U.S. patent application number 10/008117 was filed with the patent office on 2002-04-11 for information processing apparatus and method enabling users to easily acquire information that occurs on a network and suits their favorites.
This patent application is currently assigned to SONY CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Nishio, Fumihiko, Yoshida, Kimiyoshi.
Application Number | 20020042841 10/008117 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 18314307 |
Filed Date | 2002-04-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020042841 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nishio, Fumihiko ; et
al. |
April 11, 2002 |
Information processing apparatus and method enabling users to
easily acquire information that occurs on a network and suits their
favorites
Abstract
A server computer stores user favorites information that relates
to the favorites of a user. Whether digital information that has
newly occurred on a network suits the favorites of the user is
judged based on the user favorites information. If it is judged
that there exists digital information that suits the favorites of
the user, the server computer informs the user of the new
establishment of the digital information that suits the favorites
of the user by transmitting E-mail to the user. When a browsing
request of the digital information is made by the user, the server
computer delivers the digital information to the user and stores
history information relating to a history of the digital
information that has been delivered to the user. Thereafter, the
server computer updates the user favorites information based on the
history information.
Inventors: |
Nishio, Fumihiko; (Kanagawa,
JP) ; Yoshida, Kimiyoshi; (Kanagawa, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
John F. Nethery
SONNENSCHEIN NATH & ROSENTHAL
P.O. Box #061080
Wacker Drive station, Sears Tower
Chicago
IL
60606-1080
US
|
Assignee: |
SONY CORPORATION
|
Family ID: |
18314307 |
Appl. No.: |
10/008117 |
Filed: |
November 8, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10008117 |
Nov 8, 2001 |
|
|
|
08990703 |
Dec 15, 1997 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
709/245 ;
707/E17.109; 709/227 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 67/306 20130101;
H04L 67/535 20220501; H04L 67/55 20220501; H04L 12/1859 20130101;
G06F 16/9535 20190101; H04L 51/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/245 ;
709/227 |
International
Class: |
G06F 015/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 18, 1996 |
JP |
P08-338033 |
Claims
1. An information deliverer server connected to a network for
managing information contained on said network, the server
comprising: means for storing user favorites information that
relates to favorites of a user; means for judging, based on the
user favorites information, whether new information on the network
is suitable for the user; means for informing the user of
occurrence of the new information that has been judge by the means
for judging to be suitable for the user; means for associating a
dummy network address with an actual network address for the new
information contained on the network; means for delivering, based
on the dummy network address with an actual network address for the
new information to the user when the user requests the new
information, where the new information is constructed with an
information identifier, a keyword, a summary, and an information
body.
2. A method for managing information on an information deliverer
server connected to a network comprising the steps of: storing user
favorites information that relates to favorites of a user; judging,
based on the user favorites information, whether new information on
the network is suitable for the user; associating a dummy network
address with an actual network address for information contained on
the network; and delivering, based on the dummy network address,
the new information to the user when the user requests the new
information, where the new information is constructed with an
information identifier, a keyword, a summary, and an information
body.
3. An information deliverer server connected to a network for
managing information contained on said network, the server
comprising: a memory for storing user favorites information and
dummy network address data; a processor for comparing users
favorites information with new information on the network to
determine if the new information would be suitable for the user and
for associating dummy network address data to actual dummy address
data; and a communications controller for information the user of
occurrence of suitable new information on the network and for
delivering the new information based on the dummy address data to
the user when the user requests said new information, where the new
information is constructed with an information identifier, a
keyword, a summary, and an information body.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing
apparatus and an information processing method. In particular, the
invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an
information processing method which allow a user to easily acquire
information that suits his favorites through the Internet, for
instance.
[0002] In the Internet, for example, various kinds of information
is provided to a user in various manners.
[0003] For example, if a user has himself registered in what is
called a mailing list that is managed by an information provider
who provides a certain kind of information, he can be provided with
information from the information provider by electronic mail
(E-mail).
[0004] Further, distributed electronic bulletin board systems
called "net news" are constructed in the Internet, for example. A
user can be provided with various articles by accessing what is
called a net news server. In a net news system, when an article is
written to a certain net news server, the article is delivered to
other net news servers in a bucket-brigade-like manner. Therefore,
information can be provided to many users efficiently.
[0005] Further, the WWW (world wide web) system that enables
information delivery by use of a hyper text that is written in HTML
(hyper text markup language) is constructed in the Internet, for
instance. By utilizing the WWW system, a user can receive various
information in the form of what is called home pages.
[0006] As described above, by utilizing the Internet, a user can be
provided with information in various manners. However, since the
amount of information is enormous, it is difficult for a user to
easily acquire information that truly suits his favorites.
[0007] For example, in the case of the E-mail, since the same
information is delivered to all users who are registered in a
mailing list, it may include information that is needless to a
certain user. Further, in the case of the E-mail, the cost of
reception increases as the amount of information to be delivered
increases.
[0008] In the net news system and the WWW system, a user needs to
search for information that suits his favorites, which is
cumbersome. Further, in the net news system and the WWW system,
various information providers register new information, whereby new
information occurs one after another on the Internet. A user needs
to check, by accessing a net news server or a WWW server, whether
new information that suits his favorites has occurred, which is
also cumbersome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above
circumstances, and an object of the invention is to allow a user to
easily acquire information that suits his favorites.
[0010] The invention provides an information processing apparatus
connected to a network, comprising favorites information storing
means for storing user favorites information that relates to
favorites of a user; judging means for judging, based on the user
favorites information, whether information that has newly occurred
on the network is suitable for the favorites of the user; informing
means for informing the user of occurrence of the information that
has been judged by the judging means to be suitable for the
favorites of the user; and delivering means for delivering the
information to the user when a browsing request of the information
is made by the user.
[0011] Further, the invention provides an information processing
method in an information processing apparatus which is connected to
a network and stores user favorites information that relates to
favorites of a user, comprising the steps of judging, based on the
user favorites information, whether information that has newly
occurred on the network is suitable for the favorites of the user;
informing the user of occurrence of the information that has been
judged by the judging step to be suitable for the favorites of the
user; and delivering the information to the user when a browsing
request of the information is made by the user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of a network
system to which the present invention is applied;
[0013] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary configuration of an ID server 6
shown in FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 3 shows a format of personal information;
[0015] FIG. 4 shows a format of delivery information;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a personal information
registration process;
[0017] FIG. 6 shows a registration picture;
[0018] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a delivery information
registration process;
[0019] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an individual delivery
information construction process;
[0020] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an information transmission
process;
[0021] FIG. 10 shows processes executed by the ID server 6 shown in
FIG. 2;
[0022] FIG. 11 illustrates genre management in the ID server 6;
[0023] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the personal favorites
information update process; and
[0024] FIG. 13 shows a picture for announcing personal favorites
information that is updated by the personal favorites information
update process.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0025] FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of a network
system to which the present invention is applied.
[0026] A user has a personal computer 1 (hereinafter referred to as
"user terminal" where appropriate) which is connected to a SP
(service provider) server 3 of a service provider (connecting
company) via, for instance, a public network 2 such as a PSTN
(public switched telephone network) or an ISDN (integrated service
digital network) or a dedicated line (not shown). User terminals of
other users are also connected to the SP server 3 in a similar
manner. The SP server 3 is connected to the Internet 4. An IP
(information provider) server 5 of an information provider and an
ID (information deliverer) server 6 of an information deliverer are
also connected to the Internet 4. The IP server 5 manages a
database that stores various home pages (HPs) and is so configured
as to provide the home pages in response to a request from a user
by utilizing the WWW system. The ID server 6 is so configured as to
deliver to a user information that suits his favorites (i.e.,
desired information).
[0027] In this embodiment, the ID server 6 also serves as an IP
server.
[0028] In the Internet 4, communications are performed between
computers according to a protocol called TCP/IP (transmission
control protocol/Internet protocol). Further, the WWW system is
constructed on the Internet 4. In the WWW system, data transfer is
performed according to a protocol called HTTP (http; hyper text
transfer protocol). By describing pictures in HTML (hyper text
markup language), information retrieval and display can be
performed easily in the form of home pages. For example, Netscape
Navigator (trademark) of Netscape Communications Corporation and
Mosaic (trademark) of NCSA are known as applications for the WWW
system (WWW browsers) of the user terminal 1 on the user side and
Netscape Commerce Server (trademark) is known as an application
(WWW server) of the IP server 5 and the ID server on the
information provider side. Each user can be provided with
information or a service by accessing a WWW server by using a WWW
browser. Each information provider can provide information or a
service to a WWW browser by using a WWW server.
[0029] Although a user can directly connect to the Internet 4, he
usually contracts with a service provider and makes a connection to
the Internet by accessing the SP server 3 via the public network 1
as shown in FIG. 1.
[0030] In the above-configured network system, when new information
occurs on the Internet 4, that is, for instance when a new home
page is registered in the IP server 5, the ID server 6 judges
whether the new home page suits the favorites of the user of the
user terminal 1. If it suits his favorites, a message to that
effect is sent to him by E-mail, for instance. Looking at the
E-mail, the user of the user terminal 1, if he wants to view the
home page that is explained in the E-mail, makes a request for its
viewing to the ID server 6 via the public network 2, the SP server
3, and the Internet 4 by manipulating the user terminal 1. Upon
reception of the request for viewing of the home page (assumed to
belong to the IP server 5) sent from the user terminal 1, the ID
server 6 acquires the home page from the IP server 5 and transfers
(delivers) it to the user terminal 1 via the Internet 4, the SP
server 3, and the public network 2.
[0031] The user can thus easily acquire a home page that has newly
occurred on the Internet 4 and suits his favorites.
[0032] The above-described service of informing a user of
occurrence on the Internet 4 of a new home page that suits his
favorites is called a new home page informing service.
[0033] By the way, to judge whether a new home page occurring on
the Internet 4 suits the favorites of the user of the user terminal
1, the ID server 6 stores personal favorites information (user
favorites information) relating to the favorites of the user. For
example, the personal favorites information is input such that the
user manipulates the user terminal 1, and transferred to the ID
server 6 via the public network 2, the SP server 3, and the
Internet 4 and stored therein.
[0034] The ID server 6 is so configured as to store history
information that relates to a history of home pages that are
requested by the user. Based on the history information, the ID
server 6 updates the personal favorites information so that it
reflects the fields (genres) of home pages requested by the user.
In this manner, the ID server 6 can provide home pages that suit
the favorites of the user.
[0035] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary configuration of the ID server 6
shown in FIG. 1.
[0036] For example, a personal information storing section 11 is so
configured as to store personal favorites information, history
information, and other personal information relating to each user.
A personal information registering section 12 is so configured as
to register personal information that is received by a
communication control section 20 in the personal information
storing section 11. Having a manipulating section such as a
keyboard (not shown), the personal information registering section
12 is so configured that personal information can also be
registered in the personal information storing section 11 by
manipulating the personal information registering section 12.
[0037] A delivery information storing section 13 stores delivery
information including home pages (i.e., files written in HTML) as
information to be delivered to users. The delivery information
registering section 14 is so configured as to register delivery
information in the delivery information storing section 13. Having
a manipulating section such as a keyboard (not shown) the delivery
information registering section 14 is so configured that delivery
information can also be registered in the delivery information
storing section 13 by manipulating the delivery information
registering section 14.
[0038] A new registration managing section 15 is so configured as
to store an information identifier for identifying delivery
information that has been newly registered in the delivery
information storing section 13. An individual delivery information
constructing section 16 is so configured as to recognize delivery
information that has been newly stored in the delivery information
storing section 13 based on its information identifier stored in
the new registration managing section 15, and to judge whether a
home page stored in the delivery information suit the favorites of
a user by referring to the personal information storing section 11.
Further, the individual delivery information constructing section
16 is so configured as to read out, the home page included in the
new delivery information suits the favorites of the user, summary
information of the contents of the home page and other information
from the delivery information storing section 13, construct
individual delivery information, and supply it to an information
delivering section 17. The information delivering section 17 is so
configured as to output, to the communication control section 20 in
the form of E-mail, the individual delivery information sent from
the individual delivery information constructing section 16.
[0039] A delivery information reading section 18 is configured as
to monitor a readout section 19 and to register, in the personal
information storing section 11, history information relating to a
history of home pages that have been provided to a user. The
readout section 19 is so configured as to read out a home page that
is requested by a user from the delivery information storing
section 13 or acquire it from the IP server 5 or the like via the
communication control section 20 and the Internet 4, and transfer
it to the communication control section 20. The communication
control section 20 is so configured as to perform a communication
control with the Internet 4.
[0040] FIG. 3 shows a format of the personal information to be
stored in the personal information storing section 11 shown in FIG.
2.
[0041] As shown in FIG. 3, the personal information is constructed
such that a person identifier, personal favorites information (user
favorites information), and an information browsing history are
arranged sequentially.
[0042] Personal information of a user who is to be given the new
home page informing service is registered in the personal
information storing section 11. Since personal information is thus
necessary for each user, person identifiers are used to
discriminate among pieces of personal information of respective
users. In this embodiment, an E-mail address, for instance, is used
as the person identifier.
[0043] Information that is useful for recognition of the favorites
of a user, such as an age, a gender, hobbies, and fields (genres)
of interest of the user, is located at the position of the personal
favorites information. The history information is located at the
position of the information browsing history.
[0044] The person identifier is registered in the personal
information storing section 11 when a personal information
registration process is executed in the ID server 6 for instance.
The personal information registration process is executed when the
user accesses the ID server 6 and performs a proper manipulation on
the user terminal 1. Details of the personal information
registration process will be described later.
[0045] FIG. 4 shows a format of the delivery information to be
stored in the delivery information storing section 13 shown in FIG.
2.
[0046] As shown in FIG. 4, the delivery information is constructed
such that an information identifier, a keyword, favorites
information, summary information, and an information body are
arranged sequentially.
[0047] The information identifier is for identification of each
delivery information. In this embodiment, it is, for instance, a
URL (uniform resource locator) of a home page that is located at
the position of the information body of the delivery information. A
keyword that represents the contents of the information body of the
delivery information is located at the position of the keyword.
Information useful for recognition as to what type of user the
information of the delivery information is directed to is located
at the position of the favorites information. For example, as in
the case of the personal favorites information of the personal
information, an age, a gender, hobbies, fields (genres) of interest
of a user, etc. are located at the position of the favorites
information. A summary of the information body of the delivery
information is located at the position of the summary information.
In this embodiment, for example, an HTML file (a file written in
HTML) that constitutes a home page is located at the position of
the information body.
[0048] As described above, the ID server 6 also serves as an IP
server and hence manages home pages by itself too. HTML files of
home pages that are managed by the ID server 6 itself are stored in
the delivery information storing section 13 as information bodies
of delivery information. On the other hand, as for a home page that
is managed by, for instance, the IP server 5, identifying
information for identifying its HTML file is located at the
position of the information body. Specifically, a URL of a home
page that is managed by the ID server 5, for instance, is located
at the position of the information body.
[0049] Where the URL is used as the information identifier as
described above, it is necessary to use, so to speak, dummy URLs
for home pages that are managed by servers other than the ID server
6. If URLs of home pages that are managed by servers other than the
ID server 6 were used as information identifiers as they are and if
a user were to access those home pages by using the information
identifiers, those home pages would be accessed not through the ID
server 6 (an access through the ID server 6 possibly occurs by
accident). In this case, the history information of the user cannot
be managed by the ID server 6.
[0050] Therefore, where the URL is used as the information
identifier, it is necessary to use dummy URLs with which the ID
server 6 is necessarily accessed (hereinafter simply referred to as
"dummy URLs" where appropriate; specifically URLs including a host
name and a domain name that are assigned to the ID server 6) for
home pages that are managed by servers other than the ID server 6.
In this case, when accessed with a dummy URL, the ID server 6 can
refer to the information body of the delivery information having
the dummy URL as an information identifier and then request another
server, by using, say, a true URL, to transmit the home page
concerned.
[0051] More specifically, assume that the domain names of the IP
server 5 and the ID server 6 are, for instance, www.xxx.yyy and
www.aaa.bbb, respectively, and that the IP server 6 manages a home
page whose URL is http://www.xxx.yyy/contents-1.html. In this case,
in the ID server 6, a URL (dummy URL)
http://www.aaa.bbb/contents-1.html that is produced by replacing
the domain name www.xxx.yyy with www.aaa.bbb is used as an
information identifier and the true URL http://www.xxx.
yyy/contents-1.html is located at the position of an information
body. When the home page is requested by using the dummy URL
http://www.aaa.bbb/contents-1.html, the request is received by the
ID server 6 that is assigned the domain name www.aaa.bbb. Upon
reception of the request, the ID server 6 can refer to the delivery
information and request, by using the true URL
http://www.xxx.yyy/contents-1.html that is located at the position
of the information body, the IP server 5 to transmit the home page
whose file name is /contents-1.html. Further, after receiving the
home page from the IP server 5, the ID server 6 can transfer the
home page to the user who requested it.
[0052] Next, the process of the ID server 6 will be described by
dividing it into a personal information registration process for
registering personal information, a delivery information
registration process for registering delivery information, an
individual delivery information construction process for
constructing individual delivery information, information
transmission process for transmitting a home page as information
requested by a user, and a personal favorites information update
process for updating personal favorites information.
[0053] First, to allow a user to be given the new home page
informing service, his personal information needs to be registered
in the personal information storing section 11. For example,
personal information can be registered such that a user writes
necessary items on a prescribed form and mail it to the manager of
the ID server 6 to have him manipulate the personal information
registration section 12. Alternatively, personal information can be
registered online.
[0054] In the delivery information storing section 13, a
registration picture for allowing input of items necessary for
registration of personal information is stored so as to be provided
in the form of a home page. A user who wants to have his personal
information registered online requests the registration picture by
manipulating the user terminal 1. Specifically, the user causes the
user terminal 1 to transmit a URL that corresponds to the home page
as the registration picture to the ID server 6 via the public
network 2, the SP server 3, and the Internet 4.
[0055] In response, the following process is executed in the ID
server 6. At step S1 of a personal information registration process
shown in FIG. 5, it is judged whether the registration picture has
been requested, that is, whether the URL of the registration
picture has been received by the communication control section 20.
If it is judged at step S1 that the registration picture has not
been requested yet, the process returns to step S1. If it is judged
at step S1 that the registration picture has been requested, that
is, if the URL of the registration picture has been received, the
process goes to step S2. At step S2, the readout section 19 reads
out the registration picture from the delivery information storing
section 13, i.e., the registration picture as an HTML file that is
located at the position of the information body of the delivery
information having, as an information identifier, the URL received
by the communication control section 20, and controls the
communication control section 20 to have it transmit the
registration picture to the user terminal 1. The registration
picture is thus transmitted to the user terminal 1 via the Internet
4, the SP server 3, and the public network 2 and displayed
thereon.
[0056] FIG. 6 shows a display example of the registration
picture.
[0057] In FIG. 6, the registration picture is constructed such that
boxes for input of a name, an E-mail address, a gender, a date of
birth, hobbies of a user are sequentially arranged from the
top.
[0058] The user inputs his name, E-mail address, and date of birth
at the respective boxes. Further, the user checks a gender box in
accordance with his gender (in FIG. 6, mark "_" is given to the
radio button "male" that has been checked (clicked) by the user by
manipulating the user terminal 1) and also checks hobbies boxes of
genres of interest (i.e., genres that correspond to his favorites
(in FIG. 6, mark "x" is given to the check boxes "music" and
"games" that have been checked by the user by manipulating the user
terminal 1).
[0059] After inputting the necessary items on the registration
picture, the user manipulates the user terminal 1 to have the
necessary items to be transmitted. As a result, the necessary items
are transmitted to the ID server 6 (via the public network 2, the
SP server 3, and the Internet 4).
[0060] In response, the following process is executed in the ID
server 6. After transmitting the registration picture at step S2 in
FIG. 5, the process goes to step S3, where it is judged whether the
necessary items sent from the user terminal 1 have been received by
the communication control section 20. If it is judged at step S3
that the necessary items have not been received yet, the process
returns to step S3. If it is judged at step S3 that the necessary
items have been received, the process goes to step S4, where
personal information is generated based on the necessary items.
[0061] That is, upon reception of the necessary items from the user
terminal 1, the communication control section 20 supplies those to
the personal information registration section 12. Upon reception of
the necessary items from the communication control section 20, the
personal information registration section 12 constructs personal
information (see FIG. 3) by locating the E-mail address that is
included in the necessary items at the position of the person
identifier and locating, at the position of the personal favorites
information, the items that have been input to the boxes of the
name, gender, date of birth, and hobbies in the registration
picture. At the stage of registering the personal information, no
particular information is located at the position of the
information browsing history.
[0062] After the personal information is generated in the above
manner, the process goes from step S4 to step S5, where the
personal information registration section 12 registers the personal
information in the personal information storing section 11. The
personal information registration process is then finished.
[0063] When a new home page is transmitted from an information
provider or a new home page is registered in the IP server 5, the
ID server 6 executes a delivery information registration process
for registering delivery information of the new home page.
[0064] In the delivery information registration process, first, at
step S11 shown in FIG. 7, it is judged whether a new home page has
occurred on the Internet 4. If it is judged that no new home page
has occurred, the process returns to step S11. If it is judged at
step S11 that a new home page has occurred, the process goes to
step S12, where delivery information of the new home page is
generated in the delivery information registering section 14.
[0065] Specifically, for instance, when a new home page has been
transmitted from an information provider, it is judged at step S11
that a new home page has occurred. That is, when a user as an
information provider has transmitted an HTML file via the Internet
4 to establish a home page on the ID server 6, it is judged at step
S11 that a new home page has occurred.
[0066] In this embodiment, when a new home page has been
established on a server other than the ID server 6, say, the IP
server 5, the IP server 5 sends a message to that effect
(hereinafter called "new home page establishment message" where
appropriate) to the ID server 6. Also when receiving a new home
page establishment message in this manner, the ID server 5 judges
at step S11 that a new home page has been established.
[0067] In addition to judging whether a new home page establishment
message has been received, whether a new home page has been
established on the IP server 5 can be judged by having the delivery
information registration section 14 search the home pages that are
managed by the IP server 5.
[0068] However, if whether a new home page has been established
were judged on all IP servers (WWW servers) connected to the
Internet 4 (or constituting the Internet 4), enormous time is
needed for the judgment process. Therefore, it is desirable that
the number of IP servers as subjects of the judgment process be
limited to a certain number.
[0069] When a new home page has occurred on the Internet 4, as
described above the process goes from step S11 to step S12, where
delivery information of the home page is generated in the delivery
information registering section 14 in the following manner, for
instance.
[0070] When a new home page that should be managed by the ID server
6 is transmitted from a user as an information provider, the home
page is received by the communication control section 20 and
supplied to the delivery information registering section 14. Upon
reception of the new home page, the delivery information
registering section 14 locates, as an information identifier, the
URL of the home page at the head of delivery information (see FIG.
4). Further, the delivery information registering section 14
extracts a preset word (keyword) from the new home page and employs
it as a keyword of the delivery information. The delivery
information registering section 14 judges, based on, for instance,
the keyword, the genre of the new home page and employs a judgment
result as favorites information of the delivery information.
Alternatively, favorites information may be transmitted from an
information provider together with a new home page. In this case,
the transmitted information itself is employed as favorites
information of delivery information.
[0071] Further, the delivery information registering section 14
extracts, for instance, a title etc. from the new home page and
employs it as summary information of the delivery information.
Still further, the delivery information registering section 14
employs the new home page itself, i.e., the HTML file, as an
information body of the delivery information.
[0072] On the other hand, when receiving a new home page
establishment message from the IP server 5, the ID server 6 the IP
server 5 to transmit the new home page and generates delivery
information of the new home page basically in the same manner as in
the above-described case. However, in this case, a dummy URL is
located at the position of the information identifier of the
delivery information and a true URL is located at the position of
the information body of the delivery information. Although it is
possible to locate data (HTML file) of the home page that has been
newly established in the IP server 5 at the position of the
delivery information, this causes the delivery information to have
a large data amount. Therefore, as to a home page newly established
in the IP server 5, it is desirable to employ, for instance, a true
URL of the home page as an information body of delivery
information, as described above.
[0073] When the delivery information of the new home page has been
generated in the delivery information registering section 14, the
process goes from step S12 to step S13, where the delivery
information is registered in the delivery information storing
section 13. Thereafter, the process goes to step S14, where the
delivery information registering section 14 transfers the
information identifier of the delivery information that has been
newly registered in the delivery information storing section 13 to
the new registration managing section 15. The delivery information
registration process is then finished.
[0074] The new registration managing section 15 receives and stores
the identifier of the new delivery information that is supplied
from the delivery information registering section 14.
[0075] In the above manner, information identifiers of new pieces
of delivery information are stored in the new registration managing
section 15. Based on the information identifiers stored in the new
registration managing section 15, the individual delivery
information constructing section 16 executes an individual delivery
information construction process for informing occurrence of a home
page that suits the favorites of a user on a regular basis, for
instance (once a day, for instance).
[0076] In the individual delivery information construction process
shown in FIG. 8, first, at step S21, it is judged whether the
process has been executed for all person identifiers of the
personal information stored in the personal information storing
section 11. If it is judged at step S21 that not all person
identifiers of the personal information stored in the personal
information storing section 11 have been subjected to the process,
a person identifier that has not been subjected to the process yet
is made a subject of the process (subject person identifier pid)
and the process goes to step S22.
[0077] At step S22, it is judged whether all information
identifiers stored in the new registration managing section 15 have
been subjected to the process. If it is judged at step S22 that not
all information identifiers stored in the new registration managing
section 15 have been subjected to the process, an information that
has not been subjected to the process is made a subject of the
process (subject information identifier iid) and the process goes
to step S23.
[0078] At step S23, the personal information having the subject
person identifier pid as its person identifier is retrieved from
the personal information storing section 11 and its personal
favorites information (hereinafter expressed as "personal favorites
information [pid]" in which pid is used as an argument, where
appropriate) is read out. Further, at step S23, the delivery
information having the subject information identifier iid as its
information identifier is retrieved from the delivery information
storing section 13 and its favorites information (hereinafter
expressed as "favorites information [iid]" in which iid is used as
an argument, where appropriate) is read out. Still further, at step
S23, it is judged whether the personal favorites information [pid]
coincides with the favorites information [iid] (whether the user's
favorites represented by the personal favorites information [pid]
coincides with the favorites represented by the favorites
information [iid]).
[0079] If it is judged at step S23 that the personal favorites
information [pid] coincides with the favorites information [iid],
that is, if the information (home page) that is located at the
position of the information body of the delivery information
corresponding to the subject information identifier iid suits the
favorites of the user corresponding to the subject person
identifier pid, the process goes to step S24. At step S24, the
summary information of the delivery information corresponding to
the subject information identifier iid is read out from the
delivery information storing section 13. Then, the subject person
identifier pid, the subject information identifier iid, and the
read-out summary information are combined into individual delivery
information, which is supplied to the information delivering
section 17. Then, the process returns from step S24 to step
S22.
[0080] If it is judged at step S23 that the personal favorites
information [pid] does not coincide with the favorites information
[iid], that is, if the information that is located at the position
of the information body of the delivery information corresponding
to the subject information identifier iid does not suit the
favorites of the user corresponding to the subject person
identifier pid, the process returns to step S22 skipping step
24.
[0081] If it is judged at step S22 that all information identifiers
stored in the new registration managing section 15 have been
subjected to the process, the process returns to step S21.
[0082] On the other hand, if it is judged at step S21 that all
person identifiers of the personal information stored in the
personal information storing section 11 have been subjected to the
process, the process goes to step S25, where the information
identifiers of the new pieces of delivery information stored in the
new registration managing section 15 are deleted (erased). The
individual delivery information construction process is then
finished.
[0083] When pieces of individual delivery information including
summary information of home pages that suit the favorites of
respective users are constructed in the individual delivery
information construction section 16 in the above manner, the
information delivering section 17 transmits the pieces of
individual delivery information to the respective users in the form
of E-mail, for instance, thereby informing the users of the new
establishment of the home pages that suit the favorites of the
respective users.
[0084] That is, upon reception of individual delivery information
from the individual delivery information constructing section 16,
the information delivering section 17 correlates (link) the summary
information and the information identifier (in this embodiment, as
described above, the URL) of the individual delivery information
with each other and constructs E-mail by employing the summary
information and the information identifier as its body. Further,
the information delivering section 17 transfers the E-mail to the
communication control section 20 with its address set to the person
identifier (in this embodiment ,as described above, the E-mail
address that constitutes the individual delivery information),
thereby having the E-mail transmitted. As a result, the E-mail
(hereinafter referred to as "informing E-mail" where appropriate),
having as a body the summary of the home page that suits the
favorites of the user, for informing the new establishment of the
home page is transmitted to the user terminal 1 of the user (more
correctly, in this embodiment, to the SP server 3 having what is
called a mail box of the user of the user terminal 1).
[0085] Basically, pieces of individual delivery information having
the same information identifier are combined into single informing
E-mail. This is because if informing E-mail were formed for each
individual delivery information, many pieces of informing E-mail
having the same purpose of informing a user of the new
establishment of a home page would be transmitted to the user.
[0086] Looking at the summary information that is described in the
body of the informing E-mail that comes in in the above manner, the
user of the user terminal 1 requests the home page corresponding to
the summary information by manipulating the user terminal 1 if he
wants it. Specifically, for example, he inputs the URL that is the
information identifier described in the informing E-mail together
with the summary information and transmits it from the user
terminal 1 to the SP server 3 via the public network 2.
[0087] In this embodiment, as described above, the information
identifier is correlated with the summary information that is
described in the informing E-mail. Therefore, the home page can
also be requested by clicking on a display portion of the desired
summary information or information identifier by using a pointing
device such as a mouse. In this case, if the display portion of the
summary information is clicked on, the URL as the information
identifier that is correlated with the summary information is
transmitted from the user terminal 1 to the SP server 3 via the
public network 2. Similarly, if the display portion of the
information identifier is clicked on, the URL as the information
identifier is transmitted.
[0088] The SP server 3 receives the URL that is transmitted from
the user terminal 1 and then transmits it to the ID server 6. Since
the information identifier is the URL including the domain name of
the ID server 6 as described above, it reaches the ID server 6
except for special cases such as occurrence of an error during a
transmission.
[0089] In response, the ID server 6 executes an information
transmission process shown in FIG. 9.
[0090] In the information transmission process, first, at step S31,
it is judged whether an information identifier sent from a user has
been received by the communication control section 20. If it is
judged that it has not been received yet, the process returns to
step S31. If it is judged at step S31 that the information
identifier has been received, the information identifier is
transferred from the communication control section 20 to the
readout section 19. Upon reception of the information identifier
from the communication control section, the readout section 19
retrieves the delivery information where the information identifier
is located from the delivery information storing section 13 and
refers to the information body of the retrieved delivery
information. Then, at step S32, the readout section 19 judges
whether the referenced information body is a URL.
[0091] If it is judged at step S32 that the information body is a
URL, that is, if the home page that is requested by the user is not
one stored in and managed by the ID server 6 but one stored in and
managed by a server other than the ID server 6, such as the IP
server 5, the process goes to step S33. At step S33, the readout
section 19 controls the communication control section 20 so that
the communication control section 20 transmits the URL that is
located at the position of the information body to the IP server 5
via the Internet 4. The home page corresponding to the URL is
thereby acquired from the IP server 5, and the process goes to step
S35.
[0092] On the other hand, if it is judged at step S32 that the
information body is not a URL, that is, if the home page that is
requested by the user is one stored in and managed by the ID server
6, i.e., stored in the delivery information storing section 13, the
process goes to step S34. At step 34, the readout section 19 reads
out, from the delivery information storing section 13, data (HTML
file) of the home page as the information body that was referenced
at step S34. The process then goes to step S35.
[0093] At step S35, the readout section 19 transmits, to the user
terminal 1, the home page that has been acquired from the IP server
5 or read out from the delivery information storing section 13.
[0094] The home page that is transmitted from the ID server 6 is
received by and displayed on the user terminal 1. Thus, the user
can easily acquire new information that suit his favorites.
[0095] Upon the transmission of the home page requested by the
user, the process goes from step S35 to step S36, where the ID
server 6 updates the history information.
[0096] The delivery information reading section 18 monitors home
pages that the readout section 19 transmits to users. When a home
page is transmitted at step S35, at step S36 the delivery
information reading section 18 writes its history information to
the personal information storing section 11.
[0097] Specifically, the history information is written in the
following manner. For example, a request for a home page from a
user is made such that the person identifier that is the E-mail
address of the user is transmitted from the user terminal 1 to the
ID server 6 together with the information identifier that is the
URL (or the dummy URL in the embodiment) of the home page.
Therefore, the readout section 19 receives the information
identifier of the home page and the person identifier of the user
who requests the home page.
[0098] At step S36, the delivery information reading section 18
reads out, from the personal information storing section 11, the
personal information (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the person
identifier received by the readout section 19 and adds the
information identifier received by the readout section 19 to the
information browsing history of the read-out personal information.
Further, at step S36, the delivery information reading section 18
writes the history-information-added person information to the
personal information storing section 11. The information
transmission process is then finished.
[0099] In the above manner, home pages are transmitted (delivered)
to users and history information of the transmitted homes pages is
recorded.
[0100] Next, the above-described individual delivery information
construction process (FIG. 8) and the information transmission
process (FIG. 9) will be described in more detail with reference to
FIG. 2 and FIG. 10 that is similar to FIG. 2.
[0101] In the example of FIG. 10, pieces of personal information of
users a and b having E-mail addresses a@uu.vv.ww and b@xx.yy.zz,
respectively, are stored in the personal information storing
section 11. In the example of FIG. 10, pieces of information "the
age is 25," "the gender is male," and "the genre of interest is
music" are registered as personal favorites information of the
personal information of user a, and pieces of information "the age
is 20," "the gender is female," and "the genre of interest is
sports" are registered as personal favorites information of the
personal information of user b. Further, in the example of FIG. 10,
no information browsing histories have been registered yet.
[0102] Now assume that delivery information in which "music-1" is
described as information identifier, "rock" and "concert" are
described as keywords, and "the age is 20s" and "the genre is
music" are described as favorites information has been newly
registered in the delivery information storing section 13 by the
delivery information registering section 14. To avoid unduly
complicating FIG. 10, in FIG. 10 the summary information and the
information body are expressed as <Summary> and
<Contents>, respectively. Further, to simplify the
description, "music-1," which is not in the URL format, is used as
the information identifier.
[0103] In this case, the information identifier "music-1" is
transferred from the delivery information registering section 14 to
the new registration managing section 15 and stored therein.
[0104] When the individual delivery information construction
process is started in the individual delivery information
constructing section 16, the information identifier "music-1" that
is stored in the new registration managing section 15 is read out
and the favorites information "the age is 20s" and "the genre is
music" of the delivery information having the information
identifier "music-1" is also read out from the delivery information
storing section 13.
[0105] Then, the above favorites information is compared with the
personal favorites information of the personal information stored
in the personal information storing section 11. In the example of
FIG. 10, as described above, the pieces of personal favorites
information of users a and b are registered, which are therefore
compared with the favorites information "the age is 20s" and "the
genre is music."
[0106] In this case, the favorites information "the age is 20s" and
"the genre is music" coincides with the personal favorites
information of user a "the age is 25" and "the genre of interest is
music." On the other hand, although the favorites information "the
age is 20s" coincides with the personal favorites information of
user b "the age is 20s," the favorites information "the genre is
music" does not coincide with the personal favorites information of
user b "the genre of interest is sports."
[0107] Therefore, in this case, individual delivery information
will be constructed only for user a who has the personal favorites
information that coincides with both pieces of favorites
information "the age is 20s" and "the genre is music." That is, the
person identifier a@uu.vv.ww of the personal information of user a
is read out from the personal information storing section 11 and
the summary information <Summary> of the delivery information
corresponding to the information identifier "music-1" is read out
from the delivery information storing section 13. They are
transferred from the individual delivery information constructing
section 16 to the information delivering section 17 together with
the information identifier "music-1." The information delivering
section 17 generates informing E-mail having the summary
information <Summary> and the information identifier
"music-1" as a body and transmits it to the user a who has the
person identifier a@uu.vv.ww as an E-mail address.
[0108] If user a requests the home page after reading the informing
E-mail, he transmits, to the ID server 6, the information
identifier "music-1" that is described in the informing E-mail and
the person identifier a@uu.vw.ww that is his own E-mail address.
The information identifier "music-1" and the person identifier
a@uu.vv.ww are received by the communication control section 20 and
transferred to the readout section 19. The readout section 19
retrieves, from the delivery information storing section 13, the
delivery information having the information identifier that has
been transferred from the communication control section 20 and
reads out its information body <Contents>. The information
contents <Contents> is transmitted to user a who has the
person identifier a@uu.vv.ww as an E-mail address.
[0109] On the other hand, the delivery information reading section
18 adds, as history information, the information identifier
"music-1" to the information browsing history of the personal
information having the person identifier a@uu.vv.ww that is stored
in the personal information storing section 11.
[0110] The ID server 6 is so configured as to execute, for
instance, at predetermined timing, a personal favorites information
update process for updating personal favorites information of
personal information having a predetermined number or more of
information identifiers as history information.
[0111] In the ID server 6, genres of home pages are managed so as
to be classified hierarchically, for instance, as shown in FIG. 11.
At the highest level, the genres are classified into large items of
"music," "sports," etc. For example, the item "music" is classified
into medium items of "classic," "rock," "pops," etc. at the second
level. Further, the item "classic," for example, is classified into
small items of "piano" (played with the piano), "orchestral music,"
etc. at the third level.
[0112] It is possible to construct the registration picture (see
FIG. 6) that is transmitted to a user in the personal information
registration process (see FIG. 5) so that it allow the user to
input small items of genres, for instance. However, since the
number of small items is large, it would be cumbersome for the user
to select desired ones from those items. Therefore, in this
embodiment, only the large items of genres, which are small in
number, are displayed in the registration picture the user selects
ones that suit his favorites from those items. The selected items
are registered as personal favorites information. Thereafter, in
the personal favorites information update process, the personal
favorites information is dynamically updated (addition and
alteration of genres) based on history information. The personal
favorites information thus comes to correctly represent the
favorites of the user.
[0113] Specifically, the personal favorites information update
process is executed as shown in FIG. 12. First, at step S41, the
delivery information reading section 18 retrieves, from the
personal information storing section 11, certain personal
information (subject personal information) having a predetermined
number or more of information identifiers as history information.
Further, the delivery information reading section 18 reads out the
information identifiers as history information that are located at
the position of the information browsing history and employs one of
the read-out information identifiers as a subject information
identifier. Then, at step S42, the delivery information reading
section 18 retrieves the delivery information having the subject
information identifier as an information identifier from the
delivery information storing section 13 and recognizes the genre
that is described in the favorites information as a genre of a home
page that the user has already viewed.
[0114] The genre recognized at step S42 is hereinafter expressed as
"genre #i."
[0115] Then, the process goes from step S42 to step S43, where the
delivery information browsing section 18 increments by 1 a variable
(hereinafter expressed as "frequency variable #i") for counting the
frequency at which the user have viewed home pages of genre #i. The
process then goes to step S42. It is noted that the frequency
variable #i is cleared to, for instance, 0 at step S41.
[0116] At step S44, it is judged whether all information
identifiers as history information that were read out at step S41
have been subjected to the process. If it is judged that not all
information identifiers have been subjected to the process yet, the
process returns to step S42 to repeat the same steps after setting
an information identifier that has not been subjected to the
process yet as a new subject information identifier.
[0117] If it is judged at step S44 that all information identifiers
as history information that were read out at step S41 have been
subjected to the process, that is, if the frequencies of the genres
of home pages that have been viewed (browsed) by a certain user
have been determined, the process goes to step S45. At step S45,
one of the frequency variables that have been determined for the
respective genres is employed as a subject frequency variable and
it is judged whether the subject frequency variable is greater than
(or greater than or equal to) a predetermined positive integer
T.
[0118] If it is judged at step S45 that the subject frequency
variable is greater than the predetermined value T, that is, if
home pages of the genre corresponding to the subject frequency
variable have been viewed by the user more than T times, the
process goes to step S46. At step S46, the delivery information
reading section 18 adds the genre corresponding to the subject
frequency variable to the personal favorites information of the
subject personal information. The process then goes to step
S47.
[0119] If it is judged at step S45 that the subject frequency
variable is smaller than or equal to (or smaller than) the
predetermined value T, that is, if home pages of the genre
corresponding to the subject frequency variable have scarcely (or
never) been viewed by the user, the process goes to step S47
skipping step S46.
[0120] At step S47, it is judged whether all frequency variables
that were determined for the respective genres have been subjected
to the process. If it is judged that not all frequency variables
have not been subjected to the process yet, the process returns to
step S45 to repeat the same steps after setting a frequency
variable that has not been subjected to the process yet as a new
subject frequency variable. If it is judged at step S47 that all
frequency variables have been subjected to the process, the process
goes to step S48. At step S48, it is judged whether all pieces of
personal information in which the number of information identifiers
as history information is greater than or equal to a predetermined
number have been subjected to the process, i.e., employed as
subject personal information.
[0121] If it is judged at step S48 that not all pieces of personal
information in which the number of information identifiers as
history information is greater than or equal to a predetermined
number have been subjected to the process, the process returns to
step S41 to repeat the same steps after setting personal
information that has not been subjected to the process yet as
subject personal information.
[0122] On the other hand, if it is judged at step S48 that all
pieces of personal information in which the number of information
identifiers as history information is greater than or equal to a
predetermined number have been subjected to the process, the
delivery information reading section 18 deletes the pieces of
personal information that have been subjected to the process among
the pieces of personal information stored in the personal
information storing section 11. The personal favorites information
update process is then finished.
[0123] As described above, the frequency of a genre of home pages
that have been viewed by a user is counted, and, so to speak, the
favorites of the user are estimated based on the counted frequency
and the personal favorites information is updated accordingly.
Therefore, it becomes possible to inform respective users that home
pages more suited to the favorites of the users have been newly
established.
[0124] That is, according to the personal favorites update process,
if after selecting (inputting) large items (general items) of, for
instance, "sports" and "music" on the registration picture a user
frequently views home pages of genres "baseball" and "classic" that
are at a lower level than the genres "sports" and "music,"
respectively, those finer genres are registered in the personal
favorites information. Therefore, the user can acquire information
about home pages that are more suited to his favorites.
[0125] Further, according to the personal favorites information
update process, even as for a genre that does not belong to any
genres that a user previously input on the registration picture, if
a user requests, at a certain number of times, the ID server 6 to
transmit home pages of that genre, the personal favorites
information comes to reflect that genre. Therefore, the user can
receive information about new establishment of home pages of a
genre that was not input on the registration picture.
[0126] Although in the above example fine genres are added to the
personal favorites information, a modification is possible in which
the general genres already included in the personal favorites
information are deleted and only fine genres are caused to be newly
included in the personal favorites information.
[0127] It is possible to have the personal favorites information
include not only genres but also frequencies at which a user has
viewed home pages of the respective genres, i.e., values of the
frequency variables that are determined in the personal favorites
information update process of FIG. 12. Specifically, in a case
where the frequency variable of a genre "baseball" has a value 10,
it is possible to have the personal favorites information to
include a combination of the genre "baseball" and its frequency
"10." In this case, the degrees of interest of a user in respective
genres are expressed in, so to speak, multi-value form by using the
frequencies. Therefore, by using this, it is possible to provide
informing E-mail that can be used more easily by the user.
Specifically, for example, for a genre of a higher frequency the
period of delivering informing E-mail may be shortened. Further,
pieces of summary information of home pages belonging to genres of
higher frequencies may be allocated, in order, to the body of
informing E-mail.
[0128] It is also possible to have the personal favorites
information to include a combination of a genre, its frequency, and
dates when a user viewed (requested) home pages of that genre
(hereinafter referred to as "time stamps"). For example, in a case
where a user viewed home pages of a genre "music" 10 times and the
last viewing was on Oct. 10, 1996, a combination of these pieces of
information (music, 10 times, Oct. 10, 1996) is included in the
personal favorites information. In this case, in the personal
favorites information update process, N genres (N: positive
integer) of home pages that a user viewed recently may be
recognized from the time stamps. Further, N genres of higher
frequencies may be recognized from the time stamps and the other
genres may be deleted from the personal favorites information while
only the N genres are left therein. In this manner, the personal
favorites information update process makes it possible to avoid a
case that too many genres are included in the personal favorites
information.
[0129] It is possible to provide to a user personal favorites
information that has been updated by the personal favorites
information update process, for instance, every update thereof or
in response to the user's request in the form of E-mail or a home
page as shown in FIG. 13. In FIG. 13, mark "x" is given to the
check boxes (indicated by squares in FIG. 13) of the genres that
are included in updated personal favorites information.
[0130] In this case, the user can modify the genres that are
provided in the form of E-mail or a home page as shown in FIG. 13.
That is, by manipulating the user terminal 1, for instance, the
user gives mark "x" to the check box of a genre he desires or erase
mark "x" when it is given to the check box of a genre he does not
desire, and has modified genres transmitted to the ID server 6.
(Both giving and erasure of mark "x" can be effected by clicking on
a check box.) In response, in the ID server 6 the personal
favorites information is altered so as to reflect genres
transmitted from the user terminal 1.
[0131] In the example of FIG. 9, when the ID server 6 has received,
from the user, a browsing request of a home page that is stored in
and managed by a server other than the ID server 6, say, the IP
server 5, rather than stored in and managed by the ID server 6, the
ID server 6 transmits a URL that is located at the position of the
information body to the IP server 5 and acquires a home page
corresponding to the URL from the IP server 5. Alternatively, the
ID server 6 may have the IP server 5 to directly transmit the home
page to the user terminal 1 that made the browsing request rather
than acquires the home page. That is, the ID server 6 that has
received an information identifier transmits, to the IP server 5,
the information identifier to which an address for identifying the
user terminal 1 on the network (for instance, an IP (Internet
protocol) address) is added. This enables the IP server 5 to
directly transmit the home page to the address that is added to the
information identifier. Even with this constitution, the ID server
6 can acquire the above-described history information because the
user terminal 1 once transmits the information identifier to the ID
server 6.
[0132] As described above, since informing E-mail for a home page
that has newly occurred on the Internet 4 and suits the favorites
of respective users is generated and delivered to the respective
users, the users can easily acquire information that suits their
favorites (i.e., information they require). Further, since history
information of home pages accessed by a user is stored by utilizing
informing E-mail and the personal favorites information is updated
based on the history information, it is possible to inform the user
of new establishment of a home page that suits his favorites,
whereby the user can be provided with, so to speak, efficient
information.
[0133] Since the informing E-mail includes not a home page itself
but its summary information, it is possible to avoid a case that
the amount of information included in the informing E-mail becomes
enormous.
[0134] Further, from the viewpoint of a home page information
provider, since an age group of users whom the information provider
wants to view the home page and genres of interest of those users
are registered as favorites information, it is possible to have
those users recognize the existence of the home page.
[0135] Although the foregoing description is directed to the case
where the invention is applied to the network system that utilizes
the Internet, the invention can also be applied to network systems
that utilize networks other than the Internet. For example, the
invention can be applied to what is called a computer
communications system or the like in which user terminals are
directly connected, via telephone lines or the like, to a server
computer that provides information. In this case, the host computer
of a computer communications system also serves as the SP server 3,
the IP server 5, and the ID server 6.
[0136] Although in the embodiment a URL is used as an information
identifier of delivery information (see FIG. 4), the information
identifier is not limited to the URL. For example, a serial number
or the like may also be used as an information identifier.
[0137] Although in the embodiment a user is informed of new
establishment of a home page only when it is established, it is
also possible to inform a user of alteration of the contents of a
home page upon its occurrence.
[0138] In the embodiment, informing E-mail includes summary
information of only home pages that have been newly established and
suit the favorites of a user. A modification is possible in which
informing E-mail further includes summary information of home pages
for which the user has been informed of new establishment by
previous informing E-mail and that have not been viewed (requested)
by the user.
[0139] In this case, by causing the individual delivery information
constructing section 16 (see FIG. 2) to refer to the favorites
information and the information identifiers stored in the delivery
information storing section 13 and the personal favorites
information and the information browsing history stored in the
personal information storing section 11, home pages that have not
been viewed by a user and suit his favorites may be detected and
individual delivery information may be constructed for such home
pages.
[0140] Although in the embodiment a user is informed of new
establishment of a home page that suits his favorites by E-mail,
the new establishment may be announced by generating, for instance,
a home page dedicated for that purpose.
[0141] Although in the embodiment new establishment of a home page
is announced, it is also possible to announce a fact that
information other than a home page has newly occurred.
[0142] Further, although to simplify the description the embodiment
is directed to the case where whether a home page suits the
favorites of a user is judged based on its favorites information,
the judgment may also be done by using some other information such
as a keyword of the delivery information.
[0143] According to the invention, whether information that has
newly occurred on a network is suitable for the favorites of the
user is judged based on user favorites information, and the user is
informed of occurrence of the information that has been judged
suitable for the favorites of the user. The information is
delivered to the user when the information is requested by the
user, and history information that relates to a history of the
information that has been delivered to the user is stored.
Therefore, for example, by updating the user favorites information
based on the history information, the user can be informed of
occurrence of information that is more suitable for his
favorites.
* * * * *
References