Method and system for message service in multi-device environment and apparatus therefor

• US 9,338,645 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Planet Co., Ltd. (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: SK Planet Co., Ltd. (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Roh, Hai Gang, Kim, Han Joon
• Primary Examiner(s): CAI, WAYNE HUU
• Application Number:
  US14/344,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20150044998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/457, 455/466, 455/461, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 709/204, 709/206, 709/207, 709/227, 379/211.02, 379/211.04
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a system for a message service in a multi-device environment in which one or more terminals are used by a user, and to an apparatus therefor, the present invention registering, for each user, one or more terminals which will be using a message service and providing the message service by means of the one or more registered terminals, thereby providing additional services comprising user privacy protection and/or provision of presence information.

Claims

1. A message service system in a multi-device environment, comprising:

a plurality of terminals of a user configured to use a message service; and

a service device comprising

a communicator configured to transmit and receive data with the plurality of terminals via a communication network,

a memory configured to store registration information of the plurality of terminals, and

a service controller configured to

register the plurality of terminals to the message service for the user,

provide the message service through the registered plurality of terminals, and

restrict, according to a service restriction request of a specific terminal out of the registered plurality of terminals, the message service of the specific terminal such that a message is disclosed to only a user who is authenticated in the specific terminal,

wherein, when a terminal among the registered plurality of terminals does not perform the message service for a predetermined time, the service controller is configured to generate a service restriction request of the terminal.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service device is configured to

collect location information and personal schedule information of the user from at least one terminal of the registered plurality of terminals,

analyze at least one of the collected location information and personal schedule information, and

determine, based on the analyzed information, state information of the user as presence information of the user.

3. A service device for a message service in a multi-device environment, comprising:

a communicator configured to transmit and receive data with terminals via a communication network;

a memory configured to store registration information of a plurality of terminals of a user; and

a service controller configured to

register the plurality of terminals to the message service for the user,

provide the message service through the registered plurality of terminals, and

restrict, according to a service restriction request of a specific terminal out of the registered plurality of terminals, the message service of the specific terminal such that a message is disclosed to only a user who is authenticated in the specific terminal,

wherein, when a terminal among the registered plurality of terminals does not perform the message service for a predetermined time, the service controller is configured to generate a service restriction request of the terminal.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the service controller is configured to receive the service restriction request of the specific terminal from any terminal of the registered plurality of terminals.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the service controller is configured to encrypt a message and transmits the encrypted message to the specific terminal such that the encrypted message is decrypted and disclosed to only an authenticated user after the user is authenticated in the specific terminal.

6. The device according to claim 3, wherein, when the message is transmitted to the specific terminal according to the service restriction request of the specific terminal, the service controller is configured to transmit a hiding or display restriction request of the message with the message such that the message is disclosed in the specific terminal after the user is authenticated.

7. The device according to claim 3, wherein the service controller is configured to

collect location information and personal schedule information of the user from at least one terminal of the registered plurality of terminals,

analyze at least one of the collected location information and personal schedule information, and

determine, based on the analyzed information, state information of the user as presence information of the user.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the service controller is configured to determine

a priority of the collected information based on a property including at least one of

a time zone in which the location information or the personal schedule information is collected, and

a type of the terminal, and

the state information of the user based on information having a high priority.

9. A message service method performed by a service device in a multi-device environment, comprising:

providing transmission and reception messages of a user to a plurality of terminals registered by the user;

checking a service restriction request of a specific terminal out of the plurality of terminals;

controlling transmission message to the specific terminal such that a message is disclosed to only a user who is authenticated in the specific terminal; and

when a terminal among the registered plurality of terminals does not perform the message service for a predetermined time, generating a service restriction request of the terminal.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, in the controlling, the service device encrypts a message and transmits the encrypted message to the specific terminal, and the encrypted message is decoded after the user is authenticated in the specific terminal.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein, in the controlling, the service device transmits, to the specific terminal, the message along with a hiding or display restriction request of the message, and the message is disclosed only after the specific terminal authenticates the user.