Association control apparatus, association control method and service association system
First Claim
1. An association control apparatus which controls an association of operations of a first appliance and a second appliance that are connected to each other via a network, the operations being categorized in advance, the apparatus comprising:
- an association template management unit operable to store in advance a plurality of association templates each of which is a file in which an outline of the association of the operations is described and which includes a plurality of service descriptions in each of which an operation of a plurality of appliances that perform an association operation is described in an abstract form, and each of the plurality of service descriptions includes (1) a first service description that includes information specifying the first appliance that performs the association operation and information specifying the association operation performed by the first appliance, and (2) a second service description that includes information specifying the second appliance that performs the association operation and information specifying the association operation performed by the second appliance;
an input unit/output unit that receives instructions from and outputs information to a user; and
a control unit operatively connected with said input unit that controls operations of the association control apparatus, said control unit includes a memory storing one or more computer-readable programs that when executed by said control unit cause the association control apparatus to function as;
a template specification unit operable to specify, based on the instruction received from the user, one of the plurality of association templates stored in advance by said association template management unit;
an operation information search unit operable to search, based on description details in the specified association template, information relating to an operation of the first appliance and information relating to an operation of the second appliance;
an operation description unit operable to substantiate the plurality of service descriptions by describing specific operation details in the specified association template using the searched information; and
an association execution unit operable to control the operation of the second appliance based on the association template in which the specific operation details are described,wherein the operation information search unit is operable to search the appliances connected via the network for the first appliance and the second appliance, each of which performs an operation indicated by corresponding one of the plurality of service descriptions included in the association template, andthe operation description unit is operable to substantiate the plurality of service descriptions by replacing the plurality of abstract service descriptions included in the association template with specific descriptions corresponding to one of the first appliances and the second appliance which have been searched by the operation information search unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An service association system including, an “association template” in which service association details are described is prepared in advance; an actual service adaptable to a template instructed by a user is extracted; a specific association operation description is generated by adapting the actual service instructed by the user to the template; and the service is operated in association. As the result, it becomes possible to construct a service association system in which different services can be automatically adapted to the template in addition to the service which simply adapted to the template.
18 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An association control apparatus which controls an association of operations of a first appliance and a second appliance that are connected to each other via a network, the operations being categorized in advance, the apparatus comprising:
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an association template management unit operable to store in advance a plurality of association templates each of which is a file in which an outline of the association of the operations is described and which includes a plurality of service descriptions in each of which an operation of a plurality of appliances that perform an association operation is described in an abstract form, and each of the plurality of service descriptions includes (1) a first service description that includes information specifying the first appliance that performs the association operation and information specifying the association operation performed by the first appliance, and (2) a second service description that includes information specifying the second appliance that performs the association operation and information specifying the association operation performed by the second appliance; an input unit/output unit that receives instructions from and outputs information to a user; and a control unit operatively connected with said input unit that controls operations of the association control apparatus, said control unit includes a memory storing one or more computer-readable programs that when executed by said control unit cause the association control apparatus to function as; a template specification unit operable to specify, based on the instruction received from the user, one of the plurality of association templates stored in advance by said association template management unit; an operation information search unit operable to search, based on description details in the specified association template, information relating to an operation of the first appliance and information relating to an operation of the second appliance; an operation description unit operable to substantiate the plurality of service descriptions by describing specific operation details in the specified association template using the searched information; and an association execution unit operable to control the operation of the second appliance based on the association template in which the specific operation details are described, wherein the operation information search unit is operable to search the appliances connected via the network for the first appliance and the second appliance, each of which performs an operation indicated by corresponding one of the plurality of service descriptions included in the association template, and the operation description unit is operable to substantiate the plurality of service descriptions by replacing the plurality of abstract service descriptions included in the association template with specific descriptions corresponding to one of the first appliances and the second appliance which have been searched by the operation information search unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A service association system, comprising:
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a first appliance; an association control apparatus; and a second appliance, said first apparatus, said association control apparatus and said second apparatus being connected to each other via at least one network, wherein said first appliance includes an information supply unit operable to supply information necessary for said association control apparatus according to a request from said association control apparatus, and said association control apparatus controls an association of operations of said first appliance and said second appliance, the operations being categorized in advance, and said association control apparatus includes an association template management unit operable to store in advance a plurality of association templates each of which is a file in which an outline of the association of the operations is described and which includes a plurality of service descriptions in each of which an operation of a plurality of appliances that perform an association operation is described in an abstract form, and each of the plurality of service descriptions includes (1) a first service description that includes information specifying the first appliance that performs the association operation and information specifying the association operation performed by the first appliance, and (2) a second service description that includes information specifying the second appliance that performs the association operation and information specifying the association operation performed by the second appliance; an input unit/output unit that receives instructions from and outputs information to a user; and a control unit operatively connected with said input unit that controls operations of the association control apparatus, said control unit includes a memory storing one or more computer-readable programs that when executed by said control unit cause the association control apparatus to function as; a template specification unit operable to specify, based on an instruction from a user, one of the plurality of association templates stored in advance by said association template management unit; an operation information search unit operable to search for information relating to an operation of the first appliance and information relating to an operation of the second appliance based on description details of the specified association template; an operation description unit operable to substantiate the plurality of service descriptions by describing specific operation details in the association template using the searched information; and an association execution unit operable to control the operation of the second appliance based on the association template in which the specific operation details are described, wherein the operation information search unit is operable to search the appliances connected via the network for the first appliance and the second appliance, each of which performs an operation indicated by corresponding one of the plurality of service descriptions included in the association template, and the operation description unit is operable to substantiate the plurality of service descriptions by replacing the plurality of abstract service descriptions included in the association template with specific service descriptions corresponding to one of the first appliances and the second appliance which have been searched by the operation information search unit.
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13. An association control method for controlling an association of operations of a first appliance and a second appliance that are connected to each other via a network, the operations being categorized in advance, the method comprising:
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specifying, based on an instruction from a user, one of a plurality of association templates stored in advance each of which is a file in which an outline of the association of the operations is described and which includes a plurality of service descriptions in each of which an operation of a plurality of appliances that perform an association operation is described in an abstract form, and each of the plurality of service descriptions includes (1) a first service description that includes information specifying the first appliance that performs the association operation and information specifying the association operation performed by the first appliance, and (2) a second service description that includes information specifying the second appliance that performs the association operation and information specifying the association operation performed by the second appliance; searching for information relating to an operation of first appliance and information relating to an operation of the second appliance based on description details described in the specified association template; substantiating the plurality of service descriptions by describing specific operation details in the specified association template using the searched information; and controlling the operation of the second appliance based on the association template in which the specific operation details are described, wherein the appliances connected via the network for the first appliance and the second appliance are searched, each of which performs an operation indicated by corresponding one of the plurality of service descriptions included in the association template, and the plurality of service descriptions are substantiated by replacing the plurality of abstract service descriptions included in the association template with specific service descriptions corresponding to one of the first appliances and the second appliance which have been searched.
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14. A program stored on a computer-readable storage medium and used for an association control apparatus which when executed by a computer controls an association of operations of a first appliance and a second appliance that are connected to each other via a network, the program causing the computer to execute the following steps:
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specifying, based on an instruction from a user, one of a plurality of association templates stored in advance each of which is a file in which an outline of the association of the operations is described and which includes a plurality of service descriptions in each of which an operation of a plurality of appliances that perform an association operation is described in an abstract form, and each of the plurality of service descriptions includes (1) a first service description that includes information specifying the first appliance that performs the association operation and information specifying the association operation performed by the first appliance, and (2) a second service description that includes information specifying the second appliance that performs the association operation and information specifying the association operation performed by the second appliance; searching for information relating to an operation of the first appliance and information relating to an operation of the second appliance based on description details of the specified association template; substantiating the plurality of service descriptions by describing specific operation details in the specified association template using the searched information; and controlling the operation of the second appliance based on the association template in which the specific operation details are described, wherein the appliances connected via the network for the first appliance and the second appliance are searched, each of which performs an operation indicated by corresponding one of the plurality of service descriptions included in the association template, and the plurality of service descriptions are substantiated by replacing the plurality of abstract service descriptions included in the association template with specific service descriptions corresponding to one of the first appliances and the second appliance which have been searched.
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15. An association control apparatus which controls an association of operations of a first appliance and a second appliance that are connected to each other via a network, the apparatus comprising:
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an association template management unit operable to store in advance a plurality of association templates each of which is a file in which an outline of the association of the operations is described and which includes a plurality of service descriptions in each of which an operation of a plurality of appliances that perform an association operation is described in an abstract form, and each of the plurality of service descriptions includes (1) a first service description that includes information specifying the first appliance that performs the association operation and information specifying the association operation performed by the first appliance, and (2) a second service description that includes information specifying the second appliance that performs the association operation and information specifying the association operation performed by the second appliance; an input unit/output unit that receives instructions from and outputs information to a user; a control unit operatively connected with said input unit that controls operations of the association control apparatus, said control unit includes a memory storing one or more computer-readable programs that when executed by said control unit cause the association control apparatus to function as; an association template generation unit operable to generate an association template which specifies the details of services to be operated in association with the first and second appliances; an association template storing unit operable to store the association template generated by said association template generation unit, the association template including a plurality of service descriptions which specify operations of the first and second appliances that perform an association operation a template specification unit operable to specify, based on the instruction received from the user, one of the plurality of association templates stored in advance by said association template management unit; an operation information search unit operable to search, based on description details in the specified association template, information relating to an operation of the first appliance and information relating to an operation of the second appliance; an operation description unit operable to substantiate the plurality of service descriptions by describing specific operation details in the specified association template using the searched information; and an association execution unit operable to control the operation of the second appliance based on the association template in which the specific operation details are described, wherein the operation information search unit is operable to search the appliances connected via the network for the first appliance and the second appliance, each of which performs an operation indicated by corresponding one of service descriptions included in the association template, and the operation description unit is operable to substantiate the plurality of service descriptions by replacing the plurality of abstract service desciptions included in the association template with specific service descriptions corresponding to one of the first appliances and the second appliance which have been searched by the operation information search unit.
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16. An association control method for controlling an association of operations of a first appliance and a second appliance that are connected to each other via a network, the method comprising:
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generating a plurality of association templates which specifies the details of services to be operated in association with the first and second appliances; storing the plurality of association templates generated, each association template being a file in which an outline of the association of the operations is described and which includes a plurality of service descriptions in each of which an operation of a plurality of appliances that perform an association operation is described in an abstract form, and each of the plurality of service descriptions includes (1) a first service description that includes information specifying the first appliance that performs the association operation and information specifying the association operation performed by the first appliance, and (2) a second service description that includes information specifying the second appliance that performs the association operation and information specifying the association operation performed by the second appliance; specifying, based on an instruction received from a user, one of a plurality of association templates stored in advance; searching, based on description details in the specified association template, information relating to an operation of the first appliance and information relating to an operation of the second appliance; substantiating the plurality of service descriptions by describing specific operation details in the specified association template using the searched information; and controlling the operation of the second appliance based on the association template in which the specific operation details are described, wherein the first appliance and the second appliance are searched and each performs an operation indicated by corresponding service descriptions included in the association template, and the plurality of service descriptions are substantiated by replacing the plurality of abstract service descriptions included in the association template with specific service descriptions corresponding to one of the first appliances and the second appliance which have been searched.
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Specification