Server, method of controlling server, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

• US 9,887,946 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2015
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LY Corp. (A Holdings Corp.), Z Intermediate Global Corporation
• Original Assignee: LINE Corporation (A Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Yang, Heechan, Sugimoto, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Keehn, Richard G
• Application Number:
  US14/832,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20160261537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Disclosed is a server capable of improving convenience for a user at the time of service registration. The server includes a service providing unit which provides a service to an unregistered user who is not registered in the service when the unregistered user accesses the service, and a storage device which stores a service history provided to the unregistered user by the service providing unit. When the unregistered user is registered in the service, the service providing unit allows the unregistered user to use the service while taking over a service history used when the unregistered user is not registered in the service.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a server, the method comprising:

providing, using at least one processor, a service to an unregistered user who is not registered in the service when the unregistered user accesses the service;

storing, using the at least one processor, a service history on a storage device, the service history associated with at least one user of the service;

allowing, once registered, the unregistered user to use the service while taking over a service history associated with the unregistered user from when the unregistered user was not registered; and

skipping, using the at least one processor, an input procedure of a telephone number at a time of new registration of the unregistered user in the service, the new registration including transmitting an invitation message to the unregistered user using a communication protocol capable of using a telephone number as an address.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, using the at least one processor, an invitation request for inviting the unregistered user to the service from a registered user who is registered in the service;

transmitting, using the at least one processor, the invitation message to the service to the unregistered user according to the invitation request; and

providing, using the at least one processor, the service to an unregistered user who accesses the service according to the invitation message.

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

acquiring, using the at least one processor, user identification information of the unregistered user who accesses the service according to the invitation message;

storing, using the at least one processor, the invitation message and the user identification information in association with each other on the storage device; and

providing, using the at least one processor, the service to the unregistered user having user identification information associated with the invitation message among users who access the service according to the invitation message.

4. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

limiting, using the at least one processor, content of the service to be provided to the unregistered user based on the content of the service to be provided to a registered user.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the service includes a messaging service for exchanging messages between a plurality of registered users;

and

the service history includes a message history exchanged by the unregistered user and at least one registered user of the plurality of registered users.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein

the service includes a messaging service for exchanging messages between a plurality of registered users;

and

the method further comprises,

prohibiting, using the at least one processor, the unregistered user from using content usable by the registered user other than a text message as the message.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the content includes at least one of an image, a video, an animation, an audio file, and a digital sticker.

8. The method according to claim 4, the method further comprising:

prohibiting, using the at least one processor, the unregistered user from exchanging messages with a registered user not included in information associated with the invitation message; and

wherein

the service includes a messaging service for exchanging messages between a plurality of registered users; and

the invitation message includes information about one or more registered users of the plurality of registered users who are able to exchange messages with the unregistered user.

9. The method according to claim 8, the method further comprising:

transmitting, using the at least one processor, information for displaying a registered user included in the information associated with the invitation message on a desired display device of the unregistered user as candidates of friends of the unregistered user when the unregistered user is registered in the service; and

wherein the service is configured to exchange at least one message between registered users set as friends.

10. The method according to claim 4, the method further comprising:

prohibiting, using the at least one processor, the unregistered user from using a call service included in the service; and

wherein the call service is configured to allow a voice call using a communication line between a plurality of registered users.

11. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

transmitting, using the at least one processor, the invitation message to the unregistered user at the time of the new registration of the unregistered user in the service using a communication protocol that is not capable of using the telephone number as the address, the invitation message including an input procedure of a telephone number associated with the unregistered user.

12. A server comprising:

a memory having computer readable instructions stored thereon; and

at least one processor configured to execute the computer readable instructions to,

provide a service to an unregistered user who is not registered in the service when the unregistered user accesses the service,

store a service history on a storage device, the service history associated with at least one user of the service,

allow, once registered, the unregistered user to use the service while taking over a service history from when the unregistered user was not registered, and

skipping an input procedure of a telephone number at a time of new registration of the unregistered user in the service, the new registration including transmitting an invitation message to the unregistered user using a communication protocol capable of using a telephone number as an address.

13. The server according to claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive an invitation request for inviting the unregistered user to the service from a registered user who is registered in the service;

transmit the invitation message to the service to the unregistered user according to the invitation request; and

provide the service to an unregistered user who accesses the service according to the invitation message.

14. The server according to claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

acquire user identification information of the unregistered user who accesses the service according to the invitation message;

store the invitation message and the user identification information in association with each other on the storage device; and

provide the service to the unregistered user having user identification information associated with the invitation message among users who access the service according to the invitation message.

15. The server according to claim 12, the at least one processor is further configured to:

limit content of the service to be provided to the unregistered user based on the content of the service to be provided to a registered user.

16. The server according to claim 12, wherein

the service includes a messaging service for exchanging messages between a plurality of registered users;

and

the service history includes a message history exchanged by the unregistered user and at least one registered user of the plurality of registered users.

17. The server according to claim 15, wherein

the service includes a messaging service for exchanging messages between a plurality of registered users;

and

the at least one processor is further configured to prohibit the unregistered user from using content usable by the registered user other than a text message as the message.

18. The server according to claim 17,

wherein the content includes at least one of an image, a video, an animation, an audio file, and a digital sticker.

19. The server according to claim 15, wherein:

the service includes a messaging service for exchanging messages between a plurality of registered users;

the invitation message includes registered user information about one or more registered users of the plurality of registered users who are able to exchange messages with the unregistered user; and

the at least one processor is further configured to prohibit the unregistered user from exchanging messages with a registered user not included in the registered user information.

20. The server according to claim 19, wherein

the messaging service is configured to exchange at least one message between registered users set as friends;

and

the at least one processor is further configured to transmit information for displaying a registered user included in the registered user information on a desired display device of the unregistered user as candidates of friends of the unregistered user when the unregistered user is registered in the service.

21. The server according to claim 15, wherein

the service includes a call service configured to allow a voice call using a communication line between a plurality of registered users;

and

the at least one processor is further configured to prohibit the unregistered user from using the call service.

22. The server according to claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit the invitation message to the unregistered user at the time of the new registration of the unregistered user in the service using a communication protocol that is not capable of using the telephone number as the address, the invitation message including an input procedure of a telephone number associated with the unregistered user.

23. A method of controlling a server, the method comprising:

providing, using at least one processor, a messaging service to an unregistered user who is not registered in the messaging service when the unregistered user accesses the messaging service;

storing, using the at least one processor, a service history on a storage device, the service history associated with at least one user of the messaging service and includes a chat history associated with a chat session and copies of content transmitted during the chat session; and

allowing, once registered, the unregistered user to use the service and accessing a service history associated with the unregistered user from when the unregistered user was not registered.

24. A system comprising:

at least one server;

the at least one server including a memory having computer readable instructions stored thereon, and

at least one processor configured to execute the computer readable instructions to,

receive a service registration request from a terminal device associated with a messaging service,

determine whether the received service registration request includes information indicating a limited service user,

receive a unique identifier from the terminal device,

register a user for the service based on the results of the determination and the received unique identifier,

transmit service registration information to the terminal device,

store a service history associated with the user on the memory, the service history including a chat history associated with a chat session of the user and copies of content transmitted during the chat session, and

allow the user to use the messaging service and access the service history associated with the user, when the user is a limited service user and becomes a full service user.