Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and transmitting medium

• US 7,765,311 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2005
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• 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:
  US11/248,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20060095508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709/228, 709/217, 707/9, 707/10, 707/1, 707/783, 705/27, 705/17, 705/14, 726/3, 726/4, 726/26, 726/27
• 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 personal information of that user. The server reads the requested personal information from the user profile database and transfers the personal information to the service provider device. This novel arrangement makes it unnecessary for the user to input the personal information.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus including a processor and a memory, which is connected to both a terminal device and service provider processing device through a network, the information processing apparatus configured to perform the steps of:

counting the number of times personal information has been automatically transferred from the information processing device to the service provider processing device;

sending a user interface to the terminal device which is operable to display a request for authorization for the transfer of personal information stored on the information processing apparatus to the service provider processing device after a predetermined threshold of automatic transfers of personal information has occurred;

receiving a response from the terminal device to the request for authorization; and

sending the personal information to the service provider processing device from the information processing apparatus when authorization to do so is confirmed.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further configured to perform the step of storing the personal information in a profile database.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further configured to perform the steps of:

determining if the personal information requested from the service provider resides in a profile database;

registering the personal information in the profile database if the personal information requested by the service provider processing device is not registered in the profile database.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the personal information includes at least one of a user payment information, a user home address, a user email address, a user telephone number, a date of birth, a user password, and a user ID.