SEARCH SYSTEM OF COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE

• US 20100274805A9
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Akimichi Tanabe, Atsushi Iwasaki, Makoto Koushiro, Motoshi Tamura
• Inventors: Tanabe, Akimichi, Koushiro, Makoto, Iwasaki, Atsushi, Tamura, Motoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/770
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A communications system is provided which can search for information about a communications device that is not registered in a network by designating time. The search system, which includes a plurality of communications devices, gateways and an entity management server, can execute a search method. The entity management server stores in a storage device the identification information of the communications device sent from the gateways with establishing correspondence with notification time. The entity management server receives from a mobile terminal the identification information of the communications device and designated time. The entity management server searches for the identification information stored in the storage device at the designated time, and identifies the location information of the gateways corresponding to the identification information included in the search request.

Claims

1. A search system of a communications device having a plurality of gateways connected to the communications device, and a control server of the communications device, said control server comprising:

memory control means for storing identification information of said communications device sent from said gateways in a storage device at every notification time with establishing correspondence with location information of the gateways that send the identification information;

search request receiving means for receiving a search request including the identification information of said communications device and a designated time; and

search means for retrieving the location information of the gateways to which the communications device corresponding to the search request is connected by searching, in response to reception of the search request, for the identification information at the designated time stored in said storage device.

2. A control server of a communications device comprising:

memory control means for storing identification information of said communications device sent from a plurality of gateways connected to said communications device in a storage device at every notification time with establishing correspondence with location information of the gateways;

search request receiving means for receiving a search request including the identification information of said communications device and a designated time; and

search means for retrieving the location information of the gateways to which the communications device corresponding to the search request is connected by searching, in response to reception of the search request, for the identification information at the designated time stored in said storage device.

3. The control server of the communications device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said search means includes notification request means for requesting said gateways to provide notification of the identification information of the communications device connected to the gateways at the designated time received.

4. The control server of the communications device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the search request of said communications device includes information about a geographical area, and said notification request means requests the gateways in the geographical area to provide notification of the identification information of said communications device.

11. The control server of the communications device as claimed in claim 2 or 8, further comprising estimating means for estimating the location of said communications device at a designated time from a plurality of location information items at different notification times stored in said storage device.

12. The control server of the communications device as claimed in claim 2 or 8 wherein said communications device is an IC tag attached to an article.

5. A search method of a communications device in a control server of the communications device, said search method comprising:

a step of storing identification information of said communications device sent from a plurality of gateways connected to said communications device in a storage device at every notification time with establishing correspondence with location information of the gateways;

a step of receiving a search request including the identification information of said communications device and a designated time; and

a step of retrieving the location information of the gateways to which the communications device corresponding to the search request is connected by searching, in response to reception of the search request, for the identification information at the designated time stored in said storage device.

6. A computer program for causing a computer to function as:

memory control means for storing identification information of said communications device sent from a plurality of gateways connected to said communications device in a storage device at every notification time with establishing correspondence with location information of the gateways;

search request receiving means for receiving a search request including the identification information of said communications device and a designated time; and

search means for retrieving the location information of the gateways to which the communications device corresponding to the search request is connected by searching, in response to reception of the search request, for the identification information at the designated time stored in said storage device.

7. A search system of a communications device having a plurality of gateways connected to the communications device, and a control server of the communications device, said control server comprising:

memory control means for storing attribute information of said communications device sent from said gateways in a storage device with establishing correspondence with location information of the gateways;

search request receiving means for receiving a search request including the attribute information; and

search means for retrieving the location information of the gateways to which the communications device corresponding to the search request is connected by searching, in response to reception of the search request, for the attribute information stored in said storage device.

8. A control server of a communications device comprising:

memory control means for storing attribute information of said communications device sent from a plurality of gateways connected to said communications device in a storage device with establishing correspondence with location information of the gateways;

search request receiving means for receiving a search request including the attribute information; and

search means for retrieving the location information of the gateways to which the communications device corresponding to the search request is connected by searching, in response to reception of the search request, for the attribute information stored in said storage device.

9. The control server of the communications device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the search request includes information about a designated time, and said search means includes notification request means for requesting said gateways to provide notification of the attribute information of the communications device connected to the gateways at the designated time received.

10. The control server of the communications device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the search request of said communications device includes information about a geographical area, and said notification request means requests the gateways in the geographical area to provide notification of the attribute information of said communications device.

13. A search method of a communications device in a control server of the communications device, said search method comprising:

a step of storing attribute information of said communications device sent from a plurality of gateways connected to said communications device in a storage device with establishing correspondence with location information of the gateways;

a step of receiving a search request including the attribute information; and

a step of retrieving the location information of the gateways to which the communications device corresponding to the search request is connected by searching, in response to reception of the search request, for the attribute information stored in said storage device.

14. A computer program for causing a computer to function as:

memory control means for storing attribute information of said communications device sent from a plurality of gateways connected to said communications device in a storage device with establishing correspondence with location information of the gateways;

search request receiving means for receiving a search request including the attribute information; and

search means for retrieving the location information of the gateways to which the communications device corresponding to the search request is connected by searching, in response to reception of the search request, for the attribute information stored in said storage device.

15. A search system of a communications device having a plurality of first communications devices, a plurality of gateways connected to said first communications devices, and a control server for managing locations of said gateways, said first communications devices being able to communicate with a second communications device provided with identification information,

said control server comprising:

search request receiving means for receiving a search request including the identification information and information about a geographical area; and

search request transmitting means for transmitting the identification information received to the gateways in the geographical area, and

said gateways comprising;

inquiring means for requesting said first communications devices to search for the second communications device that stores the identification information received; and

inquiring result receiving means for receiving a result of the inquiry from said first communications devices.

16. The search system of the communications device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said second communications device is an IC tag attached to an article.

17. A search method of a communications device in a search system having a plurality of first communications devices, a plurality of gateways connected to said first communications devices, and a control server for managing locations of said gateways, said first communications devices being able to communicate with a second communications device provided with identification information, said method comprising:

a step of receiving in said control server a search request including the identification information and information about a geographical area;

a step of transmitting from said control server the identification information received to the gateways in the geographical area;

a step of causing said gateways to request said first communications devices to search for the second communications device that stores the identification information received; and

a step of receiving in the gateways a result of the search from said first communications devices.

18. An information search system having a service agent server for receiving a transmission request of information from a terminal, and a control server for managing information to be provided to said terminal,

said service agent server comprising:

storing means for storing types of services to be provided to said terminal and attribute information of information collecting instruments with establishing correspondence between them;

transmission request receiving means for receiving the transmission request including a type of service from said terminal; and

transmitting means for extracting, from said storing means, attribute information corresponding to the type of service included in the transmission request, and for transmitting the attribute information to said control server, and

said control server comprising;

collected information storing means for storing the attribute information of said information collecting instruments and collected information transmitted from said information collecting instruments with establishing correspondence with locations of said information collecting instruments; and

search means for retrieving the collected information corresponding to the received attribute information by searching said collected information storing means.

19. The information search system as claimed in claim 18, further comprising gateways for mediating communication between said information collecting instruments and said control server, wherein said collected information storing means stores locations of the gateways as the locations of said information collecting instruments.

20. The information search system as claimed in claim 18, wherein

said search request receiving means further receives information about a geographical area from said terminal;

said transmitting means further transmits the information about the geographical area; and

said search means acquires information collected by said information collecting instruments included in the geographical area received.

21. The information search system as claimed in claim 18, wherein

said search request receiving means further receives information about a designated time from said terminal;

and said search means acquires collected information at the designated time.

22. The information search system as claimed in claim 18, wherein

said control server further comprises notification means for notifying said service agent server of the collected information acquired by said search means;

and

said service agent server further comprises processing means for processing the collected information sent from said notification means into offering information to be provided to said terminal.

23. The information search system as claimed in claim 22, wherein

said storing means stores the collected information and the offering information with establishing correspondence between them;

and said processing means retrieves from said storing means the offering information corresponding to the collected information sent by said notification means.

24. The information search system as claimed in claim 18, wherein

said control server further comprises notification means for sending a notification to said service agent server when the collected information retrieved by said search means meets a prescribed condition.

25. The information search system as claimed in claim 18, further comprising setting means for setting operating conditions of the information collecting instruments corresponding to the search request.

26. The information search system as claimed in claim 18, wherein

said search means retrieves a plurality of collected information items transmitted from one of said information collecting instruments in the past;

and wherein said information search system further comprises;

estimating means for estimating, from the plurality of collected information items, the collected information to be transmitted from one of said information collecting instruments at a designated time.

27. An information search method in an information search system having a service agent server for receiving a transmission request of information from a terminal, and a control server for managing information to be provided to said terminal, said service agent server having storing means for storing types of services to be provided to said terminal and attribute information of information collecting instruments with establishing correspondence between them, said control server having collected information storing means for storing identification information of said information collecting instruments and the collected information transmitted from said information collecting instruments with establishing correspondence with locations of said information collecting instruments, said information search method comprising:

a step of receiving, in said service agent server, the transmission request including a type of service from said terminal;

a step of extracting, in said service agent server, the attribute information corresponding to the type of service included in the transmission request from said storing means, and of transmitting the attribute information to said control server; and

a step of retrieving, in said control server, collected information of the information collecting instruments corresponding to the received attribute information by searching said collected information storing means.