Window generation device, client terminal, window generation system, window generation method, and window generation program

Abstract

Provided is a window generation device comprising: a window generation unit 12 that, when the URL of a web page is designated and a request is transmitted from a client terminal 90, returns a response to the client terminal 90 to cause the client terminal 90 to execute a window generation function 10A, the window generation function 10A generating a window including a status confirmation interface whereby a user can perform input; a window display unit 13 that displays the window on the client terminal 90, the window being displayed on a display 91 of the client terminal 90 when the URL of the web page is designated and the request is transmitted from the client terminal 90 to a server 50; and an access permission determination unit 14 that determines whether access to the web page is permitted on the basis of a status inputted to the status confirmation interface by the user of the client terminal 90. As a result of this configuration, access from the client terminal 90 can be, on the basis of the status inputted by the user of the client terminal 90 via the status confirmation interface included in the window, filtered before access to subsequent pages by the client terminal 90.

Description

Window generation device, client terminal, window generation system, window generation method, and window generation program

[0001] The present invention relates to a window generation device, a client terminal, a window generation system, a window generation method, and a window generation program.

[0002] Information processing devices are known that, before transitioning from the target domain to another domain, display a small screen (also called simply a window), such as a banner or pop-up window, covering part or all of the screen for obtaining consent regarding the use of cookies related to access to this domain and other linked domains, on the user terminal that requested access to the target domain (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, such information processing devices cannot display a window that performs user filtering corresponding to the access rules of individual sites. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-170155 General disclosure

[0003] (Item 1) The window generation device may execute a window generation function by sending a response to the client terminal when a request is sent from the client terminal specifying the URL of a web page. The window generation function may include a window generation unit that generates a window including a status confirmation interface that can be input by the user. The window generation function is a window display unit that displays the window on the client terminal, and the window may include the window display unit that is displayed on the display of the client terminal when the client terminal sends a request to the server specifying the URL of a web page. The window generation function may include an access permission determination unit that determines whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on the status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface. (Item 2) The access permission determination unit may query the filtering rule database 30 with the status to determine whether or not access to the web page is permitted. (Item 3) The status may include the user's age. The access permission determination unit may determine whether access to the web page is permitted based on age requirements determined based on the jurisdiction to which the client terminal is located. (Item 4) If the access permission determination unit permits access, it may save the access permission settings to the client terminal's storage. The window generation unit does not need to generate the window if the access permission settings are saved to the client terminal's storage. (Item 5) The access permission settings may have an expiration date. If the expiration date of the access permission settings has expired, the window generation unit may generate the window even if the access permission settings are saved to the client terminal's storage. (Item 6) The window generation unit may obtain window generation rules from the generation rule database and generate a window including the status confirmation interface based on the window generation rules.(Item 7) The window generation device may further include a generation rule management unit that manages the generation rule database. (Item 8) The window may be displayed on the display of the client terminal before transitioning to the Web page or may be displayed on the display of the client terminal by covering at least a part of the Web page to disable the operation of the Web page.

[0004] (Item 9) The client terminal may implement a window generation function. The client terminal may include a window generation unit that generates a window including a status confirmation interface that can be input by a user. The client terminal may be a window display unit that displays the window on the client terminal, and the window may be displayed on the display of the client terminal when a request is sent to the server by specifying the URL of the Web page from the client terminal. The client terminal may include an access permission determination unit that determines whether access to the Web page is permitted based on the status input by the user of the client terminal to the status confirmation interface.

[0005] (Item 10) The window generation system may include the window generation device according to any one of Items 1 to 8. The window generation system may be the client terminal according to Item 9, and may include the client terminal that executes the window generation function by receiving and executing a window generation program from the window generation device. (Item 11) The window generation system may further include a generation rule database in which window generation rules are registered. The window generation device may acquire a window generation rule from the generation rule database and generate a window including the status confirmation interface based on the window generation rule.

[0006] (Item 12) The window generation method may be executed by one or more computers. The window generation method may include a step of generating a window that includes a user-inputtable status confirmation interface. The window generation method may include a step of displaying the window on a client terminal, wherein the window is displayed on the client terminal's display when the client terminal sends a request to the server specifying the URL of the web page. The window generation method may include a step of determining whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on a status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface. (Item 13) In the determination step, the filtering rule database 30 may be queried with the status to determine whether or not access to the web page is permitted. (Item 14) The status may include the user's age. In the determination step, the age condition determined based on the jurisdiction to which the client terminal is located may be used to determine whether or not access to the web page is permitted. (Item 15) In the determination step, if access is permitted, the access permission setting may be saved in the client terminal's storage. In the generation stage, if the access permission settings are stored in the client terminal's storage, the window does not need to be generated. (Item 16) The access permission settings may have an expiration date. In the display stage, if the expiration date of the access permission settings has expired, the window may be generated even if the access permission settings are stored in the client terminal's storage. (Item 17) In the generation stage, a window generation rule may be obtained from the generation rule database, and a window including the status confirmation interface may be generated based on the window generation rule.(Item 18) The window may be displayed on the client terminal's display before transitioning to the web page, or it may be displayed on the client terminal's display covering at least a portion of the web page, rendering the web page inoperable.

[0007] (Item 19) The window generation program may cause the computer to execute any one of the window generation methods described in items 12 to 18.

[0008] (Item 20) The window generation system may include a window generation device that, when a request is sent from the client terminal specifying the URL of a web page, sends a response back to the client terminal and executes the window generation function. The window generation system may include the client terminal that executes the window generation function by receiving and executing a window generation program from the window generation device. The window generation function may include an input screen generation function that generates a window including a status confirmation interface that can be input by the user. The window generation function is a window display function that displays the window on the client terminal, and the window may be displayed on the display of the client terminal when the client terminal sends a request to the server specifying the URL of a web page. The window generation function may include an access permission determination function that determines whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on the status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface. (Item 21) The access permission determination function may query the filtering rule database 30 with the status to determine whether or not access to the web page is permitted. (Item 22) The status may include the user's age. The access permission determination function may determine whether access to the web page is permitted or not, in accordance with age requirements determined based on the jurisdiction to which the client terminal is located. (Item 23) If the access permission determination function permits access, it may save the access permission settings to the client terminal's storage. The input screen generation function does not need to generate the window if the access permission settings are saved to the client terminal's storage. (Item 24) The access permission settings may have an expiration date. The input screen generation function may generate the window if the expiration date of the access permission settings has expired, even if the access permission settings are saved to the client terminal's storage.(Item 25) The input screen generation function may obtain window generation rules from the generation rule database and generate a window including the status confirmation interface based on the window generation rules. (Item 26) The window may be displayed on the client terminal's display before transitioning to the Web page, or it may be displayed on the client terminal's display covering at least a part of the Web page, rendering the Web page inoperable. (Item 27) The window generation system may further include a generation rule database in which window generation rules are registered. The window generation device may obtain window generation rules from the generation rule database and generate a window including the status confirmation interface based on the window generation rules.

[0009] (Item 28) The window generation method may include a step in which a window generation device receives a request from a client terminal specifying the URL of a web page and sends a response back to the client terminal. The window generation method may also include a step in which the client terminal receives the response from the window generation device and executes the window generation program included in the response to perform the window generation function. The window generation function may include an input screen generation function that generates a window including a status confirmation interface that can be input by the user. The window generation function is a window display function that displays the window on the client terminal, and the window may include the window display function that is displayed on the display of the client terminal when the client terminal sends a request to the server specifying the URL of a web page. The window generation function may include an access permission determination function that determines whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on the status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface.

[0010] (Item 29) The program may cause the computer to execute a procedure to send a response back to the client terminal and execute a window generation function in response to receiving a request sent from the client terminal specifying the URL of a web page. The window generation function may include an input screen generation function that generates a window including a status confirmation interface that can be entered by the user. The window generation function is a window display function that displays the window on the client terminal, and the window may include the window display function that is displayed on the display of the client terminal when the client terminal sends a request to the server specifying the URL of a web page. The window generation function may include an access permission determination function that determines whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on the status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface.

[0011] (Item 30) The window generation program may cause the computer to execute a procedure to generate a window that includes a user-inputtable status confirmation interface. The window generation program may cause the computer to execute a procedure to display the window on a client terminal, wherein the window is displayed on the client terminal's display when the client terminal sends a request to the server specifying the URL of a web page. The window generation program may cause the computer to execute a procedure to determine whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on the status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface.

[0012] It should be noted that the above summary of the invention does not enumerate all of its features. Furthermore, subcombinations of these features may also constitute an invention.

[0013] This document outlines the window generation system according to this embodiment. It shows the functional configuration of the window generation device. An example of registration information in the geographic information database is shown. An example of registration information in the generation rule database is shown. An example of a window is shown. An example of an access denied screen is shown. Another example of a window is shown. Another example of an access denied screen is shown. An example of registration information in the filtering rule database is shown. The window generation flow is shown. A client terminal display showing an example of a site is shown. A client terminal display showing an example of a window is shown. The access permission / denial flow is shown. A client terminal display showing an example of an access denied screen is shown. An example of a computer configuration is shown.

[0014] The present invention will be described below through embodiments, but these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. Furthermore, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0015] Figure 1 shows a schematic configuration of the window generation system according to this embodiment. The window generation system 1 (also simply called system 1) is a network system for generating a window that confirms the verification requirements of a site to which a request has been sent by a client terminal 90, and for displaying it on the client terminal 90. System 1 includes a window generation device 10. System 1 may further include a geographic information database (geographic information DB) 20, a filtering rule database 30, and a generation rule database (generation rule DB) 40. These are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network 99. Although the window generation device 10 is shown as part of the server 50, as will be described later, some of the functional units of the window generation device 10 (the window generation function 10A described later) are sent to the client terminal 90 and executed on the client terminal 90. The database is also referred to as DB.

[0016] Network 99 is a communication network that connects the window generation device 10 and various databases such as the geographic information database 20 in a manner that enables them to communicate with each other. Network 99 is, for example, the Internet, but is not limited to this; any communication network that enables communication between these devices and databases may be used, such as a local area network or telephone line, or a network in which multiple communication networks coexist.

[0017] Server 50 is a server that operates the website accessed by the client terminal 90. Server 50 may include all or part of the window generation device 10, which will be described later.

[0018] The client terminal 90 is, for example, a terminal device used by a user. The terminal device may be a computer terminal such as a personal computer, or a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet computer. The client terminal 90 has a central processing unit (CPU) and a communication device (neither of which are shown). The CPU receives a response from the server 50 and executes the window generation program (script) contained therein, thereby allowing the client terminal 90 to execute some or all of the functions of the window generation device 10 (i.e., the window generation function 10A). The communication device is capable of communicating with the server 50 and various databases via a network 99, either by wired or wireless communication, and can, for example, communicate using a protocol such as TCP / IP. The client terminal 90 is equipped with a display 91 such as a liquid crystal display and functions as a client terminal that communicates with the server 50 to display web pages, etc., on the display 91. Multiple client terminals 90, each owned by multiple users, may be included in the system 1, allowing multiple users to utilize the system 1.

[0019] The window generation device 10 is a computer device that, when a request is sent from the client terminal 90 specifying the URL of a web page, sends a response back to the client terminal 90 and executes the window generation function 10A. The window generation device 10 has a central processing unit (CPU) and a communication device (neither of which are shown in the diagram). The window generation device 10 may also be implemented using a cloud (multiple distributed servers or multiple subsystems, etc.). When the CPU receives a request from the client terminal 90, it executes a dedicated program and sends a response containing a window generation program (script) to the client terminal 90, causing it to execute and thereby activate the function of displaying a window on the client terminal 90 (i.e., the window generation function 10A). The functional configuration of the window generation device 10 will be described later. The dedicated program is stored in ROM (not shown), for example, and read by the CPU, or stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM and read by the CPU using a reader (not shown) to start it. The window generation program is read from ROM (not shown), sent to the client terminal 90, and loaded into RAM, allowing it to be launched on the client terminal 90. The window generation program is a script, such as JavaScript (registered trademark), included in the web page. The communication device is a device that can communicate with the server 50, the client terminal 90, and various databases via wired or wireless communication over the network 99, and can communicate using protocols such as TCP / IP as an example.

[0020] Figure 2 shows the functional configuration of the window generation device 10. The window generation device 10 includes an automatic location determination unit 11, a window generation unit 12, a generation rule management unit 15, a window display unit 13, an access permission determination unit 14, and a filtering rule management unit 16. Of these functional units, the window generation unit 12, the window display unit 13, and the access permission determination unit 14 are also called the window generation function 10A. The window generation function 10A is transmitted from the server 50 to the client terminal 90 and executed on the client terminal 90. For example, the window generation function 10A is implemented as a script, incorporated into a web page, and sent to the client terminal 90 as part of the response from the server 50. Executing the window generation function 10A on the client terminal 90 can reduce the load on the server 50, but it is also possible to configure the window generation device 10 (server 50) to execute part or all of the window generation function 10A, i.e., to execute the window generation function 10A on multiple devices including the window generation device 10 (server 50) and the client terminal 90.

[0021] The automatic location determination unit 11 obtains the network address of the client terminal 90 and determines the location of the client terminal 90 based on it. As a method for determining the location of the client terminal 90 based on the network address, for example, when the client terminal 90 accesses a website operated by the server 50, the server 50 obtains the network address (in this case, the IP address) of the client terminal 90. By querying the geographic information database 20 with this network address, the location at the time the client terminal 90 sent a request to the server 50 can be obtained. The automatic location determination unit 11 automatically determines the location without waiting for user input, inputs this location to the window generation unit 12, allows it to select an appropriate generation rule, and generates a window with appropriate language settings, etc.

[0022] Figure 3 shows an example of the registered information in the geographic information database 20. The geographic information database 20 is a database in which information associating network address ranges with location information is registered and is used to identify the location of a terminal based on its network address. Each row in the table of the geographic information database 20 associates a specific IP address range (start_ip and end_ip) with country / state information. For example, the IP address range from 80.12.0.0 to 80.12.255.255 corresponds to France, and the IP addresses from 203.0.113.0 to 203.0.113.255 are associated with Tokyo, Japan. The geographic information database 20 can be used to determine the location of a client terminal 90 based on its network address. For example, the location of client terminal 90 with IP address 203.0.113.1 is determined to be Tokyo.

[0023] The window generation unit 12 is a functional unit that generates a window that includes a status confirmation interface that allows user input. The window has the function of determining whether a user is qualified to access the site and filtering out users who are not qualified to access it. Such a window is also called a filtering screen (input screen). The window may be, for example, an access confirmation screen for a site for medical professionals, an age confirmation screen for an alcohol sales site, a professional confirmation screen for a financial information site, an age confirmation screen based on the rating of entertainment works such as games, a place of residence confirmation screen, and various other user filtering screens. By automatically generating such a window with the window generation unit 12, a user filtering function can be easily implemented on the site. The window generation unit 12 may also generate a window (access denied screen) to be displayed when it is determined that the user is not permitted to access the site. The access denied screen will be described later.

[0024] Here, the window generation unit 12 obtains window generation rules from the generation rule database 40 (described later) and generates a window that includes a status confirmation interface for checking the user's status, and a window to be displayed when it is determined that the user is not permitted to access the site, based on the window generation rules. User status here refers to user status information such as the user's occupation, age, and place of residence. For example, if the window is an access confirmation screen for a site for healthcare professionals, the status confirmation interface is a button, checkbox, etc., that allows the user to select whether or not they are a healthcare professional. If the window is an age confirmation screen for an alcohol handling site, the status confirmation interface is a form, pull-down menu, etc., that allows the user to input or select their age.

[0025] Furthermore, the window generation unit 12 does not generate a window if the access permission settings have been saved in the client terminal 90's storage by the access permission determination unit 14, which will be described later. The window generation unit 12 displays a window on the client terminal 90 even if the access permission settings have been saved in the client terminal 90's storage if the expiration date of the access permission settings saved in the client's storage has expired.

[0026] Figure 4 shows an example of registration information (window generation rules) in the generation rule database 40. A window generation rule is data that associates information identifying a site, the type of filtering set for the site, and the window (filtering screen) set for the site. In this example, the site URL is used as the information identifying the site. The filtering type can be set according to the content of the site. The columns in the table, from left to right, show the site URL, the filtering type, and the design pattern of the set of necessary screen elements. Screen elements include the status confirmation interface and the explanatory text to be displayed. For example, the URL for the healthcare professional site "http: / / example1.com" has a window with the filtering type "Occupation Confirmation (Healthcare Professional)," that is, an access confirmation screen and an access denial screen for the healthcare professional site, and the design pattern for this window is "1". Design pattern "1" includes, for example, an explanatory text such as "Are you a healthcare professional?" and a status confirmation interface where the user can input whether or not they are a healthcare professional. The correspondence between such design patterns and screen elements may be managed in a design database (not shown).

[0027] Furthermore, the window generation rules may have a higher-level category called "Occupation Verification" such as "Occupation Verification (Healthcare Worker)" or "Occupation Verification (Financial Professional)," and may also have a "Determination Method" category that distinguishes between "Yes / NO determination" and "String determination," and may also have information related to other generation rules.

[0028] The generation rule management unit 15 manages the generation rule database 40. For example, an administrator operating the window generation device 10 manages the generation rule database 40 by registering, updating, and deleting window generation rules in response to operations performed through its interface. This enables the window generation unit 12 to appropriately generate UI elements according to the site. For example, if the user filtering applied to a site that previously only checked the user's occupation is changed to also check age, it becomes easier to display an age verification form along with the occupation verification form. It also becomes easier to add a "location input section" where the user enters their location to a design pattern where the filtering type checks the legal age. With such a window design, even if the automatic location determination unit 11 does not function properly for some reason, the user can enter an accurate location.

[0029] Figure 5 shows an example of a window. Window 910 is an access confirmation screen for a site for healthcare professionals. Window 910 has a status confirmation interface with affirmative selection 911 and negative selection 912. If the user selects affirmative selection 911, the access permission determination unit 14 (described later) determines that the user is permitted to access the site and transitions the screen to the site for healthcare professionals. If the user selects negative selection 912, the access permission determination unit 14 (described later) determines that the user is not permitted to access the site and displays an access denied screen indicating that the user does not have access rights.

[0030] Figure 6 shows an example of an access denied screen. Window 930 is an access denied screen displayed when the access permission determination unit 14 determines that the user is not permitted to access a site intended for healthcare professionals. Note that the process when access is denied may involve redirection to an appropriate page, such as a general medical information page or a search engine where the user can search for other information.

[0031] Figure 7 shows another example of a window. Window 920 is an age verification screen for an alcohol sales site. Window 920 has an age input section 921, which is a status confirmation interface. When a user enters their age into the age input section 921, the access permission determination unit 14, described later, queries the filtering rule database 30 with the user's location information and the user's age to determine whether the user is permitted to access the site. For example, if it is determined that alcohol can be sold to consumers aged 20 or older at the user's location and access is permitted, the screen is redirected to the alcohol sales site. If it is determined that access is not permitted, an access denied screen is displayed indicating that the user does not have the qualifications to access the site.

[0032] Figure 8 shows another example of an access denied screen. Window 940 is an access denied screen that is displayed when the access permission determination unit 14 determines that the user is not permitted to access an alcohol-handling site. Note that the process when access is denied may involve redirecting the user to an appropriate page, such as a page handling beverages other than alcohol, or a search engine where the user can search for other information.

[0033] The window display unit 13 is a functional unit that displays a window on the client terminal 90. The window is displayed on the display 91 of the client terminal 90 when the client terminal 90 sends a request to the server 50 specifying the URL of the web page. At this time, the window may be displayed on the display 91 of the client terminal 90 before transitioning to the web page, or it may be displayed on the display 91 of the client terminal 90 by covering at least a part of the web page, making the web page inoperable.

[0034] The access permission determination unit 14 determines whether access to the web page is permitted based on the status entered by the user of the client terminal 90 into the status confirmation interface. The access permission determination unit 14 queries the filtering rule database 30 with the site filtering type obtained by the window generation unit 12 from the generation rule database 40 to obtain the filtering rule pattern applicable to this type, and determines whether the user's status violates this rule pattern, thereby determining whether the user's access to the web page is permitted.

[0035] Figure 9 shows an example of data (filtering rules) registered in the filtering rule database 30. A filtering rule is data that associates filtering types with rule patterns. Here, the filtering type is set according to the content of the site, as mentioned above; for example, for a site that handles alcohol, it is set to "Age Verification (Alcohol)". The filtering rule is the rule that determines how to filter (allow access to) users of client terminals 90 that access the web page based on the filtering type.

[0036] For example, the filtering type "Age Verification (Alcohol)" is associated with rule pattern "1". In rule pattern "1", the access permission determination unit 14 determines whether access to the web page is permitted based on the user's age included in the status entered in the status confirmation interface, according to the age conditions for which alcohol is permitted, which are determined based on the jurisdiction to which the client terminal 90 is located. In other words, rule pattern 1 includes "acquisition of the alcohol-permitted age at the location" and "comparison of the permitted age with the entered age". The correspondence between location and alcohol-permitted age may be managed in a dedicated database (not shown) or within the rule pattern.

[0037] The filtering rule management unit 16 manages the filtering rule database 30. For example, the filtering rule database 30 is managed by an administrator operating the window generation device 10 registering, updating, and deleting filtering rules in response to operations performed through its interface. For example, when adding a corresponding jurisdiction to an alcohol handling site, it becomes possible to easily make changes such as modifying the rule pattern "1" of the filtering type "Age Verification (Alcohol)".

[0038] Furthermore, if the access permission determination unit 14 grants access, it saves the access permission settings to the client terminal 90's storage. By saving the access permission settings to the client terminal 90's storage, the access permission determination unit 14 prevents increasing the burden on users who have already been granted access to the site by displaying a window each time they access the site.

[0039] Access permission settings may have an expiration date and may contain location information. Note that storage, as used here, includes cookies, web storage, etc. Having an expiration date for access permission settings prevents users who no longer meet the site's verification requirements due to a change in status from continuing to access the site. A change in status from meeting the site's verification requirements might occur, for example, when a user changes jobs and no longer meets the occupational verification requirements. Furthermore, containing location information in access permission settings prevents users who no longer meet the site's verification requirements due to a change in location from continuing to access the site. A change in location from meeting the site's verification requirements might occur, for example, when the legal drinking age changes due to a change in the jurisdiction to which the device accessing the site belongs. For example, a user aged "20" would be allowed access to an alcohol-handling site if their location is in Japan, but not if their location is in the United States where the legal drinking age is "21".

[0040] Here, a cookie is data stored by a browser, and there are two types: persistent cookies and session cookies. Persistent cookies are stored in the storage of the device on which the browser is running for a specified period even after the browser is closed, and are used to retain information such as the contents of the user's shopping cart and language settings. Session cookies are temporary cookies that exist only during the session period and are automatically deleted when the browser is closed, and are used to retain login information when the user moves between pages. Cookies have attributes such as the Name attribute, which is an identifier such as the userPref attribute, the Domain attribute which manages the domain on which the cookie is valid, the Path attribute which manages the path on which the cookie is valid, and the Expires / Max-Age attribute which manages the expiration date (deletion time) of the cookie.

[0041] Web storage refers to APIs for saving data in a browser, and there are two types: local storage and session storage. Local storage is an API for saving data until it is explicitly deleted within the browser. The data is stored in the browser's data storage area and can be retained even if the browser is closed. Data stored in local storage is shared within the same origin. Session storage is an API for saving data within the browser only for the duration of a single session. The data is stored in the memory area allocated by the browser and is deleted when the browser tab is closed. Note that data stored in web storage is also simply referred to as web storage.

[0042] According to the window generation device 10 of this embodiment, when a request is sent from a client terminal 90 specifying the URL of a web page, a response is sent back to the client terminal 90 to execute the window generation function 10A. The window generation function 10A includes a window generation unit 12 that generates a window including a user-inputtable status confirmation interface (i.e., an input screen generation function by the window generation unit 12), and a window display unit 13 that displays the window on the client terminal (i.e., a window display function by the window display unit 13). The window includes the window display unit 13, which is displayed on the display 91 of the client terminal 90 when the client terminal 90 sends a request to the server 50 specifying the URL of a web page, and an access permission determination unit 14 that determines whether access to the web page is permitted based on the status entered by the user of the client terminal 90 into the status confirmation interface (i.e., an access permission determination function by the access permission determination unit 14). As a result, access from the client terminal can be filtered before the client terminal accesses subsequent pages based on the status entered by the user of the client terminal via the status confirmation interface included in the window.

[0043] Furthermore, causing the client terminal 90 to execute the window generation function 10A can be interpreted as the client terminal 90 executing the window generation program, thereby causing the input screen generation function of the window generation unit 12, the window display function of the window display unit 13, and the access permission / failure determination function of the access permission / failure determination unit 14 to execute, or as the client terminal 90 executing the window generation program, thereby causing the window generation unit 12, the window display unit 13, and the access permission / failure determination unit 14 to be implemented in the client terminal 90 and to manifest their respective input screen generation function, window display function, and access permission / failure determination function.

[0044] Note that, in response to a user's operation of accessing a web page on the client terminal 90, a request is sent from the client terminal 90 to the server 50 by specifying the URL of the web page. The server 50 returns a response to the client terminal 90, and the client terminal 90 executes the window generation program (script) included in the response, so that the client terminal 90 may implement some or all of the functions of the window generation device 10 (that is, the window generation function 10A). Thereby, the client terminal includes a window generation unit 12 that generates a window including a status confirmation interface that can be input by the user, and a window display unit 13 that displays the window on the client terminal 90. The window is displayed on the display 91 of the client terminal 90 when a request is sent from the client terminal 90 to the server 50 by specifying the URL of the web page. The window display unit 13 and an access permission determination unit 14 that determines whether access to the web page is permitted based on the status input by the user of the client terminal 90 to the status confirmation interface.

[0045] The window generation system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a window generation device 10 and a client terminal 90. The client terminal 90 executes the window generation function 10A by receiving and executing a window generation program from the window generation device 10 (server 50). The window generation system 1 further includes a generation rule database 40 in which window generation rules are registered. The window generation device 10 acquires the window generation rules from the generation rule database 40 and generates a window including a status confirmation interface based on the window generation rules.

[0046] Figure 10 shows the window generation flow executed by the window generation device 10. The window generation flow starts when the user operates the client terminal 90 to access a web page, specifies the URL of the web page, and sends a request to the server 50 from the client terminal 90. The server 50 then returns a response to the client terminal 90, and the client terminal 90 starts by executing the script included in the response, that is, the window generation function 10A. In this example, it is assumed that the user accessed an alcohol information handling site (http: / / example2.com) using the client terminal 90.

[0047] In step S11, the window generation device 10 (location automatic determination unit 11) determines the location of the client terminal 90 that accessed the web page (http: / / example2.com) based on the network address of the client terminal 90. The details of the determination based on the network address are as described above. For example, it is assumed that "Japan" is determined based on the network address.

[0048] In step S12, the window generation device 10 (window generation unit 12) checks whether an access permission setting with an expiration date that has not passed is stored in the storage of the client terminal 90. If a valid access permission setting is stored, the process proceeds to step S13. If a valid access permission setting is not stored, that is, if no access permission setting is stored or the expiration date of the stored access permission setting has passed, the process proceeds to step S15. For example, if an access permission setting is stored, the current date and time is October 18, 2024, and the expiration date of the access permission setting is October 20, 2024, the process proceeds to step S13. If the current date and time is October 22, 2024, the process will proceed to step S15.

[0049] In step S13, the window generation device 10 (window generation unit 12) obtains the location stored in the access permission settings stored in the client terminal 90's storage. The window generation unit 12 compares the location in the access permission settings with the location obtained in step S11. If the two are different, that is, if the current location of the client terminal 90 has changed since access was permitted, the system proceeds to step S15. If the location has not changed, the system proceeds to step S14. For example, if the location stored in the access permission settings is "United States," it is different from the location "Japan" determined in step S11, so the system proceeds to step S15.

[0050] In step S14, the window generation device 10 (window generation unit 12) transitions the screen to the site specified in the client terminal 90's request. For example, as shown in Figure 11, the window generation unit 12 transitions the screen to the alcohol information handling site (http: / / example2.com). Figure 11 shows the display 91 of the client terminal 90 displaying the top page of the alcohol information handling site.

[0051] In step S15, the window generation device 10 (window generation unit 12) generates a window. The window generation unit 12 obtains a window generation rule from the generation rule database and generates a window including a status confirmation interface based on that window generation rule. More specifically, the window generation unit 12 queries the generation rule database 40 using the URL "http: / / example2.com" specified by the request from the client terminal 90 and obtains the filtering type "Age Verification (Alcohol)" and design pattern "2". Design pattern "2" includes a warning document stating that the site handles alcohol and a status confirmation interface for age verification. The window generation unit 12 generates a window 920 (see Figure 7) including an age input unit 921 according to design pattern "2". Details of the generation are as described above.

[0052] In step S16, the window generation device 10 (window display unit 13) displays the window 920. The window 920 is displayed on the display 91 of the client terminal 90 when the client terminal 90 sends a request to the server 50 specifying the URL of the web page.

[0053] Figure 12 shows a window 920 displayed on the display 91 of the client terminal 90. Note that the window 920 may be displayed on the display 91 before transitioning to the web page of the URL specified in the request, or it may be displayed on the display 91 by covering at least a part of the web page, rendering the web page inoperable, or it may be displayed in any other form.

[0054] In step S20, the window generation device 10 (access permission determination unit 14) performs an access permission determination to determine whether or not the client terminal 90 is permitted to access the site.

[0055] Figure 13 shows the subflow of the access permission determination performed by the window generation device 10.

[0056] In step S21, the user enters a status into the status input interface of window 920. In this example, the status on the alcohol information handling site is age, and the user enters their age into the age input section 921. As an example, let's assume that 21 years old is entered.

[0057] In step S22, the window generation device 10 (access permission determination unit 14) queries the filtering rule database 30 based on the entered status to determine whether the user is permitted to access the site (web page) specified by the request from the client terminal 90. If the access permission determination unit 14 determines that access is permitted, the process proceeds to step S23; if it determines that access is not permitted, the process proceeds to step S25.

[0058] For example, in step S15, the access permission determination unit 14 queries the filtering rule database 30 with the site filtering type "Age Verification (Alcohol)" obtained by the window generation unit 12 from the generation rule database 40 (included in the window generation rules) and obtains rule pattern "1" applicable to this type. In rule pattern "1", the access permission determination unit 14 compares the age requirement "20 years or older" for which alcohol is permitted, which is determined based on the jurisdiction to which the location of the client terminal 90 "Japan" belongs (i.e., "Japan"), with the entered age "21 years old", determines that the user is permitted to access the site, and proceeds to step S23. Details are as described above.

[0059] In step S23, the window generation device 10 (access permission determination unit 14) saves the access permission settings to the client terminal 90's storage. The access permission settings include location and expiration date. For example, the expiration date is one week after the access date and time, and the location includes "Japan".

[0060] In step S24, the window generation device 10 (access permission determination unit 14) transitions the screen to the alcohol information handling site specified in the client terminal 90's request. In this example, the user's age "21 years old" entered in the status input interface (age input unit 921) of window 920 is "20 years old or older," which is the legal age requirement for alcohol consumption based on the jurisdiction to which the client terminal 90's location "Japan" belongs (i.e., "Japan"). As a result, the alcohol information handling site specified by the user is displayed on the display 91 (see Figure 11).

[0061] In step S25, the window generation device 10 (window generation unit 12) generates an access denied screen (see Figure 8). For example, if the user's age "19 years old" is entered into the status input interface (age input unit 921) of window 920, access to the alcohol information site is denied because the age requirement for alcohol consumption, determined based on the jurisdiction to which the client terminal 90's location "Japan" belongs (i.e., "Japan"), is "under 20 years old". The window generation unit 12 obtains a window generation rule from the generation rule database and generates an access denied screen based on that window generation rule. More specifically, the window generation unit 12 queries the generation rule database 40 with the URL "http: / / example2.com" specified by the client terminal 90's request and obtains the filtering type "age verification (alcohol)" and design pattern "2". Design pattern "2" includes a document stating that the site handles alcohol and therefore prohibits access by minors as part of the access denied screen design. The window generation unit 12 generates an access denied screen 940 (see Figure 8) according to design pattern "2".

[0062] In step S26, the window generation device 10 (window generation unit 13) displays the access denied screen 940 on the display 91 of the client terminal 90, as shown in Figure 14. Figure 14 shows the display 91 of the client terminal 90 with the access denied screen 940 displayed.

[0063] The window generation method according to this embodiment is a window generation method executed by one or more computers, comprising the steps of: generating a window that includes a user-inputtable status confirmation interface; displaying the window on a client terminal 90, wherein the window is displayed on the display 91 of the client terminal 90 when the client terminal 90 sends a request to the server 50 specifying the URL of a web page; and determining whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on the status entered by the user of the client terminal 90 into the status confirmation interface. This makes it possible to filter access from the client terminal before the client terminal accesses subsequent pages based on the status entered by the user of the client terminal via the status confirmation interface included in the window.

[0064] Various embodiments of the present invention may be described with reference to flowcharts and block diagrams, where a block may represent (1) a stage in a process in which an operation is performed, or (2) a section of a device having the role of performing the operation. Specific stages and sections may be implemented by dedicated circuits, programmable circuits supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, and / or processors supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. Dedicated circuits may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. Programmable circuits may include reconfigurable hardware circuits, including logical AND, logical OR, logical XOR, logical NAND, logical NOR, and other logic operations, flip-flops, registers, memory elements such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), etc.

[0065] Computer-readable media may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions to be executed by a suitable device, and as a result, computer-readable media having instructions stored therein will comprise a product containing instructions that can be executed to create means for performing operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. More specific examples of computer-readable media may include floppy disks (registered trademark), diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital multipurpose disc (DVD), Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc, memory stick, integrated circuit card, etc.

[0066] Computer-readable instructions may include assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk®, Java®, C++, and traditional procedural programming languages ​​such as the C programming language or similar programming languages.

[0067] Computer-readable instructions are provided locally or via a wide area network (WAN) such as a local area network (LAN) or the internet to the processor or programmable circuit of a programmable data processing device such as a computer, and may be executed to create means for performing operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Here, the computer may be a PC (personal computer), tablet computer, smartphone, workstation, server computer, general-purpose computer, or special-purpose computer, and may also be a computer system in which multiple computers are connected. Such a computer system in which multiple computers are connected is also called a distributed computing system and is a computer in a broad sense. In a distributed computing system, multiple computers execute a program collectively by each computer executing a part of the program and passing data during program execution between computers as needed.

[0068] Examples of processors include computer processors, central processing units (CPUs), processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, and microcontrollers. A computer may have one or more processors. In a multiprocessor system with multiple processors, each processor executes a portion of the program, and the processors collectively execute the program by passing program execution data between them as needed. For example, in the execution of multitasks, each of the multiple processors may execute a portion of each task in small chunks by switching tasks at each time slice. In this case, which part of a program each processor executes changes dynamically. Which part of a program each of the multiple processors executes may also be statically determined by multiprocessor-aware programming.

[0069] Figure 15 shows an example of a computer 1200 in which multiple aspects of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part. A program installed on the computer 1200 can cause the computer 1200 to function as an operation or one or more sections of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, or to execute such operation or one or more sections, and / or to cause the computer 1200 to execute a process or a stage of such process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Such a program may be executed by the CPU 1212 to cause the computer 1200 to perform a particular operation associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0070] The computer 1200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 1212, RAM 1214, a graphics controller 1216, and a display device 1218, which are interconnected by a host controller 1210. The computer 1200 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 1222, a storage device 1224 such as a hard disk drive, a DVD-ROM drive 1226, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 1210 via an input / output controller 1220. The computer also includes legacy input / output units such as a ROM 1230 and a keyboard 1242, which are connected to the input / output controller 1220 via an input / output chip 1240.

[0071] The CPU 1212 operates according to programs stored in the ROM 1230 and RAM 1214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphics controller 1216 acquires image data generated by the CPU 1212 from the frame buffer provided in RAM 1214 or from itself, and displays the image data on the display device 1218.

[0072] The communication interface 1222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The storage device 1224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 1212 in the computer 1200. The DVD-ROM drive 1226 reads programs or data from the DVD-ROM 1227 and provides them to the storage device 1224 via the RAM 1214. The IC card drive reads programs and data from the IC card and / or writes programs and data to the IC card.

[0073] The ROM 1230 stores boot programs and / or programs that depend on the computer 1200's hardware, which are executed by the computer 1200 when activated. The input / output chip 1240 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 1220 via parallel ports, serial ports, keyboard ports, mouse ports, etc.

[0074] The program is provided on a computer-readable medium such as a DVD-ROM 1227 or an IC card. The program is read from the computer-readable medium and installed on a storage device 1224, RAM 1214, or ROM 1230, which are examples of computer-readable mediums, and executed by the CPU 1212. The information processing described within these programs is read by the computer 1200, resulting in coordination between the program and the various types of hardware resources described above. The apparatus or method may be configured to realize the manipulation or processing of information in accordance with the use of the computer 1200.

[0075] For example, when communication is performed between a computer 1200 and an external device, the CPU 1212 may execute a communication program loaded into the RAM 1214 and, based on the processing described in the communication program, instruct the communication interface 1222 to perform communication processing. Under the control of the CPU 1212, the communication interface 1222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer processing area provided in a recording medium such as the RAM 1214, storage device 1224, DVD-ROM 1227, or IC card, transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes received data received from the network to a receive buffer processing area provided on the recording medium.

[0076] Furthermore, the CPU 1212 may read all or necessary parts of a file or database stored on an external recording medium such as a storage device 1224, a DVD-ROM drive 1226 (DVD-ROM 1227), or an IC card into the RAM 1214, and perform various types of processing on the data in the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 then writes the processed data back to the external recording medium.

[0077] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and subjected to information processing. The CPU 1212 may perform various types of processing on the data read from the RAM 1214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgments, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information retrieval / replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the program instruction sequence, and write the results back to the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may also retrieve information in files, databases, etc., within the recording medium. For example, if a plurality of entries having attribute values ​​of a first attribute, each associated with an attribute value of a second attribute, are stored in the recording medium, the CPU 1212 may search among the plurality of entries for an entry that matches the condition for which the attribute value of the first attribute is specified, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in that entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0078] The program or software module described above may be stored on or near the computer 1200 on a computer-readable medium. Alternatively, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided within a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable medium, thereby providing the program to the computer 1200 via the network.

[0079] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It will be clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0080] It should be noted that the execution order of operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not explicitly stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and that these can be performed in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operation flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using phrases such as "first," "next," etc. for convenience, this does not mean that it is mandatory to perform the operations in that order.

[0081] This specification also discloses the configurations described in the following items: (Item 1) A window generation device that, when a request is sent from a client terminal specifying the URL of a web page, sends a response back to the client terminal and executes a window generation function, wherein the window generation function comprises: a window generation unit that generates a window including a user-inputtable status confirmation interface; a window display unit that displays the window on the client terminal, wherein the window is displayed on the display of the client terminal when the client terminal sends a request to the server specifying the URL of a web page; and an access permission determination unit that determines whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on a status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface. (Item 2) The window generation device according to Item 1, wherein the access permission determination unit queries a filtering rule database 30 with the status to determine whether or not access to the web page is permitted. (Item 3) The window generation device according to Item 1, wherein the status includes the user's age, and the access permission determination unit determines whether or not access to the web page is permitted according to age conditions determined based on the jurisdiction to which the client terminal is located. (Item 4) The window generation device according to Item 1, wherein if the access permission determination unit permits the access, it saves the access permission setting to the client terminal's storage, and the window generation unit does not generate the window if the access permission setting is saved in the client terminal's storage. (Item 5) The window generation device according to Item 4, wherein the access permission setting has an expiration date, and the window generation unit generates the window even if the access permission setting is saved in the client terminal's storage if the expiration date of the access permission setting has expired.(Item 6) The window generation device according to Item 1, wherein the window generation unit obtains window generation rules from a generation rule database and generates a window including the status confirmation interface based on the window generation rules. (Item 7) The window generation device according to Item 6, further comprising a generation rule management unit for managing the generation rule database. (Item 8) The window generation device according to Item 1, wherein the window is displayed on the display of the client terminal before transitioning to the Web page, or is displayed on the display of the client terminal by covering at least a part of the Web page, making the Web page inoperable. (Item 9) A client terminal implementing a window generation function, comprising: a window generation unit that generates a window including a user-inputtable status confirmation interface; a window display unit that displays the window on the client terminal, wherein the window is displayed on the display of the client terminal when the client terminal sends a request to the server specifying the URL of the Web page; and an access permission determination unit that determines whether or not access to the Web page is permitted based on a status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface. (Item 10) A window generation system comprising: a window generation device as described in any one of Items 1 to 8; and a client terminal as described in Item 9, which performs a window generation function by receiving and executing a window generation program from the window generation device. (Item 11) The window generation system according to Item 10, further comprising a generation rule database in which window generation rules are registered, wherein the window generation device obtains window generation rules from the generation rule database and generates a window including the status confirmation interface based on the window generation rules.(Item 12) A window generation method performed by one or more computers, comprising: a step of generating a window that includes a user-inputtable status confirmation interface; a step of displaying the window on a client terminal, wherein the window is displayed on the display of the client terminal when the client terminal sends a request to the server specifying the URL of a web page; and a step of determining whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on a status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface. (Item 13) The window generation method according to Item 12, wherein in the determination step, the filtering rule database 30 is queried with the status to determine whether or not access to the web page is permitted. (Item 14) The window generation method according to Item 12, wherein the status includes the user's age, and in the determination step, the access to the web page is determined according to an age condition determined based on the jurisdiction to which the client terminal is located. (Item 15) The window generation method according to Item 12, wherein, in the determination stage, if the access is permitted, the access permission settings are saved to the client terminal's storage, and in the generation stage, if the access permission settings are saved to the client terminal's storage, the window is not generated. (Item 16) The window generation method according to Item 15, wherein the access permission settings have an expiration date, and in the display stage, if the expiration date of the access permission settings has expired, the window is generated even if the access permission settings are saved to the client terminal's storage. (Item 17) The window generation method according to Item 12, wherein, in the generation stage, window generation rules are obtained from the generation rule database, and a window including the status confirmation interface is generated based on the window generation rules.(Item 18) The window generation method according to Item 12, wherein the window is displayed on the client terminal's display before transitioning to the Web page, or covers at least a portion of the Web page, rendering the Web page inoperable, and is displayed on the client terminal's display. (Item 19) A window generation program that causes a computer to execute the window generation method according to any one of Items 12 to 18. (Item 20) A window generation system comprising: a window generation device that sends a response back to the client terminal and executes a window generation function when a request is sent from the client terminal specifying the URL of a web page; and the client terminal that executes the window generation function by receiving and executing a window generation program from the window generation device, wherein the window generation function comprises: an input screen generation function that generates a window including a status confirmation interface that can be entered by a user; and a window display function that displays the window on the client terminal, wherein the window is displayed on the display of the client terminal when the client terminal sends a request to the server specifying the URL of a web page; and an access permission determination function that determines whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on the status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface. (Item 21) The window generation system according to Item 20, wherein the access permission determination function queries the filtering rule database 30 with the status to determine whether or not access to the web page is permitted. (Item 22) The window generation system described in Item 20, wherein the status includes the user's age, and the access permission determination function determines whether or not access to the web page is permitted according to age conditions determined based on the jurisdiction to which the client terminal is located.(Item 23) The window generation system according to Item 20, wherein the access permission determination function saves the access permission settings to the client terminal's storage if the access is permitted, and the input screen generation function does not generate the window if the access permission settings are saved to the client terminal's storage. (Item 24) The window generation system according to Item 23, wherein the access permission settings have an expiration date, and the input screen generation function generates the window if the expiration date of the access permission settings has expired, even if the access permission settings are saved to the client terminal's storage. (Item 25) The window generation system according to Item 20, wherein the input screen generation function obtains window generation rules from a generation rule database and generates a window including the status confirmation interface based on the window generation rules. (Item 26) The window generation system according to Item 20, wherein the window is displayed on the client terminal's display before transitioning to the Web page, or is displayed on the client terminal's display after covering at least a part of the Web page, making the Web page inoperable. (Item 27) The window generation system according to Item 20, further comprising a generation rule database in which window generation rules are registered, wherein the window generation device obtains window generation rules from the generation rule database and generates a window including the status confirmation interface based on the window generation rules.(Item 28) A window generation method comprising: a step of sending a response to a client terminal in response to a request sent from a client terminal specifying the URL of a web page by a window generation device; and a step of the client terminal executing a window generation function by receiving the response from the window generation device and executing a window generation program included in the response, wherein the window generation function comprises an input screen generation function that generates a window including a user-inputtable status confirmation interface, and a window display function that displays the window on the client terminal, the window being displayed on the display of the client terminal when the client terminal sends a request to a server specifying the URL of a web page, and an access permission determination function that determines whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on a status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface. (Item 29) A program that, upon receiving a request from a client terminal specifying the URL of a web page, causes a computer to execute a procedure to send a response back to the client terminal and execute a window generation function, wherein the window generation function comprises an input screen generation function that generates a window including a user-inputtable status confirmation interface, and a window display function that displays the window on the client terminal, the window being displayed on the client terminal's display when the client terminal sends a request to the server specifying the URL of a web page, and an access permission determination function that determines whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on the status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface.(Item 30) A window generation program that causes a computer to execute the following steps: a step to generate a window that includes a user-inputtable status confirmation interface; a step to display the window on a client terminal, wherein the window is displayed on the client terminal's display when the client terminal sends a request to the server specifying the URL of a web page; and a step to determine whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on the status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface.

[0082] 1...Window generation system (system), 10...Window generation device, 10A...Window generation function, 11...Automatic location determination unit, 12...Window generation unit, 13...Window display unit, 13...Access permission determination unit, 15...Generation rule management unit, 16...Filtering rule management unit, 20...Geographic information database, 30...Filtering rule database, 40...Generation rule database, 50...Server, 90...Client terminal, 91...Display, 99...Network, 910...Window (filtering screen), 911...Affirmative selection 912...Negative selection, 920...Window (filtering screen), 921...Age input section, 930...Window (access denied screen), 940...Window (access denied screen), 1200...Computer, 1210...Host controller, 1212...CPU, 1214...RAM, 1216...Graphics controller, 1218...Display device, 1220...Input / output controller, 1222...Communication interface, 1224...Storage device, 1226...DVD-ROM drive, 1240...Input / output chip, 1242...Keyboard.

Claims

1. A window generation device that, when a request is sent from a client terminal specifying the URL of a web page, sends a response back to the client terminal and executes a window generation function, wherein the window generation function comprises: a window generation unit that generates a window including a user-inputtable status confirmation interface; a window display unit that displays the window on the client terminal, wherein the window is displayed on the display of the client terminal when the client terminal sends a request to the server specifying the URL of a web page; and an access permission determination unit that determines whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on the status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface.

2. The window generation device according to claim 1, wherein the access permission determination unit queries the filtering rule database 30 with the status to determine whether or not access to the web page is permitted.

3. The window generation device according to claim 1, wherein the status includes the user's age, and the access permission determination unit determines whether or not access to the web page is permitted according to age conditions determined based on the jurisdiction to which the client terminal is located.

4. The window generation device according to claim 1, wherein the access permission determination unit saves the access permission settings to the client terminal's storage if it has granted access, and the window generation unit does not generate the window if the access permission settings are already saved in the client terminal's storage.

5. The window generation device according to claim 4, wherein the access permission setting has an expiration date, and the window generation unit generates the window even if the access permission setting is stored in the client terminal's storage if the expiration date of the access permission setting has expired.

6. The window generation device according to claim 1, wherein the window generation unit obtains window generation rules from a generation rule database and generates a window including the status confirmation interface based on the window generation rules.

7. The window generation device according to claim 6, further comprising a generation rule management unit for managing the generation rule database.

8. The window generating device according to claim 1, wherein the window is displayed on the display of the client terminal before transitioning to the web page, or covers at least a portion of the web page, rendering the web page inoperable, and is displayed on the display of the client terminal.

9. A client terminal that implements a window generation function, comprising: a window generation unit that generates a window including a user-inputtable status confirmation interface; a window display unit that displays the window on the client terminal, wherein the window is displayed on the display of the client terminal when the client terminal sends a request to the server specifying the URL of a web page; and an access permission determination unit that determines whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on the status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface.

10. A window generation system comprising: a window generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; and a client terminal according to claim 9, the client terminal which performs a window generation function by receiving and executing a window generation program from the window generation device.

11. The window generation system according to claim 10, further comprising a generation rule database in which window generation rules are registered, wherein the window generation device obtains window generation rules from the generation rule database and generates a window including the status confirmation interface based on the window generation rules.

12. A window generation method performed by one or more computers, comprising: generating a window that includes a user-inputtable status confirmation interface; displaying the window on a client terminal, wherein the window is displayed on the client terminal's display when the client terminal sends a request to a server specifying the URL of a web page; and determining whether or not access to the web page is permitted based on a status entered by the user of the client terminal into the status confirmation interface.

13. The window generation method according to claim 12, wherein, in the determination step, the filtering rule database 30 is queried with the status to determine whether or not access to the web page is permitted.

14. The window generation method according to claim 12, wherein the status includes the user's age, and in the determination step, it is determined whether or not access to the web page is permitted according to age conditions determined based on the jurisdiction to which the client terminal is located.

15. The window generation method according to claim 12, wherein, in the determination stage, if the access is permitted, the access permission settings are saved to the storage of the client terminal, and in the generation stage, if the access permission settings are saved to the storage of the client terminal, the window is not generated.

16. The window generation method according to claim 15, wherein the access permission setting has an expiration date, and if the expiration date of the access permission setting has expired at the display stage, the window is generated even if the access permission setting is saved in the storage of the client terminal.

17. The window generation method according to claim 12, wherein in the generation stage, window generation rules are obtained from a generation rule database, and a window including the status confirmation interface is generated based on the window generation rules.

18. The window generation method according to claim 12, wherein the window is displayed on the display of the client terminal before transitioning to the web page, or is displayed on the display of the client terminal by covering at least a portion of the web page, rendering the web page inoperable.

19. A window generation program that causes a computer to execute the window generation method described in any one of claims 12 to 18.

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