Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and transmitting medium

• US 7,284,063 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2003
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Itabashi, Tatsuo, Yoshida, Kimiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US10/688,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709/217, 709/202, 707/9, 707/10, 707/1, 726/3, 726/4, 705/27, 705/17, 705/14
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access

Abstract

Personal information of a user is provided to an information provider from any location, through a simple apparatus, and with reliability. Personal information is stored beforehand in a user profile database of a server. When the user accesses a service provider device from a terminal device through the server and the Internet, the service provider device requests the terminal device to enter the personal information of that user. The server reads the requested personal information from the user profile database and transfers the personal information from a proxy device to the service provider device. This novel arrangement makes it unnecessary for the terminal device to input the personal information on its own.

Claims

1. An information processing method in an information processing apparatus for processing information between a plurality of service providers and a user, wherein each of the plurality of service providers has a corresponding service provider device, the method comprising the steps of:

storing personal information of the user;

receiving a request to perform a transaction with one of the plurality of service provider devices from a terminal device operated by the user;

identifying a manner in which the personal information will be used by one of the plurality of service provider devices;

identifying one or more items requested by one of the plurality of service provider devices from the stored personal information; and

sending the manner or the one or more items requested by one of the plurality of service provider devices to the terminal device to be displayed at the terminal device,

wherein the terminal device displays at least one button usable for determining whether to provide the one or more items to one of the plurality of service provider devices.

2. The information processing method of claim 1, wherein the at least one button includes a positive (yes) button of provision of personal information and a negative (no) button of prohibition of personal information.

3. An information processing apparatus for processing information between a plurality of service providers and a user, wherein each of the plurality of service providers has a corresponding service provider device, the information processing apparatus comprising:

means for storing personal information of the user;

means for receiving a request to perform a transaction with one of the plurality of service provider devices from a terminal device operated by the user;

means for identifying a manner in which the personal information will be used by one of the plurality of service provider devices;

means for identifying one or more items requested by one of the plurality of service provider devices from the stored personal information;

means for sending the manner or the one or more items requested by one of the plurality of service provider devices to the terminal device to be displayed at the terminal device; and

at least one button usable for determining whether to provide the one or more items to one of the plurality of service provider devices.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one button comprises a positive button of provision of personal information and a negative button of prohibition of personal information.