WO2005034476A1

WO2005034476A1 - Method and system for point-to-point information exchange by means of a dissemination network

Info

Publication number: WO2005034476A1
Application number: PCT/FR2004/002497
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Philippe Diguet; Pierrick Danielo
Original assignee: Jean-Philippe Diguet; Pierrick Danielo
Priority date: 2003-10-02
Filing date: 2004-10-04
Publication date: 2005-04-14
Also published as: FR2860676B1; FR2860676A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for exchanging data disseminated by a plurality of terminals in a telecommunications network wherein each terminal detects the presence of other terminals located within a commuting distance, establishes connection with the detected terminal and exchanges data with the terminal with which said connection is established. Data exchanged between two terminals comprise files each of which has a defined structure for a respective profile known by both terminals. The inventive method involves the following stages: after establishing connection between the first and second terminals, the first terminal transmits (22, 43) a list of profile identification codes to the second terminal, in return, the second terminal transmits (24c, 45) a set of files each of which corresponds to a profile identified in the received list of profile identification codes and the first terminal records (26, 46) the received files.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EXCHANGING POINT-TO-POINT INFORMATION THROUGH A BROADCASTING NETWORK.

The present invention relates to the field of telecommunications and more particularly to the services which may be offered by means of such communications.

It applies in particular, but not exclusively, to the creation of a service for linking offers and requests disseminated in a telecommunications network by a set of users.

More and more mobile terminals (PDAs, mobile phones, etc.) are equipped with a Bluetooth link allowing them to communicate with other devices located nearby. In the patent application US 2003/0065805 it was thought to use such a link to implement a system designed to broadcast information to user terminals according to selection criteria issued by the latter, the information disseminated being linked where the system and the users are. This system makes it possible in particular to broadcast targeted advertising messages through terminals and to exchange classified ads with other users.

It turns out that in practice, this system works poorly because to determine with sufficient reliability if an advertisement received corresponds to the selection criteria defined by a user, it is necessary to perform a semantic analysis of both the words appearing in the advertisement and words defining the selection criteria. However, such a semantic analysis requires significant processing and storage capacities which exceed those which are available in most current mobile terminals.

The present invention aims to eliminate these drawbacks. This objective is achieved by providing a method for exchanging data broadcast by a plurality of terminals in a telecommunications network, each of the terminals detecting the presence of other terminals located within communication range, establishing communication with a terminal. detected and exchanging data with the terminal with which a communication is established. According to the invention, the data exchanged between two terminals include files each having a structure defined in a respective profile known to the two terminals, the method comprising steps during which:

- following the establishment of a communication between a first and a second terminal, the first terminal transmits to the second terminal a list of profile identification codes,

the second terminal transmits in response to the first terminal a set of files each corresponding to a profile identified in the list of profile identification codes received from the first terminal, and

- the first terminal stores the files received.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the first terminal compares each of the received files with personal files stored in memory and whose profiles correspond, to determine if a received file coincides with a personal file, and if a received file coincides with a personal file, the terminal sends a signal to the user.

Advantageously, in a first operating mode of the terminal, the transmitted files include only personal files of a user of the terminal.

Advantageously, in a second operating mode of the terminal, the transmitted files include only files received from other terminals.

Advantageously, in a third operating mode of the terminal, the transmitted files include both files received from other terminals and personal files of the user of the terminal.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the list of profile identification codes transmitted by a terminal contains profile identification codes previously selected by the user.

According to one embodiment of the invention, prior to the transmission of the list of profile identification codes, a signature identifying the user of the terminal is transmitted to the other terminal. Advantageously, in a mode of operation of the terminal, each signature sent comprises an identifier of the user making it possible to establish communication by another means with the user.

Advantageously, in one operating mode of the terminal, each signature sent is anonymous and the files transmitted include only files received from other terminals.

According to one embodiment of the invention, each of the exchanged files comprises several fields, the nature and characteristics of which are defined in the profile of the file, the comparison of a received file with a personal file stored in memory consisting in comparing the two files field by field, to determine for each field of the file received a level of relevance, and to determine a level of global relevance for the file received according to the levels of relevance calculated for each of the fields of the file received.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises the steps of defining a new profile, generating an application capable of managing the new profile, and installing the application in at least two user terminals.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises the steps of generating a profile code belonging to a predefined code range by applying an encoding function to a user password and to a user code. predefined file profile, and to transmit the profile code generated in the list of transmitted profile codes, so that a file having the predefined profile is transmitted only if the receiving terminal has both the password, the coding function and preset profile.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the communication links established between the terminals are of short range, conforming to a wireless telecommunication standard.

Alternatively, the communication links established between the terminals are of point-to-point type via the Internet network. According to an embodiment of the invention, each profile defines the format of different fields of a file, rules for entering the fields of a profile file, comparison rules to be applied to each of the fields in the file for compare them to the fields of another file of the same profile, formulas for calculating a level of relevance as a function of the result of the comparison, and a formula for calculating a level of overall relevance as a function of the calculated levels of relevance for each of the fields in the form.

The invention also relates to a system for exchanging files disseminated by a plurality of terminals in a telecommunications network, each of the terminals comprising means for detecting the presence of other terminals located nearby, means for establishing communication with a terminal. detected, and means for exchanging data with the terminal with which a communication is established.

According to the invention, the data exchanged between two terminals comprises files each having a structure defined in a respective profile known to the two terminals, each terminal further comprising:

means for receiving a list of profile identification codes from another terminal with which a communication is established,

- Means for transmitting to the other terminal a set of cards each corresponding to a profile identified in the list of profile identification codes received from the other terminal, and - means for receiving and storing cards.

According to one embodiment of the invention, each terminal further comprises:

comparison means for comparing each of the received files with personal files stored in memory and whose profiles correspond, to determine whether a received file coincides with a personal file, and

- Means for transmitting a signal to the user of the terminal if a received card coincides with a personal card.

Advantageously, the telecommunications network is of the wireless type.

Alternatively, the telecommunications network is of the point-to-point network type. point in the Internet.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the system comprises means for generating an application specific to at least one profile and for installing the application in user terminals.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described below, by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 schematically represents a point-to-point information exchange system according to invention;

FIG. 2 schematically represents the architecture of a point-to-point information exchange application according to the invention, installed in a user terminal shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 represents the structure of a signature exchanged between two user terminals, according to the invention;

FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate in the form of a flowchart different steps of the method according to the invention, executed by user terminals during an exchange of information;

FIG. 5 illustrates in the form of a more detailed flowchart the various steps which are performed by a user terminal when receiving information from another terminal.

FIG. 1 represents a system comprising user terminals 2, 3 which may be of different types, equipped with means for transmitting and receiving signals, in order to be able to establish communication links 1 with other terminals and to exchange information. The terminals are advantageously of the mobile terminal, telephone or personal electronic assistant (PDA) type, these terminals being equipped with radio transmission / reception modules designed to establish a point-to-point connection with another terminal. These modules, for example, comply with the Bluetooth standard. Alternatively, the terminals may also include means for connecting to so-called peer-to-peer networks ("Peer to Peer") via the Internet.

According to the invention, the information exchanged between terminals 2 to 4 is in the form of files having predefined formats in profiles, each profile being associated with an identification code. The value of this code advantageously makes it possible to distinguish three categories of profiles, namely the service profiles defining the format of service files intended for the application, encrypted card profiles and unencrypted card profiles. In addition, in order to be able to identify the issuer of a file, the terminals also exchange identification information grouped in a set called "signature".

Each terminal 2 to 4 is further equipped with an application dedicated to the exchange of such files, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In this figure, the application for exchanging files 10 comprises a generic module 16 which manages the application and which uses communication utilities 18 to send and receive data packets, and management of storage of cards in memory, and one or more specific modules 17 adapted to one or more profiles of cards, these specific modules bringing together functions for editing and comparing files. The application 10 has access to a set 12 of parameters for configuring the application, as well as to files stored in memory which are advantageously distributed in one or more directories 13 of personal files created by the user, one or more directories 14 of gleaned cards, that is to say received from other users, and a directory 15 of pairs of cards associating a personal card and a received card which coincides with the personal card.

In FIG. 3, the signature of a user comprises:

- an unmodifiable "ID" identification code, uniquely identifying the user's terminal vis-à-vis the transmission means used, for example a Bluetooth identifier on 6 bytes,

- a "pseudo" field intended to receive a character string such as the name of the user, allowing it to be identified by other users of the exchange system, for example on 8 bytes, - an operating mode number of the application, for example on a byte, and

- possibly an identifier "such" of the user vis-à-vis another means of telecommunication by which the user can be reached, for example a telephone number or an identifier for instant messaging.

Following the establishment of a communication with another terminal, this signature is transmitted in association with a list of identification codes of file profiles that the user has generally selected from the profiles available to him, these codes being for example defined on two bytes.

Each profile defines a file format comprising one or more fields to be completed by the users, each of these fields being associated with attributes indicating in particular the type of the field, a level of priority, whether the field is compulsory or not, the size of the control in the case of a text type control. The possible field types are for example the following:

- single choice list, of n elements from which the user must choose a single element,

- multiple choice list, of n elements from which the user must choose one or more elements,

- list to classify or sort, of n elements from which the user must choose one or more elements to which he assigns an order of priority, - password of fixed length,

- text of predefined maximum length,

- picture,

- video,

For a list type field, the profile provides the values of all the elements of the list.

Each profile also refers to functions of the generic module 16 to be executed to fill each field of a profile file, and to compare field to field two profile files, with a view to comparing files to assess a level of relevance . If the format of the request sheets must be different from that of the corresponding offer sheets, paired profiles are provided defining the format and functions applicable to the request sheets for one and to the offer sheets for the 'other. If it is not necessary to distinguish the profiles from the corresponding request and offer sheets, the profile is said to be "symmetrical".

It is possible to provide, among the utilities 18, a custom profile creation utility, allowing a user to create custom profiles and to transmit it to people of an exchange group that he thus wants to form.

Terminals 2 to 4 are designed to operate in automatic mode, that is to say that they periodically search for other terminals with which they can exchange records. They can also operate at the user's choice in manual mode in which the search for another terminal in order to establish a communication is triggered by the user.

When more than two terminals simultaneously attempt to enter into communication, it is possible to provide for the execution by each terminal of a procedure carrying out random attempts, by following a circular list containing all the identifiers ID of the terminals detected, candidates for establishment of a connection. This procedure consists first of all in making an attempt to connect with the first candidate in the list of detected terminals, and if the candidate does not respond according to a predefined protocol, the procedure goes to the next candidate in the list, and so on. . If a connection is established, the correspondent is removed from the list. When the end of the list is reached and if it is still not empty (at least one connection attempt has failed) then the procedure restarts with the first correspondent in the list, and so on until that the list is empty or that a maximum number of attempts has been reached for each terminal detected. In the Bluetooth standard, the establishment of this list of candidate terminals is carried out using the "inquiry" procedure.

We can plan to define a minimum delay Te after which a terminal attempts a new connection to the same candidate terminal, as well as a maximum number of attempts to establish a connection with the same correspondent. If this number is exceeded, the correspondent in question is eliminated from the list. In addition, to avoid entering into communication with the same correspondent several times in succession, a minimum delay Tr is also defined during which a correspondent with whom a connection has already been established cannot re-enter the list of detected terminals. Alternatively, a minimum number of correspondents with whom a communication has been established is defined before taking into account a correspondent with whom a connection has already been established.

If the transmission means allows simultaneous connections, the called terminal responds that it is busy, for example by sending a signature in which the mode is forced to a predefined value, for example 11.

When two user terminals enter into communication, they first exchange an application code to indicate that they want to activate the file exchange application. If one of the two terminals in communication does not return this code, they will disconnect or run another application, if such an application is provided. If, on the contrary, this code is received by each of the two terminals, they exchange their signature and the list of profile profile codes they wish to exchange. Then, the two terminals exchange only the files having common profiles, said to be "symmetrical", or paired, in the two lists of profile codes previously exchanged.

In this context, the application 10 is advantageously designed to manage several modes of exchanging files between users. Whatever the mode of exchange, the terminals accept all the transmitted files and then sort the received files. The following modes are thus provided:

- a first anonymous request mode in which the user's terminal transmits only an anonymous signature, that is to say in which the fields "pseudo" and "tel" are empty, and only transmits files gleaned, i.e. received from other users, excluding the user's personal files,

- a second mode of exchange known as "over the counter" in which the user's terminal transmits his complete signature to his interlocutor only if the latter also provides him with his complete signature, and transmits files gleaned, and if the complete signatures have been exchanged, also personal files,

- a third targeted exchange mode in which the user's terminal transmits his complete signature and transmits only personal files, and

- a fourth global exchange mode in which the user's terminal transmits his complete signature and all his personal and gleaned files.

By retransmitting files received from other users, each terminal acts as a relay vis-à-vis other terminals.

It is also possible to provide a fifth mode suitable for fixed or mobile terminals 4 which do not have personal files to broadcast and therefore function only as relay stations. In this mode, the terminal systematically sends its complete signature and all the files it has received and having a profile requested by its correspondent. In this mode, the terminal does not issue any list of profile codes following signature.

FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate procedures 20, 40 which are executed respectively by two terminals A and B when they enter into communication.

In the first steps 21 and 41 of these procedures, the two terminals establish a link between them, one A of these two terminals taking the initiative for the exchange, for example as a function of the relative values of their respective "ID" identifiers .

In the next step 22, the terminal A sends an introductory message containing the signature of the user of the terminal and a list of profile codes (unless the terminal is in mode 5: relay station). If terminal A is in mode 1 or 2, the signature sent is anonymous. If terminal A is in mode 1, 2 or 3, the list of profile codes sent corresponds to profiles previously selected by the user. In mode 4, this list of codes refers to all the profiles managed by the application 10 installed in the terminal A. In parallel with step 22, the terminal B waits for reception of the introductory message from the terminal A and receives this message in step 42.

In the next step 43, it issues its introductory message, while in the step 23, terminal A is waiting for this message and then receives it. The signature sent by the terminal B is also anonymous if the terminal A is in mode 1, the terminal B knowing the mode of the terminal A thanks to the signature received from the latter. As for terminal A, the list of profile codes transmitted in the introductory message sent by terminal B contains the profile codes selected by the user of terminal B in mode 1, 2 or 3 and all the profile codes managed by terminal B in mode 4. As for terminal A, the introductory message sent by terminal B does not contain a list of profile codes if it is in mode 5.

In the following step 24a, the terminal A tests the mode of the terminal B received in the introductory message and if this is equal to 2, 3 or 4, while the mode of the terminal A is equal to 2, the terminal A transmits its complete signature to terminal B (step 24b). In the next step 24c and if the mode of terminal A is not equal to 2 or if the mode of terminal B is equal to 1, terminal A transmits files to terminal B, while terminal B is on standby of these cards and receives them in step 44.

Terminal A only transmits files gleaned from the common profiles mentioned in the introductory messages, if it is in mode 1 or if terminal A is in mode 2 and terminal B in mode 1. Terminal A only transmits only his personal files in the common profiles if he is in mode 3, and transmits all the files (personal + gleaned) in the common profiles if he is in mode 2 and the terminal B also, or if he is in mode 4.

In the next step 25, the terminal A waits for the files of the terminal B, while the terminal B transmits its files to A (step 45), following the same rules as the terminal A according to their respective modes .

In the following respective steps 26, 46, the two terminals A and B apply to the received cards a first sorting process to reject the cards which have already been received and stored, and to store the new cards received in the directory 14 of the gleaned cards. To identify that a file has already been received, the application 10 is based on the identifier of the issuer of the file and on a date of creation information appearing in the header of all the files, this information can be coded on 4 bytes.

Then, in steps 27 and 47, the terminals A and B apply a relevance calculation to each file received, this calculation consisting in comparing field to field each file received with the personal files stored in the terminal and having the same profile. The result of field-to-field comparisons between two records is used to calculate a level of relevance. Terminal B then waits for a message from terminal A (step 48), while terminal A in step 27a, compares each level of relevance obtained with a threshold predefined by the user, the files received including the level of relevance calculated is greater than the threshold being considered as relevant. If relevant files are found, they are stored with the corresponding personal file in the directory 15 provided for this purpose. Provision may also be made to warn the user for example by triggering the emission by the terminal of an audible or visual signal on the display screen of the terminal, according to the choice of the user defined by parameters of the application.

Then, we can give the user the possibility to consult the files received, deemed relevant.

Two cases are then to be considered, depending on whether or not the relevant files are personal files from terminal B.

If a relevant file is not a personal file from terminal B, we can provide for the automatic sending or at the user's choice of a short message, for example of the SMS (Short Message Service) type to the terminal identified in the field "tel" of the signature associated with the relevant file.

On the contrary, if a relevant file is a personal file of the user of the terminal B, the terminal A can transmit, automatically or at the option of the user, to the terminal B a message requesting confirmation of relevance (step 28). This message contains information specifying the nature of the message, such as the signature of terminal A in which the mode is forced to a particular value (6 for example), as well as the two files (personal file and file received from terminal B). Terminal A then waits for a response from Terminal B.

Upon receipt of the relevance confirmation request message (step 48), and according to the level of relevance calculated by the terminal B for the two files specified in this message and the result of the comparison of this level of relevance with the relevance threshold specified by the user of terminal B, terminal B sends in response a message confirming or not the relevance of the files (step 49). The relevance calculation of two files can in fact vary from one terminal to another, due on the one hand to the relevance threshold chosen by the user, and on the other hand, to the possibility offered by certain profiles. influence the calculation by modifying the weighting coefficients associated with the different fields.

The relevance confirmation message contains information specifying the nature of the message, for example the signature of terminal B in which the mode is forced to a particular value, for example 7 to indicate that the relevance is not confirmed by terminal B , and 8 otherwise. In the case where the relevance is confirmed by the terminal B, this message can advantageously contain a password chosen at random, which can be used by the users of the two terminals to exchange in real time the messages which they introduce into their terminal. The messages thus exchanged can be files of a particular encrypted profile comprising a free text type field.

In step 29, the terminal A receives this message, and if the relevance is confirmed (steps 30 and 50), it can establish a dialogue with the terminal B for example by means of the password transmitted in the confirmation message of relevance (steps 31 and 51). Otherwise, procedures 20 and 40 end.

If the relevance is confirmed, the two users can decide to enter voice communication, for example using their respective terminals if they are mobile telephones.

In the procedures 20, 40 which have just been described, the exchange of a list of profile codes makes it possible to carry out a prior sorting (before transmission) of the exchanged cards. A sorting after reception on the received cards is then carried out on the basis of the formats of the cards predefined in the profiles. These provisions make it possible both to limit the volume of information exchanged, and to simplify the sorting of the files received.

It should be noted that the passage to steps 27 and 47 can be manual. In addition, the processing carried out in steps 27 to 31 and 47 to 51 can be carried out on another terminal, after downloading of the files received and of the personal files. FIG. 5 illustrates more precisely an example of a procedure 60 for entering into communication and for receiving information from another terminal, executed by both a master and slave terminal.

Following the establishment of a link with another terminal, the terminal receives an introductory message. If in step 61, this message does not contain the predefined INTRO introduction code corresponding to the card exchange application, the procedure 60 ends, that is to say that the terminal does not respond. Otherwise, the application introduction code is followed by a signature and possibly a list of profile codes if the mode contained in the received signature is less than 5 (step 62). In the next step 63, the terminal tests whether at least one of the profile codes received corresponds to at least one of the expected profiles, or if the mode contained in the signature is equal to 5 (step 63). If no profile code received corresponds to an expected profile or if the mode received is not equal to 5, the procedure ends, possibly by the exchange of a CC conclusion code, the two terminals having no profile in common and therefore no sheet to exchange.

If the two terminals in communication have common card profiles, five cases can occur. The receiving terminal can thus receive:

- either a file for the first common profile specified in the list of profile codes contained in the introductory message received, taking into account the order in which the profile codes appear in the list (step 69),

- either an INTER separation sequence indicating that the following file which will be transmitted has the following common profile, specified in the list of profile codes contained in the introduction message received (step 64),

- either a complete signature in the case where mode 2 is active and where the mode specified in the signature received is greater than 1 (step 65),

- either an INTRO introduction code specifying in this case, that the following file which will be transmitted is a gleaned file and is therefore preceded by the signature of the creator of this file (step 67),

- Or a CC conclusion code terminating the dialogue in the case where the transmitting terminal has no file to transmit in the common profiles and does not expect any file from the receiving terminal (step 68).

If in step 64, the LNTER separator code is received, the receiving terminal returns in step 64. If the test in step 65 is positive, the receiving terminal receives the complete signature from the sending terminal, then proceeds to step 69 for receiving a file.

If in step 67, the receiving terminal receives an introduction code, it proceeds to steps 70 to 75 for receiving gleaned cards, described below. Following the reception of a file (step 69), the terminal returns to step 64.

In steps 70 to 72, the receiving terminal can receive:

either an LNTER separation code (step 70) specifying a change of profile and the transition to the next common profile in the list of profile codes received in step 62,

- either a CC conclusion code (step 71) terminating the dialogue in the event that the sending terminal does not have a gleaned sheet to send in the common profiles,

- or a gleaned form (step 73) preceded by the signature (step 72) of the user who created the form.

In the case of reception of an LNTER separator code in step 70, the terminal performs this step again in case there is still a separation code indicating that it is necessary to go to the next common profile code.

Following step 73, the terminal again tests whether the data subsequently received corresponds to the separation code LNTER (step 74). This test is run again as long as a separation code is detected. Each time such a code is detected, we go to the next profile in the list of profile codes received.

If the data subsequently received does not contain an INTER separator code in step 74, the terminal proceeds to the next step 75 where it tests whether the data subsequently received corresponds to the introduction code INTRO, specifying that the data which follows contains a signature followed by one or more files (in the case of a change in the creator of the file). If this is the case, the terminal returns to step 72. Otherwise, the terminal goes to the next step 76 where it tests whether the data then received corresponds to the conclusion code. If this is the case, the procedure ends. Otherwise, the following data received contains a new form and the terminal returns to this effect to step 73. Receiving a signature poses no problem since its length is fixed.

The list of profile codes is of variable length, defined by the size of the introductory message received.

The cards of the same profile preferably have a fixed length determined by their profile which is known when the card is received, thanks to the fact that the cards are transmitted in the order of the profile codes from the code list of profiles received and the presence of LNTER separator codes.

However, we can provide cards of variable size and therefore with fields of variable size. In this case, the fields of variable size are delimited using a separator code defined for this purpose in the profile. The separator of the last field of the form or the last field of fixed size marking the end of the form.

To facilitate their transmission, the files are arranged by profiles in the directories 13 and 14 of the terminal memory, at the rate of one file per profile. In each file of the directory of personal files 13, the files are arranged sequentially without any particular separator. In each file in the directory of gleaned files, the files are stored as they are received, that is to say with a signature followed by the files belonging to the person corresponding to the signature.

In this way, no special processing is necessary to format the files before transmitting them or after receiving them.

It can be foreseen that in certain cases (for example for relay stations), additional information is stored with the received cards. This information may contain the date and place of receipt of the form. Thus, a mobile relay station can be equipped for this purpose with localization means, such as GPS (Global Positioning System).

As the files of the same profile have a predefined format and thanks to the presence of fields of list type of predefined elements, the creation and edition of a file as well as the calculation of relevance are relatively simple.

When it is a question of comparing two files of the same profile, the following general rules are applied for example. For a single choice list type field, a strict equality criterion is applied to the respective values of the fields of two records to be compared. For a password type field, we can also perform a character-by-character comparison of the password, the level of relevance being determined as a function of the number of equal characters.

For a multiple choice list type field, the level of relevance is calculated by dividing the number of correct answers by the number of choices to make if the latter is fixed. In the case where the number of choices to be made is free, the relevance calculation can consist in dividing the number of identical choices between the two fields to be compared by the greatest number of choices made in one or other of the fields. to be compared.

For a field of sorted or classified list type, the relevance calculation can consist of comparing element by element, the respective values assigned to each of the elements of the list.

From the relevance levels calculated for each field of the profile of the files to be compared, we then calculate a global level of relevance for the file consisting of an algebraic combination, depending on whether or not the fields are eliminatory, and including selected weighting coefficients depending on the relative importance that you want to assign to each of the fields.

The calculation formulas applied to calculate a level of relevance for each field of a profile and to calculate a global level of relevance for the profile according to the levels of relevance calculated for the fields are defined in the profile, in the form of parameters and references to functions (or methods) of generic module 16.

When it is a question of comparing two files of a profile, the fields to compare between them can be crossed.

Each application 10 is a program executable by a terminal 2 to 4, and is designed to manage and process certain profiles. Therefore, if you want a terminal to be able to manage and process an additional profile, it is necessary to install in the terminal a new application capable of processing this additional profile in addition. Thus, the system according to the invention can comprise an application generator 5 coupled to an application server 6 from which the terminals can download applications, for example via a Bluetooth link, a mobile network 7 and a transmission protocol data such as WAP, or even via the Internet. The application server 6 is for example designed to allow a user via a suitable man / machine interface to define a symmetrical profile or two paired profiles, that is to say for each profile a form of file, the dialogues allowing you to enter a file in this format, and the relevance calculation methods to apply.

Advantageously, provision is also made for secure profiles with password enabling users to form closed groups.

For files with such a secure profile, the processing described above can be applied, providing for the transmission of the file if the recipient has provided the profile profile code in the list of profile codes transmitted after signing. , and the application of a relevance calculation to the password type field. This solution has the advantage of using the same processing process as the other files, but does not prevent the transmission of a file to a person with the profile but not the password. Once received and stored, the form can then be read by devious means.

Another solution is to reserve a whole range of profile codes for profiles secured by password and to include the password in the profile code transmitted to send and / or receive a record from a secure profile. To this end, a coding function is applied which produces a code from the user's password and the profile code, the code obtained being transmitted as profile code in the list of profile codes. This coding function consists for example of a hashing function such as MD5 which is applied to the password on M bytes, using the profile code as initialization value, to transform it into a code whose size corresponds to that a profile code belonging to the code range reserved for secure profiles. Due to the choice of a hash function, the probability that two separate passwords will produce two identical codes is very low. To further reduce the risk of a file being improperly transmitted, provision may be made to apply additional tests, for example relating to the size of the file, in order to interrupt communication if one of these tests fails. Such an exchange of secure profile files can be advantageously used when two terminals in communication have detected among the files received a relevant file created by the user of the other terminal.

Claims

1. Method for exchanging data broadcast by a plurality of terminals (2, 3) in a telecommunications network (1), each of the terminals detecting the presence of other terminals located within communication range, establishing communication with a terminal detected and exchanging data with the terminal with which a communication is established, characterized in that the data exchanged between two terminals (2, 3) comprise files each having a structure defined in a respective profile known to the two terminals, the method comprising stages during which:

- following the establishment of a communication (1) between a first and a second terminal, the first terminal transmits (22, 43) to the second terminal a list of profile identification codes,

the second terminal transmits (24c, 45) in response to the first terminal a set of files each corresponding to a profile identified in the list of profile identification codes received from the first terminal, and

- The first terminal stores (26, 46) the files received.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first terminal compares (27, 47) each of the received cards with personal cards stored in memory and whose profiles correspond, to determine whether a received card coincides with a personal card, and if a received file coincides with a personal file, the terminal transmits a signal to the user.

3. Method according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that in a first operating mode of the terminal (2, 3), the transmitted files include only personal files of a user of the terminal.

4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in a second operating mode of the terminal (2, 3, 4), the transmitted files include only files received from other terminals (2, 3) .

5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that in a third operating mode of the terminal (2, 3), the transmitted files include both files received from other terminals and personal files of the user of the terminal.

6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the list of profile identification codes transmitted by a terminal (2, 3) contains profile identification codes previously selected by the user.

7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that prior to the transmission of the list of profile identification codes, a signature identifying the user of the terminal (2, 3) is transmitted to the other terminal.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that in an operating mode of the terminal, each signature transmitted comprises an identifier of the user making it possible to establish communication by another means with the user.

9. Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that in a mode of operation of the terminal, each signature sent is anonymous and the transmitted files include only files received from other terminals.

10. Method according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that each of the exchanged files comprises several fields whose nature and characteristics are defined in the profile of the file, the comparison of a file received with a personal file stored in memory consisting in comparing the two files field by field, to determine for each field of the file received a level of relevance, and in determining a global level of relevance for the file received according to the levels of relevance calculated for each of the fields of the form received.

11. Method according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it further comprises steps consisting in defining a new profile, generating an application capable of managing the new profile, and installing the application in at least two user terminals.

12. Method according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it further comprises steps consisting in generating a profile code belonging to a predefined range of codes by applying a coding function to a password d user and to a predefined profile profile code, and to transmit the profile code generated in the list of transmitted profile codes, so that a profile with the predefined profile is transmitted only if the destination terminal has both the password, the coding function and the predefined profile.

13. Method according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the communication links (1) established between the terminals are of short range, in accordance with a wireless telecommunication standard.

14. Method according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the communication links (1) established between the terminals are of point-to-point type via the Internet network.

15. Method according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that each profile defines the format of different fields of a file, rules for entering the fields of a profile file, comparison rules to be applied to each of the fields of the file to compare them with the fields of another file of the same profile, formulas for calculating a level of relevance based on the result of the comparison, and a formula for calculating a level of global relevance according to the relevance levels calculated for each of the fields in the file.

16. System for exchanging files disseminated by a plurality of terminals (2, 3), a telecommunications network (1), each of the terminals comprising means for detecting the presence of other terminals located nearby, means for establishing a communication with a detected terminal, and means for exchanging data with the terminal with which communication is established, characterized in that the data exchanged between two terminals (2, 3) comprise files each having a structure defined in a respective profile known to both terminals, each terminal further comprising: - means for receiving from another terminal with which a communication (1) is established, a list of profile identification codes, means for transmitting to the other terminal a set of files each corresponding to a profile identified in the list of profile identification codes received from the other terminal, and

- Means for receiving and storing (14) cards.

17. System according to claim 16, characterized in that each teπninal further comprises:

comparison means for comparing each of the files received with personal files stored in memory (13) and whose profiles correspond, to determine whether a received file coincides with a personal file, and

18. System according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the telecommunications network (1) is of the wireless type.

19. The system of claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the telecommunications network (1) is of the point-to-point network type in the Internet network.

20. System according to one of claims 16 to 19, characterized in that it comprises means (5) for generating an application specific to at least one profile and for installing the application in user terminals (2, 3, 4).