Information terminal remote operation system, remote access terminal, gateway server, information terminal control apparatus, information terminal apparatus, and remote operation method therefor
First Claim
1. An information-terminal remote-operation system, comprising:
- at least one remote access terminal connected to a public network;
a local network connected to the public network via a firewall;
at least one information terminal apparatus that is connected to the local network and that is remotely operated by the remote access terminal;
an information-terminal control apparatus that is connected to the local network to control the information terminal apparatus; and
a gateway server provided in the public network to control bidirectional communication between the remote access terminal and the information terminal apparatus and bidirectional communication between the remote access terminal and the information-terminal control apparatus;
wherein, when the remote access terminal attempts to remotely operate the information terminal apparatus and the information terminal apparatus is not booted, the information-terminal control apparatus boots the information terminal apparatus.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An information-terminal remote-operation system includes at least one remote access terminal connected to a public network, a local network connected to the public network, at least one information terminal apparatus that is connected to the local network and that is remotely operated by the remote access terminal, an information-terminal control apparatus connected to the local network, and a gateway server that controls bidirectional communication between the remote access terminal and the information terminal apparatus and bidirectional communication between the remote access terminal and the information-terminal control apparatus. When the information terminal apparatus is not booted the information-terminal control apparatus boots the information terminal apparatus.
51 Citations
35 Claims
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1. An information-terminal remote-operation system, comprising:
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at least one remote access terminal connected to a public network;
a local network connected to the public network via a firewall;
at least one information terminal apparatus that is connected to the local network and that is remotely operated by the remote access terminal;
an information-terminal control apparatus that is connected to the local network to control the information terminal apparatus; and
a gateway server provided in the public network to control bidirectional communication between the remote access terminal and the information terminal apparatus and bidirectional communication between the remote access terminal and the information-terminal control apparatus;
wherein, when the remote access terminal attempts to remotely operate the information terminal apparatus and the information terminal apparatus is not booted, the information-terminal control apparatus boots the information terminal apparatus.
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2. A gateway server that is provided in a public network to control bidirectional communication between at least one remote access terminal and at least one information terminal apparatus and bidirectional communication between the remote access terminal and an information-terminal control apparatus, the remote access terminal being connected to the public network and the information terminal apparatus and the information-terminal control apparatus being provided in a local network connected to the public network via a firewall, the gateway server comprising:
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a ciphering unit configured to encrypt and to decrypt the bidirectional communication;
a first connecting unit configured to perform communication with the information-terminal control apparatus;
a second connecting unit configured to perform communication with the remote access terminal;
a third connecting unit configured to perform communication with the information terminal apparatus;
an authenticating unit configured to authenticate connections with the remote access terminal, the information terminal apparatus, and the information-terminal control apparatus;
a management-information storing unit configured to pre-store authentication information required for the authentication and storing states of the connections in relation to the authentication information;
an electronic-mail sending unit configured to send electronic mail to the remote access terminal; and
a relaying unit configured to relay the bidirectional communication between the remote access terminal and the information terminal apparatus;
wherein, when the remote access terminal attempts to remotely operate the information terminal apparatus and the information terminal apparatus is not booted, the first connecting unit issues an instruction to the information-terminal control apparatus so as to boot the information terminal apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A remote access terminal that is provided in a public network and that performs bidirectional communication with at least one information terminal apparatuses and an information-terminal control apparatus, provided in a local network connected to the public network via a firewall, via a gateway server, the remote access terminal comprising:
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a ciphering unit configured to encrypt and to decrypt the bidirectional communication;
a connecting unit configured to perform communication with the gateway server;
an authentication-information sending unit configured to send authentication information to the gateway server;
a remote operating unit configured to remotely operate the information terminal apparatuses; and
an electronic-mail receiving unit configured to receive electronic mail from the gateway server;
wherein the information terminal apparatuses to be remotely operated comprise an information terminal apparatus to be booted by the information-terminal control apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An information terminal apparatus in a local network connected to a public network via a firewall, the information terminal apparatus comprising:
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a connecting unit configured to perform bidirectional communication with a gateway server connected to the public network;
a ciphering unit configured to encrypt and to decrypt the bidirectional communication;
an authentication-information sending unit configured to send authentication information to the gateway server;
a remote operating unit configured to perform bidirectional communication with s remote access terminal connected to the gateway server through the public network and for being remotely operated by the remote access terminal;
a communication-request acceptance/rejection determining/returning unit configured, upon receiving a request for communication with the remote access terminal from the gateway server, to determine whether or not to approve the communication request, and to return a result of the determination to the gateway server;
a local connecting unit configured to receive a booting instruction sent from an information-terminal control apparatus to the information terminal apparatus when the remote access terminal attempts to remotely operate the information terminal apparatus and the information terminal apparatus is not booted; and
a booting unit configured to boot the information terminal apparatus after receiving the booting instruction;
wherein the connecting unit establishes a connection with the gateway server after the information terminal apparatus is booted. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An information-terminal control apparatus in a local network connected to a public network via a firewall, the information-terminal control apparatus comprising:
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a local connecting unit capable of communicating with a plurality of information terminal apparatuses connected to the local network;
a gateway-server connecting unit configured to establish secure bidirectional connection with the gateway server connected to the public network;
a ciphering unit configured to encrypt and to decrypt the bidirectional communication;
an authentication-information sending unit configured to send authentication information to the gateway server;
a receiving unit configured to receive, from the gateway server via the established bidirectional communication, an identifier for identifying one of the information terminal apparatuses and a remote connection request sent from a remote access terminal connected to the public network;
a booting-instruction generating/sending unit configured to generate a booting instruction for booting the information terminal apparatus in accordance with the received remote connection request; and
a sending unit configured to send the generated booting instruction to the information terminal apparatus corresponding to the identifier via the local connection unit. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A remote operation method for an information-terminal remote-operation system including at least one remote access terminal connected to a public network, a local network connected to the public network via a firewall, at least one information terminal apparatus connected to the local network, an information-terminal control apparatus that is connected to the local network and that controls the information terminal apparatus, and a gateway server that controls encrypted bidirectional communication between the remote access terminal and the information terminal apparatus and encrypted bidirectional communication between the remote access terminal and the information-terminal control apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
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establishing a first connection between the information-terminal control apparatus and the gateway server;
sending information, required for first authentication, from the information-terminal control apparatus to the gateway server;
maintaining the first connection when the gateway server succeeds in the first authentication and disconnecting the first connection when the gateway server fails in the first authentication;
establishing a second connection between the remote access terminal and the gateway server;
sending information, required for second authentication, from the remote access terminal to the gateway server;
maintaining the second connection when the gateway server succeeds in the second authentication and disconnecting the second connection when the gateway server fails in the second authentication;
sending a request, from the remote access terminal to the gateway server, for communication with a specific one of the at least one information terminal apparatus connected to the local network; and
issuing an instruction from the gateway server to the information-terminal control apparatus so as to boot the specific information terminal apparatus, when the specific information terminal apparatus is not booted;
wherein, upon receiving the instruction, the information-terminal control apparatus boots the specific information terminal apparatus and establishes a third connection between the specific information terminal apparatus and the gateway server;
the specific information terminal apparatus sends information required for third authentication to the gateway server;
when the gateway server succeeds in the third authentication, the third connection is maintained, and when the gateway server fails in the third authentication, the third connection is disconnected;
the gateway server issues the communication request, received from the remote access terminal, to the information terminal apparatus via the third connection;
the information terminal apparatus determines whether or not to approve the communication request, issues a notification indicating a result of the determination to the gateway server, and maintains the third connection regardless of the determination result;
when the second connection is maintained, the gateway server uses the second connection to issue a notification indicating a state of the third connection and a notification indicating the determination result to the remote access terminal, and when the second connection is disconnected, the gateway server uses electronic mail to issue the notifications to the remote access terminal; and
the remote access terminal remotely operates the information terminal apparatus through bidirectional communication with the information terminal apparatus, the bidirectional communication using the second connection and the third connection.
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Specification