FR2939996A1 - Machine to machine platform i.e. Internet server, for managing e.g. temperature sensor and mobile telephone, has communication management unit permitting communication of communicating objects via service matched with user account - Google Patents

Abstract

The platform (1) has a user account managing unit constituted of a web interface (16) and a user management block (15) and comprising a coupling unit coupling a service (9) matched with a user account, and a data producer communicating object or equipment (2) or a data consumer communicating object or equipment (3). A communication management unit i.e. core (14), permits communication of the data producer communicating object and the consumer communicating object coupled to the service within a given user account, via the service matched with the user account. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a method for managing communicating objects by a platform (2) a computer program product comprising instructions for performing a method for managing communicating objects by a platform (3) a storage medium comprising instructions for performing a method for managing communicating objects by a platform.

Description

Platform for managing a plurality of communicating objects, method, computer program product and corresponding storage means. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The field of the invention is that of communicating objects.

More specifically, the invention relates to a platform for managing a plurality of communicating objects used by a plurality of users. Communicating object (also called communicating equipment thereafter) means any electronic equipment capable of communicating, via a wireless connection (for example Wifi, GPRS, 3G) or wired (for example ADSL) with a platform (for example a Internet server). A communicating object can also communicate directly with another communicating object. Each user is identified as a single individual, and has one or more communicating objects. The same communicating object can be owned (and in this case shared) by one or more users. 2. TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND The platforms known to date and closest to the invention are the M2M remote management platforms of a fleet of communicating machines. These M2M platforms (Machine to Machine in English, or Machine Machine in French) are typically used to manage a set of radio modules each having a SIM card. They manage the communications of a plurality of communicating machines to a server centralizing the data sent by these communicating machines and also ensuring the remote control of these communicating machines. More generally, they allow the deployment, operation and maintenance of a large number of communicating machines.

A major disadvantage of these known M2M platforms is that they stop at low-level management and generic communicating machines, and do not allow to manage services (applications) to communicate with each other heterogeneous machines, not planned a priori to work together. Moreover, these known M2M platforms do not take into account the relationships that may exist between the owners of the communicating machines.

There is also another category of platforms, namely the social network platforms (such as Facebook, registered trademark), which manage the relationships between users. According to the Paris Descartes University's wiki, a social network platform designates, for example, an interactive and collaborative web 2.0 platform offering the tools, for friendly or professional purposes, to meet, relate, communicate, multiple and plural interactions, exchanges and sharing of content (videos, photos, blogs, public or private messages, hypertext links, etc.) between all users who are registered and able to promote the construction of the social network of everyone 'them. A virtual community can therefore be built around the dynamics of exchanges and the involvement of members. Social network platforms, in their present form, are far from the context of the present invention since they manage the relations between users, but do not deal with their communicating objects. OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION The invention, in at least one embodiment, has the particular objective of overcoming these various disadvantages of the state of the art. More specifically, in at least one embodiment of the invention, an objective is to provide a management platform for a plurality of communicating objects, making it possible to communicate between them heterogeneous communicating objects, not made a priori for communicating. together. Another objective of at least one embodiment of the invention is to provide such a platform for communicating between them heterogeneous communicating objects, taking into account the relationship between the owners of these communicating objects. Yet another objective of at least one embodiment of the invention is to provide such a platform that is simple to implement and at a lower cost. Yet another object of at least one embodiment of the invention is to provide such a platform that does not require any modification of existing communicating objects. 4. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION In a particular embodiment of the invention, there is provided a management platform for a plurality of communicating objects, said platform comprising: means for recording the communicating objects; - User account management means, comprising: * first pairing means for pairing communicating objects registered to a given user account; second pairing means, for linking at least one service to said given user account; means for coupling between services and communicating objects, making it possible to couple a given service, paired with a given user account, with at least one data-producing communicating object and at least one data-consuming communicating object, chosen from a set of communicating objects possible including communicating objects paired with said given user account; means for managing communications between communicating objects, making it possible, for a given service paired with a given user account, to communicate, via said given service, the communicating data producing object (s) and the data consumer communicating object (s); coupled to said given service within said given user account. Thus, this particular embodiment of the invention is based on a completely new and inventive approach consisting, in the communicating object management platform, of managing for each user a user account in which there is at least one structure coupling means making it possible to communicate with each other, via a service, communicating objects that are paired with this user account, namely: at least one communicating data-producing object; and at least one data-consuming communicating object. In this way, the platform makes it possible to communicate with each other communicating objects, which may even be of a different nature (that is to say not using a priori the same communication protocol) if the platform comprises connectors. able to handle these different communication protocols. The platform does not require any modification of existing communicating objects. By using the services available on the platform as it sees fit, each user thus has great freedom to use and communicate with each other his communicating objects (that is, those paired with his user account). A data producing communicating object is a communicating object capable of declaring, generating and transmitting data that can form input data of a service. Examples of data producing communicating objects: house alarm, solar panel, heating system, temperature sensor ... By data consumer communicating object is meant a communicating object capable of declaring, receiving and processing data that can be formed output data from a service. Examples of data consumer communicating objects: digital photo frame, television, mobile phone, car computer, home lighting system, shutter control system ... Advantageously, said means of management of user accounts also comprise third means of pairing, allowing to match to a given user account of a given user, at least one other user, said user friend. In said means for coupling between services and communicating objects, said set of possible communicating objects further comprises first third party communicating objects, each paired with the user account of a user friend of said given user. Thus, each user has even more possibilities to use the services available on the platform. Indeed, he can use these services to communicate his own communicating objects (that is, those paired with his own user account) not only between them, but also with the communicating objects of his friends (ie that is, communicating objects that are paired with the user accounts of his friends A friend of a given user is another user who is paired with the user account of that given user.

In other words, the relationship between the users of the communicating objects (that is, the owners, in the sense that the communicating objects are paired with their user accounts) is taken into account in determining which communicating objects can communicate between them.

Advantageously, said user account management means furthermore comprise: first association means, making it possible to associate with each communicating object paired with a given user account, a first visibility information item taking a value belonging to the group comprising: a first value, indicating that said communicating object is a private communicating object, which can be associated with a service only within said given user account; a second value, indicating that said communicating object is a shared communicating object that can be associated with a service within said given user account or within the user account of a user friend of said given user. In said means for coupling between services and communicating objects, said first third communicating objects comprise only shared communicating objects, each paired with the user account of a user friend of said given user. Thus, each user can decide that only some of his communicating objects (those that are shared) can be used by his friends. According to an advantageous characteristic, said group of values of the first visibility information further comprises a third value, indicating that said communicating object is a public communicating object that can be associated with a service within any user account. In said means for coupling between services and communicating objects, said set of possible communicating objects also comprises third communicating third objects, which are public communicating objects.

Thus, each user can decide that some of his communicating objects (those that are public) can be used by all other users of the platform, whether or not his friends. Advantageously, said user account management means furthermore comprise: second association means, making it possible to associate each paired service with a given user account with a second visibility information item taking a value belonging to the group comprising: a first value, indicating that said service is a private service, not visible during a consultation of said user account given by another user, including a user friend of said given user; a second value, indicating that said service is a shared service, visible during a consultation of said user account given by a user friend of said given user; a third value, indicating that said service is a public service, visible during a consultation of said user account given by any other user, friend or not of said given user.

In this way, each user can decide what other users can know about the services he uses, each of these services can be invisible (if marked private), visible only by his friends (if marked shared) ) or visible to all users (if publicly marked). Advantageously, the platform comprises means for managing communications between users and communicating objects, making it possible, for a given user account of a given user, to communicate said given user with a paired communicating object to said given user account. Thus, a user can for example reconfigure, control or even monitor remotely (for example in real time) its communicating objects (that is to say those paired to his user account).

In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method of managing a plurality of communicating objects by a platform, this method comprising: a step of recording the communicating objects by the platform; a step of managing user accounts, comprising: a first pairing step, making it possible to register communicating objects registered to a given user account; a second pairing step, making it possible to match at least one service to said given user account; a coupling step between services and communicating objects, for coupling a given service, paired to a given user account, with at least one data-producing communicating object and at least one data-consuming communicating object, chosen from a set of communicating objects possible including communicating objects paired with said given user account; a step of managing communications between communicating objects, making it possible, for a given service paired with a given user account, to communicate, via said given service, the communicating data producing object (s) and the data consumer communicating object (s); coupled to said given service within said given user account.

Advantageously, said user account management step further comprises a third pairing step, making it possible to match to a given user account of a given user, at least one other user, said friendly user. In said step of coupling between services and communicating objects, said set of possible communicating objects further comprises first communicating third parties, each paired to the user account of a user friend of said given user. Advantageously, said step of managing user accounts further comprises: a first association step, making it possible to associate with each communicating object paired with a given user account, visibility information taking a value belonging to the group comprising: a first value, indicating that said communicating object is a private communicating object, which can be associated with a service only within said given user account; a second value, indicating that said communicating object is a shared communicating object that can be associated with a service within said given user account or within the user account of a user friend of said given user. In said step of coupling between services and communicating objects, said first third communicating objects comprise only communicating shared objects, each paired to the user account of a user friend of said given user. Advantageously, said group of values of the visibility information further comprises a third value, indicating that said communicating object is a public communicating object that can be associated with a service within any user account. In said step of coupling between services and communicating objects, said set of possible communicating objects further comprises second third communicating objects, which are public communicating objects. According to an advantageous characteristic, said user account management step further comprises: a second association step, making it possible to associate with each paired service to a given user account, a second visibility information item taking a value belonging to the group comprising : - a first value, indicating that said service is a private service, not visible during a consultation of said user account given by another user, including a user friend of said given user; a second value, indicating that said service is a shared service, visible during a consultation of said user account given by a user friend of said given user. a third value, indicating that said service is a public service, visible during a consultation of said user account given by any other user, friend or not of said given user. Advantageously, said method comprises a step of managing communications between users and communicating objects, making it possible, for a given user account of a given user, to communicate said given user with a paired communicating object to said given user account. In another embodiment, the invention relates to a computer program product downloadable from a communication network and / or recorded on a computer readable medium and / or executable by a processor. This computer program product includes program code instructions for carrying out the aforesaid method (in any one of its various embodiments), when said program is run on a computer. In another embodiment, the invention relates to a computer readable storage means, possibly totally or partially removable, storing a computer program comprising a set of instructions executable by a computer to implement the aforementioned method (in any of its different embodiments). 5. LIST OF FIGURES Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description, given by way of indicative and nonlimiting example, and the appended drawings, in which: FIG. functional block diagram of a communicating object management platform, according to a particular embodiment of the invention; - Figure 2 an embodiment of the core included in the platform of Figure 1; FIG. 3 completes FIG. 1 by revealing databases included in the platform, according to a particular embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4 illustrates a mechanism for recording a communicating object by the platform of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 illustrates a mechanism for pairing an object communicating with a user account, by the platform of FIG. 1; FIG. 6 illustrates a mechanism for pairing a friend with a user account, by the platform of FIG. 1; FIG. 7 illustrates a coupling mechanism between a service and communicating objects, within a user account, by the platform of FIG. 1; FIG. 8 illustrates a communication mechanism between communicating objects, via a service, by the platform of FIG. 1; FIG. 9 presents a flowchart of a management method of the platform of FIG. 1, in a particular embodiment of the invention; FIG. 10 shows an example of the hardware structure of the platform of which FIG. 1 presents a functional block diagram. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION In all the figures of this document, the elements and identical steps are designated by the same numerical reference. FIG. 1 shows a functional block diagram of a communicating object management platform, according to a particular embodiment of the invention. In the remainder of the description, the terms communicating object and communicating equipment are used interchangeably. In this particular embodiment, the platform 1 communicates: on the one hand with first users 4 having terminals 13 (for example PCs, including a web browser) for access for example via the Internet network 6; and • on the other hand with communicating equipment 2, 3 used by second users 5, for access for example via the Internet and GPRS networks 7. Among these communicating equipment, there are communicating equipment producing data 2 and equipment 3. In practice, the same equipment can be both a data producer and a data consumer. The same user can be part of both the first 4 and second 5 aforementioned users. The platform 1 comprises various functional blocks, namely a core 14 to which are connected: an application container 8, comprising equipment management applications 10 and services 9. These applications 10 and 10. services 9 are connected to the core via programming interfaces (API, for Application Programming Interface in English) 19; A connector container 12, comprising connectors 18 for the producer equipment 2 and connectors 17 for the consumer equipment 3. These connectors 17, 18 are connected to the core via programming interfaces (API) 20, 21; An equipment provisioning block 11, making it possible to prepare the platform to manipulate equipment connecting for the first time to the platform by adding a new entry in the base of the equipment and filling in the essential data to the other parts of the platform. platform: o the identity of the equipment consisting of a model identifier (indicating the nature of the equipment, still referred to as the type of equipment) and a serial number, o the versions of its firmware ( also called firmware) and its software (also called software), o its data model, o its current configuration. If the data model is not sent by the equipment, the provisioning block must have been previously configured by an administrator who will have described the data model associated with the equipment type, which information is then stored in the database. data 110 of the provisioning block 11 (this is called manual provisioning as opposed to automatic provisioning in the case where the data model can be transmitted by the equipment). This provisioning block can also be used by an administrator of this type of equipment to update it, that is to say send him a new configuration and / or a new version of the firmware or software. ; A user management block 15, for adding a user to the user database and managing (adding, modifying, deleting, searching) the information of his account (profile): user equipment, equipment of his friends visible to him, user services, services of his friends visible to him, events of the equipment and services of his account (profile); A web interface 16 (for the aforementioned first users 4). The application container 8 and the connector container 12 are, for example, OSGI (Open Services Gateway Initiative) type containers, enabling the platform operator or third parties to create, load, unload, start or shut down equipment management applications 9, services 10 or connectors 17, 18. Platform 1 does not require a global service stop to do this. Services 9 are applications listening to events propagated by the heart (especially the event engine (see Figure 2)) and generate events themselves for equipment 2, 3 or other services including they can depend. They use the APIs referenced 19 platform. The platform 20 can support an infinity of services, within the limits of the physical capacities of the servers that compose it. The connectors 17, 18 are programs that support communication with the communicating equipment 2, 3, and in particular that implement the equipment protocol. They use the APIs referenced 20, 21 of the platform. The platform can support an infinity of connectors, within the limits of the physical capacities of the servers that compose it. Equipment management applications 10, services 9 and connectors are for example programmed in Java language. The Web interface 16 is for example implemented according to a Java EE implementation (for "Java Enterprise Edition" in English, formerly J2EE), and AJAX (for "Asynchronous JavaScript and XML"). The services 9 included in the application container 8 are limited, by the platform (through the APIs referenced 19), access to the equipment object of an event (called equipment subject), and related equipment. by a relationship between their owners with this subject equipment. For this, the platform provides the means to list all the equipment accessible by a given equipment, depending on the relationship between their owners (eg family, friend, work relationship). FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the core 14 included in the platform 1 of FIG. 1. The core of the platform comprises an application logic block 141, a rights control block 142 and a control block 142. The event engine 143 is for example realized with the Java Message Service (JMS) programming interface, with an ActiveMQ implementation. The core of the platform controls all the essential operations of the platform: adding / deleting / modifying / searching for users / equipment / services / means of communication (connectors), relying on the different components supporting these services (see figure 1). It provides the following functions: synchronous or asynchronous routing of messages from one entity to another (use of the event engine 143 for asynchronous message management); • guarantee the respect of the rights (for example: a service of a user A using the equipment of a user B can send a message to the equipment B only if there is a relation between A and B and that B shares his equipment); ensure data consistency (removal of equipment results in changes to equipment, user and service databases). An operation of the heart 14 is triggered by one of three factors: • user action from the web interface 16; • communication initiated by equipment 2, 3; Event triggered by the event engine 143 (for example: wake up function requested by a service 9). FIG. 3 completes FIG. 1 by revealing databases included in the platform, according to a particular embodiment of the invention.

More specifically, each of the services 9, each of the equipment management applications 10, the equipment provisioning block 11, the event engine 143 and the user management block 15 each have their own database (referenced 90, 100, 110, 140, 150 respectively). FIG. 4 illustrates a mechanism for recording a communicating device by the platform of FIG. 1. This mechanism can be broken down as follows: 1. User 5 turns on his equipment 2 (producer equipment in this example, but the same mechanism applies to consumer equipment) that connects to the GPRS network and contacts platform 1 (it is assumed that the URL address of connector 18 has been provided to equipment 2 by the manufacturer / integrator of this equipment). 2. The connector 18 relays the declaration of the equipment 2 and the equipment provisioning block 11 is called, via the core 14, with the configuration of the equipment 2 (including the data model, in the case where this one went through the equipment 2). 3. The equipment provisioning block 11 obtains the data model of the equipment 2: either this model is transmitted by the equipment 2 (case of automatic provisioning), or the equipment provisioning block 11 finds a data model corresponding to the type of equipment in its database 110 (case of manual provisioning). Then, the equipment provisioning block 11 adds a new entry relating to the equipment 2 in the equipment database and informs the data concerning the equipment 2 (identity of the equipment, versions of its equipment). firmware and software, data model, current configuration). Finally, the equipment provisioning block 11 calls the application 10 in charge of managing this type of equipment, if there is one. The equipment management application 10 registers the equipment 2 (and possibly the application propagates the events to other equipment and other users, to inform them of this recording). FIG. 5 illustrates a mechanism for pairing equipment communicating with a user account, by the platform of FIG. 1. This mechanism can be broken down as follows: 1. User 4 connects to platform 1 by the web interface 16, using a web browser on his computer. 2. He adds an equipment 3 (consumer equipment in this example, but the same mechanism applies to a producer equipment) to his account by giving the identifier (ID) of his equipment. 3. The heart 14 calls the application 10 responsible for the management of this equipment; this application 10 generates a random code and sends it to the equipment 3 via the core 14 and the connector 17 of the equipment 3. 4. The equipment 3 displays the generated code. 5. The web interface 16 asks the user 4 to confirm the code displayed on the equipment 3. 6. The user 4 enters the code, which is relayed to the application 10 in charge of the management of the equipment 3, via the heart 14. 7. The application 10 in charge of the management of the equipment 3 matches the equipment 3 to the user account. The user account thus modified is stored by the user management block 15. There is now a variant of the pairing mechanism, in the case where the communicating equipment to pair has no screen. Indeed, it is quite common that a data producing equipment (for example a solar panel), does not have a user interface. In this variant, the mechanism can be broken down as follows: 1. The user 4 connects to the platform 1 by the web interface 16, using a web browser on his computer. It is equipped with a scratch card with the serial number of the equipment 3 and a code that it must discover by scraping. 2. He adds an equipment 3 to his account by giving the identifier (ID) of his equipment, and the hidden code. 3. The core 14 calls the application 10 responsible for the management of this equipment which verifies that the code is a valid cryptographic signature for the serial number of the equipment 3, that is to say, that the user has well in hand the scratch card factory set in the packaging of the equipment 3, 4. the application 10 in charge of the management of the equipment 3 pair the equipment 3 to the user account. The user account thus modified is stored by the user management block 15. FIG. 6 illustrates a mechanism for pairing a friend with a user account, by the platform of FIG. 1. This mechanism can be broken down as follows: 1. A user A wants to create a relationship between him and another user B to share services and equipment with him (and vice versa). 2. User A connects to platform 1 through web interface 16 and authenticates himself, using a web browser on his computer. 3. He searches for user B using web interface 16 and indicates that he wants to connect with him. 4. Later, the user B connects to the platform 1 by the web interface 16 and authenticates, using a web browser on his computer. 5. He sees the request of user B and accepts it. 6. The accounts 60A, 60B of the two users A and B are updated (the user B is paired with the account of the user A, and vice versa) in order to register the shared services and the equipments shared by each of the users. in the account of the other user. On the other hand, the private services and private facilities of each of the users are not registered in the other user's account. The notions of shared or private service, and shared or private equipment are described later, in connection with FIG. 9. The user accounts 60A, 60B thus modified are stored by the user management block 15. 30 7. Later, one of the two users can create a service allowing him to use equipment shared by the other user (see description of Figure 7). FIG. 7 illustrates a coupling mechanism between a service and communicating equipment, within a user account, by the platform of FIG. 1. This mechanism can be broken down as follows: 1. User 4 connects to platform 1 through the web interface 16, using a web browser on his computer. 2. It searches for and instantiates a service 9 (this service is then paired with the user's account). Then, it couples this service to (at least) one of its producing equipment (for example an alert service on a given event) and to (at least) one of its receiving equipment. The web interface 16 allows it to instantiate all available services 9 existing on the platform, compatible with its equipment producers and consumers. This notion of compatibility between services and equipment, for a given user, is detailed below. This coupling between a service and producer and consumer equipment is stored, within the user's account, by the user management block 15. In a particular embodiment, and provided that the user has matched at least a user who is self-employed, the user can, for each coupling with a service, choose the equipment from: • the producer and consumer equipment paired to his own account; • producer and consumer equipment paired with the accounts of his friends and declared shared by them; • The producer and consumer equipment paired with the accounts of any users (friends or not) but declared 25 public by their users. We now detail the concept of compatibility between services and equipment, for a given user. The data model associated with a type of equipment contains a definition of the data that it can produce or consume, by means of a semantic language, such as RDF (Resource Description Framework in English). A semantic dictionary is provided so that each partner can implement services or devices, and also enrich this dictionary. The data model defines a list of triplets (medium, channel / protocol, set of constraints) for each service and each device. Example for an image consumer equipment over the Internet (ADSL connection for example) and MMS: ((type: image, channel: MMS, (message size max: 100K, size _image _max: 2.1M, format: jpeg, colors min: 16bits, max colors: 24bits, (type: image, channel: Internet, (format: jpeg, colors min: 16bits, colors max: 24bits) The dictionary contains the description RDF of type, channel, size_image_max, format, etc. and their possible values When instantiating a service by the user, the web interface 16 will ask the heart 14 to filter the available services that the user can use according to the correspondence of each of them with each This user's account (profile) equipment will not offer services that could not be instantiated because compatible producer and / or consumer data devices can not be found in the user's account (profile). .

FIG. 8 illustrates a communication mechanism between communicating equipment, via a service, by the platform of FIG. 1. This mechanism can be broken down as follows: 1. A producer equipment 2 sends a data item or an alert to the platform 1, via its connector 18. 2. The connector 18 relays the information to the heart 14. 3. The service 9 listening to the producer equipment 2 (or the type of information) is called. 4. The information is decoded by the service 9 which decides to display a message on a specific consumer equipment 3 (in accordance with the coupling previously defined by the user and stored, within the user's account, by the block user management system 15 (see FIG. 7)). A command is sent to the heart 14. 5. The core 14 uses the connector 17 associated with the consumer equipment 3 to pass the information. 6. The consumer equipment 3 receives and displays the information. FIG. 9 presents a flowchart of a management method of the platform of FIG. 1, in a particular embodiment of the invention. The method comprises the following steps: recording of communicating objects by the platform (step 91, corresponding to the mechanism of FIG. 4); Management of the user accounts (step 92, corresponding to the mechanisms of FIGS. 5 to 7); • management of communications between communicating objects via services (step 93, corresponding to the mechanism of FIG. 8); and managing communications between users and communicating objects (step 94), for example for: discovering the properties of one or more connected objects, configuring (remotely changing the properties of one or more objects) or controlling and real-time monitoring (synchronous).

The user account management step 92 itself comprises the following steps, for each user account: • pairing communicating objects to the user account (step 921, corresponding to the mechanism of FIG. 5); Associating a visibility value with each paired communicating object (step 922); • pairing (at least) a service to the user account (step 923); Associating a visibility value with each paired service (step 924); Pairing (at least) a friend with the user account (step 925, corresponding to the mechanism of FIG. 6); Coupling between a service, at least one producing communicating object and at least one consumer communicating object (step 926, corresponding to the mechanism of FIG. 7). Step 922 associates with each communicating object paired with a given user account, visibility information taking a value belonging to the group comprising: • a first value, indicating that the communicating object is a private communicating object, which can Be associated with a service only within the given user account A second value, indicating that the communicating object is a shared communicating object that can be associated with a service within the given user account or within the user account of a user friend of the given user; • a third value, indicating that the communicating object is a public communicating object, which can be associated with a service within any user account. Thus, during the coupling step 926, the user can choose communicating objects among those which are self-paired, those shared by friendly users and those declared public by the other users (friends 20 or not). Step 924 associates with each service paired with a given user account, visibility information taking a value belonging to the group including: • a first value, indicating that the service is a private service, not visible 25 when a consultation of this user account given by another user, including a user friend of that given user; A second value, indicating that the service is a shared service, visible during a consultation of this user account given by a user friend of this given user; • a third value, indicating that the service is a public service, visible during a consultation of this user account given by any other user, friend or not of this given user. Figure 10 shows an example of the hardware structure of the platform of which Figure 1 shows a functional block diagram. In this example of a hardware structure, the platform 1 comprises a server machine 102 and a database machine 101. The server machine 102 implements all the functional blocks of FIG. 1, with the exception of those relating to the databases. (The latter being implemented by the database machine 101). In a conventional manner, each of the two machines 101, 102 comprises a communication bus allowing communication and interoperability between: a central processing unit (comprising, for example, one or more microprocessors); a read-only memory (ROM), which may comprise one or more programs which, when executed, enable the platform 1 to function as described above (that is to say to implement the method of FIG. some steps correspond to the mechanisms detailed in Figures 2 to 6); a random access memory (RAM) comprising registers adapted to record variables and parameters created and modified during the execution of the aforementioned program (s). The central unit controls and directs the execution of the instructions or portions of software code of the aforementioned program (s). When powering up, the program or programs that are stored in the read-only memory are transferred into the RAM which will then contain the executable code of the program (s), as well as registers for storing the variables and parameters necessary to the implementation of this program (s). Note that the invention is not limited to a purely software implementation, in the form of a sequence of instructions of one or more computer programs, but it can also be implemented in hardware or any form mixing a hardware part and a software part. In the case where the invention is partially or totally implemented in software form, the corresponding instruction sequence can be stored in a removable storage means (such as for example a floppy disk, a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM) or no, this storage means being partially or completely readable by a computer or a microprocessor.

Claims (14)

REVENDICATIONS1. Platform (1) for managing a plurality of communicating objects (2, 3), characterized in that it comprises: - means (14, 11, 8) for recording the communicating objects; means (14, 15, 16) for managing user accounts, comprising: first pairing means for pairing communicating objects (2, 3) registered to a given user account; second pairing means, allowing at least one service (9) to be appended to said given user account; means for coupling between services and communicating objects, making it possible to couple a given service, paired with a given user account, with at least one data-producing communicating object and at least one data-consuming communicating object, chosen from a set of communicating objects possible including communicating objects paired with said given user account; means (14) for managing communications between communicating objects, making it possible, for a given service (9) paired with a given user account, to communicate, via said given service, the data-generating communicating object or objects (2) and the data consumer communicating object or objects (3) coupled to said given service within said given user account. 2. Platform according to claim 1, characterized in that said means (14, 15, 16) for user account management further comprise: * third pairing means, for pairing to a given user account (60A) of a given user, at least one other user, said friendly user; and in that in said means for coupling between services and communicating objects, said set of possible communicating objects further comprises first third party communicating objects, each paired with the user account (60B) of a user friend of said given user. 30 3. Platform according to claim 2, characterized in that said user account management means (14, 15, 16) further comprise: first association means for associating each paired communicating object with a given user account, a first visibility information taking a value belonging to the group comprising: a first value, indicating that said communicating object is a private communicating object, which can be associated with a service only within said given user account; a second value, indicating that said communicating object is a shared communicating object that can be associated with a service within said given user account or within the user account of a user friend of said given user; and in that in said means for coupling between services and communicating objects, said first third-party communicating objects comprise only shared communicating objects, each paired with the user account of a user friend of said given user. 4. Platform according to any one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that said group of values of the first visibility information further comprises: a third value, indicating that said communicating object is a public communicating object, which can be associated with a service within any user account; and in that in said means for coupling between services and communicating objects, said set of possible communicating objects further comprises second third communicating objects, which are public communicating objects. Platform according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that said user account management means (14, 15, 16) further comprise: second association means for associating with each service paired to a given user account, a second visibility information taking a value belonging to the group comprising: - a first value, indicating that said service is a private service, not visible during a consultation of said user account given by 10un another user, including a user friend of said given user; a second value, indicating that said service is a shared service, visible during a consultation of said user account given by a user friend of said given user. a third value, indicating that said service is a public service, visible during a consultation of said user account given by any other user, friend or not of said given user. 6. Platform according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises communication management means between users (4) and communicating objects (2, 3), for a given user account (60A ) of a given user, to communicate said given user with a paired communicating object to said given user account. 7. A method of managing a plurality of communicating objects by a platform, characterized in that it comprises: a step (91) of recording the communicating objects by the platform; a step (92) for managing user accounts, comprising: a first pairing step (921), making it possible to register communicating objects registered to a given user account; a second pairing step 9 (23), making it possible to pair at least one service with said given user account; a step (926) for coupling between services and communicating objects, making it possible to couple a given service, paired with a given user account, with at least one data-producing communicating object and at least one data-consuming communicating object, chosen from a set of possible communicating objects including the communicating objects paired with said given user account; a step (93) for managing communications between communicating objects, making it possible, for a given service paired with a given user account, to communicate, via said given service, the communicating data object or objects and the object or objects; communicating consumers of data coupled to said given service within said given user account. The method of claim 7, characterized in that said user account management step (92) further comprises: a third pairing step (925), allowing to match to a given user account of a user given, at least one other user, said user friend; and in that, in said step of coupling between services and communicating objects, said set of possible communicating objects also comprises first third party communicating objects, each paired with the user account of a user friend of said given user. 9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that said step (92) for managing user accounts further comprises: a first association step (922), making it possible to associate each connected communicating object with a user account given visibility information taking a value belonging to the group comprising: a first value, indicating that said communicating object is a private communicating object, which can be associated with a service only within said given user account; a second value, indicating that said communicating object is a shared communicating object that can be associated with a service within said given user account or within the user account of a user friend of said given user; and in that, in said step of coupling between services and communicating objects, said first third communicating objects comprise only shared communicating objects, each paired with the user account of a user friend of said given user. 10. Method according to any one of claims 8 and 9, characterized in that said group of values of the visibility information further comprises: a third value, indicating that said communicating object is a public communicating object, which can be associated with a service within any user account; and in that, in said step of coupling between services and communicating objects, said set of possible communicating objects further comprises second third-party communicating objects, which are public communicating objects. 11. Method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that said step (92) of user account management further comprises: a second association step (924), to associate with each service appended to a given user account, a second visibility information taking a value belonging to the group comprising: a first value, indicating that said service is a private service, not visible during a consultation of said user account given by another user, including a user friend of said given user; a second value, indicating that said service is a shared service, visible during a consultation of said user account given by a user friend of said given user. a third value, indicating that said service is a public service, visible during a consultation of said user account given by any other user, friend or not of said given user. 12. Method according to any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that it comprises a step (94) for managing communication between users and communicating objects, allowing, for a given user account of a given user, communicating said given user with a paired communicating object to said given user account. 13. Computer program product downloadable from a communication network and / or recorded on a computer-readable and / or executable medium by a processor, characterized in that it includes program code instructions for setting implementation of the method according to at least one of claims 7 to 12, when said program is executed on a computer. 14. A computer readable medium, possibly totally or partially removable, storing a computer program comprising a set of instructions executable by a computer to implement the method according to at least one of claims 7 to 12.