JP2002108920A - Information providing method, settlement method, personal information management server, and recording medium recording personal information management program - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To provide an information providing method capable of receiving a service adapted to the preference of a user while protecting the privacy of the user. SOLUTION: A user information management section in a portal site server 2 manages personal information of the user. When a request for information is made from the user terminal 1 to the information site server 3, the portal site server 2 sends the information site server 3 to the information site server 3. Personal information is sent. The information site server 3 transmits information having contents adapted to the received personal information to the user terminal 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a user terminal connected to a communication network and used by a user, an information providing server for providing information to the user terminal via the communication network, Alternatively, the present invention relates to an information providing method, a settlement method, and the like used in an information providing system including a product sales server that sells products.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, using a computer such as a personal computer,
2. Description of the Related Art A so-called electronic transaction system in which information on a product is confirmed on a display screen or an order is entered by inputting order information into a computer has become widespread. In this electronic transaction system, a service is provided that collects and analyzes information related to customer preferences and the like, and proposes products that are suitable for each customer. Such services are, for customers,
There is a merit that you can receive product proposals and services according to your preferences.

[0003] However, when receiving such a service, a customer needs to disclose personal information in order to obtain information adapted to the customer. Such disclosure of personal information involves the danger of being used by a third party in some way, and is problematic in terms of privacy protection. As a method for addressing such a problem, the following technology has been proposed.

[0004] First, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-245049, the information sent from the information provider is filtered at the receiving terminal based on the profile (personal information) of the user, and the result is filtered by the user. A technique for preventing the personal information of the user from leaking to the information provider by transmitting the information to the information provider is disclosed.

[0005] For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 10-63618, a logical expression representing a condition of a suitable user is transmitted from an information provider to a receiving terminal. By matching the stored user's personal information with the above logical formula, and notifying the information provider when the condition is met, the information provider can receive the user's personal information. A technique for preventing the spill is disclosed.

[0006] For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 11-345248, personal information is classified into three levels according to the degree of confidentiality, and up to which rank personal information is permitted to be disclosed according to a user's instruction operation. Is disclosed.

[0007]

However, according to the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-245049, information sent from an information provider is sent to a user after being filtered at a receiving terminal side. Therefore, from the information provider side, it is necessary to transmit all the target information to the receiving terminal, and there is a problem that the communication amount may increase.

[0008] In the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-63618, personal information itself does not leak out, but the information provider does not know whether the user meets the conditions. It is possible. Therefore, this technique has a problem that the personal information of the user may be guessed.

[0009] In the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-345248, the user can control the degree of disclosure of personal information by himself / herself. There is a problem in that the merits of being able to receive product proposals and services that are suitable for the service are diminished. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information providing method and a payment method capable of receiving services adapted to the preferences of a user while protecting the privacy of the user. , A personal information management server, and a recording medium on which a personal information management program is recorded.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an information providing method according to the present invention comprises a user terminal connected to a communication network and used by a user; In an information providing method used in an information providing system including an information providing server that provides information via the communication network, personal information including a content whose user is not specified is transmitted to the information providing server. In addition, the information providing server transmits information customized based on the received personal information to a user terminal of the corresponding user.

[0011] According to the above method, since the personal information transmitted to the information providing server is composed of contents whose user is not specified, the privacy of the user may be infringed on the information providing server side. Information with certainty will not be transmitted. Further, personal information having a content that does not specify the user, for example, information such as hobbies and preferences is transmitted to the information providing server, and based on this, information transmitted from the information providing server to the user terminal is determined. Therefore, the user can obtain only information adapted to his / her taste or hobby. Therefore, the user can receive information suitable for himself from the information providing server while protecting his privacy.

[0012] In the information providing method according to the present invention, in the above method, the personal information includes usage status information created based on a usage history of communication performed at the user terminal. It may be.

[0013] According to the above method, since the usage status information created based on the usage history of the communication performed at the user terminal is transmitted to the information providing server, it is estimated from the usage history of the user. The information providing server can provide the user with information corresponding to the user's interests or what is currently desired. Therefore, it is possible for the user to receive information that suits his / her taste and information that matches his / her current taste, without having to present his / her own hobby.

Further, in the information providing method according to the present invention, in the above method, the information providing system may further include a personal information management server for managing the personal information, and the user terminal may include the personal terminal. When the information management server requests information from the information providing server, the personal information management server may transmit personal information corresponding to the user to the information providing server.

According to the above method, since the personal information management server transmits the personal information to the information providing server, the user terminal does not need to manage the transmission of the personal information. Accordingly, it is not necessary to install a configuration for managing transmission of personal information, for example, a personal information management program on the user terminal side, so that the burden on the user terminal side can be reduced.

Since the transmission of personal information is performed between the personal information management server and the information providing server, the amount of data transmitted from the user terminal can be reduced. Therefore, the amount of data transmitted from a user terminal whose communication speed is not very high can be generally reduced, so that the communication time at the user terminal can be reduced.

Further, in the information providing method according to the present invention, in the above method, when the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the user terminal transmits the personal information of the corresponding user. From the above personal information management server,
The received personal information may be transmitted to the information providing server.

According to the above method, when a request for information is made from the user terminal to the information providing server, the personal information is temporarily transmitted from the personal information management server to the user terminal. The personal information is transmitted from the terminal to the information providing server. Here, when transmitting personal information from the personal information management server to the information providing server, the personal information management server needs to have a function as a client for the information providing server, and a program for realizing this function is required. Needs to be newly incorporated into the personal information management server. On the other hand, according to the above method, the personal information is transmitted from the personal information management server to the user terminal, so that the personal information can be transmitted in the same manner as the normal data transmission. . Also,
When transmitting personal information from the user terminal to the information providing server, the personal information can be transmitted in the same manner as normal data transmission. That is, the personal information stored in the personal information management server can be transmitted to the information providing server without adding a special configuration.

Further, in the information providing method according to the present invention, in the above method, when the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the personal information management server sets the corresponding information. A method of transmitting a link to the providing server and tagged information including personal information of the user to the user terminal may be used.

According to the above method, the link from the personal information management server to the information providing server to the user terminal,
And the tagged information including the personal information of the corresponding user is transmitted. Therefore, the user terminal can display the received tagged information with a browser or the like, access the information providing server by clicking the link, and transmit the personal information to the information providing server.

Further, in the information providing method according to the present invention, in the above method, when the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the user terminal transmits the personal information of the corresponding user. The personal information ID is received from the personal information management server, and the received personal information ID is transmitted to the corresponding information providing server. When the information providing server receives the personal information ID from the user terminal, the personal information ID is converted to the personal information. By transmitting the personal information to the management server, the personal information may be received from the management server.

According to the above method, when a request for information is made from the user terminal to the information providing server, the personal information ID is transmitted from the personal information management server via the user terminal. At the same time as being transmitted to the server, the information providing server receives the personal information by transmitting the received personal information ID to the personal information management server. Therefore, transmission / reception at the user terminal is data including a personal information ID having a relatively small data size, and transmission / reception of personal information having a relatively large data size is performed between the personal information management server and the information providing server. Will be Therefore, the amount of data transmitted from a user terminal whose communication speed is not very high can be generally reduced, so that the communication time at the user terminal can be reduced.

Further, in the information providing method according to the present invention, in the above method, when the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the personal information management server transmits the information to the corresponding information providing server. A method of transmitting a link to the providing server and tagged information including the personal information ID of the user to the user terminal may be used.

According to the above method, the link from the personal information management server to the information providing server to the user terminal,
And the tagged information including the personal information ID of the corresponding user is transmitted. Therefore, on the user terminal side, the received tagged information is displayed by a browser or the like, and the information providing server is accessed by clicking the link, and the personal information I is transmitted to the information providing server.
D can be sent.

Further, the settlement method according to the present invention includes a user terminal connected to a communication network and used by a user;
A personal information management server that manages personal information of a user; and a product sales server that provides product information to the user terminal via the communication network and sells the product. In the settlement method used in the system, when the user applies for purchase of a product to the product sales server via the user terminal, the product sales server distinguishes the user. Receiving the identifier for the product, the product sales server transmits the purchase information and the identifier to the personal information management server, and the personal information management server performs settlement for the user corresponding to the received identifier. And

According to the above method, when a product is purchased in the product sales server, the product sales server
You will only recognize the buyer of the product as an identifier,
The actual settlement for the purchaser's user is performed in the personal information management server. That is, the merchandise sales server cannot recognize specific information on the purchaser of the merchandise, for example, the name or address. Therefore, the user can make a payment for the purchase of the product without revealing his / her identity to the product sales server, thereby protecting the privacy of the user.

[0027] In the settlement method according to the present invention, in the above method, the personal information managed by the personal information management server, the personal information having a content that does not specify a user is transmitted to the commodity sales server. Alternatively, the merchandise sales server may transmit information of merchandise customized based on the received personal information to a user terminal of the corresponding user.

According to the above method, since the personal information transmitted to the merchandise sales server has contents that do not specify the user, the user's privacy may be infringed on the merchandise sales server side. Information with certainty will not be transmitted. In addition, personal information including contents for which the user is not specified, for example, information such as hobbies and preferences is transmitted to the merchandise sales server, and based on this, information on the merchandise transmitted from the merchandise sales server to the user terminal is determined. So that
The user can obtain only the information of the product adapted to his / her taste or hobby. Therefore, the user:
Since it is possible to receive product information suitable for oneself from the product sales server while protecting one's privacy, it is possible to efficiently select products.

[0029] In the settlement method according to the present invention, in the above method, the personal information includes usage status information created based on a usage history of communication performed at the user terminal. Is also good.

According to the above method, since the use status information created based on the use history of the communication performed at the user terminal is transmitted to the product sales server, it is estimated from the use history of the user. The merchandise sales server can provide the user with information corresponding to the user's interest or what is currently desired. Therefore, even if the user does not present his / her own hobbies and the like, it is possible to receive the information that is adapted to his / her taste and the information of the product that matches his / her current taste.

Further, the personal information management server according to the present invention is a personal information management server connected to a communication network, and stores user information on a user of a user terminal connected to the communication network. A management unit, connected to the communication network from the user terminal, to an information providing server for providing information, when an information request is made, to the information providing server,
And a control unit for controlling transmission of personal information having contents not specified by the user.

According to the above configuration, since the personal information transmitted to the information providing server is composed of contents whose user is not specified, the privacy of the user may be infringed on the information providing server side. Information with certainty will not be transmitted. Further, when personal information having a content that the user is not specified, for example, information such as hobbies and preferences is transmitted to the information providing server, the information providing server sends information adapted to the user to the user terminal. It is possible for the user to obtain only information adapted to his / her preferences and hobbies. Therefore, the user can receive information suitable for himself from the information providing server while protecting his privacy.

Further, since the personal information is transmitted to the information providing server by the personal information management server, it is not necessary for the user terminal to manage the transmission of the personal information. Accordingly, it is not necessary to install a configuration for managing transmission of personal information, for example, a personal information management program on the user terminal side, so that the burden on the user terminal side can be reduced.

Since the transmission of the personal information is performed between the personal information management server and the information providing server, the amount of data transmitted from the user terminal can be reduced. Therefore, the amount of data transmitted from a user terminal whose communication speed is not very high can be generally reduced, so that the communication time at the user terminal can be reduced.

[0035] In the personal information management server according to the present invention, in the above configuration, the user information management unit stores a use history of communication performed in the user terminal, and the control unit includes Personal information including usage status information created based on the usage history may be transmitted to the information providing server.

According to the above configuration, since the use status information created based on the use history of the communication performed at the user terminal is transmitted to the information providing server, it is estimated from the use history of the user. The information providing server can provide the user with information corresponding to the user's interests or what is currently desired. Therefore, it is possible for the user to receive information that suits his / her taste and information that matches his / her current taste, without having to present his / her own hobby.

[0037] In the personal information management server according to the present invention, in the above configuration, when the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the control unit operates the user. A configuration may be such that a link to the corresponding information providing server and tagged information including personal information of the corresponding user are transmitted to the terminal.

According to the above configuration, when an information request is made from the user terminal to the information providing server, the personal information is temporarily transmitted from the personal information management server to the user terminal. The personal information is transmitted from the terminal to the information providing server. Here, when transmitting personal information from the personal information management server to the information providing server, the personal information management server needs to have a function as a client for the information providing server, and a program for realizing this function is required. Needs to be newly incorporated into the personal information management server. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, the personal information is transmitted from the personal information management server to the user terminal, so that the personal information can be transmitted in the same manner as the normal data transmission. . Also,
When transmitting personal information from the user terminal to the information providing server, the personal information can be transmitted in the same manner as normal data transmission. That is, the personal information stored in the personal information management server can be transmitted to the information providing server without adding a special configuration.

Further, a link to the information providing server and tagged information including the personal information of the corresponding user are transmitted from the personal information management server to the user terminal. Therefore, the user terminal can display the received tagged information with a browser or the like, access the information providing server by clicking the link, and transmit the personal information to the information providing server.

[0040] In the personal information management server according to the present invention, in the above configuration, when the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the control unit may control the user. The link to the corresponding information providing server and the tagged information including the personal information ID of the corresponding user are transmitted to the terminal. When the personal information ID is received from the information providing server, the corresponding personal information is transmitted to the terminal. The information may be transmitted to the information providing server.

According to the above arrangement, when a user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the personal information ID is transmitted from the personal information management server via the user terminal. At the same time as being transmitted to the server, the information providing server receives the personal information by transmitting the received personal information ID to the personal information management server. Therefore, transmission / reception at the user terminal is data including a personal information ID having a relatively small data size, and transmission / reception of personal information having a relatively large data size is performed between the personal information management server and the information providing server. Will be Therefore, the amount of data transmitted from a user terminal whose communication speed is not very high can be generally reduced, so that the communication time at the user terminal can be reduced.

Further, a link to the information providing server and tagged information including the personal information ID of the corresponding user are transmitted from the personal information management server to the user terminal. Therefore, on the user terminal side, the received tagged information is displayed by a browser or the like, and the user can access the information providing server by clicking the link and transmit the personal information ID to the information providing server. .

In the personal information management server according to the present invention, in the above configuration, the user makes an application for a product purchase to a product sales server that sells the product via the user terminal. When the control unit transmits an identifier for identifying the user to the product sales server, and when the purchase information and the identifier are received from the product sales server, May be settled for a user corresponding to.

According to the above configuration, when a product is purchased in the product sales server, the product sales server:
You will only recognize the buyer of the product as an identifier,
The actual settlement for the purchaser's user is performed in the personal information management server. That is, the merchandise sales server cannot recognize specific information on the purchaser of the merchandise, for example, the name or address. Therefore, the user can make a payment for the purchase of the product without revealing his / her identity to the product sales server, thereby protecting the privacy of the user.

Further, a recording medium on which a personal information management program according to the present invention is recorded is characterized by recording a personal information management program for causing a computer to realize each configuration provided in the personal information management server. I have.

According to the above configuration, the personal information management server read out from the recording medium can be operated by a computer to realize the personal information management server.

[0047]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [First Embodiment] The following will describe one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of the information providing system according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure,
The information providing system includes a user terminal 1, a portal site server (personal information management server) 2, an information site server (information providing server / product sales server) 3, and a communication network 4. The user terminal 1, the portal site server 2, and the information site server 3 can perform data communication with each other via the communication network 4. The communication network 4
Corresponds to a computer network corresponding to, for example, the Internet.

The user terminal 1 is a terminal device used by a general user, for example, a PC (Personal Computer).
er) and portable terminals. The user terminal 1 has a configuration including a display unit 5, an input unit 6, a transmission / reception unit 7, and the like. The display unit 5 performs various display operations on the user terminal 1, and corresponds to a monitor or the like. The input unit 6 corresponds to an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a button, and performs various operations and information input. The transmission / reception unit 7 serves as an interface for performing data communication with various computers via the communication network 4, and corresponds to a modem, a TA (Terminal Adapter), or the like.

The portal site server 2 is a server computer that provides a site (portal site) serving as an entrance when a user uses the communication network 4 such as the Internet. Generally, a portal site is
Information providing services such as news and stock prices, using search engines and link collections as the core, and Web available from browser
It provides services that users need on the Internet, such as mail services, electronic bulletin board services, and chat services. The portal site basically provides these services to users free of charge, thereby increasing the number of users, and earning revenue through advertisements and electronic commerce intermediary services.

In the present embodiment, the portal site server 2 has a configuration including a control unit 8, a user information management unit 9, a transmission / reception unit 10, and the like. The control unit 8
It controls various processing operations in the portal site server 2, and is realized by executing various processing programs on a computer. The user information management unit 9 stores information about users, for example, personal information such as usage history and hobbies in a storage unit such as a hard disk, and manages the information. The user information management unit 9 is realized, for example, by executing a user information management program on a computer. Transceiver 10
Is an interface for performing data communication with various computers via the communication network 4.

The use history indicates a history in which the user connects to various information site servers via the portal site server 2 and requests information or purchases a product. Then, by analyzing the user's hobbies, preferences, and the like based on the use history, the hobbies of the user and the category of the product currently desired are registered as personal information. Thus, even if the user does not register his / her own hobbies and preferences with the portal site server 2, personal information relating to the hobbies and preferences of the corresponding user is stored in the portal site server 2. It is also possible to do so.

The information site server 3 is a server computer that provides users with information such as news and product information handled on the site. The information site server 3 includes a control unit 11, a provided information management unit 12, a transmission / reception unit 13, and the like. The control unit 11
It controls various processing operations in the information site server 3, and is realized by executing various processing programs on a computer. Provided information management unit 12
Stores information to be provided to users, for example, news-related information and product information, in a storage means such as a hard disk, and manages the information. The provided information management unit 12 is realized by, for example, executing a provided information management program on a computer. Transceiver 1
Reference numeral 3 denotes an interface for performing data communication with various computers via the communication network 4.

Next, the flow of data in the information providing system will be described with reference to an explanatory diagram of the outline of the processing shown in FIG. A user who wants to obtain information from the information site server 3 first inputs his / her account and the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the information site server 3 from the input unit 6 in the user terminal 1. In addition,
You do not need to enter account information each time you use it.
It may be stored in the user terminal 1 in advance, and when using it, a stored account may be selected or a confirmation operation may be performed. Further, the URL of the information site server 3 may be stored in a bookmark or the like of a browser, and a URL of a desired site may be selected when using the URL. Thereafter, the user terminal 1 transmits the above account and URL information from the transmitting / receiving unit 7 to the portal site server 2 (A1). FIG. 3 (a)
Indicates the content of information transmitted from the user terminal 1 to the portal site server 2 in the processing of A1.

In the portal site server 2, the transmitting / receiving unit 1
0, when the information of the user's account and the desired URL is received from the user terminal 1, the control unit 8
Thereby, the personal information of the user having the account is retrieved from the user information management unit 9. Then, the personal information and the address of the user are transmitted to the information site server 3 specified by the received URL (A2). FIG.
(B) shows the content of information transmitted from the portal site server 2 to the information site server 3 in the process of A2.

In the information site server 3, when the transmission / reception unit 13 receives the personal information and the address of the user from the portal site server 2, the control unit 11
From the information stored in the provided information management unit 12, information is picked up according to the personal information. The information customized based on the personal information thus picked up is transmitted to the user terminal 1 specified by the received user address (A3).

In the user terminal 1, the transmitting / receiving unit 7
When the customized information is received from the information site server 3, this information is displayed on the display unit 5. As a result, the user can obtain information according to his / her tastes and preferences.

As described above, in the information providing system according to the present embodiment, since the personal information transmitted to the information site server 3 is composed of contents whose user is not specified, the information site server 3 Information that could violate the privacy of the user is not transmitted. In addition, personal information having contents for which the user is not specified, for example, information such as hobbies and preferences is transmitted to the information site server 3, and based on this, information transmitted from the information site server 3 to the user terminal 1 is transmitted. Since the determination is made, the user can obtain only information adapted to his / her tastes and hobbies. Therefore, the user can receive information suitable for himself from the information site server 3 while keeping his privacy.

Further, since the transmission of the personal information to the information site server 3 is performed by the portal site server 2, it is not necessary for the user terminal 1 to manage the transmission of the personal information. Therefore, it is not necessary to install a configuration for managing transmission of personal information, for example, a personal information management program on the user terminal 1 side, so that the burden on the user terminal 1 side can be reduced.

Since the transmission of personal information is performed between the portal site server 2 and the information site server 3, the amount of data transmitted from the user terminal 1 can be reduced. Therefore, in general, the amount of data transmitted from the user terminal 1 whose communication speed is not so high can be reduced, so that the communication time at the user terminal 1 can be reduced.

In the embodiment described above, personal information is stored in the portal site server 2, and the personal information and the address of the user are transmitted from the portal site server 2 to the information site server 3. , But is not limited to this. For example, without providing the portal site server 2, the portal site server 2 is provided by browser software or the like in the user terminal 1.
It is also possible to realize a function equivalent to that described above and to make a system in which communication is performed directly from the user terminal 1 to the information site server 3.

[Second Embodiment] The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. The components having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of the information providing system according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure,
The information providing system is different from the configuration shown in FIG. 1 in that the portal site server 2 further includes an identifier storage unit 14. Other configurations are the same as those described in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will not be repeated.

The identifier storage unit 14 stores a correspondence between an identifier and a user account in a storage means such as a hard disk. The identifier corresponds to, for example, a code indicated by a number or the like. FIG.
3 shows an example of a correspondence between an identifier stored in the identifier storage unit 14 and a user account.

Next, the flow of data in the information providing system will be described with reference to the explanatory diagram of the processing outline shown in FIG. A user who wants to acquire information from the information site server 3 firstly needs to use his / her own account and the UR of the information site server 3 at the user terminal 1.
L, and the transmitting and receiving unit 7 sends the portal site server 2
, The above-described account and URL information is transmitted (B1).

In the portal site server 2, the transmitting / receiving unit 1
0, when the information of the user's account and the desired URL is received from the user terminal 1, the control unit 8
As a result, the user information management unit 9 retrieves the personal information of the user having the account, and generates an identifier for identifying the corresponding user. Then, the personal information, the address of the user, and the identifier of the user are stored in the information site server 3 specified by the received URL.
(B2). FIG. 3C shows the content of information transmitted from the portal site server 2 to the information site server 3 in the process of B2. In addition, the generated identifier is stored in the identifier storage unit 14. Thereby, the portal site server 2 can specify the user from the identifier.

In the information site server 3, when the transmission / reception unit 13 receives the personal information, the address of the user, and the identifier of the user from the portal site server 2, the control unit 11 sends the information to the provided information management unit 12. Information is picked up from the stored information according to the personal information. The information customized based on the personal information thus picked up is transmitted to the user terminal 1 specified by the received user address (B3).

In the user terminal 1, the transmitting / receiving unit 7
When the customized information is received from the information site server 3, this information is displayed on the display unit 5. here,
For example, let us consider a case where the information sent from the information site server 3 is product information adapted to a user's hobbies and preferences. In this case, it is assumed that the user finds a favorite product from the transmitted product information and transmits to the information site server 3 that the user purchases the product (B4).
At this time, the information site server 3 transmits the identifier of the user and the purchase information to the portal site server 2 and requests settlement (B5). In the portal site server 2, settlement is performed for the user specified by the received identifier. Regarding this settlement, any method such as consignment to a credit card company may be used.

As described above, in the information providing system according to the present embodiment, when a product is purchased in the information site server 3, the information site server 3 recognizes the purchaser of the product only as an identifier. The actual settlement for the purchaser's user is performed in the portal site server 2. That is, the information site server 3 cannot recognize specific information about the purchaser of the product, for example, the name or the address.
Therefore, the user can make a payment for the purchase of the product without disclosing his / her identity to the information site server 3, so that the privacy of the user can be protected.

Third Embodiment Still another embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to configurations having the same functions as the configurations described in each of the above-described embodiments,
The description is omitted.

The information providing system according to the present embodiment has the same configuration as that described in the first embodiment with reference to FIG. 1, and a description of each configuration will be omitted.

Next, the flow of data in the information providing system will be described with reference to the explanatory diagram of the outline of the processing shown in FIG. A user who wants to acquire information from the information site server 3 firstly needs to use his / her own account and the UR of the information site server 3 at the user terminal 1.
L, and the transmitting and receiving unit 7 sends the portal site server 2
The above-mentioned account and URL information is transmitted to (C1).

In the portal site server 2, the transmitting / receiving unit 1
0, when the information of the user's account and the desired URL is received from the user terminal 1, the control unit 8
Thereby, the personal information of the user having the account is retrieved from the user information management unit 9. And the received U
HTML (HyperTe) with personal information added to link to RL
An xt Mark-up Language) file is created and transmitted to the user terminal 1 (C2). FIG. 8 shows H transmitted from portal site server 2 to user terminal 1 in C2.
An example of a TML file (tagged information) is shown. In this example, the file is an HTML file in which personal information is added to three link destination URLs.

In the user terminal 1, the transmitting / receiving unit 7
When the HTML file is received from the portal site server 2, a screen based on the HTML file is displayed on the display unit 5 by the browser. FIG. 9 shows the HT shown in FIG.
9 shows an example of a screen display based on an example of an ML file.
When the user clicks a link on the display screen using the input unit 6 or the like, the personal information added to the link in the HTML file is transmitted to the linked information site server 3 and the information is displayed. A request is made (C3).

In the information site server 3, when the transmitting / receiving unit 13 receives the personal information and the user's address from the user terminal 1, the control unit 11 controls the information stored in the provided information managing unit 12. Then, the information is picked up according to the personal information. The information customized based on the personal information thus picked up is transmitted to the user terminal 1 specified by the received user address (C4).

In the user terminal 1, the transmitting / receiving unit 7
When the customized information is received from the information site server 3, this information is displayed on the display unit 5. As a result, the user can obtain information according to his / her tastes and preferences.

As described above, in the information providing system according to the present embodiment, when a request for information is made from the user terminal 1 to the information site server 3, personal information is temporarily transmitted from the portal site server 2. Sent to the user terminal 1,
The personal information is transmitted from the user terminal 1 to the information site server. That is, since the personal information is transmitted from the portal site server 2 to the user terminal 1, the personal information can be transmitted in the same manner as the normal data transmission. Also, when transmitting personal information from the user terminal 1 to the information site server 3, transmission of personal information can be performed in the same manner as normal data transmission. That is, the personal information stored in the portal site server 2 can be transmitted to the information site server 3 without adding a special configuration.

Further, an HTML file including a link to the information site server 3 and personal information of the corresponding user is transmitted from the portal site server 2 to the user terminal 1. Therefore, the user terminal 1 can display the received HTML file with a browser or the like, access the information site server 3 by clicking a link, and transmit personal information to the information site server 3. it can.

Embodiment 4 Still another embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to configurations having the same functions as the configurations described in each of the above-described embodiments,
The description is omitted.

The information providing system according to the present embodiment has the same configuration as that described in the first embodiment with reference to FIG. 1, and a description of each configuration will be omitted.

Next, the flow of data in the information providing system will be described with reference to the explanatory diagram of the processing outline shown in FIG. A user who wants to obtain information from the information site server 3 firstly needs to use his / her account and the U
RL is input, and the portal site server 2 is transmitted from the transmission / reception unit 7.
, The above-described account and URL information is transmitted (D1).

In the portal site server 2, the transmitting / receiving unit 1
0, when the information of the user's account and the desired URL is received from the user terminal 1, the control unit 8
Thereby, the personal information of the user having the account is retrieved from the user information management unit 9. And the received U
An HTML file in which a personal information ID is added to a link to the RL is created and transmitted to the user terminal 1 (D2).
Here, the personal information ID is an ID code corresponding to each personal information stored in the user information management unit 9. That is, in the present embodiment, the user information management unit 9
Is added to the personal information stored in the personal information ID. In this D2, the HTM transmitted from the portal site server 2 to the user terminal 1
As an example of the L file, a personal information ID is recorded instead of the personal information in the example shown in FIG.

In the user terminal 1, the transmitting / receiving unit 7
When the HTML file is received from the portal site server 2, a screen based on the HTML file is displayed on the display unit 5 by the browser. On this display screen, when the user clicks a link using the input unit 6 or the like, the information site server 3 to which the link is directed is sent to HT.
The personal information ID added to the link in the ML file is transmitted, and an information request is made (D
3).

In the information site server 3, when the transmitting / receiving unit 13 receives the personal information ID and the user's address from the user terminal 1, the control unit 11 sends the received personal information to the portal site server 2. The ID is transmitted (D4). When the portal site server 2 receives this personal information ID, the corresponding personal information is transmitted to the information site server 3 (D5).

In the information site server 3, when the transmitting / receiving unit 13 receives the personal information from the portal site server 2, the control unit 11 converts the personal information from the information stored in the provided information managing unit 12 to the personal information. The information is picked up accordingly. The information customized based on the personal information thus picked up is transmitted to the user terminal 1 specified by the received user address (D6).

In the user terminal 1, the transmitting / receiving unit 7
When the customized information is received from the information site server 3, this information is displayed on the display unit 5. As a result, the user can obtain information according to his / her tastes and preferences.

As described above, in the information providing system according to the present embodiment, when a request for information is made from the user terminal 1 to the information site server 3, the personal information ID is
The information is transmitted from the portal site server 2 to the information site server 3 via the user terminal 1, and the information site server 3 transmits the received personal information ID to the portal site server 2. You will receive personal information. Therefore, the transmission and reception at the user terminal 1 is data including the personal information ID having a relatively small data size, and the transmission and reception of the personal information having a relatively large data size is performed between the portal site server 2 and the information site server 3. Will be performed. Therefore, in general, the amount of data transmitted from the user terminal 1 whose communication speed is not so high can be reduced, so that the communication time at the user terminal 1 can be reduced.

[0088]

As described above, according to the information providing method of the present invention, a user terminal connected to a communication network and used by a user, and the user terminal connected to the communication network through the communication network. In an information providing method used in an information providing system including an information providing server that provides a user, personal information having a content that does not specify a user is transmitted to the information providing server, and the information providing server includes: This is a method of transmitting information customized based on the received personal information to the user terminal of the corresponding user.

Thus, the user can receive information suitable for himself from the information providing server while protecting his / her privacy.

The information providing method according to the present invention may be a method in which the personal information includes usage status information created based on a usage history of communication performed at the user terminal.

Thus, in addition to the effect of the above method, information inferred from the use history of the user and corresponding to the object of interest of the user and what is currently desired can be obtained.
Since the information providing server can provide the user with the information, it is possible for the user to provide his / her own preferences without having to present his / her own hobbies. This has the effect of receiving information that is appropriate for the user.

Further, in the information providing method according to the present invention, the information providing system further includes a personal information managing server for managing the personal information, and the user terminal is configured to send the personal information to the personal information managing server. Then, when the information from the information providing server is requested, the personal information management server may transmit the personal information corresponding to the user to the information providing server.

Thus, in addition to the effect of the above method, it is not necessary to install a configuration for managing transmission of personal information, for example, a personal information management program on the user terminal side. This has the effect of reducing the burden on the device.

In addition, since the amount of data transmitted from a user terminal whose communication speed is not so high can be reduced in general, there is an effect that the communication time at the user terminal can be reduced.

Further, in the information providing method according to the present invention, when the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the user terminal manages the personal information of the user in the personal information management. A method of receiving the personal information from the server and transmitting the received personal information to the corresponding information providing server may be employed.

Thus, in addition to the effect of the above method, the personal information stored in the personal information management server can be transmitted to the information providing server without adding a special configuration. It works.

Further, in the information providing method according to the present invention, when the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the personal information management server links the information providing server to the information providing server. , And a method of transmitting tagged information including personal information of the user to the user terminal.

Thus, in addition to the effect obtained by the above-described method, the user terminal displays the received tagged information with a browser or the like, and accesses the information providing server by clicking a link, and provides the information providing server. There is an effect that personal information can be transmitted to the server.

Further, in the information providing method according to the present invention, when the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the user terminal transmits the personal information ID of the corresponding user to the personal information ID. The personal information ID received from the management server is transmitted to the corresponding information providing server. When the information providing server receives the personal information ID from the user terminal, the personal information ID is transmitted to the personal information managing server. Thereby, a method of receiving the corresponding personal information from the personal information management server may be adopted.

Thus, in addition to the effect of the above method, transmission and reception at the user terminal becomes data including a personal information ID having a relatively small data size. It is performed between the personal information management server and the information providing server. Therefore, in general, the amount of data transmitted from a user terminal whose communication speed is not so high can be reduced, so that it is possible to reduce the communication time at the user terminal.

Further, in the information providing method according to the present invention, when the information request is made from the user terminal to the information providing server, the personal information management server links the information providing server to the information providing server. , And the user's personal information I
A method of transmitting tagged information including D to the user terminal may be used.

As a result, in addition to the effect of the above method, the user terminal displays the received tagged information with a browser or the like, and accesses the information providing server by clicking a link. There is an effect that the personal information ID can be transmitted to the server.

The settlement method according to the present invention further comprises a user terminal connected to the communication network and used by the user;
A personal information management server that manages personal information of a user; and a product sales server that provides product information to the user terminal via the communication network and sells the product. In the settlement method used in the system, when the user applies for purchase of a product to the product sales server via the user terminal, the product sales server distinguishes the user. A product sales server sends purchase information and an identifier to a personal information management server, and the personal information management server makes a payment to a user corresponding to the received identifier. .

As a result, the user can make a payment for the purchase of the product without revealing his / her identity to the product sales server, so that the privacy of the user can be protected. Play.

Further, according to the settlement method of the present invention, the personal information managed by the personal information management server, the personal information having a content that does not specify a user is transmitted to the product sales server, and the product sales server Will use customized personalized information based on the personal information received,
A method of transmitting the data to the user terminal of the user may be used.

Thus, in addition to the effect of the above-described method, the user can receive information on a product suitable for him from the product sales server while protecting his / her privacy, so that the user can efficiently select the product. It is possible to perform the operation.

[0107] Further, the settlement method according to the present invention may be a method in which the personal information includes usage status information created based on a usage history of communication performed at the user terminal.

Thus, in addition to the effect of the above method, even if the user does not present his / her own hobby, etc., the information is information adapted to his / her taste and a product that matches his / her current taste. The effect that it becomes possible to receive the information of.

[0109] The personal information management server according to the present invention is a personal information management server connected to a communication network, the user information storing information relating to a user of a user terminal connected to the communication network. A management unit, connected to the communication network from the user terminal, to an information providing server for providing information, when an information request is made, to the information providing server,
And a control unit for controlling transmission of personal information having contents whose user is not specified.

As a result, there is an effect that the user can receive information suitable for himself from the information providing server while protecting his / her privacy.

Further, since it is not necessary to install a configuration for managing transmission of personal information, for example, a personal information management program on the user terminal side, the burden on the user terminal side can be reduced. It works.

Also, since the amount of data transmitted from a user terminal whose communication speed is generally not so high can be reduced, it is possible to reduce the communication time at the user terminal.

[0113] In the personal information management server according to the present invention, the user information management unit stores a use history of communication performed in the user terminal, and the control unit performs a process based on the use history. The personal information including the usage status information created by the above may be transmitted to the information providing server.

Thus, in addition to the effect of the above-described configuration, even if the user does not present his / her own hobby or the like, the information is adapted to his / her taste and is information that matches his / her current taste. The effect that it becomes possible to receive.

Further, the personal information management server according to the present invention is arranged such that when the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the control unit transmits the request to the user terminal. It may be configured to transmit a link to the corresponding information providing server and tagged information including personal information of the corresponding user.

Thus, in addition to the effect of the above configuration, it is possible to transmit the personal information stored in the personal information management server to the information providing server without adding a special configuration. It works.

The user terminal side displays the received tagged information with a browser or the like, accesses the information providing server by clicking a link, and transmits personal information to the information providing server. This has the effect that it can be performed.

Further, the personal information management server according to the present invention is arranged such that when the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the control unit sends the information to the user terminal. A link to the corresponding information providing server and tagged information including the personal information ID of the corresponding user are transmitted, and when the personal information ID is received from the information providing server, the corresponding personal information is transmitted to the information providing server. It is good also as a structure which performs.

As a result, in addition to the effect of the above configuration, the amount of data transmitted from a user terminal whose communication speed is generally not so high can be reduced, so that the communication time at the user terminal can be reduced. This has the effect that it can be realized.

On the user terminal side, the received tagged information is displayed on a browser or the like, and the information providing server is accessed by clicking a link, and the personal information ID is transmitted to the information providing server. It has the effect of being able to do so.

Further, the personal information management server according to the present invention, when the user makes an application for purchase of a product to a product sales server for selling the product via the user terminal, The control unit, for the product sales server,
While transmitting an identifier for distinguishing the user,
When the purchase information and the identifier are received from the product sales server, a payment may be made to the user corresponding to the received identifier.

As a result, in addition to the effect of the above configuration, the user can make a payment for the purchase of the product without revealing his / her identity to the product sales server. This has the effect of being able to protect.

Further, the recording medium on which the personal information management program according to the present invention is recorded has a configuration in which a personal information management program for causing a computer to realize each configuration provided in the personal information management server is recorded.

Thus, there is an effect that the personal information management server can be realized by operating the personal information management program read from the recording medium on a computer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a data flow in the information providing system.

FIG. 3A is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of information transmitted from a user terminal to a portal site server in the process shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is a diagram shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of information transmitted from the portal site server to the information site server in the processing, and FIG. 5C shows information transmitted from the portal site server to the information site server in the processing shown in FIG. It is an explanatory view showing the contents of.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information providing system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a data flow in the information providing system.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of correspondence between an identifier stored in an identifier storage unit and a user account;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a data flow in an information providing system according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an HTML file transmitted from a portal site server to a user terminal.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen display based on the example of the HTML file shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a data flow in an information providing system according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 user terminal 2 portal site server (personal information management server) 3 information site server (information providing server / product sales server) 4 communication network 5 display unit 6 input unit 7 transmission / reception unit 8 control unit 9 user information management unit 10 transmission / reception Unit 11 control unit 12 provided information management unit 13 transmission / reception unit 14 identifier storage unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06F 17/60 310 G06F 17/60 310E 326 326 F Term (Reference) 5B049 AA01 AA06 BB11 CC05 CC10 EE05 FF01 GG00 5B075 ND20 PQ02 PQ05 PR03 UU08 5B085 AA01 AA08 AE00

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. An information providing system, comprising: a user terminal connected to a communication network for use by a user; and an information providing server for providing information to the user terminal via the communication network. In the information providing method used in the above, the personal information including the content for which the user is not specified is transmitted to the information providing server, and the information providing server uses the information customized based on the received personal information in the corresponding use. Transmitting information to a user terminal of a user. 2. The information providing method according to claim 1, wherein said personal information includes use status information created based on a use history of communication performed at said user terminal. 3. The information providing system further includes a personal information management server that manages the personal information, and the user terminal transmits the information from the information providing server to the personal information management server. 3. The information providing method according to claim 1, wherein when requesting, the personal information management server sends personal information corresponding to the user to the information providing server. 4. When the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the user terminal receives personal information of the corresponding user from the personal information management server, and receives the received personal information. The information providing method according to claim 3, wherein the information is transmitted to the information providing server. 5. When the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the personal information management server transmits a link to the information providing server and personal information of the user. The information providing method according to claim 4, wherein the information file with a tag is transmitted to the user terminal. 6. When the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the user terminal receives the personal information ID of the user from the personal information management server,
The received personal information ID is transmitted to the corresponding information providing server, and when the information providing server receives the personal information ID from the user terminal, the personal information ID is transmitted to the personal information management server so that the corresponding personal information ID is transmitted to the personal information managing server. 4. The information providing method according to claim 3, wherein the information is received from the personal information management server. 7. When a request for information is made from the user terminal to the information providing server, the personal information management server sets a link to the information providing server and a personal information ID of the user. 7. The information providing method according to claim 6, wherein tag-attached information including the following is transmitted to the user terminal. 8. A user terminal connected to a communication network for use by a user, a personal information management server for managing personal information of the user, and a product for the user terminal via the communication network. In a settlement method used in a system including a product sales server that sells the product, the user provides the product to the product sales server via the user terminal. When applying for purchase, the product sales server receives an identifier for distinguishing the user, and the product sales server transmits purchase information and the identifier to the personal information management server, A settlement method, wherein the management server performs settlement for a user corresponding to the received identifier. 9. The personal information managed by the personal information management server, the personal information having a content of which the user is not specified is transmitted to the product sales server, and the product sales server performs the processing based on the received personal information. 9. The settlement method according to claim 8, wherein the information of the customized product is transmitted to a user terminal of the corresponding user. 10. The settlement method according to claim 9, wherein said personal information includes use status information created based on a use history of communication performed at said user terminal. 11. A personal information management server connected to a communication network, comprising: a user information management unit for storing information on a user of a user terminal connected to the communication network; When an information request is made to an information providing server connected to the above communication network and which provides information, personal information including contents for which the user is not specified is transmitted to the information providing server. A personal information management server, comprising: 12. The user information management section stores a use history of communication performed at the user terminal, and the control section includes use state information created based on the use history. The personal information management server according to claim 11, wherein the personal information is transmitted to the information providing server. 13. When the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the control unit sends a link to the information providing server to the user terminal.
13. The personal information management server according to claim 11, further comprising transmitting tagged information including personal information of the corresponding user. 14. When the user terminal makes a request for information to the information providing server, the control unit sends a link to the information providing server to the user terminal.
And transmitting the tagged information including the personal information ID of the corresponding user, and transmitting the corresponding personal information to the information providing server when the personal information ID is received from the information providing server. Item 13. The personal information management server according to item 11 or 12. 15. The system according to claim 15, wherein the user is connected via the user terminal.
When applying for the purchase of a product to a product sales server that sells the product, the control unit transmits an identifier for distinguishing the user to the product sales server, When receiving purchase information and an identifier from a merchandise sales server, a personal information management server that performs settlement for a user corresponding to the received identifier. 16. A recording medium on which a personal information management program for causing a computer to realize each component of the personal information management server according to claim 11 is recorded.