Service use method and management method

• US 20060168651A1
• Filed: 05/18/2004
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Junchi, Araki, Satoshi, Yamashita, Shinsuke, Moriya, Jun, Minoshima, Toshikazu, Yuasa, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A user sets an apparatus name easily identified by the user to a terminal, transmits the apparatus name together with user identification information to a terminal management server for managing a terminal, and the terminal management server registers the apparatus name as associated with the user identification information, thereby allowing the terminal management server to uniquely identify each terminal based on the apparatus name associated with the user identification information. Furthermore, a user can easily identify an apparatus name, thereby realizing a service utilizing system capable of reducing the laborious procedure of operating the terminal management server, and easily identifying each terminal.

Claims

1. A service utilizing method, comprising:

a registration information transmitting step of transmitting registration information which is externally input and includes user identification information for use in utilizing a service in the service utilizing apparatus, a password corresponding to the user identification information, and an apparatus name of the service utilizing apparatus to a management apparatus for managing the service utilizing apparatus; and

a registration completion information receiving step of receiving registration completion information transmitted from the management apparatus after completing registration with the user identification information, the password, and the apparatus name associated in the registration information.

2. The service utilizing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

an authentication request information transmitting step of transmitting the user identification information and the password as authentication request information to the management apparatus;

an authentication results receiving step of receiving an authentication results transmitted from the management apparatus after performing an authentication process according to the authentication information;

a contents identification information transmitting step of transmitting at least contents identification information about the contents data to the management apparatus to request predetermined contents data depending on the received authentication results; and

contents data receiving step of receiving the contents data corresponding to the contents identification information transmitted from the management apparatus.

3. The service utilizing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

an apparatus name request information transmitting step of transmitting apparatus name request information about a request for a name of another apparatus registered as associated with another user identification information different from the user identification information to the service utilizing apparatus;

an apparatus name receiving step of receiving the name of another apparatus transmitted according to the apparatus name request information from the management apparatus; and

a displaying step of displaying the received name of another apparatus.

4. The service utilizing method according to claim 3, further comprising

a disclosure setting information transmitting step of transmitting, to the management apparatus, disclosure setting information indicating whether or not the apparatus names of the service utilizing apparatuses registered in the management apparatus is to be published to the management apparatus.

5. The service utilizing method according to claim 4, characterized in that

the another apparatus name receiving step receives the name of another apparatus set to be published among the names of another apparatuses registered as associated with the other user identification information.

6. The service utilizing method according to claim 3, further comprising

a distribution request information transmitting step of transmitting distribution request information comprising the apparatus name of the service utilizing apparatus which is a distribution requester of predetermined contents data, contents identification information about the contents data, and the name of another apparatus of the other service utilizing apparatus which is a distribution destination of the contents data to the management apparatus.

7. The service utilizing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of transmitting user identification information and a password to the management apparatus; and

a step of displaying information about an apparatus name corresponding to the user identification information and the password in the authentication reply transmitted from the management apparatus.

8. The service utilizing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of transmitting user identification information and a password to the management apparatus;

a step of displaying information about a service used in the apparatus name of the service utilizing apparatus in the authentication reply transmitted from the management apparatus according to identification information about the service; and

a step of transmitting information for permission of deleting the apparatus name registered in the management apparatus according to an external input.

9. The service utilizing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

an apparatus name storing step of storing the apparatus name;

a deletion permission request information transmitting step of transmitting deletion permission request information about a request for permission of deleting the stored apparatus name to the management apparatus;

a deletion permission information receiving step of receiving deletion permission information for permission of deleting the apparatus name according to the deletion permission request information transmitted from the management apparatus;

an apparatus name deleting step of deleting the stored apparatus name according to the received deletion permission information;

a deletion request information transmitting step of transmitting, to the management apparatus, deletion request information about a request for deletion of the apparatus name registered in the management apparatus; and

a deletion completion information receiving step of receiving deletion completion information transmitted after completing deleting the apparatus name and notification information according to the deletion request information from the management apparatus.

10. A service utilizing apparatus, comprising:

registration information transmitting means for transmitting registration information which is externally input and includes user identification information for use in utilizing a service in the service utilizing apparatus, a password corresponding to the user identification information, and an apparatus name of the service utilizing apparatus to a management apparatus for managing the service utilizing apparatus; and

registration completion information reception means for receiving registration completion information transmitted from the management apparatus after completing registration with the user identification information, the password, and the apparatus name associated in the registration information.

11. A service utilizing program used to direct an information processing apparatus to perform:

a registration information transmitting step of transmitting registration information which is externally input and includes user identification information for use in utilizing a service in the service utilizing apparatus, a password corresponding to the user identification information, and an apparatus name of the service utilizing apparatus to a management apparatus for managing the service utilizing apparatus; and

a registration completion information receiving step of receiving registration completion information transmitted from the management apparatus after completing registration with the user identification information, the password, and the apparatus name associated in the registration information.

12. A management method for managing a service utilizing apparatus which uses a predetermined service, comprising:

a registration information receiving step of receiving registration information which is transmitted from a service utilizing apparatus and includes user identification information for use in utilizing a service in the service utilizing apparatus, a password corresponding to the user identification information, and an apparatus name of the service utilizing apparatus;

a registering step of registering the user identification information, the password, and the apparatus name of the registration information as associated among them; and

a registration completion information transmitting step of transmitting registration completion information indicating completion of registration of the user identification information, the password, and the apparatus name when the registration is completed.

13. The management method according to claim 12, characterized in that

in the registering step, if first user identification information, a first password, and a first apparatus name received from a first service utilizing apparatus are associated and registered, a second user identification information, a second password, and a second apparatus name identical to the first apparatus name are received from a second service utilizing apparatus, and the second user identification information is different from the user identification information, then the second user identification information, the second password, and the second apparatus name are associated with one another and registered.

14. The management method according to claim 13, further comprising:

an authentication request information receiving step of receiving authentication request information comprising the user identification information and the password transmitted from the service utilizing apparatus;

an authentication step of performing an authentication process based on the received user identification information and password;

an authentication results transmitting step of transmitting the authentication results of the authentication process to the service utilizing apparatus as a result of transmitting the authentication results to the service utilizing apparatus;

a contents identification information receiving step of receiving contents identification information about at least predetermined contents data for request of the contents data transmitted from the service utilizing apparatus; and

a contents data transmitting step of transmitting the contents data corresponding to the received contents identification information to the service utilizing apparatus.

15. The management method according to claim 13, further comprising:

an apparatus name request information receiving step of receiving apparatus name request information about a request for another apparatus name associated with other user identification information than the user identification information from the service utilizing apparatus; and

another apparatus name transmitting step of transmitting the name of the other apparatus to the service utilizing apparatus according to the apparatus name request information.

16. The management method according to claim 15, further comprising:

a disclosure setting information transmitting step of receiving disclosure setting information indicating whether or not the apparatus names of the plurality of service utilizing apparatuses transmitted from the service utilizing apparatus are to be published; and

a disclosure setting information registering step of registering the received disclosure setting information and the apparatus name of the service utilizing apparatus as associated with each other.

17. The management method according to claim 16, characterized in that

the another apparatus name transmitting step transmits the name of another apparatus set to be published among the names of another apparatuses registered as associated with the other user identification information.

18. The management method according to claim 15, further comprising:

a distribution request information receiving step of receiving distribution request information which is transmitted from the service utilizing apparatus as a distribution requester of predetermined contents data and comprises the apparatus name of the service utilizing apparatus, contents identification information about the contents data, and the other apparatus name of the other service utilizing apparatus which is a provider of the contents data; and

a distribution contents data transmitting step of transmitting the contents data according to the received distribution request information to the other service utilizing apparatus.

19. The management method according to claim 13, further comprising:

a step of authenticating user identification information and a password transmitted from the service utilizing apparatus; and

a step of transmitting information about an apparatus name corresponding to the user identification information and the password to the service utilizing apparatus together with the authentication reply corresponding to the authentication.

20. The management method according to claim 13, further comprising:

a step of authenticating user identification information and a password transmitted from the service utilizing apparatus; and

a step of transmitting identification information about a service used by the apparatus name of the service utilizing apparatus together with the authentication reply to the service utilizing apparatus.

21. The management method according to claim 13, further comprising:

a deletion permission request information receiving step of receiving deletion permission request information about a request for permission of deleting the apparatus name stored in the service utilizing apparatus transmitted from the service utilizing apparatus;

a deletion permission information transmitting step of transmitting deletion permission information for permission of deleting the apparatus name stored in the service utilizing apparatus according to the deletion permission request information to the service using apparatus;

a deletion request information receiving step of receiving deletion request information about a request for deletion of the registered apparatus name which is transmitted as a result of the deletion of the apparatus name according to the deletion permission information from the service utilizing apparatus;

a deleting step of deleting the registered apparatus name and disclosure setting information according to the deletion request information; and

a deletion completion information transmitting step of transmitting deletion completion information indicating that the deletion of the apparatus name is completed to the service using apparatus.

22. The management method according to claim 14, further comprising:

an authentication session ID issuing step of the authentication server performing a user authentication process based on the user identification information and the password received in the authentication request information receiving step, issuing an authentication session ID which is a session ID with the service utilizing apparatus when authentication is allowed, and transmitting the issued authentication session ID to the service utilizing apparatus;

an authentication ticket issuing step of the authentication server receiving the authentication session ID returned from the service utilizing apparatus, receiving identification information for identification of the server providing the contents, performing a user authentication process based on the received authentication session ID, issuing an authentication ticket corresponding to the received identification information when the authentication is allowed, and transmitting the issued authentication ticket to the service utilizing apparatus;

a ticket authenticating step of the authentication server receiving from the server an authentication ticket transmitted from the service utilizing apparatus to the server and then performing an authentication process, and transmitting information about certification acknowledgement when the authentication is allowed to the server; and

a service session ID issuing step of the server issuing a service session ID which is a session ID with the service utilizing apparatus according to the received information about certification acknowledgement, and transmitting the issued service session ID to the service utilizing apparatus, characterized in that;

in the contents identification information receiving step, the server receives the service session ID and the contents identification information;

in the contents data transmitting step, the authentication process is performed based on the received service session ID, and the contents data corresponding to the contents identification information is transmitted to the service using apparatus when the authentication is allowed.

23. A management apparatus which manages a service utilizing apparatus using a predetermined service, comprising:

registration information reception means for receiving registration information which is transmitted from a service utilizing apparatus and includes user identification information for use in utilizing a service in the service utilizing apparatus, a password corresponding to the user identification information, and an apparatus name of the service utilizing apparatus;

registration means for registering the user identification information, the password, and the apparatus name in the received registration information as associated with one another; and

registration completion information transmitting means for transmitting registration completion information indicating completion of the registration to the service utilizing apparatus when the registration of the user identification information, the password, and the apparatus name is completed.

24. A management program used to direct an information processing apparatus to perform:

a registration information receiving step of receiving registration information which is transmitted from a service utilizing apparatus and includes user identification information for use in utilizing a service in the service utilizing apparatus, a password corresponding to the user identification information, and an apparatus name of the service utilizing apparatus;

a registering step of registering the user identification information, the password, and the apparatus name in the received registration information as associated with one another; and

a registration completion information transmitting step of transmitting registration completion information indicating completion of the registration to the service utilizing apparatus when the registration of the user identification information, the password, and the apparatus name is completed.