ACCESS CONTROL METHOD, ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM, COMMUNICATION TERMINAL, AND SERVER

• US 20140082716A1
• Filed: 09/12/2013
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: MATSUZAKI, Natsume, FUTA, Yuichi, MATSUSHIMA, Hideki, MAEDA, Manabu, UNAGAMI, Yuji, HAGA, Tomoyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,467,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/8
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

An access control method including: receiving a log information item indicating use history of electrical equipment that is used together with an intended product; receiving product information including information for identifying the intended product; storing the log information item received in the receiving of a log information item and the product information received in the receiving of product information, in association with each other; and controlling whether or not to allow access to the log information item based on the product information associated with the log information item when access to the log information item is attempted.

Claims

1. An access control method comprising:

receiving a log information item indicating use history of electrical equipment that is used together with an intended product;

receiving product information including information for identifying the intended product;

storing the log information item and the product information in association with each other, the log information item being received in the receiving of a log information item, the product information being received in the receiving of product information; and

controlling whether or not to allow access to the log information item based on the product information associated with the log information item when access to the log information item is attempted.

2. The access control method according to claim 1, further comprising

adding tag information indicating the product information to the log information item received in the receiving of a log information item,

wherein in the storing,

a tagged log information item is stored which results from the addition of the tag information to the log information item in the adding of tag information, and

in the controlling,

whether or not to allow access to the tagged log information item is controlled based on the tag information included in the tagged log information item.

3. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the controlling,

whether or not to allow access is controlled by referring to a rule which specifies whether or not to allow access by an accessing user who attempts to access the log information item stored in the storing, based on a relationship between the accessing user and a provider of the intended product identified by the tag information added to the log information item.

4. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the receiving of a log information item,

the log information item is received which includes first equipment information indicating a type of the electrical equipment which is used,

in the receiving of product information,

second equipment information is further received as the product information, the second equipment information indicating a type of the electrical equipment that is used together with the intended product, and

in the adding of tag information,

the tag information is added to the log information item when the log information item includes the first equipment information which is identical to the second equipment information.

5. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the receiving of a log information item,

the log information item is received which includes first provider information for identifying a provider of the intended product that is used when the electrical equipment is used,

in the receiving of product information,

second provider information for identifying the provider of the intended product is further received as the product information, and

in the adding of tag information,

the tag information is added to the log information item when the log information item includes the first provider information which identifies the provider who is identical to the provider identified by the second provider information.

6. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the receiving of product information,

a number of times the tag information is to be added in the adding of tag information is further received as the product information, and

in the adding of tag information,

after receiving, in the receiving of product information, the product information including the number of times the tag information is to be added, the tag information is added to a plurality of the log information items identical in number to the number the tag information is to be added.

7. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the receiving of a log information item,

the log information item including a name of the intended product is received,

in the receiving of product information,

a name of the intended product is further received as the product information, and

in the adding of tag information,

the tag information is added to the log information item received in the receiving of a log information item when the log information item includes the name of the intended product which is identical to the name of the intended product received in the receiving of product information.

8. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the receiving of a log information item,

the log information including an identification number of the intended product is received,

in the receiving of product information,

an identification number of the intended product is further received as the product information, and

in the adding of tag information,

the tag information is added to the log information item received in the receiving of a log information item when the log information item includes the identification number which is identical to the identification number received in the receiving of product information.

9. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the storing,

the log information item and a statistical log information item are stored as the log information items, the statistical log information item being generated by performing statistical processing on a plurality of the log information items,

wherein in the controlling,

whether or not to allow access to each of the log information item and the statistical log information item is controlled by referring to a rule which specifies whether or not to allow access by an accessing user who attempts to access the log information item and the statistical log information item.

10. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the receiving of product information,

the product information is received by reading a quick response (QR) code attached to the intended product, and

in the receiving of a log information item,

the log information item is received via a near field communication (NFC) with the electrical equipment.

11. The access control method according to claim 2, further comprising

generating setting information of the electrical equipment and outputting the setting information to the electrical equipment,

wherein in the receiving of a log information item,

the log information item is received which indicates use history of the electrical equipment to which the setting information is outputted in the generating.

12. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the controlling,

whether or not to allow access is controlled by referring to a rule including a first rule that allows access to the log information item by an accessing user who attempts to access the log information item, when the accessing user is identical to a provider of the intended product indicated by the tag information.

13. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the controlling,

whether or not to allow access is controlled by referring to a rule including a second rule that allows access to the log information item by an accessing user who attempts to access the log information item, when the accessing user is included in a user group prespecified by a provider of the intended product.

14. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the controlling,

whether or not to allow access is controlled by referring to a rule including a third rule that denies access to the log information item by an accessing user who attempts to access the log information item, when the accessing user is included in a user group prespecified by a provider of the intended product.

15. An access control system comprising a communication terminal and a server,

wherein the communication terminal includes:

a log inputting unit configured to receive a log information item indicating use history of electrical equipment that is used together with an intended product;

a product information inputting unit configured to receive product information including information for identifying the intended product; and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit, to the server, the log information item received by the log inputting unit and the product information received by the product information inputting unit, and

the server includes;

a receiving unit configured to receive the log information item and the product information from the communication terminal;

a log storage processing unit configured to store the log information item and the product information in association with each other, the log information item and the product information being received by the receiving unit; and

an access controlling unit configured to control whether or not to allow access to the log information item based on the product information associated with the log information item when access to the log information item is attempted.

16. A communication terminal included in the access control system according to claim 15.

17. A server included in the access control system according to claim 15.

18. An access control method performed by a communication terminal in an access control system including:

the communication terminal that transmits a log information item indicating use history of electrical equipment used together with an intended product; and

a server that controls whether or not to allow access to the log information item based on product information associated with the log information item transmitted by the communication terminal, the access control method comprising;

receiving the log information item indicating the use history of the electrical equipment that is used together with the intended product;

receiving the product information including information for identifying the intended product; and

transmitting the received log information item and the received product information to the server.