JP2005321962A - Content providing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To minimize a complicated procedure such as retrieval action or designation of a connecting destination by reducing the risk of security violation in a content providing through a network. <P>SOLUTION: A server includes user data storage areas, and holds information for specifying a user data storage area ensured by a user of terminal equipment and the correspondence between the user and the data storage area, which is determined by the user who ensures this data storage area. The terminal equipment accesses the server by use of an address. The server performs user authentication according to this access, specifies the data storage area corresponding to the user by the information for specifying the correspondence when the authentication is successful, requests an information providing device of a content provider to arrange a predetermined content in the data storage area, and arranges the content provided from the information providing device in the data storage area. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention is used for a content providing service performed via a network such as the Internet. In particular, it relates to technologies related to security and operability.

  FIG. 12 shows a configuration example in the conventional content providing method. There are content servers 201 and 202 connected to the Internet 207 and user personal computers 203 to 205 for receiving content. The user uses his / her personal computer (eg, 203) to access the search site 206 having a known address (usually a URL).

At the same site, a keyword related to the target content is input on the search screen, and the address (usually URL) of the content server 201 related to the target content is acquired. Using the same address, the server 201 is accessed and desired content can be used.
As described above, the Internet 207 uses a plurality of or unspecified large number of information provider content servers 201 and 202 and a plurality or unspecified large number of user computers 203 to 205 as a mediation through a search site 206 having a search function. By connecting them, an open field of information exchange is formed (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1).
"Google's popular secret", [online], [April 21, 2004 search], Internet <URL: http://www.google.co.jp/intl/ja/why_use.html>

  Some people with malicious intent may exist because they form an open forum for information exchange. As a result, security breaches such as unauthorized access to users and personal computers and unauthorized acquisition of information occur.

  In addition, complicated procedures such as search actions and connection destination designation are left to the user, and when a conventional content providing method is applied to, for example, an information home appliance terminal, a complicated operation equivalent to a personal computer operation is performed. Therefore, it is difficult to ensure convenience that anyone can easily operate.

  Further, when access from a plurality of users is concentrated on one content provider, the content provider may be overloaded and content provision may be stagnant.

  The present invention has been performed in such a background, and can reduce the risk of security breaches when browsing content using a network, and can perform complicated procedures such as search act and connection destination designation. It is an object of the present invention to realize a content providing method that can reduce the load on the content provider and reduce the load on the content provider.

  The present invention is a content providing method for providing content from a server on a data center side connected to a network to a user-side home device connected to the network.

  Here, a feature of the present invention is that the server has a data storage area corresponding to a user, and information (hereinafter referred to as an address) for accessing the server is registered in advance in the home device. The server is configured to specify a correspondence relationship between the data storage area corresponding to the user secured by the user of the home device and the user and the data storage area defined by the user securing the data storage area. And the in-home device accesses the server using the address, and the server authenticates the user in response to the access, and when the authentication is successful, specifies the correspondence After the data storage area corresponding to the user is specified based on the information of the content provider, the data storage area It requires the deployment of a predetermined content is a content provided from the information providing device where to deploy in the data storage area (claim 1).

  In other words, in response to a request from a legitimate user, the content is deployed on the server on the data center side where security can be strengthened by the operator each time, so the risk of security breaches can be reduced. Furthermore, since the connection destination of the user is a fixed server, it is possible to reduce troublesome actions such as the user searching for the connection destination. In addition, since content is ordered from a content provider to a certain server and access from the user does not reach the content provider directly, the load on the content provider can be reduced, and for the user, There is an advantage that content can be provided promptly.

  In addition, the server allows only writing of new files from content providers, prohibits reading / writing of existing files, file name browsing, and file deletion, or creates a directory for each content provider, and only the directory concerned Can be permitted to be updated (claim 2).

  This can also reduce the risk of security breaches from the content provider side.

  Further, the information for specifying the correspondence is a user ID and password, and the server is predetermined with the ID and password of the user transmitted from the user together with the contact information of the content provider. Check the consistency with the user's ID and password, and at the time of matching, the address of the local server and the content provider required for accessing the local server to the information provider of the content provider of the contact The ID and password are notified, and the information providing apparatus can access the server using the ID and password, and deploy predetermined content in the data storage area.

  Alternatively, the information specifying the correspondence relationship includes a telephone number of the user, and the server is notified of the contact information of the content provider via the telephone line from the user, and the caller number display at that time is determined in advance. And confirming the consistency with the telephone number of the given user, and at the time of matching, the address of the local server and the content provider required for accessing the local server to the information provider of the content provider of the contact address The information providing apparatus notifies the server ID and the password, and the information providing apparatus can access the server using the ID and password, and deploy predetermined content in the data storage area.

  According to this, the user does not need to manage his / her ID and password, and the content providing method of the present invention can be realized by the user's telephone number, so that the user's trouble can be reduced. However, in this case, the communication means between the user and the data center is limited to telephone communication. For example, it is possible to cope with telephone communication by providing a function in which a server responds by identifying a tone signal of a push line.

  Alternatively, in the information providing apparatus, an address of a user's home device that desires to provide information by the information providing apparatus is registered in advance, and when the information to be provided arrives at the information providing apparatus, the server provides a notice to that effect. When the server receives the notification, the server can notify the information providing apparatus that the information to be provided has arrived (claim). Item 5).

  According to this, the user does not need to check the issue of new content by himself / herself and can receive a notification every time the new content arrives at the information providing apparatus, so that convenience for the user can be improved.

  The content provider may be a user, and the information providing device may be an information recording device having a network connection function owned by the user. According to this, content exchange between users can be realized.

According to the present invention,
1) Necessary information or content can be obtained without accessing an unspecified number of Internet servers.
2) Necessary information or content can be obtained by simply accessing a specific server without searching.
3) Since a specific server owns content, necessary information or content can be browsed regardless of the operating status of the content provider.
4) Access to a specific server is done with an information appliance terminal such as a TV that does not have a personal computer operation or keyboard operation so that necessary information or content can be obtained without having to perform a search or the like simply by accessing a specific server. Therefore, it is possible to secure the convenience that anyone can easily operate.

  A content providing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example in the content providing method of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the server. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the home device. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a telephone communication function in the server. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a new content arrival notification function in the information providing apparatus. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a new content arrival function in the server. In each block configuration, only functional blocks necessary for explaining the present embodiment are shown.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the present embodiment is a content providing method for providing content from a server 107 on the data center 104 side connected to the network 110 to the in-home device 102 on the user home 101 side connected to the network 110. is there.

  The in-home device 102 has a function of connecting to the server 107 via the network 110 and the router 108 and executing the content providing procedure of the present invention. Therefore, the home device 102 may be, for example, a television having a network connection function or a personal computer.

  Here, the feature of this embodiment is that the server 107 has a data storage area corresponding to the user in the data storage unit 1 as shown in FIG. 2, and the in-home device 102 has a data storage area as shown in FIG. In addition, an address for accessing the server 107 is registered in the address holding unit 10 in advance, and the server 107 stores the data storage area corresponding to the user secured by the user of the home device 102 and the data storage as shown in FIG. Information for specifying the correspondence between the user and the data storage area determined by the user who has secured the area is held in the correspondence information holding unit 3, and the provision request unit 11 of the home device 102 stores the address The server 107 is used to access the server 107, and the server 107 authenticates the user according to the access by the provision accepting unit 2, and when the authentication is successful, After the data storage area corresponding to the user is specified by the information for specifying the response relationship, the provision execution unit 4 deploys predetermined content in the data storage area to the information provider of the content provider. The content requested from the information providing apparatus is placed in the data storage area (claim 1). The operator personal computer 106 is for the operator to monitor and control the operation status of the server 107 and the router 108.

  FIGS. 9 and 10 are flowcharts showing the access restriction procedure in the server 107. As shown in FIG. 9, the server 107 permits only writing of a new file from the content provider, reads and writes existing files, File name browsing and file deletion are prohibited, or, as shown in FIG. 10, a directory for each content provider is created and only the directory is allowed to be updated (claim 2). This procedure is executed by the access restriction unit 5 shown in FIG.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 9, when an access request from a content provider is received (S20), it is an existing file read / write request (S21) or a file name browsing request (S23). In the case of a file deletion request (S24), all these requests are rejected (S22), only a new file write request (S25) is permitted, and access is permitted (S26).

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the content deployment procedure of the server 107. As shown in FIG. 8, the information for specifying the correspondence is the user ID and password, and the server 107 receives the content from the user. The user's ID and password transmitted together with the contact information of the provider and the predetermined ID and password of the user are confirmed and the authentication is executed (S11). (S12), the information providing apparatus of the contact content provider is notified of the address of the own server 107, the content provider ID, and the password necessary for accessing the own server 107, and the content deployment Requesting (S15), the information providing apparatus accesses the server 107 using this ID and password. , To deploy a predetermined content to the data storage area (claim 3).

  That is, FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the content acquisition request procedure of the in-home device 102. As shown in FIG. 7, when the provision request unit 11 of the in-home device 102 receives the content acquisition request from the user (S1) Then, the contact information of the content provider, the user ID, and the password are transmitted to the server 107 as a content provision request (S2).

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the provision accepting unit 2 of the server 107 receives a content provision request from the in-home device 102 (S10), it searches the correspondence information holding unit 3 and executes user authentication (S11). If the authentication fails (S12), the refusal of reception is notified to the in-home device 102 (S13), but if the authentication is successful (S12), the providing execution unit 4 searches the correspondence information holding unit 3 to store the data storage unit 1 A data storage area corresponding to the user is specified (S14), and a content deployment request is made to the information providing apparatus (S15).

  When receiving the content deployment request from the server 107, the information providing apparatus deploys the content in the designated data storage area of the server 107.

  When the content deployment is completed (S16), the providing execution unit 4 of the server 107 notifies the in-home device 102 to that effect (S17).

  As shown in FIG. 7, in the home device 102, when the content acquisition unit 12 receives a content deployment completion notification from the server 107 (S3), it accesses the server 107 to acquire content (S4). If the content deployment completion notification is not received from the server 107 even after the predetermined time has elapsed (S5), the user is notified of the content acquisition failure (S6).

  Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the provision reception unit 2 of the server 107 is provided with a tone signal identification unit 20, and the correspondence information holding unit 3 is provided with a telephone number information holding unit 30. The information to be specified includes the telephone number of the user, and the provision receiving unit 2 is notified of the contact information of the content provider via the telephone line from the user, searches the telephone number information holding unit 30, and the caller at that time Authentication is executed by confirming the consistency between the number display and the predetermined telephone number of the user (S11), and if the authentication is successful at the time of matching (S12), providing information of the content provider of the contact address The device notifies the device of its own server address, content provider ID, and password required for accessing the server 107, and requests content deployment (S15). Accesses the server 107 by using the ID and password, it is also possible to deploy a predetermined content to the data storage area (claim 4). The subsequent procedure is as described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a content arrival notification procedure in the information providing apparatus. As shown in FIG. 5, the address registration unit 40 of the information providing apparatus requests the information providing apparatus to provide information in advance. When the address of the user's home device is registered and information to be provided arrives at the information providing device, the content holding unit 41 notifies the new content arrival notification unit 50 of the server 107 together with the address. When the notification is received, the new content arrival notifying unit 50 of the server 107 notifies the in-home device 102 that the information to be provided has arrived to the information providing device (Claim 5).

  That is, as shown in FIG. 11, when new content arrives at the content holding unit 41 of the information providing apparatus (S40), the content holding unit 41 searches the address registration unit 40 (S41), and whether there is user registration or not. If there is user registration, the server 107 is notified together with the address of the user (S43).

  Upon receiving the notification from the information providing device, the new content arrival notification unit 50 of the server 107 transfers this to the in-home device 102. The in-home device 102 displays this notification to the user. The user notices this display and makes a content acquisition request to the home device 102. The subsequent procedure is as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG.

  In the content holding unit 41 of the information providing apparatus, when there is a content deployment request from the server 107 (S44), the content is deployed to the server 107 accordingly (S45).

  In the following, the information providing apparatus will be specifically described in detail as a school personal computer 109 and a neighborhood association personal computer 112. In the fourth embodiment, a case where the information processing apparatus is a video camera 113 having a network connection function owned by the user will be described.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of this embodiment. The user home 101 includes a home device 102 that can be connected to a network 110 (usually the Internet), a video camera 113, and a telephone 103 that is connected to a telephone network 111. Here, whether the in-home device 102 is a television or a personal computer having a network connection function, the present invention can be similarly implemented.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the in-home device 102 has registered in advance a destination address that can be connected to the address holding unit 10 via the network 110, and cannot access other than the registered destination. As a result, it is possible to avoid the complexity of specifying the connection destination and the reduction in security due to the unspecified connection destination.

  In FIG. 1, the user contracts to use the user area in the server 107 in the data center 104. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the data storage unit 1 of the server 107 is provided with a data storage area for each user.

  Then, since the address (usually URL) of the server 107 is registered in the address holding unit 10 of the in-home device 102, when the home device 102 is displayed in the menu in the browser mode and NW access is selected, the server 107 is displayed. The destination communication packet reaches the server 107 via the network 110.

  When an authentication session is established between the in-home apparatus 102 and the server 107, the server 107 requests the input of an ID and password. On the other hand, a predetermined ID and password are input by the remote controller of the home device 102.

  The server 107 confirms the presence / absence of the ID and password from the list of IDs and passwords registered in advance in the correspondence information holding unit 3, and returns a result of successful authentication if there is. Upon receiving this authentication result, the home device 102 accesses the data storage area of the user of the server 107. As a result, available files and contents are displayed on the screen of the home device 102, and the user can use them.

(First Example)
Files and contents to the server 107 of the first embodiment are deployed as follows. For example, it is assumed that contents such as digital photos and digital videos at school athletic meet are on the school computer 109 and that the desired user has permission to distribute. In this case, the user of the user home 101 uses the home device 102 to transmit a content provision request to the server 107 of the data center 104 together with the address of the school personal computer 109, his / her ID, and password.

  The server 107 of the data center 104 confirms that the request is valid with the ID and password. Then, the address of the server 107 to be accessed and the ID and password for the content provider are notified to the school personal computer 109 using the transmitted address.

  The school's personal computer 109 copies and deploys content (athletic meet photos and video recordings) to the user's data storage area of the server 107 using the address, ID, and password of the server 107. In addition, the personal computer 109 of the school gives access rights only to a specific directory so that other contents of the user cannot be accessed, or allows only new file writing and prohibits reading and writing of existing files.

(Second embodiment)
Files and contents to the server 107 of the second embodiment are deployed as follows. In the second embodiment, in order to use the telephone 103, the server 107 includes the tone signal identification unit 20 and the telephone number information holding unit 30 shown in FIG.

  For example, it is assumed that contents such as digital photos and digital videos at school athletic meet are on the school computer 109 and that the desired user has permission to distribute. In this case, the user of the user's home 101 uses the telephone 103 to call the data center 104, and uses the tone signal to send a content provision request to the server 107, the school computer 109 address, his / her ID and password. Tell with. Alternatively, the telephone number of the telephone 103 is registered in advance instead of the ID and password, the data center 104 is called with the calling number display, and the content provision request is transmitted to the server 107 together with the address of the school personal computer 109. .

  The server 107 of the data center 104 confirms that the request is valid by using an ID and a password, or an alternative calling number. Then, the address of the server 107 to be accessed and the ID and password for the content provider are notified to the school personal computer 109 using the transmitted address.

  The school's personal computer 109 copies and deploys content (athletic meet photos and video recordings) to the user's data storage area of the server 107 using the address, ID, and password of the server 107. In addition, the personal computer 109 of the school gives access rights only to a specific directory so that other contents of the user cannot be accessed, or only allows writing of new files and prohibits reading and writing of existing files.

(Third embodiment)
The deployment procedure of the third embodiment is as follows. When the new content arrives, the school personal computer 109 notifies the server 107 of the arrival notification of the new content to the user home device 102 registered in the address registration unit 40 as shown in FIG. With the address of The server 107 accesses the in-home device 102 at the address, confirms the ID and password to authenticate the in-home device 102, and if authentication is successful, notifies the arrival of new content by asking whether the content can be accepted. . Alternatively, the server 107 collates the address with a registered address in advance, and if it matches, accesses the address and asks whether the content can be accepted.

  If it can be accepted, it returns the address, ID and password of the server 107 to be accessed to the personal computer 109 of the school. The personal computer 109 of the school deploys content (photo video recording of athletic meet) in the data storage area of the user of the server 107 by the address, ID, and password of the server.

  In addition, when other content (for example, a video of a neighborhood association travel, financial report) is provided to a user from another person or organization, the data of the user of the server 107 is also provided. The content is deployed in the storage area.

(Fourth embodiment)
In the fourth embodiment, the content provider is a user, and the information providing apparatus is a video camera 113 as an information recording apparatus having a network connection function owned by the user. That is, it is possible to realize a usage mode in which image information taken by a certain user with the video camera 113 is requested by another user from the data center 104 and received. The operation procedure can be described in the same manner by replacing the school computer 109 or the neighborhood association computer 112 described in the first to third embodiments with the video camera 113, and thus the description is omitted.

  According to the present invention, since necessary information or content can be obtained without accessing an unspecified number of Internet servers, it is possible to contribute to improvement of security.

  In addition, by accessing a specific server, it is possible to obtain the necessary information or content without the need for searching, etc. Also, since the specific server owns the content, it is necessary regardless of the operating status of the content provider. Information or content can be quickly browsed, and user convenience can be improved. In addition, since it can reduce complicated procedures such as search act and connection destination specification, access to a specific server can be performed with a home information terminal such as a TV without a PC operation or keyboard operation. Convenience that can be secured.

The figure which shows the structural example in the content provision method of a present Example. The block block diagram of the server of a present Example. The block block diagram of the subscriber | terminal apparatus of a present Example. The figure for demonstrating the telephone corresponding | compatible function in the server of a present Example. The figure for demonstrating the new content notification function in the information provision apparatus of a present Example. The figure for demonstrating the new content notification function in the server of a present Example. The flowchart which shows the content acquisition procedure of the subscriber | terminal apparatus of a present Example. The flowchart which shows the content deployment procedure in the server of a present Example. The flowchart which shows the access restriction procedure in the server of a present Example. The flowchart which shows the access restriction procedure in the server of a present Example. The flowchart which shows the new content notification procedure in the information provision apparatus of a present Example. The figure which shows the structural example in the conventional content provision method.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Data storage part 2 Provision reception part 3 Correspondence information holding part 4 Provision execution part 5 Access restriction part 10 Address holding part 11 Provision request part 12 Content acquisition part 20 Tone signal identification part 30 Telephone number information retention part 40 Address registration part 41 Content Holding unit 50 New content arrival notification unit 101 User home 102 Home device 103, 105 Telephone 104 Data center 106 Operator personal computer 107 Server 108 Router 109 School personal computer 110 Network 111 Telephone network 112 Neighborhood association personal computer 113 Video camera 201, 202 Content servers 203 to 205 User personal computer 206 Search site 207 Internet

Claims (6)

In a content providing method for providing content from a server on a data center side connected to a network to a user-side premises device connected to the network,
The server has a data storage area for the user,
In the in-home device, information for accessing the server (hereinafter referred to as an address) is registered in advance,
The server includes a data storage area corresponding to a user secured by a user of the in-home device and information for specifying a correspondence relationship between the user and the data storage area determined by the user who secured the data storage area; Hold
The in-home device accesses the server using the address,
In response to this access, the server authenticates the user. When the authentication is successful, the server identifies the data storage area corresponding to the user based on the information for identifying the correspondence, and then the content provider's A content providing method comprising: requesting the information providing apparatus to deploy predetermined content in the data storage area; and deploying the content provided from the information providing apparatus to the data storage area.   The server allows only writing of new files from content providers, prohibits reading / writing of existing files, browsing of file names, and file deletion, or creates a directory for each content provider, and updates only that directory The content providing method according to claim 1, wherein permission is granted. The information for specifying the correspondence is a user ID and password,
The server confirms the consistency between the user ID and password transmitted together with the content provider contact information from the user and the user ID and password determined in advance. Notifying the information provider device of the content provider of the address of the local server, the content provider ID and the password necessary for accessing the local server,
The content providing method according to claim 1, wherein the information providing apparatus accesses the server using the ID and password, and deploys predetermined content in the data storage area. The information specifying the correspondence includes a user's telephone number,
The server is notified of the contact information of the content provider via the telephone line from the user, confirms the consistency between the caller ID display at that time and the predetermined telephone number of the user, Notifying the information provider device of the contact content provider of the address of the local server, the content provider ID and the password necessary for accessing the local server,
The content providing method according to claim 1, wherein the information providing apparatus accesses the server using the ID and password, and deploys predetermined content in the data storage area. In the information providing device, an address of a user's home device that desires to provide information by the information providing device is registered in advance,
When the information to be provided arrives at the information providing device, the server is notified of the fact together with the address,
3. The content providing method according to claim 1, wherein, when receiving the notification, the server notifies the information providing apparatus that the information to be provided has arrived to the in-home apparatus of the user.   The content providing method according to claim 1, wherein the content provider is a user, and the information providing apparatus is an information recording apparatus having a network connection function owned by the user.

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