Managing apparatus, information processing apparatus, program, and information processing system

• US 8,799,435 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2009
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sueyoshi, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US12/465,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,910 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/200, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

There is provided a managing apparatus including a management-side communication unit that communicates with an information processing apparatus, which includes a first communication unit that communicates in a non-contact manner with an information processing terminal storing first information and second information and a second communication unit that communicates with an external device; a process target determining unit that determines whether the first communication unit is a management target based on identification information; a management information deriving unit that derives management information based on a determination result, the identification information, and service specification information, and transmits the derived management information to the information processing apparatus; a process authority determining unit that determines a process authority based on a process result transmitted from the information processing apparatus; and a processing unit that selectively executes a process related to the information processing apparatus based on a determination result.

Claims

1. A managing apparatus comprising:

a management-side communication unit that communicates with an information processing apparatus including a first communication unit and a second communication unit, the first communication unit communicating on a first communication path in a non-contact manner with an information processing terminal storing first information indicating a corresponding system and second information indicating a corresponding service, the first communication path using a carrier at a predetermined frequency, the second communication unit communicating with an external device on a second communication path different from the first communication path;

a processor; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

determine whether the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is managed by the managing apparatus, based on identification information for identifying the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus that is received by the management-side communication unit;

derive management information for managing the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus, based on a determination result of whether the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is managed by the managing apparatus, the identification information received by the management-side communication unit, and service specification information for the information processing terminal to identify the corresponding service, based on the first information and the second information received by the management-side communication unit, wherein the derived management information includes first management information including an activation code when the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is not managed by the managing apparatus, and the derived management information includes second management information including a service provider code for managing a service, separate from the first management information, when the first communication unit is managed by the managing apparatus;

associate the service provider code included in the second management information with the activation code included in the first management information;

transmit the derived management information to the information processing apparatus through the management-side communication unit;

determine a process authority with respect to the information processing apparatus, based on a process result transmitted from the information processing apparatus in accordance with the received management information; and

selectively execute a process related to the information processing apparatus, based on a determination result of the process authority.

2. The managing apparatus according to claim 1,

the first management information indicates that the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is managed, based on the identification information received by the management-side communication unit;

and

the second management information manages a service process between the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal, based on the first management information corresponding to the identification information and the service specification information.

3. The managing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to:

determine that executing a service corresponding to the second management information is enabled, when the corresponding information is equal to the transmitted second management information, and

execute a service process related to a service between the information processing apparatus and the processing unit.

4. The managing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a storage unit that stores third management information where the identification information, the first management information, and the second management information are associated with each other and stored, and

wherein the memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to;

determine whether the first communication unit corresponding to the identification information is managed, based on the identification information.

5. The managing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to:

record the first management information in the third management information, when the corresponding information is equal to the transmitted first management information, and

associate the second management information with the first management information corresponding to the identification information and record an association result in the third management information, when the corresponding information is equal to the transmitted second management information.

6. The managing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the storage unit stores a management database as the third management information, and

wherein the memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to:

search the management database based on the identification information, thereby specifying the first management information corresponding to the identification information.

15. The managing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

set an authority to perform the service corresponding to the second management information when the associated activation code included in the first management information exists.

16. The managing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second management information includes a plurality of service provider codes corresponding to a plurality of services.

17. The managing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the service managed by the second management information includes at least one of a read process of service data and a write process of service data.

7. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first communication unit that communicates on a first communication path in a non-contact manner with an information processing terminal storing first information indicating a corresponding system and second information indicating a corresponding service, the first communication path using a carrier at a predetermined frequency;

a second communication unit that communicates with a managing apparatus managing a service between the managing apparatus and the information processing terminal using the first communication path, on a second communication path that is different from the first communication path;

a processor; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

acquire the first information and the second information from the information processing terminal through the first communication unit, and generates service specification information for the information processing terminal to identify the corresponding service, based on the acquired first information and second information;

transmit identification information for identifying the first communication unit and the generated service specification information to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit;

determine whether the first communication unit is managed by the managing apparatus, based on management information for managing the first communication unit that is transmitted from the managing apparatus and received by the second communication unit and transmitted from the managing apparatus, wherein the management information includes first managed information including an activation code when the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is not managed by the managing apparatus, and the management information includes second managed information including a service provider code for managing a service, separate from the first managed information, when the first communication unit is managed by the managing apparatus;

associate the service provider code included in the second management information with the activation code included in the first management information;

transmit a process result indicating a determination result to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit; and

selectively execute a service process executed between the information processing terminal and the processor, based on a determination result of whether the first communication unit is managed by the managing apparatus.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising

a storage unit that stores first stored management information indicating that the first communication unit is managed,

wherein the memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to:

record the management information received by the second communication unit as the first management information, when the first management information is not stored in the storage unit.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to:

compare the first management information stored in the storage unit and the management information received by the second communication unit, when the first management information is stored in the storage unit, and

transmit a process result indicating that the first management information and the management information are equal to each other to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit, when the first management information and the management information are equal to each other.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to:

derive second management information for the managing apparatus to manage a service process between the first communication unit and the information processing terminal, based on the first management information and the second information acquired from the information processing terminal, when the first management information and the management information are not equal to each other, and

compare the derived second management information and the management information received by the second communication unit and a process result according to a comparison result to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to:

selectively execute the service process, when the authority determining unit transmits a process result indicating that the derived second management information and the management information received by the second communication unit are equal to each other.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a managing apparatus to:

communicate, via a communication unit, with an information processing apparatus including a first communication unit and a second communication unit, the first communication unit communicating on a first communication path in a non-contact manner with an information processing terminal storing first information indicating a corresponding system and second information indicating a corresponding service, the first communication path using a carrier at a predetermined frequency, the second communication unit communicating with an external device on a second communication path that is different from the first communication path;

determine whether the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is a management target, based on identification information for identifying the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus that is received by the communication unit;

derive management information for managing the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus, whether the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is managed by the managing apparatus, the identification information received by the communication unit, and service specification information for the information processing terminal to identify the corresponding service, based on the first information and the second information received by the communication unit, wherein the derived management information includes first management information including an activation code when the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is not managed by the managing apparatus, and the derived management information includes second management information including a service provider code for managing a service, separate from the first management information, when the first communication unit is managed by the managing apparatus;

associate the service provider code included in the second management information with the activation code included in the first management information;

transmit the derived management information to the information processing apparatus through the communication unit;

determine a process authority with respect to the information processing apparatus, based on a process result transmitted from the information processing apparatus in accordance with the received management information; and

selectively execute a process related to the information processing apparatus, based on a determination result of whether the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is managed by the managing apparatus.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing an apparatus to:

communicate, via a first communication unit, on a first communication path in a non-contact manner with an information processing terminal storing first information indicating a corresponding system and second information indicating a corresponding service, the first communication path using a carrier at a predetermined frequency;

communicate, via a second communication unit, with a managing apparatus managing a service between the managing apparatus and the information processing terminal using the first communication unit, on a second communication path that is different from the first communication path;

acquire the first information and the second information from the information processing terminal through the first communication unit, and generate service specification information for the information processing terminal to identify the corresponding service, based on the acquired first information and second information;

transmit identification information for identifying the first communication unit and the generated service specification information to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit;

determine whether the first communication unit is managed by the managing apparatus, based on management information for managing the first communication unit that is transmitted from the managing apparatus and received by the second communication unit, wherein the management information includes first managed information including an activation code when the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is not managed by the managing apparatus, and the management information includes second managed information including a service provide code for managing a service, separate from the first managed information, when the first communication unit is managed by the managing apparatus;

associate the service provider code included in the second management information with the activation code included in the first management information;

transmit a process result indicating a determination result to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit; and

selectively execute a service process executed between the information processing terminal and the apparatus, based on a determination result of whether the first communication unit is managed by the managing apparatus.

14. An information processing system comprising:

one or more information processing apparatuses that communicate with an information processing terminal in a non-contact manner using a carrier at a predetermined frequency; and

a managing apparatus that communicates with the information processing apparatuses,

wherein each of the information processing apparatuses includes

a first communication unit that communicates on a first communication path in a non-contact manner with the information processing terminal, the first communication path using a carrier at a predetermined frequency,

a second communication unit that communicates with the managing apparatus on a second communication path that is different from the first communication path,

a first processor; and

a first memory device storing instructions which when executed by the first processor, causes the first processor to;

generate service specification information for the information processing terminal to identify a corresponding service,

transmit identification information for identifying the first communication unit and the generated service specification information to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit,

determine whether the first communication unit is managed by the managing apparatus, based on management information for managing the first communication unit that is transmitted from the managing apparatus and received by the second communication unit,

transmit a process result indicating a determination result to the managing apparatus through the second communication unit, and

selectively execute a service process executed between the information processing terminal and the processing unit, based on a determination result of whether the first communication unit is managed by the managing apparatus, and

the managing apparatus includes

a management-side communication unit that communicates with the information processing apparatus,

a second processor, and

a second memory device storing instructions which when executed by the second processor, causes the second processor to;

determine whether the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is a management target, based on the identification information of the information processing apparatus that is received by the management-side communication unit,

derive the management information, based on a determination result of the process target determining unit, the identification information received by the management-side communication unit, and the service specification information received by the management-side communication unit, wherein the derived management information includes first management information including an activation code when the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus is not managed by the managing apparatus, and the derived management information includes second management information including a service provider code for managing a service, separate from the first management information, when the first communication unit is managed by the managing apparatus,

associate the service provider code included in the second management information with the activation code included in the first management information;

transmit the derived management information to the information processing apparatus through the management-side communication unit,

determine a process authority with respect to the information processing apparatus, based on the process result transmitted from the information processing apparatus in accordance with the received management information, and

selectively execute a process related to the information processing apparatus, based on a determination result of the process authority.