Access right managing system, portable terminal, gateway and contents server

• US 20010005890A1
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Published: 06/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nitaki, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,024,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data

Abstract

It is an object of the invention to provide an access right managing system, a portable terminal, a gateway and a contents server which allow the management and registration of an access rights of a user to be simplified at a low cost. A gateway 22 manages the right of a portable terminal 20 to access data of various contents services stored in a contents server 21 on the Internet. When the gateway 22 receives the first request for access from the portable terminal 20, it assigns a user ID and a password to the same and transmits them to the portable terminal 20. When another request for use added with the same ID and PW is received, the gateway 22 generates access history information after authenticating the user and grants an access right during a predetermined effective period from the date of the first access. In response to an access during the effective period, contents data acquired from the contents server 21 are transferred after being converted into a data format which is corresponding to the mode of display of the portable terminal 20. In the case of an access out of the effective period, the access is interrupted, and continuation of the access right is prompted by an access right continuation notice.

Claims

1. An access right managing system having a portable terminal, a gateway and a contents server, wherein:

the portable terminal comprises;

use request transmitting means for transmitting a request for use of a contents service, contents data receiving means for receiving contents data corresponding to the use request transmitted by the use request transmitting means, and

display means for displaying information such as characters based on the contents data received by the contents data receiving means, and wherein;

the gateway comprises;

use request receiving means for receiving the use request transmitted by the use request transmitting means,

access history information storing means for storing access history information including the time of the first access and a predetermined effective period each time an access is made to the contents service requested by the use request transmitted by the use request transmitting means,

access validity determining means for determining whether the use request received by the use request receiving means is within the effective period that starts at the time of the first access based on the access history information stored in the access history information storing means,

acquisition requesting means for transmitting a request for acquisition of contents data when the use request is determined to be within the effective period by the access validity determining means,

acquisition-requested contents data receiving means for receiving contents data corresponding to the request for acquisition transmitted by the acquisition requesting means, and

contents data transfer means for transferring the contents data received by the acquisition-requested contents data receiving means to the portable terminal, and wherein;

the contents server comprises;

contents data storing means for storing contents data associated with each contents service in advance, and

contents data transmitting means for reading the contents data requested by the acquisition requesting means from the contents data storing means and for transmitting the same to the gateway.

4. An access right managing system as claimed in

claim 1

or

2

, wherein the gateway comprises:

continuation notice transmitting means for transmitting a predetermined access right continuation notice to the portable terminal when the access validity determining means determines that the use request is not within the effective period; and

continuation process means for performing a predetermined access right continuation process based on instruction information received from the portable terminal corresponding to the access right continuation notice transmitted by the continuation notice transmitting means, and

wherein the portable terminal comprises;

instruction information accepting means for receiving the access right continuation notice and for accepting the instruction information on whether to continue to hold the access right based on the same notice; and

instruction information transmitting means for transmitting the instruction information accepted by the instruction information accepting means to the gateway.

5. An access right managing system as claimed in

claim 1

or

2

, wherein the contents data transfer means transfers the contents data received by the acquisition-requested contents data receiving means to the portable terminal after converting into a predetermined data format corresponding to the display mode of the display means of the portable terminal.

6. An access right managing system as claimed in

claim 1

or

2

, wherein the access history information includes the date of the latest access and a predetermined effective period and wherein an access within the effective period that starts from the date of the latest access is regarded valid.

7. An access managing system as claimed in

claim 5

, wherein the contents data transfer means converts into contents data described in the Wireless Markup Language.

8. An access managing system as claimed in

claim 1

or

2

, wherein the portable terminal is a portable telephone.

2. An access right managing system having a portable terminal, a gateway and a contents server, wherein:

the portable terminal comprises;

first use request transmitting means for transmitting a request for use of a contents service,

identification information receiving means for receiving predetermined identification information corresponding to the use request transmitted by the first use request transmitting means,

identification information accepting means for accepting the input of an identifier and a password for the request for use of the contents service,

second use request transmitting means for transmitting a use request including the identifier and password accepted by the identification information accepting means,

contents data receiving means for receiving contents data corresponding to the use request transmitted by the second use request transmitting means, and

display means for displaying information such as characters based on the contents data received by the contents data receiving means, and wherein;

the gateway comprises;

use request receiving means for receiving the use request transmitted by the use request transmitting means,

first access request determining means for determining whether the use request received by the use request receiving means is the first request for access to the contents service,

identification information transmitting means for assigning an identifier and a password to the request when it is determined to be the first access request by the first access request determining means and for transmitting the same to the portable terminal,

authenticating means for authenticating the use request based on the identifier and password transmitted by the identification information transmitting means when it is determined not to be the first access request by the first access request determining means,

access history information generating means for generating access history information including the time of the first access and a predetermined effective period each time an access is made to the contents service requested by the use request when the use request is authenticated by the authenticating means,

access validity determining means for determining whether the use request received by the use request receiving means is within the effective period that starts at the time of the first access based on the access history information generated by the access history information generating means,

acquisition requesting means for transmitting a request for acquisition of contents data when the use request is determined to be within the effective period by the access validity determining means,

acquisition-requested contents data receiving means for receiving contents data corresponding to the request for acquisition transmitted by the acquisition requesting means, and

contents data transfer means for transferring the contents data received by the acquisition-requested contents data receiving means to the portable terminal, and wherein;

the contents server comprising;

contents data storing means for storing contents data associated with each contents service in advance, and

contents data transmitting means for reading the contents data requested by the acquisition requesting means from the contents data storing means and for transmitting the same to the gateway.

3. An access right managing system as claimed in

claim 2

, wherein the identification information transmitting means confirms with the portable terminal whether to access to the contents service for which the use request has been made before transmitting the assigned identifier and password to the portable terminal.

9. A portable terminal comprising:

use request transmitting means for transmitting a request for use of a contents service;

contents data receiving means for receiving contents data acquired when the use request transmitted by the use request transmitting means is within a predetermined effective period that starts from the time of the first access; and

display means for displaying information such as characters based on the contents data received by the contents data receiving means.

10. A portable terminal comprising:

first use request transmitting means for transmitting a request for use of a contents service;

identification information receiving means for receiving predetermined identification information when the use request transmitted by the first use request transmitting means is the first request for the contents service;

identification information accepting means for accepting the input of an identifier and a password for the request for use of the contents service;

second use request transmitting means for transmitting a use request including the identifier and password accepted by the identification information accepting means;

contents data receiving means for receiving contents data when authentication is made based on the use request transmitted by the second use request transmitting means and when the use request is within a predetermined effective period that starts from the time of the first access to the contents service; and

display means for displaying information such as characters based on the contents data received by the contents data receiving means.

11. A gateway comprising:

use request receiving means for receiving a request for use of a contents service;

access history information storing means for storing access history information including the time of the first access and a predetermined effective period each time an access is made to the contents service;

access validity determining means for determining whether the use request received by the use request receiving means is within the effective period that starts at the time of the first access based on the access history information stored in the access history information storing means;

acquisition requesting means for transmitting a request for acquisition of contents data when the use request is determined to be within the effective period by the access validity determining means;

acquisition-requested contents data receiving means for receiving contents data corresponding to the request for acquisition transmitted by the acquisition requesting means; and

contents data transfer means for transferring the contents data received by the acquisition-requested contents data receiving means.

13. A gateway as claimed in

claim 11

or

12

, wherein the contents data transfer means transfers the contents data received by the acquisition-requested contents data transmitting means to the portable terminal after converting into a predetermined data format corresponding to the mode of display of contents data at the transmitter of the acquisition request.

12. Gateway comprising:

use request receiving means for receiving a request for use of a contents service;

first access request determining means for determining whether the use request received by the use request receiving means is the first access request to the contents service;

identification information transmitting means for assigning an identifier and a password for transmitting them to the transmitter of the use request when it is determined to be the first access request by the first access request determining means;

authenticating means for authenticating the use request based on the identifier and password transmitted by the identification information transmitting means when it is determined not to be the first access request by the first access request determining means;

access history information generating means for generating access history information including the time of the first access to the contents service requested by the use request and a predetermined effective period when the use request is authenticated by the authenticating means;

access validity determining means for means for determining whether the use request received by the use request receiving means is within the effective period that starts from the time of the first access based on the access history information generated by the access history information generating means;

acquisition requesting means for transmitting a request for the acquisition of contents data when the use request is determined to be within the effective period by the access validity determining means; and

acquisition-requested contents data receiving means for receiving contents data corresponding to the acquisition request transmitted by the acquisition requesting means; and

contents data transfer means for transferring the contents data received by the acquisition-requested contents data receiving means to the transmitter of the use request.

14. A contents server comprising:

contents data storing means for storing contents data associated with each contents service in advance;

contents data acquisition request receiving means for receiving an acquisition request to the contents service when the acquisition request is within a predetermined effective period that starts at the time of the first access to the contents service; and

contents data transmitting means for reading the contents data requested by the acquisition request received by the contents data acquisition request receiving means from the contents data storing means and for transmitting the same.

15. A contents server comprising:

contents data storing means for storing contents data associated with each contents service in advance;

contents data acquisition request receiving means for receiving an acquisition request to the contents service when predetermined authentication information is once returned and then authenticated for the acquisition request and when it is within a predetermined effective period that starts at the time of the first access to the contents service; and

contents data transmitting means for reading the contents data requested by the acquisition request received by the contents data acquisition request receiving means from the contents data storing means and for transmitting the same.

16. An access right managing system comprising:

a portable terminal for transmitting a request for use of a contents service through a network and displaying information such as characters based on contents data received corresponding to the use request;

a gateway for receiving the use request through the network, and for transmitting a contents data acquisition request on the Internet for each access to each contents service based on access history information including the time of the first access and a predetermined effective period when the use-request is within the effective period, and for transferring the received contents data to the portable terminal corresponding to the acquisition request; and

a contents server for storing contents data for each contents service in advance and for transmitting the relevant contents data to the gateway through the Internet based on the acquisition request received through the Internet.

17. An access right managing system comprising:

a portable terminal for receiving predetermined identification information corresponding to a first request for use of a contents service transmitted through a network, and for transmitting a second request for use including an identifier and a password for the request for use of the contents service input based on the same, and for displaying information such as characters based on contents data corresponding to the second request for use;

a gateway for transmitting the assigned identifier and password to the portable terminal when the first request for use received through the network is the first request for use of the contents service, and for transmitting a request for acquisition of contents data when the received second request for use is determined to be within a predetermined effective period that starts at the time of the first access based on access history information including the time of the first access and the affective period at each access to each contents service after the second request is authenticated based on the identifier and password, and for transferring contents data received corresponding to the acquisition request to the portable terminal; and

a contents server for storing contents data for each contents service and for transmitting relevant contents data to the gateway through the Internet based on an acquisition request received through the Internet.