Information processing system, service providing device and method, information processing device and method, recording medium, and program

• US 20050210395A1
• Filed: 10/27/2003
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wakita, Yoshihiro, Takemura, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,307,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• 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 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

The present invention is related to an information processing system, a service providing apparatus and method, an information processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, and a program that are intended to simultaneously share content data in private virtual spaces. A home server 11 is arranged at user A'"'"'s home. A portable user terminal 1 and so on can access the home server 11. A virtual home DB server 21 supplies the layout information about virtual home and so on to the portable user terminal 1. An authentication server 22 executes authentication processing on the portable user terminal 1. An inter-user-terminal communication relay server 23 executes the processing associated with the communication between a plurality of users. A user information holding server 24 stores the personal data of each user and the content data, which are shared with other users. The present invention is applicable to programs realizing realtime communication by use of the Internet.

Claims

1. An information processing system, comprising:

a service providing apparatus; and

a plurality of information processing apparatuses connected to said service providing apparatus via a first network, which is public;

said service providing apparatus including;

authentication means for authenticating the connection of said service providing apparatus to said information processing apparatus, which has accessed via said first network, on the basis of identification information sent from said information processing apparatus;

providing means for providing a private virtual space service to said information processing apparatus;

storage means for storing a group to which a user of said information processing apparatus belongs;

sharing means for making an information processing apparatus of an other user among users who belong to the same group of said user, said other user being permitted by said user, share said private virtual space service being provided to said information processing apparatus of said user; and

common-use means for providing common use of content data among the information processing apparatuses of a plurality of users who share said private virtual space service; and

said information processing apparatus including;

transmission means for transmitting said identification information by accessing said service providing apparatus via said first network;

display control means for controlling the display of a private virtual space provided from said service providing apparatus;

permission means for permitting a request for sharing from an other user of said private virtual space provided by said service providing apparatus; and

instruction means for specifying the reproduction of said content data shared among said information processing apparatuses of said plurality of users who share said private virtual space service.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said identification information includes a personal ID and password of said user and a device ID and a password of said information processing apparatus.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said content data are held in an electronic device connected to a second network, which is private and managed by said user.

4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein said common-use means acquires said content data from said electronic device via said first and second networks in accordance with an instruction by said information processing apparatus.

5. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein said information processing apparatus further comprises:

acquisition means for acquiring said content data from said electronic device via said first and second networks.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said content data are audio data, video data, or program data.

7. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said information processing apparatus further comprises:

control means for controlling an electronic device connected to a second network in accordance with an operation performed by said user on an icon arranged in said virtual space, said icon corresponding to said electronic device.

8. A service providing apparatus for providing a private virtual space service to each of a plurality of information processing apparatuses on a network, which is public, comprising:

authentication means for authenticating the connection of said service providing apparatus to said information processing apparatus, which has accessed via said network, on the basis of identification information sent from said information processing apparatus;

providing means for providing said private virtual space service to said information processing apparatus;

storage means for storing a group to which a user of said information processing apparatus belongs;

sharing means for making an information processing apparatus of an other user among users who belong to the same group of said user, said other user being permitted by said user, share said private virtual space service being provided to said information processing apparatus of said user; and

common-use means for providing common use of content data among the information processing apparatuses of a plurality of users who share said private virtual space service.

9. The service providing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said identification information includes a personal ID and a password of said user and a device ID and a password of said information processing apparatus.

10. The service providing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said content data are held in an electronic device connected to a second network, which is private and managed by said user.

11. The service providing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said common-use means acquires said content data from said electronic device via said first and second networks in accordance with an instruction given by said information processing apparatus.

12. The service providing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said content data are audio data, video data, or program data.

13. A service providing method for providing a private virtual space service to each of a plurality of information processing apparatuses on a network, which is public, comprising the steps of:

authenticating the connection of said information processing apparatus, which has accessed via said network, on the basis of identification information sent from said information processing apparatus;

providing said private virtual space service to said information processing apparatus;

storing a group to which a user of said information processing apparatus belongs;

making an information processing apparatus of an other user among users who belong to the same group of said user, said other user being permitted by said user, share said private virtual space service being provided to said information processing apparatus of said user; and

providing common use of content data among the information processing apparatuses of a plurality of users who share said private virtual space service.

14. A recording medium recorded with a computer-readable program for providing a private virtual space service to each of a plurality of information processing apparatuses on a network, which is public, said computer-readable program comprising the steps of:

authenticating the connection of said information processing apparatus, which has accessed via said network, on the basis of identification information sent from said information processing apparatus;

providing said private virtual space service to said information processing apparatus;

storing a group to which a user of said information processing apparatus belongs;

making an information processing apparatus of an other user among users who belong to the same group of said user, said other user being permitted by said user, share said private virtual space service being provided to said information processing apparatus of said user; and

providing common use of content data among the information processing apparatuses of a plurality of users who share said private virtual space service.

15. A system for providing a private virtual space service to each of a plurality of information processing apparatuses on a first network, which is public, said system comprising:

a processor operable to execute instructions; and

instructions, the instructions including;

authenticating the connection of said information processing apparatus, which has accessed via said first network, on the basis of identification information sent from said information processing apparatus;

providing said private virtual space service to said information processing apparatus;

storing a group to which a user of said information processing apparatus belongs;

making an information processing apparatus of an other user among users who belong to the same group of said user, said other user being permitted by said user, share said private virtual space service being provided to said information processing apparatus of said user; and

providing common use of content data among the information processing apparatuses of a plurality of users who share said private virtual space service.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said identification information includes a personal ID and a password of said user and a device ID and a password of said information processing apparatus.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein said content data are held in an electronic device connected to a second network, which is private and managed by said user.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said common-use step acquires said content data from said electronic device via said first and second networks in accordance with an instruction by said information processing apparatus.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein said content data are audio data, video data, or program data.

20. An information processing apparatus that receives a private virtual space service from a service providing apparatus via a network, which is public, comprising:

transmission means for transmitting said identification information by accessing said service providing apparatus via said network;

display control means for controlling the display of a private virtual space provided from said service providing apparatus;

permission means for permitting a request for sharing from an other user of said private virtual space provided by said service providing apparatus; and

instruction means for specifying the reproduction of content data shared among said information processing apparatuses of a plurality of users who share said private virtual space service.

21. The information processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said identification information includes a personal ID and a password of said user and a device ID and a password of said terminal apparatus.

22. The information processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said content data are held in an electronic device connected to a second network, which is private and managed by said user.

23. The information processing apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising:

acquisition means for acquiring said content data from said electronic device via said first and second networks.

24. The information processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said content data are audio data, video data, or program data.

25. The information processing apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

control means for controlling an electronic device connected to a second network in accordance with an operation performed by said user on an icon arranged in said virtual space, said icon corresponding to said electronic device.

26. An information processing method that receives a private virtual space service from a service providing apparatus via a network, which is public, comprising the steps of:

transmitting identification information by accessing said service providing apparatus via said network;

controlling the display of a private virtual space provided from said service providing apparatus;

permitting a request for sharing from an other user of said private virtual space provided by said service providing apparatus; and

specifying the reproduction of content data shared among terminal apparatuses of a plurality of users who share said private virtual space service.

27. A recording medium recorded with a computer-readable program for receiving a private virtual space service from a service providing apparatus via a network, which is public, said computer-readable program comprising the steps of:

transmitting identification information by accessing said service providing apparatus via said network;

controlling the display of a private virtual space provided from said service providing apparatus;

permitting a request for sharing from an other user of said private virtual space provided by said service providing apparatus; and

specifying the reproduction of said content data shared among terminal apparatuses of a plurality of users who share said private virtual space service.

28. A system for receiving a private virtual space service from a service providing apparatus via a first network, which is public, said system comprising:

a processor operable to execute instructions; and

instructions, the instructions including;

transmitting identification information by accessing said service providing apparatus via said first network;

controlling the display of a private virtual space provided from said service providing apparatus;

permitting a request for sharing from an other user of said private virtual space provided by said service providing apparatus; and

specifying the reproduction of content data shared among terminal apparatuses of a plurality of users who share said private virtual space service.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein said identification information includes a personal ID and a password of said user and a device ID and a password of said terminal apparatus.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein said content data are held in an electronic device connected to a second network, which is private and managed by said user.

31. The system according to claim 30, wherein the instructions further include:

acquiring said content data from said electronic device via said first and second networks.

32. The system according to claim 28, wherein said content data are audio data, video data, or program data.

33. The system according to claim 28, wherein the instructions further include:

controlling an electronic device connected to a second network in accordance with an operation performed by said user on an icon arranged in said virtual space, said icon corresponding to said electronic device.