Information provision method and information processing method

Abstract

An information providing method includes: transmitting, in response to a user's access using a display terminal, first display data, including multiple check items to be used by the user who is choosing a service provider to be allowed to use a target device's log information to check the reliability of that service provider, to a display terminal; receiving selection information representing a set of selected check items including at least one check item selected from the check items included in the first display data using the display terminal; transmitting second display data representing a set of reference check items including, among multiple check items received from other users' terminals, check items which are either similar to, or the same as, check items included in the set of selected check items represented by the selection information, to the display terminal; afterward receiving editing information representing an edited set of check items obtained by editing the set of selected check items, from the display terminal after that; and providing the log information to a computer of the service provider who has been chosen based on the edited set of check items.

1 . An information providing method for use in an information management system which collects log information from a target device through a network and provides services by reference to the log information, the method comprising:
 transmitting, in response to a user's access using a display terminal, first display data to the display terminal, the first display data including a plurality of check items to be used by the user who is choosing a service provider to be allowed to use the log information to check the reliability of the service provider;   receiving selection information representing a set of selected check items including at least one check item that has been selected from the plurality of check items included in the first display data using the display terminal;   transmitting second display data representing a set of reference check items to the display terminal, the set of reference check items including, among a plurality of check items that have been received from a number of other users' terminals, check items which are either similar to, or the same as, check items that are included in the set of selected check items represented by the selection information;   receiving editing information representing an edited set of check items obtained by editing the set of selected check items by reference to the set of reference check items represented by the second display data at the display terminal, from the display terminal;   transmitting, when the editing information is received, third display data, including information about at least one service provider who deals with the edited set of check items represented by that editing information, to the display terminal, the third display data including purpose of use information about the purpose for which each service provider is going to use that log information;   
       and
 providing the target device's log information to a computer of the service provider who has been chosen based on the edited set of check items. 
 
     
     
         2 . The information providing method of  claim 1 , wherein the purpose of use information includes at least one item indicating for what purpose the log information is going to be used, and
 the method comprising transmitting, when the choice of a service provider and a purpose of use that has been made through the display terminal is accepted, information about a period of time for which the service provider chosen is allowed to use the log information for the purpose of use to the display terminal.   
     
     
         3 . The information providing method of  claim 1 , wherein the third display data further includes purpose of use information about a purpose for which each service provider is going to use the log information and period-of-use information about a period of time for which each said service provider is allowed to use the log information for that purpose of use. 
     
     
         4 . The information providing method of  claim 1 , wherein the target device includes a consumer electronic device that the user owns. 
     
     
         5 . The information providing method of  claim 1 , wherein the target device includes a first automatic ticket gate installed at a first railway station and a second automatic ticket gate installed at a second railway station,
 the log information includes entering history information indicating that the user has passed through the first automatic ticket gate to enter the first railway station from outside of the gate and leaving history information indicating that the user has passed through the second automatic ticket gate to leave the second railway station from inside of the gate,   the entering history information includes a user ID by which the user is identifiable, first passage time information about a point in time when the user passed through the first automatic ticket gate, and a first railway station ID by which the first railway station is identifiable, and   the leaving history information includes a user ID by which the user is identifiable, second passage time information about a point in time when the user passed through the second automatic ticket gate, and a second railway station ID by which the second railway station is identifiable.