JP2001056796A - Network system, communication terminal equipment and portable device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a network system, communication terminal equipment and a portable device with which unspecified communication terminal equipment can receive a service. SOLUTION: In the network system connecting communication terminal equipment 6 and information providing devices 3 and 4 through a network 2, this system is provided with a portable device 7 for holding user identification information, which expresses a prescribed user, and transmitting the user identification information to the communication terminal equipment 6, the communication terminal equipment 6 for performing authentication based on the user identification information with an authenticating device 5 connected to the network 2 on the basis f the user identification information transmitted from the portable device 7 and the information providing devices 3 and 4 for transmitting provision information to the communication terminal equipment 6 corresponding to the authenticated result. Thus provided information can be received through the arbitrary communication terminal equipment 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a network system, a communication terminal device, and a portable device, and more particularly to a network in which a user receives various services via a communication terminal device connected to a network using the portable device. The present invention is suitably applied to a system, a communication terminal device, and a portable device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a user who owns a personal computer receives various services such as information from a predetermined service providing means via a network, the user connects his or her personal computer to the network. By designating, via a personal computer, position information of a service server, which is a service providing means on a network, various services are received from the service server via the personal computer.

Further, as a terminal device receiving a service from the service providing means, there is a television device for receiving and displaying a television broadcast, for example. In a television device, a user selects an arbitrary channel from television broadcasts of a plurality of channels distributed from a broadcasting station serving as a service providing unit.

[0004]

Incidentally, when a service is provided through a personal computer, there is a method in which a user inputs authentication information (user ID) for receiving the service using a keyboard. However, in a communication terminal device including a personal computer, a user carries authentication information and can authenticate any device by a simple operation such as an operation of a remote controller of a television device to receive a service. Can not. Also, authentication information (user ID) for the user to receive the service is stored in the remote controller of the television device.
D), and there is no way to provide a service to a specific user.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has as its object to propose a network system, a communication terminal device, and a portable device that can receive a service with an unspecified communication terminal device.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in a network system in which a communication terminal device and an information providing device are connected via a network, user identification information representing a predetermined user is stored. A mobile device that transmits user identification information to a communication terminal device, and a terminal device that performs authentication based on user identification information between an authentication device connected to a network based on the user identification information transmitted from the mobile device, The provision of the information providing device for transmitting the provided information to the communication terminal device according to the authentication result allows the provided information to be received via an arbitrary communication terminal device.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

(1) First Embodiment In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a network system as a whole, and a plurality of network terminal devices 6 used by a user are connected to a network 2 such as the Internet. In addition, the network 2 creates index data using image data, or displays a slide show (SlideShot) that continuously displays a plurality of image files.
w) An album program service server 3 having a downloadable program for displaying image data to a user in the form of an electronic album, such as expressing effects, and supplying the program to the network terminal device 6 A personal image data server 4 for storing user-owned images stored by a digital camera or the like for each user, providing a service corresponding to the user ID, and supplying image data of the user; A service search server 8 that holds a service-specific ID and the location information of the album program service server 3 for such a service, and notifies the location of the album program service server 3 based on the service-specific ID, and a network terminal device 6 Authenticate the user to be used and The authentication server 5 for associating the user ID and personal image data server 4 The are respectively connected.

The network terminal device 6 exchanges data with the network 2 via the network communication unit 15, and performs an album program service according to a command supplied from the portable device 7 in response to a user operation. Various information such as image data is received from the server 3, the personal image data server 4, and the like via the network 2, and presented to the display function unit 11. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, in the network terminal device 6, the CPU 31 stores a ROM (Read Only).
Memory 33 and RAM (Random A)
access Memory) 32, Flash ROM
34, according to the program stored in the display function unit 11,
Each of the circuit units such as the network communication unit 15 and the short-range communication unit 20 is operated.
In addition, predetermined information is superimposed on infrared rays and transmitted to the portable device 7 via the interface 25, the modulation unit 23, and the IR transmission unit 21 of the P.O.
Information is received from the portable device 7 via the demodulation unit 24 and the interface 25.

The network terminal device 6 transmits and receives data to and from the network 2 through the modem 16, the modem control unit 17 and the interface 18 of the network communication unit 15, and transmits provided information supplied via the network 2 to the network 2. Display function unit 11 via communication unit 15
To enter. The display function unit 11 displays the received information such as image data on the display 12 via the interface 14 and the display processing unit 13, and thereby provides the user viewing the display 12 with information such as the image supplied from the network 2. Is presented.

The portable device 7 includes an operation unit 4 operated by a user.
1 and a short-range communication unit 61 for performing short-range communication using infrared rays between the network terminal device 6 and an authentication input unit 51 for authenticating a user who is the owner of the portable device 7. As shown in FIG. 3, when the user operates the plurality of buttons 42 of the operation unit 41 in the mobile device 7, the operation unit 41 sends an operation signal corresponding to the operation to the CPU 71 via the interface (I / F) 43. Supply. CP
U71 responds to an operation signal supplied from the operation unit 41,
Various programs stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) 73 are executed.

Here, the portable device 7 is a flash ROM.
74 shows a user I unique to the user who is the owner of the portable device 7.
D and fingerprint data representing the user's fingerprint are stored in advance. At this time, when the user using the portable device 7 inputs his / her own fingerprint via the fingerprint detection unit 54 of the authentication input unit 51, the fingerprint detection unit 54 Converts the input fingerprint into data and temporarily stores it in the fingerprint data storage unit 55. Then, the fingerprint collating unit 53 collates the fingerprint data stored in the fingerprint data accumulating unit 55 with the fingerprint data of the authorized user stored in the Flash ROM 74 in advance, and tries to use the portable device 7 at this time. It is determined whether the user is an authorized user.

When the fingerprint data matches in the authentication process based on the fingerprint collation, the fingerprint collation unit 53 informs the authentication result display unit 52 that the authentication has been successful for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds).
At the same time, the CPU 71 is informed that the user who has performed the fingerprint collation at this time is an authorized user. CPU 71
Accepts an input operation of the operation unit 41 by the user for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) during which the authentication result display unit 52 displays that the authentication has succeeded.
When a use request is input via the interface 6, a command corresponding to the use request is transmitted to the interface 6 of the short-range communication unit 61.
6, and transmits to the network terminal device 6 via the modulation unit 64 and the IR transmission unit 62. As described above, when the authentication result of the user who intends to use the portable device 7 is an authorized user, the portable device 7 accepts the use request only for a predetermined time, so that the portable device 7 can be used by a third party other than the authenticated user. The use of the device 7 is prevented.

As a method of authenticating the owner between the user and the portable device 7, instead of the above method, for example, a plurality of user IDs and fingerprint data corresponding to the user ID are stored in the Flash ROM 74 of the portable device 7. Keep it,
A method in which a plurality of users perform owner authentication on one portable device 7 and use the same, a method in which owner authentication is performed by inputting and collating a personal identification number or a password in the operation unit 41 of the portable device 7, owner authentication A method in which a plurality of user IDs and operation buttons corresponding to the user IDs are provided on a one-to-one basis in the portable device 7, and the user specifies a user by pressing a button associated with the user ID. Alternatively, a method of determining that the user who owns the portable device 7 is the correct user without performing owner authentication may be applied.

When the owner authentication between the user and the portable device 7 is successful in this way, the portable device 7 connects each of the servers (the album program service server 3, the personal image data server 4, and the service search server) connected to the network 2. 8) to receive various services such as provision of image data and the like. FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the album program service server 3 connected to the network 2,
13 according to the program stored in the CPU 111.
Perform various processes. The network communication unit 81 establishes connection with the network 2 by the network control unit 83 and the network connection unit 82, and exchanges data with the network 2 via the interface 84.

The operation input unit 85 receives a user's operation input through a keyboard 86 and a mouse 87 controlled by a device control unit 88 via an interface 84. The CPU 111 executes a process according to a user operation result input via the operation input unit 82.

The display unit 91 displays the operating state of the CPU 111,
Information reproduced from each recording and / or reproducing device (built-in recording / reproducing device 115, medium use reproducing device 116 or medium use recording / reproducing device 117) of the mass storage unit 114 is displayed on the display 92 by the display processing unit 93.

The audio input / output unit 101 supplies the sound input through the microphone 102 to the mass storage unit 114 via the audio processing unit 104 and the interface 105, records the sound, and reproduces the sound in the mass storage unit 114. The sound is transmitted to the speaker 1 via the interface 105 and the audio processing unit 104.
03 is output.

The album program service server 3 exchanges data with the outside via the serial interface 118 or the parallel interface 119. Incidentally, FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the service server 3, but the other servers (the personal image data server 4, the authentication server 5, and the service search server 8) also have the same configuration.

When the owner authentication between the user and the portable device 7 is successful, the portable device 7 uses the network terminal device to receive various services such as the supply of image data from the network system 1 in accordance with the sequence shown in FIG. be able to. That is, in FIG. 5, after the owner authentication between the user and the portable device 7 is successful, when the user inputs a use request by operating the operation unit 41 of the portable device 7, the portable device 7 A command of a use request is transmitted to the network terminal device 6 via the. At this time, the portable device 7 adds the unique device ID of the portable device 7 which is the main body information stored in the ROM 73 (FIG. 3) to the use request and transmits it to the network terminal device 6.

The network terminal device 6 receives the use request from the portable device 7 in the short-range communication section 20 and, if it is in a usable state, stores the device ID sent from the portable device 7 in the RAM ( Ramdom Access
Memory 32). Then, the network terminal device 6 transmits to the portable device 7 the fact that it is available.
At this time, the information indicating that the network terminal device 6 can use the unique device ID of the portable device 7 stored in the RAM 32 and the unique device ID of the network terminal device 6 stored in the ROM 33 of the network terminal device 6. To the mobile device 7. Thereafter, in the short-range communication using infrared rays between the network terminal device 6 and the portable device 7, the transmitting side adds a unique device ID of the both, and the receiving side identifies the device ID, whereby the other portable device or another network terminal is identified. This prevents erroneous communication with the device.

When the portable device 7 receives the available information from the network terminal device 6, the portable device 7 stores the transmitted device ID of the network terminal device 6 in the RAM 72 (FIG. 3), and then stores it in the Flash ROM 74 in advance. The user ID indicating the authorized user of the portable device 7 is transmitted to the network terminal device 6. At this time, the CP of the mobile device 7
U71 encrypts the user ID as necessary to prevent leakage of the user ID.

Incidentally, information indicating that use is impossible is transmitted from the network terminal device 6 to the portable device 7, or the information is transmitted from the network terminal device 6 to the portable device 7 within a predetermined time. Is not transmitted, the portable device 7 does not proceed to the subsequent processing, but performs a predetermined display on the display unit (not shown) and waits for an owner authentication input (fingerprint input) from the user. Return to

The network terminal device 6 that has received the user ID from the portable device 7 sends an authentication request to the authentication server 5 connected to the network 2 based on the location information of the authentication server stored in the FlashROM 74 in advance. Send. In this case, the network terminal device 6 establishes a PPP connection via a dial-up connection via the network communication unit 15.
(Point to Point Protocol)
Internet service provider (IS
Communication with the authentication server 5 is performed via P) 9. Thereafter, communication with the server connected to the network 2 is performed in the same manner. Also, when communicating with the network 2, the network terminal device 6 enables communication with a communication partner by adding its own position information or ID information equivalent thereto to the transmission information.

The authentication server 5 checks whether the user ID is registered in the mass storage unit 114 in advance, and if the user ID is registered, the cost for using the network terminal device 6 and the network communication usage fee. And the service charge are registered as charge information in the mass storage unit 114, and the position information of the personal data server 4 for the user ID is searched in the mass storage unit 114, and the authentication result and the position information result are transmitted to the network terminal device 6. . Communication between the network terminal device and the authentication server encrypts communication information as necessary.

It should be noted that the authentication server 5 performs both the authentication processing in the authentication server 5 and the search processing for the position information of the personal image data server 4 when the authentication server 5 uses the network terminal device 6 instead of performing both of them. A method in which only the authentication necessary for the personal image data server 4 is performed, and the position information of the personal image data server 4 is held by the portable device 7 and transmitted to the network terminal device 6;
Alternatively, the network terminal device 6 is connected to the personal image data server 4
May be stored.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show an authentication processing procedure in the authentication server 5, and the authentication server 5 executes step SP1.
When the user ID and the device ID of the network terminal device are received from the network terminal device 6 in step 1, the process proceeds to step SP12, where the user ID is registered in advance in the user ID management table of the mass storage unit 114 (FIG. 6). Check if it is. If it is confirmed here that the registration has been completed, the authentication server 5 proceeds to step SP.
The process proceeds from step 13 to step SP14, where personal information and billing information are processed based on the authenticated user ID. In this case, the processing of the personal information means that the position information of the personal data server 4 associated with the user ID is stored in the mass storage unit 11.
4 and a process of registering the cost of using the network terminal 6 and the network communication fee and service fee in the mass storage unit 114 as billing information in association with the user ID. It is.

When the processing relating to the personal information and the billing information is completed in step SP14, the authentication server 5 proceeds to step SP15, and indicates that the authentication has been successful and the personal information (the position information of the personal data server 4 corresponding to the user ID). Is transmitted to the network terminal device 6 which is the transmission source of the user ID at this time.

On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step SP13, this means that the user ID transmitted from the network terminal device 6 has not been registered in the authentication server 5, and at this time, the authentication server 5 Proceeds to step SP16 and informs user I that authentication has failed.
D is transmitted to the network terminal device 6 which is the transmission source, and the processing procedure ends.

When the authentication processing in the authentication server 5 is completed in this way, in FIG. 5, the network terminal 6 confirms that the user ID has been correctly authenticated by the user I in FIG.
D together with the position information of the personal image data server 4 corresponding to D. The network terminal device 6 transmits the user ID to the personal data server 4 corresponding to the user ID based on the position information of the personal data server 4 received from the authentication server 5, and performs a first service (home) required by the user. Service).

Upon receiving the service request, the personal image data server 4 provides the service required by the user based on the user ID received with the request. Here, the personal image data server 4 transmits to the network terminal device 6 a service for displaying information on image data owned by the user and a service list name corresponding to a service-specific ID as a home service.

As another method for the network terminal device 6 to obtain the home service, a method in which the portable device 7 owns the home service and transmits it to the network terminal device 6, and the method in which the portable device 7 A method of retrieving location information of a home service server (not shown) connected to the network 2 from the owned service retrieval server 8 and obtaining the location information from the retrieved home service server, or the personal image data server 4 is unique to the home service. And the like, by searching the service search server 8 for the location information of the home service server and acquiring the location information from the searched home service server.

The network terminal device 6 that has received the home service executes the service using the display function unit 11 and presents it to the user. The user operates the operation unit 41 of the portable device 7 to select a service list name while viewing the service (service list name) presented on the display function unit 11 of the network terminal device 6. At this time, when the user selects a desired album program service by operating the operation unit 41 of the portable device 7, the operation information is transmitted to the network terminal device 6 by short-range communication using infrared rays.

The network terminal device 6 changes the presentation state of the service based on the operation information from the portable device 7,
A user interface function of a service for a user is realized. At this time, an ID unique to the album program service selected by the user is transmitted to the service search server 8.

The service search server 8 transmits the position information of the album program service server 3 to the network terminal device 6 as a search result based on the service-specific ID. The network terminal device 6 provides a service to the album program service server 3 on the basis of the position information of the album program service server 3 as a search result, for example, converts an image owned by the user on the personal image data server 4 into an album or performs various processes. Is transmitted together with an ID unique to the service (album program service).

The album program service server 3 that has received the album program service request selected by the user from the network terminal device 6 searches for the service based on the ID unique to the album program service, and finds the searched service. The program (album program code) is transmitted to the network terminal device 6.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a service providing process in the album program service server 3. The album program service server 3 selects the service (for example, album) selected by the user from the network terminal device 6 in step SP21. When a service ID representing a program service) and terminal device information (e.g., device ID) for specifying the network terminal device 6 that is the transmission source of the service ID are received from the network terminal device 6 via the network communication unit 81, The process proceeds to step SP22 to search for a service registered in the mass storage unit 114 from the received service ID.

Then, the album program service server 3 transmits the program (album program code), which is the service searched in step SP22, to the network terminal device 6 in step SP23.

The network terminal device 6 that has received the album program code, which is one of the services of the album program service server 3, executes the received album program code to display the user's personal image data as an electronic album. 11 to be presented to the user.

After the user receives all services by repeating the service use operation after the service operation, the user operates the operation unit 41 of the portable device 7 to transmit a use end request to the network device 6.
The network terminal device 6 that has received the use end request visually indicates the use end state to the user by visually displaying the use end state on the display unit 11.

In the above configuration, the user having the portable device 7 can select any one of the plurality of network terminal devices 6 connected to the network 2.
Performs owner authentication between and. Each network terminal device 6
(Or the portable device 7) holds the position information of the authentication server 5, and the network terminal device 6 that has performed the owner authentication with the user uses the position information of the authentication server 5 to perform authentication. To access.

Therefore, the user having the portable device 7
When the owner authentication is performed using the portable device 7 and the use of the network terminal device 6 becomes possible, the authentication can be performed with the authentication server 5 via the network terminal device 6. When the authentication process with the authentication server 5 is successful, the service is received from each server (the album program service server 3, the personal image data server 4, etc.) on the network 2 via the network terminal device 6 that has performed the authentication process. be able to.

Therefore, the user can receive the service via the network 2 in any of the network terminal devices 6 as long as the user has the unique portable device 7. Various services can be used via the terminal device 6.

Therefore, according to the above-described configuration, the user can carry out the service via the network terminal device 6 at an arbitrary location by carrying the portable device 7 with high portability without carrying around the network terminal device such as a personal computer. Can be used.

In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which the present invention is applied to the network system 1 that provides image data and a service for converting the image data into an album. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can be widely applied to network systems that provide various other services such as browsing of contents such as texts and voices and text information and reservation of tickets. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 10 in which parts corresponding to those in FIG. 1 are assigned the same reference numerals, a plurality of network terminal devices 6 used by the user are connected to the network 2 in the network system 201. . The network 2 has information and programs related to content and ticket reservation,
The service uses a service server 203 configured to supply the service to the network terminal device 6, a personal data server 204 that stores a service unique to each user and provides a service corresponding to the user ID, and the network terminal device 6. Authenticates the user and the user ID of the user
An authentication server 5 for associating the personal image data server 4 with the authentication server 5 is connected.

Also in this network system 201, as in the case of the network 1 described above with reference to FIG. 1, the user having the portable device 7 performs owner authentication using a fingerprint or the like with the network terminal device 6. Thus, authentication processing can be performed with the authentication server 5 via the network terminal device 6, and when the authentication processing is successful, various services can be received from the service server 203 or the personal data server 204.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case has been described where the authentication using the fingerprint is performed as the owner authentication method between the user and the portable device 7. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Authentication methods using various biological information can be applied.

(2) Second Embodiment FIG. 11 shows the overall configuration of a home network system 301. A television monitor 306 used by a user for a home network 302 is, for example, IEEE1394.
Connected via interface. In addition, the network 302 includes a video server 305 in which contents (moving images and the like) for individuals are stored for each individual.
4 are connected via the interface. The video server 305 is connected to the network 3 from the television monitor 306.
An authentication function unit for performing authentication by searching for a user ID registered in advance with respect to the user ID supplied via the user ID 02, a search function unit for searching for a video image corresponding to the user ID, And a function unit for providing a video video list.

The television monitor 306 transmits and receives data to and from the network 302 via the network communication unit 315.
A, 307B,... According to a command using infrared rays (short-range communication) supplied in response to a user operation,
A remote commander 307A owned by each user from the video server 305 via the network 302,
307B, 307B,..., And receives various information such as a video image list and a video image list, and presents them to the display function unit 311.

FIG. 12 shows a home network system 30.
1 shows a sequence chart, and a user who operates one of the remote commanders 307A, 307B,... (For example, the remote commander 307A) sends a remote commander 307A to the remote commander 307A before transmitting a use request to the television monitor 306. By inputting a personal identification number, owner authentication is performed with the remote commander 307A. The remote commander 307A is provided with an input personal identification number and a flash ROM (not shown) provided therein.
Is compared with a password stored in advance in the server, and when the password matches the password, the user who has input the password is determined to be an authorized user, and the authentication result is displayed on a display unit (not shown) to indicate that the owner authentication was successful. Notify the user.

Then, the user presses an operation button for a use request on the operation unit 341A toward the television monitor 306. By detecting the pressing operation information, the remote commander 307A sends a use request command to the television monitor 306 via the infrared communication unit (short-range communication unit) 361A. At this time, the remote commander 307A adds an ID unique to the remote commander to the use request and transmits the request to the television monitor 306.

The television monitor 306 receives the use request from the remote commander 307A, and stores the ID unique to the remote commander sent from the remote commander 307A when the television monitor 306 is in a usable state. The remote commander 307 indicates that the television monitor 306 is available via the infrared communication unit (short-range communication unit) 320.
Send to A. At this time, an ID unique to the remote commander performing communication and an ID unique to the television monitor are added and transmitted to the remote commander 307A. Thereafter, in the short-range communication using infrared rays between the remote commander 307A and the television monitor 306, the transmitting side adds the IDs unique to both, and the receiving side identifies the added IDs, so that the other remote commanders 307B,. And prevent accidental communication with other TV monitors.

The remote commander 307A that has received the availability status information from the television monitor 306 stores the ID of the television monitor 306 sent when the television monitor 306 is available, and then stores the ID together with the user ID. As a first service, a request for a video image list is transmitted to the television monitor 306. At this time, leakage of the user ID is prevented by encrypting and transmitting the user ID as necessary.

When the remote commander 307A receives the information that the use of the television monitor 306 is not possible or does not receive the availability information within a predetermined time, a display function for the user is provided. Information indicating a reception error is displayed via the unit 311 and the process does not proceed.

Upon receiving the user ID and the service request, the television monitor 306 transmits the user ID and the service request to the video server 305 connected to the network 302. The communication in this case is performed by the IEEE 1394 interface via the network communication unit 315. Thereafter, communication with a server (such as the video server 305) on the home network is executed in the same manner. Then, when the television monitor 306 subsequently communicates with the network 302, it can communicate with a communication partner by adding its own position information or ID information equivalent thereto to the transmission information.

The video server 305 is connected to the television monitor 30
First, based on the user ID sent from 6, authentication is performed as to whether the user ID is a pre-registered user ID. If the user ID is a registered user ID, authentication is successful. As a first service, the video image list required by the user is transmitted to the television monitor 306 via the network 302. TV monitor 30
6 displays the video image list from the video server 305 on the display function unit 311 to present it to the user.

The user operates the operation unit 341A on the remote commander 307A while watching the presented video image list.
Is used to select a video list name on the video video list displayed on the display function unit 311. At this time, when the user presses a selection determination button (not shown) provided on the operation unit 341A of the remote commander 307A, the operation information is transmitted to the television monitor 306 by short-range communication using infrared rays. .

The television monitor 306 changes the display state of the video image list of the display function unit 311 based on the operation information received from the remote commander 307A, thereby displaying a user interface reflecting the operation result of the user on the display screen. Realize. Then, when the video image name is selected by the user's operation of the remote commander 307A, a video image service request is transmitted to the video server 305 via the network 302 together with the ID unique to the selected video image.

The video server 305 is connected to the television monitor 30
Based on the unique ID of the video image sent from 6, a video image is searched and transmitted to the television monitor 306 via the network 302. The television monitor 306 displays the received video image on the display function unit 311 to present it to the user.

After receiving the provision of the video image, the user operates the operation unit 341A of the remote commander 307A to transmit a use end request to the television monitor 306. TV monitor 306 that has received the use termination request
Displays the end of use on the display function unit 311 to indicate to the user that the use end state will be entered. At this time, if the video server 305 is operating, a use end request is sent to the video server. Send to 305. Upon receiving the use termination request, the video server 305 terminates the transmission of the video image.

In the above configuration, a remote commander 307 (307A, 307B,...) Unique to each user.
Is authenticated with the television monitor 302 connected to the network 302. The television monitor 306 (or the remote commander 307A (307)
B,...) Respectively hold the position information of the authentication server 305, and the television monitor 306 that has succeeded in owner authentication with the user responds to the user input using the position information of the video server 305. The request for the video image or the video image list is transmitted to the video server 305.

Therefore, the user can receive the video image unique to the user from the video server 305 only by performing the owner authentication with the television monitor 306 using the remote commander 307A unique to the user.

Therefore, according to the above configuration, the user simply receives the information such as the video image assigned to the user from the video server 305 simply by operating the remote commander 307A used when using the television monitor 306. be able to.

In the above embodiment, remote commanders 307A, 307B,.
, But the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, one remote commander 370 is provided with a plurality of user setting buttons 391A corresponding to a plurality of users, and each user is provided with a plurality of user setting buttons 391A. By operating a button assigned to one of the user setting buttons 391A, the user ID registered in the remote commander 370 corresponding to the operation button is displayed on the television monitor 3.
06 may be transmitted. If you do this,
By using only one remote commander 370, a plurality of users can receive information such as video images assigned individually from the video server 305.

In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which authentication is performed by inputting a personal identification number as an owner authentication method between the user and the remote commander 307A. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an authentication method using various biological information can be applied.

In the above embodiment, the television monitor 306, the video server 305,
Has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the network 302 is connected to another electronic device (such as a video tape recorder) having an interface function unit with a remote commander owned by the user. The present invention can be widely applied to a system that receives services from various connected service servers.

[0067]

As described above, according to the present invention, in a network system in which a communication terminal device and an information providing device are connected via a network, user identification information indicating a predetermined user is held, and the communication terminal device A terminal device that performs authentication based on the user identification information between a portable device that transmits user identification information, an authentication device connected to a network based on the user identification information transmitted from the portable device, With the provision of the information providing device for transmitting the provided information to the communication terminal device, the provided information can be received via an arbitrary communication terminal device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a network system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a network terminal device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a portable device.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of each server.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an information use sequence in the network system.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram for explaining an authentication process of the authentication server;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an authentication processing procedure of the authentication server.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a service providing process of a service server.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a service providing processing procedure of the service server.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the network system.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a home network system according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a sequence in the home network system.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a home network system according to another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 201 network system, 2 network, 3 ... Alpam program service server, 4 ...
... personal image data server, 5 ... authentication server, 6 ... terminal device, 7 ... portable device, 8 ... service search server.

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Hideki Matsumoto 6-7-35 Kita Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Sony Corporation (72) Inventor Yuichi Machida 6-35 35 Kita Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Sony Incorporated F term (reference) 5B085 AE02 AE23 5J104 AA07 KA01 KA20 MA01 NA05 NA36 NA38 PA01 PA07 5K067 AA33 BB04 BB21 DD17 EE02 GG11 HH05 HH13 HH22 HH23 HH24

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A network system in which a communication terminal device and an information providing device are connected via a network, wherein the portable device holds user identification information representing a predetermined user and transmits the user identification information to the communication terminal device. And a communication terminal device that performs authentication based on the user identification information with an authentication device connected to the network based on the user identification information transmitted from the portable device, and provided in accordance with the authentication result. A network system, comprising: the information providing device that transmits information to the communication terminal device. 2. The portable device according to claim 1, further comprising an authentication unit for performing owner authentication with a user who uses the portable device, and transmitting the user identification information to the communication terminal device according to a result of the owner authentication. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission is performed. 3. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the communication terminal device has position information of the authentication device, and performs authentication with the authentication device based on the position information. . 4. A communication terminal device connected to an information providing device via a network, wherein the communication terminal device is connected to the network based on the user identification information transmitted from a portable device holding user identification information representing a predetermined user. A communication terminal comprising: an authentication unit that performs authentication based on the user identification information with the authentication device; and a provided information receiving unit that receives provided information from the information providing device in accordance with the authentication result. apparatus. 5. The communication terminal device according to claim 4, wherein the communication terminal device has position information of the authentication device, and performs authentication with the authentication device based on the position information. 6. A portable device for exchanging information with a communication terminal device, comprising: user identification information holding means for holding user identification information representing a predetermined user; A portable device for transmitting an authentication request to the communication terminal device based on the user identification information by transmitting user identification information to the communication terminal device. 7. An authentication means for performing owner authentication with a user using the portable device, wherein the user identification information is transmitted to the communication terminal device according to a result of the owner authentication. The mobile device according to claim 6, wherein: 8. The portable device according to claim 6, wherein said portable device holds user identification information corresponding to each of a plurality of users who use said portable device in said user identification information holding means. 9. The portable device according to claim 6, wherein the portable device includes a control unit that outputs a command for controlling the communication terminal device.