INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF, SERVICE PROVIDING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF, INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20100205312A1
• Filed: 02/03/2010
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yasuma, Kensuke
• Granted Patent: US 9,374,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

An information processing apparatus that provides a proxy for a service that a service providing apparatus provides to a control apparatus, the information processing apparatus includes: a first communications unit adapted to connect to a first communications path; a second communications unit adapted to connect to a second communications path; a first determination unit adapted to determine whether or not the providing apparatus exists via the first communications unit; a second determination unit adapted to determine whether or not the providing apparatus exists via the second communications unit; a connection unit adapted to connect to the providing apparatus via the second communications unit; and a proxy unit adapted to connect to the control apparatus via the first communications unit, and provide a proxy for a service between the providing apparatus and the control apparatus.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus that provides a proxy for a service that a service providing apparatus provides to a control apparatus, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a first communications unit adapted to connect to a first communications path;

a second communications unit adapted to connect to a second communications path;

a first determination unit adapted to determine whether or not the providing apparatus exists via the first communications unit;

a second determination unit adapted to determine whether or not the providing apparatus exists via the second communications unit;

a connection unit adapted to connect to the providing apparatus via the second communications unit; and

a proxy unit adapted to connect to the control apparatus via the first communications unit, and provide a proxy for a service between the providing apparatus and the control apparatus.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connection unit connects to the providing apparatus via the second communications unit when the second determination unit has determined that the providing apparatus exists.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the proxy unit provides a proxy for the service after confirming that the providing apparatus has stopped providing the service via the first communications path.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit adapted to transmit, to the providing apparatus via the first communications path, parameters necessary for the connection unit to connect to the providing apparatus via the second communications path.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a publishing unit adapted to publish to the first communications path the fact that the information processing apparatus has a proxy function of providing a proxy for the service.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the proxy unit provides a proxy for the service when a request for the proxy has been made from the providing apparatus due to the publishing unit publishing the proxy function.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the service is a UPnP service.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the service is a content distribution service, and

the proxy unit comprises:

a rewrite unit adapted to, when a content distribution request has been received from the control apparatus via the first communications path, rewrite the content distribution request such that the destination for content distribution is the information processing apparatus,

an output unit adapted to output the rewritten content distribution request to the providing apparatus via the second communications path,

a receiving unit adapted to receive content that has been distributed from the providing apparatus due to the rewritten content distribution request being output, and

a distribution unit adapted to distribute the received content to the control apparatus.

13. A program stored on a computer-readable recording medium for causing a computer to function as the respective units included in the information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

14. A computer-readable recording medium where the program according to claim 13 is stored.

9. A providing apparatus that provides a service to a control apparatus, the providing apparatus comprising:

a first communications unit adapted to connect to a first communications path;

a second communications unit adapted to connect to a second communications path; and

a switching unit adapted to, when a proxy function has been published via the first communications path from an information processing apparatus that provides a proxy for a service, switch providing of a service to the control apparatus via the first communications path to providing of a service to the information processing apparatus via the second communications path.

10. An information processing system having a control apparatus, a providing apparatus that provides a service to the control apparatus, and an information processing apparatus that provides a proxy for the service, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a first communications unit adapted to connect to a first communications path;

a second communications unit adapted to connect to a second communications path;

a first determination unit adapted to determine whether or not the providing apparatus exists via the first communications unit;

a second determination unit adapted to determine whether or not the providing apparatus exists via the second communications unit;

a connection unit adapted to connect to the providing apparatus via the second communications unit; and

a proxy unit adapted to connect to the control apparatus via the first communications unit, and provide a proxy for a service between the providing apparatus and the control apparatus.

11. A method for controlling an information processing apparatus that provides a proxy for a service that a service providing apparatus provides to a control apparatus, the method comprising:

a first determination step of determining whether or not the providing apparatus exists via a first communications unit for connecting to a first communications path;

a second determination step of determining whether or not the providing apparatus exists via a second communications unit for connecting to a second communications path;

a connection step of connecting to the providing apparatus via the second communications unit; and

a proxy step of connecting to the control apparatus via the first communications unit, and providing a proxy for a service between the providing apparatus and the control apparatus.

12. A method for controlling a providing apparatus that provides a service to a control apparatus, the method comprising:

a switching step of, when a proxy function has been published via a first communications path from an information processing apparatus that provides a proxy for a service, switching providing of a service to the control apparatus via the first communications path to providing of a service to the information processing apparatus via a second communications path.