Data management device, data sharing system and method, and data management program

Abstract

To allow data users to easily find desired data and share the data.SOLUTION: A data management device includes a control unit, the control unit being configured to: in response to a request from a first user terminal to disclose data to be shared, disclose processed data formed by processing the data to be shared; in response to a request from a second user terminal to share the data to be shared, which is original data of the processed data, cause a first user and a second user to have a chat with each other; create a shared storage area accessible only by the first and second users for whom a sharing agreement is acquired; save a copy of the data to be shared in the shared storage area; and permit the second user terminal to access the shared storage area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a data management apparatus, a data sharing system and method, and a data management program.

Background Art

[0002] Several devices for sharing data among multiple users have been proposed.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that stores the same user data in a plurality of user terminals, and when the user data is updated in the user terminal of a certain user (updater), the user data is also updated in the user terminals of other users.

[0004] Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique that virtually stores the user data in the user area of another user by storing a symbolic link to the user data stored in the user area of a certain user in the user area of another user, enabling browsing and editing operations similar to those when the actual data is stored. [[ID=2l]]

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] When sharing data, it is possible to obtain a sharing agreement by phone, email, etc. between the user who is the owner of the data (hereinafter referred to as the data owner) and the user who uses the data (hereinafter referred to as the data user).

[0007] However, this is only effective if the data user is aware of the existence of the data and the contact information of its owner. It is extremely difficult for a large number of unspecified data users to find the data they want and request its sharing from its owner.

[0008] This invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to enable data users to easily discover and share the data they desire. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the data management device according to the present invention is a data management device for managing data sharing between a first user who is the owner of the data and a second user who uses the data, comprising: a communication interface that communicates with a first user terminal operated by the first user and a second user terminal operated by the second user; and a control unit that controls the data management device, wherein the control unit comprises: a data processing processing unit that, in response to a request to publish the data to be shared sent from the first user terminal, processes the data to be shared to create processed data and publishes the created processed data; a chat management processing unit that, in response to a request to share the data to be shared, which is the source data of the processed data, sent from the second user terminal, causes the first user terminal and the second user terminal to chat; and, when a sharing agreement is obtained between the first user and the second user, creates a shared storage area accessible only to the first and second users, saves a copy of the data to be shared or a symbolic link to the data to be shared in the shared storage area, and permits the second user terminal to access the shared storage area.

[0010] One embodiment of the data sharing system according to this invention comprises a storage unit having a shared area and one embodiment of the data management device according to this invention.

[0011] One aspect of the data sharing method according to this invention is a data sharing method for sharing data between a first user who is the owner of the data and a second user who uses the data, comprising: a process in which a computer, in response to a request to publish the data to be shared sent from a first user terminal operated by the first user, processes the data to be shared to create processed data and publishes the created processed data; a process in which the computer, in response to a request to share the data to be shared, which is the source data of the processed data, sent from a second user terminal operated by the second user, causes a chat to take place between the first user terminal and the second user terminal; and when a sharing agreement is obtained between the first user and the second user, creates a shared storage area that can only be accessed by the first and second users, saves a copy of the data to be shared or a symbolic link to the data to be shared in the shared storage area, and grants the second user terminal access to the shared storage area.

[0012] One aspect of the data management program according to this invention is a program that causes a computer to execute the processing performed by each processing unit of one aspect of the data management device according to this invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to each aspect of this invention, data users will be able to easily discover and share the data they desire. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of a data sharing system according to the first embodiment of this invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a data management device according to the first embodiment of this invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the software configuration of a data management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the overall processing procedure of the shared area management process by the data management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the public setting process among the overall processing procedures shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the chat process among the overall processing procedures shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the shared area creation process among the overall processing procedures shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the shared area deletion process among the overall processing procedures shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the data deletion process among the overall processing procedures shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the software configuration of the data management device according to the second embodiment of this invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the overall processing procedure of the shared area management process by the data management device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the chat process among the overall processing procedures shown in FIG. 11.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] [First Embodiment] (Configuration Example) (1) System FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the data sharing system 1 according to the first embodiment of this invention. The data sharing system 1 provides data sharing among a plurality of users.

[0017] The data sharing system 1 includes, for example, user A terminal 10A, user B terminal 10B, user C terminal 10C, ..., cloud storage 20, and a data management device 30 according to the first embodiment of this invention. When user A terminal 10A, user B terminal 10B, user C terminal 10C, ... are not specifically distinguished, they will hereafter be simply referred to as user terminal 10. The user terminals 10, cloud storage 20, and data management device 30 are connected via a network NW.

[0018] Each user terminal 10 is a PC located in, for example, a different company, used by a registered user who has registered as a user of the data sharing system 1. In Figure 1, one user terminal 10 is shown for each company, but each company may have multiple user terminals 10, for example, multiple user A terminals 10A. That is, user A terminal 10A, user B terminal 10B, user C terminal 10C, ... may each be a single terminal, or they may be a group of terminals containing multiple terminals.

[0019] Furthermore, the data sharing system 1 may be configured as a system within a single company. In this case, each user terminal 10 can be located in each branch office within a single company, or in different departments within a single company.

[0020] The data sharing system 1 includes a dedicated storage area for each user terminal 10, isolated from other user terminals 10. Specifically, the data sharing system 1 includes a dedicated storage area 11A for user A terminal 10A, a dedicated storage area 11B for user B terminal 10B, a dedicated storage area 11C for user C terminal 10C, etc., each storing at least one data file 111. These dedicated storage areas for each user terminal 10 may be located in cloud storage or on an in-house server corresponding to the user terminal 10. In the example in Figure 1, the dedicated storage areas 11A for user A, 11C for user C, etc., are located in individual areas 41 of cloud storage 40, and the dedicated storage area 11B for user B is located in an individual area 12 of a user B server (not shown). Here, the individual areas 12 and 41 are dedicated storage areas for each user terminal 10, connected to a network NW and isolated from other user terminals 10. Furthermore, individual area 12 is connected to user B terminal 10B via the company LAN, etc. Note that unless specifically distinguished, the user A dedicated storage area 11A, user B dedicated storage area 11B, user C dedicated storage area 11C, etc., will be simply referred to as user-dedicated storage area 11 below.

[0021] Cloud storage 20 is a first storage device that includes a public area 21 and a shared area 22.

[0022] The public area 21 is a storage area accessible from any user terminal 10 of a registered user, without restricting which user terminal 10 is used. This public area 21 includes a processed data storage area 211 that stores processed data 112. The processed data 112 is data obtained by processing the data file 111 stored in the user-dedicated storage area 11. Processing includes, but is not limited to, abstraction (generalization) such as reducing the number of significant digits in the data, anonymization such as deleting personal information and data source information, etc.

[0023] The shared area 22 includes multiple user shared storage areas 221. The user shared storage areas 221 are storage areas that store shared data shared among multiple user terminals 10. For example, one of the user shared storage areas 221 is the user A+B shared storage area, which is shared between user A terminal 10A, the data owner, and user B terminal 10B, the data user. Each user shared storage area 221 is an area that can only be accessed by the specific user to whom it is shared. For example, in the case of the user A+B shared storage area, user A terminal 10A and user B terminal 10B can access it, but user C terminal 10C cannot access it, and its existence is kept secret from user terminals 10 of users other than user A and user B. These user shared storage areas 221 are created for each set of shared data. Therefore, for example, the area shared by user A terminal 10A and user B terminal 10B may include multiple user shared storage areas 221.

[0024] The shared data is a copy of the data file 111 to be shared from the data owner's user-only storage area 11. Thus, the processed data storage area 211 stores processed data obtained by processing the data file 111, while the user-shared storage area 221 stores the actual data of the data file 111.

[0025] In this example, the individual area 41 is configured in the second cloud storage 40, which is physically separate from the first cloud storage 20, which has the shared area 22. However, the individual area 41 may also be configured in the cloud storage 20 that comprises the shared area 22 by being logically separated. Similarly, the individual area 12 may also be configured in the individual area 41 of the cloud storage 40, or it may be configured in the cloud storage 20 by being logically separated.

[0026] The data management device 30, in response to a public access setting request from any user terminal 10, processes the data file 111 to be made public to create processed data 112 and stores it in the processed data storage area 211. Furthermore, in response to a request from any user terminal 10 that has viewed the processed data 112 to negotiate sharing of the original data, the data management device 30 provides a chat between the requesting user terminal 10 and the user terminal 10 that owns the original data file 111. Additionally, in response to a sharing request from any user terminal 10, the data management device 30 creates a user-shared storage area 221 in the shared area 22 of the cloud storage 20, which is shared by the data owner's user terminal 10 and the data user's user terminal 10, and stores the data file 111 to be shared there.

[0027] (2) Data management device 30 Figures 2 and 3 are block diagrams showing examples of the hardware and software configurations of the data management device 30, respectively.

[0028] The data management device 30 includes a control unit 31 having a hardware processor such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), and a storage unit having a program storage unit 32 and a data storage unit 33, and a communication interface (hereinafter abbreviated as communication I / F) 34 are connected to this control unit 31 via a bus 35.

[0029] The communication interface 34, under the control of the control unit 31, transmits various types of data between the user terminal 10, individual areas 12 and 41, the public area 21, and the shared area 22 using a communication protocol defined by the network NW.

[0030] The program storage unit 32 is configured, for example, by combining a non-volatile memory that can be written to and read at any time, such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), as a storage medium, and a non-volatile memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory). In addition to middleware such as an OS (Operating System), the program storage unit 32 stores programs necessary to execute various control processes according to the first embodiment of this invention.

[0031] The data storage unit 33 combines, for example, a non-volatile memory such as an HDD or SSD that can be written to and read at any time, and a volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), as a storage medium. This data storage unit 33 includes a setting information storage unit 331, an area information storage unit 332, and a temporary storage unit 333 as storage units necessary to carry out the first embodiment of this invention.

[0032] The configuration information storage unit 331 is used to store user information for each registered user who uses the data management device 30, and target data information for each data file 111 designated as publicly accessible data from among the data files 111 stored in the user-dedicated storage area 11 of the individual areas 12,41.

[0033] User information includes at least a user ID, contact information, and payment method. The user ID is identification information for uniquely identifying a registered user. Here, a registered user is, for example, a contract user who uses the data sharing system 1, including the data management device 30, by paying a prescribed usage fee, and can be a user of the user terminal 10. The user ID is a number, a human-recognizable string, or a combination of a string and a number, assigned by the data management device 30 during user registration. The user ID may also be a name arbitrarily specified by the user that does not overlap with other registered users. The contact information may be, for example, an email address for sending invitation emails to chat rooms. The payment method is payment information such as a payment account or card number for paying usage fees for the data sharing system 1, receiving data usage fees from other users, etc. Furthermore, user information may include authentication information such as a password for authentication. In addition, user information may include personal information such as company name, affiliation, address, name, and telephone number.

[0034] The target data information includes at least a data ID, a user ID, a processing method, and a publication period. The data ID is identification information for uniquely identifying a data file 111 designated by a user as a target for publication from among the data files 111 stored in each user's dedicated storage area 11. The data ID may be the file name of the data file 111, or it may be a number, a human-recognizable string, or a combination of a string and a number assigned by the data management device 30 when the data file 111 is stored in the individual areas 12,41. The user ID is identification information for identifying the user who owns the data file 111, and corresponds to the user ID in the user information described above. The processing method is information that specifies the processing method of the data file 111 when creating processed data 112 from the data file 111. The publication period is information that specifies the period during which the processed data 112 created from the data file 111 is stored in the processed data storage area 211 of the publication area 21 and made public. These processing methods and publication periods can be set by the owner of the original data file 111. The processed data ID is identification information for uniquely identifying processed data 112 stored in the processed data storage area 211 of the public area 21. The target data information may further include the processed data ID. The processed data ID is a number, a human-recognizable string, or a combination of a string and a number, assigned by the data management device 30 when the processed data 112 is stored in the processed data storage area 211. Furthermore, by making the processed data ID the same as the data ID, the target data information does not need to include the processed data ID.

[0035] The area information storage unit 332 is used to store area information for each of the multiple user shared storage areas 221 created in the shared area 22 of the cloud storage 20 between user terminals 10. The area information for the user shared storage area 221 includes at least the target data, area location, sharing period, co-sharers, and usage fees. The target data is identification information that identifies the data file 111 stored in the user-dedicated storage area 11, which will be the shared data stored in the user shared storage area 221, and corresponds to the data ID in the target data information of the configuration information storage unit 331. The area location is address information that identifies the storage location of the user shared storage area 221 for accessing the user shared storage area 221 via the network NW. This may include the IP address of the cloud storage 20, the physical / logical location such as the drive letter or folder name of an HDD or SSD, etc. The sharing period is information indicating the period during which the data file 111, which is the shared data, is shared by the user shared storage area 221. The "Shared Users" section includes user IDs that identify the data owner and data users who are sharing the user-shared storage area 221. The "Usage Fee" section is information indicating the amount that the data user pays to the data owner.

[0036] The temporary storage unit 333 is used to temporarily store various data and information generated by the control unit 31 during processing.

[0037] The control unit 31 includes, as processing functions according to the first embodiment of this invention, a setting information acquisition processing unit 311, a data processing processing unit 312, a chat management processing unit 313, a region management processing unit 314, and a data writing processing unit 315. All of these processing units 311 to 315 are realized, for example, by causing the hardware processor of the control unit 31 to execute a program stored in the program storage unit 32.

[0038] The configuration information acquisition processing unit 311 receives user information or target data information setting instructions transmitted from each user terminal 10 via the network NW through the communication I / F 34. The configuration information acquisition processing unit 311 further stores the user or target data information included in the received configuration instructions in the configuration information storage unit 331.

[0039] The data processing unit 312 processes the data files 111 to be made public, stored in each user's dedicated storage area 11, based on the target data information stored in the setting information storage unit 331, to create processed data. The data processing unit 312 further processes the created processed data to be made public to registered users of the data sharing system 1 by storing it as processed data 112 in the public area 21 via the network NW using the communication I / F 34.

[0040] The chat management processing unit 313 views the processed data 112 in the public area 21 and receives, via the communication interface 34, a sharing negotiation request sent from the user terminal 10 of a user who will become a data user and who wishes to use the original data, and transmitted via the network NW. In response to receiving the sharing negotiation request, the chat management processing unit 313 further creates a chat room for the user who will become a data user and the user who is the data owner and owns the data file 111, based on the target data information and user information stored in the configuration information storage unit 331, and sends an invitation to the chat room to the contact corresponding to the user ID of the data owner via the network NW using the communication interface 34. The chat management processing unit 313 then controls the chat that takes place in this chat room between the user terminal 10 of the data owner and the user terminal 10 of the data user.

[0041] The area management processing unit 314 receives the sharing request sent from the data owner's user terminal 10 and transmitted via the network NW when an agreement to share is obtained in the chat, via the communication I / F 34. The area management processing unit 314 further sends an instruction to the cloud storage 20 via the network NW to create a user shared storage area 221 in response to the sharing request, using the communication I / F 34. As a result, a user shared storage area 221 for multiple user terminals 10 is created in the shared area 22 of the cloud storage 20. The area management processing unit 314 also stores area information regarding the created user shared storage area 221 in the area information storage unit 332.

[0042] The data writing processing unit 315 reads the data file 111 of the data to be shared from the user's dedicated storage area 11 of the data owner via the network NW using the communication I / F 34, based on the area information regarding the user shared storage area 221 stored in the area information storage unit 332, and stores it in the temporary storage unit 333. The data writing processing unit 315 then writes the data file 111 stored in the temporary storage unit 333 to the corresponding user shared storage area 221 via the network NW using the communication I / F 34.

[0043] (Example of operation) Next, we will explain the operation of the data sharing system 1 configured as described above.

[0044] Since the user registration process from each user terminal 10, the authentication process when using the data sharing system 1, and the file operations such as saving and reading data files to and from the corresponding user-dedicated storage area 11 are already known, their explanation will be omitted. Below, the processing operations of the data management device 30 related to the sharing of shared data among multiple user terminals 10 will be explained using the flowcharts shown in Figures 4 to 9.

[0045] First, the overall processing procedure of the data management device 30 will be explained. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the overall processing procedure for shared area management by this data management device 30.

[0046] In step S31, the control unit 31 of the data management device 30 determines whether it has received a public access setting instruction via the communication interface 34, which was transmitted from one of the user terminals 10 and transmitted via the network NW, under the control of the setting information acquisition processing unit 311. The user who owns the data can authenticate from the user terminal 10, and after authentication, select the public access setting for the owned data file 111 on the menu screen and proceed to the settings screen to make settings related to public access. Although not specifically shown in the figures, the control unit 31 can also have the functionality of a web server that provides the authentication screen, menu screen, and settings screen to the user terminal 10 as a web browser screen. Then, in response to a predetermined transmission operation on the web browser settings screen, the user terminal 10 transmits a public access setting instruction for the target data. If the control unit 31 determines that it has received a public access setting instruction, it determines YES in step S31 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S32. If the control unit 31 determines that it has not received a public access setting instruction, it determines NO in step S31 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S33.

[0047] In step S32, the control unit 31 executes the public setting process under the control of the setting information acquisition processing unit 311 and the data processing processing unit 312. This public setting process acquires target data information for the data file 111 to be made public that is sent from the user terminal 10 of the data owner, processes the data file 111 based on that target data information, and stores it as processed data 112 in the processed data storage area 211 of the public area 21. The details of this process will be described later. After that, the control unit 31 proceeds to the processing operation in step S33.

[0048] In step S33, the control unit 31, under the control of the chat management processing unit 313, determines whether or not it has received a data sharing negotiation request via the communication interface 34 that was sent from any user terminal 10 and transmitted via the network NW. Registered users of this data sharing system 1 are authenticated from the user terminal 10, and for example, after authentication, they can view the processed data 112 stored in the processed data storage area 211 of the public area 21 on the viewing screen, which is accessed by selecting "View Public Data" on the menu screen. A user who wishes to use the original data of the viewed processed data 112 then sends a data sharing negotiation request from the user terminal 10 by specifying the processed data 112 on the viewing screen and performing a sharing negotiation operation. If the control unit 31 determines that it has received a data sharing negotiation request, it determines YES in step S33 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S34. If the control unit 31 determines that it has not received a data sharing negotiation request, it determines NO in step S33 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S35.

[0049] In step S34, the control unit 31 executes chat processing under the control of the chat management processing unit 313. This chat processing is an operation that causes a chat to take place between the user terminal 10 of the user who sent the data sharing negotiation request and the user terminal 10 of the owner of the data file 111, which is the source data of the specified processed data 112. The details of this operation will be described later. After that, the control unit 31 proceeds to the processing operation in step S35.

[0050] In step S35, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, determines whether or not it has received a sharing request via the communication interface 34 that was sent from any of the user terminals 10 and transmitted over the network NW. A data owner who has agreed to share the data file 111 in the chat sends this sharing request from the user terminal 10 by performing a predetermined sharing request operation on the user terminal 10. If the control unit 31 determines that it has received a sharing request, it determines YES in step S35 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S36. If the control unit 31 determines that it has not received a sharing request, it determines NO in step S35 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S37.

[0051] In step S36, the control unit 31 executes a shared area creation process under the control of the area management processing unit 314 and the data writing processing unit 315. This shared area creation process is a process operation in which a user shared storage area 221 is created in the shared area 22 and shared data is stored therein, and the details of this will be described later. After that, the control unit 31 proceeds to the process operation in step S37.

[0052] In step S37, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, determines whether or not there are any user shared storage areas 221 whose sharing period has expired. Specifically, for each area information relating to the user shared storage area 221 stored in the area information storage unit 332, the control unit 31 checks the sharing period, which is information indicating the period during which the data file 111, which is shared data, is shared by the user shared storage area 221. If it is determined that there are user shared storage areas 221 whose sharing period has expired, the control unit 31 determines YES in step S37 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S38. If it is determined that there are no user shared storage areas 221 whose sharing period has expired, the control unit 31 determines NO in step S37 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S39.

[0053] In step S38, the control unit 31 executes a shared area deletion process under the control of the area management processing unit 314. This shared area deletion process deletes the user shared storage area 221 whose sharing period has expired, and the details of this process will be described later. After that, the control unit 31 proceeds to the processing operation in step S39.

[0054] In step S39, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, determines whether or not there is any processing data 112 whose publication period has expired. That is, the control unit 31 checks the publication period included in each of the target data information stored in the setting information storage unit 331. If it is determined that there is any processing data 112 whose publication period has expired, the control unit 31 determines YES in step S39 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S3A. If it is determined that there is no processing data 112 whose publication period has expired, the control unit 31 determines NO in step S39 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S31.

[0055] In step S3A, the control unit 31 executes a data deletion process under the control of the area management processing unit 314. This data deletion process deletes the processed data 112 whose public access period has expired from the processed data storage area 211 of the public access area 21, and the details thereof will be described later. After that, the control unit 31 proceeds to the processing operation of step S31.

[0056] (1) Publish setting process Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for the public setting process in step S32, which is performed by the control unit 31 of the data management device 30.

[0057] Under the control of the setting information acquisition processing unit 311, the control unit 31 first determines in step S321 whether the public setting received from the user terminal 10 was a public setting request. A public setting includes a public setting request that asks to start public settings and a public setting termination request that asks to end the update. If it is determined to be a public setting request, the control unit 31 determines YES in step S321 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S322. If it is determined not to be a public setting request, i.e., a public setting termination request, the control unit 31 determines NO in step S321 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S328.

[0058] In step S322, the control unit 31, under the control of the setting information acquisition processing unit 311, acquires the target data information transmitted from the user terminal 10 via the network NW through the communication I / F 34.

[0059] Then, in step S323, the control unit 31 stores the acquired target data information in the setting information storage unit 331 under the control of the setting information acquisition processing unit 311.

[0060] Next, in step S324, the control unit 31, under the control of the data processing unit 312, reads the data file 111, which is the target data stored in the user-dedicated storage area 11, via the network NW using the communication I / F 34, based on the target data information stored in the setting information storage unit 331. The read data file 111 is stored in the temporary storage unit 333.

[0061] In step S325, the control unit 31 further processes the data file 111 stored in the temporary storage unit 333 based on the processing method for the target data information stored in the setting information storage unit 331, under the control of the data processing processing unit 312, to create processed data.

[0062] Then, in step S326, the control unit 31, under the control of the data processing unit 312, stores the created processing data as processing data 112 in the processing data storage area 211 of the public area 21 via the network NW using the communication I / F 34, thereby making it available to registered users. At this time, the control unit 31 may also add a processing data ID that identifies the processing data 112 to the target data information stored in the setting information storage unit 331.

[0063] Subsequently, in step S327, the control unit 31, under the control of the data processing unit 312, deletes the temporary storage information stored in the temporary storage unit 333 during each processing operation in the public setting process of step S32. Then, the control unit 31 terminates the processing operation of this public setting process and proceeds to the processing operation of step S33.

[0064] Furthermore, in step S328, which is a processing operation when it is determined that the public setting received in step S321 was a public termination request rather than a public request, the control unit 31, under the control of the setting information acquisition processing unit 311, deletes the corresponding processing data 112 from the processing data storage area 211 of the public area 21 based on the target data information stored in the setting information storage unit 331 corresponding to the specified data file 111.

[0065] Furthermore, in step S329, the control unit 31 deletes the target data information corresponding to the specified data file 111 from the setting information storage unit 331 under the control of the setting information acquisition processing unit 311. After that, the control unit 31 terminates the processing operation of this public setting process and proceeds to the processing operation of step S33.

[0066] (2) Chat processing Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for the chat processing in step S34, which is performed by the control unit 31 of the data management device 30. The control unit 31 performs the following processing operations under the control of the chat management processing unit 313.

[0067] First, in step S341, the control unit 31 creates a chat room and stores information related to the chat room in the temporary storage unit 333. For example, the control unit 31 reads from the setting information storage unit 331 the target data information of the processed data 112 for which a sharing negotiation request has been received, and user information about the owner of the target data file 111, which is the original data of the processed data 112, and stores it in the temporary storage unit 333. It also reserves an area in the temporary storage unit 333 for holding the chat content.

[0068] Next, in step S342, the control unit 31 sends the chat screen to be superimposed on or switched to on the viewing screen to the user terminal 10 that initiated the shared negotiation request via the network NW using the communication I / F 34.

[0069] Then, in step S343, the control unit 31 sends an invitation to the chat room to the contact of the user who owns the data, via the network NW using the communication I / F 34, based on the user information stored in the temporary storage unit 333.

[0070] Subsequently, in step S344, the control unit 31 determines whether or not it has received an instruction to enter the chat room from the data owner's user terminal 10 via the communication interface 34. If it determines that it has not received an instruction to enter, the control unit 31 determines NO in step S344 and repeats the processing operation in step S344. If it determines that it has received an instruction to enter, the control unit 31 determines YES in step S344 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S345.

[0071] In step S345, the control unit 31 updates the chat screen to indicate that the data owner has entered the room.

[0072] Then, in step S346, the control unit 31 transmits the updated chat screen via the network NW using the communication I / F 34 to the user terminal 10 that initiated the sharing negotiation and the user terminal 10 that owns the data.

[0073] Subsequently, in step S347, the control unit 31 receives input information entered on the chat screen via the communication interface 34, which is transmitted from the user terminal 10 of the data sharing requestor or data owner via the network NW. The acquired input information is stored in the temporary storage unit 333.

[0074] In step S348, the control unit 31 determines whether the input information has ended or not. If it determines that the input information has not ended, the control unit 31 determines NO in step S348 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S345. If it determines that the input information has ended, the control unit 31 determines YES in step S348 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S349. By repeating the processing operations in steps S345 to S348 in this way, negotiations for an agreement to share the data file 111 take place between the data owner and the user who wants to use the data via the chat room.

[0075] In step S349, the control unit 31 deletes the temporary storage information stored in the temporary storage unit 333 during each processing operation in the chat processing in step S34. Then, the control unit 31 terminates this chat processing operation and proceeds to the processing operation in step S35.

[0076] (3) Shared area creation process Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for the shared area creation process in step S36, which is performed by the control unit 31 of the data management device 30.

[0077] Under the control of the area management processing unit 314, the control unit 31 first obtains, in step S361, input information regarding the data file to be shared, entered by the data owner who agreed to share in the sharing request operation, via the communication I / F 34. The obtained input information is stored in the temporary storage unit 333. The input information includes, for example, the data file 111 to be shared, the sharing period, the data user, the usage fee, etc.

[0078] Next, in step S362, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, creates area information based on the input information stored in the temporary storage unit 333 and stores it in the area information storage unit 332. At this point, the area information does not yet include the area location.

[0079] Then, in step S363, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, creates a user shared storage area 221 in the shared area 22 of the cloud storage 20, which is a storage area shared between the source user terminal 10 and the destination user terminal 10. The creation of this user shared storage area 221 can be done by the control unit 31 sending an instruction to the cloud storage 20 via the network NW using the communication I / F 34 to create the user shared storage area 221. At this time, the control unit 31 adds an area location, which is address information that identifies the storage location of the created user shared storage area 221, to the area information stored in the area information storage unit 332.

[0080] Subsequently, in step S364, the control unit 31, under the control of the data writing processing unit 315, reads the data file 111, which will become shared data, from the user-dedicated storage area 11 that is the source of the shared data via the network NW using the communication I / F 34, and saves it to the user-shared storage area 221 that will be the destination. That is, the control unit 31 first reads the data file 111, which will become shared data, from the corresponding user-dedicated storage area 11 via the network NW using the communication I / F 34, based on the area information stored in the temporary storage unit 333, and stores it in the temporary storage unit 333. Then, the control unit 31 identifies the user-shared storage area 221 that will be the destination, also based on the area information, and writes the data file 111 stored in the temporary storage unit 333 to the corresponding user-shared storage area 221 via the network NW using the communication I / F 34.

[0081] Subsequently, in step S365, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, sends a sharing permission notification to the data user via the network NW using the communication I / F 34. That is, the control unit 31 obtains the contact information of the relevant user from the configuration information storage unit 331 and sends the sharing permission notification to that contact. The sharing permission notification may include the area location of the user shared storage area 221.

[0082] Furthermore, in step S366, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, determines the usage fee to be paid by the data user and the usage fee to be received by the data owner, based on the usage fee for the area information stored in the area information storage unit 332. Each usage fee may be the usage fee for the area information, or it may also include a settlement fee by the data sharing system 1.

[0083] Then, in step S367, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, reads user information of the data owner and data user from the setting information storage unit 331, and performs the settlement process for the determined usage fee based on the payment method included in each user's information. That is, it performs billing for the data user and payment processing for the data owner. The payment processing may be a reduction in the usage fee for the data sharing system 1.

[0084] Subsequently, in step S368, the control unit 31, under the control of the data writing processing unit 315, deletes the temporary storage information stored in the temporary storage unit 333 during each processing operation in the shared area creation process of step S36. Then, the control unit 31 terminates the processing operation of this shared area creation process and proceeds to the processing operation of step S37.

[0085] (4) Shared area deletion process Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for the shared area deletion process in step S38, which is performed by the control unit 31 of the data management device 30.

[0086] First, in step S381, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, deletes the user shared storage area 221 whose sharing period has expired via the network NW using the communication I / F 34.

[0087] Then, prior to deleting the area information related to the deleted user shared storage area 221, in step S382, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, notifies the user who owns the shared data and the users who use the data that the user shared storage area 221 has been deleted, for example, by email. The control unit 31 can obtain the contact information of the sharers of the area information corresponding to the deleted user shared storage area 221, which is stored in the area information storage unit 332, from the setting information storage unit 331.

[0088] Subsequently, in step S383, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, deletes the area information corresponding to the deleted user shared storage area 221 from the area information storage unit 332. Then, the control unit 31 finishes the processing operation of this shared area deletion process and proceeds to the processing operation of step S39.

[0089] (5) Data deletion process Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for the data deletion process in step S3A, which is performed by the control unit 31 of the data management device 30.

[0090] First, in step S3A1, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, deletes the processing data 112 whose publication deadline has expired via the network NW using the communication I / F 34.

[0091] Then, prior to deleting the target data information related to the deleted processed data 112, in step S3A2, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, notifies the user who owns the data file 111 from which the processed data 112 originated, that the published processed data 112 has been deleted, for example, by email. The control unit 31 can obtain the contact information of the owner of the data file 111 corresponding to the deleted processed data 112, which is stored in the area information storage unit 332, from the setting information storage unit 331.

[0092] Subsequently, in step S3A3, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, deletes the target data information corresponding to the deleted processing data 112 from the area information storage unit 332. Then, the control unit 31 finishes the processing operation of this data deletion process and proceeds to the processing operation of step S31.

[0093] (Effects / Actions) As described above, the data management device 30 according to the first embodiment of this invention is a data management device that manages data sharing between a data owner, who is a first user, and a data user, who is a second user. It comprises a user terminal 10, which is a first user terminal operated by the data owner, and a communication I / F 34 that communicates with the user terminal 10, which is a second user terminal operated by the data user, and a control unit 31 that controls the data management device 30. The control unit 31 comprises a data processing unit 312, a chat management unit 313, and a shared area management unit 314 and a data writing unit 315. The data processing unit 312 processes the data file 111, which is shared data stored in a user-only storage area 11 accessible only to the first user, based on setting information regarding the publication of the data file 111, which is shared data, sent from the user terminal 10 of the first user, to create processed data 112, and publishes the created processed data 112. The chat management processing unit 313 responds to a request from the second user's user terminal 10 to share the data file 111, which is the source data for the processed data 112, and initiates a chat between the first user's user terminal 10 and the second user's user terminal 10. When a sharing agreement is reached between the first user and the second user, the area management processing unit 314 creates a user-shared storage area 221 that is accessible only to the first and second users, and the data writing processing unit 315 saves a copy of the data file 111, which is the data to be shared and stored in the first user's user-dedicated storage area 11, to the user-shared storage area 221. Then, the area management processing unit 314 grants the second user's user terminal 10 access to the user-shared storage area 221 by sending a sharing permission notification to the second user's user terminal 10, which includes the location of the user-shared storage area 221. Therefore, by publishing processed data 112, which is obtained by processing the data file 111 that is the data to be shared, a second user who will be a data user can easily find the data they want and share it, thereby promoting the effective use of the data. Furthermore, since the processed data 112, which is a processed version of the data file 111, is published rather than the actual data of the data file 111, the effective use of the data can be promoted while preventing the leakage of the data file 111. In addition, by providing a chat environment between the first user who owns the data and the second user who will be a data user, negotiations regarding data sharing can be easily conducted.

[0094] Furthermore, in the data management device 30 according to the first embodiment, the area management processing unit 314 of the control unit 31 functions as a fee collection processing unit that mediates the payment of usage fees from the second user and the deposit to the first user when a shared agreement is obtained between the first user and the second user. Therefore, by offering rewards for sharing data file 111, data owners will be more inclined to actively use the data sharing system 1, thereby promoting data circulation.

[0095] Furthermore, the area management processing unit 314 creates the user shared storage area 221 in response to a sharing request from the user terminal 10 of the first user, who is the data owner. Therefore, by determining that a sharing agreement has been obtained via chat, based on a sharing request from the data owner, the sharing of data file 111 can be initiated.

[0096] [Second Embodiment] Next, a data management device 30 according to the second embodiment of this invention will be described. In the first embodiment, the data owner inputs the information necessary for data sharing after a sharing agreement has been reached. In contrast, in this second embodiment, the data management device 30 automatically acquires the information necessary for data sharing by analyzing the contents of the chat that led to the sharing agreement.

[0097] Here, we will only describe the parts that differ from the first embodiment in terms of configuration, operation, and effects, and will omit the explanation of parts that are the same.

[0098] (Example configuration) Figure 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the software configuration of a data management device 30 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0099] In this embodiment, the chat management processing unit 313 in the control unit 31 of the data management device 30 reads and analyzes the chat content stored in the temporary storage unit 333, obtains information necessary for data sharing, and stores the area information in the area information storage unit 332.

[0100] Furthermore, since the system also retrieves whether or not a sharing agreement has been reached from the chat content, a sharing request from the data owner is unnecessary.

[0101] (Example of operation) Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the overall processing procedure for shared area management processing by the data management device 30 according to the second embodiment.

[0102] In step S33, if the control unit 31 determines that it has not received a data sharing negotiation request, it determines NO in step S33 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S37 in this embodiment. If the control unit 31 determines that it has received a data sharing negotiation request, it determines YES in step S33 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S34. After the processing operation in step S34 is completed, in this embodiment it proceeds to the processing operation in step S37. In other words, the processing operations in steps S35 and S36 in the first embodiment are omitted.

[0103] Instead, in the chat processing of step S34, the control unit 31 not only conducts a chat between the user terminal 10 of the user who sent the data sharing negotiation request and the user terminal 10 of the data owner, but also, under the control of the area management processing unit 314 and the data writing processing unit 315, creates the user shared storage area 221 and writes the data file 111, which is the shared data, to it.

[0104] (1) Chat processing Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for the chat processing in step S34 according to this embodiment, which is executed by the control unit 31 of the data management device 30.

[0105] The processing operations in steps S341 to S349 are as described in the first embodiment. However, in this embodiment, if the control unit 31 determines in step S348 that the input information is not finished, it determines NO in step S348 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S3410 instead of step S345.

[0106] In step S3410, the control unit 31, under the control of the chat management processing unit 313, analyzes the input information stored in the temporary storage unit 333, i.e., the chat content. The analyzed content is stored in the temporary storage unit 333.

[0107] Then, in step S3411, the control unit 31, under the control of the chat management processing unit 313, determines whether the analysis content stored in the temporary storage unit 333 contains wording indicating a shared agreement for the data file 111. To facilitate this determination, for example, the user may be notified in advance to enter a keyword to be entered when a shared agreement is obtained. If it is determined that the content does not contain wording indicating a shared agreement, the control unit 31 determines NO in step S3411 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S345. If it is determined that the content contains wording indicating a shared agreement, the control unit 31 determines YES in step S3411 and proceeds to the processing operation in step S3412.

[0108] In step S3412, the control unit 31, under the control of the chat management processing unit 313, extracts information on the sharing period and usage fees necessary for creating area information from the analysis content stored in the temporary storage unit 333. The extracted information is stored in the temporary storage unit 333. Further information on the target data and the sharers is required to create area information, but the data user information has already been obtained when the data sharing negotiation request was received in step S33, and the target data has also been obtained when the chat room was created in step S341.

[0109] Then, in step S3413, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, creates area information based on the input information stored in the temporary storage unit 333, similar to step S362, and stores it in the area information storage unit 332.

[0110] Next, in step S3414, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, creates a user shared storage area 221 in the shared area 22 of the cloud storage 20, similar to step S363, and adds the area location of the created user shared storage area 221 to the area information stored in the area information storage unit 332.

[0111] Subsequently, in step S3415, the control unit 31, under the control of the data writing processing unit 315, reads the data file 111 from the shared user-only storage area 11 and saves it to the user-shared storage area 221, similar to step S364.

[0112] Then, in step S3416, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, sends a sharing permission notification to the data user, similar to step S365.

[0113] Furthermore, in step S3417, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, the control unit 31 determines the agreed-upon usage fee for sharing the data file 111 based on the usage fee for the area information stored in the area information storage unit 332, similar to the same procedure as in step S366.

[0114] Then, in step S3418, the control unit 31, under the control of the area management processing unit 314, performs the settlement process for the determined usage fee based on the settlement method included in the user information of the data owner and data user stored in the setting information storage unit 331, similar to step S367. After that, the control unit 31 proceeds to the processing operation of step S349.

[0115] (Effects / Actions) As described above, in the data management device 30 according to the second embodiment of this invention, the chat management processing unit 313 analyzes the contents of the chat between the user terminal 10 of the first user, who is the data owner, and the user terminal 10 of the second user, who is the data user, to determine whether or not a sharing agreement has been obtained between the first user and the second user. The area management processing unit 314 then creates a user shared storage area 221 in response to the determination by the chat management processing unit 313 that a sharing agreement has been obtained, and the data writing processing unit 315 stores a copy of the shared data stored in the user-dedicated storage area 11 in the user shared storage area 221. Therefore, it becomes possible to automatically determine from the chat content that a sharing agreement has been obtained and to start sharing data file 111. Consequently, a special sharing request operation by the data owner is not required, saving the data owner time and effort.

[0116] [Other embodiments] In the first and second embodiments, all user data is stored in the user shared storage area 221. However, it is also possible to create a new data file different from the original data by extracting at least a portion of the data from the data file 111, or by processing the actual data into an anonymized and abstracted (generalized) format, and then storing that new data file as shared data.

[0117] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, user data in the user-dedicated storage area 11 is copied to the user-shared storage area 221. However, as described in Non-Patent Document 2, the user-shared storage area 221 may be used to virtually store user data by storing symbolic links to the user data.

[0118] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, a user shared storage area 221 is created for each piece of shared data, but multiple pieces of shared data may be stored in a single user shared storage area 221. In that case, the deletion of the user shared storage area 221 itself is suspended until all the shared data in the user shared storage area 221 has been deleted.

[0119] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the processed data 112 in the public area 21 was made viewable only by registered users of the data sharing system 1, but it may also be made public to non-registered users. The data owner may specify whether to make it public only to registered users or to make it publicly available. If a general user other than a registered user wants to use the data file 111 that was the source of the processed data, they should become a registered user of the data sharing system 1. Alternatively, if they do not become a registered user, they may be able to use the data file 111 by paying a usage fee that is higher than that of a registered user to create a temporary user shared storage area 221.

[0120] Note that the order of processing steps shown in the flowcharts of Figures 4 to 9 and Figures 11 to 12 is just an example and is not limited to this order. For example, steps S342 and S343 in Figure 6 may be in the reverse order. Each processing step may be changed in order, etc., or processed in parallel, as long as it does not cause any inconsistencies with preceding or succeeding processing steps.

[0121] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the chat content stored in the temporary storage unit 333 is deleted in step S349, but the chat content may be saved separately as evidence of obtaining a shared agreement.

[0122] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the above description is merely illustrative in all respects of the present invention. Needless to say, various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other words, when implementing the present invention, specific configurations may be adopted as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[0123] In short, this invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the components can be modified and implemented in practice without departing from the gist of the invention. Furthermore, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in each embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in each embodiment. Moreover, components from different embodiments may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0124] 1…Data sharing system 10…User terminal 10A...User A terminal 10B...User B terminal 10C…User C terminal 11…User-dedicated storage area 11A...Dedicated storage area for User A 11B...Dedicated storage area for User B 11C...Dedicated storage area for user C 12,41…Individual area 20,40…Cloud Storage 21…Public Area 22…Shared area 30...Data management device 31…Control Unit 32...Program memory unit 33...Data storage unit 34…Communication Interface (Communication I / F) 35... Bus 111...Data file 112…Processing data 211... Processing data storage area 221…User shared storage area 311...Setting information acquisition processing unit 312...Data Processing Unit 313... Chat Management Processing Unit 314... Area Management Processing Unit 315...Data writing processing unit 331...Setting information storage unit 332…Area information storage unit 333…Temporary storage unit NW...Network

Claims

1. A data management device that manages data sharing between a first user who owns the data and a second user who uses the data, A communication interface that communicates with a first user terminal operated by the first user and a second user terminal operated by the second user, A control unit that controls the data management device, It is equipped with, The control unit, A data processing unit that, in response to a request to publish shared data sent from the first user terminal, processes the shared data to create processed data and publishes the created processed data, A chat management processing unit that, in response to a request to share the shared data which is the source data of the processed data, sent from the second user terminal, causes a chat to take place between the first user terminal and the second user terminal, When a sharing agreement is reached between the first user and the second user, a sharing processing unit creates a shared storage area accessible only to the first and second users, saves a copy of the shared data or a symbolic link to the shared data in the shared storage area, and grants access to the shared storage area to the second user terminal. A data management device equipped with the following features.

2. The data management device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further comprises a fee collection processing unit that mediates the payment of usage fees from the second user and the deposit of funds to the first user when a shared agreement is obtained between the first user and the second user.

3. The aforementioned shared processing unit is A region management processing unit that creates the shared storage area in response to a sharing request from the first user terminal, A data writing processing unit that stores a copy of the shared data or a symbolic link to the shared data in the shared storage area, A data management device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

4. The chat management processing unit analyzes the contents of the chat between the first user terminal and the second user terminal to determine whether or not the shared agreement has been obtained between the first user and the second user. The aforementioned shared processing unit is In response to the determination by the chat management processing unit that the sharing agreement has been obtained, the area management processing unit creates the shared storage area, A data writing processing unit that stores a copy of the shared data or a symbolic link to the shared data in the shared storage area, A data management device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

5. A storage unit having the aforementioned shared storage area, A data management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A data sharing system equipped with these features.

6. The storage unit includes a first storage device having a dedicated storage area accessible only to the first user for storing the shared data, and a second storage device that is physically separate from the first storage device and on which the shared storage area is created. The data sharing system according to claim 5, wherein the data processing unit of the data management device processes the shared data stored in the dedicated storage area to create the processed data in response to the disclosure request.

7. A data sharing method for sharing data between a first user who owns the data and a second user who uses the data, Computers The process of processing the shared data to create processed data and publishing the created processed data in response to a request to publish shared data sent from a first user terminal operated by the first user, The process of having the first user terminal and the second user terminal chat in response to a request to share the data to be shared, which is the source data of the processed data, sent from the second user terminal operated by the second user, When a sharing agreement is reached between the first user and the second user, the process includes creating a shared storage area accessible only to the first and second users, saving a copy of the shared data or a symbolic link to the shared data in the shared storage area, and granting access to the shared storage area to the second user terminal. A data sharing method that includes the following features.

8. A data management program that causes a computer to execute the processing performed by each processing unit of the data management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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