Inter-device linkage method, device linkage control system, device linkage control program and terminal device

• US 20070180025A1
• Filed: 02/20/2004
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayakawa, Yuichi, Ito, Hayashi, Nakamitsu, Hiroaki
• Application Number:
  US10/598,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20070180025A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing

Abstract

There is provided an inter-device linkage method in a device linkage control system capable of adaptively providing information according to a user context while protecting user individual information. In this method, firstly, communication is performed directly between an information output device (20) and a user terminal (10). When communication is performed between the information output device (20) and the user terminal (10) information used for processing in the information output device (20) and the user terminal (10) is provided from an information providing server (30). The processes based on the information provided from the information providing server (30) are executed in the information output device (20) and the user terminal (10). The output from the information output device (20) and the output from the user terminal (10) by the processes executed have different contents.

Claims

1. An inter-apparatus collaboration method executed between a first apparatus, second apparatus and third apparatus, comprising:

a direct communication step of carrying out direct communication between said first apparatus and said second apparatus;

a delivery step of delivering information used for processing at said first apparatus and said second apparatus from said third apparatus when communication is carried out in said direct communication step; and

an execution step of executing processing based on the information delivered in said delivery step at said first apparatus and said second apparatus,

wherein an output of said first apparatus and an output of said second apparatus through the processing executed in said execution step have different contents.

2. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 1, further comprising an output step of carrying out predetermined output processing at said first apparatus,

wherein said execution step comprises a switching step of switching contents of the output by the output processing carried out in said output step based on the information delivered in said delivery step.

3. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 2, further comprising an identification information transmission step of transmitting identification information of at least one of said first apparatus and said second apparatus to said third apparatus,

wherein said delivery step delivers information based on the identification information transmitted in said identification information transmission step.

4. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 2, wherein:

said direct communication step reports the identification information of said first apparatus from said first apparatus to said second apparatus;

the method further comprises an identification information transmission step of transmitting the identification information reported in said direct communication step from said second apparatus to said third apparatus; and

said delivery step delivers information based on the identification information transmitted in said identification information transmission step.

5. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 2, wherein:

one of said first apparatus and said second apparatus comprises a non-contact type information medium; and

in said direct communication step, the other of said first apparatus and said second apparatus reads said non-contact type information medium.

6. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 5, wherein:

said one of said first apparatus and said second apparatus further comprises a body section; and

said non-contact information medium is provided apart from said body section.

7. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 2, further comprising a function information transmission step of transmitting function information of at least one of said first apparatus and said second apparatus to said third apparatus,

wherein said delivery step delivers information based on the function information transmitted in said function information transmission step.

8. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 2, wherein:

said direct communication step reports the function information of said first apparatus from said first apparatus to said second apparatus;

the method further comprises a function information transmission step of transmitting the identification information reported in said direct communication step from said second apparatus to said third apparatus; and

said delivery step delivers information based on the identification information transmitted in said identification information transmission step.

9. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 2, wherein:

said second apparatus stores user information;

the method further comprises an information selection step of selecting at least part of the information delivered in said delivery step based on said user information; and

said execution step executes the processing based on at least part of said information selected in said information selection step at said second apparatus.

10. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 2, wherein:

said second apparatus stores user information;

the method further comprises an information selection step of selecting at least part of the information delivered in said delivery step based on said user information; and

said execution step executes the processing based on at least part of said information selected in said information selection step at said first apparatus and said second apparatus.

11. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 2, wherein:

the information delivered in said delivery step comprises operation information on a processing operation at said first apparatus and control information for controlling a processing operation at said first apparatus; and

said execution step carries out the processing based on said operation information at said first apparatus and the processing based on said control information at said second apparatus.

12. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 2, wherein:

said direct communication step reports additional information necessary to obtain an output of processing executed in said execution step; and

the method further comprises a storing step of storing additional information reported in said direct communication step in said second apparatus.

13. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 12, wherein said storing step determines whether additional information is stored or not according to the selection operation at said second apparatus.

14. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 12, further comprising a re-outputting step of re-outputting the output of said second apparatus through the processing executed in said execution step using the additional information stored in said storing step.

15. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 14, further comprising:

a display step of displaying the additional information stored in said storing step in a comparable manner; and

a display information selection step of selecting at least part of the additional information displayed in said display step,

wherein said re-outputting step uses at least part of said additional information selected in said display information selection step.

16. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 14, wherein said re-outputting step comprises a control step of controlling switching in said switching step.

17. The inter-apparatus collaboration method according to claim 12, further comprising a discrepancy reporting step of reporting, when there is a discrepancy between contents of the additional information stored in said storing step and contents of information in said third apparatus, the occurrence of said discrepancy to said second apparatus.

18. An inter-apparatus collaboration control system comprising:

a first apparatus and a second apparatus that directly communicate with each other; and

a third apparatus that delivers information used for processing at said first apparatus and said second apparatus when said first apparatus and said second apparatus carry out communication, wherein;

said first apparatus and said second apparatus execute processing based on the information delivered from said third apparatus respectively; and

an output of the processing executed at said first apparatus and an output of the processing executed at said second apparatus have different contents.

19. An inter-apparatus collaboration control program for an inter-apparatus collaboration control system comprising a first apparatus, second apparatus and third apparatus, said inter-apparatus collaboration control program being for realizing:

a direct communication function that carries out direct communication between said first apparatus and said second apparatus;

a delivery function that delivers information used for processing at said first apparatus and said second apparatus from said third apparatus when communication by said direct communication function is carried out; and

an execution function that executes the processing based on the information delivered from said delivery function at said first apparatus and said second apparatus,

wherein an output of said first apparatus through the processing executed by said execution function and an output of said second apparatus have different contents.

20. A terminal apparatus comprising:

a direct communication section that carries out direct communication with another terminal apparatus;

an acquisition section that acquires information delivered from a server apparatus when communication is carried out by said direct communication section; and

an execution section that executes processing based on the information acquired by said acquisition section,

wherein an output of the processing executed by said execution section and an output of said another terminal apparatus through the processing based on the information delivered from said server apparatus to said another terminal apparatus have different contents.