JP2001344284A - Link management system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a link management system which can easily set links ones made to jump from other home pages, and mutual links and can easily manage addition or deletion of links, change of URLs, etc., even after setting the links. SOLUTION: A manager server (1) is provided which can be connected to the Internet and where a link list of user is recorded in advance. When the manager server (1) is accessed via a link from a home page of the user, the manager server uses the link list of the user to generate a link page for the user and transmits it to the access source.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a system for managing links between Internet homepages.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the recent increase in the Internet user population, corporations and other companies that establish their own homepages (not just a welcome page but also a web page and a concept including a web site. The same applies hereinafter). Stores and individuals have increased. However, access cannot be expected just by opening a homepage.

[0003] As a means for increasing the number of accesses to a home page, there is a link from another home page.

In general, a link between homepages means that a character string or image (such as a banner) associated with a URL is clicked to jump to a specified URL and display the homepage corresponding to the URL. It is. A link that jumps from the current home page to another home page is called a link.
Conversely, a case where a user can jump to his / her own homepage by a link from another homepage is referred to as a "linked".

[0005] When a link is desired, a search engine or the like finds another person's homepage (often a plurality of homepages) to which the link is desired. It needs to be provided. Therefore, it is troublesome to request links to a plurality of homepages.

[0006] Conversely, a request for a link to another person's homepage may be received from another homepage.
In that case, it is necessary to make a link to the partner's homepage on his homepage every time there is a request.

[0007] In the case of a mutual link in which links are provided to each other, it is necessary for both parties to set a link.

As described above, when requesting a link or receiving a request for a link, it is necessary to work individually for each case, which is troublesome.

[0009] Even if the link is provided with a lot of trouble, the link function may be impaired unless the URL of the link destination is managed.

That is, there is a case where the URL of the link is changed due to a change of the provider or the home page of the link is closed.

[0011] The administrator of the home page whose URL is changed needs to take steps to prevent the so-called "broken link" in which the link to the home page is interrupted. That is, it is necessary to individually contact the managers of all the link source (link destination) homepages provided with links to their own homepages and request a change of the URL registered as the link destination.

[0012] In this case, the linked home page manager who has received the notification needs to change the registration of the URL each time a change request is made. If the link destination registration is not changed, the home page of the link destination cannot be displayed due to a so-called "broken link" even if an attempt is made to display the linked home page.

When the number of broken links increases, it is not only inconvenient for WWW users, but also wastes time and is unpleasant. In addition, there may be distrust of a poorly managed homepage that has broken links. This poses a serious problem particularly for commercial homepages such as mail-order sales where business is established by the trust of customers.

[0014] Therefore, both the link destination and the link source must individually perform the work involved in the change, which is troublesome.

Also, the homepage cannot always be updated immediately, and may not be updated by the next update date. In some cases, such as when requesting a homepage maker, a change fee may be required separately.

Further, when the homepage is closed,
There are very few administrators who bother to request the homepage administrator at the link source to delete the registration, and the fact is that they are often left without contact. For this reason, the link is often broken without your knowledge.

When the number of links is about several, it is possible to confirm whether a link is possible at an appropriate period (for example, every two weeks), but it is troublesome to confirm frequently when there are more than ten links. .

[0018]

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is easy to set a link, a linked link, and a mutual link, and even after setting the link, the management corresponding to the change of the URL, the closing of the homepage, etc. is easily performed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a link management system capable of performing such operations.

[0019]

The link management system according to the first aspect of the present invention is connectable to the Internet.
It has an administrator server (1) in which a link list of the user is recorded in advance, and when the administrator server (1) accesses the link page of the administrator server (1) by a link from the user's home page, A link page for the user is created using the link list of the user, and the link page for the user is transmitted to an access source.

According to this, when the viewer (20) accesses the link page of the administrator server from the user's homepage with a predetermined link, the administrator server (1) immediately creates a link page for the user, Send to access source.

Therefore, the user does not need to set up a link page in his home page, and the management server (1)
Can create their own link page. By properly managing the link list information recorded in the administrator server (1), it is possible to always display a link page for an appropriate user.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the link management system according to the first aspect, the administrator server (1) has a data server (4) for recording data. ) Is a user information database (5) in which user information is recorded, and a layout database in which page layout information is recorded for each user.
(8), a link list database (6) in which link list information for each user is recorded, and a link database (7) in which link information of all registered users is recorded. Features.

The information necessary for causing the administrator server (1) to create the link page for the user is stored in the administrator server.
It is recorded in the data server (4) in (1). The data server (4) records and manages information using a plurality of databases.

The administrator server (1) retrieves information necessary to create a link page for a user from information recorded in each database and calls it to create a link page for a user.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the link management system of the second aspect, when the administrator server (1) is accessed by a link from a user's homepage, the administrator server detects the URL of the link source. The link list database is obtained by identifying the user who has become the link source by obtaining the user's account from the user information database (5) and searching with the account.
(6) Acquiring the link list information registered by the user from (6), acquiring the layout information registered by the user from the layout database (8), and regarding the users listed in the link list information. Acquiring the link information from the link database (7), creating the link page for the user based on the link information and the layout information, and transmitting the created link page for the user to the access source. And

According to this, the administrator server can determine which user's home page is the link from the link source URL acquired at the time of the link. If the user can be specified, an account can be obtained from the user information database (5).

If the user's account is known, the account is searched for and the link list information recorded for the user is linked to the link list database (6).
Can be obtained from Then, the link information of the link destination listed as an item in the link list information can be acquired from the link database (7).

Further, the layout database (8) can be searched by an account to obtain the layout information registered by the user.

The administrator server creates a link page for the user from the link information and the layout information obtained in this manner, and transmits the link page to the access source, that is, the viewer (20). The viewer (20) simply clicks the link button on the user's homepage, and the link page of the user is displayed, so that there is no sense of incongruity in browsing.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the link management system according to the third aspect, wherein the administrator server (1) includes a banner database (9) for recording banner information.
The layout information recorded in the layout database (8) is layout information having a banner display area for displaying a banner, and when the administrator server creates a user link page, And inserting the banner information acquired from the banner database (9) into the banner display area.

According to this, when creating the link page for the user, the banner information recorded in the banner database (9) can be acquired and incorporated into a predetermined portion in the link page for the user.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the link management system according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, wherein the administrator server (1) registers the homepage to be registered when the user information is registered. A request for registration of an introduction sentence and a category is made, and when a user inquires of a homepage registered in a predetermined category, the URL of the homepage registered in the category is listed up as an introduction sentence and displayed. It is characterized by the following.

According to this, the user can see a list of homepages registered in a predetermined category when adding a link destination or the like, so that it is easy to select a desired link destination.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the link management system according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, the user previously records layout information of the link page for the user in the administrator server. Any of a plurality of page layout information can be arbitrarily selected and registered in the layout database (8). After registration, a link page for the user of the user is created based on the page layout information recorded by the registration. It is characterized by that.

According to this, the user selects his / her favorite page layout from a plurality of page layouts recorded in advance in the layout database (8) of the administrator server and records it as layout information.

Since the link page for the user is laid out based on the selected layout information, the link page for the user is created with the page layout desired by the user.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the link management system according to any one of the third to sixth aspects, the user registers a homepage of another user as a link destination in his / her own link list information. The administrator server records the user's link list information based on the registration by adding an item about the other user's home page, and records the user's home page in the other user's link list information. Is added and recorded.

According to this, when a user registers a link destination, not only the item of the link destination is added to the link list information of the user, but also the user who wants the link in the link list information of the link destination user. Items about are listed. Therefore, the mutual link is automatically set.

The link management system according to claim 8 is the link management system according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the user registers another user's home page as a link destination in his / her own link list information. The administrator server records the user's link list information by adding an item about the other user's home page to the other user's link list information based on the registration, and stores the user's home page in the other user's link list information. Is added and recorded, but if the other user has registered user information in advance in the administrator server (1) so that only the linked site is available for the other user's homepage, And recording only link list information of the user.

According to this, when a link destination is added as in the case of claim 7, a mutual link is automatically generated in principle. However, the user to be linked to is referred to as “linked (link)” as user information in advance. Only) is registered, a one-way link from the link requesting user is provided instead of a mutual link.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the link management system according to any one of the third to eighth aspects, wherein the administrator server (1) sets a link when the user registers user information. If you request to register the necessity of prior confirmation of the above, if there is an application from another user to add additional items about the user's homepage to the other user's link list information after registration,
The administrator server (1) confirms the necessity of the advance confirmation from the user information of the user, and if it is registered that the advance confirmation is necessary, links to the user before the additional registration of the link list information. It is characterized by transmitting an e-mail for inquiring whether the setting is possible.

If the user registers "necessary confirmation" as user information, the management server inquires of the link destination user whether the link can be set before setting the link. Therefore, the user is not allowed to link to his homepage without his knowledge.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a link management system comprising:
10. The link management system according to claim 9, wherein the administrator server (1) does not send a link setting rejection message from the user even after a predetermined period has elapsed after sending an e-mail inquiring about the link setting. Is characterized in that it is determined that a link can be set, and registration for adding an item about the home page of the user to the link list information of the other user is performed.

According to this, the management server (1) inquires of the user whether the link can be set, and then automatically sets the link if there is no response for a predetermined period. Thus, the user need not send a notification to the management server admitting the link.

A link management system according to claim 11 is
10. The link management system according to claim 9, wherein the administrator server (1) sends an e-mail for inquiring whether or not the link can be set, and if the user notifies the link setting is rejected within a predetermined period of time, An e-mail indicating that the link has been rejected is transmitted to the other user without adding an item about the home page of the user to the link list information of the other user.

According to this, the administrator server (1) does not perform the link setting when the user inquires of the user whether or not the link can be set, and receives a link rejection notification from the user. Therefore, setting of an undesirable link can be prevented. Then, the user who requested the link is notified of the fact.

The link management system according to claim 12 is
The link management system according to any one of claims 3 to 11, wherein the user accesses a predetermined registration information change page of the administrator server and changes the user information of the user after receiving predetermined authentication. The information of the user recorded in each database of the administrator server (1) is corrected to the contents after the change.

When the user needs to change the content registered as user information, the user can access the administrator server and change the user information. The management server changes the recorded contents of the link database (6) and the like as necessary based on the changed user information.

Therefore, when the user information is corrected,
After that, a link page for the user is created based on the changed content.

A link management system according to claim 13 is
In the link management system according to any one of claims 3 to 12, the user accesses a predetermined maintenance page of the administrator server (1), and after receiving predetermined authentication, the user is recorded in the link list database. It is possible to delete items related to the home page of another user from the link list information of the user
At the same time as the deletion, an item relating to the home page of the user is also deleted from the link list information of the other user.

According to this, the user can delete, from his / her own link list information, a link destination item for which an item has already been set. Since the link page for the user is created using the link information obtained based on the link list information, the deleted link destination is not displayed on the link page for the user after the deletion.

In the case of a reciprocal link, one of the links is deleted, and at the same time, the item about the user who deleted the link is deleted from the link list information of the link destination user, so that both links disappear.

The link management system according to claim 14 is
The link management system according to any one of claims 3 to 13, wherein a linked list database (6) records linked list information that lists linked destinations of each user, and the user manages the linked list. After accessing a predetermined maintenance page of the third party server and receiving predetermined authentication, from the linked list information of the user recorded in the link list database (6), information on the homepage of another user as a link source is obtained. The item can be deleted, and at the same time as the deletion, the item related to the user's home page is also deleted from the link list information of the other user.

According to this, the user can know the link source providing the link to his / her home page, and deletes the link source from his / her own linked list if he / she does not want to be linked. At the same time, the user can delete his / her own item from the link list information of the link source. Therefore, after the deletion, the linked state is canceled.

A link management system according to claim 15 is
In the link management system according to any one of claims 3 to 14, the administrator server (1) periodically attempts to access the home page of the user registered in the link database (7) and performs the access. Check if the homepage is in a linkable state, and if the link has been broken for a predetermined period or longer, check the homepage of the user from all the link list information recorded in the link list database (6). The feature is that the item related to is deleted.

The administrator server (1) periodically accesses the user's homepage and confirms whether or not access is possible. If the access is not possible, it means that the link has been broken, so if the condition continues for a predetermined period of time, the item related to the home page is deleted from all link list information, and when creating the user link page, the link to the home page is deleted. Suppress links. As a result, the state in which the ring is broken is eliminated.

A link management system according to claim 16 is
In the link management system according to any one of claims 3 to 14, whether the manager server (1) can actually try a link to a link destination registered in the link database periodically and link it? When a broken link state is detected, a warning is sent by e-mail to the user of the homepage causing the broken link. If the broken link is not resolved within a predetermined period from the warning,
An item related to the home page of the user is deleted from all link list information.

According to this, the administrator server accesses the user's homepage periodically to check whether the user can access the homepage. If the access is not possible, the administrator server warns the user managing the homepage by e-mail. After doing
The item related to the home page is deleted from all link list information. As a result of the deletion, the link page for the user whose link page has been broken is no longer displayed on the user link page. Therefore, the broken link state is eliminated.

[0059]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to preferred embodiments.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a system configuration of this embodiment.

The servers (10), (11) and (12) on which the home pages of the respective users are recorded are connected to the link manager server (1) via the Internet. The servers (10), (11), and (12) on which the homepages are recorded may be installed and managed by the user themselves, or may be installed and managed by a provider such as a provider.

The administrator server (1) has a data server (4) for recording data and a processing server (2) for processing data.
And has a function as a WWW server (3). However, these server functions need not necessarily be physically configured by one computer, and the functions may be shared by two or three or more computers.

The data server (4) includes a user information database (5) in which user information such as account and password of each user, homepage URL, homepage name, contact information, homepage content and category, etc. is recorded.
A layout database (8) that records the layout information of link pages for each user, a link list database (6) that stores a list of link destinations for each user, and records all registered link information It has a linked database (7).

Conventionally, a page on which links called “link pages” are collected is usually provided in one's own homepage so that the links can be easily viewed and used. The file was transferred to the server or the server of the contracted provider and recorded.

However, in the present invention, the link page itself is created on the administrator server (1) managed by the administrator instead of the server on which the home page of the user is recorded, and can be browsed. It is only necessary to provide a link to the link page of the administrator server on the home page of each user. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a link for directly jumping to each linked homepage on the homepage of each user.

The data flow from user registration to link management will be described below for each operation.

[User Registration] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the flow of user registration.

The user accesses the user registration screen of the administrator using the Internet and inputs predetermined registration items. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the user registration screen.

On the user registration screen, the registrant name (corporate name in case of corporation), contact information, e-mail address, URL of own homepage, homepage name (title), introduction of simple contents of homepage, change of registered contents In this case, enter the password for confirming the identity of the person and, if necessary, the registration data such as the category (classification) of the homepage. In the present embodiment, one or more categories can be selected from a plurality of categories prepared by the administrator in advance.

The account specifying each user as user information is important, but this account may be given to the user at the time of registration, or may be given to the user on condition that the account is not duplicated. Any account may be registered.

Further, in the present embodiment, either "mutual link" or "link only" can be selected as the link form. This is because there is no problem in linking with government offices, public institutions, and large companies (linked), but it may be undesirable to link to a specific private company or individual homepage. However, if such an organization is not considered from the beginning, such items may be provided and all members may be allowed to link each other without being selected.

Further, when a link is applied from another home page, it is possible to select whether or not prior consent is required before providing the link. As a result, it is possible to confirm the linked party in advance and reject the link setting if necessary.

Therefore, a link from another homepage (for example, a political organization, a religious organization, an adult site, etc.) which is not desirable to the user without being known is not provided, and the user is not involved in the homepage of the link source. Don't worry about being misunderstood.

As the page layout of the created link page for the user, a plurality of types having different designs such as the background color of the page, the type of wallpaper, the arrangement of the link, the illustration, and the position of the advertisement banner are prepared in advance. Allows users to choose a design they prefer as their own link page.

Although not performed in the present embodiment, in order to eliminate a sense of incongruity with the homepage created by the user, it may be possible to request the administrator to create a link page design by special order.

After filling out the necessary information on the registration form, it is transmitted and registered. The administrator server checks the contents of the transmission, and if there is any omission of required items or improper entry (for example, exceeding the number of characters or entering a wrong entry field),
Re-entry of inappropriate items is requested to ensure that registered user information is complete.

When the registration is completed, a registration completion screen is displayed, as shown in FIG. 6, in which the URL of the link page of the administrator server (1), notes on service use, and the like are described.

In place of the registration completion screen or in addition to the registration completion screen, an e-mail for registration confirmation including registration contents, URL of a link page of the administrator server, precautions for service use, and the like is registered. May be transmitted to the user.

The registered contents are the user information database (5)
The link information such as the URL of the homepage, the homepage title, and the homepage introduction sentence is also recorded in the link database (7).

[Creation of Link Button] The registered user creates a link button to the administrator's link page in his home page using the specified URL.
The file is transferred (FTP) to the server where the homepage is registered. Thereby, a link to the link page of the administrator server is set in the user's home page. A viewer of the user's home page can access the link page of the administrator server (1) by clicking a link button provided on the user's home page.

[Registration of Link Destination] Even if the above user registration is completed, the link destination desired by the user is not registered in the administrator server (1). Therefore, a page to be linked is accessed and selected on the maintenance screen of the administrator.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the flow of editing the link list. Access requires authentication, and a user authentication screen as shown in FIG. 7 is first displayed. On the user authentication screen, the accessing user is required to enter an "account" and a "password", and the maintenance menu is displayed only when the data matches the recorded data.

The reason why authentication is required in this way is to prevent information recorded for each user from being changed without permission by another person. If the combination of "Account" and "Password" do not match, re-entry is required. However, in this embodiment, re-entry up to two times is allowed in consideration of the case of incorrect input, and three times are entered. Even if the data does not match, the message of "access denied" is displayed.

When the “account” and the “password” match the recorded ones and the authentication is completed, a “maintenance menu screen” as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed.

When a link destination is selected and added, "link edit" is selected from the maintenance menu. Then, a link edit screen (not shown) in which a link destination can be added or deleted is displayed, and “add” or “delete” is selected. When registering a new link, select “Add”.

The link destination that can be newly linked can be selected from all the homepages registered in the management server. However, when the homepages are displayed in the order of registration or title, a huge number of homepages can be displayed regardless of the contents. It is displayed, and it is difficult to select it because you have to select it.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the search is performed by narrowing down the search using the “category of the homepage” and the “link form” recorded at the time of registration, and only the homepage that meets the conditions is displayed. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a screen for searching for a link destination. As an example, a case where a homepage whose classification is “pet” and whose link mode is “mutual link” is searched is shown.

The conditions for narrowing down may be other than "category of home page" and "form of link". Instead of or in addition to these, "keyword in title or content introduction", "necessity of prior confirmation""Or the like.

FIG. 10 is a view showing a “link application screen” displayed as a result of the search. On this screen, all the homepages corresponding to the search condition are listed. From among these, referring to “Homepage name” and “Content introduction”, select a page to be linked mutually.

If the user wants to know more detailed contents, he / she clicks on the title of the homepage to be viewed, and the homepage is displayed. Since the selection operation is being performed, it is easier to open another window of the browser and display the home page of the link there without closing the “link application screen”.

[0091] Select a homepage for which a link is desired, and click the application button on the "link application screen" to register the application.

If the selected homepage does not need to be checked in advance, the administrator server (1) immediately deletes the item of the link destination specified in the link list information of the link application user recorded in the link list database (6). Record. In addition, it becomes the partner of the mutual link (selected)
Items related to the home page of the selected user are automatically added to the link list information of the link destination user.

Therefore, when "unnecessary confirmation is unnecessary" is registered in the user registration information, a new link destination (mutual link destination) is added to the user's own link list information without knowing it.
Will be added.

[0094] For a newly added link, an icon or the like written "NEW" for a predetermined period (for example, one week) may be displayed beside the added link.

If the homepage selected as the link destination needs to be confirmed in advance, the processing server (2) of the administrator sends a confirmation request E to the user who manages the selected homepage.
Send an e-mail and check in advance.

[0096] The e-mail contains the URL of the homepage of the user who has applied for the link, the title, and a description of the content, along with guidance on the procedure for rejecting the link.

The user who manages the selected homepage accesses the homepage of the applicant by using the URL notified by the above e-mail if necessary, and confirms the contents.

When a link is permitted, a predetermined procedure may be taken by the management server. However, since the system is designed to reduce the trouble of link management, in this embodiment, a predetermined period (for example, 1 The link is automatically set if there is no "denied" message for more than a week).

If it is determined that the contents of the link applicant's homepage are not preferable as the link partner, the link refusal is notified to the administrator server. In this embodiment, however, in order to minimize the trouble, the administrator server is required. Replying to the confirmation request email from will be treated as a rejection message.

If there is a rejection message, the administrator server
In (1), an e-mail indicating that the link has been rejected by the other party is transmitted to the link applicant.

[Flow until display of link page for user]
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a flow until a link page is displayed.

The viewer (20) of the user's home page
Click the link button provided on the user's homepage. The link button is a button for designating a jump to another web page, and is generally used for a home page.

The difference is that the destination to which the user jumps by clicking this link button is not the link page provided in the same home page as in the past, but the link page provided in the administrator server (1). .

However, since the viewer (20) is rarely aware of which server the jump destination is, it is usually difficult to notice that the user jumped to the link page in the administrator server (1). I don't feel uncomfortable in operation.

When the administrator server (1) accesses the link page, the administrator (1) determines which U
It detects whether the link has been made from the RL. Then, the user information database (5) is searched with the detected URL to obtain an account of the user who manages the homepage of the link source.

Then, the page layout information designated by the user, which is recorded in the layout database (8) by the user's account, is obtained.

Further, link list information for the user is acquired from the link list database (6) with the user's account. This link list information is a list of link destinations including a link destination registered by the user himself and a link destination automatically added and registered by the mutual link.
However, this list does not include information such as a specific URL or a homepage description, and includes items for linking with such specific link information, for example, a number (a user account may be used). Here is the list we collected.

Based on the link list information, URL, home page name, home page description, etc., which are more specific link information, are obtained from the link database (7).

In this embodiment, since a banner advertisement is displayed on the link page for the user, the banner information is extracted from the banner database (9). The banner information extracted here is banner information extracted in a predetermined order or randomly from a plurality of recorded banner information. If necessary, the banner information related to the home page of the user may be extracted according to the category and contents of the user's home page.

For example, in the case of a link page for a pet-related homepage, a banner database
It is possible to select and display banner information of a pet shop, pet food, etc. from the banner registered in (9). In this way, the viewer (20) is interested in the advertisement, and is enjoyable to see, and the advertisement effect is large for the banner advertisement requester.

The administrator server (1) generates a link page for the user by combining the acquired page layout information, link information, and banner information. As a result, a link page for users in which banner information and link information are laid out at predetermined positions is completed.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the link page for the user created in this way. In this example, the homepage name and the content of the link destination are displayed at the top of the screen, and clicking on the homepage name jumps to the link destination. In addition, two banner advertisements are displayed below.

The generated information of the user link page is transferred to the terminal of the accessing viewer (20).

The time required from when the viewer (20) clicks the link button to when the link page for the user is displayed on the terminal of the viewer (20) is determined by the number of link destinations, the size and the number of banners, and the like. Although it depends, the display can be normally made in about 1 to 5 seconds, so that the viewer is kept waiting for a long time and does not feel unnatural.

[Change of User Information] The procedure for changing the registered contents when the URL or the like of the homepage registered by the user is changed will be described.

The user accesses the maintenance screen of the administrator server (1), and after a predetermined authentication, displays the “maintenance menu screen” shown in FIG. Up to this point, the procedure is the same as that of the above link destination registration.

Select "Change user information" from the maintenance menu. Then, a user information change screen as shown in FIG. 11 is displayed. On the user information change screen, the registered user information is displayed in a rewritable state.

After rewriting the contents of the change, the user clicks the update button to re-register with the changed user information. FIG. 12 exemplifies a case where the URL and the e-mail address are changed from the registered contents shown in FIG. 5 on the assumption that the provider is changed. Since the user information is overwritten, the data before the change is lost, and is recorded with the changed data instead.

When there is a change in a related item in the link information such as the URL of the home page, the home page title, and the home page description, the change is recorded not only in the user information database (5) but also in the link database (7). The content of the linked information is also changed at the same time.

When a user link page is created, a link database is created based on the link list information.
Since the link information is obtained from (7), if only the link information in the link database (7) has been changed, the change in the link information is reflected on the link pages of all users.

That is, if the user changes the user information only once, the same effect as automatically changing his / her URL, homepage title, etc. recorded in all link source link pages at the same time. Can be obtained.

The user who has made the change does not need to request all the link sources to make the change as in the prior art, and the change is completed immediately, so that it takes no trouble and the management becomes very easy.

The homepage administrator of the link source does not need to receive a correction request and make correction each time there is a change in the link destination as in the past, and the URL or the like of the link destination is updated without knowing it. , The management becomes easy.

The link source only needs to prevent the link from being broken, and the fact that the URL of the link destination has been changed is not very important information. Therefore, in this embodiment, the link source is not notified of the URL change. However, if desired, the fact of the change may be reported, or an icon or the like indicating the change may be displayed on the link page for the user.

[Link Edit] The link once set can also be individually added or deleted. The procedure is the same as the first link destination registration up to the middle, and as shown in FIG. 4, the maintenance screen of the administrator server is accessed, and the “maintenance menu” is displayed after authentication.

To add or delete a link, select “link edit” from the maintenance menu. Select "Add" on the edit screen (not shown). When adding a link destination, a search is performed using conditions such as a category as in the initial link registration, and a new desired link destination is selected from the listed link destinations and registered.

Link list database (6) upon registration
An item for a new link destination is added to the link list information. When creating the user link page, the administrator server (1) acquires the link list information after the link destination is added, and also acquires the link information of the new link destination based on the information. Therefore, a new link destination is added to the user link page.

In the case of the mutual link, the item relating to the user who wants the link is added to the link list information of the link partner in the same manner as in the first registration of the link destination.

Further, there is a case where it is desired to cancel the link once provided. In that case, "delete" is selected on the link edit screen. Then, the link list information registered in the link list database (6) and the link database
From the link information acquired from (7), a “link destination list screen” as shown in FIG. 13 is displayed.

[0130] In the list displayed on the link destination list screen, the user designates one link destination whose link is to be released (deleted).
Select one or more and click the release button. As a result, the released link destination is deleted from the link list information for the user, and the deleted link list information is recorded in the link list database.

Therefore, even if a user link page is created thereafter, the link information is acquired based on the new link list information, and the released link destination is not displayed.

In the case of the mutual link, since it is premised that the links are linked to each other, the item relating to the user who has requested the link release is deleted from the link list information of the link partner recorded in the link list database (6) almost at the same time. Is done.

Therefore, the user does not need to contact the link destination to release the link even when the mutual link is released, and the partner does not need to perform the link release operation, so that the management is easy for both parties. Also, usually, link cancellation is felt sorry for the link partner,
Although difficult to offer, the present invention does not require such care.

As described above, by appropriately adding or deleting link destinations, it is possible to provide a mutual link only with a partner who really wants to link at that time.

[Editing Linked Site] It is possible to check from which other homepage the user's home page is linked (linked site). In the case of a reciprocal link, since the link destination appearing on the own link page matches the link source, there is not much merit to display the link back.

However, when registering the user information, if “link only” and “no prior confirmation required” are set,
It is conceivable that a link is provided from an undesired homepage without knowing from which homepage the link is made. In such cases, check the link source,
It is significant that the linked state can be eliminated.

The procedure is the same as when the link is deleted up to the middle. As shown in FIG. 4, the maintenance screen of the administrator server is accessed, and the "maintenance menu" is displayed after authentication.

To delete a linked page, select "edit linked page" from the maintenance menu. Then, a linked list linked to the user's home page is listed up from the link list database (not shown. The display is almost the same as in FIG. 13).

When one or a plurality of link destinations whose link back is to be released (deleted) are selected and the release button is clicked, the item of the link to itself is deleted from the link list information of the link source.

[0140] Therefore, the link from the deleted link source is canceled thereafter. The user does not need to make a troublesome contact with the linked destination to release the link, and the linked source does not need to perform the link release procedure, which facilitates management.

Although not particularly performed in this embodiment, if necessary, when the link is released from the partner, the administrator server
From (1), the fact may be transmitted to the link source by e-mail or the like.

[Deletion of Broken Link Homepage] The user does not change the user information when a certain homepage changes the URL without contact, when the homepage is closed without contact, or when the provider goes out of business. As long as the link is broken. Since such a state cannot be neglected, the administrator periodically checks for broken links.

That is, the administrator server automatically accesses the URLs of all registered home pages. When access is not possible, it can be determined that the link to the homepage has been broken.

In this embodiment, the administrator server determines that the homepage should be deleted if the broken link continues for a certain period of time (for example, one week after the update request). If necessary, automatically send an update request e-mail to the administrator of the website where the link has been broken, prompting the user to update the registration, and then delete the link if the link has not been broken after a predetermined period of time You may make it judge as a homepage.

The manager server (1) deletes the item relating to the homepage to be deleted from all the link list information recorded in the link list database (6).

[0146] If necessary, a link to the homepage to be deleted may be provided to the homepage, which has lost the link, and may be notified by e-mail that the link has been deleted. The deleted homepage was not contacted after the deletion.

When a user who manages the homepage gives a description of a particular situation (for example, a machine trouble) after a link is broken, the homepage is retained without being deleted from the link list information for a certain period of time. Alternatively, the item may be deleted once, and the user's item may be restored to the link list information when the link becomes available again later (based on the application or automatically).

The administrator of the administrator server may collect management costs such as server installation costs and communication costs from the user. However, in the present embodiment, the user is required to manage the management costs and the cost for activating the link. The company decided not to collect membership fees, etc., but to cover administrative expenses with the advertising revenue obtained from banner advertisements displayed on link pages for users. In addition, profits can be obtained by custom-made expenses for page layout information, production of a user's homepage itself, and the like.

[0149]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is easy to set a link, a linked link, and a mutual link, and even after setting a link, it is easy to manage addition, deletion, change of a URL, and the like. A possible link management system could be provided.

As a result, the link can be easily provided and the link can be prevented from being broken, so that the Internet can be further activated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a system configuration according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a view for explaining the flow of user registration.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a flow until a link page is displayed.

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the flow of editing a link list.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a user registration screen.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a registration completion screen.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a user authentication screen.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a maintenance menu screen.

FIG. 9 is a view showing an example of a link destination search screen.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a link application screen.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a user link page.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a user information change screen.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a link destination list screen.

[Explanation of symbols]

 (1) Administrator server (2) Processing server (3) WWW server (4) Data server (5) User information database (6) Link list database (7) Link database (8) Layout database (9) Banner database (10 ) User A (11) User B (12) User C (20) Viewer

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. An administrator server capable of connecting to the Internet and preliminarily recording a link list of a user, wherein the administrator server accesses a link page of the administrator server by a link from a home page of the user. A link management system that creates a link page for the user using the link list of the user and transmits the link page for the user to an access source. 2. The administrator server has a data server for recording data. The data server includes a user information database in which user information is recorded, a layout database in which page layout information for each user is recorded. The link according to claim 1, further comprising a link list database in which link list information for each user is recorded, and a link database in which link information of all registered users is recorded. Management system. 3. When the administrator server is accessed by a link from the user's home page, the administrator server detects the URL of the link source and identifies the user who has become the link source.
Acquiring the user's account from the user information database, searching by the account to acquire the link list information registered by the user from the link list database, and the layout information registered by the user from the layout database Acquiring link information about a user listed in the link list information from a link database; creating a link page for the user based on the link information and the layout information; The link management system according to claim 2, wherein the link page for the user is transmitted to the access source. 4. The server for an administrator has a banner database for recording banner information, the layout information recorded in the layout database is layout information having a banner display area for displaying a banner, 4. The link management system according to claim 3, wherein the administrator server inserts banner information acquired from a banner database into the banner display area when creating the user link page. 5. The administrator server requests an introduction sentence and a category registration of a homepage to be registered at the time of registration of user information, and when a user inquires about a homepage registered in a predetermined category, The link management system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein a URL of a homepage registered in the category is listed up and displayed as an introduction sentence. 6. A user can arbitrarily select layout information of a link page for a user from a plurality of page layout information recorded in advance in an administrator server and register the layout information in a layout database. The link management system according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein a link page for the user of the user is created based on the page layout information recorded by the registration. 7. The user can register another user's homepage as a link destination in his / her own link list information, and the administrator server adds the other user's link list information to the user's link list information based on the registration. 7. The method according to claim 3, wherein an item about the homepage is added and recorded, and an item about the user's homepage is additionally recorded in the link list information of the other user. Link management system. 8. A user can register another user's homepage as a link destination in his / her own link list information, and the administrator server adds the other user's link list information to the user's link list information based on the registration. While adding and recording the item about the home page, the item about the user's home page is added and recorded in the link list information of the other user. 7. The method according to claim 3, wherein, when the user information is registered so that only the link can be made on the homepage, only the link list information of the user is recorded. Link management system. 9. When the user registers user information, the administrator server requests the user to register whether or not prior confirmation of link setting is required, and after registration, another user enters the link list information of the other user into the link list information. If there is an application for additional registration of the item on the user's homepage, the administrator server checks the necessity of advance confirmation from the user information of the user, and if it is registered that advance confirmation is necessary, The link management system according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein an e-mail for inquiring whether the user can set a link is transmitted to the user before the additional registration of the link list information. 10. An administrator server transmits an e-mail for inquiring whether or not the link can be set, and if the user does not receive a notification of rejection of the link even after a predetermined period has elapsed, the link can be set. 10. The link management system according to claim 9, wherein the registration is performed by adding an item about the home page of the user to the link list information of the other user. 11. The administrator server transmits an e-mail for inquiring whether link setting is possible or not, and when the user receives a notification of rejection of link setting within a predetermined period, the administrator server adds the link list information of the other user. The link management system according to claim 9, wherein an e-mail indicating that the link has been rejected is transmitted to the other user without adding an item on the home page of the user. 12. The user can access a predetermined registration information change page of the administrator server, change the user information of the user after receiving a predetermined authentication, and store the information in each database of the administrator server. 12. The link management system according to claim 3, wherein the recorded information of the user is corrected to the content after the change. 13. A user accesses a predetermined maintenance page of the administrator server, and after receiving predetermined authentication, from a user's link list information recorded in a link list database, relates to another user's home page. 13. An item according to claim 3, wherein the item can be deleted, and at the same time as the deletion, an item relating to the home page of the user is also deleted from the link list information of the other user. The described link management system. 14. A linked list database records linked list information in which the linked destinations of each user are listed. The user accesses a predetermined maintenance page of the administrator server and receives a predetermined authentication. After that, from the linked list information of the user recorded in the link list database, it is possible to delete an item relating to the homepage of another user as a link source, and at the same time as the deletion, the link of the other user 14. The link management system according to claim 3, wherein an item related to the home page of the user is also deleted from the list information. 15. An administrator server periodically tries to access a user's homepage registered in a link database to check whether the homepage is in a linkable state, and disconnects the link for a predetermined period or more. 15. The method according to claim 3, wherein when the state of (1) is continued, an item relating to the home page of the user is deleted from all the link list information recorded in the link list database. 16. Link management system. 16. An administrator server periodically checks whether a link is possible by actually trying to link to a link destination registered in a link database. When a warning is sent by e-mail to the user of the homepage causing the warning, and if the broken link is not resolved within a predetermined period from the warning, delete the item related to the user's homepage from all link list information. The link management system according to any one of claims 3 to 14, wherein: