SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AVOIDING NOTIFICATION OF UNWANTED INFORMATION

Abstract

A system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, which can reduce the chance of information becoming a subject of conversation that a communication partner does not want to know, during the communication with the partner. The system comprises an unwanted-information storage unit, a known information storage unit, a matching decision unit, and a warning output unit. The unwanted-information storage unit stores unwanted information items that a user does not want to know, in association with the users. The known information storage unit stores known information items that a user has already known, in association with the user. The matching decision unit finds a communication partner who knows an information item that a user does not want to know, on the basis of the known information items stored in the known information storage unit and the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage unit. The alarm output unit gives a warning to the user when the communication partner is found.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, according to the first embodiment, the system having a configuration fit for use by several users;

FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart explaining the operation of the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing a system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic flowchart explaining how the second embodiment operates to record video data;

FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart explaining how the second embodiment operates to play back video data;

FIG. 7 is a schematic flowchart explaining how the second embodiment operates to delete video data;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram schematically showing a system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic flowchart explaining how the third embodiment operates to enable the users to buy tickets;

FIG. 10 a schematic flowchart explaining how the third embodiment operates to enable the users to enjoy watching movies;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram schematically showing a system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a block diagram schematically showing a system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a block diagram schematically showing a system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a block diagram schematically showing a system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a block diagram schematically showing a system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a schematic flowchart explaining how the eighth embodiment operates;

FIG. 17 is a block diagram schematically showing a system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a block diagram schematically showing a system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a schematic flowchart explaining how the tenth embodiment operates;

FIG. 20 is a block diagram schematically showing a system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 21 is a schematic flowchart explaining how the eleventh embodiment operates.

Claims

1. A system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, comprising: unwanted-information storage means for storing unwanted information items that a user does not want to know, in association with the user;known information storage means for storing known information items that a user has already known, in association with the user; andalarm means for finding a communication partner who knows an information item that a user does not want to know, on the basis of the known information items stored in the known information storage means and the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage means, and for giving a warning to the user.

2. A system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, comprising: unwanted-information storage means for storing unwanted information items that a user does not want to know, in association with the user;known information storage means for storing known information items that a user has already known, in association with the user; andalarm means for finding a communication partner who declines to receive an information item that a user has, on the basis of the known information items stored in the known information storage means and the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage means, and for giving a warning to the user.

3. A system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, comprising: unwanted-information storage means for storing unwanted information items that a user does not want to know, in association with the user;known information storage means for storing known information items that a user has already known, in association with the user; andalarm means for finding a communication partner who knows an information item that a user does not want to know, a communication partner who declines to receive an information item that the user has, on the basis of the known information items stored in the known information storage means and the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage means, and for giving a warning to the user.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the alarm means has matching decision means for performing a matching process on the known information items stored in the known information storage means and the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage means.

5. The system according to claim 4, further comprising processing means for acquiring the known information items and the unwanted information items from an external system.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the external system is a video-data processing system that has a video-data recording unit, and the processing means has means for adding information recorded by the video-data recording unit, as unwanted information, to the unwanted-information storage means in cooperation with the video-data processing system.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the external system is a video-data processing system that has a video-data playback unit, and the processing means has means for deleting information played back by the video-data playback unit from the unwanted information stored in the unwanted-information storage means and for adding the information to the known information storage means, in cooperation with the video-data processing system.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein the external system is a video-data processing system that has a video-data deleting unit, and the processing means has means for deleting information related to video data from the unwanted information stored in the unwanted-information storage means, in cooperation with the video-data processing system when the video data is deleted by the video-data deleting unit.

9. The system according to claim 5, wherein the external system is a movie-ticket sales system, and the processing means has means for adding the title of a movie for which a ticket has been purchased, as an unwanted information item, to the unwanted-information storage means, in cooperation with the movie-ticket sales system.

10. The system according to claim 5, wherein the external system is a movie theater admission system that has a movie-viewing unit, and the processing means has means for deleting the title of a movie viewed at the movie-viewing unit from the unwanted information stored in the unwanted-information storage means and for adding the title of the movie, as unwanted information, to the known-information storage means, in cooperation with the movie theater admission system.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the alarm means has means for giving the warning to the user when the user starts communication.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the alarm means has means for notifying a user that the alarm given to the user is invalid when the alarm becomes invalid.

13. A system for avoiding notification of unwanted information, comprising: unwanted-information storage means for storing unwanted information items that a user does not want to know, in association with the user;known-information analyzing means for analyzing known information items that a user has already known, on the basis of a communication content; andcommunication interrupting means for determining communication content knowing an unwanted information item that a user does not want to known, on the basis of the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage means and the communication content analyzed by the known information analyzing means, and for interrupting the communication content.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the communication interrupting means has means for giving a warning to the user when the user starts the communication.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the communication interrupting means has means for establishing no communication with the user.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the communication interrupting means has means for deleting the unwanted information from the communication content.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein the communication interrupting means has means for replacing the unwanted information items contained in the communication contents, with another information item.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein the communication interrupting means has means for prompting the user, who has received the alarm, to decide what action to take.

19. A warning information decision apparatus, comprising: means for referring to unwanted-information storage means for storing unwanted information items that a user does not want to know in association with the user and known information storage means for storing known information items that a user has already known, in association with the user, both the unwanted-information storage means and the known information storage means being provided outside the apparatus; andalarm means for finding a communication partner who knows an information item that a user does not want to know, on the basis of the known information items stored in the known information storage means and the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage means, and for giving a warning to the user.

20. A method for avoiding notification of unwanted information, comprising the steps of: storing unwanted information items that a user does not want to know, in association with the user, into an unwanted-information storage unit;storing known information items that a user has already known, in association with the user, into a known information storage unit; andfinding a communication partner who knows an information item that a user does not want to know, on the basis of the known information items stored in the known information storage unit and the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage unit, and giving a warning to the user.

21. A method for avoiding notification of unwanted information, comprising the steps of: storing unwanted information items that a user does not want to know, in association with the user, into an unwanted-information storage unit;storing known information items that a user has already known, in association with the user, into a known information storage unit; andfinding a communication partner who declines to receive an information item that a user has, on the basis of the known information items stored in the known information storage unit and the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage unit, and giving a warning to the user.

22. A method for avoiding notification of unwanted information, comprising the steps of: storing unwanted information items that a user does not want to know, in association with the user, into an unwanted-information storage unit;storing known information items that a user has already known, in association with the user, into a known information storage unit; andfinding a communication partner who knows an information item that a user does not want to know, a communication partner who declines to receive an information item that the user has, on the basis of the known information items stored in the known information storage unit and the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage unit, and giving a warning to the user.

23. A method for avoiding notification of unwanted information, comprising the steps of: storing unwanted information items that a user does not want to know, in association with the user, into an unwanted-information storage unit;analyzing known information items that a user has already known, on the basis of a communication content; anddetermining communication content knowing an unwanted information item that a user does not want to known, on the basis of the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage unit and the communication content analyzed, and interrupting the communication content.

24. A warning information decision method, comprising the steps of the steps of: referring to unwanted-information storage means for storing unwanted information items that a user does not want to know in association with the user and known information storage means for storing known information items that a user has already known, in association with the user, both the unwanted-information storage means and the known information storage means being provided outside the apparatus; andfinding a communication partner who knows an information item that a user does not want to know, on the basis of the known information items stored in the known information storage means and the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage means, and giving a warning to the user.

25. A program for causing a computer to execute a method for avoiding notification of unwanted information, the method comprising the steps of: storing unwanted information items that a user does not want to know, in association with the user, into an unwanted-information storage unit;storing known information items that a user has already known, in association with the user, into a known information storage unit; andfinding a communication partner who knows an information item that a user does not want to know, on the basis of the known information items stored in the known information storage unit and the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage unit, and giving a warning to the user.

26. A program for causing a computer to execute a method for avoiding notification of unwanted information, the method comprising the steps of: storing unwanted information items that a user does not want to know, in association with the user, into an unwanted-information storage unit;storing known information items that a user has already known, in association with the user, into a known information storage unit; andfinding a communication partner who declines to receive an information item that a user has, on the basis of the known information items stored in the known information storage unit and the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage unit, and giving a warning to the user.

27. A program for causing a computer to execute a method for avoiding notification of unwanted information, the method comprising the steps of: storing unwanted information items that a user does not want to know, in association with the user, into an unwanted-information storage unit;storing known information items that a user has already known, in association with the user, into a known information storage unit; andfinding a communication partner who knows an information item that a user does not want to know, a communication partner who declines to receive an information item that the user has, on the basis of the known information items stored in the known information storage unit and the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage unit, and giving a warning to the user.

28. A program for causing a computer to execute a method for avoiding notification of unwanted information, the method comprising the steps of: storing unwanted information items that a user does not want to know, in association with the user, into an unwanted-information storage unit;analyzing known information items that a user has already known, on the basis of a communication content; anddetermining communication content knowing an unwanted information item that a user does not want to known, on the basis of the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage unit and the communication content analyzed, and interrupting the communication content.

29. A warning information decision program for causing a computer to execute a method comprising the steps of: referring to unwanted-information storage means for storing unwanted information items that a user does not want to know in association with the user and known information storage means for storing known information items that a user has already known, in association with the user, both the unwanted-information storage means and the known information storage means being provided outside the apparatus; andfinding a communication partner who knows an information item that a user does not want to know, on the basis of the known information items stored in the known information storage means and the unwanted information items stored in the unwanted-information storage means, and giving a warning to the user.