WO2002101620A1

WO2002101620A1 - System for providing internet time capsule which is controlled by the time and its management method

Info

Publication number: WO2002101620A1
Application number: PCT/KR2002/001015
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hyoung-Woo In
Original assignee: Hyoung-Woo In
Priority date: 2001-06-09
Filing date: 2002-05-29
Publication date: 2002-12-19
Also published as: KR20020095002A

Abstract

Disclosed are a system for providing an Internet time capsule which is controlled by the time and its management method whereby a sender puts a mail, picture, music, game, information, gift or the like he wants to send in one program (capsule) and inputs information to execute the capsule at the time he wants. The system includes a capsule combiner for combining contents selected by a sender connected through a wired or wireless network, to form a single capsule, a capsule data manager for storing and managing at least one of the image, kind, capsule information and contents information of the capsule, and a combined capsule manager for sending the capsule stored in the capsule data manager to the e-mail address of a recipient selected by the sender and for transmitting the contents information of the capsule stored in the capsule data manager to a terminal of the recipient, which is connected after a lapse of the time set by the sender.

Description

SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING INTERNET TIME CAPSULE WHICH IS CONTROLLED BY THE

TIME AND ITS MANAGEMENT METHOD

Technical Field The present invention relates to a method and a system for sending mails, music or gifts to other people through the Internet and an advertising method and a coimnunity forming method using the same. Background Art

In conventional systems of sending e-mails or cards using the Internet, a recipient can confirm a mail or a card he received when he opens a file. A sender can make a reservation to a mail service company for mailing service for a specific anniversary. In a case where a sender purchases a gift and sends it through the Internet, a corresponding

Internet shopping mall delivers the gift to a recipient together with a message or e-mail.

When a mail or a gift is delivered to a recipient through the Internet, however, he receives it without having expectation because he can confirm the gift or message as soon as he receives it.

Meanwhile, conventional advertising techniques using the Internet include banner ads, link ads, pop-up ads, e-mail ads and so on. Most of these techniques target many and unspecified persons so that advertisers cannot obtain detailed information about netizens. Thus, conventional advertisements do not attract netizen's attention.

Additionally, it has been known that spam mails delivered to many and unspecified persons through e-mail services give netizens an unpleasant feeling so as to deteriorate the image of advertisement. Actually, banner advertisement, a leader of the conventional Internet advertisement techniques, does not attract people's attention any more. Accordingly, there are proposed newly developed advertising techniques including a method of arresting netizen's attraction using dazzling images displayed on an empty space on a web to induce netizens to click on the images (ghost ad of C-flex) and a technique called Potino, developed by Melting point technology Co. of England, which transmits an advertisement irrespective of a site that a netizen is watching to his monitor. However, people are debating hotly on these techniques because advertisements provided by these techniques annoy netizens so that they can have negative images of the advertisements. In addition, a web site may have no visitor because of advertisements having no relation with the contents thereof.

Furthermore, there are advertising methods including a technique of providing an advertisement in the form of game or quiz puzzle or inserting an advertisement into a game or puzzle, and a technique of giving cash or cyber money to a user when he watches advertisements. However, these methods do not provide satisfactory advertising effect to advertisers because netizens view advertisements not because they are interested in them but because they want money.

Meanwhile, e-mails, chatting and games are being used as community means irrespective of time and space as the internet becomes popular culture of infomiation era. Because these on-line community means are convenient and economical, many people send congratulatory mails or cards to their friends or family through the Internet to celebrate their anniversaries using the community means. Furthermore, mail service companies provide even reservation services that make a user remember anniversaries he wants to celebrate. Even though the mail service can have a user remember his anniversary using its reservation function, however, the service cannot make a recipient receive a mail or a card with so much expectation and it cannot provide community between a sender and a recipient continuously. Moreover, it is difficult to utilize the service as a profitable model. At present, messenger programs are gaining tremendous popularity among young people because they provide rapid, convenient and various additional functions, which cannot be provided by the conventional e-mail services, to users. Specifically, the messenger programs reduce the time required for sending an e-mail and confirming it, enable real-time easy chatting and provide a variety of functions of searching electronic financial information, data and people. However, people can use the messenger programs only when they sign in. Additionally, even when a person signs in to become a member, community cannot be accomplished if his counterpart is not a member or the person does not know the ID of the counterpart even when the counterpart also signed in.

Meantime, conventional membership network constructing methods include a radial network constructing method in which a network is formed between members one- to-one with a server in the center irrespective of signing-in sequence and a method in which a person who signed in recommends another person. However, both of these two methods have weak union among members so that it is difficult to apply on-line marketing and e-commerce using networks to them. Disclosure of Invention An object of the present invention is to provide a system for providing an Internet time capsule which is controlled by the time and its management method whereby a sender puts a mail, picture, music, game, information, gift or the like he wants to send in one program (referred to as "capsule" hereinafter) and inputs information to execute the capsule at the time he wants. Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for providing an

Internet time capsule controlled by the time and its management method for providing advertisements or promoting construction of community through the capsule.

To accomplish the objects of the present invention, there is provided a system for providing an Internet time capsule which is controlled by the time, the system comprising a capsule combiner for combining contents selected by a sender connected through a wired or wireless network, to form a single capsule; a capsule data manager for storing and managing at least one of the image, kind, capsule information and contents information of the capsule; and a combined capsule manager for sending the capsule stored in the capsule data manager to the e-mail address of a recipient selected by the sender and for transmitting the contents information of the capsule stored in the capsule data manager to a terminal of the recipient, which is connected after a lapse of the time set by the sender.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a method of managing a system for providing an Internet time capsule which is controlled by the time, the method comprising a first step of combining contents selected by a sender connected through a wireless or wired network to form a single capsule; a second step of storing at least one of the image, kind, capsule information and contents information of the capsule; and a third step of sending the stored capsule to the e-mail address of a recipient selected by the sender and transmitting the contents information of the capsule to a terminal of the recipient, which is connected after a lapse of the time set by the sender. Moreover, the present invention provides a method of managing a system for providing an Internet time capsule which is controlled by the time, the method comprising a first step in which a terminal of a recipient who received the time capsule installs the time capsule program according to the recipient's instruction; a second step of outputting at least one of an advertisement, a message, information, the number of days or time the capsule has before the date set by a sender through external contents of the capsule executed on the main screen of the terminal or a web browser, and a third step of accessing a server that sent the time capsule to receive internal contents of the time capsule after a lapse of the days or time.

The capsule of the present invention consists of internal contents and external contents. The internal contents can be confirmed only at the time set by the sender. The external contents include messages, information, advertisements and the like which are displayed on the computer main screen of a sender or a recipient who receives the one designated by the capsule site or a web browser.

The capsule is transmitted to the recipient through a mail. The recipient sees the introduction of the capsule and a program execution file in the mail and he also sees a message that inquires him if he wants to execute the capsule now.

When the recipient executes the capsule program on his computer, the capsule is displayed as a character or a motion picture on the main screen of the computer or a web browser. Here, the recipient can see only an advertisement, a message inputted by the sender and a count, which are contained in the external contents, before the time set by the sender and he can confirm the internal contents only at the date and time fixed by the sender. In doing so, the recipient displays the received capsule on his computer main screen or a web browser by the fixed date and time. The sender can also display the same capsule sent to the recipient on his computer main screen or a web browser, manage and confirm it. Here, the sender and recipient naturally see the advertisement contained in the external contents of the capsule. This advertisement can be selected and contained in the capsule by the sender. Otherwise, the capsule site can select and send it on the basis of information about the sender or recipient. Accordingly, selective advertising can be carried out only to a selected target so that the advertiser can obtain considerable advertising effect. Furthermore, in a case where the sender sends a message or a gift together with the capsule to the recipient on an anniversary, the recipient meets advertisements of the capsule, not annoying advertisements such as conventional e-mail advertisements, with expectation for the message or gift. This increases advertising effect. Moreover, since the sender can send a selected advertisement to the recipient, advertisements more effective and required for the recipient can be delivered.

In addition, advertising effect can be improved by giving cyber money or points to a member when he sees an advertisement. In this case, the capsule site can allow only members to send the capsule in order to increase the number of members. Each member is provided with a capsule management browser that manages received capsules and sent capsules. Accordingly, if the recipient receives the capsule and signs in, he can be provided with the capsule management browser. The capsule site can transmit an advertisement to the capsule management browsers of both of the sender and recipient.

Furthermore, when the recipient connects his computer terminal to the Internet, the capsule site can PUSH-service new information and advertisement to change the external contents of the capsule. In addition, the sender can leave a message in the external contents of the capsule and change information of the external contents through his cellular phone or computer terminal.

Moreover, the recipient can confirm the received capsule using his PDA as well as computer terminal. In a case where the sender and recipient simultaneously connect with the Internet, connection between them can be confirmed immediately through their capsules and a messenger function including chatting can be executed.

The recipient can see only an advertisement, information inputted by the sender and a count until the capsule opening time, which are stored in the external contents of the capsule, and he can confirm the internal contents only at a fixed date and time.

A time control program corresponding to the internal contents of the capsule allows the capsule, which usually contains a message or a gift for celebrating an anniversary, to be opened on the anniversary. The internal contents are stored in the server of the capsule providing site until a fixed date. That is, the sender can select and combine the capsule and fix the time at which the internal contents will be opened. The capsule of the recipient checks and counts the time of a CMOS memory in his PC and shows the counted time through the external contents thereof. At the time set by the sender, the capsule program automatically connects with the server to request the internal contents and receives them through a simple authentication procedure.

A P2P-based messenger program corresponding to the external contents of the capsule is used as 1 : 1 community means between the recipient and sender even before or after the time set by the sender. The recipient can use the community means without signing in or authentication.

Consequently, the capsule confirms the count of its opening time and it can be used as a tool for transmitting messages, chatting, searching information and forming community groups in real time. Brief Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 illustrates the concept of the subject for realizing the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing that a sender sends a capsule according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing that a recipient receives the capsule and executes it according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing that the sender sends information to the capsule of the recipient according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a procedure of transmitting an advertisement;

FIG. 7 illustrates the concept of connection of capsules of the sender and the recipient through a capsule site;

FIG. 8 illustrates the structure of the capsule;

FIG 9 exemplifies the capsule;

FIG. 10 exemplifies a capsule management browser;

FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate the structures of a basic network and a relation forming network according to the present invention; and

FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate a change in the relation forming network according ission and reception of the capsule in the present invention. <Description of the sign that principal part of drawing>

100 : Capsule service providing company

101 : Web server (member registration management server) 102 : Capsule combining server

103 : Advertisement registration server

104 : Advertisement target classification/designation management server

105 : Combined capsule management server

106 : Advertisement target tracking and managing server 107 : Additional information processing management server

111 : Member information database

112 : Recipient information database

113 : Capsule-before-combination database

114 : Combined capsule database 115 : Advertisement database

116 : Advertiser information database

117 : Additional information database 200 : Sender (member)

201 : Sender's PC terminal 202 : Sender's Cellular phone

203 : Capsule management browser

204 : Sent capsule management window

300 : Web contents site

301 : Shopping mall server 302 : Contents server

400 : Advertiser 401 : Advertiser's server 500 : Recipient

501 : Recipient 's PC terminal

502 ; Recipient 's Cellular phone 600 : Internet

700 : Sky wave Best mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are explained below in detail with reference to the attached drawings. FIG. 1 illustrates the concept of the subject for realizing the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a service providing company (simply referred to as "capsule site" hereinafter) 100, a sender 200, a web contents site 300, an advertiser 400 and a recipient 500 are connected through the Internet 600. The sender 200 provides information to be sent to the recipient 500 to the capsule site 100 through sky wave 700 using his PDA such as cellular phone.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system according to the present invention. To realize the present invention, first of all, a netizen connects with the capsule site 100 through the Internet. Then, he has a web server 101 for membership registration and a membership information database 111 storing information about registered members. A registered member 200 combines a program (simply referred to as "capsule" hereinafter) for storing a letter, card, voice mail, song, gift, information or the like (referred to as "contents" hereinafter) in a capsule combining server 102. The member 200 has a capsule-before- combination database 113 that stores the image, kind and information of each capsule.

The capsule consists of two parts of external contents and internal contents. The external contents include information of a sender (it can be kept secret until a designated date if desired), an advertisement, a count and so on that a recipient can see or hear even before the designated time. The internal contents mean a letter, card, voice mail, song, gift, infomiation or the like, sent from the sender to the recipient for an anniversary. The internal contents can be seen or executed by the recipient only at a designated date and time. The sender can store not only a mail or voice message but also additional contents in the combined capsule. The sender puts the additional contents in the capsule being on a web browser while visiting another web contents site 300 (Here, the sender uses his credit card for payment, the credit card's number being required to be registered, in a case where he purchases goods and he can use cyber money when he cannot use the credit card).

Finally, a list of contents stored in the capsule is confirmed to remove some of them if required and a confirmation button is pushed. Then, settlement for the capsule is made. The confirmed capsule is stored in a combined capsule database 114 and delivered to the e-mail address of the recipient through a combined capsule management server 105. Though the combined capsule database 114 and the capsule-before-combination database 113 are represented as separate databases in FIG. 2, they can be constructed in a single storage medium because the combined capsule database 114 stores and manages the final results of the capsule-before-combination database 113.

In addition, information about the recipient, inputted by the sender, is stored in a recipient information database 112. When the advertiser 400 requests an advertisement, information about the advertiser is stored in a advertiser database 116 and the advertisement requested by the advertiser is stored in an advertisement database 115 according to kinds of advertisements. Here, to improve quality of advertisement, advertisement target lists are filtered according to an advertisement target classification and designation management server 104 and the filtered advertisement target lists are stored in the advertisement database 115. An advertisement target tracking and managing server 106 continuously sends advertisements to capsules of advertisement targets suitable for the advertisements, that is, the recipient 500 and the sender 200.

Meantime, the sender 200 who has sent the capsule continuously transmits external contents such as messages or information in addition to the message or information sent when the capsule is initially combined to an information processing management server 107 through the Internet or sky wave using a computer terminal 201 or a cellular phone 202. The information processing management server 107 processes the information, and the processed information is stored in an information database 117 and transmitted to the recipient 500.

The date and time at which the capsule is supposed to be opened are counted until the time set by the sender 200 through the external contents of the capsule the recipient 500 received. After a lapse of predetermined time from the moment when the recipient receives an Internet advertisement or update information from the service providing company 100, the recipient is provided with an Internet access message. If the recipient connects with the home page of the service providing company 100, the combined capsule management server 105 asks the recipient 500 a combination key or a password required for opening the internal capsule. When the recipient 500 answers it, the internal contents of the capsule of the combined capsule database 114 is sent to a computer terminal 501 of the recipient 500 through the combined capsule management server 105.

Furthermore, the recipient 500 can exchange information with the sender 200 and confirm the capsule and he does not miss the capsule execution time through mobile service using his cellular phone 502 if he wants. At this time, the advertiser can send an advertisement even through the mobile service.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining a procedure in which the sender 200 connects with the capsule site 100 to sign in and combines a capsule to send it to the recipient 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The procedure includes a step SI in which the sender 200 connects with the capsule site 100 through the Internet 600, a step S2 of inquiring the sender if he is a member, a step S3 of moving to a guest page when the sender is not a member, a step S4 in which the guest page inquires the sender if he wants to sign in, and a step S5 in which the sender inputs member registration information if he wants to sign in and the inputted information is stored in the membership information database 111. The procedure further includes a step S6 in which the sender is provided with an ID and a password and authenticated after the member registration information is inputted, a step S7 of inputting the ID and password of the sender 200 to log in when the sender is a member in the step S2 or when he signs in at the step S6, a step S8 of moving to a membership page, a step S9 in which the membership page inquires the sender if he wants to combine a capsule, and a step S10 in which the sender selects a capsule stored in the capsule-before-combination database 113 through the capsule combining server 102 and chooses a character or a color he wants when he wants to combine a capsule in the step S9. The procedure further includes a step Sll of inputting and storing information about the recipient 500 who will receive the capsule, such as e-mail address, name, age, sex, hobby, a matter of concern and interest of the recipient, in the recipient information database 112, a step S12 in which the sender 200 who inputted the information about the recipient in the step Sll sets internal contents (a letter, card, voice mail, song, gift, information and the like) of the capsule to be sent to the recipient 200 such that the internal contents are executed at a desired date and time and stores the internal contents in the combined capsule database 114 through the capsule combining server 102, and a step S13 of inputting external contents of the capsule that will be opened on the computer or personal mobile terminal of the recipient 500, that is, information including a simple message or picture of the sender and an Internet advertisement, and storing the external contents in the combined capsule database. The procedure further includes a step S14 in which the sender 200 confirms the contents of the capsule to remove or add contents from/to the capsule and, in a case where the sender purchases goods at an Internet shopping mall, pays for the purchased goods and finally confirms settlement for the capsule, and stores the confirmed capsule in the combined capsule database 114, a step S15 of inquiring the sender if he wants to send the capsule to the e-mail address of the recipient 500, a step S16 of sending the capsule when the sender wants in the step SI 5, and a step S17 of storing the combined capsule in the combined capsule database 114 if the sender does not want to send the capsule in the step SI 5.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a procedure in which the recipient 500 receives an e-mail including a capsule from the capsule site 100, installs the capsule program in his PC 201, is provided with an advertisement, a message, information or the like through the external contents of the capsule executed on the main screen of his PC 201 or a web browser, and sees the internal contents of the capsule at a date and time set by the sender, according to an embodiment of the invention.

The procedure includes a step S20 in which the recipient 20 receives an e-mail with the capsule arriving at his e-mail address, a step S21 of inquiring the recipient 500 if he wants to execute the capsule on the PC terminal he is currently using, a step S22 in which the recipient 500 installs the capsule program in the hard disk of his PC in order to display it on the main screen of his PC or a web browser window when the PC terminal currently being used belongs to the recipient, and a step S23 of executing the external contents of the capsule in order to display the program installed in the step S22 on the main screen or the web browser. The procedure further includes a step S24 of executing advertisements, selected by the sender when he combines the capsule, on an advertisement window of the capsule on the main screen of the recipient's PC or the web browser, a step S25 in which the capsule program itself checks if the PC terminal 201 of the recipient is currently connecting with the Internet, a step S26 in which the capsule program connects with the capsule site 100 when the terminal 201 of the recipient is being connected with the Internet, and a step S27 in which the advertisement target tracking and managing server 106 of the capsule site 100 analyzes information of the capsule to grasp the recipient 500 and transmits an advertisement suitable for the recipient or new information sent from the sender 200 to the capsule. The procedure further includes a step S28 in which the capsule program checks if it is the internal contents execution time set by the sender 200 or not, a step S29 of returning to the step S24 when it is not the time to execute the internal contents in the step S28 and confirming if there is a password required for opening the capsule when it is the time to execute the internal contents, a step S30 in which the recipient inputs the password when the capsule has the password to ask for approval of the combined capsule management server 105 of the capsule site 100 to open the capsule, and a step S31 of receiving the internal contents, stored in the combined capsule database 114 by the sender, from the combined capsule management server 105 when it is confirmed that there is no password in the step S29 and after the step S30. The procedure further includes a step S32 of executing the internal contents in the PC terminal of the recipient, a step S33 in which the capsule program informs the capsule site 100 that the capsule is normally opened and received by the recipient, a step S34 in which the capsule site informs the sender of the result of the execution of the internal contents through the PC terminal or personal mobile terminal of the sender, and a step S35 of storing all data about the capsule in the combined capsule database 114.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a procedure in which the sender 200 sends additional information to the capsule of the recipient 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The procedure includes a step S40 in which the sender 200 connects with the capsule site 100 using a general telephone or a cellular phone in order to send information to the capsule of the recipient 500, a step S41 of logging in according to an automatic response system of the capsule site 100, a step S42 of inputting a message to be sent to the capsule of the recipient 500 through a voice or letters, and a step S43 in which the sender connects with the Internet through a computer or a personal mobile terminal to visit the capsule site 100 when he wants to send the information using the Internet not the telephone. The procedure further includes a step S44 in which the sender 200 inputs his ID and password for identification, a step S45 of inputting the information to be sent, such as letters, voices, files and the like, and a step S46 in which the information processing management server 107 classifies and processes the information sent from the sender 200 after the steps S42 and S45. The procedure further includes a step S47 of storing the classified and processed information in the information database 117, a step S48 of transmitting the information sent from the sender to the capsule of the recipient 500, and a step S49 of updating the external contents of the capsule received from the information processing management server 107 when the capsule of the recipient is connected with the Internet after the step S48.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a procedure of transmitting an advertisement of the advertiser 400 to the capsule of the sender 200 or recipient 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The procedure includes a step S60 of connecting with an advertisement page of the capsule site 100 through a advertiser server 401 in order to transmit advertisements of the advertiser 400, a step S61 in which the advertisement registration server 103 inquires the advertiser if the advertiser is a registered member, a step S62 of inputting information about the advertiser, storing the information in the advertiser information database 116 and giving an ID and a password to the advertiser to register the advertiser as a member when the advertiser is not a registered member. The procedure further includes a step S63 of inputting the ID and password to log in when the advertiser is the registered member in the step S61 and after the step S62, a step S64 of receiving the advertisements from the advertiser to store them in the advertisement database 115, classifying them through the advertisement target classification/designation management server 104, setting capsules that will be advertisement targets and storing them in the advertisement database 115, and a step S65 of sending the advertisements received from the advertiser to the capsules of the sender and recipient, which are advertisement targets, through the advertisement target management server 106. The procedure further includes a step S66 in which the capsule that received the advertisements checks if the sender or recipient has clicked on the advertisements and seen them and sends a advertisement recognition level to the advertisement target tracking and managing server 106, a step S67 of storing the advertisement recognition level received by the advertisement target tracking and managing server 106 in the advertisement database 115 and managing it, and a step S68 of transmitting the result of the step S67 to the advertiser server 401.

FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing the connection of the capsules of the sender 200 and the recipient 500 through the service providing company that is the capsule site. The PCs 201 and 501 of the sender 200 and the recipient 500 respectively have capsule management browsers 203 and 503 which respectively include a sent capsule management window 204 and a received capsule management window 504. The sent capsule management window 204 and the received capsule management window 504 respectively have the same capsule A 205 and 505 therein. The capsule A is connected to the combined capsule management server 105 and the advertisement target tracking and managing server 106 of the capsule site 100.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of the structure of the capsule according to the present invention. The capsule consists of external contents and internal contents. The external contents that are opened to the recipient include messages, advertisements, information and other files, which can be changed by the sender or the capsule site at any time. The external contents have a counter display function and an Internet access and tracking function that automatically connects a computer to the capsule site when the computer is connected to the Internet. Additionally, the internal contents have a function of confirming the time set by the sender, a function of confimiing a password and requesting the capsule site to send internal contents at the time set by the sender, and a function of executing the internal contents received from the capsule site. FIG. 9 exemplifies an embodiment of the external form of the capsule according to the present invention. The external form of the capsule has an advertisement window, a message window and a capsule state message window located at the center, menu icons placed at the left, and information about the sender, time and counter positioned at the right. The external form of the capsule can be constructed in various ways by the sender and it can be changed even by the recipient.

FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of a capsule management browser according to the present invention. A menu bar is placed on the top line, and HOME that provides direct linking to the capsule site when clicked, an URL address window and a search window for searching capsules are located under the menu bar. In addition, an advertisement window is placed beneath the HOME, URL address window and search window. Furthermore, a capsule pre-view window through which a clicked capsule can be seen in advance, ID and password input windows, a LOG-IN button, letter images linked with corresponding pages such as "send capsule", "received capsules", "sent capsules", "address list", "send messages", "confirm messages", "connected capsule" and "connect cellular phone" are located at the left frame under the advertisement window. The right frame shows a list of information concerning received capsules, which are displayed when the capsules are clicked.

As an incidental result of the above-described capsule providing procedure, a tree type network can be formed between the recipient and the sender. Additionally, various complicated networks can be constructed when the recipient and the sender provide the capsule to other users. Procedures of forming these networks and utilizing them are explained below with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12.

FIGS. 11A and 11B respectively exemplify the structures of a basic network and a relation formation network, and FIGS. 12A and 12B exemplify a variation in the relation forming network according to transmission and reception of the capsule in the present invention.

The networks formed among members according to the present invention include a basic network and a relation formation network. The former is constructed according to signing in and the latter is formed by relations of users who sent and received capsules. The basic network means a structure in which, when a recipient who received a capsule signs in for the purpose of sending a capsule to another person or downloading the capsule management browser, the recipient is placed at the lower directory of a sender who sent the capsule to the recipient. This structure is not changed as long as users do not resign their memberships. Only when there is a vacancy in the directory structure, lower directories go up to upper directories by one step. That is, the initial transmission path of the capsule is automatically stored in the server and transmission paths of capsules are automatically formed in a multi-step network during signing-in procedures. This network is visualized in a tree form so that a user can see the directory structure around himself at any time. Accordingly, a conventional recommender system is not required and a network constructed of known persons can be obtained. The relation formation network means a network structure that is constructed by reforming the basic network with each user in the center. In this network structure, a person who gave or received a capsule at least once is placed at the first directory with the person himself in the center and his lower directories follow him. That is, the number of first directories increases as the number of persons who gave and received capsules increases. This is used for estimating the activity of the person and deciding a search range of information search or auction. In other words, persons who a person personally knows correspond to people of the first step, and persons who persons who the person knows know correspond to people of the second step. In case of auction, the range can be limited to the first, second or third step for secure identification.

The basic network is explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 11 A. In FIG. 11A, 1-1, 2-1, 3-1,... represent IDs of members and these can be visually shown on the actual web browser. FIG. 11A shows the case that a person having the ID of 1-1 views the network that is constructed with the lapse of time. That is, when persons who are not members receive a capsule from the person with the ID 1-1 and then they sign in, an ITC server confirms their capsule ID or e-mail addresses to automatically generate the network stracture (Construction of this structure does not require the recommender system). Persons having IDs 2-1 and 2-2 are created in this manner. Users having IDs 3-1 and 3-2 are people who received a capsule from the 2-1 and signed in, and other people are members registered in the same manner (even if a person received capsules from many people, the person becomes the lower directory of the person who sent the capsule that is initially set up by the recipient, irrespective of time of receiving the capsules).

The basic network has an unchanged structure. When there is a vacancy in this structure, however, lower directories of the vacancy go up to upper directories by one step. Additionally, the basic network is a measure for showing the degree of activity of a member so that the member can be provided with bonus or point depending on the number of members of his lower directories.

Next, the relation formation network is explained with reference to FIGS. 11B. The relation formation network is constructed having each user in the center, irrespective of the time at which a capsule is sent. The example shown in FIG. 11B illustrates a relation formation network of a person who has ID 3-2 on the basis of the basic network shown in FIG. 11 A. That is, the ID of the person himself, 3-2, goes up to the top of the structure and IDs of those directly related with the person (that is, people who sent/received the capsule to/from the person) are placed at the first step. Lower directories of the persons of the first step are located under the first step.

A variation in the relation formation network, caused by transmission and reception of the capsule, is explained with reference to FIGS. 12A and 12B. FIG. 12B explains a variation in the network when it is assumed that 3-2 and 3-3 of FIG. 12A transmit and receive a capsule between them. On the basis of the position of the person 3- 2, the person 3-3 was in the fourth step before transmission and reception of the capsule between them. However, he goes up to the first step after transmission and reception of the capsule. At this time, lower directories of 3-3 naturally follow 3-3 to go up to upper steps. The relation formation network is used as important information and standard for advertising or auction, data search, mailing and so on. For example, when a sender sends a capsule, the sender and the recipient receive the same capsule. This capsule has a window displaying an advertisement and the sender or recipient is paid for watching the advertisement if he watches it (Here, in case of a charged capsule, a charge for the capsule can be covered by advertisement rates).

The number of advertisements delivered to a capsule at a time is about five, and the advertisements received by the capsule are changed into banner ads in the capsule and displayed even in the state of being disconnected with the Internet. When a user clicks on an advertisement to access the site of the corresponding advertiser to browse it, he receives a click-through advertisement fee from the advertiser. The advertisement fee is distributed among the ITC company, the person who sent the capsule and the person who received the capsule according to a fixed rule. The distribution method is represented in the following tables. [Table 1] In a case where the recipient is a member and he clicks on the advertisement (Unit: won)

[Table 2]

In a case where the recipient is not a member and he clicks on the advertisement

(Unit: won)

[Table 3]

In a case where the sender clicks on the advertisement (Unit: won)

The tables 1, 2 and 3 show a case in which the click-through advertisement fee is 40 won and the recipient or sender watches five advertisements. In this case, the advertisement fee is assigned to only the person of the first step.

Meantime, most of problems with auction are caused by insecure identification of a selling person and a buying person. Therefore, by using the aforementioned relation formation network, auction can be carried out with a secure range in which goods are sold or bought (range where goods are searched).

Additionally, in case of sending mail, the network structure is automatically generated even when only a capsule is sent and received so that a user can send a mail only by clicking a mouse while watching the network without inputting an address or searching an address list. Accordingly, it is convenient for management of address list and sending mail.

In summary, the present invention relates to a method of sending mail, music or gifts using the Internet and an advertisement method using the same. In case of the conventional e-mail or on-line card, a recipient can confirm the contents of the e-mail or card at the moment when he opens it. According to the present invention, however, a sender stores mail, picture, music, game, information, gift or the like in one program (capsule) and inputs information concerning the opening time of the capsule so as to execute the capsule at the time he wants.

The capsule according to the present invention has internal contents and external contents and it is sent to the recipient through e-mail services. The recipient sees the introduction of the capsule and a capsule program execution file attached to the e-mail. When the recipient executes the program on his computer, the capsule is displayed as a character or a motion picture on the main screen or a web browser. Before the time set by the sender, the recipient can see only advertisements, information inputted by the sender and a count before the capsule is opened, which are contained in the external contents of the capsule. The recipient can confirm the internal contents only at a fixed data and time.

The present invention is P2P program transmitted using on-line e-mail services and provides a sensitive community tool of new type whereby a user can send a mail or a gift before an anniversary he wants to celebrate in order to remember and congratulate his friend, lover or family on the anniversary. The recipient displays the received capsule on his computer's main screen or a web browser until a date and time set by the sender. At this time, the recipient naturally watches an advertisement of the external contents of the capsule. Accordingly, the advertiser of the advertisement can obtain considerable advertising effect because he can selectively advertise to a selected target. Additionally, the present invention provides a method of managing user information obtained in the course of providing the above-described services in the form of network to use the information for advertising and E-mail services.

Although specific embodiments including the preferred embodiment have been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is intended to be limited solely by the appended claims. Industrial applicability

The present invention proposes a new model of giving and taking letters, e-mail or gifts on an anniversary. That is, a sender informs a recipient that he remembers an anniversary and prepares something for the anniversary so that the recipient waits for the day with interest.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, a user can remember an anniversary that may be easily forgotten so that he can continuously maintain relationship with a counter part. Therefore, the present invention can be widely used for every generation and even in the business field. Especially, it is expected that the present invention create a new culture for young people and teenagers because they are greatly interested in preparing for anniversaries

Moreover, advertisers can effectively advertise their products because they can secure information about senders and recipients who can become advertisement targets. Additionally, a sender can select advertisements to be sent to a recipient so that advertising effect can be increased and clicking rate can be improved. Furthermore, expectations for anniversaries and gifts make people positively see advertisements, resulting in considerable advertising effect. Also, advertisements are continuously up-dated so that they can attract the recipient' attention.

Profits obtained by the present invention include distribution commissions created in the event of Internet shopping as well as advertising revenue. Specifically, in a case where the sender purchases an article at an Internet shopping mall, the shopping mall or a store is linked with the home page of the capsule site and the sender buys the article at a discounted price or he is provided with a point. The shopping mall or store pays brokerage or a distribution commission. Other profits of the present invention are created by leasing the capsule as contents. That is, the present invention can lease contents to shopping malls or portal sites and receive rent.

Furthermore, to improve advertising effect, the capsule can be given cyber money or point if advertisers want. That is, the sender sends the capsule to the recipient and frequently delivers a message or provides information to the external contents of the capsule such that the recipient often sees advertisements while confirming the capsule. Then, the sender is provided with cyber money or points depending on how often the recipient confirms the capsule.

Additionally, the present invention can provide an event according to the choice of the advertiser. When the advertiser provides capsules with a prize, members take the capsules in a manner that they personally receive the capsules or send them to other people and keep the capsules following the advertiser's instructions. Then, the members can be provided with the prize according to a lottery or their scores when the capsules are executed at a fixed date. Here, one person can take only one capsule and the capsule that does not follow the advertiser's request is eliminated halfway. Additionally, all of applicants and currently existing survivors are displayed on each capsule, and winning probability increases as the capsule execution time is drawing near. The advertiser's request takes the form of a survival game or a puzzle game, for example, in which the applicants visit the home page of the advertising company and hunt a treasure to provide it to capsules or answer questions from the capsules.

Moreover, various characters, animation continuously moving until the capsule is opened or the image of a star may be used for the external form of the capsule to offer a choice to users in order to secure lots of members and develop the system of the invention. Also, the picture of a member or a recipient, photographed by a digital camera, can be used for the external shape of the capsule. According to the present invention, additionally, a computer having a capsule is automatically connected with the service providing company of the invention when it accesses the Internet and a plurality of advertisements are transmitted to the computer at once. Even if the computer is disconnected from the Internet, the advertisements are shown to the person who has the capsule when he turns on the computer and the advertisements appear continuously while being changed, thereby improving advertising effect.

In the capsule according to the present invention, its external contents can be constructed in various forms according to the sender and recipient of the capsule. In case of the relation of lovers, for example, the capsule is used for proposing at a specific date. In addition, they can leave messages or voices of love in the external contents and confirm the messages or voices. Also, the lovers can remember their anniversary through the capsule. In a case where parents give their child the capsule, the parents can leave words of encouragement or studying information in the external contents of the capsule and the child can confirm the capsule at any time. In doing so, the parents can guide their child's study. Another example is a case of congratulating a birthday, graduation or admission- into-school among friends. In this case, a corresponding person receives multiple capsules from his friends in advance. Here, users sign in with the capsule site to be provided with a browser capable of managing multiple capsules.

As described above, the present invention can be used as a new celebrating means for active teenagers or young people. Accordingly, members and advertisement targets are easily secured because, even if a person who received the capsule is not a member, he becomes a member soon.

The capsule according to the present invention can be used as a time capsule that stores a resolution, things to remember, pictures and the like of a person. This time capsule can be opened after a lapse of several years. Furthermore, the advertising method according to the present invention can secure advertisement targets for a long period of time because netizens view advertisements for a fixed period of time with interests. In addition, according to the advertising technique of the invention, advertising can be carried out through wireless Internet and mobile services allowing a user to confirm the capsule using his cellular phone or PDA. Moreover, new on-line community space and time are secured through the capsule program of the invention, which is controlled by the time according to the sender. This activates a time-controlled community program and creates new techniques for utilizing and developing the program. In addition, there is expected development of a charged character capsule realized in various forms including animations, which is divided into internal contents and external contents that respectively carry out independent functions and performances.

Furthermore, by using an intelligent member management and network construction solution, the initial transmission path of the capsule is automatically stored in the server, and the multi-step network is automatically constructed during signing-in procedures and visualized in a tree form. Thus, a user can see the directory stracture with himself in the center at any time. Therefore, the present invention does not require the conventional recommender system and is widely used for realizing a network constructed of people who know one another.

Moreover, the multi-step network constructed during the signing-in procedures can be positively utilized as a distribution network for digital marketing and new products. This is accomplished in such a manner that active persons among the members of the capsule site are given business qualifications when a considerable number of members are secured and each of them receives an allowance according to his step and results through related education. In addition to the network that is not changed once it is basically fixed, networks can be constructed for specific items. Accordingly, it is expected that the utilization range and market scale of the networks are remarkably large.

Claims

What Is Claimed Is:

1. A system for providing an Internet time capsule which is controlled by the time, comprising: a capsule combiner for combining contents selected by a sender connected through a wired or wireless network, to form a single capsule; a capsule data manager for storing and managing at least one of the image, kind, capsule information and contents information of the capsule; and a combined capsule manager for sending the capsule stored in the capsule data manager to the e-mail address of a recipient selected by the sender and for transmitting the contents information of the capsule stored in the capsule data manager to a terminal of the recipient, which is connected after a lapse of the time set by the sender.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capsule consists of external contents that the recipient can see or hear even before the time set by the sender, and internal contents that the recipient can see or execute only at the date or time designated by the sender.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein a capsule opening date and time are counted until the time set by the sender and an Internet advertisement or update information is provided through the external contents of the capsule.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capsule data manager comprises: a capsule data-before-combination manager for storing and managing capsule information including information about contents added by the sender through at least one procedure; and a combined capsule data manager for storing and managing infomiation of contents that the sender finally selects in order to send them to the recipient.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an advertisement data manager for managing advertisements to be transmitted to the capsule.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recipient can use the received capsule as a messenger for chatting, message transmission, file transmission and search without signing in.

7. The system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an information processing manager for receiving changed contents of the external contents from the sender and transmitting the changed contents to the capsule so as to change the external contents of the capsule, after the capsule has been sent to the recipient.

8. The system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a member information manager for managing information about a plurality of other recipients who received another capsules from the sender and the recipient as well as information about the sender and the recipient, the member information manager managing the relation among the sender and recipients with a network to allow the sender and recipients to output or use the detailed configuration of the network if they want.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the network is shown as a basic network or a relation formation network.

10. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the network is used for at least one of advertising, auction, data search, sending mails and sending messages.

11. A method of managing a system for providing an Internet time capsule which is controlled by the time, comprising: a first step of combining contents selected by a sender connected through a wireless or wired network to form a single capsule; a second step of storing at least one of the image, kind, capsule information and contents information of the capsule; and a third step of sending the stored capsule to the e-mail address of a recipient selected by the sender and transmitting the contents information of the capsule to a terminal of the recipient, which is connected after a lapse of the time set by the sender.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a fourth step of correcting at least one of the image, kind, capsule information and contents information of the capsule stored by the sender after the step of storing the capsule.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a fourth step of transmitting an advertisement or a message to the capsule.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a fourth step of receiving changed contents of the capsule from the sender after the capsule has been sent to the recipient, and transmitting the changed contents to the capsule to output them on the terminal of the recipient.

15. The method as claimed in one of claims 11 to 14, further comprising a fifth step of managing information about a plurality of other recipients who received another capsules from the sender and the recipient as well as information about the sender and the recipient, and managing the relation among the sender and recipients with a network to allow the sender and recipients to output or use the detailed configuration of the network if they want

16. A method of managing a system for providing an Internet time capsule which is controlled by the time, comprising: a first step in which a terminal of a recipient who received the time capsule installs the time capsule program according to the recipient's instruction; a second step of outputting at least one of an advertisement, a message, information, the number of days or time the capsule has before the date set by a sender through external contents of the capsule executed on the main screen of the terminal or a web browser, and a third step of accessing a server that sent the time capsule to receive internal contents of the time capsule after a lapse of the days or time.