RU2205053C1 - Device for managing mass entertainment - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: entertainment engineering. SUBSTANCE: device has central station for recording subscribers and their subscriber terminal units and for communicating the subscribers to the station and to each other via a station for creating anonymity conditions designed as multi-function electronic switchboard. EFFECT: high quality of entertainment. 4 cl, 1 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to the field of virtual entertainment services and can be used to organize a dating service using various types of data channels and subscriber terminals.

 A device for conducting mass entertainment, containing subscriber terminals, including telephones connected to servers, including an automatic telephone exchange (RU 2152238, class A 63 F 9/18, 10.07.2000 - analogue and prototype).

 A disadvantage of the known device is the lack of the ability to organize in real time the submission, correction and receipt of questionnaires from different types of subscriber terminals (for example, filling out questionnaires via a public telephone or cell phone, personal computer, etc.), it is not possible to perform conversion functions to profiles corresponding to the capabilities of any terminal (for example, converting a voice message to an SMS message).

 The technical result of the invention is to increase the efficiency of the device by providing the ability to organize access to the database, filling out, correcting, deleting and searching profiles according to various criteria, as well as by providing the possibility of anonymous communication of subscribers in real time using different types of terminals and data channels .

 The present invention allows to develop a method of organizing a virtual electronic dating service, allowing for the remote search of friends, partners, etc. according to specified criteria and their communication (including anonymous), the exchange of voice, text, graphic and video information, or a combination thereof, as well as the access of subscribers to information and other resources of the dating service in real time through various data channels and subscriber terminals .

 This is achieved by the fact that different types of terminals are used as subscriber terminals, the device having a central station for registering subscribers and their subscriber terminals and for interacting with the station and with each other through the station to create anonymity, made in the form of a multifunctional electronic switch containing an interface device, including interaction servers with heterogeneous terminals, and application and database servers, and the interaction of subscribers is carried out by means of different data transmission channels and using various data transmission standards, while the corresponding interaction servers are feedback-connected with the corresponding subscriber terminals and corresponding application servers associated with the database servers, the central station is configured to register subscribers and their subscriber terminals in the form of a sequence characters representing a combination of characters that is not repeated within a given subject area to provide I am able to unambiguously access this terminal and / or in the form of graphic images, the subscriber terminal is configured to send to the interaction servers a signal containing the address part consisting of the message identification number and message registration number and the registration number of the subscriber terminal for authentication of subscribers, and the content part, and the interaction servers are configured to send a feedback signal containing assigned to the sent message by the subscriber registration number, time and date of receipt of the signal from the subscriber.

 It is advisable that the subscriber terminals contain a personal computer, a portable computer, handheld specialized data exchange devices, data exchange devices through specialized data transmission networks, emulators of various communication devices, radio communication devices, including cell phones, as well as video data exchange devices.

 It is also advisable that the interface device contains a mail server, a data exchange server through public networks, such as a WEB or FTP server, a data exchange server through specialized data networks, a data transfer server between radio communication devices, including cell phones, a voice message switch, a server interaction with operators and a video exchange server.

 In addition, both wired and wireless channels should be used as data transmission channels.

 The invention is illustrated in the drawing, which shows a structural diagram of the operation of the device.

 A device for conducting mass entertainment contains subscriber terminals, including a telephone 1, connected to servers including an automatic telephone exchange 2.

 Different types of terminals are used as subscriber terminals.

 The device has a central station 3 for registering subscribers and their subscriber terminals and for interaction between subscribers with the station and with each other through the station to create anonymity, made in the form of a multifunctional electronic switch containing a pairing device 4, including interaction servers 5 with heterogeneous subscriber terminals, and servers applications 6 and databases 7, and the interaction of subscribers is carried out through various data transmission channels 8 and using various standards data transmission, while the corresponding interaction servers 5 are connected by feedback with the corresponding subscriber terminals and the corresponding application servers 6 associated with the database servers 7.

 The central station 3 is configured to register subscribers and their subscriber terminals in the form of a sequence of characters representing a combination of characters that is not repeated within a given subject area to enable unambiguous access to this terminal and / or in the form of graphic images.

 The subscriber terminal is configured to send to the interaction servers 5 a signal containing an address part consisting of a message identification number and a subscriber terminal registration number for subscriber authentication, and a content part.

 Interaction servers 5 are configured to send a feedback signal containing the registration number assigned to the message sent by the subscriber, the time and date the signal was received from the subscriber.

 Subscriber terminals contain a personal computer 9, a portable computer 10, handheld specialized data exchange devices 11, data exchange devices through specialized data transmission networks 12, emulators of various communication devices 13, radio communication devices, including cell phones 14, as well as video data exchange devices 15.

 The interface device comprises a mail server 16, a server for exchanging data through public networks, for example, a WEB or FTP server 17, a server for exchanging data through specialized data networks 18, a server for transmitting data between radio communication devices, including cell phones 19, a voice message switch 20, an interaction server with operators 21 and a video exchange server 22.

 As the data transmission channels 8, both wired and wireless communication channels were used.

 The device for conducting mass entertainment operates as follows.

A subscriber who wants to take part in the work of the Dating Service must register and subscribe to the services of the service in one of the possible ways:
1. directly at the offices of the service provider organizing the Dating service,
2. following the voice menu commands,
3. calling the operator by phone and answering his questions on the questionnaire or leaving information about yourself in any form,
4. by sending the questionnaire by e-mail or regular mail,
5. by sending a message of a given format (for example, SMS, MMS or another type),
6. using the access interface via the Internet or other networks (for example, WEB, WAP, any instant messenger, for example, Mirabilis ICQ, etc.).

 To register, the subscriber must specify a pseudonym and, if desired, his personal data (gender, age, interests, etc., which are developed according to the criteria system used when meeting people), type of subscriber terminal, topic of subscription, etc. In addition, any subscriber can leave any additional information about himself in the form of voice, text, graphic and video information, or a combination thereof.

 Payment for services.

 1. If the service is organized by the service provider, after registration for each subscriber in the settlement system of the central station, a settlement account is formed. In accordance with the selected list of services, the subscriber must either make a minimum cash contribution to his account, after which he can use all the services of interest to which he has subscribed, or pay for the services upon their purchase and use, depositing funds to the account as acquisition of services.

 2. In the case of organizing this Dating Service by the telematic services operator, the subscriber must use a certain minimum amount of money in his account with this operator to use the services of the operator, or pay for the acquired services upon the acquisition.

 To access the services of the Dating Service, a registered subscriber can use any type of subscriber terminal. At the central station 3, subscribers and their subscriber terminals are registered in the form of a sequence of characters, which is a combination of characters that is not repeated within a given subject area and allows you to uniquely access this terminal. Depending on the type of questionnaire to be placed, subscribers can additionally be identified by graphic images.

 When registering, each subscriber can subscribe to newsletters about the services of the Dating Service that are of interest to him, for example, receiving questionnaires for a specified criterion at a specified subscriber terminal, notification of activity (indicated subscribers appearing on the Internet), new profiles for a specified period, etc. . Data on registered subscribers are entered into the database of the central station.

 When registering a subscriber, the conditions for processing and sending informational messages of subscription by the central station are formed for him.

 The signal from the subscriber terminal, depending on its type, is sent to one of the servers 5 of the interface device 4 of the central station 3. The signal received at the central station 3 from any type of the subscriber terminal contains an address part consisting of the message identification number and the subscriber terminal registration number, and content part. The message identification number and the subscriber terminal registration number are used to authenticate subscribers and also determine the type of message. The type of message determines the action required by the subscriber, which can be the following: delivery of a message to the specified subscriber or group, addition, deletion or modification of the ordered services, request for information on the specified criteria, request to search for profiles on the specified criteria or search for an interlocutor, etc.

 The interaction between subscribers is carried out through the central station 3. Thus, the communication of subscribers is anonymous, and their communication is directly possible only with their general consent.

 The received signal is registered on one of the servers 5 of the interface device 4 of the central station 3 and is identified. In case of successful authentication, the subscriber automatically or through the operator sends a feedback signal corresponding to the type of subscriber terminal. The feedback signal contains the registration number assigned to the message sent by the subscriber, the time and date of receipt of the signal from the subscriber.

 In accordance with the identified type of message, the signal is converted to a form suitable for processing on application server 6. Next, the converted signal is sent to application server 6. On application server 6, all incoming signals are processed, and the processing results are in the form of questionnaires sent to other message subscribers, etc. .d. are recorded and the created records are entered in the corresponding database area of the database server 7.

 The exchange of messages between subscribers is carried out through the central station 3. In order for one subscriber to be able to send a message to another subscriber, he must know his identifier registered at the central station. The signal from the sender's terminal, depending on its type, is sent to one of the servers of the central station interface device. The received signal is recorded and identified. In case of successful authentication, the subscriber automatically or through the operator sends a feedback signal corresponding to the type of subscriber terminal. The feedback signal contains the registration number assigned to the message sent by the subscriber, the time and date of its receipt.

 The signal received from the subscriber and the converted signal is sent to the application server 6 for processing. All signals intended for transmission to another (other, during mass distribution) subscriber pass the stage of conversion to the form corresponding to the subscriber terminal of the recipient. This is as follows. The recipient’s subscriber terminal’s identification number is checked for its code, which unambiguously describes its type, model, etc., as well as the conditions for interaction with other subscribers, for example, periods of unavailability, bans on certain messages or messages from specified subscribers. If all the boundary conditions for a given subscriber to a message recipient are fulfilled, then a message converted for sending to a given subscriber is registered, an identification number is assigned to him, and then it is sent to the corresponding interaction server 5 with the user terminals of the interface device 4. On the corresponding server for interaction with the user terminals of the device the message received from the application server is converted into a signal that meets the technical specifications of the subscriber recipient terminal.

 So, for example, the interaction of subscribers with telephone terminals is carried out among themselves through a call to the subscriber of interest by their identifier either directly automatically through the switch 20 or through the operator of the central station 21. At the central station 3, the absence of prohibitions on connecting to the caller, prohibitions on connecting to given time, etc. In the absence of prohibitions, the called subscriber receives a request to establish a connection. In the absence of consent, a message is sent to the caller with a refusal in connection with the callee. In communication through the operator 21, the caller transmits the caller ID to the central station. At central station 3, the absence of prohibitions on connecting to a caller, prohibitions on connecting at a given time, etc. is checked. In the absence of prohibitions, the called subscriber receives a request to establish a connection. In the absence of consent, a message is sent to the caller with a refusal in connection with the callee.

 After successful connection and data transfer from the settlement account of the subscriber (s), proceeding from the existing tariffs, money is debited for the services provided.

 Upon receipt of the message by the subscriber terminal of the subscriber to the central station 3 by initiating by the subscriber or automatically from this subscriber terminal, a feedback signal is sent containing the registration number of the subscriber terminal and the time of receipt of this message and its identification number. Also, when a request message is received from a subscriber by the central station 3, a feedback signal is automatically sent containing the registration number of the subscriber terminal and an indication of the time of receipt of this message and its identification number.

 Upon receipt of feedback signals and subscriber requests, at central station 3, the facts of receiving and sending messages by subscribers are recorded, and the absence of feedback signals is taken as the inaccessibility of this subscriber terminal, which is also recorded.

 On the basis of the received personal data on subscribing subscribers to the services of the Dating service, mailing lists are formed that include the identification numbers of subscribers receiving these messages, the content of information messages intended for sending to subscribers, and agreed terms for their distribution.

 The formation of information messages is carried out at the central station 3, then these messages are encoded and converted on the corresponding server of interaction 5 with the subscriber terminals into a signal corresponding to the specified type of the recipient’s subscriber terminal, and the generated messages are sent using data channels 8 corresponding to the type of the subscriber terminal.

 Upon receipt of the message by the subscriber terminal of the subscriber to the central station 3 by initiating by the subscriber or automatically from this subscriber terminal, a feedback signal is sent containing the registration number of the subscriber terminal and the time of receipt of this message and its identification number.

 Upon receipt of feedback signals at the central station 3, the facts of receiving or sending messages by subscribers are recorded and the number of information messages of each type received by the subscriber is calculated, and then the sum of money for the delivery of information messages is written off from the account of each registered subscriber formed in the payment system of the central station .

 If the subscriber terminal is unavailable for a predetermined time interval from the central station 3, a specified number of times re-send information messages to the corresponding subscriber.

 At the request of registered subscribers at the central station 3, by searching the database using the registration number of the subscriber, they check the status of the personal account and send messages to these subscribers about the costs incurred, partially or completely change or delete the individual data records of these subscribers on the database server 7.

Example 1
Stage I - registration.

 The first stage is common for all subscribers, regardless of the type of subscriber terminal.

 When registering, the subscriber is asked to indicate his nickname or select it from the ones proposed by the central station as an identifier for communication and information exchange with other subscribers. The subscriber number is determined at the central station, the subscriber is assigned a unique identification number, and the subscriber is entered into the corresponding area of the central station database as a user of the Dating Service.

 Stage II - filling out the questionnaire.

 To use the services of the Dating service, the subscriber must fill out the questionnaire in one of the following ways - directly at the offices of the company organizing the Dating service, following the voice menu commands, calling the operator by phone and answering his questions on the questionnaire, or leaving the information about himself in any form, sending the questionnaire by e-mail or regular mail, sending a message of a given format (for example, SMS, MMS or another type) using the access interface via the Internet or other networks (for example, WEB, WAP, any i nstant messenger, for example, ICQ from Mirabilis, etc.).

 The questionnaire may be presented in a free or structured form.

 In the questionnaire, the subscriber indicates his data: full name, gender, age, birthday, interests and hobbies, types of subscriber terminals used, distribution time, as well as other data necessary to fill out the questionnaire or information that the subscriber additionally wants to inform About Me. When filling out the questionnaire (if desired), the subscriber can immediately subscribe to the mailing of messages with the questionnaires according to the criteria specified by him or arrange it later, using one of the above methods.

 Stage III - the work of the central station.

 The central station 3 functions as a switching device for heterogeneous data transmission media and as a device for processing, storing and issuing, upon request, the necessary information.

Main functions:
1. processing incoming questionnaires in accordance with the specified criteria, sorting them according to the corresponding areas of the database of the database servers 7 of the central station 3,
2. Processing incoming subscriber requests and, depending on the type of request, performing the following actions:
- search for profiles at the request of subscribers,
- sending real-time messages to subscribers at the address specified in the request. Identification of the subscriber is made by the pseudonym,
- mailing profiles on requests and subscriptions,
- change of profiles of registered subscribers,
- Subscribing to new mailings.

 3. organization of chat rooms, virtual rooms, private communication specialized in topics, sex, interests and other criteria, organization of video communications between subscribers, maintaining an electronic library, etc.

 All questionnaires received at the central station are converted to digital form, sorted according to the specified criteria and entered in the corresponding database area. According to the specified criteria for subscribing to the newsletter, the presence of profiles in the corresponding database area is checked. If the criteria match, a message is generated for sending to the subscriber. The outgoing message is converted to the form corresponding to the capabilities of the terminal of this subscriber. The converted message is sent to the subscriber via the corresponding data channel. If the incoming message is intended for transmission to another registered subscriber, then it will be converted to the form corresponding to the capabilities of the subscriber's terminal indicated in the questionnaire.

 Stage IV - messaging.

 Any options are possible: exchange of text, graphics (including a set of images provided by the station), voice and video, as well as their combination with the technical capabilities of the subscriber terminal.

For instance:
1. exchange of voice and / or text messages through a public telephone or mobile terminal, instant messenger (for example, ICQ or others), email, via the Internet or other networks (for example, WEB or WAP), messaging (for example, SMS or MMS), etc.,
2. exchange of text and graphics via the Internet or other networks, email, WEB-camera, videophone, etc.,
3. exchange of text and / or graphic messages via the Internet or other networks (for example, WEB or WAP), instant messenger (for example, ICQ or others), exchange of multimedia (for example, MMS) messages, etc.,
4. exchange of video data via a WEB-camera, videophone, Internet or other networks (for example, WEB or WAP), e-mail, etc.

Example 2. For a mobile subscriber
A mobile subscriber wants to use the services of the Dating service.

To register, the subscriber must fill out a specially designed questionnaire, which contains the required fields, additional information (for better service) and information that the subscriber wants to provide about himself. For example, required fields:
- phone number, model,
- a method of communication with other subscribers (from the list, several may be indicated),
- a terminal for receiving information from the Database (presentation type, terminal type, contact information),
- the desired time to receive messages by subscription,
- FULL NAME.,
- gender
- age
- topics of interest for subscribing to newsletters, as well as other information of interest,
- the type and / or number of the subscriber terminal for receiving a password and for communication with the central station operators, if necessary,
- purpose of communication, etc.

Additional information about yourself, for example:
- hobbies (sports, music, etc.),
- a description of the appearance, nature, physical characteristics,
- education, etc.

 To register, the subscriber selects an alias from the ones proposed by the central station, or by setting it himself.

 Information that the subscriber wants to provide about himself? - any information that will help other subscribers in solving questions of correspondence, communication, organization of a chat or private room with this subscriber.

A subscriber can fill out a questionnaire in one of the possible ways:
1. directly at the offices of the service provider organizing the Dating service,
2. following the voice menu commands,
3. calling the operator by phone and answering his questions on the questionnaire or leaving information about yourself in any form,
4. by sending the questionnaire by e-mail or regular mail,
5. by sending a message of a given format (for example, SMS, MMS or another type),
6. using the access interface via the Internet or other networks (for example, WEB, WAP, any instant messenger, for example, Mirabilis ICQ, etc.).

 After registration, information about the subscriber is placed in the Database on the database server 7 of the central station 3, and the password and pseudonym for access to the services of the Dating service is sent to him at the terminal indicated in the questionnaire.

A subscriber can search for profiles of interest to him or communicate with other subscribers in one of the ways:
- sending a message of a given format (for example, SMS, MMS or another type),
- by sending an e-mail,
- using the access interface via the Internet or other networks (for example, WEB, WAP, any instant messenger, for example, Mirabilis ICQ, etc.),
- using the menu of the subscriber terminal (for example, SIM Toolkit (STK)),
- by voice, calling the central station operator,
- following the instructions of the voice menu of the central station switch.

The request received from the subscriber is processed in the following order:
- Subscriber Identity
- confirmation of receipt of the request (feedback signal to the subscriber terminal indicated in the questionnaire),
- formation of a request to the Database according to the criteria specified by the subscriber,
- search for information on request in the Database,
- sending information to the subscriber,
- confirmation of receipt of information.

 The search information is transmitted to the subscriber in a predetermined form to the terminal indicated by him.

 After receiving the questionnaire, the subscriber can send a message to any subscriber who is interested in him, regardless of the type of terminal.

For instance:
1. A subscriber with a mobile communication terminal is interested in a questionnaire in which only electronic mail is used for communication. The subscriber sends his message in one of the ways: a text message (for example, SMS), a multimedia message (for example MMS) or a voice message through the operator of the central station 21 or by following the voice menu of the switch 20 of the central station 3. At the central station 3, the received message is recorded, convert it to a format suitable for sending and receiving by the recipient. The mail server of the central station 3 sends a message to the addressee. The central station notifies the subscriber about the result of sending: a letter is sent, it is impossible to send (for example, the address is incorrect, deleted, etc.) or the letter is received.

 2. the subscriber from the mobile terminal sent a request to the central station 3 (by sending an SMS or MMS message using the voice menu of the switch 20 of the central station 3, the operator 21 of the central station) to search for profiles according to the selected one or more criteria. The central station 3 selects one or more questionnaires stored on the database server 7, which meet the specified criteria, and passes them to the subscriber. From the received questionnaires, he selects several that are suitable for him, and wants to send a voice message to the selected subscribers. For the first subscriber, the mobile terminal and e-mail are indicated in the questionnaire as a terminal, the second has a public telephone and the third has ICQ. The subscriber sends his message, following the instructions of the voice menu of the switch 20 of the central station 3. The received message at the central station 3 is registered, and the feedback message is sent to the subscriber to the terminal indicated in the questionnaire. If the message is transmitted through the operator 21 of the central station, the operator notifies the subscriber that the message has been received. The transmitted message is converted to a format suitable for sending and receiving by the recipient. The central station 3 generates a voice message for sending to the first subscriber to the mobile terminal. If at this time the mobile terminal is not available, then the message is sent to the specified e-mail through the mail server of the interface device 2 of the central station 3, and a message is sent to the sender indicating the result of the sending. At the request of the subscriber, sending a voice message to the mobile terminal is duplicated at predetermined intervals. For the second subscriber, the voice message is transmitted automatically. For the third party, the voice message is converted to text and sent to the specified ICQ.

 3. if subscribers who have public telephones and / or mobile terminals want to communicate (talk and / or chat) in real time with other subscribers in anonymous mode, then two communication options are possible: 1. subscriber-subscriber, 2. conference (communication of a group of subscribers among themselves at the same time). To implement 1 communication option for conversation, the caller dials one of the numbers of the switch 20 of the central station 3, and, following the instructions of the voice menu, enters the identifier of the called subscriber. The received application for the connection is registered, and through the switch 20 of the central station, the consent of the called subscriber for communication is checked. If consent is obtained, the switch 20 reports the caller ID to the called subscriber and establishes a connection between the subscribers. If the called party does not consent to the connection, a notification is sent to the calling party.

 Also, the connection can be established through the operator 21 of the central station 3. If the subscriber searches for a partner for communication, he, following the instructions of the voice menu of the switch 20 or the operator 21 of the central station 3, can send a request to search for the available for communication subscriber according to the selected criteria (for example, gender , age, interests, etc.). The selection of subscribers available for communication is carried out taking into account their consent. At any time, the connection can be disconnected by either side. In the case of organizing a conference, two options are possible: 1. the caller enters the subscriber identifiers for communication sequentially or communication is carried out by setting the name of the conference on a specific topic. In the second case, the subscriber can use the existing voice conference or set his own topic and indicate his name for the conference for communication.

 4. the subscriber wants to put his photo and voice message on the questionnaire. He sends a photo and voice message via e-mail to the central station. Another subscriber sends a request to view his profile from a mobile terminal that supports multimedia (e.g. MMS) technology. The central station automatically detects the type of subscriber device of the subscriber and transmits for him a questionnaire with a photo and voice message attached to it, converted by the central station 3 into a multimedia (for example, MMS) message format that is supported by this subscriber device.

 Any of the subscribers can add identifiers of unnecessary subscribers to the list of bans for communication with him or indicate the time of their inaccessibility. In this case, the central station will give a ban on establishing a connection and a corresponding message will be sent to the caller.

 Thus, any subscriber, regardless of the type of terminal, can communicate with selected subscribers in real time.

 For the convenience of subscribers, at their request, selected communication lists can be formed according to various criteria, correspondence journals are kept, and private (encrypted) communication is organized.

 Using the resources of the Dating Service, any registered subscriber can participate in chats, organize their own correspondence channels, etc., and communicate both in resources organized by the central station and create their own chat rooms with friends using the resources of the central station.

 Thus, the invention increases the fun.

 Industrial applicability.

 The invention can be used to organize a dating service and in the field of virtual entertainment services.

Claims (4)

 1. A device for conducting mass entertainment, comprising subscriber terminals including telephones connected to servers including an automatic telephone exchange, characterized in that different types of terminals are used as subscriber terminals, the device having a central station for registering subscribers and their subscriber terminals and interaction of subscribers with the station and with each other through the station to create anonymity, made in the form of a multifunctional electronic switch, containing connecting device, including interaction servers with different types of terminals, and application and database servers, and the interaction of subscribers is carried out through various data transmission channels and using various data transmission standards, while the corresponding interaction servers are feedback-connected to the corresponding subscriber terminals and corresponding servers applications associated with database servers, the central station is made with registration subscribers and their subscriber terminals in the form of a sequence of characters representing a combination of characters that is not repeatable within a given subject area to enable unambiguous access to this terminal and / or in the form of graphic images, the subscriber terminal is configured to send a signal containing address part consisting of a message identification number and a message registration number and a subscriber registration number the subscriber’s terminal for authenticating subscribers, and the content part, and the interaction servers are configured to send a feedback signal containing the registration number assigned to the message sent by the subscriber, the time and date the signal was received from the subscriber.  2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the subscriber terminals comprise a personal computer, a portable computer, specialized handheld data exchange devices, data exchange devices through specialized data transmission networks, emulators of various communication devices, radio communication devices, including cell phones, as well video sharing devices.  3. The device according to paragraphs. 1 and 2, characterized in that the interface device comprises a mail server, a data exchange server via public networks, for example, WEB or FTP server, a data exchange server through specialized data transmission networks, a data transfer server between radio communication devices, including cell phones, voice messaging switch, operator interaction server and video exchange server.  4. The device according to paragraphs. 1-3, characterized in that as the data transmission channels used as channels, wired and wireless data channels.