authentication server from the portable terminal of the inviter via the network,

the community member registration method further comprising:

determining whether or not the inviter is the member, based on the one of the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the inviter and the account of the inviter in the authentication server; and

associating the account of the invitee issued in response to the registration request from the portable terminal of the inviter confirmed to be a portable terminal of the member, with the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invitee received with the registration request and registering the account of the invitee and the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invitee in the authentication server,

wherein in notifying the account, the authentication server sends electronic mail including the account of the invitee associated with the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invitee to the mail address of the portable terminal of the invitee.

7. The community member registration method according to claim 6, further comprising:

registering authentication authority information indicating whether or not the inviter has authority to invite the invitee to the community service in the authentication server together with a terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the inviter and an account of the inviter, and

determining in the authentication server whether or not to issue the account of the invitee, associate the account of the invitee with the terminal identifier of the portable terminal of the invitee received with the registration request and register them, based on the authentication authority information.

8. The community member registration method according claim 7, wherein the portable terminal of the inviter sends together with the registration request, grant information indicating whether or not to grant the invitation authority to the invitee to the authentication server, and information of the authentication authority is registered in the authentication server based on the grant information.

9. A community service system comprising:

a community service server that provides community service;

an authentication server that determines whether or not a member has authority to receive services provided by the community service server;

a plurality of portable terminals that include a first portable terminal and a second portable terminal; and

a network that connects between the community service server, the authentication server, and the plurality of portable terminals,

the first portable terminal comprising;

a terminal-to-terminal communication section that communicates directly with the second portable terminal;

an invitation processing section that sends to the second portable terminal a request to send a terminal identifier of the second portable terminal through the terminal-to-terminal communication section, the invitation processing section obtaining the terminal identifier of the second portable terminal through the terminal-to-terminal communication section;

a network communication section that sends the terminal identifier of the second portable terminal and one of a terminal identifier of the first portable terminal and an account of a user of the first portable terminal, together with a registration request to the authentication server via the network,

the second portable terminal comprising;

a terminal-to-terminal communication section that communicates directly with the first portable terminal;

an invitation processing section that instructs a display section to display a message to inquire whether or not to send the terminal identifier of the second portable terminal in a case of receiving the request to send the terminal identifier of the second portable terminal; and

an operation section that receives an operation to permit sending of the terminal identifier of the second portable terminal,

the invitation processing section of the second portable terminal sending to the first portable terminal the terminal identifier of the second portable terminal through the terminal-to-terminal communication section of the second portable terminal only in a case where the operation section receives the operation to permit sending of the terminal identifier of the second portable terminal,

the invitation processing section of the first portable terminal sending to the second portable terminal an account of the second portable terminal notified from the authentication server,

the authentication server comprising;

an authentication section that confirms whether the user of the first portable terminal which is a sender of the registration request is the member or not, based on the one of the terminal identifier of the first portable terminal and the account of the user of the first portable terminal;

a registration section that issues the account of the second portable terminal in response to the registration request from the first portable terminal confirmed to be a portable terminal of the member, and associates the account of the second portable terminal, with the terminal identifier of the second portable terminal received with the registration request and registers the account of the second portable terminal and the terminal identifier of the second portable terminal; and

a communication section that notifies the account of the second portable terminal associated with the terminal identifier of the second portable terminal to the first portable terminal which is the sender of the registration request.

10. A community service system comprising:

a community service server that provides community service;

an authentication server that determines whether or not a member has authority to receive services provided by the community service server;

a plurality of portable terminals that include a first portable terminal and a second portable terminal; and

a network that connects between the community service server, the authentication server, and the plurality of portable terminals,

the first portable terminal comprising;

a terminal-to-terminal communication section that communicates directly with the second portable terminal;

an invitation processing section that sends the second portable terminal a request to send a terminal identifier of the second portable terminal and a mail address of the second portable terminal through the terminal-to-terminal communication section, the invitation processing section obtaining the terminal identifier of the second portable terminal and mail address of the second portable terminal through the terminal-to-terminal communication section;

a network communication section that sends the terminal identifier of the second portable terminal and the mail address of the second portable terminal and one of a terminal identifier of the first portable terminal and an account of a user of the first portable terminal, together with a registration request to the authentication server via the network,

the second portable terminal comprising;

a terminal-to-terminal communication section that communicates directly with the first portable terminal;

an invitation processing section that instructs a display section to display a message to inquire whether or not to send the terminal identifier and the mail address of the second portable terminal in a case of receiving the request to send the terminal identifier and the mail address of the second portable terminal; and

an operation section that receives an operation to permit sending of the terminal identifier and the mail address of the second portable terminal,

the invitation processing section of the second portable terminal sending to the first portable terminal the terminal identifier and the mail address of the second portable terminal through the terminal-to-terminal communication section of the second portable terminal only in a case where the operation section receives the operation to permit sending of the terminal identifier and the mail address of the second portable terminal,

the authentication server comprising;

an authentication section that confirms whether the user of the first portable terminal which is a sender of the registration request is the member or not, based on the one of the terminal identifier of the first portable terminal and the account of the user of the first portable terminal;

a registration section that issues an account of the second portable terminal in response to the registration request from the first portable terminal confirmed to be a portable terminal of the member, and associates the account of the second portable terminal, with the terminal identifier of the second portable terminal received with the registration request and registers the account of the second portable terminal and the terminal identifier of the second portable terminal; and

a communication section that sends electronic mail including the account of the second portable terminal associated with the terminal identifier of the second portable terminal to the mail address of the second portable terminal.