Information processing method and apparatus and recording medium

• US 20020087677A1
• Filed: 11/28/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Justsystems Corporation, Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Justsystems Corporation, Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Maeda, Satoru, Okazaki, Shinji, Yoshikawa, Munehiro, Uchida, Mami, Asai, Masahiro, Tani, Nobutaka, Yotsumoto, Natsuko, Miura, Takaaki, Takata, Katsuhisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,337,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An information processing method and apparatus for enabling more prompt sign-up. A network management server at step S62 received am equipment serial number from an information processing apparatus and, at step s63, references a database to retrieve a received equipment serial number. If the equipment serial number has not been found, the program moves to step S16 where a command for initiating manual setting is sent to an information processing apparatus. If the equipment serial number has been found, the program moves to step S81 to verify whether or not the admittance made or admittance not as yet made, recorded in the database in association with the equipment serial number received is admittance made. If the verified result indicates admittance not as yet made, the program moves to step S82 where the network management server sends an automatic setting initiating command to the information processing apparatus.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus connected to a network, comprising:

recording means for recording the identification information pertinent to an other information processing apparatus;

receiving means for receiving the identification information on said other information processing apparatus, sent from said other information processing apparatus, when said other information processing apparatus is connected via said network;

verifying means for verifying whether or not said identification information received by said receiving means has already been recorded in said other recording means; and

controlling means for controlling said other information processing apparatus over said network based on verified results by said verifying means.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said identification information includes the serial number of said other information processing apparatus.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said controlling means causes said other information processing apparatus to execute first setting processing when it is verified that said identification information received by said receiving means has already been recorded in said recording means, said controlling means causing said other information processing apparatus to execute second setting processing when it is verified that said identification information received by said receiving means has not as yet been recorded in said recording means.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said first and setting processing and the second setting processing represent setting processing necessary for said other information processing apparatus to utilize said network.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said controlling means sends an address on said network of a server used for connecting said other information processing apparatus to said network, to said other information processing apparatus, and sets the address so sent, as the information necessary for said other information processing apparatus to utilize said network.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein

said recording means further records the inherent information for specifying a user of said other information processing apparatus;

said controlling means requests transmission of said inherent information to said other information processing apparatus if it is verified that said identification information received by said receiving means has already been recorded in said recording means.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said inherent information includes a password.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein if it is verified that said identification information received by said receiving means has as yet not been recorded on said recording means, said controlling means requests said other information processing apparatus to transmit the information on a user exploiting said other information processing apparatus.

9. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus connected to a network, comprising:

a recording controlling step of controlling the recording of the identification information pertinent to an other information processing apparatus;

a receiving step of receiving the identification information on said other information processing apparatus, sent from said other information processing apparatus when said other information processing apparatus is connected via said network;

a verifying '"'"'step of verifying whether or not said identification information received by processing in said receiving step has already been controlled as to recording in said other recording step in the processing in said recording controlling step; and

a controlling step of controlling said other information processing apparatus over said network based on verified results by the processing in said verifying step.

10. A recording medium. having recorded thereon a computer-readable program controlling an information processing apparatus connected to a network, said program including:

a recording controlling step of controlling the recording of the identification information pertinent to an other information processing apparatus;

a receiving step of receiving the identification information on said other information processing apparatus, sent from said other information processing apparatus when said other information processing apparatus is connected via said network;

a verifying step of verifying whether or not said identification information received by the processing in said. receiving step has already been controlled as to recording in the processing in said recording controlling step; and

a controlling step of controlling said other information processing apparatus over said network based on-verified results by the processing in said verifying step.

11. An information processing apparatus connected to a network, comprising:

storage means for storing the identification information;

transmission means for transmitting said identification information stored in said storage means over said network to an other information processing apparatus;

receiving means for receiving the control information transmitted from said other information processing apparatus over said network, based on said identification information transmitted from said transmission means; and

setting means for setting the information necessary for utilizing said network based on said control information received by said receiving means.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said setting means sets the information necessary for exploiting said network in a first mode when said control information received by said receiving means is the first control information;

said setting means setting the information necessary for exploiting said network in a second mode when said control information received by said receiving means is the second control information.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said setting means executes first setting processing when the identification information transmitted by said transmission means has already been recorded in said other information processing apparatus;

said setting means executing second setting processing when the identification information transmitted by said transmission means has already been recorded in said other information processing apparatus.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said first setting processing and the second setting processing represent information setting processing necessary for said information processing apparatus to exploit said network.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said setting means receives an address on said network of a server connecting said information processing apparatus to said network, as the information necessary in exploiting said network, and sets the so received address.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said other information processing apparatus further stores the inherent information used for specifying a user of said information processing apparatus;

said setting means transmitting said inherent information to said other information processing apparatus if said identification information transmitted by said transmission means has already been recorded in said other information processing apparatus.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said inherent information includes a password.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said setting means transmits the information pertinent to a user employing said other information processing apparatus to said other information processing apparatus if said identification information transmitted by said transmission means has as yet not been recorded in said other information processing apparatus.

19. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus connected to a network, comprising:

a storage controlling step of controlling the storage of the identification information;

a transmission step of transmitting said identification information controlled as to storage by processing in said storage controlling step over said network to an other information processing apparatus;

a receiving step of receiving the control information transmitted from said other information processing apparatus over said network, based on said identification information transmitted by processing in said transmission step; and

a setting step of setting the information necessary for utilizing said network based on said control information received by processing in said receiving step.

20. A recording medium having recorded thereon a computer-readable program controlling an information processing apparatus connected to a network, said program including

a storage controlling step of controlling the storage of the identification information;

a transmission step of transmitting said identification information controlled as to storage by processing in said storage controlling step over said network to an other information processing apparatus;

a receiving step of receiving the control information transmitted from said other information processing apparatus over said network based on said identification information transmitted by processing in said transmission step; and

a setting step of setting the information necessary for utilizing said network based on said control information received by processing in said receiving step.