Abstract:
Conditionally traceable anonymous service system is provided. The system respectively separates subject conforming real name, subject conforming anonymity, subject requesting verification for an anonymity certification means, so that privacy of a user is hardly violated, the present invention can acquire real name information for the user only when a trace for a user is surely requested.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-0121395 filed on Dec. 2, 2008 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0024569 filed on Mar. 23, 2009 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a conditionally traceable anonymous service system, and more particularly, to a conditionally traceable anonymous service system, in which a domain performing a real name certification and a domain performing an anonymity certification are separated, so that an identity of user writing bulletin board is not disclosed and the system can trace a user only when a user writes an illegal bulletin. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Conventionally, when a user writes on an on-line bulletin, the user only disclosures his or her ID. Although the user only disclosures his or her ID, the user provides personal information to a web service server when the user sign up in order to login to the web service server. Therefore the web service server can always grasp personal information of the user. 
         [0006]    In other words, a conventional anonymity means anonymizes only among the users of the web service server. 
         [0007]    In a case when the web service server knows personal information of the users, the identity of the user writing illegal bulletin is grasped. Thus the user writing the bulletin illegally may be immediately controlled. However the web service server does not guarantee the security of personal information of the users being illegally distributed, especially in a current situation when the personal information of a user is easily being disclosed on the internet. 
         [0008]    Accordingly a present invention protects thoroughly real name information of a user, which is personal information of a user, by selectively grasping personal information of the user only when the user writes an illegal bulletin. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention provides a conditionally traceable anonymous service system, which can minimize disclosure of personal information of a user by selectively tracing a user only when the user writes on the bulletin illegally. The present invention provides a conditionally traceable anonymous service system, in which the user writes on the bulletin through an anonymity certification means. The user may also use various services provided from a web service server through the anonymity certification means. 
         [0010]    According to the present invention, there is provided a conditionally traceable anonymous service system, the system including a real name process server generating a real name certification means for a user; an anonymity process server generating a anonymity certification means corresponding to the real name certification means; and a trace server requesting a real name certification for the anonymity certification means to the anonymity process server when a web service server requests a real name certification for the anonymity certification means; wherein the anonymity process server certifies the anonymity certification means when the trace server requests the real name certification for the anonymity certification means and provides the certified anonymity certification means to the real name process server, and wherein the real name process server performs a real name certification for the certified anonymity certification means, so that an authority for anonymity confirmation, real name confirmation, and trace request is separated. 
         [0011]    Accordingly, the present invention respectively separates subjects confirming real name, subjects confirming anonymity, subjects requesting verification for an anonymity certification means from each other. Hence the privacy of a user is hardly violated. Also the present invention provides method for the system to acquire real name information of the user only when a trace for a user is necessary. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a diagram of a conditionally traceable anonymous service system according to an aspect of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates a block diagram for an exemplary embodiment of a real name process server illustrated at  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates a block diagram for an exemplary embodiment of an anonymity process server illustrated at  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  illustrates a block diagram for an exemplary embodiment of a trace server illustrated at  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  illustrates a block diagram for an exemplary embodiment of a web service server illustrated at  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    The present invention will hereinafter be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  illustrates a diagram of a conditionally traceable anonymous service system according to the present invention. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the system includes a real name process server  100 , an anonymity process server  200 , and a trace server  300 . 
         [0021]    In the present invention, the real name process server  100 , the anonymity process server  200 , and the trace server  300  are separated from each other. The authority of the servers  100 ,  200  and  300  is also clearly separated. The real name process server  100 , the anonymity process server  200 , and the trace server  300  are implemented on different servers and belongs to different managing subjects. Hence the disclosure of personal information of a user or privacy violation by one server could be prevented. 
         [0022]    In the present invention, the real name process server  100  issues a real name certification means to a user according to a request from the user. The anonymity process server  200  issues an anonymity certification means corresponding to the real name certification means. The trace server  300  transmits the anonymity certification means for the user, whom the web service server  400  requests the real name certification, to the anonymity process server  200  and requests a real name certification. The user does not need to provide personal information to the web service server  400 . 
         [0023]    The user may accesses the web service server  400  using the anonymity certification means acquired by the anonymity process server  200  and write on the web service server  400 . The user may also use various services provided by the web service server  400 . Therefore, the web service server  400  does not know any personal information of the user directly. Also the web service server  400  does not store any personal information of the user. 
         [0024]    The web service server  400  transmits an anonymity certification means provided by the user, which is provided by the user to use services provided by the web service server  400 , to the anonymity process server  200 . The anonymity process server  200  determines the validity of the anonymity certification means transmitted by the web service server  400 , and transmits the result of the validity determination to the web service server  400 . The web service server  400  may permit service use of the user according to the result of validity determination of the anonymity process server  200 . 
         [0025]    The anonymity certification means which the user provides to the web service server  400  through a terminal  50  does not include information which may be used to directly analogize the user. Currently, the anonymity certification means may be an anonymity certificate or a group key. The real name certification means may be a real name certificate or OTP (one time password). However when a certification means for anonymity certification or real name certification for the user is suggested later, the scope of the present invention may encompass the suggested real name certification means or anonymity certification means. 
         [0026]    The real name certification means according to the present invention does not include a conventional certification means based on ID and password. When a conventional certification means based on ID and password is used, a web service server may know personal information of a user since the user has to provide personal information to the web service server as the user signs up for the web service provided by the web server. 
         [0027]    In the present invention, the real name process server  100  performs a real certification and generates a real name certification means. After the anonymity process server  200  generates an anonymity certification means using the real name certification means generated by the real name process server  100 . Therefore, an anonymity certification means of the user may be uses as a real name certification means. However the anonymity certification means does not have any personal information of the user. 
         [0028]    The user may access the web service server  400  using the anonymity certification means and use various services provided by the web service server  400 , such as writing on a bulletin, or reading from the bulletin. 
         [0029]    Therefore, when the web service server  400  needs a real name certification for the user writing a bulletin illegally, the web service server  400  provides an anonymity certification means of the user to the trace server  300  and requests a real name certification for the user to the trace server  300 . 
         [0030]    The trace server  300  may acquire the anonymity certification means of the user requested by the web service server  400 , and transmits the acquired anonymity certification means to the anonymity process server  200 . 
         [0031]    The anonymity process server  200  determines validity for the anonymity certification means transmitted by the trace server  300 . When the result of determination is valid, the anonymity process server  200  transmits the anonymity certification means to the real name process server  100 . The real name process server  100  looks up a real name certification means corresponding to the anonymity certification means transmitted by the anonymity process server  200 , and grasps identity of the user through the looked up real certification means. The grasped identity of a user is may be transmitted to the according order; the real name process server  100 , the anonymity process server  200 , the trace server  300 , and the web service server  400 . Or it may be transmitted to the according order; the real name process server  100 , the anonymity process server  200 , and the web service server  400 . However the transmitted order may vary and the identity of the user may be provided through various other paths. 
         [0032]    Therefore, according to the present invention, the user may write the bulletin or uses the web service using the anonymity certification means of the user, in which case the identity of the user is not disclosed. Moreover, the real name process server  100 , the anonymity process server  200  and the trace server  300  are respectively separated from each other and are managed independently, so that the identity of the user cannot be inquired indiscriminately. 
         [0033]    Currently available anonymity certification means may be anonymity certificate, or group member key. However, any type of certification means, which does not disclose the personal information of a user, may be one of the anonymity certification means. 
         [0034]      FIG. 2  illustrates a block diagram for an exemplary embodiment of a real name process server illustrated at  FIG. 1 . 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the real name process server  100  according to the exemplary embodiment includes a real name information acquirement module  110 , a real name information save module  120 , a real name certification means issue module  130 , a real name information database  140 , and a real name certification means issue database  150 . 
         [0036]    The real name information acquirement module  110  acquires personal information of a user though the terminal  50 . To acquire the personal information of the user, the real name information acquirement module  110  provides interface with a security function to the terminal  50 , and may acquire personal information corresponding to real name information from the terminal  50 . The real name information save module  120  may save the personal information of the user acquired by the real name information acquirement module  110  in the real name information database  140 . 
         [0037]    The real name certification means issue module  130  issues a real name certification means based on real name information (or, personal information) provided by the user though a terminal  50  to the user. Also, the real name certification means issue module  130  saves the real name certification means generated corresponding to the user in the real name information database  140 . 
         [0038]    A certification management module  160  manages the data saved in the real name information database  140  and the real name certification means issue database  150 . The certification management module  160  may provide interface and program which the manager of the real name process server  100  may use to access the real name information database  140  and the real name certification means issue database  150 , if necessary. 
         [0039]    When the real name information for an anonymity certification means is requested by the anonymity process server  200 , the real name certification means confirmation module  170  looks up the real name certification means corresponding to the anonymity certification means. The real name certification means confirmation module  170  provides the real name certification means or real information (personal information) of the user which is requested by the anonymity process server  200  based on a real name certification means which have been looked up. 
         [0040]      FIG. 3  illustrates a block diagram for an exemplary embodiment of an anonymity process server illustrated at  FIG. 1 . 
         [0041]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , an anonymity process server  200  includes a validity determination request module  210 , a request information save module  220 , an anonymity certification means issue module  230 , a information management module  260 , an anonymity certification means confirmation module  270 , a real name certification request database  240 , and an anonymity certification means issue database  250 . 
         [0042]    The anonymity certification means issue module  230  determines validity of a real name certification means provided by a user, when the user provides the real name certification means through the terminal  50 . When the real name certification means provided by a user is valid, the anonymity certification means issue module  230  provides an anonymity certification means through the terminal  50 . 
         [0043]    Also, the anonymity certification means issue module  230  saves the anonymity certification means issued to a user and information thereof in the anonymity certification means issue database  250 , after issuing the anonymity certification means to the user through the terminal  50 . 
         [0044]    The validity determination request module  210  determines validity of the real name certification which the user provides in order to issue the anonymity certification means. 
         [0045]    The validity determination request module  210  transmits the real name certification means provided by the user to the real name process server  100  and requests determination of validity for the real name certification means, when the user requests issue of the anonymity certification means through the terminal  50 . When the real name certification means provided by the user is not valid, issuing process of the anonymity certification means for the user is finished. The request information save module  220  matches information of the real certification means provided by the user with information of the user and saves the matched information in the real name certification request database  240 , when the user requests issue of the anonymity certification means. 
         [0046]    The anonymity certification means confirmation module  270  confirms an anonymity certification means of the user writing a bulletin on the web service server  400  upon the request of the trace server  300 . The anonymity certification means confirmation module  270  determines whether the anonymity certification means of the user is valid based on the anonymity certification means saved in the anonymity certification means issue database  250  and information thereof. 
         [0047]    The information management module  260  manages the real name certification request database  240  and the anonymity certification means issue database  250 , and may provide interface and program, which a manager may use to access the real name certification request database  240  and the anonymity certification means issue database  250 , if necessary. 
         [0048]      FIG. 4  illustrates a block diagram for an exemplary embodiment of a trace server illustrated at  FIG. 1 . 
         [0049]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the trace server  300  includes an information acquirement module  310 , an illegality determination module  320 , a trace information extraction module  330 , a real name information confirmation request module  340 , and database  350 . 
         [0050]    The information acquirement module  310  acquires information of the user, about whom a real name trace is requested by the web service server  400 . The information acquirement module  310  acquires an anonymity certification of the user, IP of the terminal  50  of the user, a bulletin written by the user about whom the trace is requested, and other information necessary for the trace from the web service server  400 , and transmits them to the illegality determination module  320 . 
         [0051]    The illegality determination module  320  may determine illegality by checking the existence of banned word or slang word among words included in the bulletin. The illegality determination module  320  may also determine illegality of the article written in the bulletin after a manager checks the content of the article. If the determination result of the bulletin provided by a web service server  400  turns out to be illegal, the illegality determination module  320  may transmit the bulletin provided by the web service server  400  and the anonymity certification means to the trace information extraction module  330 . 
         [0052]    The trace information extraction module  330  extracts IP of a user writing the bulletin illegally, an anonymity certification means of the user, and access history of the user and transmits them to the real name information confirmation request module  340 . The trace information extraction module  330  may save IP of the user, the anonymity certification means, and the access history of the web service server  400  in database  350 . 
         [0053]    The real name information confirmation request module  340  acquires the IP of the user writing the bulletin illegally, the anonymity certification means of the user, and the access history of the user through the trace information extraction module  330 . The real name information confirmation request module  340  may transmit them to the real name process server  100  and request real name information of the user writing the bulletin illegally. 
         [0054]      FIG. 5  illustrates a block diagram for an exemplary embodiment of a web service server illustrated at  FIG. 1 . 
         [0055]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , the web service server  400  includes a validity request module  410 , a bulletin board management module  420 , a bulletin database  430 , a user trace request module  440 , and a bulletin board writer confirmation request module  450 . 
         [0056]    The validity request module  410  transmits the anonymity certification means which a user provides to the web service server  400  through the terminal  50  to the anonymity process server  200  and requests verification for validity of the anonymity certification means. In the present invention, the web service server  400  does not process log-in through ID or password. Rather, the web service server  400  authenticates the user though an anonymity certification means of the user. However, it is possible for the user to log in using conventional ID, password. In the exemplary embodiment, the user may log in using either ID and password or the anonymity certification means. 
         [0057]    The web service server  400  does not have any information, based on which the web service server may know the real name of a user accessing the web service server  400  using an anonymity certification means. Therefore, personal information of the user, such as name, address, contact information, resident registration number and etc., is not grasped by the web service server  400 , when the user access the web service server  400  through the terminal  50 . 
         [0058]    The bulletin board management module  420  provides services, by which the user may write, revise, delete, or inspect a bulletin through the terminal  50 . When the user writes, revises, or deletes a bulletin, the bulletin board management module  420  reflects the content changed by the user in the bulletin database  430 . 
         [0059]    If an unwholesome content is included in a bulletin written by the user, the user trace request module  440  requests a real name certification or real name information of the user accessing to the web service server  400  through an anonymity certification means to the trace server  300 . The determination of the validity of the bulletin may be achieved automatically or manually. 
         [0060]    If the determination of the validity of the bulletin is achieved automatically, the user trace request module  440  determines whether banned word, slang word, or public morals offense word is included among words included in a bulletin and decides whether to request a trace of the anonymity user to the trace server  300 . 
         [0061]    When the determination of the validity of the determination of the bulletin is achieved manually, the user trace request module  440  may request a trace for an anonymity user whom the bulletin manager nominates to the trace server  300 . 
         [0062]    The bulletin board writer confirmation request module  450  inquires the anonymity process server  200  through the trace server  300 , whether bulletin writers with the same name or ID are identical when there are at least two bulletin writers with the same name or ID. In the present invention, a user accessing the web service server  400  use the anonymity certification means. Therefore, unlike the conventional web service server which allots an ID to a user in the present invention, same ID may exist between two different users. 
         [0063]    If the bulletin writers have the same name (ID), identity of the writers must be determined. Hence the bulletin board writer confirmation request module  450  may transmit anonymity certification means for the writers with the same name (ID) to the anonymity process server  200  through the trace server  300 . Also, the bulletin board writher confirmation request module  450  may transmit IP of the writers with the same name (ID) or access history of the writers with the same name (ID) to the web service server  400  to the trace server  300 . This is to inquire whether the writers with the same name (ID) are identical. 
         [0064]    While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.