JP2010128888A - Archive service system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify reference and retrieval of logs and to simplify sharing of log messages between end users to obtain message logs that can pass audit when an IM service of an IM service provider is used. <P>SOLUTION: A server 3 of an IM message archive service system includes an archiving IM client 32 that performs storage in a database each time it participates in a chat between end users and receives a message exchanged between the end users; a starting unit 31 which starts the IM client unit 32 upon receiving an HTTP request from an end user's client computer; and a message display unit 33 which provides the end users with the functions of referring to and/or retrieving the message data stored in a database 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an archive service system and method, and more particularly, to an archive service system and method for archiving messages exchanged between IM (instant messenger) clients so that they can be referenced by HTTP.

  The IM or IM client is a chat application that realizes real-time communication between users on the Internet or an intranet. An IM client can send and receive chat messages with other IM clients using the IM service.

  Recently, the IM described above has begun to be reviewed as a presence information sharing tool as well as a chat tool, and introduction of the IM as an in-house infrastructure for the purpose of improving the productivity of employees is being considered.

As a conventional technique related to a tool for sharing presence information, for example, a technique described in Patent Document 1 is known.
JP 2005-266880 A

  By the way, it is common to quote a message exchanged between clients using IM in a later chat. For this reason, many IMs usually have a function for storing a log of messages.

  However, the message log in the conventional IM system is often acquired individually as a local text file for each user, which is very inconvenient in terms of log search and sharing among end users, and decreases in productivity. Was invited.

  In recent years, some IM service providers have provided a service for managing chat logs on the Internet, but this service does not centrally manage logs, but provides individual services for each end user. The time and effort required when chatting by quoting logs between end users has not been improved. Further, since the service described above is not provided for each message but for each session (stream), it also takes time to share chat information for each message.

  In addition to the above, considering the case where a company uses an IM service provider's service to introduce IM in-house, it is once stored in the user's local environment or on a server. However, the problem is that logs managed by individual users cannot be used for auditing.

  An object of the present invention is to simplify log reference and search in consideration of the problems of the prior art as described above, simplify log message sharing among end users, and provide an IM service provider. It is an object of the present invention to provide an archive service system and method capable of obtaining a log that can withstand an audit even when using the IM service.

  According to the present invention, the object is to archive an IM message exchanged between client computers so that the client computer can refer to the IM message. An IM server that controls transmission and reception and an archive service server that receives and archives IM messages transmitted and received between client computers are connected via a network, and the archive service server is connected between the client computers. IM client unit that receives IM messages transmitted and received by the client and stores the received messages in a database, and retrieves messages from the client computer Receiving a determined, a message obtained by searching the database is accomplished by being constituted by a message display unit to return to the client computer.

  Specifically, the archiving service server in the IM message archiving service system according to the present invention participates in a chat between end users using a client computer, and each time the end user exchanges a message, the message is received. An IM client for archiving that saves the data in the database, an IM client process starter that is an application that starts the IM client in response to an HTTP request from the end user's client computer, and the data stored in the database on the end user's client computer And a message display unit which is an application that provides a message data reference / search function.

  The client computer used by the end user transmits an HTTP request for starting the IM client for message archiving in the server, confirms the online state of the activated message archiving IM client, If so, an application that starts archiving by inviting you to chat with other end users, sends an HTTP request to search and reference archived message data, and displays the returned search results An HTTP client unit is provided.

  According to the present invention, log reference and search can be simplified, log messages can be easily shared between end users, and auditing can be performed even when an IM service provider uses an IM service. Logs can be acquired.

  Embodiments of an archive service system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an archive service system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The archiving service system shown in FIG. 1 performs IM message archiving, receives a request from a plurality of client computers 1 and 2 used by the end user, and the end user, and creates, manages, and searches the archive. Own IM service owned by an archive service server 3 as a host system that performs communication and an IM service provider that provides an IM service that controls transmission and reception of IM messages between clients, or a company provided in an intranet A server 5 is connected to a network 6 such as the Internet or an intranet.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the archive service server 3 and the database 4 that the server 3 has.

  Although not shown in FIG. 2, the archive service server 3 is an information processing apparatus configured to include a storage device such as a CPU and HDD, a memory, an input / output device used by an administrator, and the like. The archive service server 3 is usually stored in a storage device such as an HDD for archiving IM messages according to the present invention, and is loaded into the memory and executed by the CPU to construct a predetermined function. It has a functional part by a program.

  That is, the archive service server 3 includes an IM client process activation unit 31 that receives an IM client process activation request from an end user, an IM client unit 32 that is activated by the IM client process activation unit, and a message search request from the end user. Message display unit 33, client access authentication unit 34, and database 4 provided in a storage device such as an HDD.

  The database 4 includes an archive message table 41 and a stream participant table 42 in which chat participants are recorded. The IM client unit 32 includes a message receiving unit 321 that receives an IM message, and a message insertion unit 3222 that inserts the received message into the database 4. Further, the message display unit 33 includes a message search unit 331 that searches and extracts messages from the database 4.

  In the above description, the message receiving unit 321 of the IM client unit 32 participates in chat between client computers (IM message transmission / reception) to receive the transmitted / received IM message, and the message insertion unit 322 includes the message receiving unit. The IM message received by 321 is stored in the database 4. The message search unit 331 of the message display unit 33 receives the message search request received from the client computer and searches the database 4. The retrieved message is returned to the requesting client computer.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the client computers 1 and 2. The client computers 1 and 2 are information processing apparatuses represented by a PC and the like, and are configured with a storage device such as a CPU and HDD, a memory, an input / output device used by a user, etc., which are not shown in FIG. Is done. The client computers 1 and 2 are normally stored in a storage device such as an HDD, and exchanged IM messages, which are functional units by a program that builds a predetermined function by being loaded into the memory and executed by the CPU. And an HTTP client unit 12 for transmitting an archiving IM client process activation request and an IM message search request.

  FIG. 4 shows the data structure of the message table 41. As shown in FIG. The message table 41 includes a stream number column 411 for storing a chat session ID, a message number column 412 for storing a message ID, a message column 413 for storing a message body, and a sender ID column for storing a message sender name. A set of 414 is used as one record, and a plurality of records are stored.

  FIG. 5 shows the data structure of the stream participant table 42. The stream participant table 42 is configured by storing a plurality of records with a combination of a stream number column 421 that stores a session ID of chat and a participant ID column 422 that stores participant information of chat as one record. The

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining processing operations until the archive service server 3 starts chat archiving, which will be described next. Here, it is assumed that the client computers 1 and 2 have started chatting for sending and receiving IM messages using the IM server 5 before the processing in the archive service server 3 is started. In this chat, it is assumed that end users using client computers agree to archive IM messages.

(1) With the agreement to archive the IM message, one HTTP client unit 12 of the client computers 1 and 2 transmits an activation request for activating the IM client unit 32 to the archive service server 3 ( Step 61).

(2) The IM client process activation unit 31 of the archive service server 3 receives the activation request sent from the client computer and activates the IM client unit 32 (step 62).

(3) Next, the IM client unit 11 of the client computer participates in the chat by sending and receiving the IM message between the client computers when the archiving IM client unit 32 of the archive service server 3 is started normally, It is confirmed that the IM message to be transmitted / received can be received (step 63).

(4) Thereafter, the IM client unit 11 of the client computer invites the IM client unit 32 for message archiving to a chat session in which the message is to be archived. At this time, the IM client unit 11 of the client computer informs the archive service server 3 of the information of end users participating in the chat. With the above processing, the archive service server 3 can start archiving of the IM message (step 64).

  Thereafter, in the archive service server 3, the message receiving unit 321 of the IM client unit 32 receives the IM message transmitted / received between the client computers, and the message inserting unit 322 stores the information message in the message table 41 of the database 4. To do.

  Further, when a message search request is sent from the client computer, the archive service server 3 receives the request from the message display unit 331, and the message search unit 331 searches the message table of the database 4 to obtain the message. Send the message back to the client computer.

  Each process in the above-described embodiment of the present invention is configured by a program and can be executed by a CPU included in the present invention. These programs are stored in a recording medium such as an FD, CDROM, or DVD. It can be provided and can be provided by digital information via a network.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the archive service system by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the archive service server and the database which this server has. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a client computer. It is a figure which shows the data structure of a message table. It is a figure which shows the data structure of a stream participant table. It is a flowchart explaining processing operation | movement until an archive service server starts the archive of chat.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 2 Client computer 3 Archive service server 4 Database 5 IM server 6 Network 11 IM client part 12 HTTP client part 31 IM client process starting part 32 IM client part 33 Message display part 34 User authentication part 41 Message table 42 Stream participant table ,
321 Message receiving unit 322 Message inserting unit 331 Message searching unit

Claims (3)

In an archive service system for archiving IM messages exchanged between client computers so that they can be referenced by client computers,
A plurality of client computers, an IM server that controls transmission / reception of IM messages between client computers, and an archive service server that receives and archives IM messages transmitted / received between client computers are connected via a network. Configured,
The archive service server receives an IM message transmitted / received between the client computers, receives an IM client unit that stores the received message in a database, receives a message search request from the client computer, and stores the database in the database. An archive service system comprising: a message display unit for returning a message obtained by searching to the client computer.   The archive service server includes an IM client process activation unit. The IM client process activation unit receives an activation request sent from the client computer and activates the IM client unit. The IM client unit In response to an invitation from the client computer to chat by sending and receiving IM messages between the client computers, reception of IM messages sent and received between the client computers is started. The archive service system according to claim 1. In an archiving service method for archiving IM messages exchanged between client computers so that they can be referred to by client computers,
A plurality of client computers, an IM server that controls transmission / reception of IM messages between client computers, and an archive service server that receives and archives IM messages transmitted / received between client computers are connected via a network. Configured,
The archive service server receives an IM message transmitted / received between the client computers, stores the received message in a database, receives a message search request from the client computer, and searches the database. An archive service method characterized by returning a received message to the client computer.

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