Information processing system, information processing method, mobile phone, server, and control method and control program thereof

• US 9,326,115 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloud BYTE LLC
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Flores, Leon
• Application Number:
  US14/382,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20150087356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1228 Printing driverless or using generic drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1289 in server-client-printer device configuration, e.g. the server does not see the printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/02 Graphics controller able to handle multiple formats, e.g. input or output formats
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/06 Consumer Electronics Control, i.e. control of another device by a display or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/20 Details of the management of multiple sources of image data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/005 Adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A system of this invention is directed to an information processing system that connects a mobile phone to an output device, and easily outputs data in a format processable by the output device. The information processing system includes a mobile phone, and a server. The mobile phone includes a determiner that, when an output device is connected via a communication interface, recognizes the output device and determines whether the mobile phone can output data in a format processable by the output device, a requester that, when the determiner determines that the mobile phone cannot output data processable by the output device, transmits a request to the server connected via a wireless communication network to supply the data in the format processable by the output device, a receiver that receives the data provided by the server, and a transmitter that transmits the data received by the receiver to the output device via the communication interface. The server transmits the data in the format processable by the output device to the mobile phone in response to the request from the requester.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

a mobile device; and

a server,

wherein the mobile device comprises a memory storing first instructions and a first processor configured to execute the first instructions to;

determine, when a second device is connected via a communication interface, whether the mobile device can control the second device;

request, when it is determined that the mobile device cannot control the second device, the server connected via a wireless communication network to control the second device;

control signal transfer, in accordance with a protocol of the communication interface between the server and the second device via the wireless communication network and the communication interface, so that the server can control the second device via a communication established between the server and the second device; and

wherein the server comprises a second memory storing second instructions and a processor configured to execute the instructions to;

establish the communication with the second device; and

control the second device, in accordance with the protocol of the communication interface via the wireless communication network, the control signal transfer, and the communication interface in response to the request.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein:

the mobile device further comprises a storage, associated with the control signal transfer, that stores data acquired from the second device in accordance the protocol of the communication interface, and

the first processor is further configured to execute the first instructions to perform at least a part of the protocol until the communication between the server and the second device has been established.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor is further configured to execute the first instructions to:

perform, when it is determined that the mobile device cannot control the second device, disconnection processing for communication with the second device via the communication interface; and

request the server connection processing between the server and the second device;

wherein the second processor of the server is configured to execute the second instructions to establish the communication between the server and the second device in accordance with the protocol of the communication interface via the wireless communication network, the control signal transfer, and the communication interface.

4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the second processor of the server is configured to execute the second instructions to provide a virtual personal computer including a virtual communication interface, the virtual communication interface establishing the communication between the server and the second device.

5. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor is further configured to execute the first instructions to:

determine, when the second device is connected via the communication interface, whether the second device can process output data transmitted from the mobile device,

transmit, when it is determined that the second device cannot process the output data transmitted from said mobile device, the output data to the server and request the server to convert the transmitted output data into a format processable by the second device, and

the second processor of the server is configured to convert, in response to the request, the transmitted output data into the format.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the communication interface uses a Universal Serial Bus (USB), and the first processor is further configured to execute the first instructions to determine, based on a device descriptor received from the second device in a setup stage, whether the mobile device can control the second device.

7. The information processing system according to claim 6, wherein the mobile device is further configured to execute the first instructions to designate a network address and request the server to supply output data stored at the network address a format acceptable by second device.

8. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor is further configured to execute the first instructions to:

determine, when the second device is connected via the communication interface, whether the second device that transmits input data processable by the mobile device; and

transmit, when it is determined that the second device does not transmits the input data processable by said mobile device, a request to the server to convert the input data into a format processable by the mobile phone, and

the server is further configured to execute the second instructions to convert, in response to the request, the transmitted input data into the format processable by said mobile device.

9. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the second device comprises an output device including at least one of a display, a projector, a printer, a speaker, a vehicle, and a robot.

10. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the communication interface complies with one standard out of USB, IEEE1394, IEEE1888, Bluetooth®

, Wi-Fi, IrDA, SD, Zigbee®

, HDMI, MIDI, SCSI, IDE, RS232C, IEEE488 (GBIB), EIA/RS422, and IEEE1284.

11. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the second device includes an input device including at least one of a DVD player, a memory card, and HDD.

12. A mobile device comprising:

a communication interface;

a memory storing instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to;

determine, when a second device is connected via the communication interface, whether the mobile device can control the second device;

request, when it is determined that the mobile device cannot control the second device, the server connected via a wireless communication network to control the second device; and

control signal transfer, in accordance with a protocol of the communication interface between the server and the second device and via the wireless communication network and the communication interface, so that the server can control the second device via a communication established between the server and the second device.

13. A method of controlling a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining, when the a second device is connected via a communication interface, whether the mobile device can control the second device;

requesting, when it is determined that the mobile device cannot control the second device, a server connected via a wireless communication network to control the second device; and

controlling signal transfer, in accordance with a protocol of the communication interface between the server and the second device and via the wireless communication network and the communication interface, so that the server can control the second device via a communication established between the server and the second device.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program of a mobile device, the program, when executed by a computer causes the computer to execute a method, the method comprising:

determining, when the a second device is connected via a communication interface, whether the mobile device can control the second device;

requesting, when it is determined that the mobile device cannot control the second device, a server connected via a wireless communication network control the second device; and

controlling signal transfer, in accordance with a protocol of the communication interface between the server and the second device and via the wireless communication network and the communication interface, so that the server can control the second device via a communication established between the server and the second device.

15. An information processing method of a server connected to a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

receiving, via the wireless communication network when a mobile device determines that the mobile device cannot control a second device connected to the mobile device via a communication interface, a request to control the second device;

establishing, in response to the request, communication with the second device via the wireless communication network and in accordance with a protocol of the communication interface; and

controlling the second device, via the communication interface of the mobile device over the wireless communication network, and in accordance with the protocol of the communication interface.

16. The information processing method of claim 15, wherein the method further includes:

receiving, from the mobile device over the wireless communication network, output data;

convert, in response to the request, the output data from a first format into a second format the second device is configured to process; and

wherein controlling the second device includes providing, via the communication interface of the mobile device over the wireless network, the converted output data to the second device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that, when executed by a server connected to a wireless communication network, cause the server to perform an information processing method, the method comprising:

receiving, via the wireless communication network when a mobile device determines that the mobile device cannot control a second device connected to the mobile device via a communication interface, a request to control the second device;

establishing, in response to the request, communication with the second device via the wireless communication network and in accordance with a protocol of the communication interface; and

controlling the second device, via the communication interface of the mobile device over the wireless communication network, and in accordance with the protocol of the communication interface.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the method further includes:

receiving, from the mobile device over the wireless communication network, output data;

convert, in response to the request, the output data from a first format into a second format the second device is configured to process; and

wherein controlling the second device includes providing, via the communication interface of the mobile device over the wireless network, the converted output data to the second device.

19. A server connected to a wireless communication network, the server comprising:

a memory storing instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to;

receive, via the wireless communication network when a mobile device determines that the mobile device cannot control a second device connected to the mobile device via a communication interface, a request to control the second device;

establish, in response to the request, communication with the second device via the wireless communication network and in accordance with a protocol of the communication interface; and

control second device, via the communication interface of the mobile device over the wireless communication network, and in accordance with the protocol of the communication interface.

20. The server of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

receive, from the mobile device over the wireless communication network, output data;

convert, in response to the request, the output data from a first format into a second format the second device is configured to process; and

wherein, to control the second device, the server is configured to execute the instructions to provide, via the communication interface of the mobile device over the wireless network, the converted output data to the second device.