MANAGING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, PROGRAM, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM

• US 20090287807A1
• Filed: 05/13/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sueyoshi, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

There is provided a managing apparatus including a management-side communication unit that communicates with an information processing apparatus, which includes a first communication unit that communicates in a non-contact manner with an information processing terminal storing first information and second information and a second communication unit that communicates with an external device; a process target determining unit that determines whether the first communication unit is a management target based on identification information; a management information deriving unit that derives management information based on a determination result, the identification information, and service specification information, and transmits the derived management information to the information processing apparatus; a process authority determining unit that determines a process authority based on a process result transmitted from the information processing apparatus; and a processing unit that selectively executes a process related to the information processing apparatus based on a determination result.

Claims

1. A managing apparatus comprising:

a management-side communication unit that communicates with an information processing apparatus including a first communication unit and a second communication unit, the first communication unit communicating on a first communication path in a non-contact manner with an information processing terminal storing first information indicating a corresponding system and second information indicating a corresponding service, the first communication path using a carrier at a predetermined frequency, the second communication unit communicating with an external device on a second communication path different from the first communication path;

a process target determining unit that determines whether the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is a management target, based on identification information for identifying the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus that is received by the management-side communication unit;

a management information deriving unit that derives management information for managing the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus, based on a determination result of the process target determining unit, the identification information received by the management-side communication unit, and service specification information for the information processing terminal to identify the corresponding service, based on the first information and the second information received by the management-side communication unit, and transmits the derived management information to the information processing apparatus through the management-side communication unit;

a process authority determining unit that determines a process authority with respect to the information processing apparatus, based on a process result transmitted from the information processing apparatus in accordance with the received management information; and

a processing unit that selectively executes a process related to the information processing apparatus, based on a determination result in the process authority determining unit.

2. The managing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the management information deriving unit includes:

a first management information deriving unit that derives first management information indicating that the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is managed, based on the identification information received by the management-side communication unit, when the process target determining unit determines that the first communication unit corresponding to the identification information is not the management target; and

a second management information deriving unit that derives second management information for managing a service process between the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal, based on the first management information corresponding to the identification information and the service specification information, when the process target determining unit determines that the first communication unit corresponding to the identification information is the management target.

3. The managing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the process authority determining unit determines that executing a service corresponding to the second management information derived by the second management information deriving unit is enabled, when the management-side communication unit receives a process result indicating that the corresponding information is equal to the transmitted second management information, and

the processing unit executes a service process related to a service between the information processing apparatus and the processing unit, based on the determination result of the process authority determining unit.

4. The managing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a storage unit that stores third management information where the identification information, the first management information, and the second management information are associated with each other and stored,

wherein the process target determining unit determines whether the first communication unit corresponding to the identification information is managed, based on the identification information received by the management-side communication unit and the third management information.

5. The managing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the process authority determining unit records the first management information derived by the first management information deriving unit in the third management information, when the management-side communication unit receives a process result indicating that the corresponding information is equal to the transmitted first management information, and

the process authority determining unit associates the second management information derived by the second management information deriving unit with the first management information corresponding to the identification information and records an association result in the third management information, when the management-side communication unit receives a process result indicating that the corresponding information is equal to the transmitted second management information.

6. The managing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the storage unit stores a management database as the third management information, and

the second management information deriving unit searches the management database based on the identification information received by the management-side communication unit, thereby specifying the first management information corresponding to the identification information.

7. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first communication unit that communicates on a first communication path in a non-contact manner with an information processing terminal storing first information indicating a corresponding system and second information indicating a corresponding service, the first communication path using a carrier at a predetermined frequency;

a second communication unit that communicates with a managing apparatus managing a service between the managing apparatus and the information processing terminal using the first communication path, on a second communication path that is different from the first communication path;

a service specification information generating unit that acquires the first information and the second information from the information processing terminal through the first communication unit, and generates service specification information for the information processing terminal to identify the corresponding service, based on the acquired first information and second information;

an information transmission control unit that transmits identification information for identifying the first communication unit and the generated service specification information to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit;

an authority determining unit that determines whether the first communication unit is managed by the managing apparatus, based on management information for managing the first communication unit that is transmitted from the managing apparatus and received by the second communication unit and transmitted from the managing apparatus, and transmits a process result indicating a determination result to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit; and

a processing unit that selectively executes a service process executed between the information processing terminal and the processing unit, based on a determination result in the authority determining unit.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising

a storage unit that stores first management information indicating that the first communication unit is managed,

wherein the authority determining unit records the management information received by the second communication unit as the first management information, when the first management information is not stored in the storage unit.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the authority determining unit compares the first management information stored in the storage unit and the management information received by the second communication unit, when the first management information is stored in the storage unit, and

the authority determining unit transmits a process result indicating that the first management information and the management information are equal to each other to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit, when the first management information and the management information are equal to each other.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the authority determining unit derives second management information for the managing apparatus to manage a service process between the first communication unit and the information processing terminal, based on the first management information and the second information acquired from the information processing terminal, when the first management information and the management information are not equal to each other, and

the authority determining unit compares the derived second management information and the management information received by the second communication unit and transmits a process result according to a comparison result to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the processing unit selectively executes the service process, when the authority determining unit transmits a process result indicating that the derived second management information and the management information received by the second communication unit are equal to each other.

12. A program that allows a computer to function as the following units including:

a communication unit that communicates with an information processing apparatus including a first communication unit and a second communication unit, the first communication unit communicating on a first communication path in a non-contact manner with an information processing terminal storing first information indicating a corresponding system and second information indicating a corresponding service, the first communication path using a carrier at a predetermined frequency, the second communication unit communicating with an external device on a second communication path that is different from the first communication path;

a process target determining unit that determines whether the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is a management target, based on identification information for identifying the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus that is received by the communication unit;

a management information deriving unit that derives management information for managing the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus, based on a determination result of the process target determining unit, the identification information received by the communication unit, and service specification information for the information processing terminal to identify the corresponding service, based on the first information and the second information received by the communication unit, and transmits the derived management information to the information processing apparatus through the communication unit;

a process authority determining unit that determines a process authority with respect to the information processing apparatus, based on a process result transmitted from the information processing apparatus in accordance with the received management information; and

a processing unit that selectively executes a process related to the information processing apparatus, based on a determination result in the process authority determining unit.

13. A program that allows a computer to function as the following units including:

a first communication unit that communicates on a first communication path in a non-contact manner with an information processing terminal storing first information indicating a corresponding system and second information indicating a corresponding service, the first communication path using a carrier at a predetermined frequency;

a second communication unit that communicates with a managing apparatus managing a service between the managing apparatus and the information processing terminal using the first communication unit, on a second communication path that is different from the first communication path;

a service specification information generating unit that acquires the first information and the second information from the information processing terminal through the first communication unit, and generates service specification information for the information processing terminal to identify the corresponding service, based on the acquired first information and second information;

an information transmission control unit that transmits identification information for identifying the first communication unit and the generated service specification information to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit;

an authority determining unit that determines whether the first communication unit is managed by the managing apparatus, based on management information for managing the first communication unit that is transmitted from the managing apparatus and received by the second communication unit, and transmits a process result indicating a determination result to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit; and

a processing unit that selectively executes a service process executed between the information processing terminal and the processing unit, based on a determination result in the authority determining unit.

14. An information processing system comprising:

one or more information processing apparatuses that communicate with an information processing terminal in a non-contact manner using a carrier at a predetermined frequency; and

a managing apparatus that communicates with the information processing apparatuses,

wherein each of the information processing apparatuses includes

a first communication unit that communicates on a first communication path in a non-contact manner with the information processing terminal, the first communication path using a carrier at a predetermined frequency,

a second communication unit that communicates with the managing apparatus on a second communication path that is different from the first communication path,

a service specification information generating unit that generates service specification information for the information processing terminal to identify a corresponding service,

an information transmission control unit that transmits identification information for identifying the first communication unit and the generated service specification information to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit,

an authority determining unit that determines whether the first communication unit is managed by the managing apparatus, based on management information for managing the first communication unit that is transmitted from the managing apparatus and received by the second communication unit, and transmits a process result indicating a determination result to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit, and

a processing unit that selectively executes a service process executed between the information processing terminal and the processing unit, based on a determination result in the authority determining unit, and

the managing apparatus includes

a management-side communication unit that communicates with the information processing apparatus,

a process target determining unit that determines whether the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is a management target, based on the identification information of the information processing apparatus that is received by the management-side communication unit,

a management information deriving unit that derives the management information, based on a determination result of the process target determining unit, the identification information received by the management-side communication unit, and the service specification information received by the management-side communication unit, and transmits the derived management information to the information processing apparatus through the management-side communication unit,

a process authority determining unit that determines a process authority with respect to the information processing apparatus, based on the process result transmitted from the information processing apparatus in accordance with the received management information, and

a processing unit that selectively executes a process related to the information processing apparatus, based on a determination result in the process authority determining unit.