Network system, network server and terminal device

• US 7,171,447 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawamoto, Youji, Hidaka, Isao, Tsunoda, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar; Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US11/107,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20050188014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709213-216, 709/246, 709/249, 709/232, 709/250, 709/225, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities

Abstract

A network system, a network server and a terminal device, capable of easily and surely transmitting various information to a user being the destination of the information. The terminal device to be used by a user is recorded in the network server 22. The network server 22 converts information to be transmitted to the terminal device used by the user into information conformed to the terminal device used by the user, or transmits a notice to the terminal device to the effect that there is information to be transmitted to said user. Thereby, the information can be easily and surely transmitted to the user who is the destination of the information.

Claims

1. A method executed on a server connected to a terminal device comprising the steps of:

receiving an authentication request including information for user authentication and information about terminal specification, in response to said terminal device detecting insertion of a memory device storing said user authentication information,

wherein said memory device is divided into areas designated by a memory map, one of said areas containing personal information relating to a user of the memory device and another of said areas containing each terminal information relating to a kind of said terminal device;

storing said user authentication information on said server in association with said information about terminal specification for future communication with said terminal device associated with said information about terminal specification when said user authentication information is authenticated;

converting information to be transmitted to said terminal device into information conformed to said terminal device based on said received information about terminal specification;

transmitting said converted information to said terminal device; and

forming a group of a plurality of users by producing a group ID in response to a group forming request transmitted by said terminal device, for recording an other terminal device into said group in response to receiving said group ID from said other terminal device, and for transmitting information sent from a user belonging to said group to another user belonging to said group.