PERSONAL-INFORMATION MANAGING APPARATUS AND PERSONAL-INFORMATION HANDLING APPARATUS

• US 20100088743A1
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Hayashida, Naoko
• Granted Patent: US 8,640,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies

Abstract

A personal-information managing apparatus includes: a usage permission policy managing unit to manage usage permission policy in which a boundary between usage permission and usage prohibition of personal information is defined; a personal information request receiving unit to receive a request for the personal information from the personal-information handling apparatus; a usage-permission issuing unit to obtain the usage permission policy corresponding to the received request via the usage permission policy managing unit, and to issue a usage permit corresponding to the usage permission policy and the requested personal information to the personal-information handling apparatus; a usage permit issue history managing unit to manage the issued usage permit and usage permission issue history relating to the personal information; and a credibility establishing unit to establish credibility of information exchange with the personal-information handling apparatus in relation to the issuing of the usage permit and the personal information.

Claims

1. A personal-information managing apparatus for inputting or storing personal information so as to issue the input or stored personal information to a personal-information handling apparatus, comprising:

a usage permission policy managing unit configured to manage usage permission policy in which a boundary between usage permission and usage prohibition of the personal information is defined;

a personal information request receiving unit configured to receive a request for the personal information from the personal-information handling apparatus;

a usage-permission issuing unit configured to obtain the usage permission policy corresponding to the received request via the usage permission policy managing unit, and to issue a usage permit corresponding to the usage permission policy and the requested personal information to the personal-information handling apparatus;

a usage permit issue history managing unit configured to manage the issued usage permit and usage permission issue history relating to the personal information; and

a credibility establishing unit configured to establish credibility of information exchange with the personal-information handling apparatus in relation to the issuing of the usage permit and the personal information.

2. The personal-information managing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the usage permission policy managing unit predicts the usage permission policy at least on the basis of the usage permission issue history, and manages the predicted usage permission policy as a part of the usage permission policy.

6. The personal-information managing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the personal information request receiving unit receives a request for personal information from a first personal-information handling apparatus on the basis of the usage permit transferred from a second personal-information handling apparatus, and

the usage-permission issuing unit searches for whether or not the usage permission issue history corresponding to the received usage permit exists in the usage permit issue history managing unit, obtains the usage permission policy corresponding to the request for personal information from the usage permission policy managing unit when the corresponding history exists, and issues a new usage permit corresponding to the usage permission policy and the requested personal information to the first personal-information handling apparatus.

3. A personal-information handling apparatus for requesting and obtaining personal information from a personal-information managing apparatus to use the obtained personal information, comprising:

a personal information requesting unit configured to request necessary personal information from the personal-information managing apparatus;

a personal information obtaining unit configured to receive a usage permit designating a usage permission policy in which a boundary of usage permission or usage prohibition of the personal information is defined, and to receive the requested personal information;

a credibility establishing unit configured to establish credibility of information exchange with the personal-information managing apparatus in relation to the requesting or receiving of the personal information and the usage permit; and

a personal information processing unit configured to interpret the usage permission policy designated by the received usage permit, and to use the personal information on the basis of the interpret result.

4. The personal-information handling apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising

a personal information transfer issuing unit configured to transfer the usage permit received from the personal-information managing apparatus as well as information related to a reference destination of the personal information designated by the usage permit to another personal-information handling apparatus.

5. The personal-information handling apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising

a personal information transfer receiving unit configured to receive a transfer of the usage permit and information related to a reference destination of the personal information designated by the usage permit from another personal-information handling apparatus, wherein

the personal information requesting unit requests necessary personal information from the personal-information managing apparatus specified by the information related to the reference destination of the personal information based on the transferred usage permit, and

the personal information obtaining unit receives a new usage permit and personal information corresponding to the request, from the personal-information managing apparatus.