APPARATUS, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR PROCESSING INFORMATION

• US 20090070358A1
• Filed: 09/03/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tokura, Seiji, Hayashi, Hisashi, Ozaki, Fumio, Doi, Miwako
• Application Number:
  US12/203,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070358A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a plurality of information reforming modules that reform input information input from each information device to common format information, which is a format common to the respective information devices, and a status-information storage unit that stores status information indicating a status for each of predetermined items of the reformed common format information, for each of the information reforming modules. The apparatus specifies the information reforming module that satisfies a use request condition, from one or a combination of a plurality of pieces of status information stored in the status-information storage unit, acquires the common format information reformed by the specified information reforming module, processes the acquired common format information to use information matched with the use request condition, and outputs the processed use information.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of information reforming modules that reform input information input from each information device to common format information, which is a format common to the respective information devices;

a status-information storage unit that stores status information indicating a status for each of predetermined items of the common format information reformed by the information reforming modules, for each of the information reforming modules;

an input receiving unit that receives an input of a use request condition including a condition for each of the predetermined items;

a specifying unit that specifies the information reforming module that satisfies the use request condition, from one or a combination of a plurality of pieces of status information stored in the status-information storage unit;

an acquiring unit that acquires the common format information reformed by the specified information reforming module;

a processing unit that processes the common format information to use information matched with the use request condition; and

an output unit that outputs the use information.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquiring unit acquires the pieces of common format information from the information reforming modules, and

the processing unit includes a generating unit that generates the use information matched with the use request condition by combining the acquired pieces of common format information.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input receiving unit receives an input of a plurality of use request conditions, and

the processing unit includes a copying unit that copies the acquired pieces of common format information so that the common format information matches with each of the input use request conditions, to generate the use information.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information reforming module includes

a startup storage unit that stores a startup condition of the information device,

a characteristic detecting unit that detects a characteristic change of the information device, and

an availability determining unit that determines whether the information device can be started up by satisfying the startup condition, when the characteristic change of the information device is detected.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a condition is set as the startup condition for at least one of fineness, update frequency, and information range that can be presented, of the input information output by the information device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information reforming module is at least one of a module that specifies a present position of the own device, a module that detects a moving body, a module that measures a position of an adjacent object, a command input module, a module that detects a contact, a module that detects time, and a module that detects an inclination of the own device, based on the input information input from the respective information devices.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the respective information devices that input the input information to be reformed by the information reforming module are at least one of other-information processing apparatuses, a camera sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a laser range finder, a voice recognition engine, a GUI input engine, a bumper switch, a board timer, an inclination sensor, and an environmental camera.

8. An information processing method comprising:

reforming input information input from each information device to common format information, which is a format common to the respective information devices, by an information reforming module;

storing status information indicating a status for each of predetermined items of the reformed common format information for each of the information reforming modules, in a status-information storage unit;

receiving an input of a use request condition including a condition for each of the predetermined items;

specifying the information reforming module that satisfies the use request condition, from one or a combination of a plurality of pieces of status information stored in the status-information storage unit;

acquiring the common format information reformed by the specified information reforming module;

processing the acquired common format information to use information matched with the use request condition; and

outputting the processed use information.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the pieces of common format information are acquired from the information reforming modules in the acquiring, and

the processing includes a generating that generates the use information matched with the use request condition by combining the acquired pieces of common format information.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein an input of a plurality of use request conditions are received in the receiving, and

the processing includes a copying that copies the acquired pieces of common format information so that the common format information matches with each of the input use request conditions, to generate the use information.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein

the information reforming module includes a startup storage unit that stores a startup condition of the information device, and

the method further comprising:

detecting a characteristic change of the information device, and

determining whether the information device can be started up by satisfying the startup condition, when the characteristic change of the information device is detected.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein a condition is set as the startup condition for at least one of fineness, update frequency, and information range that can be presented, of the input information output by the information device.

13. A computer program product having a computer readable medium including programmed instructions for processing information, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform:

reforming input information input from each information device to common format information, which is a format common to the respective information devices, by an information reforming module;

storing status information indicating a status for each of predetermined items of the reformed common format information for each of the information reforming modules, in a status-information storage unit;

receiving an input of a use request condition including a condition for each of the predetermined items;

specifying the information reforming module that satisfies the use request condition, from one or a combination of a plurality of pieces of status information stored in the status-information storage unit;

acquiring the common format information reformed by the specified information reforming module;

processing the acquired common format information to use information matched with the use request condition; and

outputting the processed use information.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the pieces of common format information are acquired from the information reforming modules in the acquiring, and

the processing includes a generating that generates the use information matched with the use request condition by combining the acquired pieces of common format information.

15. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein an input of a plurality of use request conditions are received in the receiving, and

the processing includes a copying that copies the acquired pieces of common format information so that the common format information matches with each of the input use request conditions, to generate the use information.

16. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein

the information reforming module includes a startup storage unit that stores a startup condition of the information device, and

the instructions cause the computer to further perform:

detecting a characteristic change of the information device, and

determining whether the information device can be started up by satisfying the startup condition, when the characteristic change of the information device is detected.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein a condition is set as the startup condition for at least one of fineness, update frequency, and information range that can be presented, of the input information output by the information device.