AUTHORITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, SERVER SYSTEM, NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER- READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING STORED THEREIN AUTHORITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, AND AUTHORITY MANAGEMENT METHOD

• US 20140143311A1
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: WABE, Kazuhiro, SHIKATA, Masaki, NAGAO, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 10,050,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/43 using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing

Abstract

A storage device of an example shop server stores, with respect to each of users of an information processing apparatus, user authority information indicating authority given to the user, together with user identification information for identifying the user. The user authority information is associated with the information processing apparatus used by the user corresponding to the user authority information. When the shop server has received from an information processing apparatus through a communication apparatus the user identification information of a first user who uses the information processing apparatus, a processor of the shop server performs, on the basis of the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of a second user associated with the same information processing apparatus, information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of the second user.

Claims

1. An authority management system including a server system and a plurality of information processing apparatuses,

each of the information processing apparatuses comprising:

a user registration unit configured to register a plurality of users as users of the information processing apparatus; and

a first communication unit configured to communicate with the server system,

the server system comprising;

a second communication unit configured to communicate with the information processing apparatus;

a user authority information storage unit configured to, with respect to each of the plurality of users registered in the information processing apparatus, store user authority information indicating authority given to the user, together with user identification information for identifying the user; and

an information processing unit configured to, on the basis of the user authority information, perform information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information, wherein

the user authority information is associated with the information processing apparatus used by the user corresponding to the user authority information, and

when the server system has received from any one of the information processing apparatuses through the second communication unit the user identification information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a first user who uses the information processing apparatus, the information processing unit performs, on the basis of the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a second user associated with the same information processing apparatus, information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of the second user.

2. The authority management system according to claim 1, wherein

when the server system has received the user identification information of the first user from the information processing apparatus through the second communication unit, the information processing unit, if a predetermined condition is satisfied, performs information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information of the second user, on the assumption that the first user is given the same authority as authority of the second user.

3. The authority management system according to claim 1, wherein

the user authority information includes information indicating application software, and

the information processing unit makes a setting so as to give the first user the same authority as authority of the second user with respect to each of pieces of application software.

4. The authority management system according to claim 1, wherein

the user authority information includes information indicating application software that the user corresponding to the user authority information is permitted to execute in the information processing apparatus.

5. The authority management system according to claim 1, wherein

the server system further comprises

an apparatus authority information storage unit configured to, with respect to each of the information processing apparatuses, store apparatus authority information indicating authority given to the information processing apparatus, together with apparatus identification information for identifying the information processing apparatus.

6. The authority management system according to claim 5, wherein

the apparatus authority information includes information indicating application software pre-installed on the information processing apparatus corresponding to the apparatus authority information, and

the user authority information includes information indicating application software purchased by the user corresponding to the user authority information.

7. The authority management system according to claim 6, wherein

the server system further comprises:

a charging process unit configured to, when the server system has received from the information processing apparatus through the second communication unit a request to purchase application software, perform a charging process for charging a user currently operating the information processing apparatus an amount of money based on the application software; and

a user authority information update unit configured to, in accordance with the charging process performed by the charging process unit, update the user authority information corresponding to the user so as to permit the user to execute the application software in the information processing apparatus.

8. The authority management system according to claim 5, wherein

the user authority information is generated on the basis of a user input provided to the information processing apparatus, and

the apparatus authority information is automatically generated, not on the basis of a user input provided to the information processing apparatus.

9. The authority management system according to claim 4, wherein

the server system further comprises

a local user authority information transmission unit configured to, when the server system has communicated with the information processing apparatus through the second communication unit, transmit, with respect to each of pieces of the user authority information associated with the information processing apparatus, information indicating application software that the user corresponding to the piece of the user authority information is permitted to execute in the information processing apparatus, as local user authority information to the information processing apparatus, and

the information processing apparatus further comprises:

a local user authority information storage unit configured to store the local user authority information transmitted from the local user authority information transmission unit; and

a determination unit configured to determine, on the basis of the local user authority information, whether or not the application software can be executed in the information processing apparatus.

10. The authority management system according to claim 9, wherein

when the server system has communicated with the information processing apparatus through the second communication unit, the local user authority information transmission unit, unconditionally or if a predetermined condition is satisfied, transmits to the information processing apparatus the latest local user authority information based on the user authority information associated with the information processing apparatus and stored in the user authority information storage unit, and

the information processing apparatus further comprises

an update unit configured to, on the basis of the latest local user authority information transmitted from the local user authority information transmission unit, update the local user authority information stored in the local user authority information storage unit.

11. A server system comprising:

a communication unit configured to communicate with an information processing apparatus;

a user authority information storage unit configured to, with respect to each of a plurality of users registered in the information processing apparatus, store user authority information indicating authority given to the user, together with user identification information for identifying the user; and

an information processing unit configured to, on the basis of the user authority information, perform information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information, wherein

the user authority information is associated with the information processing apparatus used by the user corresponding to the user authority information, and

when the server system has received from an information processing apparatus through the communication unit the user identification information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a first user who uses the information processing apparatus, the information processing unit performs, on the basis of the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a second user associated with the same information processing apparatus, information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of the second user.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an authority management program to be executed by a computer of a server system including a communication unit configured to communicate with an information processing apparatus, the authority management program causing the computer to execute:

with respect to each of a plurality of users registered in the information processing apparatus, storing user authority information indicating authority given to the user, together with user identification information for identifying the user; and

on the basis of the user authority information, performing information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information, wherein

the user authority information is associated with the information processing apparatus used by the user corresponding to the user authority information, and

when the user identification information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a first user who uses the information processing apparatus has been received from an information processing apparatus through the communication unit, on the basis of the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a second user associated with the same information processing apparatus, information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of the second user is performed.

13. An authority management method to be executed by a server system including a communication unit configured to communicate with an information processing apparatus, the authority management method comprising:

with respect to each of a plurality of users registered in the information processing apparatus, storing user authority information indicating authority given to the user, together with user identification information for identifying the user; and

on the basis of the user authority information, performing information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information, wherein

the user authority information is associated with the information processing apparatus used by the user corresponding to the user authority information, and

when the user identification information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a first user who uses the information processing apparatus has been received from an information processing apparatus through the communication unit, on the basis of the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of, among the users of the information processing apparatus, a second user associated with the same information processing apparatus, information processing based on the authority indicated by the user authority information of the first user and the user authority information of the second user is performed.