FR3061328A1 - METHOD FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION - Google Patents

Abstract

The method (100) for providing information, comprising a step (105) for inputting keywords into a web browser by a user on a human-machine interface comprises: a step (110) of transmitting a message; query of public search results, to a remote server, based on the keywords entered, - a step (115) of unlocking access to private information by the user, - a step (120) for searching private information whose access is unlocked, based on the keywords entered, providing private search results, - a step (125) of receiving public search results from the remote server and - a step ( 130) displaying, in a single interface, received public results and private search results, the private results and the public results being specified as such on this interface.

Description

Holder (s):

O Extension request (s):

Applicant (s): QWANT Simplified joint stock company - FR.

LEANDRI ERIC.

QWANT Simplified joint-stock company.

Agent (s): CASSIOPI Limited liability company.

® PROCESS FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION.

@) The method (100) of providing information, comprising a step (105) of entering keywords in an internet browser by a user on a human machine interface comprises:

a step (110) of sending a request for public search results, to a remote server, based on the keywords entered,

a step (115) of unlocking access to private information by the user,

a step (120) of searching for private information, access to which is unlocked, based on the keywords entered, providing private search results,

a step (125) of receiving public search results from the remote server and

- A step (130) of displaying, in a single interface, the public results received and the private search results, the private results and the public results being specified as such on this interface.

100

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TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method of providing information. It applies, in particular, to the search for resources on an internet-type network combined with the search for private resources of a user.

STATE OF THE ART

In the field of IT resource searches on the internet, online search engines are used today, accessible from an internet browser.

These search engines base the results provided, in response to a query, on content indexing and user profiling.

The disadvantage of current search engines is that they are intrusive for the privacy of users, especially through the profiling action which comes down to monitoring user actions and associating behaviors or detecting d 'associated interests.

For this reason, these search engines are limited to searches for computer resources on the internet.

Other internal and private search modules, integrated into the operating systems, allow access to the computer content of the terminal associated with the operating system.

Thus, today, there is no search system making it possible to combine public search results on the internet with private search results without entering the user's private life to determine the relevance of the results .

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to remedy all or part of these drawbacks.

To this end, the present invention relates to a method of providing information, comprising a step of entering keywords in a web browser by a user on a man-machine interface, which comprises:

- a step of issuing a request for public search results, to a remote server, based on the keywords entered,

- a step of unlocking access to private information by the user,

- a step to search for private information, access to which is unlocked, based on the keywords entered, providing private search results,

a step of receiving public search results from the remote server and

- a step of displaying, in a single interface, the public results received and the private search results, the private results and the public results being specified as such on this interface.

Thanks to these provisions, the user chooses, depending on the unlocking or not, whether access to private resources is given to the search module. Neither access to private data nor the search module requires communication over a remote data network to operate. In addition, the search for public data and the search for private data do not use the same search engine, the search engine for public data does not have access to the contents of the search for private data. Finally, no user profiling, based on private data, is performed to assist in the search for public data.

In embodiments, the method which is the subject of the present invention comprises a step of associating remote private information storage services, the information of each associated service being implemented during the information search step. private.

These embodiments make it possible to search for private information inside a personal computer cloud (translated "cloud computing").

In embodiments, the method which is the subject of the present invention comprises a step of creating an index of private information, the unlocking step unlocking access to the index for the search step.

These embodiments allow optimization of the speed of searching for private information.

In some embodiments, the index is stored in an accessible remote memory resource whose access is unlocked during the unlocking step.

These embodiments make it possible to limit access to the index to the user.

In embodiments, the index is synchronized on the portable terminal when the access to the remote memory is unlocked.

These embodiments allow any terminal associated with a user to have access to a common index synchronized and shared between the terminals.

In some embodiments, the private results and public results are respectively displayed in columns on a single page.

These embodiments allow a clear identification and a fluidity of reading of the search results by species of result.

In embodiments, the unlocking step is implemented remotely relative to the terminal.

These embodiments make it possible to secure the unlocking step and to share this step with each terminal associated with the user.

In embodiments, the unlocking step includes a step of authenticating the portable terminal on a cellular telephone network.

These embodiments implement a well known network and a third party unlocking mechanism with respect to an internet network.

In embodiments, the unlocking step implements a virtual SIM card.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Other advantages, aims and particular characteristics of the invention will emerge from the following non-limiting description of at least one particular embodiment of the device and of the method which are the subject of the present invention, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 represents, diagrammatically and in the form of a flowchart, a particular succession of steps of the method which is the subject of the present invention,

FIG. 2 schematically represents a particular embodiment of an interface for presenting research results of the method which is the subject of the present invention and

- Figure 3 shows, schematically, a particular embodiment of a device implementing the method of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES OF EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

This description is given without limitation, each characteristic of an embodiment can be combined with any other characteristic of any other embodiment in an advantageous manner.

We note now that the figures are not to scale.

“Information” is called digital data which can take the form of text, image, video or executable files or web pages.

We call "internet", both the internet network of the World Wide Web (translated by "global network").

We call "internet browser", a software designed to consult and display the World Wide Web presenting at least an area for entering search keywords and an interface for displaying search results.

The term "terminal" is used to describe an electronic device comprising a man-machine interface, a means of communication with the Internet and a display screen, this terminal being configured to run the Internet browser. As a guide, a terminal can be:

- a smartphone,

- a digital tablet or

- a personal computer.

By “private IT resources”, “private information” or “private data”, we mean:

- the computer data present in the terminal memory and

- computer data from any cloud computing type IT service requiring some form of identification to access it.

This private information includes, for example, emails, text, image or video files, web pages or executable application launchers.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a flow diagram of particular steps for carrying out the method 100 which is the subject of the present invention. This method 100 of providing information, comprising a step 105 of entering keywords in a web browser by a user on a man-machine interface comprises:

a step 110 of issuing a request for public search results, to a remote server, based on the keywords entered,

a step 115 of unlocking access to private information by the user,

a step 120 of searching for private information, access to which is unlocked, based on the keywords entered, providing private search results,

a step 125 of receiving public search results from the remote server and

a step 130 for displaying, in a single interface, the public results received and the private search results, the private results and the public results being specified as such on this interface.

The input step 105 is carried out by any type of human-machine interface known to those skilled in the art. Such an interface is, for example, a mechanical keyboard, a virtual keyboard, a touch keyboard, a mouse or a voice control interface.

The human-machine interface used depends on the terminal running the internet browser.

Thanks to this human-machine interface, the user enters the keywords entered in a search field of the internet browser. These keywords correspond to research objects desired by the user.

The transmission step 110 implements an electronic circuit for controlling the communication means of the terminal. This means of communication is, for example, an antenna configured to transmit and receive wireless telecommunication signals or a physical network port configured to receive a cable connecting the terminal to the internet network.

During this transmission step 110, a request comprising the keywords is transmitted to the remote server.

The remote server is a search engine for public IT resources on the internet. Preferably, this search engine does not include a user profile associated with the terminal.

In parallel with or successively to this transmission step 110, the method 100 implements the unlocking step 115. This unlocking step 115 implements any type of mechanism for unlocking access to known computer content. Such a mechanism is, for example, the comparison of a code entered by the user, on the man-machine interface of the terminal, with a code prerecorded on the terminal or remotely from this terminal. In other variants, the mechanism is a biometric identification mechanism by recognition of fingerprints or eyes.

In particular, this unlocking step 115 can be carried out by a browser extension module installed by the user or preinstalled in the browser. This extension module also makes it possible to carry out the search step 120.

In variants, the unlocking step 115 is implemented remotely relative to the terminal.

In particular embodiments, such as that shown in FIG. 1, the unlocking step 115 includes a step 145 of authenticating the portable terminal on a cellular telephone network.

This authentication step 145 is carried out, for example, by authenticating a SIM card associated with the terminal on the cellular telephone network.

In variants, the unlocking step 115 implements a virtual SIM card.

A virtual SIM card is a dedicated memory space in the terminal, rewritable, the content of which is transmitted by a radio channel, this content comprising the identification data of the terminal on the mobile cellular network.

In preferred embodiments, such as that shown in FIG. 1, the method 100 comprises a step 135 of association of remote services for storing private information, the information of each associated service being implemented during the step 120 of searching for private information.

This association step 135 is carried out, for example, by entering, on the terminal, by the user:

- an identity of the service to be associated and

- identifiers allowing connection to this service on behalf of the user.

This association step 135 implements the establishment of computer communication between the terminal and each service thus associated using the identifiers entered and recorded.

Once this association has been created, the data of the associated service is part of the data considered during the research stage 120.

Such an association can be deleted by the user.

The private information search step 120 implements an electronic calculation circuit associated with software for searching for private computer resources.

During this search step 120, the software identifies private information corresponding to the keywords from data in this information or from metadata, filters these results and orders the remaining results.

Preferably, the search step 120 is performed locally, at the terminal level, by the extension module installed in the browser. In this way, the manipulation of private information is not remote from the terminal, which does not risk compromising the user's privacy.

In preferred embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the method 100 includes a step 140 of creating an index of private information, the unlocking step 115 unlocking access to the index for the step of research.

This creation step 140 is implemented by an electronic circuit for calculating the terminal or a remote server associated with the terminal. During this creation step 140, the set of available private information is determined, then each information is categorized, according to data in the content or metadata of this content, then the information grouped according to similarity of category.

In variants, the index is stored in an accessible remote memory resource whose access is unlocked during the unlocking step 115.

In variants, the index is synchronized on the portable terminal when access to the remote memory is unlocked 115.

The synchronization implemented corresponds to a synchronization of computer files between several terminals for receiving these files well known to those skilled in the art.

The step 125 for receiving public results is carried out by the communication means of the terminal, for example.

The display step 130 is carried out, for example, by the implementation of an electronic circuit for controlling the screen of the terminal so as to display, on this screen, in the browser, private and public information. or a link to this information.

Information is specified by separating information on the browser interface into two columns: a first column corresponds to public information and a second column corresponds to private information.

An example of such an interface is visible in FIG. 2. This interface 200 comprises:

- an input field 210 of search keywords,

- a column 215 of private information originating from search step 120 and

- a column 220 of public information from the reception step 125.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a system 300 capable of implementing the method 100 which is the subject of the present invention.

This system 300 includes:

- a terminal 305,

a search engine 320 remote from the terminal, a database 325 associated with this search engine,

- search software 310 for private information and a database 315 associated with this software.

Thus, as can be understood, the method 100 which is the subject of the present invention brings into play two independent search mechanisms. The first, seeking public information, does not require any particular precaution to protect the privacy of the user as long as no profiling of this user is carried out. The second, handling private data, is only unlocked voluntarily by the user when a search must be performed in this private data.

Claims (7)

1. A method (100) of providing information, comprising a step (105) of entering keywords in an internet browser by a user on a human machine interface, characterized in that it comprises: a step (110) of issuing a request for public search results, to a remote server, based on the keywords entered, - a step (115) of unlocking access to private information by the user, - a step (120) of searching for private information, access to which is unlocked, based on the keywords entered, providing private search results, a step (125) of receiving public search results from the remote server and a step (130) of displaying, in a single interface, the public results received and the private search results, the private results and the public results being specified as such on this interface. 2. Method (100) according to claim 1, which comprises a step (135) of association of remote private information storage services, the information of each associated service being implemented during the step (120) to search for private information. 3. Method (100) according to one of claims 1 or 2, which comprises a step (140) of creating an index of private information, the step (120) unlocking unlocking access to the index for the research stage. 4. Method (100) according to claim 3, wherein the index is stored in an accessible remote memory resource whose access is unlocked during the unlocking step (115). 5. Method (100) according to claim 4, wherein the index is synchronized on the portable terminal when the access to the remote memory is unlocked (115). ίο 6. Method (100) according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which the unlocking step (115) is implemented remotely relative to the terminal, the unlocking step (115) comprising a step ( 145) authentication of the portable terminal on a cellular telephone network. 7. Method (100) according to claim 6, wherein the unlocking step (115) implements a virtual SIM card. 1/2 100