Method, server and computer-readable recording medium for providing user-customized information using e-book service

Abstract

A method includes the steps of: (a) setting a relationship between users by referring to at least one piece of information on direction between the user who gives an e-book as a gift and the other user who receives it, information on the number of times the gift has been provided, and information on a price of the gift; (b) judging a first user and a second user whose degree of friendliness exceeds a preset value; and (c) acquiring information on a degree of involvement in reading that shows to which level the second user has read the gift, if the gift is provided from the first user to the second user; and (d) providing a service by referring to information on the gift, if the information on the degree of involvement in reading is judged to exceed a prefixed value.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing user customized information by using an e-book service, comprising the steps of:
 (a) setting a relationship between users by referring to at least one piece of information on direction between the user who gives an e-book as a gift and the other user who receives it, information on the number of times the gift has been provided, and information on a price of the gift;   (b) judging a first user and a second user whose degree of friendliness exceeds a preset value by referring to information on the relationship between the users;   (c) acquiring information of the first user on buying or reading e-books, if the gift was provided from the first user to the second user; and   (d) providing, if the first user also bought or read a first e-book provided as the gift to the second user by himself or herself, the second user with a second e-book bought or read by the first user before or after a preset time from the time when the first user bought or read the first e-book.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of (e) providing, if the first user also bought or read a third e-book in a same or similar category as the first e-book, the second user with information on the third e-book and a fourth e-book bought or read before or after a preset time from the time when the first user bought or read the third e-book. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step (d) includes the steps of: acquiring information on a degree of involvement in reading showing to which level the second user has read the first e-book; and providing the second user with information on the second e-book bought or read before or after the preset time from the time when the first user bought or read the first e-book if the information on the degree of involvement in reading is decided to exceed a prefixed value. 
     
     
         4 . A server for providing user customized information by using an e-book service, comprising:
 a relationship setting part for setting a relationship between multiple users, if an e-book is given and received as a gift therebetween, by referring to at least one piece of information on the direction to which the gift is given, the number of times the gift has been provided, and the price of the gift;   an information collecting part for acquiring, if the relationship setting part judges that a degree of friendliness between a first user and a second user exceeds a preset value by referring to information on the relationship between the users and if the gift was given to the second user by the first user, information of the first user on buying or reading e-books; and   a service providing part for providing, if the first user also bought or read a first e-book provided as the gift to the second user by himself or herself, the second user with a second e-book bought or read by the first user before or after a preset time from the time when the first user bought or read the first e-book.   
     
     
         5 . The server of  claim 4 , wherein, if the first user also bought or read a third e-book in a same or similar category as the first e-book, the service providing part provides the second user with information on the third e-book and a fourth e-book bought or read before or after a preset time from the time when the first user bought or read the third e-book. 
     
     
         6 . The server of  claim 4 , wherein the information collecting part acquires information on a degree of involvement in reading showing to which level the second user has read the first e-book; and the service providing part provides the second user with information on the second e-book bought or read before or after the preset time from the time when the first user bought or read the first e-book, if the information on the degree of involvement in reading is judged to exceed a prefixed value.