[invention Title]

Method for intermediating personal information using the personal web site

[Technical Field]

The present invention relates, in general, to a method of mediating personal information provision, and, more particularly, to a method of mediating personal information provision using personal web sites, which provides prototype web sites to users who register as members over the Internet, collects and stores in a database (DB) personal and product information registered in personal web sites, and provides the dynamic Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of corresponding web sites and found information to users requiring such information, so that not only can users who do not use Domain Name Service

(DNS) or have static IP addresses advertise their personal web sites using their computers as servers, but also interpersonal e-commerce transactions for the purchase and sale of registered products can be performed without hindrance .

[Background Art]

Conventionally, providers who provide various pieces

of information and various types of services over the Internet are classified into two types . One type is general information providers who provide various pieces of information, such as news, and search service and community service, to users for profit purposes, as in a portal site, while the other type is personal information providers who construct and operate server systems that provide specific types of information to specific users for non-profit or profit purposes . Furthermore, users who are provided with various pieces of information and various electronic-commerce (e- commerce) services over the Internet are classified into two types . One type is users who access the Internet, provide or are provided with information about a transaction for a specific product, and sell or purchase the corresponding product, while the other type is users who want to be provided with ordinary and general information, such as news, search service and community service . FIG . 1 is a network configuration diagram schematically illustrating a typical e-commerce mediation system using the Internet .

As illustrated in FIG . 1, system elements are classified into a general information provider who provides various pieces of information, such as news , search service and community service, to users over the Internet, as in a

portal site, a personal information provider 20 that constructs its own server system and provides personal specific information, and users 30 who are provided with various pieces of information and various types of services that are provided by the general information provider 10 and the personal information provider 20.

Only when the general information provider 10, the personal information provider 20 and the user 30 have registered with Internet access service provided by an Internet service provider can they be provided with various pieces of information and various types of services over the Internet and use them.

The general information provider 10 and the personal information provider 20 are assigned static Internet Protocol ( IP) addresses via Internet service provided by an Internet service provider ( ISP) , register with domain name service, and construct a server system capable of simultaneously accommodating and processing a plurality of users' connections . Furthermore, only when the users 30 have registered with Internet access service provided by an Internet service provider can they access the Internet and be provided with various pieces of information and various types of services by the general information provider 10 and the personal information provider 20. In this case, Internet access service products provided by the Internet

service providers differ for the general information provider 10 , the personal information provider 20 and the users 30. The criteria for this are determined in consideration of the amount, size and continuity of data . The general information provider 10 that the plurality of users 30 always accesses must use a dedicated line and have a static IP address , and provides information using a technology of providing website-type information, including not only text but also sound, graphics, and moving images , such as HTTP, ASP and FLASH, so that users can easily access information .

Meanwhile, due to the explosive increase in the number of Internet users, the number of static IP addresses (Version 4 ) has already exceeded the limit under which static IP addresses can be assigned . There are many cases where the users 30 access Internet service provided by Internet service providers and are provided with corresponding information only when necessary, so that the Internet service products of the Internet service providers that are provided to the users 30 generally use dynamic IP technology .

Under the above-described environment, recently, a plurality of general information providers 10 that performs mediation so that transactions can be performed between users over the Internet without the investment of capital has appeared, and mediates between users 30 , that is ,

sellers and purchasers .

However, a plurality of web sites, which mediate E- commerce, does not overcome a bilateral transaction structure between corporate providers 10 and users 30, acting as sellers and purchasers . That is , many general information providers 10 who mediate e-commerce do not overcome a conventional e-commerce structure for constructing high-cost network infrastructures, posting sellers ' product information on their own web sites , and charging a purchaser, who purchases the product, and a seller mediation fee for the transaction involving the product .

When a user becomes a general information provider 10 for performing transactions or a personal information provider 20, the user is assigned a static IP address by an Internet service provider, and pays high registration and usage fees for domain name service .

Furthermore, for individuals to construct server systems for e-commerce over the Internet without experts' assistance and become general information providers 10 or personal information providers 20 acting as e-commerce product sellers , there are the problem of paying Internet service providers high usage fees for dedicated lines, and the problem of paying high costs , such as the purchasing cost of expensive server systems and, when necessary, the cost of upgrades , so as to construct stable network

systems .

Meanwhile, with the popularization of the use of the Internet, the number of Internet users who construct their own home pages or web sites (hereinafter "web sites" ) and advertise themselves, their families or associations of like-minded persons over the Internet is rapidly increasing .

However, on the Internet, users , and service providers who construct web sites or manage servers for web sites are separated from each other, so that there are many limitations to users setting various constructions on their own web sites or changing the design of their own web sites .

Furthermore, although Internet users directly possess web servers that manage their web sites , it is impossible to transmit IP addresses that vary in real time to other Internet users' computers or to a domain name system, so that there are many difficulties in the operation of web sites without hindrance .

[Disclosure]

[Technical Problem]

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an obj ect of the present invention is to provide a method of mediating personal information provision using

personal web sites that provides prototype web sites to users who register as members over the Internet, automatically collects personal and product information registered in personal web sites , automatically stores the information in a DB, and provides the dynamic IP addresses of corresponding web sites and found information to users requiring such information .

Another obj ect of the present invention is to provide a method of mediating personal information provision using personal web sites that allows users who do not use DNS or static IP addresses to advertise their personal web sites using their computers as servers, and enables interpersonal e-commerce transactions for the purchase and sale of registered products to be performed without hindrance . Still another obj ect of the present invention is to provide a method of mediating personal information provision using personal web sites that, when a user who registered with a mediator system as a member registers personal and product information for updating, automatically transmits the corresponding information to the mediator system, thus providing various pieces of information, which are registered in the personal web sites of users for updating, to the users in real time .

[Technical Solution] In order to accomplish the above objects, the present

invention provides a method of mediating personal information provision using Internet-based users who do not use static IP addresses or DNS, seller systems that provide personal and product information to the users , and a mediator system that provides personal web service for e- commerce transactions between the users , the method including the steps of the users registering as members with the mediator system providing the personal web service using a communication protocol; downloading installation program for provision of the personal web service to the member users ; once the downloading of the installation program is completed, each of the users installing the installation program in his or her seller system; once the installation of the installation program is completed, the user of the seller system registering personal and product information in his or her personal web site; the installation program executing a communication program, collecting changed seller system information from the users , and transmitting the collected information to the mediator system via the communication protocol; the mediator system posting the transmitted seller system information on a mediator web site by registering the transmitted seller system information in a DB; when users who access the mediator web site searches for necessary information, providing seller system information corresponding to found information in a web page form; and

when the user selects the seller system information provided by the mediator web site, connecting to a dynamic IP address of a personal web site corresponding to the selected seller system information, and providing personal and product information .

The step of the users who access the mediator web site searching for necessary information includes the step of, when the user inputs a search word so as to search for a specific person, the mediator system searching information about persons that is registered in a member information DB via a search engine, and displaying search results on a screen, and the step of, when a found web page is selected by the user, connecting to a personal web site of the corresponding web page, and providing seller system information regarding the found corresponding information so that the user can view text, photos , moving images and personal information posted on the personal web site .

The step of the mediator system posting the transmitted seller system information on the mediator web site by registering the transmitted seller system information in the DB includes the step of the mediator system regularly or irregularly visiting the personal web sites of the member seller systems via a web crawler, the step of the web crawler collecting changed personal and product information from the visited personal web sites of the seller systems in a web page form, and the step of

classifying the collected personal and product information of the seller systems in detail, and registering the information in the DB for updating .

At the step of registering with the mediator system, the users who register as members are classified into personal web site managers who desire to advertise their personal web sites and sellers who desire to sell their products .

The installation program includes a prototype web server, a prototype web site, a web server directory, a web site directory and a communication program.

The step of the user installing the downloaded installation program in his or her seller system includes the steps of the installation program creating a web server directory and creating a web site directory, a sales information directory and a personal information directory under the web server directory by executing a web server, and finally executing the communication program.

The step of registering personal and product information includes the steps of the user directly booting his or her seller system and directly inputting a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) "http : //localhost/" on a screen of his or her seller system, the seller system moving to a main web page of a personal web site address input by the user, when the user selects a personal and product information registration item on the web page of the

personal web site, the seller system requesting an Identification ( ID) and a password to authenticate the user, the seller system examining whether the ID and password input by the user are an ID and password of a registered user, and moving to a web page on which corresponding personal and product information is registered if the user is a registered user, the user registering and changing personal information on a web page on which personal information is registered, and the seller system storing the changed information in a personal information file under a personal information directory, and newly registering the changed information on a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) page that shows corresponding personal information . The step of the user registering the personal and product information of his or her personal web site includes the steps of the user who is located at a remote place, from which the user cannot directly boot the seller system, accessing the mediator web site via an Internet and logging in to the mediator web site, when the user login is completed, the mediator system moving to the user' s personal web site, when the user selects a personal and product registration item on a web page of the personal web site, the seller system examining whether the user is a registered user, and, if the user is a registered user, moving to a web page on which personal and product

information is registered and changed, the user registering and changing personal information on a web page on which personal information is registered, and the seller system storing the changed information in a personal information file under a personal information directory, and newly registering the changed information on an HTML page that shows corresponding personal information.

The step of the user who manages the seller system registering the personal and product information of his or her personal web site includes the steps of a server side script of the seller system notifying the communication program of changed information of the personal web site, the communication program transmitting the information to a communication processor of the mediator system using a predetermined message based on the communication protocol, the communication processor of the mediator system reading the predetermined message transmitted from the communication program of the seller system via the communication protocol, and running a web crawler, the web crawler directly moving to a web page corresponding to the read message, the web crawler collecting and fetching sales information files that are stored in personal web sites in a file form, and the web crawler classifying and arranging information about products for sale that exists in corresponding sales information files and registering the information in a DB for updating .

[Advantageous Effects]

As described above, the present invention is advantageous in that it provides prototype web sites to users who register as members over the Internet, automatically collects personal and product information registered in personal web sites, automatically stores the information in a DB and provides the dynamic IP addresses of corresponding web sites and found information to users requiring such information. Furthermore, the present invention is advantageous in that it allows users who do not use DNS or static IP addresses to advertise their personal web sites using their computers as servers and enables interpersonal e-commerce transactions for the purchase and sale of registered products to be performed without hindrance .

Furthermore, the present invention is advantageous in that, when a user who registered with a mediator system as a member registers personal and product information for updating, it automatically transmits the corresponding information to the mediator system, thus providing various pieces of information, which are registered in personal web sites of users for updating, to the users in real time .

[Description of Drawings]

FIG. 1 is a network configuration diagram

schematically illustrating a typical e-commerce mediation system using the Internet;

FIG . 2 is a network configuration diagram schematically illustrating a personal information mediation system using personal web sites according to the present invention;

FIG . 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the internal constructions of a mediator system and a seller system according to the present invention; FIG . 4 is a diagram illustrating the format of a communication protocol message exchanged between the mediator system and the seller system according to the present invention;

FIG . 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of communication between the mediator system and the seller system according to the present invention;

FIG . 6 is a flowchart illustrating a communication process of registering and changing sales information in the personal web site of the seller system according to the present invention;

FIG . 7 is a diagram illustrating a web page on which products for sale are registered and changed according to the present invention;

FIG . 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process of communication between the mediator system and a user according to the present invention; and

FIGS . 9 and 10 are flowcharts illustrating a process of communication between the seller system and a user according to the present invention .

[Best Mode] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings below.

FIG. 2 is a network configuration diagram schematically illustrating a personal information mediation system using personal web sites according to the present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the interpersonal e- commerce mediation system using personal web sites according to the present invention includes seller systems 100 that have registered with a mediator system, which provides interpersonal e-commerce web service based on the Internet, as sellers or personal web site managers download installation programs from the mediator system, install the programs in their own computers, register personal and product information in personal web sites operated by themselves, provide the personal information and the product information to Internet users who require the information, and sell products to users who desire to purchase the products; the mediator system 300 that provides prototype web servers, web sites and communication

programs to users who have registered as sellers or personal web site managers via the Internet , visits personal web sites operated by members using a web crawler, collects personal information and product information registered in corresponding web sites, registers the information in a DB, searches the DB based on search keywords input by Internet users who necessitate the information, and provides the dynamic IP addresses of found corresponding information; and users 200 that access the web sites of the mediator system 300, input search keywords for persons and products to find, check personal web sites and dynamic IP addresses corresponding to found personal and product information provided by the DB of the mediator system 300, access the personal web sites of users to find or personal web sites selling the found products , and purchase corresponding products .

The mediator system 300 includes a web server 310 that physically connects to various users on the Internet via a mediator web site; a search engine 340 that analyzes search keywords input by users who are accessing the mediator web site of the web server 310 in detail, searches the DB, and displays found data on the predetermined web page of the mediator web site; a web crawler 330 that regularly or irregularly visits member users' personal web sites through the mediator web site of the web server 310, collects personal information and product information

registered in corresponding personal web sites in the form of web pages and registers the information in a DB; a communication processor 340 that regularly or irregularly transmits and receives seller system information through the communication program of the seller system 100 and a predetermined communication protocol; and a DB 350 that stores the personal and product information of the users who register as sellers or personal web site managers through the mediator web site, stores installation programs, such as prototype web servers, web sites and communication programs, to be provided to users who register as sellers or personal web site managers via the Internet, and updates and registers the personal and product information that is collected by the web crawler 330 and is registered in the personal web sites .

In that case, the mediator web site may function as a portal site where general persons who use the Internet search for content about a specific Internet service and form communities . Furthermore, the communication processor 340 of the mediator system 300 visits the personal web sites , managed by users registered as members, and collects changed personal and product information from the personal web sites by regularly or irregularly operating the web crawler 330, classifies the collected information in detail, and registers the information in the DB 350.

The seller system 100 includes a web server 110 that physically connects to various users on the Internet via a personal web site, a communication program 120 that regularly or irregularly transmits and receives seller system information to and from the communication processor 340 of the mediator system 300, and a DB 130 that registers various programs provided by the mediator system 300, and personal and product information registered in the personal web site . The communication program 120 of the seller system 100 regularly exchanges seller system information with the communication processor 340 of the mediator system 300 using a predetermined communication protocol 400, and updates the seller system information and registers the updated seller system information in the DB 350 of the mediator system 300 whenever an event occurs .

In this case, the seller system information delivers the dynamic IP address of the user personal web site, the name of the directory corresponding to a specific Internet service, the version of a communication program that is running in the seller system, and changed personal and product information .

The seller system 100 is an Internet user that does not use an Internet-based static IP address or domain name service, registers with the mediator system 300 as a seller or a personal web site manager, and advertises a personal

web site , or provides product information and sells products to Internet users .

The user 200 runs the web browser of a personal computer, accesses the web server 301 of the mediator system 300 via the Internet, and examines personal and product information registered in the personal web sites that have registered as members through a search function provided by the web server 301 of the mediator web site .

In that case, when the user 200 accesses the web server 310 of the mediator system 300 through the web browser of his or her own computer and requests detailed information about a product to purchase using a search menu item, the mediator system 300 runs the search engine 340, searches for product information registered in the DB 350 , and transmits web site information, such as the dynamic IP address of a personal web site in which corresponding product information is registered, to the web browser of the user 200.

When checking personal web site information which is displayed in the form of web pages, and contains corresponding product information, and selects a personal web site in which specific product information is registered, the user 200 accesses the personal web site of a seller system 100 corresponding to the selected personal web site and moves to a web page where the user 200 can purchase a corresponding product .

For example, when an Internet user who desires to sell his or her own golf clubs accesses the web site of the mediator system 300, registers with the mediator system 300 as a seller, downloads installation programs , such as prototype web sites, etc . , to be provided by the mediator system 300, installs the installation programs in his or her own computer, and registers golf club product information, along with his or her personal information, in a personal web site, the mediator system 300 visits the personal web site of the user who has registered as a member using the web crawler 330, automatically collects registered personal and product information in the form of web pages , and registers and stores the information in the DB 350. In that case, when the user 200 accesses the web site of the mediator system 300 and searches for sellers who desire to sell golf clubs , the mediator system 300 runs the search engine 340 , searches for golf club sellers registered in the DB 350, and can display the golf club sellers on the web browser screen of the computer of the user 200 via web pages .

As a result, interpersonal e-commerce personal web service using the personal web site is performed between the user who desires to purchase the golf club, and a seller who sells the corresponding golf club .

FIG . 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating

the internal constructions of the mediator system and the seller system according to the present invention . The elements of FIGS . 2 and 3 that perform the same functions are respectively assigned the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted here .

As illustrated in FIG . 3, the web server 310 of the mediator system 300 includes a web server accessing unit 311 that accesses the web browsers of the users using the Internet and transmits various pieces of information, and a server side script 312 that processes various pieces of information transmitted through the seller system 100 or the web browser of the user 200 and stores the information in the DB 350.

The DB 350 of the mediator system 300 includes a communication program DB 351 that stores installation programs, such as a prototype web server, a web site and a communication program, to be downloaded to the users who have registered as members , a member information DB 352 that stores the IDs , passwords and personal information of the users and initial seller system information data with the users being classified into sellers and personal web site managers according to the selection of the users , and updates and stores personal information and sales information collected by the web crawler 330 and changed by members , a web site information DB 343 that stores the new and updated web site information of various prototype web

sites to be provided to the users who have registered as members and the new and updated web site information of personal web sites managed by the members according to detailed classification, and a seller system information DB 344 that stores information about the seller systems of the users who have registered as members, such as dynamic IP addresses, the names of directories corresponding to specific Internet services , and the versions of communication programs that are running in the seller systems .

The mediator system 300 includes a communication protocol accessing unit 360 that accesses the communication program 120 and communication protocol accessing unit 140 of the seller system 100 via the Internet and transmits and receives seller system information .

The web server accessing unit 311 of the mediator system 300 communicates with the web browsers of the users 200 in a World Wide Web fashion .

The web server 110 of the seller system 100 includes a web server accessing unit 111 that accesses the web browsers of the users 200 via the Internet and transmits various pieces of information, and a server side script 112 that processes various types of information transmitted through the mediator system 300 or the web browsers of the users 200 and stores the information in the DB 130.

The seller system 100 includes a communication

protocol accessing unit 140 that accesses the communication processor 320 and communication protocol accessing unit 360 of the mediator system 300 via the Internet and transmits and receives seller system information, a communication program 120 that regularly or irregularly transmits and receives seller system information with the communication processor 320 of the mediator system 100 through the communication protocol accessing unit 360 , and a DB 130 that stores a prototype web server, a web site and a communication program, that is , programs to be provided by the mediator system 300 and then installed .

The DB 130 of the seller system 100 includes a program DB 131 that stores a prototype web server, a web site and a communication program, that is , programs to be provided by the web server 310 of the mediator system 300 and installed, a personal information DB 132 that stores the client and transaction information of the users 200 who have accessed the personal web sites managed by users and have purchased products, and a product information DB 133 that stores the updated and registered personal and product information of the personal web site managed by the users according to detailed classification .

In that case, the personal information includes information about ages , addresses , birth places , schools, hobbies , special abilities , property management skills, work places, associations of like-minded persons, fields of

interest, or the like that have been registered in the personal web sites managed by the users and have been designated by the users . The product information includes information about the detailed images , numbers , detailed descriptions , unit costs , product reviews, delivery periods , or the like of products that the users desire to sell .

The web server accessing unit 140 of the seller system 100 communicates with the web browsers of the users 200 in a World Wide Web fashion .

The communication program 120 of the seller system 100 regularly or irregularly transmits and receives seller system information to and from the communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300 through communication protocol accessing units 360 and 140 using a communication protocol 400.

Furthermore, when the personal and product information is updated in the personal web sites by the users, the communication program 120 of the seller system 100 stores it in a corresponding personal information DB 132 and a corresponding product information DB 133. When the communication program 120 transmits the information to the mediator system 300 using the predetermined communication protocol 400 , the communication processor 340 of the mediator system 300 registers the personal and product information, transmitted by the seller system 100 ,

in the member information DB 352 and the web site information DB 343 for updating .

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the format of a communication protocol message exchanged between the mediator system and the seller system according to the present invention .

As illustrated in FIG . 4 , the format of the message based on the communication protocol 400 repeats the basic sequence of a tag 410, an information size 420 and information 430.

The tag 410 has a size of 2 bytes, the information size 420 has a size of 4 bytes, and the information 430 is not limited to a specific size .

The tag 410 is defined using the following classes . That is, 0x0 is an ID, 0x1 is a password, 0x2 is a version number, 0x3 is an IP address, 0x4 is an internet service name, 0x5 is a document root directory name, 0x6 is a subdirectory name, 0x7 is the end of a message, 0x8 is a request for a web crawler, 0x9 is a sales information file name, 0x10 is a sales information file directory name, 0x11 is a transaction item name, 0x12 is a transaction item profile, 0x13 is a purchaser IP address, and 0x14 is a transaction number .

The communication protocol uses an arbitrary one of the non public ports of Transmission Control Protocol

(TCP) , or the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol using a

TCP port 443 in the interest of security .

Representative information exchanged through the communication protocol includes an ID and a password that are used to identify the user of the seller system 100 , the version number of the communication program that is provided by the mediator system and is running in the seller system, a dynamic IP address that is newly assigned by an Internet service provider whenever the seller system is booted, the name of an Internet service that is being performed by the seller system, the name of a document directory, such as "C : /Program Files/Apache Group/Apache2/htdocs/" , the name of a sub-directory such as "C : /Program Files/Apache

Group/Apache2/htdocs/picture/jpg_format/", an ending message that indicates the end of a message, a message that runs a web crawler when the registered information of the seller system is changed, the name of a file in which sales information is stored, the name of a directory where sales information is located, a transaction item name for a traded product that indicates an item name for a traded product , transaction details that indicate the details of a traded product, the IP address of a purchasing user, a transaction number for a traded product, etc .

Accordingly, the communication program 120 of the seller system 100 and the communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300 can become aware of transmitted

information by analyzing the syntax of TCP protocol content .

Meanwhile, when the running communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300 is accessed by the communication program 120 of the seller system 100 , the communication processor 320 analyzes the syntax of TCP content, receives seller system information when an ID and a password coincide with those of a previously registered seller system 100, and registers the seller system information of the corresponding seller system 100 in the seller system information DB 354 for updating .

At this time, final information from the seller system 100 is ^Λ End of Message' information . The communication processor 320 that detects the ^λ End of Message' information also transmits ^λ End of Message' information to the communication program 120 of the seller system 100 and then terminates the connection to the seller system 100.

The communication program 120 of the seller system 100 regularly or irregularly transmits overall information to the communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300 using, for example, the Event Select model of Microsoft Windows when any event occurs in the seller system 100.

Thereafter, the communication program 120 of the seller system 100 waits in a listening state until there is a connection request from the communication processor 320

of the mediator system 300.

Furthermore, the communication program 120 of the seller system 100 exchanges information with the communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300 and then stays in a listening state . When the communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300 desires to transmit some information to the seller system 100, the communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300 requests a TCP connection from the communication program 120 of the seller system 100.

The communication program 120 of the seller system 100 can receive information from the communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300 by analyzing the syntax of TCP content, and may initiate or terminate a specific program, along with a received parameter, according to the type of information .

Furthermore, the communication program 120 of the seller system 100 may change the execution method of the communication program that is already being executed . For example, when a network event in which a new dynamic IP address is assigned by an Internet service provider, an event in which the seller who manages the seller system 100 arbitrarily changes a specific service, or an event in which personal and sales information are changed, occurs, the communication program 120 of the seller system 100 exchanges the information with the

communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300.

According to the information, the communication program 120 of the seller system 100 changes a service that is already being performed in the seller system 100, or transmits and receives parameters to and from the communication program 320 that is being executed in the mediator system 300.

Accordingly, when the communication program 120 of the seller system 100 is installed, initialization variables, such as services to be implemented in a personal computer, or the interval of communication with the communication program 120, must be input .

As a result, after a specific Internet service has been initiated or terminated in the seller system 100, the communication program 120 and a specific Internet service program can notify each other of each other' s state using the Event Select model of Microsoft and a state machine .

For example, the event in which a new dynamic IP address is assigned by an Internet service provider changes the specific state between the two elements . The communication program 120 transmits this new dynamic IP address to the communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300 through the communication protocol 400.

FIG . 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of communication between the mediator system and the seller system according to the present invention .

As illustrated in FIG . 5 , users who desire to advertise their personal and product information on the Internet via personal web sites access the web server 310 of the mediator system 300 that provides personal web service using a communication protocol (HTTPS) , and register as members at step S500.

The server side script 310 of the mediator system 300 directs users who agree to the terms and conditions of membership to undergo a member registration procedure, receives users' IDs, passwords, personal information, personal web site information, product information and seller system information, and stores and registers them in the member information DB 352 at step S501.

The server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 inquires of the member users whether they wish to purchase products using personal web sites or to advertise their personal web sites , classifies them as sellers or personal web site managers according to the selection of the users , and registers them in the member information DB 352 according to the classification.

Furthermore, when a user requests the change of the user' s personal information and sales information registered in the member information DB 352 under the necessity of the user, the server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 registers the user' s changed personal and sales information in the member information DB 352 in

an update manner .

The server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 reads personal web service installation programs from the program DB 351, and downloads the personal web service installation programs to the seller systems 100 of the users who have completed membership registration .

In this case, each of the installation programs includes a prototype web server, a prototype web site, a web server directory, a web site directory and a communication program.

When a user selects the storage and installation of the personal web service installation program in a state in which the personal web service installation program has been completely downloaded, the seller system 100 stores the personal web service installation program in the program DB 131 and, at the same time, installs it in the seller system 100 at step S502.

The personal web service installation program installed in the seller system 100 creates a web server directory by executing the web server 110, creates and locates a web site directory, a sales information directory and a personal information directory under the web server directory, and finally executes the communication program 120 at step S503. When the prototype web server 110, the prototype web site and the communication program 120 are in the state of

being installed in the seller system 100 via the personal web service installation program, the user accesses his or her own personal web site and registers personal and sales information in the personal web site . In this case, the web server and the web site may be replaced with a personal web server and a personal web site already installed in the seller system 100.

The communication program 120 of the seller system

100 modifies the seller system information, including a dynamic IP address, stores it in the program DB 131, and regularly or irregularly transmits it to the communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300 via the predetermined communication protocol 400 at step S504.

The communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300 registers the transmitted seller system information in the seller system information DB 354 for updating at step S505.

The server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 posts the seller system information registered in the seller system information DB 354 on a predetermined web page of the mediator web site at step S506.

The web crawler 330 of the mediator system 300 regularly or irregularly visits the personal web sites of the member seller systems 100 S507 , and collects changed personal and product information from the personal web sites of corresponding seller systems 100 in the form of

web pages at step S508.

The mediator system 300 classifies the changed personal and product information of the seller systems 100 collected by the web crawler 330 in detail , and registers it in the member information DB 352 for updating at step

S509.

FIG. β is a flowchart illustrating a communication process of registering and changing sales information in the personal web site of the seller system according to the present invention .

As illustrated in FIG . 6, the user who has registered with the mediator system 300 as a seller may register and change sales information via the personal web site installed in his or her own seller system 100 as required by the user .

First, in the case where the user boots the seller system 100 , that is, his or her own computer, himself or herself, the server side script 112 of the seller system 100 authenticates the user by requesting the input of the user' s ID and password and examining the input ID and password.

The user accesses his or her personal web site by directly inputting the URL "http : //localhost/" onto the screen of his or her seller system 100 at step S510. When the user selects a product registration item located on the main web page of his or her own personal web

site, the server side script 112 of the seller system 100 requests the input of the user' s ID and password, examines the input ID and password, and allows the user to move to a corresponding product registration web page if the user is authentic .

In this case, the product registration web page is a CGI page . When the user changes and registers the sales information in a corresponding web page, the server side script 120 of the seller system 100 registers and stores the changed and registered sales information in the product information DB 133.

If the user accesses the mediator web site of the mediator system 300 via the Internet in the state of being located in a remote place where the user cannot directly boot his or her own seller system 100, the server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 requests the input of an ID and a password so as to authenticate the user at step S520.

If the ID and password input by the user coincide with a seller' s ID and password registered in the member information DB 352 , the server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 moves to the user' s personal web site "http : //64.1.20.100/index . html" . When the user selects a product registration item on a web page, the server side script 112 of the seller system 100 requests the input of an ID and a password so as to authenticate the user .

If the ID and password input by the user coincide with a registered user' s ID and password, the server side script 112 of the seller system 100 moves to a web page where product information is registered and changed at step S521. In this case, when the user selects a product registration item, the server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 moves to a web site for product registration, such as

"http : //64. L 20.100/registration . cgi" . When the user registers and changes product information about a product to sell in a web page where the product information is registered and changed, the server side script 112 of the seller system 100 stores information about the new product and the changed information based on a corresponding CGI web page in a sales information file located under the sales information directory, newly registers them in a web page (html page) that shows the corresponding product to sell, and stores them in the product information DB 133 at step S522. In that case, the sales information file, as illustrated in FIG . 7 , is stored according to classification of a sales product name, a sales product price, a sales product description, and a URL path to the photo of a product to sell, such as "http : //64.1.20.100/picture/sales2. jpg" .

The server side script 112 of the seller system 100

notifies the communication program 120 of the changed information at step S523 , and the communication program 120 transmits the information to the communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300 using a predetermined message based on the communication protocol at step S524.

The communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300 reads a predetermined message transmitted from the seller system 100 of the communication program 120 via the communication protocol and runs the web crawler 330 at step S525.

The web crawler 330 moves to a web page corresponding to the read message, such as a "sales information file" at step S526.

The web crawler 330 collects and fetches a sales information file stored in the personal web site in file form at step S527.

The web crawler 330 classifies and arranges information about a product to sell stored in the corresponding sales information file, and registers the arranged information in the member information DB 352 and the web site information DB 353 at step S528.

That is , when the seller of the seller system 100 posts information about items to sell in a sales information file under the sales information directory according to a predetermined method, the communication program 120 of the seller system 100 regularly monitors

variation in the file, and notifies the communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300 of variation using a predetermined message based on the communication protocol 400 when any variation occurs . In that case, the web crawler 330 being executed in the mediator system 300 visits the personal web site of a corresponding seller, fetches a sales information file to the mediator system 300 using a received file name and a received directory name, separates respective pieces of information, and registers and stores the information in the member information DB 352 and the web site information DB 354.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process of communication between the mediator system and the user according to the present invention .

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the user 200 who desires to search for a specific person or a specific product over the Internet accesses the web server 310 of the mediator system 300 via his or her computer web browser, and the server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 transmits a mediator web site to the computer web browser of the user 200 and outputs the mediator web site onto a screen at step S601.

The user 200 requests an information search from the mediator system 300 by selecting a search window from among various menu items provided by the mediator web site of the

mediator system 300, and inputting a related keyword to search for a specific web site or content about a personal web site that sells a product for which the user 200 is searching, using a natural language, at step S602. The server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 activates the search engine 340 and arranges web site information and seller system information corresponding to the input keyword at step S603.

In this case, the search engine 340, running in the mediator system 300, searches the web site information DB 353 for the personal web site of a specific person that the user 200 desires to find by using a keyword or parsing natural language, and, at the same time, provides the found information to the user 200 in web page form. In this case, when the user 200 specifies the name of an already known personal web site, redirection to the corresponding personal web site is performed.

The server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 transmits the arranged corresponding personal web site information or corresponding seller system information of the specific person to the computer web browser of the user 200 in web page form at step S604.

When user selects an arbitrary URL, that is, http: //64.1.20.100/index. html, in the case where the found corresponding information is the specific person' s personal web site information, connection to a corresponding

personal web site is automatically made .

When the user selects detailed information about a specific seller system regarding a desired product in the case where the found corresponding information is seller system information at step S605 , the server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 collects updated detailed information about the specific seller system from . the seller system information DB 354 at step S606.

The server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 transmits the detailed information, including the dynamic IP address of the specific seller system 100 selected by the user 200 , the dynamic IP address of the purchasing user, and the found information, to the computer web browser of the user 200 via the web server 310 of the mediator system 300 at step S607.

FIGS . 9 and 10 are flowcharts illustrating a process of communication between the seller system and the user according to the present invention .

As illustrated in FIGS . 9 and 10, the user 200 examines the detailed information, including the dynamic IP address of the seller, the dynamic IP address of the purchasing user, and the found information, provided by the mediator system 300 , in web page form, and the user 200 is directly connected to the product sales web page of a corresponding personal web site if the user 200 selects the personal web site of a seller system 100 that provides

information about a desired product at step S701.

If the user 200 selects and chooses to purchase a desired product via the product sales web page at step S702, the server side script 112 of the seller system 100 transmits detailed information about the product selected by the user 200 , along with the dynamic IP address of the seller, the dynamic IP address of the purchasing user, a transaction number, and product information, to the communication processor 320 of the mediator system 300 via the communication program 120 at step S703, and requests a connection to the payment web site "https : //www . nrsystems . com/transaction/transaction . cgi" of the mediator system 300 from the web browser of the user 200 at step S704. When the user 200 connects to the payment web site of the mediator via his or her own web browser at step S705, the server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 transmits the payment web site to the web browser of the user at step S706. The server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 examines the user' s ID and password, and registers and stores the transaction information about a product to be purchased, including the dynamic IP address of the seller, the dynamic IP address of the purchasing user, the transaction number and the product information, which is transmitted from the seller system 100 , in the member

information DB 352 at step S707.

The user 200 determines whether the payment web site provided by the mediator system 300 has been provided by the mediator system 300, and authenticates himself or herself by inputting his or her own ID, password and transaction number at step S708.

The server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 determines whether the user is a user registered in the member information DB 342 , and transmits the sales information web page to the web browser of the user 200 if the user is a registered user at step S709.

When the user 200 checks the sales information web page and selects a purchase button, the server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 performs electronic payment using a means such as a credit card, a phone banking service and a telebanking service, provided by a financial institution at step S710.

In that case, the procedure in which the electronic payment is performed by the mediator system 300 is employed to protect both the user and seller .

Once payment for the corresponding product has been made, the server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 transmits e-mail providing the notification of the completion of an e-commerce transaction performed by the user 200 to the e-mail address of the seller of the seller system 100 at step S711.

Since all of the purchasing user 200, the seller and the mediator must know the same information about a completed e-commerce transaction when the e-commerce transaction is completed, a transaction number is assigned to each transaction .

The transaction number is used for the payment of transaction price, the examination of transaction price, the status of delivery, and the examination of delivery. The creation of a transaction number may be achieved using the unique ID of a seller . For example, assuming that the ID of the seller is "quickseller", the created number is "quicksellerOOOOl" .

The seller of the seller system 100 finds the e- commerce transaction completion message transmitted from the mediator system 300 via e-mail, and requests the delivery of the corresponding product, so that the product can be delivered to the user at step S712.

The server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 inquires of the user 200 about the delivery of the corresponding product at step S713, and pays the corresponding seller system 100 the transaction price, which is obtained by subtracting a mediation fee from the sales price, when the delivery of the product is confirmed by the user, and notifies the seller system 100 of the payment of the transaction cost at step S714.

Furthermore, in return for the successful

transaction, the level of the corresponding seller system

100 is increased by one level, and, thus, information about the corresponding seller system is preferentially located and posted in and on a web page that is provided to users who want to purchase the same item.

For example, assuming that the user 200 is a user who desires to be provided with information about a seller system that sells high-quality socks at a low cost, when the user 200 accesses the mediator web site provided by the web server 310 of the mediator system 300, the user 200 is provided with the information about the seller system in a corresponding directory structure form.

The web pages having the directory structure form show a plurality of sock sellers that are found using the title "seller information/clothing/socks", and show linked seller system information and personal web sites as detailed items in a web page form.

The web pages that show the seller system information shows the current dynamic IP addresses and changed dynamic IP addresses of sock sellers who are monitored in real time and shows changes in real time whenever the detailed product information is changed .

In this case , when a specific sock seller is selected by the user 200 , a connection is made to the linked web site of the sock seller, thus allowing an e-commerce transaction to be performed . The sock seller posts

information about a product to sell , the amount of inventory, payment means, etc . on his or her own personal web site, so that the user 200 can be provided with the information on the web page and purchase a desired product . Furthermore, assuming that the user 200 is an Internet user who desires to search for Gil-Dong Hong, that is, a high school mate, when the user 200 accesses the mediator web site of the mediator system 300 via the web browser of the PC, the user 200 is provided with information about the web sites of users who have registered as the personal web site manager members in a corresponding directory structure form.

When a search is requested using the title "information about person to be searched for/Changwon high school/Graduate/Gil-Dong Hong" via a web page having the directory structure form, the server side script 312 of the mediator system 300 searches the graduates of Changwon high school, which are registered in the member information DB 542 , for a plurality of Gil-Dong Hongs via the search engine 340, and shows the web pages of personal web sites linked as detailed items . For example, the server side script 312 shows 21st alumnus Gil-Dong Hong, 23rd alumnus Gil-Dong Hong, and 25th alumni Gil-Dong Hong A, Gil-Dong Hong B and Gil-Dong Hong C . When the user 200 selects a specific Gil-Dong Hong, the user 200 connects to the corresponding Gil-Dong Hong' s

personal web site and can view various pieces of information, such as text, photos and moving images, that are posted on the personal web site .

Although the present invention has been described in detail hereinbefore, the above-described embodiments are only illustrative , but not restrictive . In the present invention, changes to elements that can be achieved by equivalent replacement within a range that does not depart from the technical spirit and scope of the present invention fall within the scope of the present invention .