WO2006136652A1

WO2006136652A1 - Method, computer program and server system for communicating within a community

Info

Publication number: WO2006136652A1
Application number: PCT/FI2006/000225
Authority: WO
Inventors: Miika PÅFS
Original assignee: Oy Smart Concept Finland Ltd
Priority date: 2005-06-23
Filing date: 2006-06-22
Publication date: 2006-12-28
Also published as: FI20050678A0

Abstract

The invention discloses a method, computer program and server system for within a community in a communication network, a community comprising a plurality of members. The method comprises storing in a database (26) a contact list for each member (204,208) of the community (28), the contact list comprising at least one member (202, 206), whose visibility is either public or secret for friend members of the community, friend members being those who are able to send messages between each other, enabling a first friend member to send messages directly to a public member in the contact list of a second friend member, and preventing the first member for seeing a secret member in the contact list of the second friend member.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAM AND SERVER SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATING WITHIN A COMMUNITY

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to communication networks. In particular, the invention relates to a novel and improved method, computer program and server sys- tem for communicating within a community in a communication network.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Mobile terminals, e.g. mobile phones, Per- sonal Digital Assistants (PDA) , personal computers etc. can be used to browse the Internet and send and receive content, e.g. email messages. An email address is a global address, which is unique. Due to the global nature of an email address, email addresses are very susceptible for misuse. For example, a significant problem nowadays is the amount of spam in the Internet. Spam refers to unwanted email messages that are received e.g. from unknown senders.

One way to cope with the problem of email ad- dresses is offer in the Internet a service that has a limited amount of users. Typically, a user has to register into the service and based on the registration, the user has predetermined rights to use the service. The service may refer to a community provided by a server. A community may have predetermined messaging rules. For example, a user may block messages from another users etc.

Users in a community, however, have similar problems than when using normal email addresses. It is very difficult beforehand to determine which senders belong to those senders from which messages will not be unwanted messages, e.g. spam messages. Furthermore, typically addresses of members in a community are public knowledge for all members of the community. There is an obvious need for a messaging trust model that would alleviate the above problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method for communicating within a community in a communication network, a community comprising a plurality of members . The method comprises storing in a database a contact list for each member of the community, the contact list comprising at least one member, whose visibility is either public or secret for friend members of the community, friend members being those who are able to send messages between each other; enabling a first friend member to send messages directly to a public member in the contact list of a second friend member; and preventing the first member for seeing a secret member in the contact list of the second friend member.

In one embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises sending a message from the first friend member directly to the public member in the contact list of the second friend member; moving the public member in the contact list of the second friend member into the contact list of the first member; and assigning a public or secret visibility to the member.

In one embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises changing the state of a member in a contact list from public to secret or from secret to public. According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a computer program for communicating within a community in a communication network. The computer program comprises code adapted, to perform the following steps when executed on a data-processing device: storing in a database a contact list for each member of the community, the contact list comprising at least one member, whose visibility is either public or secret for friend members of the community, friend members being those who are able to send messages between each other; enabling a first friend member to send messages directly to a public member in the con- tact list of a second friend member; and preventing the first member for seeing a secret' member in the contact list of the second friend member.

In one embodiment of the invention, the computer program is further adapted to perform the fol- lowing step when executed on the data-processing device: sending a message from the first friend member directly to the public member in the contact list of the second friend member; moving the public member in the contact list of the second friend member into con- tact list of the first member; and assigning a public or secret visibility to the member.

In one embodiment of the invention, the computer program is further adapted to perform the following step when executed on the data-processing de- vice: changing the state of a member in a contact list from public to secret or from secret to public.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a server system, comprising a server comprising a messaging application configured to re- ceive messages from sender members and to send messages to receiving members, and a database configured to store information relating to at least one community a community comprising a plurality of members. The database is configured to store a contact list for each member of the community, the contact list comprising at least one member, whose visibility is either public or secret for friend members of the commu- nity, friend members being those who are able to send messages between each other. Furthermore, the messaging application is configured to enable a first friend member to send messages directly to a public member in the contact list of a second friend member and to prevent the first member for seeing a secret member in the contact list of the second friend member.

In one embodiment of the invention, the messaging application is configured to send a message from the first friend member directly to the public member in the contact list of the second friend member, to move the public member in the contact list of the second friend member into contact list of the first member, and to assign a public or secret visi- bility to the member.

In one embodiment of the invention, the messaging application is configured to change the state of a member in a contact list from public to secret or from secret to public. The invention has several advantages over the prior-art solutions. A benefit of the invention is that it effectively reduces the amount of spam messages because of the indirect trust model of the invention. In other words, messaging is enabled between friend members and with friends' public contacts.

Another advantage of the invention is that the circle of acquaintances of a member automatically expands when also "friends' friends" of the member are able to directly communicate with the member and therefore they are able to add the member to their own contacts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description help to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:

Figures Ia and Ib are block diagrams illustrating one embodiment of a method according to the invention, and

Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a server system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figures Ia and Ib disclose one embodiment il- lustrating the present invention. All members (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H) disclosed in Figure Ia belong to a community in a communication network. The community refers to a group of members that are at least partly able to communicate with each other. The community is preferably established in a database that can be accessed using an appropriate server. The database comprises a contact list for each member of the community. The contact list comprises at least one member, whose visibility is either public or secret for friend members in the community. Friend members refer to those who are able to send messages between each other (i.e. are in each other's contact lists) and who are able to see the public contacts of the other. Furthermore, it should be noted that this example is illus- trated as A's point of view.

Referring to Figure Ia B has secret and public contacts . The secret contacts 12 comprise three members (C, D, E) . 'Secret' means that other friend members (e.g. A) are not able to see the secret con- tacts 12. Public contacts 14 comprise also three members (F, G, H) . 'Public' means that identities of the public contacts 14 are public for both the secret con- tacts 12 and other members of the public contacts 14. An essential idea is of the invention is that only a direct friend member can see public contacts of another member with whom he has already been in contact with. In other words, the secret contacts 14 and the public contacts 14 are all 'friends' of B. However, the public contacts 14 cannot see the secret contacts 12 of B but the secret contacts 12 are able to see the public contacts 14 of B. In the example A also belongs to the public contacts 14 of B. It means that A is able to send content to F, G and H, i.e. A sees F, G and H. The content itself refers e.g. to text, pictures, video and/or audio content. In this embodiment, A sends (step 10) a message to F as illustrated in Figure Ia. A has not been in direct contact with F before and therefore F is not yet in A's public contact. When the A has been is direct contact with F, A does not see F any more in B's public contacts 100. Instead, F is moved into A's own public contacts 16 as illustrated in Figure Ib. The secret contacts 12,18 of B remains unchanged in Figures Ia and Ib.

It is evident that a member may configure his/her contact list, e.g. to change a state of a par- ticular member in the contact list from public to secret or vice versa.

Figure 2 discloses one embodiment of a server system in which the present invention is used. Figure 2 is a simplified example showing only relevant parts needed in a solution according to the present invention.

A client 20 communicates with a server 22 via a communication network (not shown) . The communication network may be a mobile communication network and/or a data communication network (e.g. the Internet) . The form of the communication depends on the client 20. The client 20 may be a mobile phone, a desktop com- puter, a laptop computer, a client program running in a terminal device and/or any other appropriate device or software that is able to communicate with the server 22. Messaging between the client 20 and the server 22 may be e.g. MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) messages, GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) data or TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) data etc.

A web server 24 in the server 22 hosts several different services: 1. J2ME receives HTTP requests from a J2ME

(MIDP) client and returns appropriate responses . 2. SYMB service is a Symbian counterpart to the J2ME part. 3. HTML service provides an HTML interface.

4. HTTP API is a service that receives messages from external services through e.g. simple HTML POSTs and sends them to their designated recipients . The server 22 is connected to a user database

26. In the user database 26 is stored one or more communities 28, each including a plurality of members. The web server 24 further comprises a messaging application 210, which controls the functions of the web server 24 and is configured to receive messages from sender members and to send messages to receiving members within a community. Each community 28 includes a plurality of members (users) 200. Each member 204, 208 has at least one contact 202, 206 whose visibility is either public or secret for other friend members of the community. A friend member refers to a member that is able to directly send messages to another friend member. Functionality relating to the contact lists was already discussed with Figures Ia and Ib. For example, the messaging application 210 may be configured to send a message from a first friend member directly to public member in the contact list of a second friend member, to move the public member in the contact list of the second friend member into contact list of the first member, and to assign a public or secret visibility to the member. The first member is able to decide whether the visibility is public or secret. The messaging application 210 may also be configured to change the state of an existing member in a contact list from public to secret or from secret to public based on user (member) actions. For example, the server 22 disclosed in the invention may comprise a single memory or memory area or to a plurality memories or memory areas that may include e.g. random access memories (RAM), read-only memories (ROM) etc. The memory or memories also in- elude other applications or software components that are not described in more detail and also may include the computer program (or portion thereof) , which when executed on a central processing unit performs at least some of the steps disclosed in the invention. The central processing unit may also include memory or a memory may be associated therewith which may include the computer program (or portion thereof) which when executed on central processing unit performs at least some of the steps disclosed in the invention. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that with the advancement of technology, the basic idea of the invention may be implemented in various ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not limited to the examples described above, instead they may vary within the scope of the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A method for communicating within a community in a communication network, a community comprising a plurality of members, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the method comprises : storing in a database a contact list for each member of the community, the contact list comprising at least one member, whose visibility is either public or secret for friend members of the community, friend members being those who are able to send messages between each other within the community; enabling a first friend member to send messages directly to a public member in the contact list of a second friend member; and preventing the first member for seeing a secret member in the contact list of the second friend member.

2. The method according to claim 1, c h a r - acteri s ed in that the method further comprises: sending a message from the first friend member directly to the public member in the contact list of the second friend member; moving the public member in the contact list of the second friend member into the contact list of the first member; and assigning a public or secret visibility to the member .

3. The method according to claim 1, char- acteri s ed in that the method further comprises: changing the state of a member in a contact list from public to secret or from secret to public.

4. A computer program for communicating within a community in a communication network, characteri s ed in that the computer program comprises code adapted to perform the following steps when executed on a data-processing device: storing in a database a contact list for each member of the community, the contact list comprising at least one member, whose visibility is either public or secret for friend members of the community, friend members being those who are able to send messages between each other within the community; enabling a first friend member to send messages directly to a public member in the contact list of a second friend member; and preventing the first member for seeing a secret member in the contact list of the second friend member.

5. The computer program according to claim 4 , charact eri s ed in that the computer program is further adapted to perform the following step when executed on the data-processing device: sending a message from the first friend member directly to the public member in the contact list of the second friend member; moving the public member in the contact list of the second friend member into contact list of the first member; and assigning a public or secret visibility to the member .

6. The computer program according to claim 5, charac t eri s ed in that the computer program is further adapted to perform the following step when executed on the data-processing device: changing the state of a member in a contact list from public to secret or from secret to public.

7. A server system, comprising: a server (24) comprising a messaging application

(210) configured to receive messages from sender members and to send messages to receiving members; a database (26) configured to store information relating to at least one community (28) , a community (28) comprising a plurality of members; characteris ed in that: the database (26) is configured to store a contact list for each member of the community, the contact list comprising at least one member, whose visibility is either public or secret for friend members of the community, friend members being those who are able to send messages between each other; and the messaging application (210) is configured to enable a first friend member to send messages directly to a public member in the contact list of a second friend member and to prevent the first member for seeing a secret member in the contact list of the second friend member.

8. The server system according to claim 7, charac t eri s ed in that : the messaging application (210) is configured to send a message from the first friend member directly to the public member in the contact list of the second friend member, to move the public member in the con- tact list of the second friend member into contact list of the first member, and to assign a public or secret visibility to the member.

9. The server system according to claim 7, charact eris ed in that : the messaging application (210) is configured to change the state of a member in a contact list from public to secret or from secret to public.