Information processing system, communication terminal, information processing unit and program

• US 9,396,477 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2012
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Soma, Isao, Miyabayashi, Naoki, Yoneda, Yoshihiro, Kuroda, Seiji, Ishikawa, Yasuharu, Takada, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US13/463,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20120220278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.2, 455/7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

There is provided an information processing system including a service provider unit, a communication terminal and an information processing unit. The communication terminal includes a terminal first communication section, a terminal second communication section to communicate with the information processing unit through a first communication channel, a terminal third communication section to communicate with the information processing unit through a second communication channel, and a terminal communication control section. The information processing unit includes a unit first communication section to communicate with the communication terminal through the first communication channel, a unit second communication section to communicate with the communication terminal through the second communication channel, a unit communication control section to switch communication channels with the communication terminal from the first communication channel to the second communication channel, and a unit processing section to perform service processing with the service provider unit.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first communication section configured to communicate with a communication terminal through a first communication channel; and

a second communication section configured to communicate with the communication terminal through a second communication channel different from the first communication channel;

wherein the first communication section is configured to receive connection address information for establishing the second communication channel being transmitted from the communication terminal,

the second communication section is configured to establish the second communication channel based on the connection address information received by the first communication channel, transmit a connection instruction by which the communication terminal connects to a service providing apparatus via a network, and receive service data transmitted by the service providing apparatus from the communication terminal, and

the information processing apparatus is configured to perform indirect communication with the service providing apparatus via the communication terminal when the communication terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected through the second communication channel.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communication channel is established by using a carrier at a prescribed frequency.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the prescribed frequency is 13.56 MHz.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communication channel is formed by NFC.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communication channel is formed by infrared communication.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second communication section is configured to transmit a communication disconnection request to the communication terminal through the second communication channel and then disconnect a communication with the communication terminal through the second communication channel.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the communication terminal is configured to disconnect a communication with the service providing apparatus according to the communication disconnection request transmitted from the second communication section.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display section capable of displaying communication request information requesting communication through the first communication channel.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first communication section is configured to transmit a connection information acquisition request requesting acquisition of the connection address information to the communication terminal if the communication request information is displayed on the display section.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first communication section is configured to receive the connection address information from the communication terminal in response to the connection information acquisition request.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication terminal is a mobile device.

12. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

receiving connection address information, transmitted from a communication terminal to an information processing apparatus through a first communication channel, for establishing a second communication channel different from the first communication channel;

establishing the second communication channel based on the connection address information received by the first communication channel;

transmitting a connection instruction by which the communication terminal connects to a service providing apparatus via a network through the second communication channel; and

receiving service data transmitted by the service providing apparatus from the communication terminal through the second communication channel

wherein the information processing apparatus is configured to perform indirect communication with the service providing apparatus via the communication terminal when the communication terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected through the second communication channel.

13. The information processing method according to claim 12, wherein the communication terminal is a mobile device.

14. A communication terminal comprising:

a first communication section configured to communicate with an information processing apparatus through a first communication channel; and

a second communication section configured to communicate with the information processing apparatus through a second communication channel different from the first communication channel;

wherein the first communication section is configured to transmit connection address information for establishing the second communication channel to the information processing apparatus,

the second communication section is configured to establish the second communication channel based on the connection address information, receive a connection instruction by which the communication terminal connects to a service providing apparatus via a network, and transmit service data transmitted by the service providing apparatus to the information processing apparatus, and

the information processing apparatus is configured to perform indirect communication with the service providing apparatus via the communication terminal when the communication terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected through the second communication channel.

15. The communication terminal according to claim 14, wherein the first communication channel is established by using a carrier at a prescribed frequency.

16. The communication terminal according to claim 15, wherein the prescribed frequency is 13.56 MHz.

17. The communication terminal according to claim 14, wherein the first communication channel is formed by NFC.

18. The communication terminal according to claim 14, wherein the first communication channel is formed by infrared communication.

19. The communication terminal according to claim 14, wherein the second communication section is configured to receive a communication disconnection request from the information processing apparatus through the second communication channel and then disconnect a communication with the information processing apparatus through the second communication channel.

20. The communication terminal according to claim 19, wherein the communication terminal is configured to disconnect a communication with the service providing apparatus according to the communication disconnection request received by the second communication section.

21. The communication terminal according to claim 14, wherein the first communication section is configured to receive a connection information acquisition request requesting acquisition of the connection address information from the information processing apparatus.

22. The communication terminal according to claim 21, wherein the first communication section is configured to transmit the connection address information to the information processing apparatus in response to the connection information acquisition request.

23. The communication terminal according to claim 14, wherein the communication terminal is a mobile device.

24. An communication method comprising the steps of:

transmitting connection address information, from a communication terminal to an information processing apparatus through a first communication channel, for establishing a second communication channel different from the first communication channel;

establishing the second communication channel based on the connection address information;

receiving a connection instruction by which the communication terminal connects to a service providing apparatus via a network through the second communication channel; and

transmitting service data received from the service providing apparatus to the information processing apparatus through the second communication channel

wherein the information processing apparatus is configured to perform indirect communication with the service providing apparatus via the communication terminal when the communication terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected through the second communication channel.

25. The communication method according to claim 24, wherein the communication terminal is a mobile device.