Content sharing system, content sharing method, and information communication apparatus

• US 9,641,501 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2013
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Shingo, Icho, Keiji, Ogawa, Kento
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMITOSKI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US14/377,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20150058948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A content sharing system includes: a server; a first information communication apparatus; and a second information communication apparatus, in which the first information communication apparatus includes a reserve requesting unit which sends to the server a reserve request message for requesting to reserve a sharing space to be newly generated, the reserve request message including first identification information for identifying the second information communication apparatus or the user using the second information communication apparatus, and the server includes: a first storage; and a sharing space generating unit which, upon receiving the reserve request message, generates the sharing space in the first storage, and stores in the first storage the first identification information included in the reserve request message.

Claims

1. A content sharing system, comprising:

a server;

a first information communication apparatus; and

a second information communication apparatus,

wherein content which is obtained in a place is shared in situ between a first user and a second user present in the place using a sharing space which is a storage area on the server, the first information communication apparatus operated by the first user, the second information communication apparatus operated by the second user, and the second user being different from the first user,

the first information communication apparatus includes;

a first processor; and

a first non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon first executable instructions, which when executed by the first processor, cause the first information communication apparatus to;

display a screen that prompts the first user to capture a first object, present in the place, for authentication;

generate a first image by capturing the first object according to an operation by the first user on the screen; and

send to the server a reserve request message for requesting to reserve the sharing space to be newly generated, the reserve request message including first identification information and the first image, the first identification information for identifying the second information communication apparatus or the second user;

the server includes;

a first storage;

a third processor; and

a third non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon third executable instructions, which when executed by the third processor, cause the server to;

generate, upon receiving the reserve request message, the sharing space in the first storage, and store in the first storage the first identification information and the first image included in the reserve request message;

the second information communication apparatus includes;

a second processor; and

a second non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon second executable instructions, which when executed by the second processor, cause the second information communication apparatus to;

display a screen that prompts the second user to capture, for authentication, a second object, present in the place, that is the same as the first object captured by the first information communication apparatus according to the operation by the first user;

generate a second image by capturing the second object according to an operation by the second user on the screen;

send to the server a connection request message including second identification information and the second image, the second identification information for identifying the second information communication apparatus or the second user; and

the third executable instructions, when executed by the third processor, cause the server to further;

allow the second information communication apparatus to access the sharing space when it is determined by the server that (i) the second identification information included in the connection request message matches the first identification information stored in the first storage and that (ii) the second object in the second image included in the connection request message and the first object in the first image included in the first storage are the same object, and prohibit the second information communication apparatus from accessing the sharing space when it is determined by the server that (iii) the second identification information fails to match the first identification information and that (iv) the second object in the second image and the first object in the first image are not the same object.

2. The content sharing system according to claim 1,

wherein the second information communication apparatus further includes a second storage which stores the second identification information and to which access is restricted, and

the second executable instructions, when executed by the second processor, causes the second information communication apparatus to further retrieve the second identification information from the second storage, and send to the server the connection request message including the retrieved second identification information.

3. The content sharing system according to claim 2,

wherein the second storage is a subscriber identity module (SIM) card.

4. The content sharing system according to claim 1,

wherein the first image and the second image include information for identifying the first information communication apparatus or the first user.

5. The content sharing system according to claim 1,

wherein the first information communication apparatus further includes a third storage which stores an address book including one or more telephone numbers, and

the first identification information is information included in the address book.

6. The content sharing system according to claim 5,

wherein the first identification information is a phone number, an e-mail address, a short message service (SMS) address, or social networking service (SNS) account information of the second user.

7. The content sharing system according to claim 1,

wherein the third executable instructions, when executed by the third processor, cause the server to further generate a plurality of the sharing space in the first storage, and store in the first storage the first identification information corresponding to each of the sharing spaces,

the connection request message includes sharing space specifying information for specifying a destination sharing space, and

allow the second information communication apparatus to access the destination sharing space when the second identification information included in the connection request message matches the first identification information corresponding to the destination sharing space specified from among the sharing spaces, and prohibit the second information connection device from accessing the destination sharing space when the second identification information fails to match the first identification information.

8. The content sharing system according to claim 7,

wherein the second information communication apparatus further includes:

a display configured to display a sharing space list of the sharing spaces generated on request of the first information communication apparatus; and

the second executable instructions, when executed by the second processor, cause the second information communication apparatus to further obtain information indicating a sharing space selected from the sharing space list by the second user, and

the destination sharing space is the sharing space indicated by the obtained information.

9. The content sharing system according to claim 1,

wherein the first executable instructions, when executed by the first processor, cause the first information communication apparatus to further display the first image and information indicating the second user simultaneously, after the first image is captured.

10. The content sharing system according to claim 1,

wherein the content which is obtained in the place includes pictures and/or videos of contents of the place.

11. The content sharing system according to claim 1,

wherein the content which is obtained in the place includes content, obtained by at least one of the first user and the second user, associated with contents of the place.

12. A content sharing method using a server, a first information communication apparatus, and a second information communication apparatus, for sharing, in situ, content which is obtained in a place, between a first user and a second user present in the place, using a sharing space which is a storage area on the server, the first information communication apparatus operated by the first user, the second information communication apparatus operated by the second user, and the second user being different from the first user, the content sharing method comprising:

displaying a screen that prompts the first user to capture a first object, present in the place, for authentication;

generating a first image by capturing the first object according to an operation by the first user on the screen;

sending from the first information communication apparatus to the server a reserve request message for requesting to reserve the sharing space to be newly generated, the reserve request message including first identification information and the first image, the first identification information for identifying the second information communication apparatus or the second user;

upon receiving the reserve request message, generating the sharing space in a first storage of the server, and storing in the first storage the first identification information included in the reserve request message, using the server;

displaying a screen that prompts the second user to capture, for authentication, a second object, present in the place, that is the same as the first object captured by the first information communication apparatus according to the operation by the first user;

generating a second image by capturing the second object according to an operation by the second user on the screen;

sending from the second information communication apparatus to the server a connection request message including second identification information and the second image, the second identification information for identifying the second information communication apparatus or the second user; and

allowing the second information communication apparatus to access the sharing space when it is determined by the server that (i) the second identification information included in the connection request message matches the first identification information stored in the first storage and that (ii) the second object in the second image included in the connection request message and the first object in the first image included in the first storage are the same object, and prohibiting the second information communication apparatus from accessing the sharing space when it is determined by the server that (iii) the second identification information fails to match the first identification information and that (iv) the second object in the second image and the first object in the first image are not the same object.