Information processing apparatus and method enabling users to easily acquire information that occurs on a network and suits their favorites

• US 20060026266A1
• Filed: 09/27/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishio, Fumihiko, Yoshida, Kimiyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,877,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A server computer stores user favorites information that relates to the favorites of a user. Whether digital information that has newly occurred on a network suits the favorites of the user is judged based on the user favorites information. If it is judged that there exists digital information that suits the favorites of the user, the server computer informs the user of the new establishment of the digital information that suits the favorites of the user by transmitting E-mail to the user. When a browsing request of the digital information is made by the user, the server computer delivers the digital information to the user and stores history information relating to a history of the digital information that has been delivered to the user. Thereafter, the server computer updates the user favorites information based on the history information.

Claims

1-3. -3. (canceled)

4. A personal favorite information updating process, comprising the steps of:

reading a history information or a user personal information of a user;

recognizing a subject information of the user;

counting frequency of said subject information;

determining if said frequency is greater than a predetermined value; and

when it is determined that said frequency is greater than said predetermined value, adding said subject information to personal favorite information.

5. The personal information updating process of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

searching for data which suits said personal favorite information; and

informing said user of said searched data.

6. The personal favorite information updating process of claim 5, further comprising the step of informing said user of said searched data by sending email.

7. The personal favorite information updating process of claim 4, wherein said subject is genre.

8. The personal favorite information updating process of claim 4, wherein said subject is managed so as to be classified hierarchically.

9. A personal favorite information registering process, comprising the steps of:

displaying a registration picture on user apparatus;

displaying inputted user personal information of a user on said registration picture;

sending said personal information to a server;

generating personal favorite information;

searching data which suits said personal favorite information;

generating delivery information including URL of said searched data; and

sending generated delivery information by email to said user apparatus.

10. The personal favorite information registering process of claim 9, wherein said personal favorite information includes subject and said subject is genre of data.

11. The personal favorite information registering process of claim 9, wherein said personal favorite information includes subject and said subject is managed so as to be classified hierarchically.