JP2003345694A - Information providing system and cc/pp converting method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information providing system which can handle even a request from a CC/PP inadaptive terminal in an information providing system using the CC/PP and a CC/PP converting method for the same. <P>SOLUTION: At, for example, a CC/PP selecting device part, etc., a system administrator prepares CC/PP descriptions by the CC/PP inadaptive terminals or generates the CC/PP description from the HTTP header of a terminal and sets it so that it can be used by the system; and contents obtained by sending a request to an external communication network by using the CC/PP description are converted and sent to a requesting terminal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information providing system for providing content from a server to a terminal (communication terminal device) using CC / PP, and to a request from a terminal that does not support CC / PP. The present invention relates to an information providing system having a CC / PP conversion function and a CC / PP conversion method for enabling content to be provided.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art CC / PP is transmitted from a predetermined server to a communication terminal connected to a network by wire or wirelessly.
(Short for Composite Capabilities / Preference Profiles)
An information providing system that provides various types of information using the Internet is used. Such a system is disclosed in, for example,
0-2242491, JP-A-2001-344196
This is also disclosed in the official gazette. CC / PP is a framework for transmitting terminal hardware and software information to a server that provides content in a user terminal information acquisition processing method. In the vocabulary of CC / PP description,
For example, "whether or not terminal displays can be displayed in color"
"Terminal display size" and the like.

[0003] CC / PP is currently being standardized, but there are many terminals that do not support it yet. In a system using CC / PP in such a transition period, CC / P
If a request is issued from a terminal that does not support P, the conventional system cannot perform processing on the non-supporting terminal.

In the CC / PP Exchange Protocol, CC
It specifies a protocol for exchanging / PP using HTTP. The terminal includes the URI of the repository that stores its own CC / PP description in the Profile header field,
Send TP request. The receiving server gets the actual CC / PP description from the specified repository. However, if the HTTP request from the terminal does not include the Profile header, please refer to CC / PP Exchange
It was not specified in the Protocol, and the server that processed the request had to take its own action.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to address the above problems, and has been developed in an information providing system using CC / PP to process requests from terminals that do not support CC / PP. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an information providing system and a CC / PP conversion method therefor.

[0006]

In order to solve the problem, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a client device connected to an external communication network such as the Internet, and a plurality of wireless or wired client devices connected to the client device. An information providing system comprising a communication terminal device and using a CC / PP, comprising a content conversion function unit and a CC / PP selection device, wherein a CC / PP selecting device is connected to the client device and a CC / PP non-compliant communication terminal device is provided. / PP Contains a content conversion system that prepares descriptions.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the information providing system of the first aspect, a client device having the content conversion function unit in addition to a function as a known client device, and capable of communicating with the client device. The configuration includes the connected CC / PP selection device.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the information providing system according to the first or second aspect, the CC / PP selecting device includes a default CC / PP description and a CC / PP database created by a system administrator. CC / PP created by administrator
A CC / P description corresponding to the requesting communication terminal obtained from the database or a CC / P transmitting the default CC / PP description to the client device when the description is not obtained.
P Includes the selection unit.

According to the invention described in claim 4, in the information providing system according to claim 3, a CC / PP description to be transmitted to the client device is generated from information in an HTTP header and provided to the CC / PP selecting unit. It further includes and configures an HTTP header-CC / PP item mapping database.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in each of the above information providing systems, the client device is provided with the CC / PP
Integrate with the selection device.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a CC / PP conversion method comprising: a client device connected to an external communication network such as the Internet; and a plurality of communication terminal devices connected to the client device wirelessly or by wire. In the information provision system using CC / PP, the client device
When a request from a communication terminal device that does not support CC / PP is received, a CC / PP description is prepared based on the request, and a request based on the CC / PP description is transmitted to the external communication network. The content is converted and transmitted to the CC / PP-incompatible communication terminal device.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the CC / PP conversion method according to the sixth aspect, the default CC / PP conversion method is used.
A description and a CC / PP description group corresponding to each type of communication terminal device not supporting CC / PP are stored in the first database in advance, and the client device receives a request from the communication terminal device not supporting CC / PP. When receiving the request, if a CC / PP description corresponding to the requesting communication terminal device is obtained from the first database, a request based on the CC / PP description is transmitted to the external communication network. When a CC / PP description corresponding to the requesting communication terminal device cannot be obtained from the first database, a request based on the default CC / PP description is transmitted to the external communication network.

[0013] In the method of the present invention described in claim 8, in the CC / PP conversion method according to claim 7, the method further supports information in an HTTP header of a request from a communication terminal device that does not support CC / PP. The CC / PP description is stored in advance in the second database, and if the CC / PP description corresponding to the requesting communication terminal device cannot be obtained from the first database, first the CC / PP description from the requesting communication terminal device is received. A CC / PP description is generated based on the information in the HTTP header of the request.If the CC / PP description can be generated, a request based on the CC / PP description is transmitted to the external communication network. / PP
A request based on the description is transmitted to the external communication network.

In the present invention, for example, in the CC / PP selecting device portion, a system administrator prepares a CC / PP description for each terminal,
Alternatively, since the CC / PP description can be generated from the HTTP header of the terminal and set so that it can be used in the system, the CC / PP description of the terminal that does not support CC / PP can be transmitted. Note that, in the present invention, each device using the CC / PP description
There is no need to add processing for terminals that do not support / PP.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows CC
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an embodiment of a network system according to the present invention configured to include a / PP selection system.

The system of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is connected to the Internet 500 as an external communication network and has a client device 300 provided with a content conversion function unit in addition to a function as a known client device,
This is an information providing system including a CC / PP selection device 400 communicably connected to a communication device 0 and a plurality of communication terminal devices (hereinafter, also simply referred to as terminals) connected to the client device 300 wirelessly or by wire.

The above-mentioned communication terminal device group includes terminals corresponding to the CC / PP description (terminals A, B, C,... Corresponding to the CC / PP description) and terminals not at least completely supporting the CC / PP description. (Terminals A, B, C, ... that do not support CC / PP). In the following description, CC / PP
Depending on the type of compatible terminal, CC / PP compatible terminal 100A, 100B,
100C, ... FIG. 1 shows only the m-th CC / PP-compatible terminal 100Am of the CC / PP-compatible terminal 100A that is wiredly connected to the client device 300. Similarly, the nth CC / PP of the CC / PP non-compliant terminal 200A wirelessly connected to the client device 300 (predetermined intermediate devices, routes, etc. are not shown).
Only the unsupported terminal 200An is shown.

In this embodiment, each terminal may be a known terminal, and the description is omitted. Also, various devices related to the client device of the present embodiment via the Internet 500 and the Internet 500 are assumed to be compatible with the CC / PP description by a known technology, and description thereof will be omitted.

The client device 300 is a system device that transmits a request for a CC / PP description to a terminal requesting the request to the CC / PP selecting device 400 and receives the CC / PP description. The client device 300 operates as a well-known client device, and when a request is received from a terminal that does not support CC / PP, the content conversion function compensates for the lacking information and switches to the normal CC / PP processing method. It has a function that allows you to perform processing according to
At this time, with the help of the CC / PP selection device 400 as will be described in detail later.

The CC / PP selection device 400 constitutes a content conversion system in cooperation with the content conversion function of the client device 300. In CC / PP selection device 400,
Receives a CC / PP description request from a client device and
P Returns the description to the client device. Referring to FIG. 1, a CC / PP selecting device 400 includes a CC / PP selecting unit 401, a CC / PP database 402 created by a system administrator as a first database, and an HTTP header-C as a second database.
C / PP item mapping database 403, default CC / P
P Description 404.

The CC / PP database 40 created by the system administrator
2 stores the CC / PP description corresponding to the CC / PP-incompatible terminal that is known in advance and created by the administrator. An example of keys and values to be stored is shown in Table 1 in Fig. 2 (a).
Note that “Mozilla” in each table in FIG. 2 and FIGS.
"," MSIE4.01 "and" Windows NT "are registered trademarks. The default CC / PP description 404 is a default CC / PP description created in advance by an administrator.

HTTP header-CC / PP item mapping database (HTTP header-CC / PP item table database) 40
3 stores (mapping) a table of items in the HTTP header and items in the CC-PP description in association with the CC / PP description of terminals that do not support CC / PP. An example of the key and value (table) to be stored is shown in Table 2 in Fig. 2 (b). Also,
An example of the table is shown in Table 3 in Fig. 2 (c).

Next, the operation of the embodiment system will be described with reference to FIG. [1] to [10] in FIG. 1 show the flow of information signals between the elements. In the system according to the embodiment, the client device 300 operates as a content conversion device.

[1: When there is a request from a CC / PP compatible terminal] 1-1. CC / PP compatible terminal using the client device 300
100Am transmits a request to the client device 300 using HTTP ([1] in FIG. 1). This request includes the HT
The TP header includes User-Agent information and a Profile header. FIG. 3 shows an example of the HTTP header in such a case.

1-2. Upon receiving the HTTP request from the terminal, the client device 300 performs a process according to a normal CC / PP processing method. Profile in the HTTP header of the request
Based on the value (URI) of the header field, obtain the desired CC / PP description from an external network such as the Internet, or obtain the CC / PP description transmitted as the value of the Profile-Diff header field in the HTTP header. (Fig. 1 [2],
[3]) Perform predetermined content conversion, and transmit the converted content to CC / PP compatible terminal 100Am ([4] in FIG. 1).

[2: When there is a request from a terminal that does not support CC / PP] 2-1. A terminal 200An that does not support CC / PP that uses the client device 300 transmits a request to the client device 300 using HTTP. ((1) in FIG. 1). In this case, the request includes User-Agent information and terminal information equivalent to the CC / PP description in the HTTP header, but does not include the Profile header. FIG. 4 shows an example of the HTTP header in such a case.

2-2. Since the client device 300 that has received the HTTP request from the terminal 200An does not include the Profile header in the HTTP header received from the terminal 200An, the client device 300 selects the CC / PP to obtain the CC / PP. For device 400
Send HTTP header (2). CC / PP in CC / PP selection device
As described above, the HTTP header received by the selection unit 401
It contains User-Agent information and terminal information equivalent to the CC / PP description.

2-3. The CC / PP selection unit 401 stores the Us in the HTTP header in the CC / PP database 402 created by the system administrator.
Sends er-Agent information and creates a CC created by the system administrator.
Inquires if there is a / PP description (3). 2-4. The CC / PP database 402 created by the system administrator
If the CC / PP description created by the system administrator exists, the CC / PP description is transmitted to the CC / PP selecting unit 401 (4).
If it does not exist, the system administrator created CC / PP database 401 sends information indicating that it does not exist to the CC / PP selecting unit 401 (4).

2-5. When the CC / PP description is received from the CC / PP database 402 created by the system administrator, the CC / PP selection unit 401 transmits the received CC / PP description to the client device.
Return to 300 (9).

2-6. Or CC / P created by system administrator
Upon receiving information from the P database 402 that the CC / PP description did not exist, the CC / PP selection unit 401
User in TP header-CC / PP item mapping database 403
-Agent information is transmitted, and an inquiry is made as to whether a table using the User-Agent information as a key exists (5).

2-7. In the HTTP header-CC / PP item mapping database 403, if there is a table using the received User-Agent information as a key, the table is transmitted to the CC / PP selection unit 401 (6). If there is no table, information indicating that there is no table is transmitted (6).

2-8. When a table is received, the CC / PP selecting unit 401 performs processing for generating a CC / PP description from an HTTP header based on the received table, and generates the generated CC / PP.
The P description is returned to the client device (9). On the other hand, when receiving the information that there is no table, the CC / PP selecting device 401 reads the default CC / PP description 404 (7),
(8), and return it to the client device 300 (9). The client device 300 sets the value (URI) of the Profile header field
A desired CC / PP description is obtained based on the CC / PP description, or a CC / PP description transmitted as a value of the Profile-Diff header field in the HTTP header is obtained from an external network (FIG. 1).
[2], [3]) Perform predetermined content conversion and transmit the converted content to CC / PP compatible terminal 200An ([4] in FIG. 1).
).

As described above, the CC / PP selecting device 400 operates differently depending on the contents of the HTTP header transmitted from the client device. The above-described processing and the like in the CC / PP selection device 400 of the embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart schematically illustrating the processing and the like performed by the CC / PP selection unit 401 shown in FIG.

The terminal transmits a request to the client device 300 using HTTP. The client device 300 receives the request (P1) and determines whether the header includes a Profile header (P2). If the Profile header is included (P2; YES), the client device 300 sets the value (U
(RI) to request an external network such as the Internet,
Get the CC / PP description sent as the value of the Profile-Diff header field in the HTTP header (P13: FIG. 1)
[2], [3]). Then, predetermined content conversion is performed as necessary, and the converted content is transmitted to the requesting terminal (P1
Four).

If the HTTP header does not include the Profile header (P2; NO), the client device 300
Send HTTP header to C / PP selection device 400 (P
Four). In the CC / PP selection section 401, the CC / PP created by the system administrator
The User-Agent information in the HTTP header is transmitted to the database 402 ((3) in FIG. 1). The system administrator created CC / PP database 402 determines whether there is a CC / PP description created by the system administrator (P5). If there is a CC / PP description created by the system administrator (P5; YES), this CC / PP description is obtained (P6), and the obtained CC / PP description is
Return to 0 (P12). CC / PP created by system administrator
If there is no description (P5; NO), CC /
It is transmitted to the PP selection unit 401 ((4) in FIG. 1).

When the CC / PP description is received from the CC / PP database 402 created by the system administrator (P6), the CC / PP selecting unit 401 transmits the received CC / PP description to the client device 30.
Return to 0 (P12: (9) in FIG. 1). System administrator created CC
Upon receiving information from the / PP database 402 that the CC / PP description did not exist, the CC / PP selection unit 401
Us to HTTP header-CC / PP item mapping database 403
er-Agent information is transmitted (P7), and an inquiry is made as to whether a table using the User-Agent information as a key exists (FIG. 1).
(Five)).

The HTTP header-CC / PP item mapping database 403 determines whether a CC / PP description can be created based on the received User-Agent information. That is, received
Check if there is a table that uses User-Agent information as a key
(P8) If there is (YES), the table (correspondence between the HTTP request header name and the item in the CC / PP description) is transmitted to the CC / PP selection unit 401 (P9: FIG. 1 (6)). If there is no table, information indicating that there is no table is transmitted (FIG. 1 (6)).

[0038] When the table is received, the CC / PP selection unit 401 converts the HTTP header based on the received table.
Performs processing to generate a CC / PP description (P10) and generates the generated CC / PP.
Return the description to the client device ((P12): FIG. 1)
(9)). On the other hand, when the information indicating that there is no table is received (P8; NO), the CC / PP selection device 401
The description 404 is read ((P11): (7), (8) in FIG. 1) and returned to the client device 300 ((P12): (9) in FIG. 1).

2-9. The client device 300 performs predetermined content conversion using the CC / PP description received by the operation of the CC / PP selecting device 400 described above, and transmits a request to an external network (P13). . Then, the received content is converted and the converted content is transmitted to the CC / PP non-compliant terminal 200An ((P14): (10) in FIG. 1).

As shown in the operation of the above embodiment, CC / P
The P selection unit 401 operates differently according to the content of the HTTP header transmitted from the client device (the content conversion system in this example) 300.

According to the above-described embodiment, a terminal that does not support CC / PP
The effect that CC / PP description can be transmitted and received is obtained. The reason is that the system administrator prepares CC / PP description for each terminal,
Alternatively, the CC / PP description can be generated from the HTTP header of the terminal and set so that it can be used in the system.

As another effect of this embodiment, CC / PP
This eliminates the need to add processing for terminals that do not support CC / PP to devices that use descriptions. The reason is that CC / PP descriptions of terminals that do not support CC / PP are automatically generated by the content conversion system in a lump.

The present invention can be embodied in different forms without being limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the embodiment, the default CC / PP description is single, but a plurality of appropriate ones corresponding to each terminal category may be prepared. Will be able to

[0044] Even when a CC / PP compatible terminal is used,
It is possible to handle cases where it is known that the CC / PP description at the time of the request prepared by the terminal vendor is missing or incorrect, and the system administrator prepares the complete CC / PP description in advance. It can be used to complement CC / PP compatible terminals.

As described in the embodiment, the CC / PP selection device may be provided separately from the client device (content conversion system), but the client device is provided with the same CC / PP selection device as in the embodiment. The configuration used can also be used.

Further, the CC / PP selection system is installed in the terminal and the client device (a system using CC / PP),
It can be processed as a proxy.

Alternatively, an effect equivalent to that of the embodiment can be obtained by adding a CC / PP selection system to an existing proxy or by calling a CC / PP selection function from the existing proxy.

[0048]

[Effects of the Invention] The effects of the present invention are as follows.
/ PP Description can be transmitted. The reason is CC / PP
This is because the system administrator can prepare the CC / PP description for each terminal in the selection device part, or generate the CC / PP description from the HTTP header of the terminal and set it so that it can be used in the system. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an effect that it is not necessary to add a process for a terminal that does not support CC / PP to each device using the CC / PP description. The reason is that a CC / PP description of a terminal that does not support CC / PP can be automatically generated by the CC / PP selection device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing one embodiment of a network system including and configured with a CC / PP selection system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment. FIG. 2 (a) is a table diagram showing an example of keys and values stored in a CC / PP database created by a system administrator. FIG. 2 (b) is an HTTP diagram. Header-CC /
Fig. 2 shows an example of keys and values (tables) stored in the PP item mapping database, and Fig. 2 (c) is a table diagram 3 showing a table reference.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an HTTP header of a request using HTTP transmitted by a CC / PP compatible terminal.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an HTTP header of a request using HTTP transmitted by a terminal that does not support CC / PP.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed by a CC / PP selection device or the like according to the embodiment;

[Explanation of symbols]

100Am… CC / PP compatible terminal (communication terminal device) 200An… CC / PP unsupported terminal (communication terminal device) 300… Client device (content conversion device) 400… CC / PP selection device 401… CC / PP selector 402… CC / PP database created by system administrator 403… HTTP header-CC / PP item mapping database 404… Default CC / PP description 500… Internet

   ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page    (72) Inventor Kazuhisa Manabe             3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture               NEC Information Systems Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hengao Tachikawa             3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture               NEC Information Systems Co., Ltd.

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An information providing system comprising a client device connected to an external communication network such as the Internet and a plurality of communication terminal devices connected to the client device wirelessly or by wire, using a CC / PP, the content conversion system comprising: An information providing system comprising a functional unit and a CC / PP selection device, and comprising a content conversion system connected to the client device and preparing a CC / PP description for a communication terminal device not supporting CC / PP. 2. A system comprising: a client device having the content conversion function unit in addition to a function as a known client device; and the CC / PP selecting device communicably connected to the client device. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The CC / PP selection device includes a default CC / P
P description and the CC / PP database created by the system administrator and the CC / PP description corresponding to the requesting communication terminal device obtained from the CC / PP database created by the system administrator, or the default CC / PP description if this is not available. The information providing system according to claim 1, further comprising a CC / PP selecting unit that transmits the information to the client device. 4. An HTTP header-CC / PP item mapping database for generating a CC / PP description to be transmitted to the client device from information in an HTTP header and providing the CC / PP description to the CC / PP selecting unit. The information providing system according to claim 3, wherein 5. The information providing system according to claim 2, wherein said client device includes said CC / PP selecting device and is integrally formed. 6. An information providing system using a CC / PP, comprising a client device connected to an external communication network such as the Internet and a plurality of communication terminal devices connected to the client device wirelessly or by wire, the client device comprising: Receives a request from a communication terminal device that does not support CC / PP, prepares a CC / PP description based on the request, transmits a request based on this CC / PP description to the external communication network, Converting the obtained content and transmitting the converted content to the CC / PP-incompatible communication terminal device. 7. A default CC / PP description and a group of CC / PP descriptions corresponding to each type of communication terminal device that does not support CC / PP are stored in the first database in advance, and the client device determines whether the client device does not support CC / PP. If a request from the corresponding communication terminal device is received, and if a CC / PP description corresponding to the requesting communication terminal device is obtained from the first database, a request based on the CC / PP description If the CC / PP description corresponding to the requesting communication terminal is not obtained from the first database, the default
7. The CC / PP conversion method according to claim 6, wherein a request based on a CC / PP description is transmitted to the external communication network. 8. A CC / PP description corresponding to information in an HTTP header of a request from a communication terminal device that does not support CC / PP is stored in a second database in advance, and a request is sent from the first database. If the CC / PP description corresponding to the source communication terminal device cannot be obtained, first, a CC / PP description is generated based on the information in the HTTP header of the request from the requesting communication terminal device. This CC / PP
The CC / PP according to claim 7, wherein a request based on the description is transmitted to the external communication network. If the request cannot be generated, a request based on the default CC / PP description is transmitted to the external communication network. PP conversion method.