Program and information processing method and apparatus

• US 8,281,016 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nomura, Takashi, Tominaga, Hiroyuki, Sakata, Haruhiko, Takahashi, Masayuki, Yamashita, Kei
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): HENRY, MARIEGEORGES A
• Application Number:
  US12/057,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/225, 709/226, 709/227, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to a program and an information processing method and apparatus with which a connection can be formed reliably between apparatuses having different capabilities. A first application, using a presence function, announces a profile space ID representing processing for a service that can be provided. A second application receives the announcement. The second application requests the first application for detailed information of the service and registration to the service. The second application connects to the first application by peer to peer, based on a URI needed for peer-to-peer access, transmitted from the first application. The present invention can be applied to personal computers, network-enabled CE devices, and commercial application servers on the Internet.

Claims

1. An information processing method for a direct connection comprising:

determining, at a server and independent of participation by a first information processing apparatus, whether a second information processing apparatus is a client authorized for the direct connection with the first information processing apparatus;

sending, after the determining, an instruction requesting the direct connection, from the first information processing apparatus to the server, the direct connection being independent of the server and formed between the second information processing apparatus and the first information processing apparatus, the first information processing apparatus and the second information processing apparatus being distinct apparatuses,

wherein the server determines that the second information processing apparatus is a client authorized for the direct connection before receiving the instruction requesting the direct connection from the first information processing apparatus;

sending connection information for the direct connection, from the server to a second information processing apparatus, in response to receiving the instruction requesting the direct connection from the first information processing apparatus and based on the determination by the server that the second information processing apparatus is a client authorized for the direct connection; and

initializing, based on the connection information, the direct connection between the second information processing apparatus and the first information processing apparatus;

wherein the sending further comprises sending the connection information enabling the direct connection between the first information processing apparatus and the second processing apparatus, from the server to a second information processing apparatus, only when the server has previously determined in the determining step that the second information processing apparatus is a client authorized for the direct connection with the first information processing apparatus.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining, at a server, whether the second information processing apparatus is a client authorized for the direct connection with each of a plurality of information processing apparatuses, the plurality of information processing apparatuses including the first information processing apparatus.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the direct connection is a connection between the first information processing apparatus and the second information processing apparatus in which data is transmitted independent of the server.

4. A first information processing apparatus for connecting directly to a second information processing apparatus comprising:

a receiving portion configured to receive connection information for a direct connection from a server based on an instruction requesting the direct connection sent from the second information processing apparatus to the server, wherein the instruction requesting the direct connection sent from the second information processing apparatus to the server is acted on by the server based on a determination by the server, independent of participation by the second information processing apparatus, as to whether the first information processing apparatus is a client authorized for the direct connection, the determination being performed before the instruction requesting the direct connection is sent from the second information processing apparatus to the server; and

a connecting portion configured to connect the first information processing apparatus directly to the second information processing apparatus independent of the server and using the connection information received by the receiving portion,

wherein the first information processing apparatus and the second information processing apparatus are distinct apparatuses,

wherein the receiving portion is further configured to receive the connection information, enabling the direct connection between the second information processing apparatus and the first information processing apparatus, from the server, only when the server has previously determined that the first information processing apparatus is a client authorized for the direct connection with the second information processing apparatus.

5. A first information processing apparatus for connecting directly to a second information processing apparatus comprising:

a sending portion configured to send to a server an instruction requesting a direct connection; and

a connecting portion configured to connect directly to the second information processing apparatus independent of the server and based on connection information for the direct connection sent from the server to the second information processing apparatus,

wherein the connection information for the direct connection is sent from the server to the second information processing apparatus in response to receiving the instruction requesting the direct connection and based on a determination by the server, independent of participation by the first information processing apparatus, as to whether the second information processing apparatus is a client authorized for the direct connection, the determination being performed before the instruction requesting the direct connection is sent from the sending portion to the server, and

wherein the first information processing apparatus and the second information processing apparatus are distinct apparatuses,

wherein the connection information, enabling the direct connection between the second information processing apparatus and the first information processing apparatus, is sent from the server, only when the server has previously determined that the second information processing apparatus is a client authorized for the direct connection with the first information processing apparatus.