Communication control apparatus and communication control system

• US 20070043941A1
• Filed: 08/17/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Imanishi, Masayuki, Ogasawara, Koichi, Masuda, Yasuto, Furukawa, Minoru, Kunito, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,784 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2094 Proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/387 using subscriber identification cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308

Abstract

A communication control apparatus selects an optimum terminal for an authentication device among a plurality of terminals that have completed authentication of the authentication device via wireless communication. The communication control apparatus has an information acquiring unit and a selecting unit. The information acquiring unit acquires address information and capability information of each of the plurality of terminals and identification information of the authentication device from each of the plurality of terminals. The selecting unit selects the optimum terminal having a capability of handling data addressed to the authentication device among the plurality of terminals on the basis of the capability information of the plurality of terminals and the identification information of the authentication device acquired by the information acquiring unit, when the address information and capability information of the plurality of terminals are acquired by the information acquiring unit.

Claims

1. A communication control apparatus that selects an optimum terminal for an authentication device among a plurality of terminals that have completed authentication of the authentication device via wireless communication, the communication control apparatus comprising:

information acquiring means for acquiring address information and capability information of each of the plurality of terminals and identification information of the authentication device from each of the plurality of terminals; and

selecting means for selecting the optimum terminal having a capability of handling data addressed to the authentication device among the plurality of terminals on the basis of the capability information of the plurality of terminals and the identification information of the authentication device acquired by the information acquiring means, when the address information and capability information of the plurality of terminals are acquired by the information acquiring means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

priority setting means for setting an order of priority among the plurality of terminals, wherein

the selecting means selects, when there are a plurality of terminals having the capability of handling the data addressed to the authentication device, the optimum terminal among the plurality of terminals according to the order of priority set by the priority setting means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

notifying means for notifying a user carrying the authentication device of the optimum terminal selected by the selecting means.

4. A communication control apparatus that selects an optimum terminal for an authentication device among a plurality of terminals that have completed authentication of the authentication device via wireless communication, the communication control apparatus comprising:

information acquiring means for acquiring address information and capability information of each of the plurality of terminals and identification information and processing request information of the authentication device from each of the plurality of terminals; and

selecting means for selecting the optimum terminal having the identification information of the authentication device acquired by the information acquiring means and a capability of satisfying a processing request corresponding to the processing request information when the address information and capability information of the plurality of terminals are acquired by the information acquiring means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

priority setting means for setting an order of priority among the plurality of terminals, wherein

the selecting means selects, when there are a plurality of terminals having the identification information of the authentication device and a capability of satisfying the processing request, the optimum terminal among the plurality of terminals according to the order of priority set by the priority setting means.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

notifying means for notifying a user carrying the authentication device of the optimum terminal selected by the selecting means.

7. A communication control system comprising:

a plurality of terminals that perform authentication of an authentication device carried by a user via wireless communication; and

a communication control apparatus, connected to the plurality of terminals, having

information acquiring means for acquiring, when there are a plurality of terminals that have completed authentication of the authentication device, address information and capability information of each of the plurality of terminals and identification information of the authentication device from each of the plurality of terminals, and

selecting means for selecting the optimum terminal having a capability of handling data addressed to the authentication device among the plurality of terminals on the basis of the capability information of the plurality of terminals and the identification information of the authentication device acquired by the information acquiring means, when the address information and capability information of the plurality of terminals are acquired by the information acquiring means.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the communication control apparatus further includes

priority setting means for setting an order of priority among the plurality of terminals, wherein

the selecting means selects, when there are a plurality of terminals having the capability of handling the data addressed to the authentication device, the optimum terminal among the plurality of terminals according to the order of priority set by the priority setting means.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of terminals has output means that displays an indication when the terminal is selected as the optimum terminal by the selecting means of the communication control apparatus.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the communication control apparatus further includes

notifying means for notifying the authentication device carried by the user of the optimum terminal selected by the selecting means.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the communication control apparatus is embedded in one of the plurality of terminals.

12. A communication control system comprising:

a plurality of terminals that perform authentication of an authentication device carried by a user via wireless communication; and

a communication control apparatus, connected to the plurality of terminals, having

information acquiring means for acquiring, when there are a plurality of terminals that have completed authentication of the authentication device, address information and capability information of each of the plurality of terminals and identification information and processing request information of the authentication device from each of the plurality of terminals, and

selecting means for selecting the optimum terminal having the identification information of the authentication device acquired by the information acquiring means and a capability of satisfying a processing request corresponding to the processing request information when the address information and capability information of the plurality of terminals are acquired by the information acquiring means.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the communication control apparatus further includes

priority setting means for setting an order of priority among the plurality of terminals, wherein

the selecting means selects, when there are a plurality of terminals having the identification information of the authentication device and a capability of satisfying the processing request, the optimum terminal among the plurality of terminals according to the order of priority set by the priority setting means.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of terminals has output means that displays an indication when the terminal is selected as the optimum terminal by the selecting means of the communication control apparatus.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the communication control apparatus further includes

notifying means for notifying the authentication device carried by the user of the optimum terminal selected by the selecting means.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the communication control apparatus is embedded in one of the plurality of terminals.

17. A communication control apparatus that selects an optimum terminal for an authentication device among a plurality of terminals that have completed authentication of the authentication device via wireless communication, the communication control apparatus comprising:

an information acquiring unit for acquiring address information and capability information of each of the plurality of terminals and identification information of the authentication device from each of the plurality of terminals; and

a selecting unit for selecting the optimum terminal having a capability of handling data addressed to the authentication device among the plurality of terminals on the basis of the capability information of the plurality of terminals and the identification information of the authentication device acquired by the information acquiring unit, when the address information and capability information of the plurality of terminals are acquired by the information acquiring unit.

18. A communication control apparatus that selects an optimum terminal for an authentication device among a plurality of terminals that have completed authentication of the authentication device via wireless communication, the communication control apparatus comprising:

an information acquiring unit for acquiring address information and capability information of each of the plurality of terminals and identification information and processing request information of the authentication device from each of the plurality of terminals; and

a selecting unit for selecting the optimum terminal having the identification information of the authentication device acquired by the information acquiring unit and a capability of satisfying a processing request corresponding to the processing request information when the address information and capability information of the plurality of terminals are acquired by the information acquiring unit.

19. A communication control system comprising:

a plurality of terminals that perform authentication of an authentication device carried by a user via wireless communication; and

a communication control apparatus, connected to the plurality of terminals, having

an information acquiring unit for acquiring, when there are a plurality of terminals that have completed authentication of the authentication device, address information and capability information of each of the plurality of terminals and identification information of the authentication device from each of the plurality of terminals, and

a selecting unit for selecting the optimum terminal having a capability of handling data addressed to the authentication device among the plurality of terminals on the basis of the capability information of the plurality of terminals and the identification information of the authentication device acquired by the information acquiring unit, when the address information and capability information of the plurality of terminals are acquired by the information acquiring unit.

20. A communication control system comprising:

a plurality of terminals that perform authentication of an authentication device carried by a user via wireless communication; and

a communication control apparatus, connected to the plurality of terminals, having

an information acquiring unit for acquiring, when there are a plurality of terminals that have completed authentication of the authentication device, address information and capability information of each of the plurality of terminals and identification information and processing request information of the authentication device from each of the plurality of terminals, and

a selecting unit for selecting the optimum terminal having the identification information of the authentication device acquired by the information acquiring unit and a capability of satisfying a processing request corresponding to the processing request information when the address information and capability information of the plurality of terminals are acquired by the information acquiring unit.