Introduction support method and system, and introduction method and system

Abstract

Introduction service is supported, in order to activate and facilitate community activities. A community management center 1 searches for offered-service information that matches at least partly with an application designated by a coordinator terminal 2 , and selects participants specified by detected offered-service information, as introduction candidates. Then, an introduction candidate list that describes private information, desired terms, and possessed value of ticket for each of the selected introduction candidates is displayed on a coordinator terminal 2 . When the coordinator terminal 2 selects a participant to be introduced to the applicant, out of the introduction candidates described in the introduction candidate list, then, the private information and the desired terms of selected participant is displayed on a participant terminal 3 of the applicant.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An introduction support method, in which a computer connected to various terminals through an information transmitting medium is used to support a coordinator in introducing a provider who can provide a service (hereinafter, “service” includes provision of a commodity) conforming with a request of an applicant, comprising: 
 a provider registration step, for receiving a desired term on a providable service from a terminal of a provider, and for registering said desired term in association with information on said provider (hereinafter, referred to as provider information);  
 a providing state registration step, for obtaining providing state information on occasions of said provider for providing a service, and for registering said providing state information in association with the provider information of said provider;  
 an applicant registration step, for receiving an application for use of a service that an applicant wishes to enjoy, from a terminal of said applicant, and for registering said application in association with information on said applicant (hereinafter, referred to as applicant information);  
 an introduction candidate selection step, for selecting desired terms that satisfy at least a part of contents of said application, out of desired terms registered by said provider registration step, and for selecting providers each specified by provider information associated with each of the selected desired terms, as introduction candidates; and  
 an introduction candidate output step, for outputting an introduction candidate list to a terminal of said coordinator, with said introduction candidate list describing said provider information, said desired term and said providing state information for each of said providers selected in relation to said application in said introduction candidate selection step.  
 
     
     
         2 . The introduction support method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a selection receiving step, for receiving a selection result from the terminal of said coordinator, with said selection being performed by said coordinator for selecting a provider to be introduced to said applicant, out of said introduction candidate list; and    a provider introduction step, for outputting the provider information and desired term of said provider selected by said coordinator in relation to said application, to the terminal of said applicant.    
     
     
         3 . The introduction support method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a negotiation history registration step, for registering negotiation history information that includes a history of negotiations between the terminal of said coordinator and the terminals of said providers described in said introduction candidate list, with said negotiation history information being registered in association with information on said coordinator (hereinafter, referred to as coordinator information).    
     
     
         4 . The introduction support method according to  claim 3 , wherein: 
 said negotiation history registration step includes a step of registering comments on said providers received from said coordinator terminal, associating each comment with said provider information of the provider relating to said each comment; and    in said introduction candidate output step, said introduction candidate list is outputted together with said comments on said providers described in said introduction candidate list, to the terminal of said coordinator.    
     
     
         5 . The introduction support method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said providing state information is a possessed face value of ticket received from said applicant as value for the service; and    said providing state registration step includes a step of adding a face value of said ticket paid by said applicant to said provider as value of the service provided, to the possessed face value of said ticket possessed by said provider.    
     
     
         6 . The introduction support method according to  claim 5 , wherein: 
 said providing state registration step includes a step of receiving the face value of said ticket paid by said applicant to said provider as value for the service provided, from the terminal of said applicant.    
     
     
         7 . The introduction support method according to  claim 5 , wherein: 
 when said applicant is also registered as a provider by said provider registration step, then, said providing state registration step includes a step of subtracting the face value of said ticket paid by said applicant from a possessed face value of said ticket of said provider who is said applicant.    
     
     
         8 . The introduction support method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a result registration step, for receiving evaluation information on the service received by said applicant from said provider, from the terminal of said applicant, and for registering said evaluation information in association with the provider information of said provider.    
     
     
         9 . The introduction support method according to  claim 8 , wherein: 
 in said introduction candidate output step, said introduction candidate list is outputted together with evaluation information of said providers described in said introduction candidate list, to the terminal of said coordinator.    
     
     
         10 . The introduction support method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 in said introduction candidate output step, listing order of said providers described in said introduction candidate list is decided depending on a priority of each of said providers, with said priority being decided according to matched parts between the desired term of the provider in question and the contents of said application.    
     
     
         11 . The introduction support method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said provider belongs to at least one of communities, with each community being a group of an arbitrary unit;    said provider information includes identification information of the community to which said provider belongs;    said application for use includes designation of a community; and    in said introduction candidate selection step, the introduction candidates relating to said application are selected from providers belonging to the community designated by said application.    
     
     
         12 . The introduction support method according to  claim 11 , wherein: 
 coordinators are each assigned to at least one of said communities; and    in said introduction candidate output step, said introduction candidate list relating to said application is outputted to a terminal of said coordinator assigned to the community designated by said application.    
     
     
         13 . The introduction support method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 at least a part of said provider information or at least a part of applicant information is closed to public.    
     
     
         14 . The introduction support method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said desired term includes designation of a providable service, a date (or, a day of the week and a time zone), and a place; and    said application for use includes designation of a service that the applicant wishes to enjoy, a date (or, a day of the week and a time zone), and a place.    
     
     
         15 . An introduction support system that supports a coordinator in introducing a provider who can provide a service (hereinafter, “service” includes provision of a commodity) conforming with a request of an applicant, comprising: 
 a provider registration means, for receiving a desired term on a providable service from a provider's terminal connected through an information transmitting medium, and for registering said desired term in association with information on said provider (hereinafter, referred to as provider information);  
 a providing state registration means, for obtaining providing state information on occasions of said provider for providing a service, and for registering said providing state information in association with the provider information of said provider;  
   14  an applicant registration means, for receiving an application for use of a service that an applicant wishes to enjoy, from a terminal of said applicant, and for registering said application in association with information on said applicant (hereinafter, referred to as applicant information), with said terminal being connected through an information transmission medium;  
 an introduction candidate selection means, for selecting desired terms that satisfy at least a part of contents of said application, out of desired terms registered by said provider registration means, and for selecting providers each specified by provider information associated with each of the selected desired terms, as introduction candidates; and  
 an introduction candidate output means, for outputting an introduction candidate list to a terminal of said coordinator, with said introduction candidate list describing said provider information, said desired term and said providing state information for each of said providers selected in relation to said application by said introduction candidate selection means, and with said terminal being connected through an information transmitting medium.  
 
     
     
         16 . An introduction support system that supports a coordinator in introducing a provider who can provide a service (hereinafter, “service”includes provision of a commodity) conforming with a request of an applicant, comprising: 
 a provider registration means, for receiving a desired term on a providable service from a provider's terminal connected through an information transmitting medium, and for registering said desired term in association with information on said provider (hereinafter, referred to as provider information);  
 a providing state registration means, for obtaining providing state information on occasions of said provider for providing a service, and for registering said providing state information in association with the provider information of said provider;  
 an applicant registration means, for receiving an application for use of a service that an applicant wishes to enjoy, from a terminal of said applicant, and for registering said application in association with information on said applicant (hereinafter, referred to as applicant information), with said terminal being connected through an information transmission medium;  
 an introduction candidate selection means, for selecting desired terms that satisfy at least a part of contents of said application, out of desired terms registered by said provider registration means, and for selecting providers each specified by provider information associated with each of the selected desired terms, as introduction candidates;  
 an introduction candidate output means, for outputting an introduction candidate list to a terminal of said coordinator, with said introduction candidate list describing said provider information, said desired term and said providing state information for each of said providers selected in relation to said application by said introduction candidate selection means, and with said terminal being connected through an information transmitting medium; and  
 a negotiation history registration means, for registering negotiation history information that includes a history of negotiations between the terminal of said coordinator and the terminals of said providers described in said introduction candidate list, with said negotiation history information being registered in association with information on said coordinator (hereinafter, referred to as coordinator information).  
 
     
     
         17 . A program for supporting a coordinator in introducing a provider who can provide a service (hereinafter, “service” includes provision of a commodity) conforming with a request of an applicant, wherein: 
 said program is read and executed by a computer, to realize:  
 a provider registration means, for receiving a desired term on a providable service from a provider's terminal connected through an information transmitting medium, and for registering said desired term in association with information on said provider (hereinafter, referred to as provider information);  
 a providing state registration means, for obtaining providing state information on occasions of said provider for providing a service, and for registering said providing state information in association with the provider information of said provider;  
 an applicant registration means, for receiving an application for use of a service that an applicant wishes to enjoy, from a terminal of said applicant, and for registering said application in association with information on said applicant (hereinafter, referred to as applicant information), with said terminal being connected through an information transmission medium;  
 an introduction candidate selection means, for selecting desired terms that satisfy at least a part of contents of said application, out of desired terms registered by said provider registration means, and for selecting providers each specified by provider information associated with each of the selected desired terms, as introduction candidates; and  
 an introduction candidate output means, for outputting an introduction candidate list to a terminal of said coordinator, with said introduction candidate list describing said provider information, said desired term and said providing state information for each of said providers selected in relation to said application by said introduction candidate selection means, and with said terminal being connected through an information transmitting medium; on said computer.  
 
     
     
         18 . A program for supporting a coordinator in introducing a provider who can provide a service (hereinafter, “service” includes provision of a commodity) conforming with a request of an applicant, wherein: 
 said program is read and executed by a computer, to realize:  
 a provider registration means, for receiving a desired term on a providable service from a provider's terminal connected through an information transmitting medium, and for registering said desired term in association with information on said provider (hereinafter, referred to as provider information);  
 a providing state registration means, for obtaining providing state information on occasions of said provider for providing a service, and for registering said providing state information in association with the provider information of said provider;  
 an applicant registration means, for receiving an application for use of a service that an applicant wishes to enjoy, from a terminal of said applicant, and for registering said application in association with information on said applicant (hereinafter, referred to as applicant information), with said terminal being connected through an information transmission medium;  
 an introduction candidate selection means, for selecting desired terms that satisfy at least a part of contents of said application, out of desired terms registered by said provider registration means, and for selecting providers each specified by provider information associated with each of the selected desired terms, as introduction candidates;  
 an introduction candidate output means, for outputting an introduction candidate list to a terminal of said coordinator, with said introduction candidate list describing said provider information, said desired term and said providing state information for each of said providers selected in relation to said application by said introduction candidate selection means, and with said terminal being connected through an information transmitting medium; and  
 a negotiation history registration means, for registering negotiation history information that includes a history of negotiations between the terminal of said coordinator and the terminals of said providers described in said introduction candidate list, with said negotiation history information being registered in association with information on said coordinator (hereinafter, referred to as coordinator information);  
 on said computer.  
 
     
     
         19 . An introduction method, in which a computer connected to various terminals through an information transmitting medium is used to introduce a provider who can provide a service (hereinafter, “service” includes provision of a commodity) conforming with a request of an applicant, comprising: 
 a provider registration step, for receiving a desired term on a providable service from a terminal of a provider, and for registering said desired term in association with information on said provider (hereinafter, referred to as provider information);  
 a providing state registration step, for obtaining providing state information on occasions of said provider for providing a service, and for registering said providing state information in association with the provider information of said provider;  
 an applicant registration step, for receiving an application for use of a service that an applicant wishes to enjoy, from a terminal of said applicant, and for registering said application in association with information on said applicant (hereinafter, referred to as applicant information);  
 a provider specifying step, for selecting desired terms that satisfy at least a part of contents of said application, out of desired terms registered by said provider registration step, and for specifying said provider to be introduced to said applicant, depending on each priority decided according to matched parts between each of said selected desired terms and the contents of said application.  
 
     
     
         20 . The introduction method according to  claim 19 , wherein: 
 in said provider specifying step,    when there exist a plurality of providers having a highest priority, a provider whose occasions for providing a service, shown by his providing state information, is lowest among said plurality of providers is selected as the provider to be introduced to said applicant.    
     
     
         21 . The introduction method according to  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 a history registration step, for registering contents of processing in said provider specifying step.    
     
     
         22 . The introduction method according to  claim 19 , wherein: 
 said providing state information is a possessed face value of ticket received from said applicant as value for the service; and    said providing state registration step includes a step of adding a face value of said ticket paid by said applicant to said provider as value of the service provided, to the possessed face value of said ticket possessed by said provider.    
     
     
         23 . The introduction method according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 said providing state registration step includes a step of receiving the face value of said ticket paid by said applicant to said provider as value for the service provided, from the terminal of said applicant.    
     
     
         24 . The introduction method according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 when said applicant is also registered as a provider by said provider registration step, then, said providing state registration step includes a step of subtracting the face value of said ticket paid by said applicant from a possessed face value of said ticket of said provider who is said applicant.    
     
     
         25 . The introduction method according to  claim 19 , wherein: 
 said provider belongs to at least one of communities, with each community being a group of an arbitrary unit;    said provider information includes identification information of the community to which said provider belongs;    said application for use includes designation of a community; and    in said provider specifying step, said provider to be introduced to said applicant is selected from providers belonging to the community designated by said application.    
     
     
         26 . The introduction method according to  claim 19 , wherein: 
 at least a part of said provider information or at least a part of applicant information is closed to public.    
     
     
         27 . The introduction method according to  claim 19 , wherein: 
 said desired term includes designation of a providable service, a date (or, a day of the week and a time zone), and a place; and    said application for use includes designation of a service that the applicant wishes to enjoy, a date (or, a day of the week and a time zone), and a place.    
     
     
         28 . An introduction system for introducing a provider who can provide a service (hereinafter, “service” includes provision of a commodity) conforming with a request of an applicant, comprising: 
 a provider registration means, for receiving a desired term on a providable service from a provider's terminal through an information transmitting medium, and for registering said desired term in association with information on said provider (hereinafter, referred to as provider information);  
 a providing state registration means, for obtaining providing state information on occasions of said provider for providing a service, and for registering said providing state information in association with the provider information of said provider;  
 an applicant registration means, for receiving an application for use of a service that an applicant wishes to enjoy, from a terminal of said applicant through an information transmission medium, and for registering said application in association with information on said applicant (hereinafter, referred to as applicant information); and  
 a provider specifying means, for selecting desired terms that satisfy at least a part of contents of said application, out of desired terms registered by said provider registration means, and for specifying said provider to be introduced to said applicant, depending on each priority decided according to matched parts between each of said selected desired terms and the contents of said application.  
 
     
     
         29 . An introduction system for introducing a provider who can provide a service (hereinafter, “service” includes provision of a commodity) conforming with a request of an applicant, comprising: 
 a provider registration means, for receiving a desired term on a providable service from a provider's terminal through an information transmitting medium, and for registering said desired term in association with information on said provider (hereinafter, referred to as provider information);  
 a providing state registration means, for obtaining providing state information on occasions of said provider for providing a service, and for registering said providing state information in association with the provider information of said provider;  
 an applicant registration means, for receiving an application for use of a service that an applicant wishes to enjoy, from a terminal of said applicant through an information transmission medium, and for registering said application in association with information on said applicant (hereinafter, referred to as applicant information);  
 a provider specifying means, for selecting desired terms that satisfy at least a part of contents of said application, out of desired terms registered by said provider registration means, and for specifying said provider to be introduced to said applicant, depending on each priority decided according to matched parts between each of said selected desired terms and the contents of said application; and  
 a history registration means, for registering contents of processing by said provider specifying means.  
 
     
     
         30 . A program for introducing a provider who can provide a service (hereinafter, “service” includes provision of a commodity) conforming with a request of an applicant, wherein: 
 said program is read and executed by a computer, to realize:  
 a provider registration means, for receiving a desired term on a providable service from a provider's terminal through an information transmitting medium, and for registering said desired term in association with information on said provider (hereinafter, referred to as provider information);  
 a providing state registration means, for obtaining providing state information on occasions of said provider for providing a service, and for registering said providing state information in association with the provider information of said provider;  
 an applicant registration means, for receiving an application for use of a service that an applicant wishes to enjoy, from a terminal of said applicant through an information transmission medium, and for registering said application in association with information on said applicant (hereinafter, referred to as applicant information); and  
 a provider specifying means, for selecting desired terms that matches with at least a part of contents of said application, out of desired terms registered by said provider registration means, and for specifying said provider to be introduced to said applicant, depending on each priority decided according to matched parts between each of said selected desired terms and the contents of said application; on said computer.  
 
     
     
         31 . A program for introducing a provider who can provide a service (hereinafter, “service” includes provision of a commodity) conforming with a request of an applicant, wherein: 
 said program is read and executed by a computer, to realize:  
 a provider registration means, for receiving a desired term on a providable service from a provider's terminal through an information transmitting medium, and for registering said desired term in association with information on said provider (hereinafter, referred to as provider information);  
 a providing state registration means, for obtaining providing state information on occasions of said provider for providing a service, and for registering said providing state information in association with the provider information of said provider;  
 an applicant registration means, for receiving an application for use of a service that an applicant wishes to enjoy, from a terminal of said applicant through an information transmission medium, and for registering said application in association with information on said applicant (hereinafter, referred to as applicant information);  
 a provider specifying means, for selecting desired terms that matches with at least a part of contents of said application, out of desired terms registered by said provider registration means, and for specifying said provider to be introduced to said applicant, depending on each priority decided according to matched parts between each of said selected desired terms and the contents of said application; and  
 a history registration means, for registering contents of processing by said provider specifying means.