Service communication control method, service relaying apparatus, management server, portal server, and service communication control system

• US 7,860,963 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Takeyoshi, Haruyuki, Matsuoka, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nano; Sargon N
• Application Number:
  US11/698,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20080069122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-207, 709217-226, 709/230, 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

A service communication control system includes a user terminal connected to a user network. The service communication control system also includes communication gateway, a management server, and an application server connected to a communication carrier network. The communication using a communication protocol dedicated for the application service is performed between the user terminal and the application server through the communication gateway as a substitute. Thus, the user terminal need not be aware of the protocol.

Claims

1. A service communication control method for providing an application service from a service providing device to a service-user terminal via a service relaying apparatus, wherein a management server is located between the service providing device and the service relaying apparatus, and a portal server is located between the service providing device and the service relaying apparatus, the service communication control method comprising:

the management server managing communication control programs provided by service providing devices;

the management server managing users who subscribe to services provided by the service providing devices together with program identification information of the communication control programs necessary for the services;

the management server reading the communication control program based on the program identification information, and notifying the service relaying apparatus of the communication control program;

the portal server managing terminal-attribute information of service-user terminals collected by the service relaying apparatus with respect to each of the users;

the portal server managing service information including the program identification information and use condition required to use the service notified by the service providing device;

the portal server creating a list of services available for the respective users on the service-user terminals based on the terminal-attribute information and the service information, and displaying the list to allow each user to select a service from the list on the service-user terminal;

the service relaying apparatus requesting the service providing device to provide a service in response to a request from the service-user terminal; and

the service relaying apparatus relaying communication between the service providing device and the service-user terminal with a protocol corresponding to the service to provide the service to the service-user terminal, wherein

the service relaying apparatus requesting includes requesting the service providing device to provide the service when the service-user terminal is an authorized service-user terminal,

and the service relaying apparatus includes

identifying whether the service-user terminal is an authorized service-user terminal,

relaying the communication by one of a plurality of communication control programs that use different protocols for respective service providing devices,

specifying the service providing device that has been requested to provide the service to the service-user terminal identified as an authorized service-user terminal; and

selecting a communication control program from the communication control programs that is necessary for the communication with the service providing device.

2. The service communication control method according to claim 1, wherein the selecting includes selecting the communication control program corresponding to the service-user terminal that has been identified based on terminal identification information.

3. The service communication control method according to claim 1, wherein

the service relaying apparatus relaying further includes authenticating a user of the service-user terminal to determine whether the user is an authorized user, and

the selecting includes selecting the communication control program corresponding to the service-user terminal used by the user who has been authenticated.

4. The service communication control method according to claim 1, further comprising the service relaying apparatus managing, in an integrated manner, the communication control programs provided by the service providing devices based on attribute information of the communication control programs.

5. The service communication control method according to claim 1, wherein the portal server creating includes issuing an add instruction and a delete instruction to the management server to add and delete a communication control program necessary to provide a service selected from the list.

6. The service communication control method according to claim 1, wherein the selecting includes dynamically selecting the communication control program in response to selection of the service from the list by each user on the service-user terminal.

7. The service communication control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the management server managing the communication control programs provided by the service providing device;

the management server reading a communication control program from among managed communication control programs and notifying the service relaying apparatus of the communication control program based on the add instruction; and

the management server deleting a communication control program provided to and managed by the service relaying apparatus based on the delete instruction.

8. The service communication control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the service relaying apparatus regularly notifying the management server of program attribute information of the communication control program managed by the service relaying apparatus; and

the management server updating the communication control program managed by the service relaying apparatus with the communication control program managed by the management server, upon receiving the program attribute information, when there is a difference between control information of the communication control program managed by the management server and control information of the communication control program received from the service relaying apparatus.

9. A service relaying apparatus, wherein a management service is located between the service providing device and the service relaying apparatus, and a portal server is located between the service providing device and the service relaying apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing computer-readable instructions, execution of the instructions by the processor facilitating relaying a service provided from a service providing device to a service-user terminal, execution of the instructions by the processor configuring the service relaying apparatus to include;

a service relaying unit that requests the service providing device to provide a service in response to a request from the service-user terminal, and relays communication between the service providing device and the service-user terminal with a protocol corresponding to the service to provide the service to the service-user terminal,

a management server managing unit that manages communication control programs provided by service providing devices, and manages users who subscribe to services provided by the service providing devices together with program identification information of the communication control programs necessary for the services,

a management server reading unit that reads the communication control program based on the program identification information, and notifying the service relaying apparatus of the communication control program,

a portal server managing unit that manages terminal-attribute information of service-user terminals collected by the service relaying apparatus with respect to each of the users, and manages service information including the program identification information and use condition required to use the service notified by the service providing device,

a portal server creating unit that creates a list of services available for the respective users on the service-user terminals based on the terminal-attribute information and the service information, and displaying the list to allow each user to select a service from the list on the service-user terminal, wherein

the service relaying unit includes a service-user terminal identifying unit that identifies whether the service-user terminal is an authorized service-user terminal, and, when the service user terminal is an authorized service-user terminal, requests the service providing device to provide the service,

the service relaying unit further including a program selecting unit that relays the communication by one of a plurality of communication control programs that use different protocols for respective service providing devices, specifies the service providing device that has been requested to provide the service to the service-user terminal identified as an authorized service-user terminal, and selects a communication control program from the communication control programs that is necessary for the communication with the service providing device.

10. The service relaying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the program selecting unit selects the communication control program corresponding to the service-user terminal that has been identified based on terminal identification information.

11. The service relaying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the service relaying unit further includes a user authenticating unit that authenticates a user of the service-user terminal to determine whether the user is an authorized user, and, selects the communication control program corresponding to the service-user terminal used by the user who has been authenticated.

12. The service relaying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the program selecting unit dynamically selects the communication control program in response to selection of a service from a list of available services displayed on the service-user terminal.

13. The service relaying apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a program managing unit that manages, in an integrated manner, the communication control programs provided by the service providing devices based on attribute information of the communication control programs.

14. A service communication control system comprising:

a service relaying apparatus; and

a service providing device that provides an application service to a service-user terminal via the service relaying apparatus, wherein

the service relaying apparatus includes a service relaying unit that requests the service providing device to provide a service in response to an authorized request from the service-user terminal, and relays communication between the service providing device and the service-user terminal with a protocol corresponding to the service to provide the service to the service-user terminal,

the service relaying unit includes a service-user terminal identifying unit that identifies whether the service-user terminal is an authorized service-user terminal, and when the service-user terminal is an authorized service-user terminal, requests the service providing device to provide the device,

program selecting unit that relays the communication by one of a plurality of communication control programs that use different protocols for respective service providing devices, specifies the service providing device that has been requested to provide the service to the service-user terminal identified as an authorized service-user terminal, and selects a communication control program from the communication control programs that is necessary for the communication with the service providing device,

a management server that is located between the service providing device and the service relaying apparatus, and includes

a program managing unit that manages a communication control program provided by the service providing device,

a user managing unit that manages a user who subscribes to service provided by the service providing devices together with program identification information of the communication control program necessary for the service;

a program notifying unit that reads the communication control program based on the program identification information, and notifies the service relaying apparatus of the communication control program

the service communication control system further comprising a portal server that is located between the service providing device and the service relaying apparatus, and includes

an attribute-information managing unit that receives terminal-attribute information of service-user terminals collected by the service relaying apparatus and manages the terminal-attribute information for respective users;

a service managing unit that manages service information including identification information of the communication control program and use condition required to use the service notified by the service providing device; and

a service list control unit that creates a list of services available for the respective users on the service-user terminals based on the terminal-attribute information and the service information, and displays the list to allow each user to select a service from the list on the service-user terminal.