System and method to provide device control service, and computer product

• US 20060187857A1
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Imai, Yuji, Tsuchiya, Satoshi, Ezaki, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,443,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• 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 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums

Abstract

A device control service providing system includes a service request receiving unit that receives, via a network, a device control service request for controlling a group of electronic devices, and a process execution requesting unit that requests respective device control servers to execute device control processes for controlling an operation of the electronic devices in the group based on the request received, where one of the device control servers executes the device control processes corresponding to one group of the electronic devices.

Claims

1. A computer-readable recording medium that stores therein a computer program including instructions, which when executed, cause a computer to execute:

receiving, via a network, a device control service request for controlling a group of electronic devices; and

requesting respective device control servers to execute device control processes for controlling an operation of the electronic devices in the group based on the request received, wherein one of the device control servers executes the device control processes corresponding to one group of the electronic devices.

2. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the network is a web service communication network.

3. The recording medium according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a sender of the device control service request received has operating authority for the electronic devices in the group; and

permitting execution of the device control processes corresponding to the group of the electronic devices, if it is determined at the determining that the sender of the device control service request has operating authority for the electronic devices, wherein

if the execution of the device control processes corresponding to the group of the electronic devices is permitted at the permitting, then the requesting includes requesting the respective device control server to execute the device control processes for the electronic device having permission.

4. The recording medium according to claim 3, wherein

the permitting includes issuing operating authority transfer certificates for the electronic devices to the device control server and to server apparatuses, and the permitting is performed only if the operating authority transfer certificates match, wherein

the device control server executes the device control processes corresponding to the electronic devices in the group, and the server apparatus requests execution of the device control processes.

5. The recording medium according to claim 3, wherein

the permitting includes restricting permission to execute device control processes of the electronic devices in the group to at least one of a predetermined time period and predetermined devices to be processed.

6. The recording medium according to claim 1, further comprising:

allocating processes for the receiving and the requesting, based on loads of server apparatuses, wherein

the server apparatus includes a service request receiving unit that performs the receiving, and a process execution requesting unit that performs the requesting.

7. A device control service providing system comprising:

a service request receiving unit that receives, via a network, a device control service request for controlling a group of electronic devices; and

a process execution requesting unit that requests respective device control servers to execute device control processes for controlling an operation of the electronic devices in the group based on the request received, wherein one of the device control servers executes the device control processes corresponding to one group of the electronic devices.

8. The device control service providing system according to claim 7, wherein the network is a web service communication network.

9. The device control service providing system according to claim 7, further comprising:

an operating authority propriety determining unit that determines whether a sender of the device control service request received has operating authority for the electronic devices in the group; and

a process execution permitting unit that permits execution of the device control processes corresponding to the group of the electronic devices, if the operating authority propriety determining unit determines that the sender of the device control service request has operating authority for the electronic devices, wherein

if the process execution permitting unit permits the execution of the device control processes corresponding to the group of the electronic devices, then the process execution requesting unit requests the respective device control server to execute the device control processes for the electronic devices having permission.

10. The device control service providing system according to claim 9, wherein

the process execution permitting unit issues operating authority transfer certificates for the electronic devices to the device control server and to server apparatuses, and permits execution of a device control process only if the operating authority transfer certificates match, wherein

the device control server executes the device control processes corresponding to the electronic devices in the group, and the server apparatus requests execution of the device control processes.

11. The device control service providing system according to claim 9, wherein

the process execution permitting unit restricts permission to execute device control processes of the electronic devices in the group to at least one of a predetermined time period and predetermined devices to be processed.

12. The device control service providing system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a process allocating unit that allocates processes to receive the device control service requests, and processes to request execution of the device control processes, based on loads of server apparatuses, wherein

the server apparatus includes the service request receiving unit and the process execution requesting unit.

13. A method that provides device control service for controlling operation of electronic devices, comprising:

receiving, via a network, a device control service request for controlling a group of the electronic devices; and

requesting respective device control servers to execute device control processes for controlling an operation of the electronic devices in the group based on the request received, wherein one of the device control servers executes the device control processes corresponding to one group of the electronic devices.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the network is a web service communication network.

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

determining whether a sender of the device control service request received has operating authority for the electronic devices in the group; and

permitting execution of the device control processes corresponding to the group of the electronic devices, if it is determined at the determining that the sender of the device control service request has operating authority for the electronic devices, wherein

if the execution of the device control processes corresponding to the group of the electronic devices is permitted at the permitting, then the requesting includes requesting the respective device control server to execute the device control processes for the electronic device having permission.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein

the permitting includes issuing operating authority transfer certificates for the electronic devices to the device control server and to server apparatuses, and the permitting is performed only if the operating authority transfer certificates match, wherein

the device control server executes the device control processes corresponding to the electronic devices in the group, and the server apparatus requests execution of the device control processes.