Patent Description:
Social networking services (SNS) provided over a network such as the internet are widely used. An SNS is a community-type website where subscribers (users) exchange information such as texts and images with each other. The types of SNS include weblogs (also known as "blogs") where opinions and impressions are expressed in diary form and viewers add their impressions in a comment section, electronic bulletin boards (known as a bulletin board system or BBS) used to exchange information between users, and group chat. In recent years, a type of SNS known as "business chat", which is suitable for collaboration, has become more popular. Business chat is a type of group chat characterized by a "task management" function that can be used to manage the progress of projects undertaken by members belonging to the group.

On an SNS, browsing controls that make information such as texts and images posted bv users either available to all users or only to some users has been performed conventionally.

Document <CIT> discloses a service providing method which provides registered users with a virtual communication service that enables information exchange within a group to which multiple users, called members, belong.

Document <CIT> refers to a method for implementing ideas to applications provided with the process of collecting various ideas from the public and making the collected ideas perusable only for the person desiring to invest under a confidentiality duty contract.

For example, Patent Document <NUM> discloses a technique that allows users to specify the available range of texts on a bulletin board system.

Patent Document <NUM> discloses a technique that allows users to set levels of friendship (friendship levels) for each registered member and allowing only data that corresponds to each friend level to be viewed, thus setting flexible access restrictions on data published on an SNS.

Patent Document <NUM> discloses a technique for an SNS used by medical personnel that can keep certain portions of entered information private.

In order to promote business, it would be advantageous in terms of quality and cost to solicit a wide range of advice and proposals in highly specialized fields such as industrial property rights over networks. However, some business ideas and information have to be kept confidential from other members. For example, "novelty", a requirement for a "patentable invention", is lost when the invention becomes known to others who are not obligated to maintain confidentiality.

However, no prior art technique, including those disclosed in the documents mentioned above, make it possible for confidential information to be available only to users who have signed a confidentiality agreement in advance.

Therefore, the information posted on an SNS can be viewed by users who are not obligated to maintain confidentiality, and so "novelty", a requirement for a "patentable invention", and "confidentiality", which is a requirement for "trade secrets" under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act, can be lost.

It is an object of the present invention to solve this problem by providing an SNS that enables users to solicit advice and proposals regarding inventions (including know-how, utility models, and designs) and trade secrets (including names, trademarks, marks, domain names, etc.) without loss of "novelty" or "trade secrets" as mentioned above.

The present invention is an information processing device comprising a subscribing means for adding user subscriptions to an SNS and a confidentiality acceptance/rejection selecting means for accepting or rejecting a confidentiality obligation imposed on information disclosed on the SNS when the subscribing means is used to add a subscription, wherein the information processing device performs information processing enabling the display of messages posted on the SNS, in whole or in part, only to the administrator of the SNS, to the poster of the message, and to registered users who have consented to the fact that confidentiality has been imposed via the confidentiality acceptance/rejection selecting means.

The following is a description of the best mode for embodying the invention with reference to the drawings.

The information processing device in the present embodiment of the invention is configured as a computer system in which information processing by an application program is realized using hardware resources centered on an SNS server <NUM>.

<FIG> is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the SNS server <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the SNS server <NUM> includes a central processing unit (CPU) <NUM>, a read- only memory (ROM) <NUM>, a random access memory (RAM) <NUM>, an input/output interface <NUM>, and a bus <NUM> that connects these components to each other.

The CPU <NUM> controls the SNS server <NUM> while performing various arithmetic operations. ROM <NUM> securely stores firmware such as the operating system (OS), programs, and parameters to be executed by CPU <NUM>. The RAM <NUM> is used as a workspace for the CPU <NUM>, etc., and temporarily holds the OS, running applications, and data being processed.

A display unit <NUM>, an operation receiving unit <NUM>, a storage unit <NUM>, and a communication unit <NUM>, etc. are connected to the input/output interface <NUM>.

The display unit <NUM> can be a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electroluminescence display (OELD), or a cathode ray tube (CRT).

The operation receiving unit <NUM> is an input device such as a pointing device (a mouse, etc.), a keyboard, or a touch panel. When the operation receiving unit <NUM> is a touch panel, it can be integrated into the display unit <NUM>.

The storage unit <NUM> can be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a flash memory, or some other type of solid-state memory. In addition to the OS and applications, the storage unit <NUM> stores the data managed in databases (the user information database, grouping information database, content database, etc.) described later.

The communication unit <NUM> is a network interface card (NIC) or a wireless communication unit for connecting to the network <NUM> that communicates with client terminals <NUM>. The client terminals <NUM> can be, for example, personal computers, smartphones, smartwatches, smart glasses, tablets, and music players.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing the functional structure of an information processing device of the present invention.

In <FIG>, the SNS server <NUM> used to provide and manage the SNS is connected to a network <NUM> such as the internet. Client terminals <NUM> are also connected to the network <NUM>, and the SNS server <NUM> displays an SNS such as a weblog, an electronic bulletin board, or a group chat on the client terminals <NUM> via the network <NUM>.

A SNS generating unit <NUM> is a functional module for generating an SNS to be displayed on client terminals <NUM>, and may have, for example, a weblog generating unit, an electronic bulletin board generating unit and/or a group chat generating unit.

Databases <NUM> store the data constituting the SNS, and may include a user information database, a group information database and/or a content database.

The user information database stores authentication information (user IDs, passwords, etc.) and profile information on SNS users, as well as remark history information indicating the history of remarks and comments made by users. Profile information includes the names, roles, access rights, qualifications, and ratings etc. of users. These are examples, and others include, for example, the face photos, genders, addresses, and contact information of users.

The group information database may store, for example, authentication information (user IDs, passwords) of members of an SNS user group, profile information on the users, and information on functions available to group members. Profile information includes the name and position of a group, the purpose and character (nature) of the group, user roles in the group, and group management authority, etc..

The content database may include bulletin board objects, thread objects, and message objects, etc. The bulletin board objects have the bulletin board ID and bulletin board title as attributes, and are associated with thread objects. The thread objects have a thread ID as an attribute and are associated with message objects. The message objects have a message ID, a username, a category, a message title, a message body, a posting date and time, and viewing authority, etc. as attributes, and are associated with a comment (reply) post. A comment (reply) post is also a message object.

A subscribing unit <NUM> is a functional module that allows users of client terminals <NUM> to subscribe to the SNS.

The user type selecting unit <NUM> is a function module that allows users to select a user type when the subscribing unit <NUM> is used to subscribe.

A confidentiality obligation acceptance/rejection selecting unit <NUM> is a functional module that indicates to the user that a confidentiality obligation has been imposed on information disclosed on the SNS and allows the user to accept or reject this obligation when a predetermined user type has been selected using the user type selecting unit <NUM>.

<FIG> shows examples of screens displayed on client terminals <NUM> by the SNS server <NUM> of the present invention when a user subscribes to (registers with) the SNS. These screens are displayed on the display unit of a client terminal <NUM> using an application such as a web browser on the client terminal <NUM> that references data such as HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) generated by the SNS server <NUM>.

When the web browser is launched on the client terminal <NUM> and the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) indicating the top page of the SNS is entered, the SNS server <NUM> displays the top screen such as the one indicated by <NUM> on the client terminal (<FIG>).

The top screen <NUM> has the SNS name <NUM> as well as a "new subscriber" button <NUM> and a "login" button <NUM>.

When the user presses the "new subscriber" button <NUM>, a transition to the screen in <FIG> occurs.

<FIG> shows the SNS subscription screen <NUM>. The subscription screen <NUM> has a username input portion <NUM>, an email address input portion <NUM>, a password input portion <NUM>, a password confirmation input portion <NUM>, a user role selection pull-down menu <NUM>, and a confirmation button <NUM>.

When, for example, "IP consultant (patent attorney, etc.)" is selected in the user role selection pull-down menu <NUM>, a username is entered in the username input portion <NUM>, and the confirmation button <NUM> is pressed, a transition to the screen in <FIG> occurs.

<FIG> shows the screen indicating that a confidentiality obligation has been imposed on information disclosed on the SNS and allowing the user to either approve or reject the obligation when a user role such as "IP consultant (patent attorney, etc.)" has been selected. This screen has a confidentiality obligation displaying portion <NUM>, a consent check box <NUM>, and a "sign and register" button <NUM>. The "sign and register" button <NUM> is enabled (rendered user-operable) after the consent check box <NUM> has been checked.

When the consent check box <NUM> has been checked by the user and the "sign and register" button <NUM> has been pressed, a transition to the screen in <FIG> occurs.

<FIG> shows the digital signature screen <NUM>. The digital signature screen <NUM> has a signer information display portion <NUM>, a password input portion <NUM>, a "send" button <NUM>, and a "cancel" button <NUM>. The digital signature screen <NUM> is displayed by an external authentication server connected by the web browser in the client terminal <NUM> that references a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) registered at the SNS server <NUM>.

When a password has been inputted in the password input portion <NUM> by the user and the "send" button <NUM> is pressed, a transition to the screen shown in <FIG> occurs.

<FIG> shows the SNS home screen <NUM>. The home screen <NUM> has a notification unit <NUM> that displays the number of new items such as messages and friend requests, a search box <NUM>, a setting menu for account settings <NUM>, a user profile display portion <NUM>, a function menu for displaying SNS functions <NUM>, and an update information display portion <NUM> that displays SNS update information, and a section display portion <NUM> that displays event schedules, advertisements, etc..

The user profile display portion <NUM> displays the user role selected when the user subscribed to the SNS. This is so the user can confirm which user type he or she has assumed is in a timely manner.

When the user selects "bulletin board" from the function menu <NUM>, a transition to the screen in <FIG> occurs.

<FIG> shows a list of bulletin boards hosted on the SNS <NUM>. The bulletin board list <NUM> has a new post list <NUM>, a bulletin board search box <NUM>, and a "search" button <NUM>.

When the user, for example, enters "new business" in the bulletin board search box <NUM> and presses the "search" button <NUM>, a transition to the screen shown in <FIG> occurs.

In <FIG>, a list <NUM> of bulletin boards retrieved using the keyword "new business" is displayed. When one of the bulletin boards displayed in the list <NUM> (for example, the "food business bulletin board") is selected by the user, a transition to the screen shown in <FIG> occurs.

In <FIG>, the "food business bulletin board" <NUM> is displayed as a thread. The initial posts and the comment posts attached to then, which are independent of the thread display, are displayed in a branched grouping. There are posts that are designated as confidential (for example, post <NUM>) and those that are not (for example, post <NUM>), and the former is assigned an icon <NUM> indicating that it has been designated as confidential. Posts that have been designated as confidential may be displayed as though they cannot be selected, for example, grayed out, or may not be displayed at all to users registered with a user type other than specified user types, such as "IP consultants (patent attorneys, etc.).

When a user registered as a predetermined user type such as "IP consultant (patent attorney, etc.)" selects post <NUM>, which is designated as confidential, a transition to the screen in <FIG> occurs.

<FIG> is a screen that reminds the user that a confidentiality obligation has been imposed on the information disclosed in post <NUM>, and the screen includes a "confirm and display" button <NUM> and "cancel" button <NUM>.

When the "confirm and display" button <NUM> has been selected by the user, a transition to the screen in <FIG> occurs.

<FIG> is a screen that displays the content of post <NUM>, and includes a "reply" button <NUM> and a "return" button <NUM>. When the "reply" button <NUM> has been selected by the user, a transition to the screen in <FIG> occurs.

<FIG> is a screen that enables the user to write a reply ("Reply") to post <NUM>, and includes a title box <NUM>, a text box <NUM>, a "send reply" button <NUM>, and a "return" button <NUM>. When the user has filled in the text box and selected the "send reply" button <NUM>, the reply is attached to post <NUM>. Note that the reply post may only appear on the display of the user who wrote the reply post and the person who wrote post <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart of the subscription processing performed when a user subscribes to (registers with) the SNS, which allows a user type to be selected on the screen displayed on the client terminal <NUM> by the SNS server <NUM>, displays that a confidentiality obligation has been imposed on information disclosed on SNS if a certain user type has been selected, and allows the user to approve or reject this obligation in accordance with the present embodiment of invention.

When the user launches a browser on the client terminal <NUM> and enters or is instructed to enter a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) indicating the SNS homepage, the SNS server <NUM> in the present embodiment of the invention displays the SNS homepage on the client terminal <NUM> (display unit) (S401). A "new subscription" button <NUM> is also displayed (S402). When "new subscription" is selected by the user (YES in S403), the subscribing unit <NUM> displays the subscription screen shown in <FIG> (S404). A user type selecting unit <NUM> displays the user role selection pull-down menu <NUM> on the subscription screen (S405). When information has been entered in each portion of the subscription screen and the confirm button <NUM> has been pressed (YES in S406), it is determined from the user role selection pull-down menu whether a predetermined user type such as "IP consultant (patent attorney, etc.)" has been selected (S407). When a predetermined user type is selected (YES in S407), the confidentiality display screen shown in <FIG> is displayed (S408). The confidentiality obligation acceptance/rejection selecting unit <NUM> also displays a consent check box <NUM> on the confidentiality obligation display screen (S409). When the consent check box <NUM> has been checked by the user and the "sign and register" button <NUM> has been pressed (YES in S410), an external authentication server such as a management server for digital certificates operated by the Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems (J-LIS) is called, and personal authentication using an "digital signature certificate" and an "electronic certificate for user certification" recorded on a personal number card is performed to digitally sign the agreement (S411). According to the Digital signatures and Authentication Business Act (Japanese Act No. <NUM> of <NUM>), electronic documents with digital signatures are presumed to have been genuinely established by the person in question (prepared according to the person's will), and this enhances the authenticity of the nondisclosure agreement.

When a digital signature is entered by the user (YES in S412), it is recorded in the database <NUM> along with the selected user type of the registered user (S413). Then, the SNS home screen <NUM> shown in <FIG> is displayed (S414), and the subscription processing flow is ended. Note that if a specified user type is not selected in S407 (NO in S407), the registration procedure does not impose a confidentiality obligation (S415).

<FIG> is a flowchart of the bulletin board processing performed in which thread or list content posted on the SNS bulletin board is displayed to a user who has subscribed to the SNS as a predetermined user type such as "IP consultant (patent attorney, etc.)", and a message that a confidentiality obligation has been imposed is displayed when specified content is selected before the content is displayed.

When the user launches the browser on a client terminal <NUM> and enters or is instructed to enter the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) indicating the SNS homepage, the SNS server <NUM> in the present embodiment of the invention displays the SNS homepage on the client terminal <NUM> (display unit) (S501). When the bulletin board function has been selected by the user on the SNS homepage (YES in S502), the bulletin board list shown in <FIG> is displayed (S503). When one of the bulletin boards has been selected by the user (YES in S504), the posted content of that bulletin board is displayed (S505). It is then determined whether or not the user is a predetermined type of user such as "IP consultant (patent attorney, etc.)" (S506). Posts that have been designated as confidential may be displayed as though they cannot be selected, for example, grayed out, or may not be displayed at all (S507) to users registered with a user type other than specified user types (No in S506).

When the user selects a post designated as confidential (YES in S508), the confidentiality warning screen in <FIG> is displayed (S509). When the "confirm and display" button <NUM> has been selected by the user (YES in S510), the content of the post is displayed (S511). The fact that the post was disclosed to the user is recorded or outputted when appropriate along with date and time information (S512). A record indicating that the post was disclosed to the user may be made available to the poster when necessary. This makes it easy to verify how a secret was leaked and enhances the effectiveness of the confidentiality agreement.

When a reply post is made by the user (YES in S513), the original poster is notified (S514) or the reply post is displayed in list or thread posts on the bulletin board in a manner related to the original post (S515).

It is then determined whether or not an operation has been performed by the user (S516). If an end operation has been performed (YES in S517), the processing is ended.

When the administrator of the SNS manages the SNS, maintains and modifies the programs and databases, maintains the server, or moves data, the administrator may come to know content posted on SNS, but content confidentiality is not lost. This is because the SNS administrator is obliged to comply with the management policy displayed to users on the SNS. Here, "administrator" includes not only SNS operators, but also server administrators who install the SNS on external servers, and consignees to whom maintenance or modification of programs or databases has been outsourced. In this way, posters of content can view the original post and all replies without the confidentiality of the content being lost.

As explained above, the SNS in the present embodiment of the invention enables the posted content designated as confidential to be disclosed only to those who are obligated to keep it confidential. In this way, advice and proposals can be solicited on ideas and information included in the posted content without loss, for example, of "novelty", which is a requirement for a "patentable invention", or "confidentiality", which is a requirement for "trade secrets" under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act.

When a user accepts the confidentiality obligation, the user is personally authenticated and a digital signature is obtained. In this way, it becomes possible to accept the presumption that the consent is based on the person's will. This also enhances the effectiveness of the confidentiality.

In the present embodiment, the predetermined user type allowed to browse through posted content designated as confidential was an "IP consultant (patent attorney, etc.)". However, other types of users that are able to browse through posted content designated as confidential may be an "IT consultant (software engineer, etc.)", "design consultant", "prototype/mechanical design consultant", "marketing consultant", "legal consultant (lawyer, etc.)", or "tax consultant (tax accountant, etc.). In addition, the types of "confidentiality designations" may be subdivided according to what type of user is being solicited for advice. For example, tax-related issues may be disclosed only to users in the "tax consultant (tax accountant, etc.)" role (with consent to confidentiality). The type of "confidentiality designation" may be specified by the poster, or the type of "confidentiality designation" may be estimated based on the posted content using a technique such as machine learning. It may also be possible to specify two or more types of "confidentiality designation".

In the present embodiment, the confidentiality obligation was displayed before calling the external authentication server. However, the confidentiality obligation may be displayed simultaneously or integrally with a display screen from the external authentication server or the authentication procedure screen using a web programming technology called a "mashup". The external authentication server may also display the confidentiality obligation using an API provided by the SNS server <NUM>. Here, the API (application programming interface) is a functional module that provides software functions based on the web (world wide web) to external hardware resources.

In the present embodiment, a new user who joins the SNS selects a user type and consents to confidentiality. However, there is essentially no difference in terms of processing or effect from new user registration when a user who has already subscribed and registered with another user type changes or adds a predetermined user type such as "IP consultant (patent attorney, etc.)", and this belongs to the scope of the present embodiment.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, messages exchanged in a group chat are displayed on the SNS bulletin board so that only registered users who have consented to confidentiality can know the content, and display reply comments as messages in the group chat.

<FIG> shows examples of group chat screens displayed on a smartphone serving as a client terminal <NUM> by an SNS server <NUM> of the present invention. It should be noted that these screens are displayed on the display unit of the smartphone by the group chat application program on the smartphone referencing data from the SNS server <NUM>.

When the group chat application is launched on the client terminal <NUM>, a top screen like the one shown in <NUM> is displayed (<FIG>).

The top screen <NUM> has a group chat function name <NUM>, a search box <NUM>, a home icon <NUM>, a chat icon <NUM>, a timeline icon <NUM>, and other function icons <NUM>. When activated using the chat function, a list of groups <NUM> to which the user belongs is displayed.

When one group (for example, "preparing for café opening") is selected from the list <NUM>, a transition to the screen in <FIG> occurs.

<FIG> displays a chat room screen <NUM> that displays messages exchanged in the selected group in chronological order (timeline). Images, voice messages, videos, document files, schedules, and group meetings (video conferences, voice conferences), etc. can be displayed or called up on the chat room screen <NUM>. Remarks by members of a group conference (video conference, audio conference) can also be displayed on the timeline.

When one of the messages on the chat room screen <NUM> has been selected by the user, a transition to the screen on <FIG> occurs.

<FIG> shows a menu of commands <NUM> that can be executed for the selected message. When the "advice" command is selected by the user, a transition to the screen in <FIG> occurs.

<FIG> is a screen for the user to edit messages and post them on the SNS bulletin board, and includes a title box <NUM>, a text box <NUM>, a "post to bulletin board" button <NUM>, a "cancel" button <NUM>, and a "convert to post" button <NUM>. In the title box <NUM>, a title generated from the original message is entered in an editable form. The original message selected by the user is also entered in the text box <NUM> in an editable form. When the user presses the "convert to post" button <NUM>, a transition to the screen in <FIG> occurs.

<FIG> is the screen used to edit messages similar to the one in <FIG>. The original message has been converted and entered in the text box <NUM> in editable form to suit that of a bulletin board post (taking into account the messages before and after and the name of the chat room, etc.).

When the user selects the "post to bulletin board" button <NUM>, a transition to the screen in <FIG> occurs. <FIG> is a screen that displays a list of bulletin boards that are candidates for the post, and includes a bulletin board list <NUM>, a bulletin board check box <NUM>, an "add bulletin board" button <NUM>, a "post" button <NUM>, and a "cancel" button <NUM>.

When a bulletin board check box <NUM> has been checked by the user and the "post" button <NUM> selected, the post is posted on the checked bulletin board so that it can only be viewed by specific users who are obligated to maintain confidentiality.

<FIG> is a diagram showing that a post designated as confidential has been posted to the "Food Business Bulletin Board" from the "preparing for café opening" chat room. In <FIG>, when post <NUM> is selected by a user registered as a predetermined user type such as an "IP consultant (patent attorney, etc.)", an alert regarding confidentiality is displayed as shown in <FIG> and then the content of post <NUM> is displayed on the same screen as shown in <FIG>.

<FIG> is a flowchart of the operations performed to display group chat messages on a bulletin board as confidential posts, and display reply comments made by registered users who have accepted the confidentiality obligation as messages in the group chat.

When the group chat application is launched on a client terminal <NUM>, the SNS server <NUM> references the group information and content information in the database <NUM> based on the user ID of the client terminal <NUM>, and displays the top screen shown in <FIG> to the display unit of the client terminal <NUM> (S801).

When a group has been selected from the group list <NUM> (YES in S802), the SNS server <NUM> references the database <NUM> and displays content such as messages exchanged in the group in chronological order (S803).

When a message is selected by the user (YES in S804), a menu of commands that can be executed on the selected message is displayed (S805). When the "request advice" command is selected by the user (YES in S806), the posted message editing screen is displayed (S807). A title is generated from the original message (S808) and displayed in the title box of the posted message editing screen so that it can be edited by the user (S809). The original message is displayed in the text box of the posted message editing screen so that it can also be edited by the user (S810).

When the user presses the "convert to Post" button (YES in S811), the original message is converted using a technique such as machine learning by referencing the messages before and after and the name of the chat room so that it is suitable for posting on a bulletin board where advice is sought (S812).

When the "post to bulletin board" button is selected by the user (YES in S813), a list of candidate bulletin boards for the post is displayed as shown in <FIG> (S814). The bulletin boards that are candidates for posting destinations are estimated based on the posting history of the user and the content of the posted text.

When the user selects a bulletin board for the post and issues a "post" instruction (YES in S815), the message is posted and displayed on the selected bulletin board so that only specific users who are obligated to maintain confidentiality can view it (S816). The post is monitored to determined whether or not it has been viewed by a specific user with a confidentiality obligation (S817). When the post has been viewed (YES in S817), the user of the group chat is sent information about browsing users, for example, "x people have viewed this post" (S818). When a reply is made (YES in S819), the reply is displayed in the chat room of the group chat (S820).

It is then determined whether an operation has been performed by the user (S821). When a predetermined ending operation has been performed such as "close the chat room" or "delete the post" (YES in S822), the processing in the flow is ended.

As explained above, the SNS in the present embodiment of the present invention displays messages exchanged in group chats on the SNS bulletin board so that only registered users who have consented to confidentiality can know the contents, and displays reply comments made to the message in the group chat. In this way, advice can be received from experts outside the group on ideas and information exchanged between group members without loss of, for example, "novelty" or "confidentiality". Because reply comments made to the bulletin board are displayed as group chat messages continuously or integrally as interactions within the group, advice can be digested, shared, and utilized as a group based on the context (message flow).

<FIG> is an example of display screens from an SNS that specializes in "invention consultation.

<FIG> is the top screen displayed to users who are not logged in to the SNS for invention consultation, and includes a "login" button <NUM>, a "general user registration" button <NUM>, and a "patent attorney registration" button <NUM>.

When the user presses the "general user registration" button <NUM> or the "patent attorney registration button <NUM>", the screen transitions to the subscription screen shown in <FIG>. Here, an item corresponding to the user role selection pull-down menu <NUM> is omitted. This is because the user role has already been selected based on whether the "general user registration " button <NUM> or the "patent attorney registration" button <NUM> has been pressed. When required information has been entered and operations performed on the subscription screen, a transition to the screen shown in <FIG> occurs.

<FIG> is a personalized page (front page) to which a general user is redirected after logging in, and includes a "previous invention consultations" button <NUM>, a "new invention consultation" text box <NUM>, a "post" button <NUM>, and a "clear" button <NUM>.

When the "previous invention consultations" button <NUM> is pressed, invention consultations that the user has made and the replies to these consultations are displayed. When text is added to the "new invention consultation" text box <NUM> and the "post" button <NUM> is pressed, a post is created so that only patent attorney users who are obligated to maintain confidentiality can view it.

In <FIG>, when a patent attorney user presses the "patent attorneys only registration" button <NUM>, a transition to the subscription screen as shown in <FIG> occurs. However, an item corresponding to the user role selection pull-down menu <NUM> is omitted. The patent attorney subscription screen may have a field for entering the patent attorney's registration number. This is a convenient way of confirming whether the patent attorney is registered.

When required information has been entered and operations performed on the subscription screen, a transition to the screen shown in <FIG> occurs after passing through the screen for selecting whether to accept or reject the confidentiality obligation as shown in <FIG>.

<FIG> is a personalized page (front page) for a user logged in with the patent attorney role, which displays a list <NUM> of "invention consultations" posted on the SNS. <FIG> also has a display order dropdown menu <NUM> for indicating the display order on the list, a search box <NUM>, and a "search" button <NUM>.

The invention consultation list <NUM> displays the "invention consultations" composed and posted in the new invention consultation text box <NUM> by general users in the order specified in the display order dropdown menu <NUM>. Searched, retrieved and displayed content that has been designated as confidential posts may be displayed so that they are disclosed only to "IP consultants" on other SNS (other websites) operated under the same terms.

Because all of the posts displayed on the invention consultation list <NUM> are "invention consultations" for which advice is sought from patent attorney users, the patent attorney users do not have to search for the posts seeking advice on multiple bulletin boards as shown in <FIG> or multiple posts posted on each bulletin board, which is convenient.

When a post listed on the invention consultation list <NUM> is selected by a patent attorney user, the screen transitions to <FIG> via a screen reminding the attorney of the confidentiality obligation as shown in <FIG>. <FIG> is a screen used to display the content of a post and write a reply to it, and includes a "consultation issue" text box <NUM>, a "reply" text box <NUM>, and a "do not let others see the details of this consultation" check box <NUM>.

The "keep others from seeing the consultation content" check box <NUM> is used to issue an instruction to keep an invention consultation reply from being displayed on the invention consultation list of other patent attorney users indefinitely or for a certain period of time. This check box encourages patent attorney users to reply early to posts that do not have a reply.

Data processing may be performed to charge the patent attorney user (or deduct points) at the stage when the content of the invention consultation post is displayed to the patent attorney user, or when the reply is sent. This makes it possible to turn a profit while suppressing unscrupulous content and replies.

Other types of SNS that allow for confidential posts of consultation details include those for "IT consulting", "design consulting", "prototype/mechanical design consulting", "marketing consulting", "legal consulting", and "tax consulting". For example, <FIG> is an example of display screens from an SNS that specializes in "tax consultation.

In these cases, an SNS (web site) specializing in each field can be used as a posting destination for messages exchanged in group chats as described in the second embodiment.

For example, SNS (WEB sites) specializing in each field can be displayed as candidates for post destinations as displayed in <FIG>. For example, the invention consultation shown in <FIG> is posted on an SNS specializing in the IP consulting field as shown in <FIG>, and the reply is accepted from the patent attorney users who are registered there.

In this way, professional advice on items in a group chat can be received from specialists in various fields on SNS specializing in each field without losing "novelty" or "confidentiality". Also, experts in each field can approach potential customers at any time by registering on an SNS with the consent to an obligation of confidentiality.

The information processing devices in the embodiments of the present invention do not have to consist of an integrated hardware or software, and may assume various forms depending on the intended application. For example, an API provided to display a confidentiality screen from an external authentication server and media carrying the API constitute information processing devices of the present invention. Also, in bulletin board systems (bulletin board services) and group chat systems (group chat services) that operate independently from each other, an API and the medium supporting it constitute information processing devices of the present invention when it is possible to post from the group chats to the bulletin boards and reply from the bulletin boards to the group chats using the API.

The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the embodiment described above to a system or device via a network or supporting medium so that one or more processors in a computer in the system or device can retrieve and execute the program. One or more of the functions can also be realized by a circuit (such as an application-specific integrated circuit or ASIC).

Claim 1:
An information processing method for providing a social networking service (SNS) via a network, the information processing method comprising:
providing a subscribing means for adding user subscriptions to an SNS;
providing a confidentiality acceptance/rejection selecting means for accepting or rejecting a confidentiality obligation imposed on information disclosed on the SNS when the subscribing means is used to add a subscription,
performing information processing enabling the display of messages posted on the SNS, in whole or in part, only to the administrator of the SNS, to the poster of the message, and to registered users who have consented to the fact that confidentiality has been imposed via the confidentiality acceptance/rejection selecting means,
providing a group chat means for exchanging messages between members constituting a group,
displaying, on a SNS bulletin board, messages exchanged via the group chat means, in whole or in part, only to registered users who have consented to the fact that confidentiality has been imposed on information using the confidentiality acceptance/rejection selecting means, and
displaying comments made in response to the messages displayed on the SNS bulletin board as messages via the group chat means.