JP2004200821A - Service retrieval system using network, and its method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To retrieve enabled/disabled service utilizations and service providing places about services not concerning the communication over a network by utilizing the network. <P>SOLUTION: Service names are arranged to correspond to multicast addresses uniquely to involve position information in the names per service providing means. The service providing means is set to answer to only a packet at a multicast address corresponding to a providable service upon receipt of an inquiry. A name solving means holds the correspondence of the multicast addresses to names indicating the kind of services, thereby answering to an inquiry from a user. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a service location search method for searching for the presence / absence of service provision over a network, and more particularly to name resolution and multicast communication.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the prior art, as a method of using a network to check whether a certain service is available, a method for receiving a service provided by communication on the network, such as printing data transmitted by the network, is used. The user can search for the network address of the service providing means to be provided (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Non-patent document 1]
E. Guttman, C. Perkins, J. Veizades, and M. Day, "Service Location Protocol, Version 2", RFC 2608, June 1999, p.5-7, p.9
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above prior art, services that can be handled are limited to services provided by communication over a network, and no consideration is given to general services that do not use a network (for example, sales of soft drinks). Also, since the service location is identified by the network address, there is a problem that the user does not know the physical location where the service is provided, so if the user needs to go to the service location (for example, Room use). Further, in the related art, it is necessary that each service providing unit has information on a service provided by each service and that information can be provided via a network by a dedicated protocol.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a service name and a multicast address are uniquely associated with each other, and location information is included in the name of the service providing means.
In order to achieve the above object, each service providing means responds only to a packet addressed to a multicast address corresponding to a service that can be provided at the time of inquiry.
[0006]
In order to achieve the other object, the name resolution means holds correspondence between a multicast address and a name indicating a service type, and responds to an inquiry from a user.
[0007]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The present embodiment is an application example of the present invention to a building having a plurality of conference rooms 11. The name of the conference room 11 is such that the conference rooms on the first floor are 101 conference rooms, 102 conference rooms in order, and the conference rooms on the second floor are 201 conference rooms and 202 conference rooms. The name of the conference room 11 can be estimated.
[0008]
At the entrance of each conference room 11, a display means 12 for indicating whether the conference room is in use or not is provided. Each display means 12 is connected to an IPv6 network 13.
The IPv6 network 13 is configured by connecting a display unit 12, a DNS (Domain Name System) server 14, and a wireless AP (Access Point) 15 of each conference room 11 to each other. Further, an IPv6 network device that can wirelessly communicate with the wireless AP 15 also becomes a part of the IPv6 network 13 and can communicate with each other. The portable terminal 16 in FIG. 1 is an example.
[0009]
FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the display means 12. In the display means 12 of the present embodiment, when the switch 21 is pressed, "in use" is displayed on the in-use display section 22, and when the switch 21 is pressed again, the display disappears. At the start of use of the conference room 11, the conference room user presses the switch 21 of the display means 12 of the conference room 11 to display "in use". When the use of the conference room is completed, the switch 21 of the display means 12 is pressed again to turn off the "in use" display.
[0010]
The display means 12 has a network interface 23, and is connected to the IPv6 network 13 by the network interface 23. The switch 21 of the display means 12 also functions as a power switch of the network interface 23. When “in use” is displayed on the in-use display section 22, power is not supplied to the network interface 23. Power is supplied to the network interface 23 when the display of “in use” has disappeared. Since the network interface 23 operates only while power is supplied, the network interface 23 operates only when the display of “in use” disappears, that is, only when the conference room 11 is vacant. .
[0011]
The network interface 23 of the present embodiment can communicate with the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), which is a specification of the IETF. Each network interface 23 has at least one unique IPv6 unicast address. In this embodiment, it is assumed that each network interface 23 has a unique link local address. Each network interface 23 receives only a packet addressed to a multicast address registered in the multicast address storage unit 24.
[0012]
The DNS server 14 replies the correspondence between the name and the IPv6 address using the DNS protocol. The DNS server 14 has a name table 31 in which the correspondence between names and IPv6 addresses is registered.
[0013]
FIG. 3 shows the contents registered in the name table 31. In the name table 31, a plurality of pairs of IPv6 addresses and names corresponding to each other are registered. All IPv6 unicast addresses (link-local addresses in this embodiment) unique to the network interface 23 of the display means 12 of each conference room 11 are registered together with the name of the corresponding conference room 11. Further, three kinds of predetermined IPv6 multicast addresses (1, 2, 3) are registered in the name table 31. Each multicast address corresponds to a group of the conference rooms 11 grouped according to the scale (large, medium, small). The names corresponding to the multicast addresses are "large conference room", "medium conference room", and "small conference room", respectively.
[0014]
Next, a communication sequence in the case where the user searches for a vacant conference room 11 will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0015]
It is assumed that the user has a portable terminal 16 having a communication function based on the IPv6 protocol and capable of communicating with the wireless AP 15 wirelessly. The user inputs a name corresponding to the size of the conference room 11 being searched, for example, “large conference room” to the portable terminal 16 (501). The mobile terminal 16 queries the DNS server 14 for an IPv6 address corresponding to the name (“large conference room”) input by the user using the DNS protocol (401). It is assumed that the IPv6 address of the DNS server 14 is known to the mobile terminal 16. Specifically, for example, the address of the DNS server 14 can be set in the portable terminal 16 by DHCPv6 (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).
[0016]
Upon receiving the inquiry from the mobile terminal 16, the DNS server 14 searches the name table 31 for the name (in this case, "large conference room") and returns the corresponding address (in this case, the multicast address 1) to the mobile terminal 16. (402).
The mobile terminal 16 that has received the answer from the DNS server 14 transmits an ICMPv6 (Internet Control Message Protocol for IPv6) Echo Request message with the obtained address (multicast address 1) as the destination address (403). The Echo Request message is multicast and reaches all the display means 12 connected to the IPv6 network 13.
[0017]
The network interface 23 of each display unit 12 receives the Echo Request message only when the destination address of the message matches the multicast address registered in the multicast address storage unit 24 in advance. A multicast address according to the size of the conference room 11 is set in the multicast address storage unit 24 of the display unit 12 of each conference room 11 in advance. For example, in the case of the large conference room 11, the multicast address 1 corresponding to the name "large conference room" is registered.
[0018]
When the destination address of the Echo Request message is the multicast address 1 (address corresponding to the “large conference room”), the display unit 21 in which the multicast address 1 is registered in the multicast address storage unit 24, that is, the large-scale conference room 11 Only the network interface 23 of the display means 21 receives the Echo Request message. When the conference room 11 is in use, “in use” is displayed on the in-use display section 21, and the network interface 23 is not operating. Therefore, the network interface 23 that receives the Echo Request message addressed to the multicast address 1 is large and is limited to the currently available conference room 11.
[0019]
The network interface 23 that has received the Echo Request message transmits an Echo Reply message to the source address of the EchoRequest message (in this case, the address of the mobile terminal 16). As the source address of the Echo Reply message, a unicast address (link local address in this embodiment) unique to each network interface 23 is used.
[0020]
The mobile terminal 16 receives an Echo Reply message from the display means 12 of the currently vacant conference room 11 of the appropriate size ("large conference room") (404). When there are a plurality of the meeting rooms 11, a plurality of Echo Reply messages are returned to the portable terminal 16, and when there is no such a meeting room 11 (all in use), no Echo Reply message is returned.
[0021]
The portable terminal 16 waits for the reception of the Echo Reply message (510), and queries the DNS server 14 for a name corresponding to the source address of the received Echo Reply message (405). The DNS server 14 searches the inquired address (for example, link local address 1) from the name table 31, and returns the corresponding name (in this case, "101 conference room") to the portable terminal 16. The mobile terminal 16 that has received the answer from the DNS server 14 provides the user with the name of the conference room 11 by displaying the name on the screen (505). When an Echo Reply message is received from the display means 12 of a plurality of conference rooms 11, the name is inquired to the DNS server 14 for each of them, and a list of names is displayed on a screen, for example, to use the scale desired by the user. Provide the user with the names of all possible conference rooms 11. The process of waiting for an EchoReply message (510) continues until the user explicitly stops. The user determines that there is no available conference room 11 when one or more names are displayed on the screen and the name of the available conference room 11 can be confirmed, or when the name is not displayed after waiting for a certain period of time And interrupt the processing.
[0022]
The user can check the list of vacant meeting rooms 11 of the desired size (large, medium, small) at that time on the mobile terminal 16 without going to the meeting rooms 11. Since the approximate location of the conference room is known from the displayed name of the conference room 11, the user can move there.
[0023]
As described above, by using the service providing place confirmation method according to the present invention, it becomes possible to search for a general service (meeting room in this embodiment) that does not use communication on the network, and the service providing place can be determined. This has the effect that it can be confirmed with information other than the network address (meeting room name in this embodiment). Further, there is an effect that each service providing means (meeting room) can answer an inquiry without having information about the service (for example, the name of the meeting room, the position of the meeting room, and the size of the meeting room).
[0024]
Next, a second embodiment of the service providing place confirmation method according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The service providing means in this embodiment is a vending machine 61 for selling soft drinks. When multiple vending machines 61 are installed in a specific building or facility (underground shopping mall, stadium, etc.), it is now possible to search through the network for which vending machine 61 the desired soft drinks can be obtained from. I do.
[0025]
The IPv6 network 13 according to the present embodiment is configured by connecting vending machines A, B, and C (61) of soft drinks, a DNS server 14, and a wireless AP 15 to each other. An IPv6 terminal that can communicate wirelessly with the wireless AP 15 can also participate in the IPv6 network 13. The mobile terminal 16 is an example of this IPv6 terminal.
[0026]
As in the first embodiment, the DNS server 14 of this embodiment has a name table 31 in which the correspondence between names and addresses is recorded. FIG. 8 shows the contents of the name table 31. Each vending machine 61 has a unique IPv6 unicast address (in this embodiment, a link local address), all of which are registered in the name table 31 together with the corresponding names. As the name, a name indicating the installation location of each vending machine 61 is selected (for example, “West exit vending machine”). Further, in the name table 31, for each type of soft drink sold by the vending machine 61, the name of the soft drink (for example, orange juice) and the corresponding multicast address are registered. The multicast address is determined by the administrator so that it is unique for each type of soft drink and does not overlap.
[0027]
FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of the vending machine 61. The vending machine 61 has a network interface 23 for connecting to the IPv6 network 13, a multicast address table 72 for registering a multicast address, and a plurality of counters 73 indicating the remaining number for each type of soft drink being sold.
[0028]
The counter 73 takes a value of 0 or a positive integer, and its value always matches the number of the corresponding soft drink stored in the vending machine 61. When the value of the counter 73 is 0, the corresponding soft drink is sold out.
[0029]
In the multicast address table 72, all the multicast addresses corresponding to the types of soft drinks sold by the vending machine 61 are registered. The correspondence between the type of soft drink and the multicast address is matched with the correspondence registered in the name table 31 of the DNS server 14. FIG. 10 shows an example of the multicast address table 72. In this example, multicast addresses corresponding to orange juice, sports drink, and green tea are registered.
[0030]
The user can use the mobile terminal 16 to search for the location of the vending machine 61 where the desired type of soft drink (for example, sports drink) can be purchased. The processing flow in the portable terminal 16 at this time is the same as in the first embodiment (FIG. 5). The user inputs the type of soft drink to be searched (for example, sports drink) to the mobile terminal 16, and the mobile terminal 16 queries the DNS server 14 for a multicast address corresponding to the type of soft drink. An Echo Request message is transmitted to the address (the multicast address D in this case) returned from the DNS server 14.
[0031]
FIG. 9 shows a processing flow when the vending machine 61 receives the Echo Request message. The vending machine 61 searches the multicast address table 72 for the destination address of the received Echo Request message (901). In the multicast address table 72, all the multicast addresses corresponding to the soft drinks sold by the vending machine 61 are registered. If the destination address of the Echo Request message is not registered in the multicast address table 72, the vending machine 61 does not sell the soft drink desired by the user, and the process ends (902).
[0032]
If there is a corresponding multicast address, the number of the counter 73 representing the remaining number of soft drinks corresponding to the multicast address is obtained from the multicast address table 72, and the value of the counter 73 of that number is inspected (903). If the value of the counter 73 is 0, the process ends because the soft drink desired by the user is sold out (904). When the value of the counter 73 is larger than 0, it means that at least one soft drink desired by the user can be sold. In this case, an Echo Reply message is returned to the source address of the Echo Request message (in this case, the address of the portable terminal 16) (905).
[0033]
The portable terminal 16 receives an Echo Reply message from the vending machine 61 that sells the type of soft drink desired by the user and has not sold out the soft drink. If no vending machine 61 is selling the desired soft drink, or if all are sold out, no Echo Reply message is returned. When the plurality of vending machines 61 sell the corresponding soft drink and are not sold out, a plurality of Echo Reply messages reach the mobile terminal 16.
[0034]
The portable terminal 16 that has received the Echo Reply message inquires the DNS server 14 of a name corresponding to the source address (for example, link local address 1) of the Echo Reply message, as in the first embodiment, "West exit vending machine") is displayed on the screen.
[0035]
As described above, by using the service providing place search method using the network according to the present invention, the user can search the network for a service that does not use communication on the network (in this embodiment, sales of soft drinks). There is an effect that the service providing place can be confirmed by information other than the network address (in this embodiment, the name of the vending machine). Further, each service providing means (the vending machine in the present embodiment) registers the correspondence between the multicast address and the type of service to be handled (the type of soft drink in the present embodiment) in the multicast address table 72, and the There is no need to set a name or a service providing location, and the service providing location can be notified using a general protocol. Also, in this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, one service providing means can handle a plurality of types of services.
[0036]
Next, a third embodiment according to the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a document collection operation. A document collection box 112 is installed in each section of the building, and when collecting documents in the document collection box 112 periodically, the department that has the documents to be collected is confirmed using the network in advance, and the necessary department is Realize that only go to the collection.
[0037]
FIG. 11 shows a network system in this embodiment. The document collection box 112 of each department is connected to the IPv6 network 13. In the name table 31 of the DNS server 14, the correspondence between the address unique to each document collection box 112 and the name of the department in which the document collection box 112 is installed is registered (FIG. 12).
A network terminal 111 is further connected to the IPv6 network 13. The document collection clerk searches the network terminal 111 for a department having a document to be collected before heading for collection of the document. The communication sequence in this case is the same as in the first and second embodiments, but since the search target is always the same and the corresponding multicast address is constant, the multicast address for transmitting the Echo Request message to the network terminal 111 is changed. If set in advance, the sequence (401, 402 in FIG. 4) for inquiring the DNS server 14 of the multicast address corresponding to the service name can be omitted. Therefore, it is not necessary to register the correspondence between the service name and the multicast address in the name table 31 of the DNS server 14.
[0038]
The document collection box 112 of each department receives only an Echo Request message addressed to a multicast address for inquiring of a collection box with a document. The document collection box 112 of each department responds to the Echo Request message with an Echo Reply message only when the document to be collected is in the document collection box 112. As a specific method of realizing the document collection box 112, in the display means 12 (FIG. 2) of the first embodiment, when the switch 21 for turning on the power to the network interface 23 is linked to the presence or absence of a document, Only the power may be supplied to the network interface 23. For this purpose, for example, the mechanism of pressing the switch 21 by the weight of the document, the method of controlling the switch 21 by detecting the presence or absence of the document with an optical sensor, or embedding an IC that emits a weak radio wave in the document itself, A method in which the detection and the switch 21 are linked can be considered.
[0039]
The network terminal 112, which has received the Echo Reply message from the document collection box 112, inquires the DNS server 14 of the department name corresponding to the source address of the Echo Reply message, similarly to the portable terminal 16 of the first embodiment (FIG. 5). , 504). By presenting the department name returned from the DNS server 14 to the user by listing it on the screen, etc., the user (the person in charge of collecting documents) can grasp in advance which department it is necessary to go to Is possible. If no Echo Reply message is returned from the document collection box 112 of any department, it is understood that there is no need to go to collection.
[0040]
As described above, the use of the service providing location search method using the network according to the present invention has an effect that a location that satisfies a specific condition can be confirmed by information other than the network address (in this embodiment, the department name). is there. Furthermore, even when it is necessary to grasp all places that need to go to collection as in the present embodiment, the service providing place search method according to the present invention uses multicast for inquiries, so that all the corresponding places are available to the user. The effect is that it can be presented. When the search target is limited to a specific type as in this embodiment, a predetermined multicast address is registered in the network terminal 111 performing the search without registering the service name in the DNS server 14. You should keep it.
[0041]
【The invention's effect】
Advantageous Effects of Invention The present invention has an effect that the presence / absence of service provision and the service provision location of a service provided without using a network can be confirmed using the network. In addition, there is an effect that the presence or absence of service provision and the location of service provision can be notified without registering service name and position information in the service providing means.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a network configuration diagram of a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a display unit in the first embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a name table of the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a communication sequence diagram of the first embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a search processing flow in the portable terminal of the first embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a network configuration diagram of a second embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a vending machine according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a name table of the second embodiment.
FIG. 9 is a response processing flow in the vending machine of the second embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a multicast address table of the second embodiment.
FIG. 11 is a network configuration diagram of a third embodiment.
FIG. 12 is a name table of the third embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
12 ... Display means
13 ... IPv6 network
14 ... DNS server
16… Mobile terminal
21 ... Switch
23… Network interface
24 ... Multicast address storage means
31… Name table
72 ... Multicast address table
73… Counter
111… Network terminal
112… Document collection box

Claims (5)

A service location search method,
Having a network and a plurality of devices connected to the network,
The plurality of devices have position information in a multicast address uniquely corresponding to each type of service to be provided and a name uniquely corresponding to a unicast address unique to each service providing unit, and provide a specific service. A service providing location searching method, wherein a service providing location is searched for using a network by searching for a service providing means using multicast communication and presenting a name of the found service providing means. Only when communication is possible via the network, a packet addressed to a multicast address uniquely determined in advance according to the type of service can be received, and a service of a type uniquely determined by the multicast address can be provided at that time, Service providing means for sending a reply to the packet to a source address of the packet. A name resolving means, wherein the correspondence between the multicast address and the service type is held, and the correspondence between the multicast address and the service type is answered in response to a correspondence inquiry via a network. A network system comprising one or more service providing means according to claim 2, one or more name solving means according to claim 3, and a user terminal. A service providing unit search method in a system including a terminal device, a DNS server, a plurality of service providing units having a network interface, and a network connecting the terminal device, the DNS server, and the service providing unit,
The plurality of service providing means has a multicast address corresponding to each type of service and a unicast address corresponding to the network interface,
The DNS server has a table storing a correspondence between the multicast address and a first name of the service providing means for specifying a type of service, and a correspondence between the unicast address and a second name unique to the service providing means. And
The terminal device transmits the first name to the DNS server via the network,
The DNS server searches the table for a multicast address corresponding to the first name transmitted from the terminal device, and returns the multicast address to the terminal device.
The terminal device multicasts to the service providing unit connected to the network using the multicast address as a destination address,
If the multicast address matches the multicast address of the device itself, the network interface of the service providing unit returns a source address to the terminal device as the unicast address,
The terminal device queries the DNS server for a second name corresponding to the received unicast address,
The DNS server searches the table for a second name corresponding to the queried unicast address, and returns the second name to the terminal device;
A service providing unit search method, wherein the terminal device specifies a service providing unit by receiving the second name.

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