Communication method, communication system, communication device, managing device, recording medium and user information module

• US 7,035,624 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2001
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Maegawa, Hirotoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US10/182,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20030119491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,602 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/414, 455/413, 455/41, 455/404, 455/445, 455/456, 455/566, 455/426
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The object is to provide a communication system enabling a server to obtain a grasp of the behavior of users on a communications network even when communication is performed between users on the communications network without going through the server. A communication apparatus 3₁ has a user information module containing user attribute information indicating an attribute of a user 4₁. When the communication apparatus 3₁ communicates with a communication apparatus 3₃, the communication apparatus 3₁ sends user attribute information of the user 4₁ to the communication apparatus 3₂ and receives and holds user attribute information of a user 4₂ from a communication apparatus 3₂, and the communication apparatus 3₁ sends said held user attribute information of the user 4₂ to a management apparatus 5.

Claims

1. A communication method wherein a plurality of communication apparatuses and a management apparatus communicate via a communications network, comprising the steps of:

holding by said communication apparatus a user information module including user attribute information, from which user trends can be derived, indicating an attribute of a user of the communication apparatus;

sending by said communication apparatus said user attribute information of the user of that communication apparatus to other of said communication apparatus,

receiving and holding by said communication apparatus the user attribute information of a user of the other communication apparatus from the other communication apparatus; and

sending by any of said communication apparatus said user attribute information of the user of said other communication apparatus to said management apparatus.

2. The communication method as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said user attribute information contains at least identification information of said user information module of a corresponding user.

3. The communication method as set forth in claim 1, wherein

any of said communication apparatus stores said user attribute information received from said other communication apparatus in said user information module of the user of the communication apparatus.

4. The communication method as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said management apparatus obtains an attribute of communication performed via said communications network based on said user attribute information received from any of said communication apparatus.

5. The communication method as set forth in claim 4, wherein

the attribute of communication is the contents of a transaction performed between users of a plurality of communication apparatuses linked by communication via said communications network.

6. The communication method as set forth in claim 4, wherein

the attribute of communication is a group formed by users of a plurality of said communication apparatuses linked by communication via said communications network.

7. The communication method as set forth in claim 4, wherein

the management apparatus figures out a log of communications performed by said users through said communications line based on the attribute of communication.

8. The communication method as set forth in claim 3, wherein

when the user of that any communication apparatus and the user of the other communication apparatus communicate concerning a transaction, any of said communication apparatus stores transaction contents information indicating the contents of the transaction in said user information module and sends said transaction contents information to said management apparatus.

9. The communication method as set forth in claim 8, wherein

said management apparatus performs processing concerning settlement based on said transaction contents information.

10. The communication method as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said user information module contains:

said user attribute information,

user identification information,

transaction contents information indicating the contents of a transaction by said communication performed with the other user, and

said user attribute information of the user of the other communication apparatus communicated with.

11. The communication method as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said user information module identification information is issued by said user or said management apparatus.

12. The communication method as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said user attribute information further contains:

image information on said user and

profile information of said user.

13. The communication method as set forth in claim 1, wherein

at least a part of the information stored in said user information module is encoded by public key information of said management apparatus;

and

said management apparatus decodes said encoded information by using secret key information corresponding to said public key information.

14. The communication method as set forth in claim 3, wherein

when a first user provides a service from a first communication apparatus to a second communication apparatus of a second user via said communications network, electronic money information or voucher information is transferred between said first communication apparatus and said second communication apparatus via said communications network to have said first user pay for said service to said second user.

15. The communication method as set forth in claim 14, wherein

said first communication apparatus stores said user attribute information received from said second communication apparatus in said user information module of said first user.

16. A communication system where a plurality of communication apparatuses and a management apparatus communicate via a communications network, wherein

said communication apparatus holds a user information module containing user attribute information, from which user trends can be derived, indicating an attribute of a user of the communication apparatus,

any of said communication apparatus communicating with another communication apparatus sends said user attribute information of the user of the communication apparatus to said other communication apparatus and holds by receiving the user attribute information of the user of the other communication apparatus from the other communication apparatus, and

any of said communication apparatus sends said held user attribute information of the user of said other communication apparatus to said management apparatus.

17. The communication system as set forth in claim 16, wherein

said user attribute information contains at least identification information of said user information module of a corresponding user.

18. The communication system as set forth in claim 16, wherein

said any communication apparatus stores said user attribute information received from said other communication apparatus in said user information module of the user of any of said communication apparatus.

19. The communication system as set forth in claim 16, wherein

said management apparatus obtains an attribute of communication performed via said communications network based on said user attribute infonnation received from any of said communication apparatus.

20. The communication system as set forth in claim 19, wherein

said communication attribute is content of a transaction performed between users of a plurality of communication apparatuses connected by communication via said communications network.

21. The communication system as set forth in claim 19, wherein

said communication attribute is a group formed by users of a plurality of communication apparatuses connected by communication via said communications network.

22. A communication apparatus for communicating with other communication apparatuses and a management apparatus via a communications network comprising:

a storage means;

a communication interface; and

a control means, wherein

said storage means storing a user information module containing user attribute information, from which user trends can be derived, indicating an attribute of a user of the communication apparatus, said communication interface, when communicating with another communication apparatus, based on control from said control means, sending said user attribute information to said other communication apparatus and receiving said user attribute information of a user of the other communication apparatus from the other communication apparatus,

said control means writing said received user attribute information in said storage means, and

said communication interface sending said received user attribute information which said control means read from said storage means.

23. The communication apparatus as set forth in claim 22, wherein

said user attribute information contains at least identification information of said user information module of the corresponding user.

24. The communication apparatus as set forth in claim 22, wherein

any of said communication apparatus stores said user attribute information received from said other communication apparatus in said user information module of a user of any of the communication apparatus.

25. The communication apparatus as set forth in claim 22, wherein

said user information module contains:

said user attribute information;

user identification information;

transaction content information indicating contents of a transaction by said communication performed with other users; and

said user attribute information of a user of said other communication apparatus communicated with.

26. The communication apparatus as set forth in claim 23, wherein

said user information module identification information is issued by said user or said management apparatus.

27. The communication apparatus as set forth in claim 23, wherein

said user attribute information further contains:

image information on said user; and

profile information of said user.

28. A management apparatus managing communication performed by a plurality of communication apparatuses through a communications network, comprising:

a communication interface for receiving, from a communication apparatus, user attribute information, from which user trends can be derived, indicating an attribute of a user of another communication apparatus obtained by said communication apparatus by communication between said communication apparatus and the other communication apparatus;

a storage means for storing said received user attribute information; and

a processing means for managing an attribute of communication performed between said plurality of communication apparatuses based on the user attribute information stored in said storage means.

29. The management apparatus as set forth in claim 28, wherein

said user attribute information contains at least identification information of said user information module of the corresponding user.

30. The management apparatus as set forth in claim 28, wherein

said processing means manages contents of a transaction performed between users of a plurality of communication apparatuses connected by communication via said communications network.

31. The management apparatus as set forth in claim 28, wherein

said processing means manages a group formed by users of a plurality of communication apparatuses connected by communication via said communications network.

32. The management apparatus as set forth in claim 28, wherein

said processing means manages a log of communication which said user performed via said communications network by using said communication apparatus based on said communication attribute.

33. A storage medium storing a user information module used by a communication apparatus communicating with another communication apparatus via a communications network, wherein

said user information module includes:

identification information for identifying the user information module;

attribute information, from which user trends can be derived, indicating an attribute of a user;

identification information for identifying a user;

transaction content information indicating contents of a transaction performed with a user of said other communication apparatus; and

user attribute information of a user of said other communication apparatus communicated with.

34. The storage medium as set forth in claim 33, wherein

said user attribute information includes:

image information on said user; and

profile information of said user.

35. The storage medium as set forth in claim 33, wherein

at least a part of information stored in said user information module is encoded by public key information of a manager of said user information module.

36. A user information module used by a communication apparatus communicating with another communication apparatus via a communications network which includes:

identification information for identifying the user information module, attribute information, from which user trends can be derived, indicating an attribute of a user,

identification information for indicating a user, transaction content information indicating a content of a transaction performed with a user of said other communication apparatus, and

said user attribute information of the user of said other communication apparatus communicated with.

37. The user information module as set forth in claim 36, wherein

said user attribute information includes:

image information on said user; and

profile information of said user.

38. The user information module as set forth in claim 36, wherein

at least a part of information stored in said user information module is encoded by public key information of a manager of said user information module.