Information processing method and apparatus and recording medium for controlling and simplifying a sign-up operation of an apparatus over a network

• US 7,337,228 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2001
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Justsystems Corporation, Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Justsystems Corporation, Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okazaki, Shinji, Maeda, Satoru, Yoshikawa, Munehiro, Uchida, Mami, Asai, Masahiro, Tani, Nobutaka, Yotsumoto, Natsuko, Miura, Takaaki, Takata, Katsuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Thanh T
• Application Number:
  US09/996,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,281 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/217, 709/223, 709/229, 709/218, 709/224, 370/282, 705/408, 705/5, 455/411
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An information processing method and apparatus for enabling more prompt sign-up. A network management server at step S62 received am equipment serial number from an information processing apparatus and, at step s63, references a database to retrieve a received equipment serial number. If the equipment serial number has not been found, the program moves to step S16 where a command for initiating manual setting is sent to an information processing apparatus. If the equipment serial number has been found, the program moves to step S81 to verify whether or not the admittance made or admittance not as yet made, recorded in the database in association with the equipment serial number received is admittance made. If the verified result indicates admittance not as yet made, the program moves to step S82 where the network management server sends an automatic setting initiating command to the information processing apparatus.

Claims

1. A network management server connected to a network, comprising:

recording means for recording information identifying an information processing apparatus and information of a user of said information processing apparatus,

wherein said information processing apparatus receives a television broadcast and establishes a connection to said network management server over said network;

receiving means for receiving identification information sent from said information processing apparatus, when said information processing apparatus is connected via said network, the identification information used to identify said information processing apparatus;

verifying means for verifying whether said identification information received by said receiving means has already been recorded by said recording means;

controlling means for controlling said information processing apparatus over said network based on verified results by said verifying means; and

transmitting means for transmitting to said information processing apparatus initial sign-up information for sign-up processing for said information processing apparatus, including a protocol file stating rules for utilizing Internet services and an access point information file identifying a geographical location through which the user of said information processing apparatus may gain access to said Internet services and for transmitting to said information processing apparatus a home page established by said network management server;

wherein said transmitting means transmits results of said verification performed by said verifying means to said information processing apparatus; and

wherein said verifying means, upon determining that said identification information has already been recorded by said recording means, further verifies whether sign-up processing for said information processing apparatus has previously been executed and, if so, said transmitting means transmits an error message to said information processing apparatus.

2. The network management server according to claim 1, wherein said identification information is a serial number of said information processing apparatus.

3. The network management server according to claim 1, wherein said controlling means causes said information processing apparatus to execute first setting processing upon verification that said identification information received by said receiving means has already been recorded in said recording means,

said controlling means causing said information processing apparatus to execute second setting processing upon verification that said identification information received by said receiving means has not been recorded in said recording means.

4. The network management server according to claim 3, wherein said first setting processing and the second setting processing represent setting processing for said information processing apparatus to utilize said network.

5. The network management server according to claim 4, wherein said controlling means sends an address on said network of a server used for connecting said information apparatus to said network, to said information processing apparatus, and sets the address so sent, as the information necessary for said information processing apparatus to utilize said network.

6. The network management server according to claim 4, wherein said recording means further records the inherent information for specifying a user of said information processing apparatus;

said controlling means requests transmission of said inherent information to said information processing apparatus upon verification that said identification information received by said receiving means has been recorded in said recording means.

7. The network management server according to claim 6, wherein said inherent information includes a password.

8. The network management server according to claim 4, wherein upon verification that said identification information received by said receiving means has not been recorded on said recording means, said controlling means requests said information processing apparatus to transmit the information on a user utilizing said information processing apparatus.

9. An information processing method for a network management server connected to a network, comprising:

a recording controlling step of controlling recording of information identifying an information processing apparatus and information of a user of said information processing apparatus,

wherein said information processing apparatus receives a television broadcast and establishes a connection to said network management server over said network;

a receiving step of receiving identification information sent from said information processing apparatus, when said information processing apparatus is connected via said network, the identification information used to identify said information processing apparatus;

a verifying step of verifying whether said identification information received in said receiving step has already been recorded in said recording controlling step;

a controlling step of controlling said information processing apparatus over said network based on results of said verifying step; and

a transmitting step of transmitting to said information processing apparatus initial sign-up information for sign-up processing for said information processing apparatus, including a protocol file stating rules for utilizing Internet services and an access point information file identifying a geographical location through which the user of said information processing apparatus may gain access to said Internet services and for transmitting to said information processing apparatus a home page established by said network management server;

wherein said transmitting step transmits results of said verification performed by said verifying step to said information processing apparatus; and

wherein said verifying step, upon determining that said identification information has already been recorded by said recording controlling step, further verifies whether sign-up processing for said information processing apparatus has previously been executed and, if so, said transmitting means transmits an error message to said information processing apparatus.

10. A recording medium having recorded thereon a computer-readable program for controlling a network management server connected to a network, said program including:

a recording controlling step of controlling recording of information identifying an information processing apparatus and information of a user of said information processing apparatus;

wherein said information processing apparatus receives a television broadcast and establishes a connection to said network management server over said network;

a receiving step of receiving the identification information sent from said information processing apparatus when said information processing apparatus is connected via said network, the identification information used to identify said information processing apparatus;

a verifying step of verifying whether said identification information received by the receiving step has already been recorded in said recording controlling step;

a controlling step of controlling said information processing apparatus over said network based on results by the verifying step; and

a transmitting step of transmitting to said information processing apparatus initial sign-up information for sign-up processing for said information processing apparatus, including a protocol file stating rules for utilizing Internet services and an access point information file identifying a geographical location through which the user of said information processing apparatus may gain access to said Internet services and for transmitting to said information processing apparatus a home page established by said network management server;

wherein said transmitting step transmits results of said verification performed by said verifying step to said information processing apparatus; and

wherein said verifying step, upon determining that said identification information has already been recorded by said recording controlling step, further verifies whether sign-up processing for said information processing apparatus has previously been executed and, if so, said transmitting means transmits an error message to said information processing apparatus.

11. An information processing apparatus connected to a network, comprising:

storage means for storing at least identification information used to identify said information processing apparatus;

establishing means for establishing a connection to a network management server over said network;

receiving means for receiving a television broadcast;

transmission means for transmitting said identification information stored in said storage means over said network to said network management server;

receiving means for receiving control information transmitted from said network management server over said network, based on said identification information transmitted from said transmission means, said control information including initial sign-up information for sign-up processing for said information processing apparatus, a protocol file stating rules for utilizing Internet services and an access point information file identifying a geographical location through which the user of said information processing apparatus may gain access to said Internet services and said receiving means receiving a home page established by said network management server; and

setting means for setting information necessary for utilizing said network based on said control information received by said receiving means,

wherein said information processing apparatus selects from said access point information file a preset access point geographically proximate to said information processing apparatus;

wherein said receiving means receives results of a verification of said identification information performed by said network management server and wherein said network management server, upon determining that said identification information has already been recorded in said network management server, further verifies whether sign-up processing for said information processing apparatus has previously been executed and, if so, said receiving means receives an error message from said network management server.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said setting means sets information necessary for exploiting said network in a first mode when said control information received by said receiving means is first control information;

said setting means setting information necessary for exploiting said network in a second mode when said control information received by said receiving means is second control information.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said setting means executes first setting processing when identification information transmitted by said transmission means has already been recorded in said network management server;

said setting means executing second setting processing when identification information transmitted by said transmission means has already been recorded in said network management server.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said first setting processing and said second setting processing represent information setting processing necessary for said information processing apparatus to utilize said network.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said setting means sets an address on said network of a server connecting said information processing apparatus to said network, said address received by said receiving means.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said network management server stores inherent information used for specifying a user of said information processing apparatus;

said setting means transmitting said inherent information to said network management server if said identification information transmitted by said transmission means has been recorded in said network management server.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said inherent information includes a password.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said setting means transmits information pertinent to a user employing said information processing apparatus to said network management server if said identification information transmitted by said transmission means has not been recorded in said network management server.

19. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus connected to a network, comprising:

a storage controlling step of controlling storage of identification information used to identify said information processing apparatus;

an establishing step of establishing a connection to a network management server over said network;

a receiving step of receiving a television broadcast;

a transmission step of transmitting said identification information stored during said storage controlling step over said network to said network management server;

a receiving step of receiving control information transmitted from said network management server over said network, based on said identification information transmitted by processing in said transmission step, said control information including initial sign-up information for sign-up processing for said information processing apparatus, a protocol file stating rules for utilizing Internet services and an access point information file identifying a geographical location through which the user of said information processing apparatus may gain access to said Internet services and said receiving means receiving a home page established by said network management server; and

a setting step of setting information necessary for utilizing said network based on said control information received by processing in said receiving step,

wherein said information processing apparatus selects from said access point information file a preset access point geographically proximate to said information processing apparatus;

wherein said receiving step receives results of a verification of said identification information performed by said network management server and wherein said network management server, upon determining that said identification information has already been recorded in said network management server, further verifies whether sign-up processing for said information processing apparatus has previously been executed and, if so, an error message is received from said network management server.

20. A computer-readable medium adapted to store a computer program for controlling an information processing apparatus connected to a network, said computer program including:

a storage controlling step of controlling storage of identification information used to identify said information processing apparatus;

an establishing step of establishing a connection to a network management server over said network;

a receiving step of receiving a television broadcast;

a transmission step of transmitting said identification information stored during said storage controlling step over said network to said network management server;

a receiving step of receiving control information transmitted from said network management server over said network, based on said identification information transmitted by processing in said transmission step, said control information including initial sign-up information for sign-up processing for said information processing apparatus, a protocol file stating rules for utilizing Internet services and an access point information file identifying a geographical location through which the user of said information processing apparatus may gain access to said Internet services and said receiving means receiving a home page established by said network management server; and

a setting step of setting information necessary for utilizing said network based on said control information received by processing in said receiving step,

wherein said information processing apparatus selects from said access point information file a preset access point geographically proximate to said information processing apparatus;

wherein said receiving step receives results of a verification of said identification information performed by said network management server and wherein said network management server, upon determining that said identification information has already been recorded in said network management server, further verifies whether sign-up processing for said information processing apparatus has previously been executed and, if so, an error message is received from said network management server.