System for establishing communication between a plurality of terminals, method of controlling the same, and storage medium

• US 10,129,427 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2016
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mochizuki, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Garcia, Gabriel
• Application Number:
  US15/251,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20170078512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 358 11- 118
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0733 in a data processing system embedded in an image processing device, e.g. printer, facsimile, scanner
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00 Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32406 in connection with routing or relaying, e.g. using a fax-server or a store-and-forward facility stored and forward data switching systems H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

In a communication system including a first terminal and a second terminal, a management server manages the first terminal and the second terminal, and a relay server relays communication between the first terminal and the second terminal, upon authenticating the first terminal, the management server notifies the first terminal of first authentication information for requesting authentication to the relay server and connection information for connecting to the relay server, and upon authenticating the second terminal, the management server notifies the second terminal of second authentication information for requesting authentication to the relay server. In response to a request from the first terminal, the relay server creates access information and transmits it to the first terminal. The relay server transmits the access information to the second terminal and relays the communication performed between the first terminal and the second terminal.

Claims

1. A communication system including a first terminal and a second terminal, at least one management server, and a relay server configured to relay communication between the first terminal and the second terminal,

wherein the at least one management server comprises:

at least one first memory device that stores a set of instructions; and

at least one processor that executes the instructions stored in the at least one first memory device to;

notify, in a case where the first terminal is authenticated in response to a request from the first terminal, the first terminal of first authority information used by the first terminal to request the relay server to verify an authority of the first terminal and connection information used by the first terminal to connect to the relay server; and

notify, in a case where the second terminal is authenticated in response to a request from the second terminal, the second terminal of second authority information used by the second terminal to request the relay server to verify an authority of the first terminal, and

wherein the relay server comprises;

at least one second memory device that stores a set of instructions; and

at least one processor that executes the instructions stored in the at least one second memory device to;

verify the first authority information which is transmitted by the first terminal to the relay server using the connection information;

verify the second authority information which is transmitted by the second terminal to the relay server using the connection information;

issue, in a case where a verification of the first authority information received from the first terminal succeeds, access information used for the communication between the first terminal and the second terminal via the relay server and transmit the access information to the first terminal;

transmit the access information to the second terminal in a case where a verification of the second authority information received from the second terminal succeeds; and

relay support data including at least instruction data for remote control of the first terminal by the second terminal based on the access information,

wherein the relay server receives, from the second terminal, after the verification of the second authority information succeeds, specifying information corresponding to the first terminal, and, the relay server transmits, to the second terminal, the access information corresponding to the specifying information received from the second terminal.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor of the at least one management server executes instructions in the at least one first memory device to:

issue, in a case where the verification of the first authority information received from the first terminal succeeds, create acceptance information representing that a connection request is accepted and transmit the acceptance information to the first terminal together with the access information; and

transmit the access information to the second terminal in a case where the specifying information including the acceptance information and the authentication information from the second terminal is received.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor of the at least one management server executes instructions in the at least one first memory device to:

transmit, to the second terminal, a session identification information, in a case where the verification of the second authority information received from the second terminal succeeds,

transmit the access information to the second terminal, in a case where the session identification information and the specifying information are received from the second terminal.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first terminal further comprises a display unit configured to display the acceptance information received from the relay server, and

wherein the second terminal further comprises an input unit configured to cause a user of the second terminal to input the acceptance information.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first terminal and the second terminal communicate via the relay server by a POST method and a GET method.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first terminal further comprises

a memory device that stores a set of instructions;

and

at least one processor that executes the instructions stored in the memory device of the first terminal to;

instruct to start the communication performed between the first terminal and the second terminal,

wherein the request is transmitted to the management server in accordance with an instruction by the at least one processor of the first terminal.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor of the at least one management server executes instructions in the at least one first memory device to:

store, in a storage unit, identification information of the first terminal, the connection information to the relay server, that is used by the first terminal, and information of a belonging destination of the second terminal related to the first terminal; and

store, in the storage unit, identification information of an operator of the belonging destination of the second terminal.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor of the relay server executes instructions in the at least one second memory device to:

discard the connection information upon receiving an end of the communication from one of the first terminal and the second terminal.

9. A method of controlling a communication system including a first terminal and a second terminal, at least one management server, and a relay server configured to relay communication between the first terminal and the second terminal,

wherein the at least one management server executes:

in a case where the first terminal is authenticated in response to a request from the first terminal, notifying the first terminal of first authority information used by the first terminal to request the relay server to verify an authority of the first terminal and connection information used by the first terminal to connect to the relay server; and

in a case where the second terminal is authenticated in response to a request from the second terminal, notifying the second terminal of second authority information used by the second terminal to request the relay server to verify an authority of the first terminal, and

wherein the relay server executes;

verifying the first authority information which is transmitted by the first terminal to the relay server using the connection information;

verifying the second authority information which is transmitted by the second terminal to the relay server using the connection information;

in a case where a verification of the first authority information received from the first terminal succeeds, issuing access information used for the communication between the first terminal and the second terminal via the relay server and transmitting the access information to the first terminal;

transmitting the access information to the second terminal in a case where a verification of the second authority information received from the second terminal succeeds; and

relaying support data including at least instruction data for remote control of the first terminal by the second terminal based on the access information,

wherein the relay server receives, from the second terminal, after the verification of the second authority information succeeds, specifying information corresponding to the first terminal, and, the relay server transmits, to the second terminal, the access information corresponding to the specifying information received from the second terminal.