Access control method, access control system, communication terminal, and server

• US 9,467,439 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2013
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuzaki, Natsume, Futa, Yuichi, Matsushima, Hideki, Maeda, Manabu, Unagami, Yuji, Haga, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): PYZOCHA, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US14/024,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20140082716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

An access control method including: receiving a log information item indicating use history of electrical equipment that is used together with an intended product; receiving product information including information for identifying the intended product; storing the log information item received in the receiving of a log information item and the product information received in the receiving of product information, in association with each other; and controlling whether or not to allow access to the log information item based on the product information associated with the log information item when access to the log information item is attempted.

Claims

1. An access control method comprising:

receiving, via a wired connection or a wireless connection with electrical equipment, a log information item indicating use history of the electrical equipment that is used together with an intended product;

receiving, via input of a product code of the intended product, product information including information for identifying the intended product used together with the electrical equipment at a time of use of the electrical equipment according to the use history indicated by the log information item received in the receiving of the log information item;

storing the log information item and the product information in association with each other, the log information item being received in the receiving of the log information item, and the product information being received in the receiving of the product information;

determining, when access to the log information item indicating the use history of the electrical equipment used together with the intended product is attempted by an accessing user, whether or not to allow the access to the accessing user to the log information item based on (i) the product information stored in the storing in the association with the log information item to which the access has been attempted by the accessing user, and (ii) a relationship between the accessing user and a provider of the intended product; and

performing control to allow the access to the accessing user when the access has been determined to be allowed in the determining, and not to allow the access to the accessing user when the access has been determined not to be allowed in the determining,

wherein the relationship between the accessing user and the provider of the intended product is prespecified by the provider of the intended product.

2. The access control method according to claim 1, further comprising

adding tag information indicating the product information to the log information item received in the receiving of the log information item,

wherein in the storing,

a tagged log information item is stored which results from the addition of the tag information to the log information item in the adding of tag information, and

in the determining,

whether or not to allow the access to the tagged log information item is determined based on the tag information included in the tagged log information item.

3. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the determining,

whether or not to allow the access is determined by referring to a rule which specifies whether or not to allow the access to the accessing user who attempts to access the log information item stored in the storing, based on a relationship between the accessing user and the provider of the intended product identified by the tag information added to the log information item.

4. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the receiving of the log information item,

the log information item is received which includes first equipment information indicating a type of the electrical equipment which is used,

in the receiving of the product information,

second equipment information is further received as the product information, the second equipment information indicating a type of the electrical equipment that is used together with the intended product, and

in the adding of the tag information,

the tag information is added to the log information item when the log information item includes the first equipment information which is identical to the second equipment information.

5. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the receiving of the log information item,

the log information item is received which includes first provider information for identifying the provider of the intended product that is used when the electrical equipment is used,

in the receiving of the product information,

second provider information for identifying the provider of the intended product is further received as the product information, and

in the adding of the tag information,

the tag information is added to the log information item when the log information item includes the first provider information which identifies the provider who is identical to the provider identified by the second provider information.

6. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the receiving of the product information,

a number of times the tag information is to be added in the adding of the tag information is further received as the product information, and

in the adding of the tag information,

after receiving, in the receiving of the product information, the product information including the number of times the tag information is to be added, the tag information is added to a plurality of the log information item identical in number to the number the tag information is to be added.

7. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the receiving of the log information item,

the log information item including a name of the intended product is received,

in the receiving of the product information,

a name of the intended product is further received as the product information, and

in the adding of the tag information,

the tag information is added to the log information item received in the receiving of the log information item when the log information item includes the name of the intended product which is identical to the name of the intended product received in the receiving of the product information.

8. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the receiving of the log information item,

the log information including an identification number of the intended product is received,

in the receiving of the product information,

an identification number of the intended product is further received as the product information, and

in the adding of the tag information,

the tag information is added to the log information item received in the receiving of the log information item when the log information item includes the identification number which is identical to the identification number received in the receiving of the product information.

9. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the storing,

the log information item and a statistical log information item are stored as first log information items, the statistical log information item being generated by performing statistical processing on a plurality of the log information item,

wherein in the determining,

whether or not to allow the access to each of the log information item and the statistical log information item is determined by referring to a rule which specifies whether or not to allow the access by the accessing user who attempts to access the log information item and the statistical log information item.

10. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the receiving of the product information via the input of the product code of the intended product,

the product information is received by reading a quick response (QR) code attached to the intended product, and

in the receiving of the log information item via the wireless connection,

the log information item is received via a near field communication (NFC) with the electrical equipment.

11. The access control method according to claim 2, further comprising

generating setting information of the electrical equipment and outputting the setting information to the electrical equipment,

wherein in the receiving of the log information item,

the log information item is received which indicates the use history of the electrical equipment to which the setting information is outputted in the generating.

12. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the determining,

whether or not to allow the access is determined by referring to a rule including a first rule that allows the access to the log information item by the accessing user who attempts to access the log information item, when the accessing user is identical to the provider of the intended product indicated by the tag information.

13. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the determining based on the relationship between the accessing user and the provider of the intended product,

whether or not to allow the access is determined by referring to a rule including a second rule that allows the access to the log information item by the accessing user who attempts to access the log information item, when the accessing user is included in a user group prespecified by the provider of the intended product.

14. The access control method according to claim 2,

wherein in the determining,

whether or not to allow the access is determined by referring to a rule including a third rule that denies the access to the log information item by the accessing user who attempts to access the log information item, when the accessing user is included in a user group prespecified by the provider of the intended product.

15. An access control system comprising a communication terminal and a server,

wherein the communication terminal includes:

a log inputting unit configured to receive, via a wired connection or a wireless connection with electrical equipment, a log information item indicating use history of the electrical equipment that is used together with an intended product;

a product information inputting unit configured to receive, via input of a product code of the intended product, product information including information for identifying the intended product used together with the electrical equipment at a time of use of the electrical equipment according to the use history indicated by the log information item received in the receiving of the log information item; and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit, to the server, the log information item received by the log inputting unit and the product information received by the product information inputting unit, and

the server includes;

a receiving unit configured to receive the log information item and the product information from the communication terminal;

a log storage processing unit configured to store the log information item and the product information in association with each other, the log information item and the product information being received by the receiving unit; and

an access determining unit configured to, when access to the log information item indicating the use history of the electrical equipment used together with the intended product is attempted by an accessing user;

determine whether or not to allow the access to the accessing user to the log information item based on (i) the product information stored in the log storage processing unit in the association with the log information item to which the access has been attempted by the accessing user, and (ii) a relationship between the accessing user and a provider of the intended product; and

perform control to allow the access to the accessing user when the access has been determined by the access determining unit to be allowed, and not to allow the access to the accessing user when the access has been determined by the access determining unit not to be allowed,

wherein the relationship between the accessing user and the provider of the intended product is prespecified by the provider of the intended product.

16. An access control method performed by a communication terminal in an access control system including:

the communication terminal that transmits a log information item indicating use history of electrical equipment used together with an intended product; and

a server that, when access to the log information item indicating the use history of the electrical equipment used together with the intended product is attempted by an accessing user, determines whether or not to allow the access to the accessing user to the log information item based on (i) product information including information for identifying the intended product, the product information associated with the log information item to which the access has been attempted by the accessing user and transmitted by the communication terminal, and (ii) a relationship between the accessing user and a provider of the intended product, and performs control to allow the access to the accessing user when the access has been determined to be allowed by the server, and not to allow the access to the accessing user when the access to the accessing user when the access has been determined by the server not to be allowed, wherein the relationship between the accessing user and the provider of the intended product is prespecified by the provider of the intended product, the access control method comprising;

receiving, via a wired connection or a wireless connection with the electrical equipment, the log information item indicating the use history of the electrical equipment that is used together with the intended product;

receiving, via input of a product code of the intended product, the product information used together with the electrical equipment at a time of use of the electrical equipment according to the use history indicated by the log information item received in the receiving of the log information item; and

transmitting the received log information item and the received product information to the server.