METHOD OF PROVIDING SERVICE FOR USER SEARCH, AND APPARATUS, SERVER, AND SYSTEM FOR THE SAME

• US 20070260704A1
• Filed: 05/03/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: RHEE, Young-ho, Sagoo, Kiran Pal
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1053 with pre-configuration of logical or physical connections with a determined number of other peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

A service provision method is provided for user search, and an apparatus, a server, and a system for the same. A service provision method includes transmitting a terminal search request message including a contents information element to a service provision server, receiving positional information of a terminal, which is playing first contents related to the contents information element, from the service provision server, and displaying the received positional information.

Claims

1. A service provision method comprising:

transmitting a terminal search request message comprising a contents information element to a service provision server;

receiving positional information of a terminal that plays first contents related to the contents information element, from the service provision server; and

displaying the received positional information.

2. The service provision method of claim 1, further comprising:

playing second contents,

wherein the contents information element comprises information in metadata of the second contents.

3. The service provision method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying one or more types of the metadata;

extracting the contents information element corresponding to a selected one of the one or more types of the metadata selected among the displayed types of metadata from the metadata of the second contents; and

generating the terminal search request message including the extracted contents information element.

4. The service provision method of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises:

displaying a map including the positional information.

5. The service provision method of claim 1, wherein the terminal search request message includes information regarding a search area.

6. The service provision method of claim 5, wherein the information regarding the search area represents one of a first local area to be handled by the service provision server and a global area including a second local area to be handled by an additional service provision server, in which the service provision server is connected to the first local area through the relay server.

7. The service provision method of claim 5, further comprising:

displaying a search area selection screen; and

generating the terminal search request message including information regarding a search area selected on the displayed search area selection screen and the contents information element.

8. The service provision method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing communication with a terminal corresponding to positional information selected from the displayed positional information.

9. The service provision method of claim 8, wherein the performing of the communication comprises performing one of an instant messenger service, a short messaging service, a voice call, and an image call with the terminal corresponding to the selected positional information.

10. The service provision method of claim 8, wherein the communication with the terminal corresponding to the selected positional information is relayed through the service provision server.

11. The service provision method of claim 8, further comprising:

storing positional information of the terminal that has performed the communication; and

displaying the stored positional information according to a request.

12. A service provision method comprising:

receiving a terminal search request message from a first terminal;

collecting positional information of a second terminal, which plays contents related to a contents information element included in the received terminal search request message; and

transmitting the collected positional information to the first terminal.

13. The service provision method of claim 12, wherein the collecting the positional information comprises:

extracting the contents information element from the received terminal search request message;

searching a terminal, which receives contents having metadata including the extracted contents information element in a streaming method; and

collecting positional information of the searched terminal.

14. The service provision method of claim 12, wherein the collecting comprises:

extracting the contents information element from the received terminal search request message;

transmitting a metadata request message to a terminal connected to a network;

receiving a reply message to a metadata request message from the terminal connected to the network;

extracting metadata from the reply message; and

if the extracted metadata includes the extracted contents information element, collecting positional information of the terminal that has transmitted the reply message.

15. The service provision method of claim 12, wherein the collecting the positional information comprises:

collecting positional information of a terminal, which plays contents related to the contents information element, among terminals in a first local area; and

collecting positional information of a terminal, which plays contents related to the contents information element, among terminals in a second local area through a relay server.

16. The service provision method of claim 12, further comprising:

relaying a communication service between the first terminal and the second terminal.

17. The service provision method of claim 16, wherein the relaying the communication service comprises:

receiving a communication request message requesting communication with the second terminal from the first terminal;

transmitting the communication request message to the second terminal;

receiving a reply message to the communication request message from the second terminal; and

if the reply message includes information that communication with the first terminal is accepted, relaying the communication service between the first terminal and the second terminal.

18. The service provision method of claim 16, wherein the communication service is one of an instant messenger service, a short message service, a voice call, and an image call.

19. The service provision method of claim 12, wherein the transmitting the collected positional information comprises transmitting an electronic map including the collected positional information to the first terminal.

20. A digital device comprising:

a control unit that generates a terminal search request message comprising a contents information element;

a network interface unit that transmits the generated terminal search request message to a service provision server and receives positional information of a terminal, which is playing first contents related to the contents information element, from the service provision server; and

a display unit that displays the positional information received by the network interface.

21. The digital device of claim 20, further comprising:

a play unit that plays second contents,

wherein the contents information element is information included in metadata of the second contents.

22. The digital device of claim 21, further comprising:

a user interface providing unit that provides one or more types of metadata; and

a user input unit that receives a selection of at least one of the provided types of metadata,

wherein the control unit extracts the contents information element corresponding to the type of metadata selected by the from the metadata of the second contents and generates the terminal search request message including the extracted contents information element.

23. The digital device of claim 20, wherein the display unit displays a map including the positional information.

24. The digital device of claim 20, wherein the terminal search request message further includes information regarding a search area.

25. The digital device of claim 24, wherein the information regarding the search area represents at least one of (a) a first local area to be handled by the service provision server and (b) a global area including a second local area to be handled by an additional service provision server, in which the service provision server is connected to the first local area by a relay server.

26. The digital device of claim 24, further comprising:

a user interface providing unit providing a search area selection screen,

wherein the control unit generates the terminal search request message that includes information regarding a search area selected on the provided search area selection screen and the contents information element.

27. The digital device of claim 20, further comprising:

a communication service processing unit performing communication with a terminal corresponding to positional information selected among the displayed positional information.

28. The digital device of claim 27, wherein the communication includes at least one of an instant messenger (IM) service, a short message service (SMS), a voice call, and an image call.

29. The digital device of claim 27, wherein the communication is relayed through the service provision server.

30. The digital device of claim 27, further comprising:

a storage unit that stores positional information of the terminal that has performed the communication,

wherein the display unit displays the stored positional information according to a request.

31. A service provision server comprising:

a positional information management device that collects positional information of a second terminal, which is playing contents related to a contents information element included in a terminal search request message;

a service processing device that receives the terminal search request message from a first terminal and transmits the collected positional information to the first terminal.

32. The service provision server of claim 31, further comprising:

a contents management device that searches a terminal that is receiving contents having metadata including the contents information element in a streaming method,

wherein the positional information management device collects positional information of the searched terminal.

33. The service provision server of claim 31, wherein:

the service processing device transmits a metadata request message to a terminal connected to a network and, if a reply message to the metadata request message is received from the terminal connected to the network, extracts metadata from the reply message, and

if the extracted metadata includes the extracted contents information element, the positional information management device collects positional information of the terminal that has transmitted the reply message.

34. The service provision server of claim 31, further comprising:

a communication relay device relaying a communication service between the first terminal and the second terminal.

35. The service provision server of claim 34, wherein the communication service is one of an instant messenger (IM) service, an short message service (SMS), a voice call, and an image call.

36. The service provision server of claim 31, wherein the positional information management device provides an electronic map including the collected positional information.

37. A service provision system comprising:

a first service provision server that, if a terminal search request message is received from a first terminal, collects positional information of a second terminal, which plays contents related to a contents information element included in the terminal search request message in a first local area, and transmits the contents information element to a relay server;

a second service provision server that collects positional information of a third terminal, which plays contents related to the contents information element in a second local area; and

the relay server that transmits the contents information element transmitted from the first service provision server to the second service provision server and transmits the positional information of the third terminal collected by the second service provision server to the first service provision server,

wherein the first service provision server transmits the positional information of the second terminal and the positional information of the third terminal to the first terminal.