Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and transmitting medium

• US 7,761,582 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2007
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Itabashi, Tatsuo, Yoshida, Kimiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US11/850,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20080016231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709/228, 709/217, 707/9, 707/10, 707/1, 705/27, 705/17, 705/14, 726/3, 726/4, 726/27, 726/26
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access

Abstract

A method of managing personal information of a user wherein personal information of a user is provided to an information provider from any location, through a simple apparatus, and with reliability. Personal information is stored beforehand in a user profile database of a server. When the user accesses a service provider device from a terminal device through the server and the Internet, the service provider device requests personal information of the user. The server reads the requested personal information from the user profile database and transfers the personal information to the service provider device. This novel arrangement makes it unnecessary for the user to input the personal information on its own.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus which includes a processor and a program running in a memory which processes information between a plurality of service providers and a terminal device connected via a network, wherein each of the plurality of service providers has a corresponding service provider device, the program performing a method comprising the steps of:

receiving in the memory a request from one of the plurality of service provider devices to extract at least one piece of personal information of a user from a personal information unit running in the memory of the information processing apparatus;

incrementing a counter running in the memory of the information processing apparatus which represents the number of requests made for the personal information of the user;

transmitting a request for authorization to transmit the extracted personal information to the requesting service provider device when the number of requests exceeds a predetermined value; and

transmitting the extracted personal information to the service provider device when the number of requests is less than a predetermined value or authorization to transmit the extracted personal information is received in the memory from the terminal device,

wherein,

the request includes information indicating the manner in which the service provider will use the personal information.

2. The method of managing personal information of claim 1, wherein the terminal device receives the authorization from the user by an input device coupled to the terminal device.

3. The method of managing personal information of claim 1, wherein the terminal device comprises a wireless device comprising one of a personal digital assistant, a mobile telephone, a personal handyphone, a pager, a laptop computer, and a handheld information processing device.

4. The method of managing personal information of claim 1, wherein the personal information comprises one or more of a payment information, a user home address, an e-mail address, a user telephone number, a date of birth, a user age, a gender, an occupation, a password, and an ID.

5. A managing personal information processing apparatus including a memory and a processor which processes information between a plurality of service providers and a terminal device, wherein each of the plurality of service providers has a corresponding service provider device, the managing personal information processing apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit which is configured to receive a request from one of the plurality of service provider devices to extract at least one piece of personal information of a user from a personal information device;

an extracting unit which is configured to extract from the personal information device the at least one piece of personal information requested from the service provider device; and

an incrementing unit which is configured to count the number of requests for the personal information of the user;

an authorization unit which is configured to transmit a request for authorization to transmit the extracted personal information to the requesting service provider device when the number of requests for the personal information exceeds a predetermined value; and

a transmitting unit which is configured to transmit the extracted personal information to the requesting service provider device when the number of requests for the personal information is less than a predetermined value or authorization to transmit the extracted personal information is received from the terminal device,

wherein,

the request includes information indicating the manner in which the service provider will use the personal information.

6. The managing personal information processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the terminal device receives the authorization from the user by an input device coupled to the terminal device.

7. The managing personal information processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the terminal device comprises a wireless device comprising one of a personal digital assistant, a mobile telephone, a personal handyphone, a pager, a laptop computer, and a handheld information processing device.

8. The managing personal information processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the personal information comprises one or more of a payment information, a home address, an e-mail address, a telephone number, a date of birth, an age, a gender, an occupation, a password, and an ID.