JP2000236326A - Light terminal control system and method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a light terminal control system and a method therefor with which the maintenance of a software on a terminal is not required and the problem of security or performance reduction of the terminal itself does not occur for activating the same software in the mutual communication service of terminals. SOLUTION: Clients are defined as minimum modules 30, 40 and 50 for server access and personal authentication, servers are defined as a managing server 10 having a managing program for holding and managing a common middleware 13 and application softwares 14-16 required for operating a light terminal and a certifying server 20 for performing the personal authentication with light terminals, and the respective light terminals 30-50 download the software required at the time of turning on a power source and utilizing a service from the managing server 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a distributed client / server system in which at least one client is connected to a server via a network, and to a control method for the system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional distributed client / server system.
Reference numerals 3 and 4 denote clients (terminals), and reference numeral 5 denotes a network, here, the Internet.

In a conventional distributed client / server system of this type, each terminal holds necessary software in its own secondary storage device, and activates the software as needed to connect it via a network. If a bug is found in the software stored in the secondary storage device by using the service, an individual or a specialist individually re-installs the software on each terminal side. In addition, when terminals use the mutual communication service, it is necessary for each user to start application software required for the service,
They had to be left running in advance or contacted by some means beforehand.

[0004]

However, such a conventional distributed client / server system has the following problems.

[0005] 1) Problems of maintenance cost of software on a terminal Software installed on a terminal is often upgraded in a short cycle, and the accompanying troubles and the like frequently occur. Even if you are not accustomed to responding to it, a considerable burden is required.

2) Problems in Serviceability when Using Intercommunication Services Normally, when a certain service is used between terminals via a network, it is required that similar software be operated on each terminal. Often. Therefore,
Know what software the connection destination (the called party) is running and contact them in advance by some means to have the same software run at the connection destination, or you can remotely operate over the network The only option is to start the same software, but the operation becomes complicated, and it is not desirable from the viewpoint of security.
In addition, it is conceivable to start all the software when the terminal starts up and leave it as it is, but it will consume memory resources to start up the less frequently used software, which may cause the performance of the terminal itself to deteriorate There is. For this reason, the serviceability when using the mutual communication service is reduced.

An object of the present invention is that maintenance of software on a terminal is not required, and the same software is activated during an intercommunication service between terminals, thereby causing a security problem and a decrease in performance of the terminal itself. It is an object of the present invention to provide a lightly-equipped terminal control system and a method thereof without any problem.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the above-mentioned problems include the following: 1) software holding / management in a terminal;
2) It is considered that there is an essential cause in the application software activation on the receiving side in the intercommunication service,
In order to avoid this, each terminal does not usually hold software, and the management server and the authentication server authenticate the service request source and the management server manages the information of each terminal. By providing a communication service, a highly reliable use environment of an intercommunication service between terminals is provided.

[0009] Specifically, the above problem is solved by the following "light-weight terminal control system and method". 1) The terminal does not hold application software. Centrally manage application software on the management server side, and download from the management server when necessary. 2) Authentication of a service request source is performed by cooperation of an IC card, a management server, and an authentication server, and necessary software is provided to a connection destination by push-type distribution during an intercommunication service.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows an example of an embodiment of a distributed client / server system to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a management server, 20 denotes an authentication server, and 30 and 4.
Reference numerals 0 and 50 denote clients (lightly equipped terminals), 60 denotes the Internet, and 70 denotes an IC card.

The management server 10 includes an operating system (OS) 11 for its own operation and a management program 12 for managing each light terminal and software, and a common middleware (common) for starting the light terminal. Module) 13 and application software 14, 15, 16 (AP
1, AP2, AP3).

The authentication server 20 includes an operating system (OS) 21 and an authentication program 22 for authenticating a service request source.

Each of the lightly equipped terminals 30, 40, and 50 has a ROM (minimum software) as a minimum software (or firmware) that enables only access to the server and personal authentication when the power is not turned on or in a standby state.
Operating systems (OS) 31, 41,
Only the authentication module 51 and the authentication management modules 32, 42, and 52 are provided, and the actual operation can be performed by downloading the common module 13 from the management server 10.
Similarly, the application software does not have anything as standard, and can be used by downloading it from the management server 10 as needed. In addition, 3
Reference numerals 3, 43, and 53 denote read / write portions of the IC card,
4, 44 and 54 are display devices.

FIG. 3 shows details of the IC card 70, which includes a terminal control program 71 and personal (ID) information 72 of the terminal user such as a card number, a personal number, a password, and profile information.

1) Operation at Power-on of Light Terminal (at Initial Download) First, the operation at the time of downloading the common middleware 13 will be described with reference to FIG.

When the main power switch of a light terminal, for example, 30 is turned on, the authentication management module 32 in the ROM
Is booted, and the request to insert the IC card 70 is
4 is displayed. When the user inserts the IC card 70 into the IC card insertion slot 33, the personal information in the IC card 70 is read, encrypted with the personal number input by the user, and sent to the management server 10 (1).

The management server 10 passes the authentication information of the user to the authentication server 20 (2), receives the authentication result (3),
If the user is an authorized user, the common middleware 13
(4), and if necessary, an application program for the user.

2) Operation at the time of using the service with a single light terminal Next, the operation at the time of using the service with a single light terminal will be described with reference to FIG.

In the lightly equipped terminal 30, a service menu customized for each user is displayed on the display device 34 from the management server 10 based on the profile information of the IC card. The user uses a service by selecting a desired service from the service menu.

When the user selects a service, the software for the selected service has already been downloaded from the management server 10 and is activated if it is resident in the memory of the light terminal 30. If not, the latest version of the software is automatically downloaded to the management server 10.
(5), start, and provide a service. At that time, the personal data of the user required for using the service is also downloaded together with the data if necessary.

When a necessary service such as charging is used, the authentication is performed in cooperation with the authentication server 20 using the IC card 70. In the case of services without billing or the like, authentication is completed at the time of downloading, so there is no need to perform authentication again.

2 and 4, 13a and 13b
Is the downloaded common middleware, 14a, 14
b, 15a and 16b are downloaded application programs.

3) Operation when using services between lightly-equipped terminals Next, the operation when using an intercommunication service between lightly-equipped terminals, here using a video conference service, will be described with reference to FIG.

A case will be described as an example where the light terminal 40 provides an interactive communication service with the light terminal 30 using the video conference application program (AP) 17 of the management server 10.

The light terminal 40 downloads the video conference AP 17 from the management server 10 by selecting a video conference AP for a video conference service from a menu (1).

[0027] After the download, the lightly equipped terminal 40 selects the other party 30 with whom the video conference is desired in the activated video conference AP 17b, and transmits a connection request to the management server 10. In the management server 10, based on the access control list of the light terminal 30, the light terminal 30
It is determined whether the service is to be received from 0 (2).

If the light terminal 30 is to receive the service from the requesting light terminal 40, the management server 10 determines that the requesting light terminal 40 is a service that requires charging or the like. Using the IC card 70 and the personal number, a request is made to the authentication server 20 for authentication and accounting processing as to whether the user is a legitimate user and the person (3).

When the authenticity / payment ability of the light terminal 40 is confirmed by the authentication / charging processing result (4) from the authentication server 20, the management server 10 distributes the video conference AP 17 to the light terminal 30. (5). The light terminal 30 receiving the AP 17 starts the video conference AP 17 a and uses the service with the light terminal 40.

After the service is completed, each lightly-equipped terminal 30, 40
The video conferencing AP loaded in the memory to reduce the memory load by the common middleware 13a and 13b above
17a and 17b are terminated, and the memory is released.

When the light terminal 50 of another connection partner is not in the operating state but in the standby state, the management server 10 which has received the connection request to the light terminal 50 turns on the power of the light terminal 50. (6). The management server 10 determines whether the light terminal 50 is to receive the service from the requesting light terminal 40. If the light terminal 50 is to receive the service from the requesting light terminal 40, the light terminal 50 requests the video conference AP 17 for the video conference service requested by the light terminal 40.
(7). The light terminal 50 having received the video conference AP 17 activates the AP 17 c and the light terminal 40.
Start a video conferencing service with.

In FIG. 5, 17a, 17b, 1
7c is a downloaded video conference application program.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the process according to the present invention described above.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since each terminal does not hold software by itself, it is not necessary to perform software maintenance management such as version upgrades and bugs on the terminal side, it can be performed centrally on the management server side, necessary programs are downloaded when necessary,
Even when providing an intercommunication service, it can be used by distributing necessary programs without worrying about what programs are on the other terminal, and the terminal side has redundant hardware resources Without that, the service becomes available. In using the service,
Personal authentication by an authentication server using an IC card enables highly reliable program distribution and service use.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional distributed client / server system.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of an embodiment of a distributed client / server system according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing details in an IC card.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of an operation when a terminal is activated and a terminal uses a service alone;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an outline of an operation when a service is used between terminals;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10: management server, 11, 21: OS, 12: management program, 13, 13a, 13b, 13c: common module, 14, 14a, 14b, 15, 15a, 16, 16
b, 17, 17a, 17b, 17c: application software, 20: authentication server, 22: authentication program, 30, 40, 50: client (light equipment), 3
1, 41, 51: Light OS, 32, 42, 52: Authentication management module, 33, 43, 53: IC card read / write unit, 34, 44, 54: Display device, 60: Internet, 70: IC card , 71: terminal control program, 72: personal (ID) information.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5B076 BB06 FB10 5B089 GA11 GA21 GB02 GB03 GB09 HA10 JA35 JB07 KA04 KA13 KB04 KC28 KC58 LB04 LB10 5J104 AA07 KA01 MA02 NA35 PA07

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A distributed client / server system in which at least one client is connected to a server via a network, the client comprises a light terminal having a minimum of software for server access and personal authentication, The server consists of a management server that holds the common middleware and application software necessary for the operation of the light terminal, and has a management program that manages them, and an authentication server that performs personal authentication between the light terminal and the light terminal. A light-weight terminal control system characterized in that the common middleware is downloaded to the light-weight terminal when the power is turned on, the application software is downloaded to the light-weight terminal as needed, and the service is used alone or between the light-weight terminals. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein when the mutual communication service is used between the light-weight terminals, the management program on the management server performs a necessary communication based on a connection request from the light-weight terminal requesting the mutual communication service. A light terminal control method comprising downloading software to a light terminal to be connected. 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the management program on the management server manages customization information such as addresses of all the light terminals connected to the management server and software to be used when the light terminals are started. Based on a connection request from a light terminal requesting a communication service, when downloading necessary software to a light terminal of a connection destination, in cooperation with an authentication server connected to the management server, authentication of the light terminal of the connection request source is performed. A light terminal control method comprising: determining whether a light terminal at a connection destination can use the service. 4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user is authenticated by attaching an IC card storing personal information to a light terminal when power is turned on, accessing the management server, and connecting to the management server. A light terminal control method characterized by performing in cooperation with a server.