System and method to provide device control service, and computer product

• US 8,443,055 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Imai, Yuji, Tsuchiya, Satoshi, Ezaki, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU HA T
• Application Number:
  US11/159,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20060187857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,882 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 709/217, 709/219, 709/228, 709/229, 726/1, 726/5, 700/90, 375/219, 340/1.1
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums

Abstract

A device control service providing system includes a service request receiving unit that receives, via a network, a device control service request for controlling a group of electronic devices, and a process execution requesting unit that requests respective device control servers to execute device control processes for controlling an operation of the electronic devices in the group based on the request received, where one of the device control servers executes the device control processes corresponding to one group of the electronic devices.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that stores therein a computer program causing a computer to execute a process comprising:

receiving, via a network, a device control service request for controlling a group of electronic devices;

obtaining a list of operable electronic devices, the list associating an owner of each electronic device with identification information of electronic devices of which a sender of the service request received has operating authority;

determining whether an owner associated with identification information of the group of electronic devices is identical to the sender of the service request by referring to the obtained list;

requesting, when the sender of the service request is identical to the owner of the group of electronic devices, issuance of operating authority transfer certificates for the electronic devices;

receiving an operating authority transfer certificate that is issued by a server when all of the electronic devices in the group are operable by the sender of the service request; and

transmitting the received operating authority transfer certificate and a plurality of requests to execute device control processes to respective device control servers for controlling an operation of the electronic devices in the group based on the service request.

2. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the network is a web service communication network.

3. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the process further comprises:

issuing, when all of the electronic devices in the group are operable by the sender of the service request, the operating authority transfer certificates for the electronic devices to the device control servers and to other server requesting issuance of the operating authority transfer certificates.

4. The recording medium according to claim 3, wherein

the issuing includes issuing the operating authority transfer certificates to restrict the device control processes according to at least one of a specified time period and a specified operation of the electronic devices.

5. The recording medium according to claim 3, wherein the process further comprising:

comparing a first operating authority transfer certificate issued by the server and a second operating authority transfer certificate transmitted from the other server; and

performing the device control process according to a request to execute the device control process transmitted from the other server, when the first and second operating authority transfer certificates match.

6. A device control service providing system comprising:

a memory storing executable instructions,

a processor executing the instructions being configured to operate as;

a service request receiving unit that receives, via a network, a device control service request for controlling a group of electronic devices;

a determining unit that obtains a list of operable electronic devices, the list associating an owner of each electronic device with identification information of electronic devices of which a sender of the service request received has operating authority, determines whether an owner associated with identification information of the group of electronic devices is identical to the sender of the service request by referring to the obtained list, and requests, when the sender of the service request is identical to the owner of the group of electronic devices, issuance of operating authority transfer certificates for the electronic devices; and

a process execution requesting unit that transmits the operating authority transfer certificate and a plurality of requests to execute device control processes to respective device control servers for controlling an operation of the electronic devices in the group based on the service request, the operating authority transfer certificate issued when all of the electronic devices in the group are operable by the sender of the service request.

7. The device control service providing system according to claim 6, wherein the network is a web service communication network.

8. The device control service providing system according to claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to operate as

a process allocating unit that allocates processes to receive the service requests, and processes to request execution of the device control processes, based on loads of server apparatuses, wherein

the server apparatus includes the service request receiving unit and the process execution requesting unit.

9. The device control service providing system according to claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to operate as

an issuing unit that issues the operating authority transfer certificates for the electronic devices to the device control servers and to the process execution requesting unit, when all of the electronic devices in the group are operable by the sender of the service request, wherein

each of the device control servers comprises

a comparing unit that compares a first operating authority transfer certificate issued by the issuing unit and a second operating authority transfer certificate transmitted from the process execution requesting unit, and

a processing unit that performs the device control processes according to a request transmitted by the process execution requesting unit, when the first and second operating authority transfer certificates match.

10. The device control service providing system according to claim 9, wherein

the issuing unit issues the operating authority transfer certificates to restrict the device control processes according to at least one of a specified time period and a specified operation of the electronic devices.

11. A method that provides device control service for controlling operation of electronic devices, the method comprising:

receiving, via a network, a device control service request for controlling a group of the electronic devices;

obtaining a list of operable electronic devices, the list associating an owner of each electronic device with identification information of electronic devices of which a sender of the service request received has operating authority;

determining whether an owner associated with identification information of the group of electronic devices is identical to the sender of the service request by referring to the obtained list;

requesting, when the sender of the service request is identical to the owner of the group of electronic devices, issuance of operating authority transfer certificates for the electronic devices;

receiving an operating authority transfer certificate that is issued by a server when all of the electronic devices in the group are operable by the sender of the service request; and

transmitting the received operating authority transfer certificate and a plurality of requests to execute device control processes to respective device control servers for controlling an operation of the electronic devices in the group based on the service request.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the network is a web service communication network.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

issuing, when all of the electronic devices in the group are operable by the sender of the service request, the operating authority transfer certificates for the electronic devices to the device control servers and to other server requesting issuance of the operating authority transfer certificates;

comparing a first operating authority transfer certificate issued by the server and a second operating authority transfer certificate transmitted from the other server; and

performing the device control processes according to a request to execute the device control process transmitted from the other server, when the first and second operating authority transfer certificates match.