INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20090222514A1
• Filed: 02/23/2007
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Igarashi, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,230,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A configuration is provided in which a device in a home network receives content from a server outside the home network and plays the content. A home IMS gateway maps an external server outside the home network as a virtual home network device, and provides mapped server information in response to reception of a device discovery request from a content playing apparatus (DMP) in the home network. Furthermore, a content obtaining request is transferred from the content playing apparatus to the external server so that the external server sends content to the content playing apparatus. Authentication and key exchange defined in DLNA are executed between the content playing apparatus and the home IMS gateway, and a key generated is sent from the home IMS gateway to a content providing server. The external server sends encrypted content based on the received key.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus characterized by comprising:

a communication interface used for data communication;

a data processing unit that executes a process of executing communication with an external server existing outside a home network to map the external server as a virtual home network device; and

a storage unit that stores the mapping information,

and characterized in that the data processing unit is configured to;

execute a process of, in response to reception of a device discovery request from a client device in the home network, obtaining the mapping information stored in the storage unit, and on the basis of the mapping information, providing the client device with server information corresponding to the external server as information of a device from which a service can be received.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the data processing unit is configured to:

on the basis of communication with the external server existing outside the home network, execute a process of generating an instance in which the external server information is recorded and storing the instance in the storage unit, and

in response to reception of the device discovery request from the client device in the home network, provide the client device with the external server information obtained from the instance stored in the storage unit.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the data processing unit is configured to:

in response to reception of the device discovery request from the client device, execute a process of providing the client device with the external server information as information of a device from which a service can be received and transferring subsequent requests and responses from the client device to the external server, or execute a process of providing the client device with information of the external server so that direct communication is performed between the client device and the external server.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the external server is a service providing server outside the home network in which an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) is used, and

the data processing unit is configured to;

execute a process of mapping the service providing server as a home network device.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the data processing unit is configured to:

execute a process of mapping the external server as a digital media server (DMS) defined as a content providing server in DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance).

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the data processing unit is configured to:

execute a process of executing communication with external servers existing outside the home network, obtaining a service list provided by the external servers, obtaining service selection information of a user based on the service list, and mapping only an external server that provides a selected service as a virtual home network device.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the data processing unit is configured to:

execute a process of outputting the service list to a display unit of the information processing apparatus or to a home network connecting device, sending user selection information regarding the service list to a management server outside the home network, and mapping, as a virtual home network device, an external server that provides a service for which selection information has been registered at the management server.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the data processing unit is configured to:

execute a process of receiving from the client device a content list request to the mapped external server, transferring the request to the external server, and obtaining the content list from the external server and providing the client device with the content list.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the content list is a list in which a content URL corresponding to content, provided to the external server, is set, and having a setting such that the client device is allowed to obtain the content based on the content URL without involving the information processing apparatus.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the data processing unit is configured to:

execute a process of providing the client device with setting information that sets the information processing apparatus as a counterparty of an authentication and key exchange process that the client device is requested to execute as a condition for obtaining content from the external server at the client device.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the data processing unit is configured to:

execute a process of providing the client device with a content list in which the setting information that sets the information processing apparatus as the counterparty of the authentication and key exchange process is included in meta information.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the data processing unit is configured to:

execute a process of sending a key generated in an authentication and key exchange process executed with the client device to the external server as a content obtaining source.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the data processing unit is configured to:

execute a process of receiving from the client device a service screen obtaining request to the mapped external server, transferring the request to the external server, and obtaining a service screen from the external server and providing the client device with the service screen.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the data processing unit is configured to:

execute a process of receiving from the client device a service screen obtaining request according to HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol), transferring the request to the external server, and receiving from the external server an HTTP response including a service screen formed of HTML (HyperText Markup Language) data and transferring the HTTP response to the client device.

15. An information communication system comprising a client apparatus in a home network, a content providing server outside the home network, and a gateway apparatus in the home network, characterized in that:

the gateway apparatus is configured to execute;

a process of executing communication with the content providing server to map the content providing server as a virtual home network device;

a process of, in response to reception of a device discovery request from the client apparatus, obtaining the mapping information, and on the basis of the mapping information, providing the client device with server information corresponding to the content providing server as information of a device from which a service can be received; and

a process of receiving from the client apparatus a request for obtaining content provided by the content providing server and transferring the request to the content providing server, and

the client apparatus is configured to execute;

a process of receiving the content provided by the content providing server and playing the content.

16. The information communication system according to claim 15, characterized in that the gateway apparatus is configured to execute:

a process of receiving from the client apparatus a content list request to the mapped content providing server, transferring the request to the content providing server, and obtaining a content list from the content providing server and providing the client apparatus with the content list.

17. The information communication system according to claim 15, characterized in that the gateway apparatus is configured to execute a process of:

providing the client apparatus with setting information that sets the gateway apparatus as a counterparty of an authentication and key exchange process executed at the client apparatus as a condition for obtaining content from the content providing server, and

sending an encryption key generated in the authentication and key exchange process executed with the client apparatus to the content providing server.

18. The information communication system according to claim 17, characterized in that:

the content providing server;

encrypts content to send by using the encryption key received from the gateway apparatus and sends encrypted content generated to the client apparatus, and the client apparatus is configured to execute a process of decrypting the received encrypted content by using the encryption key.

19. The information communication system according to claim 15, characterized in that the gateway apparatus is configured to execute a process of:

receiving from the client apparatus a service screen obtaining request based on HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol), transferring the request to the content providing server, and receiving from the content providing server an HTTP response including a service screen formed of HTML (HyperText Markup Language) data and transferring the HTTP response to the client apparatus.

20. The information communication system according to claim 15, characterized in that the client apparatus is configured to execute:

a process of displaying a service screen on a display, the service screen being generated by executing a drawing process by using an HTML browser on HTML data received from the content providing server via the gateway apparatus.

21. The information communication system according to claim 20, characterized in that the client apparatus is configured to:

input content selection information from a user regarding a content list included in the service screen, identify a resource URL corresponding to selected content on the basis of the content selection information, and execute a content streaming process based on the resource URL.

22. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus, in which a process of making setting on a client device connected to a home network so that it is allowed to use content provided by an external server outside the home network is executed, characterized by comprising:

a mapping process step, executed at a data processing unit of the information processing apparatus, of executing communication with the external server via a communication unit to execute a mapping process of setting the external server as a virtual home network device, and storing mapping information based on the mapping process in a storage unit; and

an external server information providing step, executed at the data processing unit in response to reception of a device discovery request from the client device, of executing a process of obtaining the mapping information stored in the storage unit, and on the basis of the mapping information, providing the client device with server information corresponding to the external server as information of a device from which a service can be received.

23. The information processing method according to claim 22, characterized in that:

the mapping process step is;

a step of executing a process of, on the basis of communication with the external server existing outside the home network, generating an instance in which the external server information is recorded and storing the instance in the storage unit, and

the external server information providing step is;

a step of, in response to reception of the device discovery request from the client device in the home network, providing the client device with the external server information obtained from the instance stored in the storage unit.

24. The information processing method according to claim 22, further characterized in that:

in response to reception of the device discovery request from the client device, the data processing unit executes a process of providing the client device with the external server information as information of a device from which a service can be received and transferring subsequent requests and responses from the client device to the external server, or executes a process of providing the client device with information of the external server so that direct communication is performed between the client device and the external server.

25. The information processing method according to claim 22, characterized in that:

the external server is a service providing server outside the home network in which an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) is used, and

the mapping process step is;

a step of executing a process of mapping the service providing server as a home network device.

26. The information processing method according to claim 22, characterized in that the mapping process step is:

a step of executing a process of mapping the external server as a digital media server (DMS) defined as a content providing server in DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance).

27. The information processing method according to claim 22, characterized in that the mapping process step is:

a step of executing a process of executing communication with external servers existing outside the home network, obtaining a service list provided by the external servers, obtaining service selection information of a user based on the service list, and mapping only an external server that provides a selected service as a virtual home network device.

28. The information processing method according to claim 27, characterized in that the mapping process step is:

a step of executing a process of outputting the service list to a display unit of the information processing apparatus or to a home network connecting device, sending user selection information regarding the service list to a management server outside the home network, and mapping, as a virtual home network device, an external server that provides a service for which selection information has been registered at the management server.

29. The information processing method according to claim 22, characterized by further comprising:

a step of executing, at the data processing unit, a process of receiving from the client device a content list request to the mapped external server, transferring the request to the external server, and obtaining the content list from the external server and providing the client device with the content list.

30. The information processing method according to claim 29, characterized in that the content list is a list in which a content URL corresponding to content, provided to the external server, is set, and having a setting such that the client device is allowed to obtain the content based on the content URL without involving the information processing apparatus.

31. The information processing method according to claim 29, characterized by further comprising:

a step of executing, at the data processing unit, a process of providing the client device with setting information that sets the information processing apparatus as a counterparty of an authentication and key exchange process that the client device is requested to execute as a condition for obtaining content from the external server at the client device.

32. The information processing method according to claim 31, further characterized in that:

at the data processing unit, a process of providing the client device with a content list in which the setting information that sets the information processing apparatus as the counterparty of the authentication and key exchange process is included in meta information is executed.

33. The information processing method according to claim 22, characterized by further comprising:

a step of executing, at the data processing unit, a process of sending a key generated in an authentication and key exchange process executed with the client device to the external server as a content obtaining source.

34. The information processing method according to claim 22, characterized by further comprising:

a step of executing, at the data processing unit, a process of receiving from the client device a service screen obtaining request to the mapped external server, transferring the request to the external server, and obtaining a service screen from the external server and providing the client device with the service screen.

35. The information processing method according to claim 22, characterized by further comprising:

a step of executing, at the data processing unit, a process of receiving from the client device a service screen obtaining request according to HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol), transferring the request to the external server, and receiving from the external server an HTTP response including a service screen formed of HTML (HyperText Markup Language) data and transferring the HTTP response to the client device.

36. A computer program for causing an information processing apparatus to execute a process of making setting on a client device connected to a home network so that it is allowed to use content provided by an external server outside the home network, characterized by causing execution of:

a mapping process step of causing a data processing unit of the information processing apparatus to execute communication with the external server via a communication unit, to execute a mapping process of setting the external server as a virtual home network device, and to store mapping information based on the mapping process in a storage unit; and

an external server information providing step of causing the data processing unit to execute a process of, in response to reception of a device discovery request from the client device, obtaining the mapping information stored in the storage unit, and on the basis of the mapping information, providing the client device with server information corresponding to the external server as information of a device from which a service can be received.