JP2010128713A - Server for providing relationship between users using network service - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable users to use social graphs distributed to a plurality of Web services in an integrated manner without directly exchanging information representing the social graphs between servers of different Web services, thereby enhancing user convenience and promoting the use of each Web service. <P>SOLUTION: Each server includes: a reception means for receiving a recognition voucher indicative of information to uniquely identify a first user among the users of a network service; a search means for searching for a first search result recognition voucher and a second search result recognition voucher, to uniquely and respectively identify a second user and a third user of the network service; a conversion means for generating a first scramble recognition voucher and a second scramble recognition voucher; and a memory means for relating the first search result recognition voucher and the first scramble recognition voucher, relating the second search result recognition voucher and the second scramble recognition voucher, and storing them. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing technique for providing a network service such as a Web service in cooperation with a server.

The spread of community-type membership web services called social networking sites (SNS) is remarkable (see, for example, Patent Document 1). It is considered that the connection between users on the Internet can be established and promoted by SNS. For example, a website disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 is known as an SNS. Furthermore, recently, in the Web service for searching, sharing photos and videos, selling, chatting and voice message exchange on the Internet, the above SNS is also used for the purpose of establishing and promoting the connection between users. Features are provided.

In various web services having SNS or SNS functions, various information is input and registered in the corresponding site. Furthermore, by sharing such information with acquaintances, communicating with acquaintances, and searching for acquaintances among participants, it is possible to build and promote new human relationships on the corresponding service. In order to realize this, a user of an SNS or various web services having an SNS-like function logs in to the corresponding website in advance by some procedure, and further, the user's own information to be searched by other users Must be entered.

However, as a result of the increase in the number of such SNSs or various Web services having SNS functions, users can log in, register their own information, enter and register information to share, There is a need to repeatedly execute communication, acquaintance search, and the like. As a result, it is difficult to manage login information, shared information, and information about acquaintances.

Various attempts have been made to solve this problem. In various Web services including SNS, mutual sharing of information shared by users between Web services is realized by permitting external access to an API (Application Program Interface). In addition, an attempt has been made to enable login with a single login information to a Web service including a different SNS by using OpenID (for example, see Non-Patent Document 2).

The relationship between acquaintances on the network is called a social graph. The social graph is included in the information to be mutually interchanged between Web services including different SNSs as described above. Recently, attempts have been made to interchange social graphs that have been independently held in each Web service so far. (For example, refer nonpatent literature 3.) Social Graph API is one of the attempts. When the Social Graph API gives an ID in a specific Web service of a certain user, the ID in the other Web service of the user is returned as a return value. Also, when an ID of a certain user for a specific Web service is given, the ID of the user in each Web service of a user who has an acquaintance relationship with the user in various Web services is returned as a return value. It is expected that the difficulty of information management will be solved by the interchange of social graphs beyond Web services, and as a result, the number of user visits to each Web service will increase.
US Pat. No. 7,069,308 MySpace, Inc., “MySpace”, [online], [Search on November 26, 2008], Internet <URL: http: // www. myspace. com /> Open ID Foundation, “OpenID Authentication 2.0-Final”, [online], December 5, 2007, [November 26, 2008 search], Internet <URL: http: // openid. net / specs / openid-authentication-2_0. html> Brad Fitzpatrick, David Recordon, “Thoots on the Social Graph”, [online], August 17, 2007 [November 26, 2008 search], Internet <URL: http: // bradfitz. com / social-graph-problem />

However, for many businesses that provide SNS or a web service having an SNS-like function, the social graph within the web service is a source of revenue. Moreover, the social graph closed in the web service has an effect of preventing the user from moving to another web service. Therefore, mainly from a business point of view, Web service operators including most SNSs do not permit access from other operators to the social graph in their Web services. Therefore, in reality, social graphs that exceed the above-mentioned Web services are hardly used, and the difficulty of login and information management by the above users and activation of each Web service have not been realized. .

With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, problems relating to social graph interchange between Web services will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a server 100 of a Web service X that has a function of responding to an external social graph acquisition request. The server 100 includes a storage unit 110, a search unit 120, an API providing unit 130, and a transmission / reception unit 170. Further, the transmission / reception means receives a social graph acquisition request from an external server, and then receives a search key to the search means 120, and a result transmission means 172 that sends the search result obtained from the search means to the server that sent it. including. When an identification tag, which is information for uniquely identifying a user of the Web service X, is input to the API providing unit 130, the API providing unit 130 requests the search unit 120 to use the identification tag. This means has a function of returning an identification tag of another user who has some relationship with the user as a return value. As the identification tag, identification information that uniquely identifies the user such as a login name and an e-mail address used for using the Web service can be used.

For example, assume that the social graph shown in FIG. 2 is stored in the storage unit 110 of the server of the Web service X. In FIG. 2, one point represents one user, and one straight line indicates that there is a relationship between the two users. Points are called nodes and lines are called edges. An edge represents a relationship between nodes at both ends. For example, FIG. 2 shows that there is a relationship 211 between the user A 201 and the user B 202, for example. Similarly, for example, the relationship 212 between the user A201 and the user C203, the relationship 213 between the user A201 and the user D204, and the relationship 214 between the user C203 and the user D204, There are each. In FIG. 2, the social graph is illustrated using nodes and edges, but the social graph stored in the storage unit 110 may be in any format. Often stored as a database table. For example, the identification tags of two users who have some relationship are stored in the same line.

Here, for example, the server 190 of the Web service Y transmits the identification tag IDxa in the Web service X of the user A to the server 100 of the Web service X. It is assumed that this identification tag IDxa is the identification tag of the user A. This transmission of IDxa corresponds to requesting a user identification tag related to user A. The request receiving unit 171 of the server of the Web service X receives IDxa, and the search unit 110 searches the social graph shown in FIG. 2 stored in the storage unit 110 using the IDxa as a search key according to an instruction from the API providing unit 130. To do. As a result of the search, identification tags IDxb, IDxc, and IDxd of user B, user C, and user D related to user A are obtained. The API providing unit 130 returns these identification tags to the server 190 of the Web service Y through the result transmission unit 172. FIG. 3 shows an example of the relationship between input and output to the transmission / reception means 170 of the server of the Web service X. In other words, for example, identification tags output when the identification tags of the user A and the user B are input to the server 100 of the Web service X are shown.

In the present specification, it is assumed that all identification card notations start with an ID. The third character represents a Web service, and the fourth character represents a user. For example, IDxa is an identification tag for uniquely identifying the user A in the Web service X.

The example shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 is a typical method for accommodating social graphs between different web services. The problems for the Web service provider X of this method are shown below. In this method, if the server 190 of the Web service Y obtains an identification tag of the user of the Web service X by some method such as causing each user to input, the Web service X of the user related to each user is obtained. The identification tag in can be obtained as shown in FIG. 3, for example. The server 190 of the Web service Y can reproduce a part or all of the social graph in the Web service X shown in FIG. 2 from such information. Usually, an identification tag used in a Web service is a combination of numbers or characters. For this reason, if the server of the Web service X requests a combination of numbers or characters as a brute force, the Web service Y may be able to obtain all the social graphs of the Web service X.

When the Web service Y obtains part or all of the social graph of the Web service X, the following advantages and disadvantages occur for the Web service X.

There are two advantages for the Web service X. The first advantage is that the convenience of the Web service X user is improved by the user using the Web service X and the Web service Y in combination. For example, it is assumed that the web service X is an SNS and the web service Y is a chat service with real-time characteristics. When the web service X does not provide a chat service with real-time characteristics, the user of the web service X can combine it with the web service Y so that acquaintances can exchange information with each other on the SNS and in real time as needed. It becomes possible to chat. The Web service X can provide higher convenience to the user without the cost of providing the chat service by itself. The second advantage is that the use of the web service X is promoted by the user in combination with the web service Y. In this example, users of the Web service X start exchanging information through chat, so that more information exchange than before is performed through the Web service X.

On the other hand, there is a drawback for the Web service X. Assume that both Web service X and Web service Y are SNS. At this time, the Web service Y that is in a competitive relationship with the Web service X can obtain the social graph of the Web service X without paying any consideration by the above method. Therefore, since the convenience that the user of the Web service X enjoys can be realized and provided as it is, the Web service Y may take away the user of the Web service X.

According to the present invention, it is possible to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks while maintaining the above-mentioned advantages related to the interchange of social graphs by such conventional API publication. In addition, according to the present invention, even if servers of different web services do not directly exchange information representing the social graph as described above, the user can integrate and use the social graph distributed to a plurality of web services. Can do. Thus, it is possible to provide a method for improving convenience for the user and further promoting the use of each Web service.

In the first aspect of the present invention, a receiving means for receiving a recognition card, which is a server for providing a network service, is information for uniquely identifying the user of the network service in the network service. Search means for searching for recognition tags of other users stored in association with the received recognition tag, conversion means for generating a scramble recognition tag, searched recognition tag, and generated scramble recognition tag, There is provided a server characterized by comprising storage means for storing the information in association with each other, and transmission means for transmitting the generated scramble recognition tag. Here, when there are a plurality of other user identification tags stored in association with the received identification tag, the conversion unit generates a plurality of scrambled identification tags, and the storage unit stores the first recognition tag. The vote, the second recognition vote, the plurality of scramble recognition tags, and the plurality of recognition tags may be stored in association with each other, and the transmission unit may send the plurality of scramble recognition votes.

As one of the effects of providing such a server, the relationship between the received identification tags can be kept secret, and the problem is solved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a second server having means for receiving a scramble recognition tag from the server provided in the first aspect.

As one of the effects obtained by using such a second server for a network service different from the network service provided by the server provided in the first aspect, another network service can provide the first server. The server provided in the aspect can be accessed, and the problem is solved.

In the third aspect of the present invention, an identification tag, which is information for uniquely identifying a user of the first network service provided by the first server in the first network service, is provided in the first aspect. Transmitting means for transmitting to the first server, receiving means for receiving from the first server the recognition tag stored in association with the transmitted recognition tag, conversion means for generating a scramble recognition tag, There is provided a server comprising storage means for associating and storing the recognition tag received from one server and the generated scramble recognition tag. Here, when there are a plurality of identification tags received from the first server for the transmission of one identification tag, the conversion means generates a plurality of scrambled identification tags, and the storage means Each of the plurality of recognition tags received from the server and the generated plurality of scramble recognition tags may be stored in association with each other.

As one of the effects provided by such a server, it is possible to generate a scramble recognition tag across multiple network services and associate it with the recognition tag, so that the relationship between the recognition tags is kept secret. The problem is solved.

According to the method and server of the present invention, by utilizing the relationship between users in each Web service among a plurality of Web services, the use of each Web service can be promoted while one Web is used. The relationship between users in the service can be prevented from being re-synthesized by other Web service providers, and the relationship between users as assets of each Web service provider can be protected.

The best mode currently conceivable for carrying out the present invention will be described below. Since the scope of the present invention is clearly defined by the appended claims, this description should not be construed in a limiting sense, but merely to illustrate the general principles of the invention.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of the server 400 of the Web service X, which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention. The server 400 has a function of linking with an external Web service and a social graph. The server 400 includes a storage unit 410, a search unit 420, an identification tag conversion unit 430, an API provision unit 440, a calculation unit 450, and a transmission / reception unit 470. Further, the transmission / reception means receives a request for a user list related to a specific user from an external server, and then receives a search key to the search means 420, and a search result obtained from the search means 420. A result transmission means 472 for transmitting to a transmission source of a user list request related to a specific user is included. A user list request related to a specific user is transmitted from a server, for example, a server of another Web service. When an identification tag for uniquely identifying the user of the Web service X in the Web service X is input, the API providing unit 440 requests the search unit 420 to perform a search. Then, the API providing means 440 has a function that, when an identification tag of another user related to the user having the identification tag is searched, is further converted into a scrambled identification tag and returned as a return value. .

For example, assume that the social graph shown in FIG. 2 is stored in the social graph table 411 of the storage means of the server of the Web service X. In FIG. 2, the social graph is illustrated using nodes and edges. However, the social graph stored in the social graph table 411 may be in any format, and is stored here as a database table format. Assume that In addition, it is assumed that users who are assumed to have a relationship according to the social graph are regarded as acquaintances. For example, in order to join a Web service, it may be necessary to invite a person who has already joined.

Here, for example, the server 490 of the Web service Y transmits an identification tag IDxa in the Web service X of the user A to the Web service X server 400, so that the user A and the acquaintance are in a relationship. The user's scramble recognition tag and additional information are requested (step S501). The additional information may be anything such as a name, a nickname, a photograph, a comment, etc., as long as each user has registered with the Web service X. The request for additional information is not essential. The request reception unit 471 of the server of the Web service X receives IDxa, and the search unit 420 searches the social graph table 411 stored in the storage unit 410 using the IDxa as a search key in accordance with an instruction from the API providing unit 440 (step) S502). As a result of the search, identification tags IDxb, IDxc, and IDxd of user B, user C, and user D related to user A are obtained.

Next, the API providing unit 440 sends the search key IDxa and the search results IDxb, IDxc, and IDxd to the identification tag conversion unit 430 (step S503). Next, the recognition tag conversion means generates scramble recognition tags S0, S1, and S2 corresponding to IDxb, IDxc, and IDxd as search results (step S504). A method for generating S0, S1, and S2 will be described later. Next, the identification tag conversion means associates IDxb and S0, IDxc and S1, and IDxd and S2, and stores them in the conversion table 412 of the storage means (step S505). Next, the API providing unit 440 associates S0, S1, and S2 with the additional information of each of the users B, C, and D through the result transmission unit 472, and transmits the associated information to the server 490 of the Web service Y. (Step S506).

FIG. 6 shows an example of the conversion table 412. The conversion table is a matrix of columns consisting of columns made up of search keys and rows of recognition tags of search results. In this example, the search key is an identification tag received by the server 400 of the Web service X in step S501, for example, IDxa. Therefore, S0 is stored in the IDxb row 612, S1 in the IDxc row 613, and S2 in the IDxd row 614 of the IDxa column 610 in the conversion table. FIG. 6 is an example of a conversion table, and the same information as in FIG. 6 only needs to be expressed even if the table has a different form.

Next, for example, the server 490 of the web service Y transmits the identification tag IDxb in the web service X of the user B to the server 400 of the web service X, thereby scrambles the users related to the user B. An identification tag and additional information are requested (step S507). The request receiving unit 471 of the server of the Web service X receives the IDxb, and the search unit 420 searches the social graph shown in FIG. 2 stored in the storage unit 410 using the IDxb as a search key according to an instruction from the API providing unit 440. (Step S508). As a result of the search, identification tags IDxa, IDxd, and IDxe of user A, user D, and user E related to user B are obtained.

Next, the API providing unit 440 sends the search key IDxb and the search results IDxa, IDxd, and IDxe to the recognition tag conversion unit 430 (step S509). Next, the recognition tag conversion means generates scramble recognition tags S3, S4, and S5 corresponding to IDxa, IDxd, and IDxe as search results (step S510). A method for generating S3, S4, and S5 will be described later. Next, the identification tag conversion means associates IDxa and S3, IDxd and S4, and IDxe and S5, and stores them in the conversion table 412 of the storage means (step S511). Referring to FIG. 6, in this example, the search key is IDxb received by the server 400 of the Web service X in step S507. For this reason, S3 is stored in the IDxa row 621, S4 in the IDxd row 624, and S5 in the IDxe row 625 of the IDxb column 620 in the conversion table. Next, the API providing unit 440 transmits the results S3, S4, and S5 to the server 490 of the Web service Y after associating the additional information of the users A, D, and E with the result transmission unit 472 (step S4). S512). In addition to the above IDxa and IDxb, FIG. 6 also shows a scramble recognition tag when the server of the Web service X requests information from an acquaintance for each of IDxc, IDxd, IDxe, IDxf, and IDxg for reference. I wrote. The conversion table may be stored in the storage unit 410 of the Web service X server, or stored in a storage unit of another server connected to the Web service X server via a network or an external storage unit. May be.

Here, a method for generating a scramble recognition tag in steps S504 and S510 will be described. In one embodiment of the present invention, the recognition tag as a search result is converted into a scramble recognition tag even if the steps from step S501 to S512 are executed according to the request of the server of the web service Y. The purpose is that the server cannot re-synthesize the social graph of Web service X.

FIG. 7 shows a comparison between a conventional method and a method according to an embodiment of the present invention regarding the relationship between requests and results for the server 400 of the Web service X. The server 490 of the Web service Y that has received the result according to the conventional method can re-synthesize a part of the social graph shown in FIG. 2 as shown in FIG. For example, as a result, in the server 490 of the Web service Y, from the edge 801 and the edge 802 in FIG. 8, the user D having the identification tag IDxd is connected to the user A having the identification tag IDxa and the user B having the identification tag IDxb. You can know that you are a common acquaintance. In the method according to the present invention, information obtained by the server 490 of the Web service Y is as shown in FIG. By appropriately generating S0 to S5, the server 490 of the Web service Y cannot re-synthesize the social graph on the Web service X. That is, according to the method of the present invention, it is impossible to know that the user D is a common acquaintance between the user A and the user B.

The conversion from the recognition tag to the scramble recognition tag in step S504 and step S510 is a scramble recognition tag conversion method in which the social graph of the web service X cannot be re-synthesized by the server 490 of the web service Y as described above. Any method is acceptable. As an example of a method for generating a scramble recognition tag as such a conversion method, there is a method in which random numbers generated by the calculation means 450 are sequentially set to S0, S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5. In this method, as shown in FIG. 8B, S0 to S5 received by the server 490 of the Web service Y may include one or more of a randomly selected numerical value and character string. Random means that there is no law in the correspondence between the recognition tag that is the search result and the scramble recognition tag generated for it. Even if they are random, the generated identification tags are not all equal, in other words, preferably different. In this case, for example, since S2 and S4 converted from the same IDxd have different values, in the server 490 of the Web service Y, means for knowing that the user D is a common acquaintance between the user A and the user B is Absent.

As another example of a method for generating a scramble recognition tag, there is a method of using a calculation result of a request and a result as a scramble recognition tag. For example, the calculation means 450 of the server X of the Web service X receives the result of a predetermined calculation (for example, product calculation) between the identification tag IDxa received in step S501 and each of the search results IDxb, IDxc, and IDxd. Let S0, S1, and S2. If the recognition tag is a character string, the product operation can be defined as concatenation of character strings. Similarly, for example, the products of the identification tag IDxb and the search results IDxa, IDxd, and IDxe are S3, S4, and S5, respectively. In this case, since S2 and S4 converted from IDxd have different values, the server 490 of the Web service Y has no means of knowing that the user D is a common acquaintance between the user A and the user B. Further, as an example of the predetermined operation, an operation including a numerical value (or seed value) unique to the Web service as a constant may be used. That is, an operation having a numerical value (or seed value) uniquely determined for the Web service as a variable may be used. If three or more Web services use a social graph in the method according to an embodiment of the present invention, each Web service uses a constant different from each other as a numerical value (or seed value). Confidentiality can be increased. A value that uniquely determines the service X on the Internet may be used as a numerical value (or seed value).

Next, processing in the server 490 of the Web service Y after receiving the scramble recognition tag and the additional information will be described with reference to FIG. 9, FIG. 10, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of the server 490 of the Web service Y. The Web service Y server includes transmission / reception means 911, storage means 912, HTML (HyperText Markup Language) generation means 913, and redirection means 914. The server 490 of the web service Y is connected to the information terminal 920 of the user of the web service Y through the network. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the processing of the server 490 of the Web service Y.

The scramble recognition tags S 0, S 1, S 2 transmitted from the Web service X server 400 in step S 506 and the additional information associated with each of them are received by the server 911 of the Web service Y and stored in the storage unit 912. (Step S1001). Similarly, the scramble recognition slips S3, S4, S5 transmitted from the Web service X server 400 in step S512 and the additional information associated with each of them are received by the transmission / reception means 911 of the Web service Y server, and stored in the storage means. It memorize | stores in 912 (step S1002).

Next, a request for acquiring a list of acquaintances in the Web service X of the user A is sent from the information terminal 920 of the user A who uses the Web service Y to the server 490 of the Web service Y. Here, it is assumed that the user A uses both the web service Y and the web service X. Next, the server 490 of the Web service Y receives the request (step S1003). Next, the HTML generation unit 913 of the server of the Web service Y generates an HTML code including the scramble recognition tags S0, S1, S2 received in step S1001 and each additional information. An example of the embedded HTML code will be described later with reference to FIG. Next, the transmission / reception means 911 transmits the generated HTML code to the information terminal 920 of the Web service Y user (step S1004). When the information terminal of the user of the Web service Y receives the HTML code, the HTML analysis unit 923 analyzes it and displays it using the display unit 924.

FIG. 11 is an example of the Web service Y screen of user A displayed on the display unit 924. User A is a user of both Web service Y and Web service X. The identification tag of the user A's Web service X is IDxa. In FIG. 11, information 1101 of the acquaintance of the user A in the Web service X is displayed in the window 1100 of the Web service Y. As shown in FIG. 2, the acquaintances of the user A's Web service X are the users B, C, and D. Therefore, the acquaintance information 1101 of the Web service X displays additional information 1110 of the user B, additional information 1120 of the user C, and additional information 1130 of the user D. These additional information is incorporated in the HTML code generated in step S1004. For example, in the example of FIG. 11, the nickname 1111, the avatar 1112, and the message 1113 on the Web service X are displayed as additional information of the user B.

The scramble recognition tags S0, S1, and S2 are embedded in the HTML code that displays user B, user C, and user D in FIG. Now, for example, the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the server 400 of the Web service X is changed to http: // www. webserviceX. com /, the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the server 490 of the Web service Y is http: // www. webserviceY. Assuming that service IDX representing service X is serviceIDX in the server of com /, Web service Y, in the HTML code of the screen shown in FIG. 11, additional information 1110 of user B is <a href = “http: //Www.webserviceY.com/?serviceID=serviceIDX&id=S0 "> and </a>.

Accordingly, when the user A selects the additional information 1110 of the user B on the screen 1100 through the input / output unit 922, the URI in which S0 is embedded is transmitted to the server 490 of the Web service Y through the transmission / reception unit 921. The transmission / reception means 911 receives (step S1005). In the Web service Y server, the redirect unit 914 calculates a redirect destination from the URI received from the information terminal 920 of the user of the Web service Y, and redirects it to the server 400 of the Web service X (step S1006). If the user B is also a user of the Web service Y, and the server 490 of the Web service Y receives a request for displaying a list of acquaintances in the Web service X from the information terminal of the user B, the step is also performed. Processing similar to that in steps S1003 to S1006 is performed.

Next, steps in which the Web service X server 400 processes the URI redirected from the Web service Y server will be described with reference to FIG. First, at step S1006, the URL redirected from the server 490 of the Web service Y is http: // www. webserviceX. com /? The transmission / reception means 470 receives id = S0 (step S1201). Next, the API providing means 440 extracts the scramble recognition tag S0, searches the conversion table 412 using this as a search key, and obtains the recognition tag ID xb as a search result (step S1202). Next, the API providing unit loads the content information associated with the identification tag IDxb from the content storage area 413 of the storage unit 410 (step S1203). Next, the API providing means generates an HTML code for displaying the content information on the Web browser of the information terminal (step S1204). Next, the transmission / reception means 470 transmits the generated HTML code to the information terminal 920 of the user A of the Web service Y through the network (step S1205).

Next, the information terminal 920 of the user of the Web service Y receives the HTML code transmitted in step S1205, the HTML analysis unit 923 analyzes this, and the display unit 924 displays the analysis result of the Web service X. Display content information. For example, when the user A selects the profile 1110 of the user B who is an acquaintance on the web service X displayed on the screen of the web service Y shown in FIG. It is possible to use the above contents such as a transition to a photograph or diary of user B, which is the above content.

In the example shown in the present embodiment, the service recognition tag and the scramble recognition tag are embedded in the HTML code as a URI or URL, but the information transmitted from the server 490 of the Web service Y includes the scramble recognition tag. As long as the information of the acquaintance of the user A in the Web service X can be displayed on the screen of the Web service Y in the information terminal 920 of FIG. In the example shown in the present embodiment, the URL included in the HTML code that displays the user B, the user C, and the user D in FIG. Although the service identification tag and the scramble recognition tag representing the above are embedded, the URL of the service X and the scramble recognition tag may be combined. In the example shown in the present embodiment, the Web service X is a service that displays some content information that the user has, but in the present invention, the Web service X may be any service. For example, the web service X and the web service Y may be messenger services such as chat and voice call.

Further, transmission / reception of a recognition tag or a scramble recognition tag through the network between the Web service X server and the Web service Y server may be executed in an encrypted state.

Below, the effect of this invention is demonstrated. In the example shown in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the user A uses both the web service X and the web service Y, the web service X is a chat service, and the web service Y is an SNS. Now, the user A registers the identification tag of the user A in the chat service X in the SNS service Y. As shown in FIG. 11, the user A can display a friend list in the chat service X on the display screen of the SNS service Y. Further, when the user A selects one of the friend lists displayed on the screen of the SNS service Y, the user A transitions to the screen of the chat service X and can start communication with the selected friend through the chat service X. In this manner, the social graph can be used by integrating the two web services of X and Y. As a result, the convenience for the user increases and the use of both the chat service X and the SNS service Y is promoted.

The interchange of social graphs among multiple equivalent services can be realized by a conventional method in which the relationship between identification cards of each service is directly exchanged between services through an API, or by the method of the present invention. . However, according to the conventional method, the social graph on the chat service X can be resynthesized by the server 490 of the SNS service Y as already described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8B. If the users B, C, D, E, F, and G use the chat service X from the SNS service Y in the same manner as the user A, the social graph of the chat service X shown in FIG. Y server can re-synthesize. In most cases, this is not what Chat Service X wants from a business perspective. For this reason, mutual use of social graphs by conventional methods has not progressed. As a result, improvement of user convenience and promotion of use of chat service X and SNS service Y have not been realized.

However, according to the method of the present invention, even if mutual use of the social graph between such multiple services is realized, as described with reference to FIG. 7 and FIG. It is difficult or impossible for the server 490 to re-synthesize the social graph of the chat service X. For this reason, the mutual use of the social graph beyond the Web service is promoted, and there is an effect that the convenience of the user and the utilization of both the chat service X and the SNS service Y are promoted.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 13 shows a schematic configuration diagram of another example of the embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a social graph exchange service Z (hereinafter, service Z) server 1320 exists for mutual use of the social graph between the web service X server 1310 and the web service Y server 490. When the encryption conversion table created by the service Z server is stored in the external storage means, the encryption conversion table server 1350 is used. Note that it is not essential to store the encryption conversion table in the external storage unit 1351 of the encryption conversion table server. These four servers and the information terminal 920 of the user A of the Web service Y are connected via a network. In the present embodiment, the server 1310 of the Web service X includes a transmission / reception unit 1311, a storage unit 1312, a search unit 1313, and an HTML generation unit 1316. The service Z server 1320 includes a transmission / reception unit 1321, a main storage unit 1322, an identification tag conversion unit 1324, an encryption / decryption unit 1325, an API provision unit 1326, and a search unit 1323. It is assumed that the social graph shown in FIG. 2 is stored in advance in the social graph table 1315 in the storage unit of the Web service X server. The social graph shown in FIG. 2 may be stored in any format, and is stored as a database table here.

Below, the method of mutual use of the social graph between the web service X and the web service Y by this embodiment is demonstrated. First, with reference to FIG. 14, each step in which the Web service X server 1310 sends the result to the Web service Z server in response to a request for an identification tag of an acquaintance of a specific user from the service Z server will be described. To do. First, the service Z server 1320 transmits the identification tag IDxa in the Web service X of the user A to the Web service X server 1310, so that the identification tag and the addition of the user A and the user who are acquaintances are added. Information is requested (step S1401). The additional information may be any information registered by the user A in the Web service X, such as a name, a nickname, a photograph, and a comment. Further, the additional information is not essential. The transmission / reception unit 1311 of the Web service X server receives IDxa, and the search unit 1313 searches the social graph table 1315 stored in the storage unit 1312 using the IDxa as a search key (step S1402). As a result of the search, identification tags IDxb, IDxc, and IDxd of user B, user C, and user D who are acquainted with user A are obtained. The transmission / reception means 1311 associates the additional information with these identification tags and sends them to the service Z server 1320 (step S1403). Similarly, the server 1310 of the Web service X recognizes the user A, the user D, and the user E who are acquainted with the user B as a search result in response to the IDxb request from the server 1320 of the service Z. The votes IDxa, IDxd, and IDxe, and additional information associated with each of them are transmitted (from step S1404 to step S1406).

Next, the server of service Z processes the information transmitted by the server of Web service X in step S1403 as follows so that the server of Web service Y cannot re-synthesize the social graph of Web service X. The server 1320 of the service Z receives the identification tags IDxb, IDxc, and IDxd of the users B, C, and D who have an acquaintance with the user A, and additional information associated with each of them (steps). S1501). Next, the recognition tag conversion means generates scramble recognition tags S0, S1, and S2 corresponding to IDxb, IDxc, and IDxd as search results. The generation method of S0, S1, and S2 is the same as the method described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 in the first embodiment, for example. Based on this, a conversion table 1327 as shown in FIG. 6 is created in association with a service identification tag, which is information uniquely representing another service in the server of service Z (step S1502).

The conversion table 1327 exists in the main storage unit 1322 but is not stored in an external storage unit such as a disk device. If it is necessary to store the conversion table in the external storage means, the encryption / decryption means 1325 encrypts the conversion table with the secret key and transmits it to the encrypted conversion table server 1350. The private key for encryption is stored only in the service Z server 1320 and is not transmitted to the outside from the service Z server. The encryption conversion table server 1350 stores the encryption conversion table in the external storage unit 1351. The service Z server calls the encryption conversion table from the encryption conversion table server 1350 as necessary, and the encryption / decryption means decrypts it using the secret key in the main storage means, and will be described below. Perform the process. The additional information associated with IDxb, IDxc, and IDxd may be stored as they are in the external storage means of the server of service Z, or associated with the scramble recognition tags S0, S1, and S2 in step S1502. In addition, an encrypted conversion table including additional information may be used. As the granularity of encryption, for example, the entire encryption table as shown in FIG. 6 may be encrypted, or encryption is performed in units of a user identification tag that serves as a search key and a scramble identification tag group that represents the acquaintance. May be used. For example, there is a method in which IDxa, S0, S1, and S2 are encrypted as a unit, and IDxb, S3, S4, and S5 are separately encrypted as a unit.

Now, it is assumed that the user A uses both the web service Y and the web service X. The information terminal 920 of the user A who uses the Web service Y obtains a list of acquaintances in the Web service X of the user A who has the identification tag IDxa in the Web service X to the server 490 of the Web service Y. Send a request to The server 490 of the Web service Y receives this request (Step S1503). Next, the server of Web service Y sends this request together with IDxa to the server of service Z (step S1504). This is received by the server of service Z. Next, the search unit 1323 searches the conversion table of service X in the main storage unit using IDxa as a search key, and obtains scramble recognition tags S0, S1, and S2 and additional information associated with each. The transmission / reception means 1321 sends these to the server 490 of the Web service Y (step S1605).

Next, the HTML generation unit 913 of the server of the Web service Y generates an HTML including the service identification tag representing the service X, the scramble identification tags S0, S1, S2, and each additional information. Next, the transmission / reception means 911 transmits the generated HTML code to the information terminal 920 of the Web service Y user (step S1506). When the information terminal of the user of the Web service Y receives the HTML, the HTML analysis unit 923 analyzes it and displays it using the display unit. The screen of user A's Web service Y displayed on the display unit 924 is as described with reference to FIG. 11 in the first embodiment.

9 and 11, when user A next selects additional information 1110 of user B on screen 1100 through input / output means 922, a service identification tag representing service X and a URI including S0 are displayed. The data is sent to the server 490 of the Web service Y through the transmission / reception means 921 and received by the transmission / reception means 911 (step S1507). In the Web service Y server, the redirect means 914 redirects the access from the information terminal 920 of the user of the Web service Y to the service Z server 1320 (step S1508). If the user B is also a user of the Web service Y, and the server 490 of the Web service Y receives a request for displaying a list of acquaintances in the Web service X from the information terminal of the user B, the step is also performed. Processing similar to that from step S1503 to step S1508 is performed.

Next, the steps in which the service Z server 1320 processes the URL or URI redirected from the Web service Y server will be described with reference to FIG. First, in step S1508, the transmission / reception means 1321 receives a redirect from the server 490 of the Web service Y (step S1601). Next, the API providing unit 1326 extracts the service identification tag and the scramble recognition tag S0, searches the conversion table linked to the extracted service identification tag using SO as a search key, and uses the identification tag IDxb of the user B as the search result. Obtain (step S1602). Next, the transmission / reception means 1321 sends IDxb to the server 1310 of the Web service X (step S1603). Upon receiving this, the search means 1313 of the server of the Web service X searches the content database 1314 using IDxb as a search key. Next, the HTML generation unit 1316 converts the content information of the user B obtained as a search result into an HTML code (step S1604). Next, the server 1310 of the web service X transmits the generated HTML code to the information terminal 920 of the user A who is the user of the web service Y (step S1605).

Next, the information terminal 920 of the user of the Web service Y receives the HTML code transmitted in step S1605, the HTML analysis unit 923 analyzes this, and the display unit 924 analyzes the Web service X as an analysis result. Display content information. For example, when the user A selects the profile 1110 of the user B who is an acquaintance on the web service X displayed on the screen of the web service Y shown in FIG. It is possible to use such as transition to a photograph or diary of user B, which is the content of

Below, the effect of this invention concerning this embodiment is demonstrated. In the present embodiment, the present invention has been described by taking the interchange of social graphs as an example between the two web services, the web service X and the web service Y, as in the first embodiment. However, in reality, there is a demand for the interchange of social graphs among three or more web services. In such a case, the number of corresponding Web services increases when the social graph exchange service Z described in the present embodiment intervenes, compared to the one-to-one scramble recognition vote exchange shown in the first embodiment. It is easy to realize.

It is an example of the block diagram of the server with API which provides the social graph by the conventional method outside. It is a figure showing an example of the social graph which a web service holds. It is an example of the input-output with respect to social graph provision API. It is an example of the block diagram of the server of Web service X with API which provides the social graph by the method of this invention outside. It is a flowchart explaining an example of the process which produces | generates a scramble recognition tag and transmits this to the server of Web service Y. It is a figure showing an example of a conversion table. It is the figure which compared the input / output with respect to the API provision request | requirement by the method of this invention and the method of this invention. It is a figure showing an example which compared the social graph re-synthesis in the external Web service by the method of the prior art and the method of this invention. It is an example of the block diagram of the server of Web service Y provided with the social graph by the method of this invention. It is a flow figure explaining an example of processing in Web service Y provided with a social graph. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a common user of a web service X and a web service Y displays a list of acquaintances of the web service X on the web service Y. FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing when content information of an acquaintance's Web service X in the Web service X is called while the Web service Y is being used. It is a schematic block diagram of the social graph exchange service Z by the method of this invention. It is the flowchart explaining an example of the process in the server of Web service X with API which provides a social graph outside. It is a flowchart explaining an example of the process in the server of the social graph exchange service Z. It is a flowchart explaining an example of the process in the server of Web service X which provides the social graph by the method of this invention outside.

Explanation of symbols

400 Web service X server 410 Storage unit 411 Social graph table 412 Conversion table 413 Content storage area 414 Seed value 420 Search unit 430 Recognition tag conversion unit 440 Provision unit 450 Calculation unit 470 Transmission / reception unit 471 Request reception unit 472 Result transmission unit 490 Web Service Y server 920 Information terminal of the user of Web service X and Web service Y

Claims (18)

A server for providing network services,
Receiving means for receiving an identification tag that is information for uniquely identifying the first user of the network service among the users of the network service;
A recognition tag associated with the identification tag, the first search result recognition for uniquely identifying the second user and the third user of the network service among the network service users, respectively. Search means for respectively searching the vote and the second search result recognition vote;
Conversion means for generating a first scramble recognition tag and a second scramble recognition tag;
Storage means for associating the first search result recognition tag and the first scramble recognition tag, and storing the second search result recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag in association with each other;
Transmitting means for transmitting the first scramble recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag;
The server characterized by having. 2. The server according to claim 1, wherein the first scramble recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag are numerical values randomly generated by the conversion means. 2. The server according to claim 1, wherein the first scramble recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag are character strings randomly generated by the conversion means. The first scramble recognition vote is a result of the operation of the recognition vote and the first search result recognition vote, and the second scramble recognition vote is the recognition vote and the second search result calculation vote. The server according to claim 1, wherein the server is a result of the operation. The server according to claim 4, wherein the calculation has a seed value uniquely determined by the network service as a variable. The server according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first scramble recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag are not equal. The transmission means associates the first additional information stored in the storage means in association with the first search result recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag, and the storage means of the server stores the The second additional information stored in association with the second search result recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag are transmitted in a state of being associated with each other. The listed server. The relation means that the first user and the second user are acquaintances, and the first user and the third user are acquaintances. The server according to any one of claims 1 to 7. Receiving means for receiving an identification tag, which is information for uniquely identifying the first user of the first network service provided by the first server;
A first search, which is information for uniquely identifying the second user and the third user of the first network service, stored in association with the identification tag and the first server. Search means for respectively searching the result recognition tag and the second search result recognition tag;
Conversion means for generating a first scramble recognition tag and a second scramble recognition tag;
Storage means for associating the first search result recognition tag and the first scramble recognition tag, and storing the second search result recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag in association with each other;
Transmitting means for transmitting the first scramble recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag;
A second server comprising second receiving means for receiving the first scramble recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag from the first server. The second server according to claim 9, wherein the first scramble recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag are not equal. 11. The second server according to claim 9, further comprising means for generating an HTML including the first scramble recognition tag. An identification tag which is information for uniquely identifying the first user of the first network service provided by the first server among the users of the first network service is provided to the first server. A transmission means for transmitting;
Receiving means for receiving from the first server the first search result recognition vote and the second search result recognition vote stored in association with the recognition vote in the storage means of the first server;
Conversion means for generating a first scramble recognition tag and a second scramble recognition tag;
Storage means for associating the first search result recognition tag and the first scramble recognition tag, and storing the second search result recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag in association with each other;
A second server characterized by comprising: 13. The second server according to claim 12, wherein the first scramble recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag are numerical values randomly generated by the conversion means. 13. The second server according to claim 12, wherein the first scramble recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag are character strings randomly generated by the conversion means. The first scramble recognition tag is a result of the operation of the recognition tag and the first search result recognition tag, and the second scramble recognition tag is the recognition tag and the second search result recognition tag. The second server according to claim 12, wherein the second server is a result of the operation. 16. The second server according to claim 12, wherein the first scramble recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag are not equal. HTML code generation means for generating an HTML code including the first scramble recognition tag;
Transmitting means for transmitting the HTML code;
The second server according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized by comprising: The second server according to any one of claims 12 to 16, further comprising a transmission unit configured to transmit the first scramble recognition tag and the second scramble recognition tag.