Service providing system that provides services and terminal device that requests services via a wireless network

• US 7,571,240 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2002
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Hibino, Masaaki, Kiyose, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US10/329,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20030126039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,412 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709217-238, 707/100, 370/351, 455/517
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration

Abstract

A service providing system including an administrator terminal device, a user terminal device, and a service providing device. The service providing device authorizes a process to register a user terminal device after determining that the service providing device is connectable to both the user terminal device and the administrator terminal device via a wireless network. When the service providing device is under the care and supervision of the administrator, the service providing device is entrusted to register the user terminal device, thereby providing services to the user terminal device without burdening the administrator. The system further includes an image outputting device as one of service providing devices. The system adjusts a timing of producing an image, depending on who stays in a communication range.

Claims

1. A service providing system comprising:

a service providing device having a wireless communication range, the service providing device providing a service to perform a process in the communication range;

an administrator terminal that administrates and connects to the service providing device via a wireless local area network in the wireless communication range;

a user terminal that connects to the service providing device in the wireless communication range, the user terminal sending a request tar the service to the service providing device without passing through the administrator terminal;

a determining device that determines whether the administrator terminal is connected to the service providing device in the wireless communication range; and

an authorizing device that authorizes the service providing device to provide the service to the user terminal in accordance with the request only when the determining device determines that the administrator terminal is connected to the service providing device in the wireless communication range.

2. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the authorizing device authorizes the service providing device to register the user terminal that has been granted access to the service provided by the service providing device.

3. The service providing system according to claim 2, wherein the user terminal is allowed access to the service through the process for registering the user terminal when the administrator terminal is connected to the service providing device in the wireless communication range.

4. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication range in which the service providing device and the administrator terminal are connected together is variable.

5. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the authorizing device authorizes the service providing device to perform the process when confirming that an authorization instruction has been received from the administrator terminal connected via the wireless network.

6. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the service produces an image based on data received from the user terminal.

7. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a short range wireless communications by a wireless local-area network.

8. A service providing system comprising:

a service providing device that provides a service to perform a process in response to a request;

an administrator terminal;

a user terminal having a wireless communication range to connect to the service providing device and the administrator terminal that administrates and connects to the service providing device via a wireless local area network in the wireless communication range, the user terminal sending the request for the service to the service providing device without passing through the administrator terminal;

a determining device that determines whether the administrator terminal is connected to the user terminal in the wireless communication range; and

an authorizing device that authorizes the user terminal to send the request to the service providing device only when the determining device determines that the administrator terminal is connected to the user terminal network in the wireless communication range.

9. The service providing system according to claim 8, wherein a process authorized by the authorizing device is a process for registering the service providing device that grants the request.

10. The service providing system according to claim 9, wherein a period in which the user terminal is granted the request after the registering the service providing device according to the process is only when the administrator terminal is connected to the user terminal in the wireless communication range.

11. The service providing system according to claim 8, wherein the wireless network communication range in which the user terminal and administrator terminal are connected together is variable.

12. The service providing system according to claim 8, wherein the authorizing device authorizes the service providing device to perform the process when confirming that an authorization instruction has been received from the administrator terminal connected to the user terminal in the wireless communication range.

13. The service providing system according to claim 8, wherein the service produces an image based on data received from the user terminal.

14. The service providing system according to claim 8, wherein the wireless network is a short range wireless communications by a wireless local-area network.

15. A service providing device, comprising:

a main unit that has a wireless communication range and provides a service to perform a process, the main unit receiving a request for the service from a user terminal in the wireless communication range without passing through an administrator terminal that administrates and connects to the service providing device via a wireless local area network in the wireless communication range;

a determining unit that determines whether the administrator terminal is available to connect to the main unit in the wireless communication range; and

an authorizing unit that authorizes the main unit to provide the service to the user terminal in accordance with the request only when the determining unit determines that the administrator terminal is available in the wireless communication range.

16. The service providing device according to claim 15, wherein the process authorized by the authorizing unit is a process for registering the user terminal that has been granted access to the service.

17. The service providing device according to claim 16, wherein a time period in which the service is granted to the user terminal is a period in which the administrator terminal is connected to the service providing device in the wireless communication range.

18. The service providing device according to claim 15, wherein the authorizing unit authorizes the process when confirming that an authorization instruction has been received from the administrator terminal in the wireless communication range.

19. The service providing device according to claim 15, wherein the service produces an image based on data received from the user terminal.

20. The service providing system according to claim 15, wherein the wireless communication range is a short range wireless communications by a wireless local-area network.

21. The service providing device according to claim 20, wherein the wireless communication range is variable.

22. A user terminal, comprising:

a main unit that has a wireless communication range and sends a request for a service provided from a service providing device to the service providing device in the wireless communication range without passing through an administrator terminal that administrates and connects to the service providing device via a wireless local area network in the wireless communication range, the service being provided for performing a process;

a determining unit that determines whether the main unit is connected to the administrator terminal in the wireless communication range; and

an authorizing unit that authorizes the main unit to send the request to the service providing device only when the determining unit determines that the main unit is connected to the administrator terminal in the wireless communication range.

23. The user terminal according to claim 22, wherein the process authorized by the authorizing unit in the user terminal is a process for registering the service providing device that grants the request.

24. The user terminal according to claim 23, wherein a time period in which the request is granted to the user terminal after registering the service providing device based on the process is a period in which the user terminal is connected to the administrator terminal in the wireless communication range.

25. The user terminal according to claim 22, wherein the wireless communication range is variable.

26. The user terminal according to claim 22, wherein the authorizing unit authorizes the service providing device to provide the service when confirming that an authorization instruction has been received from the administrator terminal in the wireless communication range.

27. The user terminal according to claim 22, wherein the service produces an image based on data received from the user terminal.

28. The service providing system according to claim 22, wherein the wireless communication range is a short range wireless communications by a wireless local-area network.