Information processing device and information processing method, service providing system, and computer executable program for the same

Abstract

A community, which is a group of users having common interests, has attributes such as the name of the community, the interests shared, the number of members, average age of the members, gender ratio of the members, and so forth. Corporations provide services to the users of a community to which the corporations have permission to access. The corporations can know a portion of the attribute information of the community, but cannot know the personal information of the individual users. Distribution firms can obtain personal information of users belonging to a community and deliver merchandise thereto, by entering into contract with that community. The distribution firms receive merchandise shipping commissions using serial numbers, so there is no exchange of personal information between the corporations and the distribution firms. Accordingly, services can be provided from corporations to users without disclosing personal information of the users to the corporations.

1 . A service providing system, comprising: 
 a first information processing device which exchanges information with other information processing devices via a network;    a second information processing device which a user has;    a third information processing device which a corporation has; and    a fourth information processing device which a distribution firm has;    said first information processing device comprising:    first input/output control means for controlling input and output of information to and from said second information processing device,    second input/output control means for controlling input and output of information to and from said third information processing device,    third input/output control means for controlling input and output of information to and from said fourth information processing device,    substituting means for substituting personal information of said user contained in first information relating to purchasing merchandise of which input is controlled by said first input/output control means with second information corresponding to said personal information of said user on a one-to-one basis, and    first recording control means for controlling recording of said personal information of said user and said second information such that said personal information of said user and said second information are recorded in a corresponding manner;    first searching means for searching said distribution firm which has entered into contract with a predetermined group, based on said second information regarding which input is controlled by said second input/output control means;    second recording control means for controlling recording of said personal attributes information of said user;    verifying means for verifying permission to access personal attribute information of said user regarding which recording is controlled by said second recording control means; and    second searching means for searching for said personal attributes information of said user regarding which recording is controlled by said second recording control means, in the event that said verifying means verifies permission of access for said fourth information processing device;    wherein said user is registered as a member of a predetermined group;    and wherein said second information is determined corresponding to said group;    and wherein said second input/output control means controls output to said third information processing device of said first information relating to purchasing merchandise wherein said personal information of said user is substituted with said second information by said substituting means;    and wherein said third input/output control means controls output to said fourth information processing device of said personal attributes information of said user searched by said second searching means;    and wherein said verifying means verifies permission to access said personal attributes information of said user registered to said group, based on the contract between said distribution firm and said group;    and wherein said second information processing device comprises:    fourth input/output control means for controlling input and output of information from and to said first information processing device;    wherein said fourth input/output control means controls output of said first information relating to purchasing merchandise to said first information processing device;    and wherein said third information processing device comprises:    fifth input/output control means for controlling input and output of information from and to said first information processing device;    wherein said fifth input/output control means controls input of said first information relating to purchase of said merchandise, from said first information processing device, and also control output to said first information processing device of signals for causing said first searching means to search for said distribution firm which has entered into contract with said group with which said user desiring to purchase said merchandise is registered, based on said second information contained in said first information relating to purchasing of said merchandise;    and wherein said fourth information processing device comprises:    sixth input/output control means for controlling input and output of information from and to said first information processing device;    wherein said sixth input/output control means control output to said first information processing device of signals for causing said second searching means to search for personal information of said user desiring to purchase said merchandise, and also control input of said personal information of said user searched by said second searching means, from said first information processing device.    
     
     
         2 . An information processing device which exchanges information with other information processing devices via a network, said information processing device comprising: 
 first recording control means for controlling recording of information relating to a community comprising a plurality of users;    communication service providing means for providing communication services to said plurality of users making up said community;    first input control means for controlling input of proposals to a corporation from a first other information processing device which an owner of said community has;    second recording control means for controlling recording of information relating to said proposal to said corporation regarding which input is controlled by said first input control means;    first output control means for controlling output to said second other information processing device which said corporation has of said proposal to said corporation regarding which recording is controlled by said second recording control means;    second input control means for controlling input of signals from said second other information processing device, indicating that said proposal to said corporation is accepted; and    second output control means for controlling output of signals indicating said proposal to said corporation is accepted to said first other information processing device;    wherein, in the event that input signals indicating said proposal to said corporation is accepted is controlled by said second input control means, said second recording control means further controls recording of the name of the corporation which has accepted said proposal to said corporation.    
     
     
         3 . An information processing device according to  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of said second other information processing devices each had by a plurality of said corporations are connected to said network, and wherein said proposal to said corporation contains information regarding said corporation which is the object of a proposal to said corporation, of said plurality of corporations.  
     
     
         4 . An information processing device according to  claim 2 , further comprising billing processing means for executing billing processing to said corporation, based on the number of times that output of said proposal to said corporation to said second other information processing device had by said corporation has been controlled by said first output control means.  
     
     
         5 . An information processing device according to  claim 2 , further comprising billing processing means for executing billing processing to said corporation in the event that said proposal to said corporation is established.  
     
     
         6 . An information processing device according to  claim 5 , wherein said billing processing means executes billing processing to said corporation based on the number of times that said proposal to said corporation is established.  
     
     
         7 . An information processing device according to  claim 5 , wherein said billing processing means executes billing processing to said corporation based on the amount of revenue of said corporation due to said proposal being established.  
     
     
         8 . An information processing method for an information processing device which exchanges information with other information processing devices via a network, said method comprising: 
 a first recording control step for controlling recording of information relating to a community comprising a plurality of users;    a communication service providing step for providing communication services to said plurality of users making up said community;    a first input control step for controlling input of proposals to a corporation from a first other information processing device which an owner of said community has;    a second recording control step for controlling recording of information relating to said proposal to said corporation regarding which input is controlled by the processing in said first input control step;    a first output control step for controlling output to said second other information processing device which said corporation has of said proposal to said corporation regarding which recording is controlled by the processing in said second recording control step;    a second input control step for controlling input of signals from said second other information processing device, indicating that said proposal to said corporation is accepted; and    a second output control step for controlling output of signals indicating said proposal to said corporation is accepted to said first other information processing device;    wherein, in the event that input signals indicating said proposal to said corporation is accepted is controlled by the processing in said second input control step, recording of the name of the corporation which has accepted said proposal to said corporation is further controlled by the processing in said second recording control step.    
     
     
         9 . A program for an information processing device which exchanges information with other information processing devices via a network, said program comprising code for: 
 a first recording control step for controlling recording of information relating to a community comprising a plurality of users;    a communication service providing step for providing communication services to said plurality of users making up said community;    a first input control step for controlling input of proposals to a corporation from a first other information processing device which an owner of said community has;    a second recording control step for controlling recording of information relating to said proposal to said corporation regarding which input is controlled by the processing in said first input control step;    a first output control step for controlling output to said second other information processing device which said corporation has of said proposal to said corporation regarding which recording is controlled by the processing in said second recording control step;    a second input control step for controlling input of signals from said second other information processing device, indicating that said proposal to said corporation is accepted; and    a second output control step for controlling output of signals indicating said proposal to said corporation is accepted to said first other information processing device;    wherein, in the event that input signals indicating said proposal to said corporation is accepted is controlled by the processing in said second input control step, recording of the name of the corporation which has accepted said proposal to said corporation is further controlled by the processing in said second recording control step.    
     
     
         10 . An information processing device which exchanges information with other information processing devices via a network, said information processing device comprising: 
 first recording control means for controlling recording of information relating to a community comprising predetermined users;    first input control means for controlling input of proposals to said community from a first other information processing device which a corporation has;    second recording control means for controlling recording of information relating to proposals to said community regarding which input is controlled by said first input control means;    first output control means for controlling output to said second other information processing device which said owner of said community has, of proposals to said community regarding which recording has been controlled by said second recording control means;    second input control means for controlling input of signals indicating accepting said proposal to said community from said second other information processing device; and    second output control means for controlling output to said first other information processing device, of signals indicating that said proposal to said community is accepted;    wherein, in the event that input of signals indicating that said proposal to said community is accepted is controlled by said second input control means, said second recording control means further controls recording to the name of the community which has accepted said proposal to said community.    
     
     
         11 . An information processing device according to  claim 10 , further comprising third output control means for controlling output of information to a plurality of third other information processing device which members of said community have; 
 wherein said proposal to said community is distribution of advertisements to members of said community;    and wherein said third output control means controls output of said advertisements to said third other information processing devices.    
     
     
         12 . An information processing device according to  claim 11 , further comprising billing processing means wherein billing processing to said corporation is executed based on the number of advertisements distributed regarding which output is controlled by said third output control means.  
     
     
         13 . An information processing device according to  claim 10 , further comprising billing processing means wherein billing processing to said corporation is executed based on the number of times proposals to said community are established.  
     
     
         14 . An information processing device according to  claim 10 , further comprising billing processing means wherein billing processing to said corporation is executed based on the amount of revenue of said corporation due to said proposal to said community being established.  
     
     
         15 . An information processing method for an information processing device which exchanges information with other information processing devices via a network, said method comprising: 
 a first recording control step for controlling recording of information relating to a community comprising predetermined users;    a first input control step for controlling input of proposals to said community from a first other information processing device which a corporation has;    a second recording control step for controlling recording of information relating to proposals to said community regarding which input is controlled by the processing in said first input control step;    a first output control step for controlling output to said second other information processing device which said owner of said community has, of proposals to said community regarding which recording has been controlled by the processing in said second recording control step;    a second input control step for controlling input of signals indicating accepting said proposal to said community from said second other information processing device; and    a second output control step for controlling output to said first other information processing device, of signals indicating that said proposal to said community is accepted;    wherein, in the event that input of signals indicating that said proposal to said community is accepted is controlled by the processing of said second input control step, recording of the name of the community which has accepted said proposal to said community is further controlled by the processing in said second recording control step.    
     
     
         16 . A program for an information processing device which exchanges information with other information processing devices via a network, said program comprising code for: 
 a first recording control step for controlling recording of information relating to a community comprising predetermined users;    a first input control step for controlling input of proposals to said community from a first other information processing device which a corporation has;    a second recording control step for controlling recording of information relating to proposals to said community regarding which input is controlled by the processing in said first input control step;    a first output control step for controlling output to said second other information processing device which said owner of said community has, of proposals to said community regarding which recording has been controlled by the processing in said second recording control step;    a second input control step for controlling input of signals indicating accepting said proposal to said community from said second other information processing device; and    a second output control step for controlling output to said first other information processing device, of signals indicating that said proposal to said community is accepted;    wherein, in the event that input of signals indicating that said proposal to said community is accepted is controlled by the processing of said second input control step, recording of the name of the community which has accepted said proposal to said community is further controlled by the processing in said second recording control step.