JP2003281390A - Information collection device and its system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information collection device capable of realizing a new business model. <P>SOLUTION: The information collection device 1 allowed to be accessed through a network is provided with a plurality of file storage areas 7 to be allocated to respective users by a service provider. An available range of an original file to be used for the service provider is stored in an available range storage means 9 on the basis of a user's input. An edition means 11 edits a user's original file stored in each file storage area 7 on the basis of the available range of the original file to be used for the service provider. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information collecting device used in a network such as the Internet and an information collecting system including the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the development of broadband information communication, a service for lending a storage area on the Internet to users has appeared. According to this service, the user can store his or her own information in the storage area and then read the information into his or her terminal and use it as necessary.

Conventionally, in order to store a large amount of information,
The user had to prepare the hard disk drive himself. However, by using the above service, it is no longer necessary for the user to prepare the hard disk drive. Further, according to the above service, even a terminal having a small memory capacity such as a mobile terminal can handle a large amount of information, which is very convenient.

[0004]

Because of the advantages described above, it is expected that the above services will be expanded in the future.
Therefore, the emergence of a new business model that develops this service is expected.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information collecting apparatus and an information collecting system including the same which can realize a new business model.

[0006]

An information collecting apparatus according to the present invention is an information storage area which is assigned to a user by a service provider and which is accessible via a network, and an original user information stored in the information storage area. Usage range storage means for storing information about a range in which information can be used by a service provider, and editing means for editing the original information stored in the information storage area based on the usage range of the original information stored in the usage range storage means , Is provided.

According to the information collecting apparatus of the present invention, the user's original information stored in the information storage area is edited based on the range in which the service provider can use the original information. The service provider can utilize the edited original information as knowledge data by providing it to others.

In the information collecting apparatus according to the present invention, the information dividing means for dividing the original information based on a read command from the user's terminal for the original information stored in the information storage area, and the original divided by the information dividing means. Route selection means for selecting each route of the divided original information so that the information is transmitted to the user's terminal through different routes on the network.

According to this, security can be ensured when the user reads the original information stored in the information storage area to his / her terminal and uses it.

The information collecting apparatus according to the present invention may further comprise privilege calculating means for calculating a privilege given to the user based on the original information stored in the information storage area.

According to this, a new business such as a knowledge bank in which the user deposits the original information with the service provider (that is, the original information is stored in the information storage area) and the user is given a benefit similar to interest. The model can be realized.

The information collecting system according to the present invention includes a user's terminal, an information storage area assigned to the user by a service provider and accessible from the terminal via the network, and the user's original stored in the information storage area. Usage range storage means for storing information about a range in which the service provider can use, editing means for editing the original information stored in the information storage area based on the usage range of the original information stored in the usage range storage means,
And an information collecting device including.

According to the information collecting system of the present invention,
A new business model can be realized for the same reason as that of the information collecting device.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An information collecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment) will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, the outline of this embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, the service provider uses the user's original file stored in this storage area within the range permitted by the user, at the cost of the service provider lending the user a file storage area accessible via the network. It was made possible. Here, the original file is an example of original information,
Text files (files such as personal information and opinions) created and created by the user, music files,
For example, a movie file.

The service provider can make a profit by utilizing the knowledge data based on the original file in the above-mentioned usable range to provide it to a publisher, a music company, and a movie production company. Then, interest (an example of a privilege) is given to the user in the form of electronic money according to the data amount of the original file, the storage period in the file storage area, and the like. Therefore, by using this embodiment, it is possible to realize a model similar to a bank, that is, a new business model such as a knowledge bank in which interest is given in return for the deposited original file.

Next, the configuration of the information collecting apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an example of a block diagram showing the configuration of this apparatus. Information collection device 1
Is a communication unit 3 for communicating with a user terminal via a network, a command processing unit 5 for processing various commands from the user terminal, a file storage area 7 assigned to each user, and stored in each storage area 7. A usage range storage unit 9 that stores the created original file in a range that can be used by a service provider, an editing unit 11 that edits the original file stored in each storage area 7, and an edited original file are stored. Database 13 and
Security means 15 for performing security processing when transmitting the original file stored in each storage area 7 to the user, and privilege calculation for calculating a benefit given to each user based on the original file stored in each storage area 7. The means 17 is provided.

The communication means 3 has various receiving and transmitting functions. Specifically, as the reception function, the user receives a write command from the user terminal to store the original file in the file storage area 7, the function to receive the original file from the user terminal based on this command, There is a function of receiving a read command from the user terminal in order to read the original file stored in the file storage area 7 to the user terminal. On the other hand, as a transmission function, there is a function of transmitting the original file stored in the file storage area 7 to the user terminal based on the read command, a function of transmitting the user's privilege calculated by the privilege calculation means 17 to the user terminal, and the like.

The instruction processing means 5 interprets the user's instruction received by the communication means 3 and processes the instruction execution. Specifically, in the case of an original file write command, the original file sent from the user terminal is written in the file storage area 7 assigned to the user. On the other hand, in the case of an instruction to read the original file, the file is read from the storage area 7. The read original file is transmitted to the user terminal via the security means 15 and the communication means 3.

The file storage area 7 is also called a storage area, which is rented out to the user by the service provider.
It is assigned to each user. The storage area 7 corresponds to a bank account. The storage areas 7 are not physically separated from each other, but a storage area of an information storage device such as a hard disk drive is a file storage area 7 for each user.
Is assigned as. The storage areas 7 may be physically separated from each other for each user, for example.

The files stored in the file storage area 7 are not only the user's original files, but also commonly-sold music files, such as movie and sports movie files. For files that are sold to the public, the number of times the file has been accessed (that is, how many times have you heard or seen it)
Can be searched, or the index of the singer name, song name, genre, etc. of the file can be searched to collect data to obtain marketing information such as the current fashion. The service provider can make a profit by selling this to a music company or the like. The access frequency search can be realized by counting the read instructions in the instruction processing means 5. The index can be acquired when the file sent from the user terminal and written in the file storage area 7 passes through the instruction processing means 5.

In the case of files that are generally sold, the same file may be stored in a plurality of storage areas 7. Therefore, when each file storage area 7 is periodically searched for whether the same file is stored and it is found that the same file is stored in a plurality of storage areas 7 (for example, storage areas 7A and 7B). The file is stored as a common file in a common file storage area provided elsewhere. Then, the common file stored in the storage areas 7A and 7B is deleted leaving the file ID. As a result, the common files are pseudo-stored in the storage areas 7A and 7B, and the storage means 7A and 7B are stored.
The storage capacity is being saved. In addition, when one user of the file stored in the common file storage area (for example, the user of the storage area 7A) discards the file, the file stored in the common file storage area is stored in the storage area of the other user. 7 (eg storage area 7B)
Moved to.

The usable range storage means 9 stores the usable range of the original file based on the input from the user terminal. Users may not want to publish all or part of the file due to privacy or confidentiality reasons. In addition, there are cases where it is not desirable to reveal the user's name, age, sex, occupation, etc. when using the file. The user writes the usable range in consideration of these matters into the usable range storage means 9 from the user terminal. As a result, the security information of the user can be protected.

The editing means 11 reads the original file stored in each file storage area 7, extracts the usable part based on the usage range of the original file stored in the usage range storage means 9, and the like. Delete the part of and edit the original file. In other words, the original file is filtered. The edited version is stored in the database 13.

The security means 15 includes a file dividing means (an example of information dividing means) 19 for dividing the original file stored in the storage area 7 into a plurality of files when transmitting (browsing or returning) the original file to the user. , Selecting means 21 for selecting each path of the divided files so that the divided files are transmitted to the user by different paths on the network.

The privilege calculating means 17 calculates the privilege given to the user as a price for allowing the service provider to use the original file. For example, a financial privilege similar to interest is calculated for the user who owns the file according to the amount of data of the original file and the storage period in the file storage area 7, and this is converted into electronic money and sent to the terminal of the user. .

In the information collecting device 1, the functions of the file storage area 7, the usage range storage means 9, and the database 13 can be realized by a device capable of storing information, for example, a hard disk or a semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM. it can. The functions of the means other than these can be realized by various processors (CPU, MPU) or ASIC and a predetermined program, for example.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a network to which the information collecting device 1 is connected. This figure shows the information collecting system according to the present embodiment. The information collecting device 1 is connected to a user terminal 25 via a network 23 such as the Internet. In addition to the Internet, a dedicated line or telephone network may be used as the network. Examples of the user terminal 25 include a stationary computer (for example, desktop type), a notebook computer, and a portable terminal (for example, mobile phone, personal digital assistant).

Next, the operation of the information collecting apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. This description is also an operation of the information collecting system according to the present embodiment. First, the writing operation of the original file will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of this operation. For example, when the user of the terminal 25A writes an original file owned by himself / herself in the storage area 7A lent to himself / herself, a write command is input to the user terminal 25A. As a result, the write command is sent to the information collecting device 1 via the network 23 (step S1).

The write command is sent from the communication means 3 to the command processing means 5
Sent to. The instruction processing means 5 determines whether or not the user who has issued the write instruction is assigned the file storage area 7 (step S3). If there is no allocation, the write operation processing ends. On the other hand, if there is an assignment,
The command processing means 5 requests the user terminal 25A to transmit the corresponding file (step S5).

This request is made by the communication means 3 and the network 23.
To the user terminal 25A. Based on this request, the user transmits the relevant file from the user terminal 25A to the information collecting device 1 via the network 23 (step S7). The transmitted file is written in the storage means 7A assigned to the user (step S9).

Next, the operation of reading the stored original file will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of this operation. For example,
Storage area 7A rented out to the user of the terminal 25A
If the user wants to read the original file stored in, the read command is input to the terminal 25A. This command is sent from the terminal 25A to the information collecting device 1 via the network 23 (step T1).

The read command is sent from the communication means 3 to the command processing means 5.
Sent to. The instruction processing means 5 determines whether or not the user who has sent this instruction has the storage area 7 allocated (step T3). If there is no allocation, the read operation processing ends. When there is an allocation, the command processing means 5 retrieves the corresponding file from the file storage area 7A (step T).
5).

The retrieved relevant file is sent to the security means 15 and subjected to security processing there (step T7). Specifically, the corresponding file is the dividing means 19
Is divided into multiple data. And the route selection means 2
By 1, the route on the network 23 when transmitting each divided data to the user terminal 25A is selected. Each path of the divided data may be different from each other, or a path in which some data is different from other data may be selected. As a result, the divided files are transmitted to the user terminal 25 via different routes on the network 23.
Since it is transmitted to A, the packet of the corresponding file flowing on the network 23 can be made meaningless, and it is possible to prevent wiretapping of the corresponding file.

The security-processed file is transmitted to the user terminal 25A via the communication means 3 and the network 23 (step T9). This allows
The user can browse and rewrite the original file in various ways.

Next, the operation of editing the original file will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 5. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of this operation. There are cases where the user wants to restrict the use of the original file stored in the storage area 7 lent to the user by the service provider. In that case, the use range restriction command is issued from the terminal 25 (for example, the terminal 25A) of the user to the network 2
It is sent to the information collecting device 1 via 3 (step U1).

This instruction is sent from the communication means 3 to the instruction processing means 5
Sent to. The instruction processing means 5 determines whether or not the user who has sent this instruction has the storage area 7 allocated (step U3). If there is no allocation, the process ends. If there is an allocation, the instruction processing means 5 writes the utilization range included in the instruction into the utilization range storage means 9 (step U5).

The editing means 11 searches for and reads the original file stored in each file storage area 7. Then, the original file is edited based on the usage range of the original file stored in the usage range storage means 9 (step U7). The edited version is stored in the database 13. Then, the service provider can make a profit by collecting the data of the database 13 as knowledge data as necessary and selling it to other companies.

[0038]

As described above, according to the information collecting apparatus and the information collecting system of the present invention, the service provider can use the original information of the user stored in the information storage area. Editing based on. The service provider collects the edited original information as knowledge data and provides the knowledge data to others to make a profit. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a new business model.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an example of a block diagram showing a configuration of an information collecting apparatus according to this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an information collecting system according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an original file writing operation of the operations of the information collecting apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an operation of reading an original file in the operation of the information collecting apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an operation of editing an original file in the operation of the information collecting apparatus according to the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Information collection device 3 ... Communication means 5: Command processing means 7: File storage area 9 ... Utilization range storage means 11 ... Editing means 13 ... Database 15 ... Security measures 17: privilege calculation means 19: File dividing means 21 ... Route selection means 23 ... Network 25 ... User terminal

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An information storage area that is assigned to a user by a service provider and is accessible via a network, and a range in which the original information of the user stored in the information storage area can be used by the service provider. A stored usage range storage means; and an editing means for editing the original information stored in the information storage area based on the usage range of the original information stored in the usage range storage means. Characteristic information collection device. 2. Information dividing means for dividing the original information based on a read command from the user's terminal for the original information stored in the information storage area, and the original information divided by the information dividing means. The information collecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a route selecting unit that selects each route of the divided original information so that is transmitted to the user's terminal via a different route on the network. 3. The information collecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a privilege calculation means for calculating a privilege given to the user based on the original information stored in the information storage area. 4. A terminal of a user, an information storage area that is assigned to the user by a service provider and is accessible from the terminal via a network, and original information of the user stored in the information storage area. Usage range storage means stored about a range that can be used by a service provider, and editing means for editing the original information stored in the information storage area based on the usage range of the original information stored in the usage range storage means An information collecting system comprising: an information collecting device including;