Information processing apparatus and method, information processing system and program providing medium

• US 6,704,784 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2002
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LINE Corporation (A Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Koichi, Ueno, Hiroshi, Naito, Taketo
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US10/084,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/217, 709/218, 709/224, 709/226, 709/232, 713/201, 455/428
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics

Abstract

A terminal has a storage means for storing identification information, a transmitting means for transmitting the identification information stored in the storage means to a server, and a receiving means for receiving the identification information transmitted from the server. If no identification information is stored in the storage means, the terminal transmits information thereof to the server. The terminal receives identification information corresponding to predetermined information transmitted from the server in response to the information indicating that no identification information is stored in the storage means and stores the identification information received by the receiving means into the storage means. When an access is made from the terminal without accompanying identification information, the server generates identification information corresponding to predetermined information and registers the generated identification information to be provided to the terminal.

Consequently, the user can received predetermined services from the server without inputting user identification information into the terminal.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus configured to be connected with a terminal that supplies identification information that identifies said terminal as a source of information or an indication that the identification information has not yet been assigned, comprising:

receiving means for receiving initial access information from said terminal;

a generating means for generating, when the access made from said terminal to said information processing apparatus is without said terminal identification information accompanying said access, said identification information;

a registering means for registering said identification information received from said generating means; and

a providing means for providing said identification information from said generating means to said terminal.

2. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprises:

a judging means for judging, when an access is made from any terminal that presents event information for predetermined processing by said information processing apparatus and said identification information, whether said identification information received from said terminal is registered in said registering means; and

a processing executing means for executing, if said identification information is found registered, processing corresponding to said event information.

3. An information processing method, comprising the steps of:

receiving initial access information from said terminal;

generating, when the access made from a terminal to a processing apparatus is without identification information that identifies said terminal as a source of information, said identification information corresponding to predetermined information;

registering said identification information generated by said generating step in said processing apparatus; and

providing said terminal with said identification information generated by said generating step.

4. A computer program providing medium carrying a program for use in an information processing apparatus, said program comprising the steps of:

receiving initial access information from said terminal;

generating, when the access made from a terminal to said processing apparatus without any identification information that identifies said terminal as a source of information, said identification information;

registering said terminal identification information generated by said generating step in said processing apparatus; and

providing said terminal with said identification information generated by said generating step.