WO2011000890A1 - Method for managing the identity of users of terminals in a communication network - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the invention, a first terminal (10) is located in a communication network. Said terminal comprises a means (14) for storing a profile (P1) of a user of said terminal (10), referred to as a “first profile”. Said terminal is designed to exchange information with a second terminal detected nearby. During said exchange, the terminal receives a second profile, and then compares the first and second profiles in order to determine a first piece of information (IR) representing a probability (p) of said terminals (10, 20) belonging to the same user. Said first piece of information is sent to the second terminal, which sends a second piece of information (IR) representing a probability of said terminals (10, 20) belonging to the same user. A decision is made as to whether or not said terminals (10, 20) belong to the same user, on the basis of the first and/or second pieces of information. The two terminals thus cooperate to make a decision.

Description

 Method for managing the identity of terminal users in a communications network

Background of the invention

The present invention is in the field of communications networks and more specifically in that of the identity management of users of communication terminals.

 In the present application, the concept of "communication terminal" is to be taken in the broad sense. It is aimed at any equipment capable of transmitting and / or receiving data in this network, and in particular a computer, a telephone, a television set, a digital television decoder, or a home gateway.

 From the point of view of the operator of the communications network, the management of the identity of the users is delicate.

 In practice, in the current state of the art, the identity of the user of a terminal is most often declared by the user himself, at the time of purchase or first use of the terminal and sometimes recorded in an operator database. The user can also be recognized by using a cookie.

 However, it is difficult for the operator to determine if different terminals like belong to the same user, unless an explicit declaration of these users, especially when the terminals are shared by different people in a context of domestic use, which occurs very frequently when terminals are shared by members of the same family.

 However, for many applications, it may be interesting for the operator to know if different terminals are used by the same person. This is particularly the case when the operator wishes to offer a personal service accessible by different terminals, or send content to a specific user, on several terminals of this user, or on the terminal in use by this user.

 To date, operators are compelled to rely on the declarative information recorded in the aforementioned databases, which, as previously explained, does not offer a satisfactory solution.

Obiet and summary of the invention

The invention proposes a solution that does not have the disadvantages of the prior art. The invention relates to a terminal that can be used in a communications network, this terminal comprising:

 means for storing a profile of a user of said terminal, called "first profile";

means for receiving from a second terminal a first message comprising a profile of a user of this second terminal, called "second profile" and;

 means for comparing said profiles able to determine a first piece of information representative of a probability that said terminals belong to the same user.

 Correlatively, the invention relates to a method for managing the identity of at least one user in a communications network, this method being implemented by a first terminal and comprising:

 a reception step from a second terminal of a profile, called a "second profile",

 a step of comparing the second profile with a profile stored in said terminal, called "the first profile";

a step of obtaining, as a function of a result of said comparison step, a first piece of information representative of a probability that said terminals belong to the same user.

Thus, and in a very general manner, the invention makes it possible to assess whether two users of two different terminals are in fact one and the same user, on the basis of the comparison of the profiles stored in these terminals, and without requiring a access to a remote server.

 The invention makes it possible to assess whether two terminals are used by the same person. But it will be explained later how the invention also makes it possible to assess whether two terminals are used by people from the same family.

In this document, the notion of "user profile" is to be understood in a broad sense. It concerns any data structure stored in a terminal and comprising at least one "attribute / value" pair of data representative of the user, of the use of this terminal or of content accessed on the latter.

 The attributes may for example be constituted by "declarative" attributes for which the associated values are entered by the user of the terminal. In particular, these may be representative values of the user's personal data (surname, first name, address, telephone number).

Attributes may also consist of "use" attributes whose values are related to the use of the terminal. In particular, these may be centers of identified during the use of the terminal, for example types of content of interest to the user.

 It is fundamental to note that, contrary to the methods of the prior art, the invention is not intended to identify the user of a terminal by a declarative system, but simply to measure, more or less certain, to from information held by two terminals, if two terminals are used by the same person, or more generally by users of the same group.

According to one embodiment, the terminal according to the invention comprises:

means for transmitting to the second terminal a second message comprising the first profile and the first information;

 means for receiving from the second terminal a second piece of information representative of a probability that said terminals belong to the same user

 means for deciding whether said terminals belong to the same user from the first and / or second information.

 According to one embodiment, the method according to the invention further comprises:

 a step of sending to the second terminal of the first profile and the first information;

 a step of receiving the second terminal; a second piece of information representing a probability that said terminals belong to the same user;

a step for deciding whether said terminals belong to the same user from the first and / or second information.

 The two terminals thus cooperate with each other, exchanging the profiles and information on the probabilities determined by each of them, with a view to improved decision-making, which is a priori more reliable, compared with the only taking into account of the information of a single terminal.

 In another embodiment of the invention, the information representative of the probability that the users of two terminals are one and the same user is processed by one or other of these terminals, as part of a application taking into account the identity of the users of these terminals. In one embodiment, the terminal according to the invention comprises means for providing information representative of the determined probability to an entity managing the identity of at least one user in the network.

Correlatively, in one embodiment, the management method according to the invention comprises a step for providing information representative of this probability, to an entity managing the identity of at least one user in the network. Information representative of the probability that the users of the two terminals are one and the same user is used by a communication network entity that manages the identity of at least one user.

 This information can then be processed by this entity to deliver a particular service or content to at least one or the other of the first and second terminals.

 This entity can be constituted by a server.

 Thus, and according to another aspect, the invention also provides a system for managing a service in a communications network comprising at least a first terminal as mentioned above and a server capable of receiving, from this first terminal, a message comprising information representative of the probability that the first terminal and a second terminal belong to the same user, the server being able to deliver a service to at least one of the terminals based on this information.

 In one embodiment of the invention, this server is an advertising server (in English "Ad Server") as defined by the OMA-MobAd standard. It is designed to communicate with an advertising management agent implemented in the terminal, named "AdEngine" in this same standard.

 This embodiment thus enables the advertising server to broadcast targeted advertising content for a user, on one or more terminals presumed by this user, without this server having to know the identity of the users of each of these users. terminals.

According to a particular embodiment, the terminal comparison means are implemented by a first software agent, able to pair with a second software agent of the second terminal. This software agent is for example an advertising management agent, such as an "AdEngine" defined in the OMA-MobAd standard, capable of interacting with an "AdServer" server defined in this same standard. The aim is to extend the functionality of these "AdEngine" and "AdServer" entities to generate information on the probability that two terminals belong to the same user and to use this information in the management functions and the transfer of advertisements implemented by these users. entities. The fact that they are standardized entities makes it easy to set up a dialogue between these entities. Integrating new functions into existing agents avoids adding new software modules to the terminals in question. This saves material resources (memory size required for storing software modules).

According to a variant of this particular embodiment, the first software agent is designed to interrogate the second software agent in order to obtain information on the capabilities of the second software agent and to readjust the first determined information if the capabilities of the second software agent are different from those of the first software agent. It is thus possible to determine the degree of confidence which can be granted to information coming from the other terminal on the basis of the capabilities of this software agent, and all the more so as it is an agent standardized software whose capabilities are coded in a standardized way (for example, the software version number).

Thus, and according to another aspect, the invention relates to a terminal adapted to implement an application taking into account the identity of a user of said terminal, this terminal, comprising:

 means for storing a user profile;

communication means able to send this profile to a second terminal; and

 means for receiving information representative of the probability that the terminals belong to the same user;

this terminal using this information to make a decision during the implementation of the aforementioned application.

 Correlatively, the invention relates to a method for implementing, by a first terminal, an application taking into account the identity of a user of this terminal, this method comprising resource sharing that can be implemented by a first user. terminal capable of implementing an application taking into account the identity of a user of this terminal, this method comprising:

a step of sending, to a second terminal, a user profile stored in the first terminal;

 a step of receiving information representative of the probability that the terminals belong to the same user; and

 a step of taking this information into account when implementing the aforementioned application.

 This application may for example be constituted by an application managing rights reserved for a particular user.

 Thus, this embodiment can be used to manage rights assigned to a user, for example as part of a license. For example, in a scenario according to this aspect of the invention, an operator assigns rights to a user by sending him, on a first terminal an access code, for example in the form of a certificate.

When the first terminal determines that a second terminal is likely to belong, with a sufficient probability, to the same user, the first terminal may consider transferring at least part of this right to the second terminal,

In a particular embodiment, the terminal according to the invention comprises means for, when the probability is greater than a threshold, to obtain from the second terminal information relating to the second terminal. In a particular embodiment, the terminal according to the invention comprises means for transferring the information relating to the second terminal to a server, for example to a server of advertisements.

 This information may include:

- information relating to at least one functional characteristic of the second terminal or for their preparation, for example the nature or characteristics of the communication interfaces of the second terminal or display the characteristics of the second terminal or I ¹ IMEI as part of a mobile phone; information relating to addressing modes of the second terminal, in particular an identifier or an address of the second terminal, information from which a communication with the second terminal is possible;

 information relating to the data file formats supported by the second terminal, in particular to the coders / decoders present in the second terminal. The information relating to the second terminal can be used later to establish a communication session with the second terminal and then exchange contents with it.

 The information relating to the second terminal can also be extracted from configuration files stored in the second terminal.

 In a particular embodiment, the terminal according to the invention comprises means for updating the probability that the first and second terminals belong to the same user as a function of the data exchanged between the first and second terminals at the request of a user. said terminal or the second terminal. The request of the user can be at this point explicit (resulting from an action performed by the user at the level of a user interface, by mouse click, key press, etc.) or implicit (resulting from settings made by this user who automatically cause this transmission or reception without user intervention).

 For example, in a particular embodiment, when the determined probability is a probability that these two terminals belong to the same user, the first terminal increases this probability, when, at the request of a user of the first terminal or the second terminal, the first terminal transmits to the second terminal personal data of the user of the first terminal or receives from the second terminal personal data of the user of the second terminal. The personal data of the current user are for example his electronic diary or his contact list.

In contrast, the terminal updates the profile of the user of the first terminal and then updates the probability that these two terminals belong to the same user from the updated profile, when, at the request of a user of the first user. or the second terminal, the first terminal receives data from the second terminal that is not data the current user of the second terminal. In this case the profile is updated to take into account in this profile the fact that the user of the first terminal has an interest in the contents that are transferred to the first terminal.

 In addition, updating a profile on one of the terminals causes the updated profile to be sent to the other terminal.

 In a particular embodiment, the terminal according to the invention comprises means for asking the user to confirm whether the terminal belongs to the same user as the user of the second terminal, and to adjust said probability as a function of said response. This confirmation request is preferably made when the probability exceeds a predefined threshold.

 In a particular embodiment of the invention, the first terminal sends its profile to the second terminal and the second terminal also sends its profile to the first terminal. In other words, the terminals exchange their profiles.

 Note that in this embodiment, each of the terminals can perform a comparison of the two profiles. Although both comparisons are based on the same profiles, it is not mandatory for the endpoints to come to the same conclusion, as each can use its own comparison method. In this case, two contradictory information may go back to the entity managing the identity of at least one user in the network.

This is particularly the case if the comparison means implemented in the two terminals are of different versions. In this particular case, it may be agreed to retain the information determined by the terminal implementing the most recent comparison means.

 In a particular embodiment of the invention, the first terminal comprises means for detecting the presence of the second terminal, and control means able to trigger the establishment of a communication with the second terminal, to receive the second terminal. profile, following the detection.

 As a variant, the presence detection and the triggering of the communication for sending, receiving, or exchanging the profiles may be performed by the second terminal or by the two terminals.

 This particular embodiment of the invention allows the communication or the exchange of profiles between the terminals automatically as soon as they communicate with each other. In a particular embodiment, in this particular embodiment, the terminals communicate with each other, for the exchange of profiles, by means of short-distance wireless communication means, for example via a Bluetooth link.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, at least one of the terminals requests confirmation from the user of this terminal, to authorize the sending or the reception of a profile. In a particular embodiment, the terminal according to the invention, the probability that the two terminals belong to the same user can be increased by the terminal having received this confirmation.

 In a particular embodiment of the invention, at least one of the terminals comprises authentication means of the other terminal, and control means able to allow or prohibit communication with the other terminal, to send, receive or exchange a profile, depending on the result of the authentication.

 This embodiment makes it possible to restrict all the terminals authorized to receive the profile of a terminal. This embodiment may notably be implemented in the terminals accessing the network of a first operator to prevent information on the users of this network being communicated to terminals managed by another operator.

 In a particular embodiment, at least the first or the second terminal comprises communication means able to receive a message from the entity managing the identity of at least one user in the network and to transmit at least a portion of this message to the other terminal.

 This mode is particularly advantageous because it allows this entity to send data to the terminal of a user via another terminal of this user.

 This feature can advantageously be used in a particular embodiment of the system according to the invention, to allow an advertisement server to send to the first or the second terminal, a message comprising an advertising content and a transfer instruction of this content. at the other terminal.

 In a particular embodiment, the various steps of the method of managing the identity of a user are determined by computer program instructions.

 Consequently, the invention also relates to a first computer program, on an information medium, this first program comprising instructions adapted to the implementation of the steps of the method of managing the identity of a user, these steps that can be implemented by a terminal or more generally by a computer.

 In a particular embodiment, the various steps of the method of implementing an application are determined by computer program instructions.

 Consequently, the invention also relates to a second computer program, on an information medium, this second program comprising instructions adapted to the implementation of the steps of the implementation method of an application, these steps being able to be implemented by an application server or more generally by a computer.

Each of these programs can use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

 The invention also relates to a computer readable information medium, and comprising instructions of at least one of the computer programs as mentioned above.

 The information carrier may be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium may comprise storage means, such as a ROM, for example a CD ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or a magnetic recording means, for example a floppy disk or a disk. hard.

 On the other hand, the information medium may be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which may be conveyed via an electrical or optical cable, by radio or by other means. The program according to the invention can be downloaded in particular on an Internet type network.

 Alternatively, the information carrier may be an integrated circuit in which the program is incorporated, the circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the method in question.

Brief description of the drawings

Other features and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the description given below, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment having no limiting character. In the figures:

 FIG. 1 represents an exemplary profile that can be used in the invention;

 FIG. 2 represents a management system of a service according to a particular embodiment of the invention;

 FIG. 3 represents a set of rules that can be used to determine the probability that two users belong to the same group;

 FIG. 4 represents a table making it possible to obtain information representative of a probability that two users belong to the same group;

 FIG. 5 represents examples of messages that can be used in a particular embodiment of the invention; and

 - Figures 6 to 8 show, in flowchart form, identity management methods and resource management methods according to several embodiments of the invention.

Detailed description of several embodiments of the invention FIG. 1 represents an example of profile P1 in accordance with the invention. This profile can be stored in a terminal 10 which will be described later.

 In the example described here, this profile P1 comprises seven attributes, each of them being associated with a value representative of the user of the terminal 10 or the use of this terminal by a user. More precisely, in this example, the attributes of the profile P1 are:

 an attribute "NAME" in which associated with a value "Thomson" representing the name of the user of the terminal 10;

 an attribute "PRENOM" in which associated with a value "Jean" representing the first name of the user of the terminal 10;

 an attribute "ADDRESS" in which associated with a value "2 rue X, Pans" representing the address of the user of the terminal 10;

 an attribute "TELEPHONE" in which associated with a value "01.23.45.67.89" representing a telephone number of the user of the terminal 10; and

 an attribute "CENTERS OF INTERESTS" associated with a value constituted by a list {sport, golf} of centers of interest deduced from the use of the terminal 10. In the exemplary embodiment described ICI, these centers of interest are obtained from metadata associated with content, advertising or not, received by the terminal 10.

 Figure 2 schematically shows a service management system according to the invention.

 This system comprises two terminals 10, 20 according to the invention and a server capable of managing or operating profiles, for example an advertising server 50 as defined by the OMA-MobAd standard. In the exemplary embodiment described here, the terminals 10, 20 are respectively a computer and a mobile phone. We will now describe how the invention can be used to assess whether the users of the terminals 10 and 20 belong to the same group of at least one user.

 In the embodiment described here, each of the terminals 10, 20 has the hardware architecture of a computer.

 The computer 10 comprises in particular a processor 11, a read-only memory of the type

ROM 12, a RAM 13 type RAM, and a rewritable non-volatile memory type

FLASH 14.

In the embodiment described in ICI, the profile P1 of FIG. 1 is stored in the rewritable non-volatile memory 14 of the terminal 10. A profile P2, not shown, and having the same attributes as the profile P1, is stored in the non-volatile memory. volatile 14 of the mobile phone 20. In the embodiment described, nonvolatile memory 14 of the mobile phone 10 furthermore includes personal data of the user of this terminal, for example an electronic organizer AE or a list of contacts.

 The terminals 10 and 20 also comprise means 15 of communication. These means are, in the exemplary embodiment described here, comply with the Bluetooth standard.

 In the exemplary embodiment described here, these communication means 15 are able to detect the presence of another terminal, comprising similar communication means.

 The ROM ROM 12 of the terminal 10 constitutes a recording medium according to the invention. This recording medium comprises a computer program PG1 comprising instructions for allowing the processor 11 to execute the steps of an identity management method according to the invention, which will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6. In the exemplary embodiment described here, this program is more specifically implemented by an AGI software agent loaded into the type of random access memory.

RAM 13 of the terminal 10. This software agent is for example an advertising management agent, named "AdEngine" in the OMA-MobAd standard.

 The ROM-type ROM 12 of the mobile phone 20 constitutes a recording medium in accordance with the invention. This recording medium comprises a computer program PG2 comprising instructions for allowing the processor 11 to execute the steps of a method for implementing an application according to the invention which will be described in FIG. 7 is a reference to FIG. 7. In the exemplary embodiment described in ICI, this program is more specifically implemented by a software agent AG2 loaded into the RAM type random access memory 13 of the mobile telephone 20.

 The AGI and AG2 software agents are compatible with each other. They are in particular able to exchange profiles and exchange messages with information representative of the result of the comparison of these profiles performed by each of them. Two pieces of information representative of the result of the comparison are thus generated: a first by the terminal 10 and the second by the terminal 20.

 In the end, a decision is made by one or the other of the terminals as to whether these two terminals 10, 20 belong to the same user, from the information representative of the result of the comparison. Both terminals cooperate to make a decision.

It should be noted that the roles described in this document for terminals 10 and 20 are completely interchangeable, each of which can play the role of the other or both roles at a time. Accordingly, the invention relates to a terminal that includes all the functions and all the means described for the terminals 10 and 20. In the embodiment described in ICI, the software agent AGI (respectively AG2) is able to receive, communication means 15, a particular signal when these communication means 15 detect the presence of the mobile phone 20 (respectively of the computer 10).

 In the exemplary embodiment described in ICI, the software agents AGI, AG2 are able to implement a mutual authentication procedure for an appaπement.

 In the exemplary embodiment described in ICI, the software agent AGI is able to receive a message MSG1 comprising the profile P2 of the mobile telephone 20, and to compare this profile P2 with the profile P1 stored in the rewritable non-volatile memory 14 of the terminal 10.

 This comparison makes it possible to determine whether the users of terminals 10 and 20 belong to the same group.

 More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment described here, this comparison makes it possible to determine whether the users of the terminals 10 and 20 are one and the same user, or even belong to the same family or do not share these types of links.

 In the exemplary embodiment described here, a name is defined for each of these groups to identify: SAME, USER.

 In the embodiment described in ICI, the rules making it possible to obtain the probability p with which two terminals belong to users of one of the two aforementioned groups is obtained by a set of rules RG1 to RG3 defined in a rule table TRG, represented in FIG. 3, stored in ROM ROM 12 of the terminal 10.

 In the example described here, the rule table TRG comprises:

 a first rule RG1 which defines that if the first and last names and addresses associated with the attributes "NAME", "FIRST NAME", "ADDRESS" of two profiles are identical, then the probability p for the users of this profile to be constituted by the same user (that is, these users belong to the SAME_USER group) is 100%;

 a second rule RG2 which defines that if the values associated with the attributes "NAME" and "PRENOM" in two profiles are identical but that the values associated with the attribute "ADDRESS" are different, then the probability that the users are constituted by the same person is 90%; and

 a third rule RG3 which defines that if the values associated with the attributes "NAME" and

"ADDRESS" are identical but the values associated with the "PRENOM" attribute are different, so the probability that the users belong to the same family (that is, to the FAMILY group) is 100%.

The use of the rules RG1 to RG3 of the table TRG thus enables the AGI agent to determine, by comparing the profiles of two terminals, a probability that the users of these terminals is the same user or users of the same family. . In the embodiment described in ICI, the software agent AGI is able to obtain information representative of the above-mentioned probability, in an information table TI, represented in FIG. 4 and stored in the read-only memory ROM 12 of the terminal. 10.

 In the exemplary embodiment described here, the IR information representative of a probability p can take five values, namely:

 - the value "VERY PROBABLE" when the probability p is between 80 and 100%

- the value "PROBABLE" when the probability p is between 60 and 80%; - the value "WITHOUT NOTICE" when the probability p is between 40 and 60%;

- the value "INCERTAIN" when the probability p is between 20 and 40%; and

- the value "VERY UNCERTAIN" when the probability p is less than 20%.

 In the embodiment described here, the terminal 10 comprises means for sending a message comprising this IR information to an entity of the network managing the identity of at least one user.

 In the embodiment described here, and for certain applications, this IR information is sent to the terminal 20 in which the profile P2 is stored by the short-distance communication means 15.

 In the embodiment described in ICI, the terminal 10 further comprises communication means 16 able to send the IR information to the server 50.

 In the embodiment described in ICI, the server 50 implements the functions of a server named "Ad Server", as defined by the MobAd standard.

 This server 50 is able to receive from the terminal 10 a message comprising the representative information IR of the probability that the terminal 10 and a terminal 20 belong to users of the same group, and to determine for example a content distribution policy. according to this information.

 In the embodiment described in ICI, the advertising server 50 is particularly capable of implementing the following two broadcasting policies:

 when it presumes that two terminals belong to the same user (group SAME USER) with a probability p greater than 80% (IR = VERY PROBABLE) this server is able to send a message containing an advertisement to the computer 10 accompanied by an instruction for this computer 10 to transmit this advertisement to the mobile phone 20; and

- when it assumes that the terminals 10 and 20 belong to two people of the same family (FAMILY group) with a medium probability (IR = NO NOTICE), this server sends the same advertisement (for example for a trip with discount for family numerous) at the two terminals 10 and 20, in parallel. Figure 5 shows examples of MSG1 to MSG5 messages that can be used in the invention. An example of the source code for each of these messages is given in Appendix 1.

 In the embodiment described here, the following tags are used:

 mobad: xxxxx: name of the message as part of the "mobad" standard;

 SendUserProfile: indicates that the message contains the user's profile on the sending terminal;

 ProfileCompResult: the message contains the result of the comparison of profiles performed on the sending terminal;

 Terminallnfo: the message contains information that allows you to recontact this terminal and compatible formats;

 PushContentToPeer: The message contains content to be transferred to a peer;

 xmlns: mobad = "urn: oma: bin: dlmobad: mobad-2.0": defined specifically for MobAd xmlns: xsι = http: //www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-enstance: a generic XML version: presents version AGI agent, AG2

 nonce: random number that allows each session to be uniquely identified

 AdEngineld: identifier of the issuing AdEngine (AGI, AG2).

 PeerAdEngineld: identifier of the peer terminal with which one wants to make an action, for example to transfer a content; corresponds to the TO field of MSG3.

 UserProfile: all or part of the user profile of the terminal.

 CompResult: result of the profile comparison;

 CommAddress: contains a way to contact the terminal (Email, IMSI, IP address)

SupportedFormat: formats supported by the terminal (UAProf: agent profile, terminal IMEI,)

 TrustedEnvironment: dataset that ensures that 2 AdEngine can exchange trusted information (certificates, signatures,)

Each of these messages comprises an @S field comprising the identifier of the sender of the message and an @D field containing the identifier of the recipient of this message.

 The message MSG1 is an example of a message by which a transmitting terminal sends its profile (in a PROF field) to a destination terminal.

The message MSG2 is an example of a message by which a transmitting terminal sends to a destination terminal an IR information representative of the probability that two terminals (TERM field) belong to the same group (GP field). The message MSG3 is an example that can be used by a transmitting terminal to instruct a destination terminal to transfer a content (CONT field) to an identified terminal in a TO field.

 The message MSG4 allows a transmitting terminal to send to a destination terminal DT rights to restore a music file MUS protected by DRM.

 The message MSG5 allows a transmitting terminal to send to a destination terminal DB information relating to the transmitting terminal.

 FIG. 6 represents, in flowchart form, the main steps of an identity management method according to the invention.

 In the example described here, this method is implemented by the software agent AGI of the computer 10 described above with reference to FIG.

 During an ElO step, the AGI software agent detects the presence of the mobile phone 20. In this example, this presence is detected by the communication means 15 compliant with the Bluetooth protocol.

 During a step E15, the software agent AGI opens a communication channel with the software agent AG2 of the mobile phone 20. This operation can be done automatically, or at the explicit request of the user. It can also be triggered by another program.

 This communication channel is used, during a step E20, to establish an interface between the terminals 10 and 20 for the purpose of exchanging data between these terminals, in a peer-to-peer mode of communication where each can play the same. server role for the other. This appanement implies in particular, that the first and second terminals are compatible so that they can at least establish a communication channel for this type of exchange.

 During a step E30, after appanement, the AGI software agent receives a message

MSG1 having the P2 profile stored in the rewritable non-volatile memory 14 of the mobile phone 20.

 Then, during a step E40, the AGI software agent compares this profile P2 with the profile Pl of the computer 10 and determines the probability that the users of the terminals 10 and 20 belong to the same group MEMEJJLISLIER, FAMILY.

 In the example described here, this probability determination is performed by comparing the attributes of the profiles P1, P2 and consulting the rule table TRG stored in the read-only ROM ROM 12 of the computer 10.

Then, during a step E50, the software agent AGI determines an IR information representative of the probability p by consulting the table TI also memorized in the memory 12. We will assume in this step that the AGI software agent determined that the users of the terminals 10 and 20 were the same user with the probability of 90%. Therefore, the representative IR information of this probability is the 'VERY PROBABLE' message.

 In the example described here, the software agent AGI sends the advertisement server 50 a message containing this information. This message is for example identical to the message MSG2 of FIG.

 We will assume that this message MSG2 is received by the server 50 during a step FlO.

 During a step F20, the advertising server 50 chooses an advertising content PUB to send to the mobile phone 20, via the computer 10.

 For this purpose, it prepares a message similar to the message MSG3 of FIG. 5, and sends this message MSG3 to the computer 10 during the same step F30.

 This message is received and analyzed by the AGI software agent during a step E70. During a step E80, the AGI software agent extracts the advertising content PUB from this message and transfers it to the software agent AG2 of the mobile phone 20.

 This exemplary embodiment of the invention thus enables the advertisement server 50 to broadcast content that will be viewed by the users of the terminals 10 and 20, the latter being, on the basis of the comparisons of the profiles P1 and P2, assumed to be used. by the same person.

Referring to Figure 7, we will now describe a resource sharing method according to the invention, this method being implemented by the AG2 software agent of the mobile phone 20.

 We will assume in this example that the terminal 20 implements a DRM protected music file rights management application and that this terminal 20 has received a right DT to allow the user of the terminal 20 has restored, on n ' any of its terminals a music file MUS.

 In the embodiment described in ICI, this method comprises the steps ElO to E50 similar to those described above with reference to FIG.

 But in this example, it is assumed that the software agent AGI of the computer 10 sends, during the step E60, the message MSG2 comprising the representative IR information because the users of the terminals 10 and 20 are probably the same user, with a probability of 90%, not to the server 50 but to the mobile phone 20.

The message MSG2 is received during a step E100 implemented by the software agent AG2. This step is followed by an EI10 test in which the mobile phone 20, after comparison of the two profiles, determines that the user of the terminal 10 is, with a high probability, the same as that of the terminal 20.

 Therefore, the mobile phone 20 transmits, during a step E120, the rights DT to restore the MUS music file protected by DRM. This message MSG4, previously described with reference to FIG. 5, is received by the software agent AGI of the computer 10 during a step E70.

 In the example described here, IF the software agent AG2 of the mobile phone 20 had determined that the user of the terminal 10 was not the same as that of the terminal 20, he would have sent, during a step E130 a message to terminate communication between these two terminals.

It is now described how one and / or the other of the terminals 10 and 20 makes a decision as to whether these two terminals belong to the same user (see the same group).

 According to what has been described above, two pieces of information representative of the probability that the two terminals belong to the same user are thus generated: a first by the terminal 10 and the second by the terminal 20. Each of these pieces of information is therefore representative of the result of the comparison made by one of the terminals.

 Each of the AGI and AG2 software agents is furthermore able to transmit to the other terminal information representative of the probability it has itself determined and, conversely, to receive from the other terminal information representative of the probability that the other software agent has determined. The AGI and AG2 software agents thus exchange the results of the comparison of the profiles and the determination of the probability values and then dialogue with each other in order to make a decision as to whether these two terminals belong to the same user.

 Such a decision can be used later for the implementation of an application in the terminal: for example to authorize and initiate a sharing of personal data between the two terminals or a content transfer. Each terminal can make a different decision, according to the means of comparison which it has or according to the rules of determination of probability which it uses.

Each of the AGI and AG2 software agents is particularly adapted to take into account the information received from the other terminal to readjust the probability it has determined itself, for example to adopt the probability value generated by the other agent. software. Optionally, this adjustment is made only after these software agents have exchanged information on their respective capabilities (software version number for example) and it follows from these capabilities that the other terminal has a more software agent. performance (higher version number for example). Each of the AGI and AG2 software agents is furthermore able to make a decision as to whether these two terminals 10 and 20 belong to the same user, as a function of the probability value that he has determined himself and / or this value after readjustment taking into account the value obtained by the other agent, by comparison of this value or these values with a predetermined threshold.

 If the two software agents come to the same decision, namely that the two terminals 10 and 20 belong to the same user, an exchange procedure is set up between the two software agents: sending information on the terminal hosting a software agent to the other software agent, receiving information on the other terminal and recording this information for subsequent connection, sending and / or receiving content (advertising content, agenda, contact list, etc.) following a request issued by one of the two software agents to the other software agent. An example of such an exchange procedure is described below with reference to FIG. 8.

 In an alternative embodiment, the two terminals dialogue with each other to make a joint decision, the arbitration being done for example by giving reason to the terminal with the most advanced capabilities.

 In another variant, each terminal makes a decision in isolation, without taking into account the decision made by the other. Each terminal then sends information representative of the probability that the two terminals belong to the same user to a user identity management entity in the network for taking this information into account by this management entity. If it turns out that the two terminals are associated with the same management entity, an arbitration can be performed at this entity.

 In another variant embodiment, one of the terminals, for example the terminal 10 (or the terminal 20 respectively) makes a decision from only one of the two pieces of information:

 or from only the information representative of the result of the comparison which he has made himself: because the other terminal is not compatible with him and / or does not have the necessary capacities for a sufficient confidence is given in the information produced by that other terminal;

 or from only the information representative of the result of the comparison that the other terminal has made: because the other terminal is compatible with it and / or has capabilities that the terminal 10 (respectively the terminal 20) and there is sufficient trust in the information produced by that other terminal.

In the end a decision is made by one or other of the terminals as to whether these two terminals 10, 20 belong to the same user, from one and / or the other of information representative of the probability that both terminals belong to the same user. Both terminals cooperate to make a decision.

Referring to Figure 8, we will describe another embodiment of the invention.

 In this embodiment, the two terminals exchange their profiles in step E30, and each performs a comparison of its profile with the profile of the other terminal (step E40) to determine (step E50) whether belong to the same group or not.

 We will assume in this example that the software agent AGI determines that the two terminals belong to the same user with a probability of 85% and that the software agent AG2 determines that the two terminals belong to the same user with a probability of 88%.

 In the exemplary embodiment described in ICI, it is assumed that the software agent AGI sends to the software agent AG2, during a step E200, a request for the software agent AG2 to send it complementary data representative of functional characteristics of the terminal 20.

 In the embodiment described in ICI, the software agent AG2 sends, during a step E210, a message MSG5 comprising the IP address of the terminal 20, and the characteristics of a software of the terminal 20 capable of interpreting a electronic agenda.

 The message MSG5 allows a transmitting terminal to send to a destination terminal DB information relating to the sender terminal to enable the destination terminal to subsequently contact the sender terminal, for example to send data to it, that these data are personal (calendar, contacts,) or not (music file, text document,).

 This DB information can include:

 information relating to at least one functional characteristic of the transmitting terminal or making it possible to obtain them, for example the nature or the characteristics of the communication interfaces of the transmitting terminal or the characteristics of the display screen of the transmitting terminal;

 information relating to modes of addressing of the transmitting terminal, in particular an identifier or an address of the transmitting terminal, information from which communication with the transmitting terminal is possible;

information relating to the data file formats supported by the transmitting terminal, in particular to the encoders / decoders present in the transmitting terminal. In general, the message MSG5 is used to communicate to a first terminal, all the functional data of a second terminal, to allow this second terminal to contact the first terminal to communicate data in a format supported by the first terminal.

 We will assume in this example that the user of the terminal 20 asks the terminal 10, during a step E220, to communicate his electronic organizer AE.

 During a step E230, the terminal 10 then sends its electronic organizer AE to the terminal 20, to the IP address received in step E210 and in a format supported by the terminal 20.

 The software agent AG2 receives this electronic organizer AE and identifies that it is personal data of the user of the terminal 10.

 During a step E240, the software agent AG2 then increases the probability that these two terminals belong to the same user, from 88% to 95%.

 For its part, the software agent AGI, displays during a step E250, on the screen of the terminal 10, a message to ask the user if the terminal 20 belongs to him.

 We will assume that the user responds negatively. The software agent AGI then decreases, during a step E260, the probability that these two terminals belong to the same user, from 85% to 5%.

In one embodiment of the invention, when the AGI and AG2 software agents contained in the terminals 10 and 20 are advertising management agents (of the "AdEngine" type conforming to the OMA-MobAd standard), the procedure of exchange of information between the software agents is an exchange of advertising contents: one of these agents sends a request to the other agent, to obtain an advertising content of the other agent, the request including a criterion for selecting this content advertising.

 For example, when any application running on one of the terminals requests advertising content from an advertising management agent in that terminal, that agent can request such content from the advertising management agent of that terminal. the other terminal, specifying the or features of this application. For example, when the advertising content is video-type content, it may be the characteristics of the video decoder implemented by this application.

 In another example, the criterion sent in the request may be a characteristic of a user of the terminal having issued this request, for example a characteristic representative of the sex of this user or his centers of interest.

In a particular embodiment, when a terminal receives a plurality of advertising contents in response to a request sent to the management agent of another terminal, the management agent can select an advertising content from among these contents and provide the content. selected to an application implemented by this terminal. This selection can for example be performed on the basis of a user profile of the terminal including the agent making the selection.

 More generally, the method for managing user group identities according to the invention makes it possible to control the broadcasting of content in order to guarantee that it is carried out towards users having the same interests (same type of content expected ) and / or benefiting from the same access authorizations on advertising contents (for the purpose for example of controlling the distribution of pornographic content).

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, when the agents AGI and AG2 contained in the terminals 10 and 20 are advertising management agents (of the "AdEngine" type conforming to the OMA-MobAd standard), the appaπement between these agents is only performed if these two agents are associated with the same centralized advertising broadcast server (for example of the "AdServer" type conforming to MobAd). This makes it possible to verify that the broadcasting of content is carried out towards advertising management agents of the same advertising service operator and / or having the same technical operating constraints (format of the contents to be sent, modes of communication available). Preferably, a certificate exchange or mutual authentication takes place in order to confirm this belonging to the same group. The risks of malicious attacks introduced via the communication established between the advertising management agents are thus reduced. This also ensures that the ensuing exchanges take place between entities authorized to carry out such exchanges. In this way, it is guaranteed that these exchanges take place with a minimum level of confidence.

ANNEX 1

/ * EXAMPLE OF MESSAGE MSGl * /

 <mobad: SendUserProfile xmlns: mobad = "urn: orna: bin: dlmobad: mobad-2.0 'xmlns: xsx =" http: // www. w3. org / 2001 / XML Schema-body ">

<Version> 20 </ Version>

<Nuncio> 12354342 </ nuncio>

 <AdEngineId> 123456 A </ AdEngineId>

 <UserProfile> user profile data </ UserProfile>

<TrustedEnvironment> security information </ TrustedEnvironment>

</ mobad: SendUserProfile>

/ * EXAMPLE OF MESSAGE MSG2 * /

 <mobad: ProfiCompResult xmlns: mobad = "urn: orna: bin: dlmobad: mobad-2.0" xmlns: xsi = "http: //www.w3.org/ 2001 / XMLSchema-instance">

 <Nuncio> 12354342 </ nuncio>

 <AdEngmeId> 123456 A </ AdEngineId>

 <CompResult> Same_User </ CompResult>

</ mobad: ProfileCompResult>

/ * EXAMPLE OF MESSAGE MSG3 * /

 <mobad: PushContentToPeer xmlns: mobad = "urn: orna: bin: dlmobad: mobad-2.0" xinlns: xsx = "http: //www.w3.org/ 2001 / XMLSchema-mstance">

 <Nuncio> 12354342 </ nuncio>

 <AdEngineId> 123456 A </ AdEngmeId>

 <TO> 09876 B </ TO>

 <CONT> data to transfer B </ CONT>

 <SupportedFormat method = IMEI> 123456789098 </ SupportedFormat>

</ mobad: PushContentToPeer> / * EXAMPLE OF MESSAGE MSG4 * /

 <mobad: PushContentToPeer xmlns: mobad = "urn: orna: bin: dlmobad: mobad-2.0 'xmlns: xsi =" http: // www. w3. org / 2001 / XML Schema-body ">

 <Nuncio> 12354342 </ nuncio>

 <AdEngineId> 123456 A </ AdEngmeId>

 <TO> 09876 B </ TO>

 <CONT> DT </ CONT>

 <SupportedFormat method = IMEI> 123456789098 </ SupportedFormat>

</ mobad: PushContentToPeer>

/ * EXAMPLE OF MESSAGE MSG5 * /

<mobad: TerminalInfo xmlns: mobad = "urn: orna: bin: dlmobad: mobad-2 O ^' xmlns: xsi =" http: //www.w3. org / 2001 / XML Schema-body ">

 <Nuncio> 12354342 </ nuncio>

 <AdEngmeId> 123456 A </ AdEngineId>

 <CommAddress method = IMSI> 33601020304 </ CommAddress>

 <SupportedFormat method = IMEI> 123456789098 </ SupportedFormat>

</ mobad: TerminalInfo

Claims

Terminal (10) capable of being used in a communications network, this terminal comprising:

 means (14) for storing a profile (Pl) of a user of said terminal (10), called "first profile";

 means (15) for receiving (E30) a second terminal (20) a first message (MSG1) comprising a profile (P2) of a user of said second terminal (20), said "second profile" and;

 means (AGI) for comparing (E40) said profiles (P1, P2) capable of determining a first information (IR) representative of a probability (p) that said terminals (10, 20) belong to the same user.

2. Terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means (15, 16) for providing said first information (IR) to an entity (10, 20, 50) managing the identity of at least one user in said network.

Terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises

 means (15, 16) for transmitting to the second terminal a second message comprising the first profile and the first information (IR);

 means (15, 16) for receiving from the second terminal a second piece of information (IR) representative of a probability that said terminals (10, 20) belong to the same user

 means (AGI) for deciding whether said terminals (10, 20) belong to the same user from the first and / or second information.

4. Terminal according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the comparison means are implemented by a first software agent, able to mate with a second software agent of the second terminal.

Terminal according to claim 4, characterized in that the first software agent is designed to interrogate the second software agent in order to obtain information on the capabilities of the second software agent and to readjust the first determined information if the capabilities of the second agent software are different from those of the first software agent.

Terminal according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the first software agent is able to send a request for content to the second software agent.

7. Terminal according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises means for, when the probability determined by said terminal is greater than a threshold, obtaining from said second terminal (20) connection information to the second terminal (DB _2O , AE).

8. Terminal according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the terminal comprises means for increasing (E240) said probability, when, at the request of a user of said terminal or the second terminal, said terminal transmits to the second terminal personal data (AE) of the user of the first terminal or receives (E230) of the second terminal of the personal data (AE) of the user of the second terminal.

9. Terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means for updating the first profile and said probability from the updated profile, when, at the request of a user of the first or second terminal, the first terminal receives data from the second terminal that is not personal data of the user of the second terminal.

10. Terminal according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises means (15) for detecting (ElO) the presence of said second terminal (20), and control means (AG) capable of triggering (E15 ) establishing a communication with said second terminal (20), in order to send the first profile and to receive said second profile (P2) following said detection (ElO).

11. Terminal according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises means (AG) for authentication (E20) of said second terminal (20), and control means (AG) adapted to allow or prohibit (E20) a communicating with said second terminal (20) to receive said second profile (P2) according to the result of said authentication (E20).

12. Terminal according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises communication means (16) adapted to receive (E70) a third message (MSG3) of said entity (50) and to transmit (E80) at least a part of this third message to said second terminal (20).

13. A method of managing the identity of at least one user in a communications network, the method being implemented by a first terminal (10) and comprising:

a reception step from a second terminal (20) of a profile (P2), called a "second profile",

a step (E40) for comparing the second profile with a profile stored in said terminal, called "the first profile";

 a step (E40) of obtaining, according to a result of said comparing step, a first information (IR) representative of a probability (p) that said terminals (10, 20) belong to the same user.

14. Identity management method according to claim 13, characterized in that it further comprises:

 a step (E60) of sending a message (MSG2) comprising information (IR) representative of said probability (p), to an entity (50) managing the identity of at least one user in said network.

15. Identity management method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that it furthermore comprises:

 a step of sending to the second terminal of the first profile and the first information (IR); a step of receiving the second terminal a second piece of information (IR) representative of a probability that said terminals (10, 20) belong to the same user

 a step for deciding whether said terminals (10, 20) belong to the same user from the first and / or second information.

16. A computer-readable recording medium (12) on which a computer program (PG1) is recorded including instructions for executing the steps of the identity management method according to any one of claims 13 to 13. 15.

17. System for managing a service in a communications network comprising at least a first terminal (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 11 and a server capable of receiving, from said first terminal, a message (MSG2) comprising an information (IR) representative of the probability (p) that said first terminal (10) and a second terminal (20) belong to the same user, said server being able to deliver a service to at least one of said terminals (10, 20); ) according to said information.

The system of claim 17, wherein said server is an advertisement server (50).

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said advertising server (50) is able to send to one (10) of said first (10) or second (20) terminal, a message (MSG3) comprising an advertising content and an instruction (TO) for transferring said content to the other (20) of said first or second terminal.