Remote operation system, relay device, communication device, and remote operation method

• US 9,497,193 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2011
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Uchida, Kaoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Okeke, Izunna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Song, Hee
• Application Number:
  US13/977,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20130283399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,826 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

There is provided a remote operation system, a relay device, a communication device, and a remote operation method which are capable of executing collective remote operations. The remote operation system includes communication devices, an external device that specifies at least one communication device as a target of a remote operation among the communication devices, and accepts an input of a remote operation content to be executed for the specified communication device, and a relay unit for relaying communication between the specified communication devices and the external device. The relay unit includes a storage unit for storing the remote operation content accepted by the external device, and a notification unit for notifying the specified communication device of the remote operation content.

Claims

1. A remote operation system comprising:

communication devices;

an external hardware device configured to specify at least one communication device as a target for a remote operation among the communication devices, and configured to accept an input of a remote operation content to be executed for the specified communication device; and

a relay configured to relay communication between the specified communication device and the external device,

wherein the relay comprises;

a storage configured to store the remote operation content accepted by the external device; and

a first processor configured to;

notify the specified communication device of the remote operation content, each of the communication devices comprise;

an internal function processing unit; and

a second processor configured to;

determine whether or not an in-terminal server is in an activated state without a user input, and

accept a notification of the remote operation content from the first processor and is configured to cause the internal function processing unit to operate when the in-terminal server is in the activated state,

wherein in response to a completion of the operation of the internal function processing unit according to the remote operation content for the communication device stored in the storage, the second processor is configured to deactivate the in-terminal server, and

wherein the execution of an interrupt operation is delayed until the in-terminal server is deactivated, in response to an interrupt operation for the communication device before completion of the operation of the internal function processing unit according to the remote operation content for the communication device stored in the storage.

2. The remote operation system according to claim 1, wherein the relay is configured to reject storage of the operation content by the storage or notification of the operation content by the first processor when the remote operation content accepted by the external hardware device is an operation content that is not authorized by the external hardware device.

3. The remote operation system according to claim 1, wherein the second processor is configured to notify the relay of the activation of the in-terminal server, and the first processor is configured to start notifying the remote operation content stored in the storage in response to the notification of the activation of the in-terminal server from the second processor.

4. The remote operation system according to claim 1, wherein the in-terminal server is configured to be activated in response to an activation instruction from a user.

5. The remote operation system according to claim 1, wherein the in-terminal server is configured to be activated at a preset timing.

6. The remote operation system according to claim 1, wherein the second processor is configured to manage, in a manner associated with each other, the respective external hardware devices and remote operation contents notified by one or more of the first processor, and is configured to activate the in-terminal server when the remote operation contents managed in the manner associated with the external hardware devices are notified by the first processor.

7. The remote operation system according to claim 1, wherein in response to an interrupt operation for the communication device before completion of the operation of the internal function processing unit according to the remote operation content for the communication device stored in the storage, the second processor is configured to deactivate the in-terminal server and executes the interrupt operation.

8. The remote operation system according to claim 1, wherein

in response to the in-terminal server being deactivated before completion of the operation of the internal function processing unit according to the remote operation content for the communication device stored in the storage, the storage is configured to store remote operation contents completed by a time when the in-terminal server is deactivated, and

the first processor is configured to skip notification of the completed remote operation contents in response to the in-terminal server being reactivated.

9. The remote operation system according to claim 1, further comprising a relay server,

wherein the relay server comprises the relay.

10. The remote operation system according to claim 1, wherein the external hardware device comprises the relay.

11. A remote operation method in a remote operation system including communication devices;

an external device configured to accept an input of a remote operation content to be executed for the communication device; and

a relay device configured to relay communication between the specified communication device and the external device, the remote operation method comprising;

specifying, in the external device, at least one communication device as a target for a remote operation among the communication devices, and accepting an input of a remote operation content to be executed for the specified communication device;

storing, in the relay device, the remote operation content accepted by the external device, and notifying the specified communication device of the remote operation content;

determining, in the communication device, whether an in-terminal server is in an activated state without user input, and accepting a notification from the remote operation content in response to the in-terminal server being in the activated state; and

starting processing of an internal function according to the remote operation content,

wherein the in-terminal server is deactivated upon completion of the internal function according to the remote operation content for the communication device, and

wherein in response to an interrupt operation for the communication device before completion of processing of the internal function according to the remote operation content for the communication device, execution of the interrupt operation is delayed until the in-terminal server is deactivated.

12. The remote operation method according to claim 11, further comprising rejecting, in the relay device, storage or notification of the remote operation content in response to the remote operation content accepted by the external device being an operation content that is not authorized by the external device.

13. The remote operation method according to claim 11, further comprising notifying, in the communication device, the relay device that the in-terminal server is activated.

14. The remote operation method according to claim 11, further comprising activating, in the communication device, the in-terminal server in response to an activation instruction from a user.

15. The remote operation method according to claim 11, further comprising activating, in the communication device, the in-terminal server at a preset timing.

16. The remote operation method according to claim 11, wherein the respective external devices and remote operation contents notified by one or more of a notification unit are managed in a manner associated with each other, and the in-terminal server is activated upon notification of the remote operation contents managed in the manner associated with the external devices in the notifying the remote operation content of the relay device.

17. The remote operation method according to claim 11, wherein in response to an interrupt operation for the communication device before completion of processing of the internal function according to the remote operation content for the communication device, the in-terminal server is deactivated and the interrupt operation is executed.

18. The remote operation method according to claim 11, wherein in response to the in-terminal server being deactivated before completion of processing of the internal function according to the remote operation content for the communication device, remote operation contents completed by a time in response to the in-terminal server being deactivated is stored in the relay device, and notification of the completed remote operation contents is skipped when the in-terminal server is reactivated.