JP2001265718A - Family information management system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To share the information of family while utilizing the Internet and to perform an advertisement or propaganda by interrupting external data. SOLUTION: A service providing center is provided with a family data storage means 251 for storing data on a family while sorting them into several means for each family, menu picture providing means 22 for providing the menu picture of the data stored in the family data storage means, data reference picture providing means 23 for reading data corresponding to one menu selected by a member of the family on the menu picture provided by the menu picture providing means out of the family data storage means and referring to these data, and data reloading means 24 for updating the data stored in the family data storage means corresponding to a data write request on the data under reference when there is this request from a memory of the family under access on the data reference picture provided by the data reference picture providing means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a family information management system, and more particularly, to family information in which data shared by a family is centrally managed so that each family member can read and write at any time via the Internet. Regarding the management system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the Internet has rapidly spread, but the current form of Internet usage in ordinary households is mainly to access a portal site having a search engine to search for necessary information from all over the world. Internet shopping at a shopping mall established at a specific site, and launching one's own homepage to transmit information to an unspecified number of people around the world. That is the fact.

[0003] Considering the Internet usage form regarding "information", at present, the Internet is used for searching for information and transmitting information by itself.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the invention] However,
It is thought that the general consumer's concept of the Internet will change drastically if the constant connection to the Internet is realized through the drastic reduction of the communication cost.

[0005] That is, it is considered that a certain boundary line between the area of one's own life and the area of the Internet has disappeared, and the Internet area is taken in as a part of the one's own life. .

[0006] The "information" is not limited to information retrieval and transmission as in the past, and it is considered that information will be shared and utilized in the Internet domain.

[0007] Here, consider information that a family has or information that needs to have. For example, in the case of a family consisting of a couple in their 30s, a junior high school student, and an elementary school child each, the father has an activity area mainly in the company where he works, and the mother mainly the PTA of the local community and the child's school. Each child has its own area of activity, with their own school, and each child has their own information. The information unique to each person is held by each person by storing it in a notebook, diary, or storage medium of a personal computer, and collected and received with a third party by a communication means such as a letter, a postcard, a telephone, a facsimile, or an e-mail. are doing.

On the other hand, there is a lot of information shared or to be shared by the whole family or a plurality of family members. For example, the whole family should know the telephone number of the father's office, children's school, the hospital where each person goes, the cafeteria and coffee shop that he frequently goes to, and relatives and neighbors as emergency contact information. In addition, in the case of the model family as described above, it is customary to have a family in one place and live in a shared life there, and accordingly, it is necessary to share information of each person as information of the whole family. May occur. For example, each person's schedule and return time are often of interest to other family members, and are especially necessary information for mothers to prepare meals.

Hitherto, as a means for informing such information from one of the family members to the whole family, it has heretofore been known to talk or write on a message board when the whole family is gathered, such as at a meal. As the activity pattern of each family member diversifies, the scenes where the whole family gathers are decreasing, and it is troublesome to write on the message board, and you can not know the contents of the message board unless you are at home However, it was not effective as a means of sharing information.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention proposes to realize such information sharing among families by using the Internet. In order to achieve this object, the present invention according to claim 1 provides a service in a network system in which a client machine owned, owned or carried by a member of each family and a service providing center can transmit and receive data through the Internet. The center includes a family data storage unit for storing data relating to the family for each family and classified into several menus, a menu screen providing unit for providing a menu screen of data stored in the family data storage unit, and a menu screen. Data browsing screen providing means for reading out data corresponding to one menu selected by a member of the family from the family data storage means on the menu screen provided by the providing means and making the data browsable, provided by the data browsing screen providing means Of the family being accessed on the And a data rewriting means for updating data stored in the family data storage means in response to a data write request for the data being viewed from a member. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the family information management system of the first aspect, the service information center further stores external data provided from an external information source in association with a specific keyword, A keyword search means for searching data stored in the family data storage means by a specific keyword, and a specific keyword stored in the external data storage means in association with the specific keyword when the keyword is matched by the keyword search means. External data insertion means for interrupting the external data into the family data so that the data can be browsed by family members on the data browsing screen.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the family information management system according to the first aspect, the service providing center further stores external data provided from an external information source in association with a date; Schedule data search means for searching schedule data related to a specific date from data stored in the storage means, and external data storage means based on the date when the specific schedule data is searched by the schedule data search means. External data insertion means for inserting stored external data into family data in order of date so that the data can be browsed by family members on a data browsing screen.

[0013]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a family information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Each member of each family can access the service information center 20 from the client machine 10 such as a personal computer, a mobile phone, or the like owned, owned, or carried by the user, at any time and from anywhere via the Internet.

As is well known, the client machine 10
A CPU 11 for performing necessary processing based on input information input by a user through input means 12 such as a keyboard or a mouse, or input information distributed from the service information center 20 via the communication control means 14 via the Internet; ing. The CPU 11 also controls the output so that the input information is displayed on a display unit 13 such as a CRT or a liquid crystal display as necessary.

In the service information center 20, after data input from each client machine 10 via the Internet is processed by the communication control means 21, a menu screen providing means 22, based on a request specified by the input data, The data browsing screen providing means 23 and the data rewriting means 24 perform the processing described later. The service information center 20 includes a database 25, and the database 25 includes at least a family data storage unit 251 and an external data storage unit 252. Furthermore, a keyword search unit 26 and a schedule data search unit 27 for searching for predetermined keywords and dates from family data stored in the family data storage unit 251 are provided, and external data storage is performed based on the search results. An external data insertion unit 28 is provided for extracting corresponding data from the external data stored in the unit 252 and interrupting and storing the extracted data in the family data. Further, a data deletion unit 29 for automatically deleting unnecessary data from family data stored in the family data storage unit 251 and external data stored in the external data storage unit 252 is provided.

These menu screen providing means 22, data browsing screen providing means 23, data rewriting means 24, keyword searching means 26, schedule data searching means 2
7. External data inserting means 28 and data deleting means 29
Is actually executed by the CPU of the server provided in the service information center 20. The database 25 including the family data storage unit 251 and the external data storage unit 252 is constructed as a large-capacity hard disk.

In order to provide a family information management system according to the present invention, in an actual application, the service information center 2
No. 0 sets up a homepage on the Internet using a web engine or the like so that the user can access the homepage at any time using browsing software such as a WWW browser installed on the client machine 10.

When the user accesses this homepage or moves to a designated site from this homepage, the service information center 20
It is determined that the provision of the menu screen has been requested through the menu item 1 and the menu screen providing means 22 is executed to display the menu screen for the family of the user on the display means 13 of the client machine 10 of the access source. .

An example of this menu screen is shown in FIG. 2, and includes a "family telephone directory" 31, a "bulletin board" 32, a "schedule" 33, a "family record" 34, a "life support" 35, and a "life support" 35. Although six menus of "customer menu" 36 are displayed, the number and contents of these menus are arbitrary, and may be changed from the initial settings as desired by the user.

Referring to the menu displayed on the screen shown in FIG. 2, the "family telephone directory" 31 includes the father's office,
Children's schools, hospitals where people go, canteens and coffee shops
Phone numbers that are frequently called, such as relatives and neighbors, and phone numbers that the whole family should know as emergency contact information are recorded. The "bulletin board" 32 is a place where a family can freely write, and can write a school event for a child, a test result, a proposal for a family trip, and the like. Also,
For example, when a birthday or Christmas is approaching, the child can write to the parent to plead with the desired gift. In the "schedule table" 33, individual schedules of the father, mother, and child, scheduled return time today, and the like are written. In the "family record" 34, the schedule of the upcoming family trip is written, or a record or a digital camera photograph of a past school trip such as a family trip or an athletic meet can be stored. In the "life support" 35, a family household account book, a pocketbook, a menu of tonight, a turntable relating to housework, and the like are written. In the "customer menu" 36, any items set by the user can be written. For example, a message to a separated family (a grandparent, a child living alone as a student, etc.) can be written.

In the family data storage means 251 provided in the service information center 20, various data are stored in association with the menu for each family of a user who has registered as a member. The family data is provided with an ID unique to each family for identifying the family, and the family data cannot be read from the storage unit 251 unless a correct family ID is input by the user. It prevents information from leaking and spreading to third parties.

When the menu screen as shown in FIG. 2 is used as a screen common to all the user's families, the user is requested to input an ID when moving from this menu screen to the next screen, ie, when opening each of the menus 31 to 36. However, preferably, it is configured such that an ID input is required when the menu screen is opened. As a result, the name of the menu displayed on the menu screen, its display icon, and the like can be changed as desired by the user family, and a user family display 37 such as "XX family" is displayed on the menu screen itself. It is expected that usability and satisfaction as a family-specific portal site will be further improved.

When any one of the menus is designated by the user via the input means 12 on the menu screen shown in FIG. 2, the service information center 20 which has received the menu causes the data browsing screen providing means 23 to be executed. The family data stored at the address corresponding to the family ID is read out from the family data storage unit 251 and displayed on the display unit 13 of the client machine 10 that is the access source.

Further, on this data browsing screen, each user's family can input necessary data via the input means 12 of the client machine 10 of the access source. The input data is transmitted to the service information center 20, and the data rewriting means 24 rewrites the family data storage means 251 according to the input data. Here, “rewriting” includes new data input, data deletion, and the like. In addition, the service information center 20 may automatically delete, for example, data accompanying a past date from the action schedule data written in the “schedule” menu 33 by a data deletion unit (not shown).

For example, when the child is likely to return home from the cram school, the menu screen 30 shown in FIG. 2 is opened via the input means 12 of the client machine 10 such as a mobile phone, and the "schedule" menu 33 therein is opened. And enter the expected return time. Then, the data rewriting means 24 writes the scheduled return time of the child in real time in the family data stored in the family data storage means 251 corresponding to the "schedule" of the family. Therefore, when another family member accesses the "schedule" menu 33 of his / her own family, the estimated return time of the child can be known.
Access via the Internet is not a problem anytime and anywhere with a client machine, so even if you are not at home,
You can know when your child is going home from work or on the go.

As described above, according to the system of the present invention, even in a living community such as a family, the information held by the individual members is not placed at the hands of the individual but the service information center 20 via the Internet. The information is stored in an information bank (family data storage means 251) and can be used at any time (data can be written and rewritten freely). This is similar to depositing your personal cash in a bank instead of in your own wallet or house safe. Even if you use a bank deposit, you can put cash in and out freely. Similarly, if you have the freedom to put information in the information bank, you do not need to keep it at hand. In the present invention, as long as the user is connected to the Internet, the user can freely input and output such information through the data browsing screen providing means 23 and the data rewriting means 24, so that the above requirement is sufficiently satisfied. .

In this system, external data provided from an external information source is stored in the external data storage means 252, and if necessary, the external data is interrupted in the family data stored in the family data storage means 251. ing.
Since the external data interrupted in this way becomes a part of the family data, it can be browsed by selecting a menu as described above.

As an example of the external data, there are various data transmitted from the condominium manager or management union to the resident of the condominium, for example, schedule data such as a garbage collection date or a management union meeting date. Such data can be stored in the external data storage unit 252 by giving a menu such as “management bulletin board”, for example. The schedule data retrieving means 27 stores the family data storing means 2 for the family members who are residents of the apartment.
The data (schedule data) for the date is searched from the family data stored in 51. Such schedule data is mainly contained in the "schedule table" 33. When the schedule data is searched by the schedule data search means 27, the external data insertion means 2
Reference numeral 8 refers to the date of the schedule data, extracts the data stored as the “management bulletin board”, and inserts the data as data of the family “schedule” 33 in chronological order. For example, as shown in FIG.
If “1/10 garbage collection” and “1/12 meeting” are entered as data on the management bulletin board when “1/10 adult ceremony” has already been written in 3 33 is automatically inserted at the date. Therefore, the apartment resident can obtain the necessary data of the management bulletin board just by opening the bulletin board for his / her own family, and the apartment manager can write each data on one management bulletin board. It has the same effect as notifying the resident, which is extremely convenient for both parties.

Another example of the external data is advertising data. The service information center 20 registers the family as a user member, registers the business entity that provides online public notice as a sponsor member, and requests the provision of publicity advertisement data. The advertisement data is registered in the external data storage unit 252 in association with at least one of the attribute (keyword) and the date.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the flower shop becomes a sponsor member, and the advertisement data “How about a flower present on an anniversary” is registered in the external data storage means 252. Keyword search means 2
6 retrieves data having a corresponding character string using “birthday”, “marriage anniversary” and the like as keywords from a large number of family data stored in the family data storage unit 251. For example, when a schedule "1/14 wedding anniversary" is written in the "schedule" menu 33 as certain family data, this is searched and the "schedule" is retrieved.
33, the message “How about a flower present on the anniversary” is inserted. If the order key is displayed on the screen together with this message as shown in FIG. 4, for example, even if the father is in the company, clicking the order key,
Online shopping allows you to order flowers and deliver them to your home.

FIG. 5 shows an example in which a car dealer becomes a sponsor member and stores a schedule of a new car announcement, a test drive, and the like in the external data storage means 252 as external data. The schedule data retrieving means 27 retrieves the family schedule data written in the "schedule" 33 of each family, and compares the date with the date of a new car announcement or test drive event stored as external data. And schedules such as new car announcements and test drive events for each family
33 is inserted as the schedule. Such a schedule is the "schedule" 3 of all the family members who are registered users.
3 may be written automatically, but if the schedule varies from store to store as in a test drive event, only homes in areas relatively close to the store where the test drive event is held will be provided.
The test ride schedule can be written in the “schedule” 33. In the example of FIG. 5, the new car announcement is written in both the schedules of family A and B, but the car show and the district A test ride are written only in the schedule of family A. I write only in the calendar. In this way, the external data insertion means 28 can insert different external data for each region into the family data, taking into account the location of the family. By doing so, it is possible to avoid trouble for the user due to automatic insertion of remote external data, and for the advertising sponsor, a high advertising effect can be expected in consideration of regional characteristics. There is an advantage.

In addition, "new car announcement", "auto show",
In the external data such as “test ride”, a link to a web for receiving detailed information and an order (reservation) is embedded, and the user can jump to the corresponding site 40 by clicking the link. (See FIG. 5).

With reference to FIG. 4, an embodiment has been described in which the advertisement data (external data) provided by the sponsor is collated by the keyword search means 26 and inserted into the appropriate place of the family data. Therefore, the advertisement data is stored in the external data storage unit 252 in a form associated with one or more keywords. Keywords include family events such as "travel" and "meal", family anniversaries such as "birthday" and "marriage anniversary", and calendars such as "chigosan" and "adult ceremony" That indicate the celebration of "Izu" or "Hokkaido".

FIG. 6 shows a correspondence table 25 between advertisement data and keywords provided in the external data storage means 252.
3 shows an example. Here, a special package guide by a travel agency using "Travel" as a keyword, a birthday special dinner at a restaurant using "Birthday" as a keyword, a commemorative photo reception at a photo studio using "Shichigosan" as a keyword, and an Izu using "Izu" as a keyword Each of the advertisement data of the accommodation guidance by the tourist hotel in is stored.

Here, when the schedule data written in the schedule of a certain family is as shown in the lower section of FIG. , And refers to the table 253 to extract the advertisement data of “birthday special dinner at restaurant” registered in correspondence with the keyword. Similarly,
Keywords "Izu" and "Travel" in Schedule 3
And extract the advertisement data of “Accommodation information by tourist hotel in Izu” and “Special pack information by travel agency”, and “Receive commemorative photo by photo studio” using “Shihogosan” in Schedule 4 as a keyword Extract the advertising data of. The extracted advertisement data is displayed near the corresponding schedule in the schedule (see FIG. 4), and can be clicked to jump to a site for making detailed information or making a reservation (see FIG. 5).

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, with the rapid spread of the Internet, a groupware service that can be used by family members is provided, and a user can store information "deposited" at a service information center. It can be used as shared data for the whole family at any time and anywhere.

Further, external data such as advertisement data can be arbitrarily interrupted by family data, and the interrupted data is provided to the user together with data written by the family itself. There is a great merit because it is possible to make appropriate advertisements accordingly. This means that the system is basically operated with the membership fee registered and collected by the advertiser as a sponsor member, and it is possible to collect no membership fee from family users or to collect only a very low membership fee Is large, and a merit of scale due to an increase in the number of family user members can be expected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a family information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a menu screen appearing as an initial screen when a user accesses the Internet.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying a system operation in a case where data by a condominium manager or a management union is stored in an external data storage means as a “management bulletin board” menu;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a system operation when advertisement data from a flower shop is stored in an external data storage unit.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying a system operation when a schedule of a new car announcement from a car dealer or a test ride event is stored in an external data storage means.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying a correspondence table between advertisement data and keywords provided in the external data storage means.

[Explanation of symbols]

Claims (3)

[Claims] In a network system in which a client machine owned, owned, or carried by a member of each family and a service providing center can transmit and receive data through the Internet, the service providing center stores data on the family for each family. A family data storage means for classifying and storing the data in several menus; a menu screen providing means for providing a menu screen of data stored in the family data storage means; and a family screen provided by the menu screen providing means. Data browsing screen providing means for reading data corresponding to one menu selected by a member from the family data storage means and enabling browsing;
The data stored in the family data storage unit is updated in response to a data write request for the data being viewed from a member of the family being accessed on the data browsing screen provided by the data browsing screen providing unit. And a data rewriting means. 2. The service information center further comprises: an external data storage means for storing external data provided from an external information source in association with a specific keyword; and a data storage means for storing data stored in the family data storage means in a specific keyword. And a data browsing screen in which, when a specific keyword is collated by the keyword searching means, the external data stored in the external data storage means in association with the specific keyword is inserted into the family data. 2. The family information management system according to claim 1, further comprising: external data insertion means that can be browsed by family members. 3. The service providing center further comprises: an external data storage means for storing external data provided from an external information source in association with a date; and a data associated with a specific date based on data stored in the family data storage means. Schedule data searching means for searching for schedule data to be searched, and when the specific schedule data is searched by the schedule data searching means, the external data stored in the external data storage means is inserted into the family data in chronological order based on the date. 2. A family information management system according to claim 1, further comprising external data insertion means for allowing a family member to browse the data on a data browsing screen.