JP6164690B2 - Information distribution apparatus, method and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method, apparatus, and system for transmitting a message on an IP network, and more particularly, to an information distribution apparatus, method, and program for transmitting a message by a push notification method.

  In recent years, with the spread of mobile communication terminals such as smartphones, in order to effectively inform users of information updates, etc., instead of receiving information from the server and transmitting information from the server, the server triggers the user from the server. A message transmission method called push notification for transmitting a message to a mobile communication terminal to be used is widely used.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an implementation form of push notification. When information published on the information server is updated, that fact is notified to each communication terminal of the user via the push notification server. The user terminal receiving the notification obtains updated information by accessing the information server triggered by the notification. According to such a push notification, it is not necessary to confirm information update from the user terminal side, so that it is possible to reduce the communication amount and the power consumption of the terminal.

  The push notification method shown in FIG. 8 assumes that the information server operator also operates a push notification server. However, since the spread of mobile communication terminals in recent years has led users to always carry communication terminals, the effectiveness of push notifications has increased and push notifications have been used in many services.

  Against this background, as shown in an example in FIG. 9, in order to efficiently perform push notification, a portion that performs push notification to the user terminal is cut out as a common platform for push notification and is operated by a third party. The form to do has also appeared.

  Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose push notification servers for sending messages by push notification to a communication terminal in which each OS is implemented by Google or Apple, which provides a smartphone OS.

  In addition, since the specifications of the push notification infrastructure provided by each company (for example, the maximum notification message length, etc.) are generally different, Patent Document 3 discloses a service that makes it possible to use the push notification infrastructure provided by each company in an integrated manner. Has been.

Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) http://developer.android.com/guide/google/gcm/index.html Apple Push Notification Service (APNS) https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/NetworkingInternet/Conceptual/RemoteNotificationsPG/ApplePushService/ApplePushService.html Push notification ASP service "CORE PUSH" by Breath Service Co., Ltd. http://core-asp.com

  A user who uses the service “CORE PUSH” disclosed in Patent Document 3 needs to register a message or the like for each push notification platform provided by each company. In addition, since the specifications (message length, expiration date specification method, etc.) required for each message notification infrastructure requesting a push notification are generally different, for example, the message length is one of the push notification infrastructure specifications (maximum message length). ) Is satisfied but the specification of the other push notification infrastructure is not satisfied.

  As described above, when the message specifications do not conform to the specifications of all message notification infrastructures, there is a problem in that a message that conforms to the specifications must be prepared for each message notification infrastructure.

An object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art , and an information distribution apparatus, method, and program capable of registering a message to be notified by a user who uses a push notification infrastructure without being aware of the difference in specifications of each push notification infrastructure Is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized in that it has the following configuration.

  (1) The information distribution device of the present invention is used by a communication terminal, a message receiving unit that receives a transmission request including a message and a message ID unique to the message, a specification storage unit that stores specifications of each push notification base, and Selection means for selecting a push notification infrastructure based on OS, message analysis means for analyzing message transmission specifications, and adaptation means for adapting message transmission specifications to the selected push notification infrastructure specifications .

(2) In the information distribution method of the present invention, the information distribution apparatus accepts a message and a transmission request including a message ID unique to the message, and selects a push notification base based on the OS used by the communication terminal. And a procedure for determining whether or not the message length conforms to the specification of the push notification infrastructure, and a procedure for transmitting a message that does not conform to the specification by rewriting the message ID,
The communication terminal device includes a procedure for determining whether or not the received message is a message ID, and a procedure for transmitting a message request describing the message ID to the information distribution device when the received message is a message ID,
The information distribution apparatus transmits a message corresponding to the message ID to the communication terminal apparatus in response to reception of the message request describing the message ID.

  According to the present invention, the following effects are achieved.

  (1) According to the information distribution apparatus of the present invention, if the specification of the message that has accepted the transmission request by the push notification does not conform to the specification of the push notification base selected according to the destination terminal, the specification of the message Is changed to conform to the specifications of the selected push notification infrastructure, the message delivery requester can create and send a message without regard to the OS type of the communication terminal device.

  (2) According to the information delivery method of the present invention, if the message length of the message that has received the transmission request by the push notification does not conform to the specification of the push notification infrastructure, only the message ID is pushed and notified instead of the message, The communication terminal apparatus that has received the push notification can acquire the message text corresponding to the message ID by accessing the information distribution apparatus. Therefore, the message delivery requester can make a message and request delivery without being aware of the OS type of the destination terminal device.

It is the block diagram which showed the structure of the network to which this invention is applied. It is the functional block diagram which showed the structure of the principal part of an information delivery apparatus. It is a Siemens flow showing a user registration procedure. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. It is the flowchart which showed the message reception procedure in a communication terminal. It is the figure which compared the specification regarding the expiration date designation | designated method of a push notification infrastructure. It is the flowchart which showed the operation | movement of 2nd Example of this invention. It is the figure which showed the form of the conventional push notification. It is the figure which showed the utilization form of the conventional push notification common base.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a network configuration corresponding to push notification to which the present invention is applied. First and second push notification infrastructures (servers) 1 and 2 that perform message transmission by push notification, and push notification. The information distribution apparatuses (servers) 3 that request message transmission to the push notification platforms 1 and 2 are both connected to the network, and the communication terminal apparatuses 4 (4a, 4b) and 5 that receive the push notification message are also wireless. Connected to the network via a base station.

  In the present embodiment, the communication terminal devices 4 and 5 are installed with different types of OSs, the communication terminal device 4 can receive the push notification transmitted from the first push notification platform 1, and the communication terminal device 5 It is assumed that a push notification transmitted from the second push notification platform 2 can be received. Therefore, when the information distribution device 3 transmits a message to the communication terminal device 4 by push notification, the information distribution device 3 requests the first push notification base 1 to transmit a message, and transmits a message to the communication terminal device 5 by push notification. Requests the second push notification platform 2 to send a message.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the information distribution apparatus 3. Here, the configuration unnecessary for the description of the present invention is omitted. The information distribution apparatus 3 according to the present invention may be configured by mounting an application (program) for realizing each function on a general-purpose computer or server, or a part of the application is hardware or ROM. It may be configured as a machine or a single-function machine.

  The user registration accepting unit 101 accepts registration of user information from each communication terminal device 4, 5 in advance and registers it in the user DB 102. The message accepting unit 103 accepts a transmission request including a message requested for transmission by push notification and its destination information, adds a unique message ID to each message, and registers the message in the message DB 100.

  The message receiving method may be that the information distribution device 3 (message reception unit 103) provides a Web GUI, and the information distributor manually inputs from a PC using a Web browser or the like, or the information distribution device 3 may provide an API (Application Programming Interface) and automatically input a message and a destination by using a program that operates on an external server or the like.

  In the adaptation unit 104, the specification storage unit 104a stores specifications related to push notifications of the push notification platforms 1 and 2. The selection unit 104b selects the push notification base based on the type of OS implemented by the destination communication terminal device (hereinafter also referred to as a destination terminal). The message analysis unit 104c analyzes a message transmission specification such as a method for specifying an expiration date of a message and a message length.

  If the transmission specification of the message requested to be transmitted by push notification is incompatible with the specification of the push notification infrastructure selected based on the OS type, the adapting unit 104 changes the message transmission specification to the specification of the push notification infrastructure. To fit. The message transmission request unit 105 requests the selected push notification infrastructure to transmit the message requested to be transmitted by push notification.

  In response to receiving the message request transmitted from the communication terminal device that has received the push notification, the message request processing unit 106 reads the requested message from the message DB 100 and transmits it.

  FIG. 3 is a sequence flow showing a procedure from when the user registration receiving unit 101 of the information distribution apparatus 3 receives user registration from the communication terminal apparatus to register the user information in the user DB 102.

  At time t1, user registration is requested from the communication terminal devices 4 and 5 to the push notification platforms 1 and 2, respectively. At time t2, the communication terminal device is registered as a user in the push notification infrastructure, and a unique device ID is issued to the communication terminal device. At time t3, the device ID is notified from the push notification infrastructure to the communication terminal device. At time t4, the device ID is given to the communication terminal device. At time t5, the communication terminal apparatus notifies the information distribution apparatus 3 of the device ID, the user ID including the destination information, and the OS type, and accumulates them in the user DB 102.

  Next, a transmission method using message push notification will be described with reference to a flowchart. In this embodiment, the following assumptions are assumed.

(1) There are a plurality of push notification platforms 1 and 2 corresponding to different OSs.
(2) The maximum message length in the first push notification infrastructure is Lref1, and the maximum message length in the second push notification infrastructure is Lref2 (0 <Lref1 <Lref2).

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a message transmission request procedure in the information distribution apparatus 3. When a message transmission request is registered by the information distributor in the message receiving unit 103, in step S1, the user ID of the message is displayed. (Destination), the type of OS corresponding to the user ID is confirmed based on the user DB. In step S2, the requested push notification infrastructure is determined based on the OS type. If it is the first push notification infrastructure 1, the process proceeds to step S3, and if it is the second push notification infrastructure 2, the process proceeds to step S5.

  In step S3, the message length Lm is compared with the maximum message length Lref1 of the first push notification platform 1, and if Lm ≦ Lref1, the specification is met, so the process proceeds to step S4 and the message is requested to be transmitted as it is. On the other hand, if the message length Lm> Lref1, the specification does not match, so the process proceeds to step S6, and only the message ID is requested to be transmitted. The first push notification platform 1 transmits the message or message ID requested to be transmitted to the destination terminal by push notification.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2 that the request destination is the second push notification base, the process proceeds to step S5. In step S5, the message length Lm is compared with the maximum message length Lref2 of the second push notification platform 2, and if Lm ≦ Lref2, the specification is met, so the process proceeds to step S4 and the message is requested to be transmitted as it is. On the other hand, if the message length Lm> Lref2, the specification does not match, so the process proceeds to step S6, and only the message ID is requested to be transmitted.

  Regarding the step S6, if the push notification platform is a GCM (Google Cloud Messaging for Android) server, a plain text or JSON format is used for message transmission from the information distribution apparatus 3 to the GCM. Since the message is composed of an HTTP header and an HTTP body, and the message body is described in the HTTP body, in this embodiment, the description content of the HTTP body is rewritten from the message body to the message ID.

  On the other hand, when transmitting a message, normally, an encrypted communication path between the information distribution device 3 and each of the push notification platforms 1 and 2 and between each of the push notification platforms 1 and 2 and the communication terminal devices 4 and 5 Is used, encryption of the message itself is not essential. However, since the communication path once encrypted is decrypted in the push notification infrastructures 1 and 2, it is possible to see the message in the push notification infrastructure.

  Therefore, the message itself may be encrypted and transmitted by the information distribution device 3 as necessary. Alternatively, in consideration of the cost of message encryption, the implementation may be such that if the message is transmitted as it is in step S4, the encryption is performed, and if only the message ID is transmitted in step S6, it is not encrypted.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for receiving a message in the communication terminal apparatus. When the push notified message is received in step S21, either the message body or the message ID is included in the received message in step S22. It is determined whether it is described. If the message body is described, the process proceeds to step S25 and the message body is displayed and output.

  On the other hand, if the message ID is described, the process proceeds to step S23, and the message request in which the message ID is described is transmitted to the information distribution apparatus 3. The address of the information distribution device 3 is described together with the message ID in the message, for example, or already registered in the communication terminal devices 4 and 5. When a message is responded to the message request from the information distribution apparatus 3 and received in step S24, the process proceeds to step S25, and the message body is displayed and output.

  According to this embodiment, if the message length of a message accepted for transmission by push notification does not conform to the specifications of the push notification infrastructure, only the message ID that can uniquely identify the message is pushed instead of the message. Since the communication terminal device that has received the push notification can access the information distribution device 3 and acquire the message text associated with the message ID, the message distribution requester must be aware of the OS type of the destination terminal device. Without having to create a message and request delivery.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the communication terminal device 3 describes the message ID even if the message ID and the push notification infrastructure specification do not match and the message ID push notification is received instead of the message. A message can be acquired by sending a message request.

  In the above embodiment, the description has been made focusing on the message length as the difference in the specification of the push notification base. However, the difference in other specifications, for example, the difference in the method for specifying the expiration date of the message, may be noted.

  The expiration date of the message specifies how long the push notification infrastructure retains the message when the message cannot be received because the communication terminal device that is the destination of the message is not connected to the network. It is a parameter to do.

As a designation method, there are a method for designating a retention period (such as x seconds after receiving a message) and a method for designating a retention period (up to what month, what day, how many minutes). Further, there is a difference in handling when the expiration date is not specified. For example, when the expiration date is not specified, the expiration date may be retained for a certain period, for example, 4 weeks, or may not be retained at all. In the present embodiment, the following options are prepared as the expiration date designation method in the input interface to the user provided by the information distribution apparatus 3.
(1) Do not hold
(2) Specify the retention period (input time)
(3) Specify the retention period (enter the date and time)
(4) Not specified

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention. Here, the specification regarding the method for specifying the expiration date of the first and second push notification infrastructure is described as being as shown in FIG. .

  When a message transmission request from the information distributor is received by the message receiving unit 103 and registered in the message DB 100, the user ID of the message and the OS type corresponding to the user ID are confirmed in step S51. In step S52, the push notification platform of the request destination is selected by the selection unit 104b based on the OS type of the destination terminal.

  If the request destination is the first push notification infrastructure, the process proceeds to step S53, and if the request destination is the second push notification infrastructure, the process proceeds to step S54. In any step, the message transmission request unit 105 requests the input expiration date information. Rewritten to conform to the specifications of the previous push notification infrastructure.

  That is, in step S53, the designated expiration date is rewritten according to the specifications of the first push notification platform 1. For example, if the expiration date is “do not hold”, it is rewritten to “0 (seconds)”. In addition, if the expiration date is “○ month ○ date ○ hour ○ minute” one week later, the first push notification infrastructure does not support the deadline notation, so it is rewritten to the period notation of “1 week (604800 seconds)” . If the expiration date is “not specified”, it is rewritten to “4 weeks (2419200 seconds)”.

  On the other hand, in step S54, the information regarding the designated expiration date is rewritten according to the specifications of the second push notification infrastructure. For example, if the expiration date is “do not hold”, it is rewritten to “not specified”. If the expiration date is “1 week (604800 seconds)”, the second push notification base is not compatible with the period notation, so the date and time after one week is changed to “○ month ○ day ○ hour ○ minute”. If the expiry date is “not specified”, the date and time “○ month ○ day ○ hour ○ minute” after 4 weeks (2419200 seconds) is rewritten.

  In step S55, a message transmission request including the message requested to be transmitted and the rewritten expiration date information is transmitted to the push notification infrastructure.

  According to this embodiment, the message deadline information is automatically rewritten according to the specification of the push notification infrastructure of the request destination, so that the message delivery requester can send the message without being aware of the OS type of the destination terminal device. You can request creation and distribution.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,2 ... Push notification infrastructure, 3 ... Information delivery apparatus, 4 (4a, 4b), 5 ... Communication terminal device, 101 ... User registration reception part, 102 ... User DB, 103 ... Message reception part, 100 ... Message DB, 104 ... Adapting unit 104a ... Specification storage unit 104b ... Selecting unit 104c ... Message analyzing unit 105 ... Message transmission requesting unit 106 ... Message request processing unit

Claims (8)

In the information distribution device that requests the push notification infrastructure to send a message by push notification to the communication terminal device,
Message accepting means for registering the message requested for transmission in association with the message ID;
Specification storage means for storing the specifications of each push notification platform;
A selection means for selecting a push notification infrastructure based on the OS used by the communication terminal device;
Message analysis means for analyzing message transmission specifications;
An information distribution apparatus comprising: adaptation means for adapting a message transmission specification to the selected push notification infrastructure specification. The message analysis means determines whether the message length conforms to the specification of the push notification infrastructure,
The information distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation unit rewrites a message that does not conform to the specification with a message ID.   3. The information distribution apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising message request processing means for transmitting a message corresponding to the message ID in response to a message request in which the message ID is described. Further comprising an encryption means for selectively encrypting a message to be transmitted to the push notification infrastructure,
4. The information distribution apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the encryption unit encrypts a message and does not encrypt a message ID. The message analysis means determines whether the method for specifying the expiration date of the message conforms to the specifications of each push notification infrastructure,
The information distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation unit rewrites a designation method that does not conform to the specification into a designation method that conforms to the specification. The message analyzing means analyzes whether the expiration date designation method is a period method or a time limit method,
6. The information distribution apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the adapting unit rewrites one of the period method and the term method to the other. In an information distribution program that requests a push notification platform to send a message by push notification to a communication terminal device,
A procedure for registering the message requested for transmission in association with the message ID;
The procedure for selecting the push notification infrastructure based on the OS used by the communication terminal device;
The procedure for analyzing the message transmission specifications,
An information distribution program for causing a computer to execute a procedure for adapting a message transmission specification to the selected push notification infrastructure specification. In the information delivery method in which the information delivery device requests the push notification infrastructure to send a message by push notification to the communication terminal device,
The information distribution device is
A procedure for registering the message requested for transmission in association with the message ID;
The procedure for selecting the push notification infrastructure based on the OS used by the communication terminal device;
A procedure for determining whether the message length conforms to the specifications of the push notification infrastructure, and
Including rewriting a message that does not conform to the specification with a message ID
The communication terminal device
A procedure for determining whether the received message is a message ID; and
When the received message is a message ID, including a procedure for transmitting a message request describing the message ID to the information distribution device,
The information distribution apparatus, wherein the information distribution apparatus transmits a message corresponding to the message ID to the communication terminal apparatus in response to reception of a message request in which the message ID is described.