JP2006013996A - Information processing system and server - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a user to share operation information of a device and control information of performance information, etc., to contents with other users without performing a complicated operation. <P>SOLUTION: The private server 11 of a first user discloses control information for a control target device which is placed in the private server 11 by a first user and is not designated as nondisclosure to the first user's page of a public server 25. The disclosed control information is obtained by a private server of a second user from the first user's page according to the second user's instruction, and the control information controls the second user's control target device according to the second user's instruction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing system having a public server that publishes page information such as web logs of a plurality of users and a private server connected to the public server.

  Conventionally, as a service that can be used on a public network (network) such as the Internet, a service intended for communication between users (see, for example, Patent Document 1) or a service intended for remote control of a device in a home or the like ( For example, see PTL 2), PIM (: Personal Information Manager) for managing personal information such as an address book, a schedule book, and a memo pad.

For the purpose of communication between users, in addition to short messages and e-mails, a bulletin board (BBS) where any participant can write information, an individual discloses any information such as a diary, etc. A blog (see Patent Document 2) that can obtain a comment of Blog is an abbreviation for Weblog, and it is a tool that can create diaries, news, reports, albums, links, etc. relatively easily without knowledge of HTML and programs. Can be made public. Visitors to the blog page can browse the web log, write comments, and link to their own web logs.
JP 2001-318872 A JP 2001-94483 A

  The remote operation of devices as described above, web log and PIM related data management, and communication by mail and message are provided as separate services.

  Therefore, even though device operations, weblogs, and communications are related in terms of information as service contents, there is no system that combines them.

  In addition, there are cases where it is desired to share with other users such as device operation information and presentation information added to content, but there has been no suitable means for easily enabling such sharing.

  The present invention has been made in such a background, and its purpose is to share control information such as device operation information and content production information with other users without complicated operations by the user. It is to provide an information processing system and a server capable of performing the above.

  An information processing system according to the present invention is provided on a public network, and publishes page information uploaded from a plurality of users on a page prepared for each user on the network, and a private server connected to the public network. A terminal device for each user for creating the page information and designating information to be kept private among the information constituting the page information, and the page information provided on the private network An input screen for creating the page information is transmitted to the terminal device via the private network, and the page information created based on the input screen by the terminal device and returned via the private network is stored in the database. Of the information constituting the page information stored in the database, the terminal device A private server for each user who creates page information from which information designated to be private is removed and uploads it to the public server, and for each user connected to the private server on the private network And a control target device. The first user's private server includes control information for the control target device, which is placed in the private server by the first user and is not designated as non-public, in the page information. Publish to the user's page. The disclosed control information is taken into the second user's private server from the first user's page according to the second user's instruction, and the second information is transmitted according to the control information according to the second user's instruction. The control target device of the user is controlled.

  In this system, a first user who owns a control target device connected to a private network and publishes page information on a public server only needs to generate or obtain control information of the control target device. It is possible to publish it on its own page of the public server and use it for other users without any operation. A second user who owns the same or the same type of control target device as the first user downloads control information from a page published by the first user, and selects his / her control target device from the control information. It can be operated similarly.

  The device to be controlled is, for example, a robot, and the control information is control information for operating the robot. Or the said control object apparatus is a content reproduction apparatus which can reproduce | regenerate a content according to effect information, and the said control information is effect information.

  A server according to the present invention is a server connected to a public network and a private network including a device to be controlled, and means for transmitting an input screen for creating page information to the terminal device via the private network; Means for receiving page information created based on the input screen by the terminal device and returned via the private network; a database for storing the received page information; and page information stored in the database. Means for creating page information obtained by removing information designated to be private from the terminal device from among the information to be configured and uploading the information to the public server. The device control information can be downloaded by other users.

  According to the present invention, page information can be created in a private network without connecting a terminal to a public server. For this reason, the number of accesses to the public server can be reduced, and the operational efficiency and response of the public server can be improved as much as the burden on the public server is reduced.

  In addition, the private server removes the information that is designated as private from the terminal from the information constituting the page information and uploads it to the public server, ensuring security for private information that the user does not want to disclose And can communicate with third parties.

  A first user who owns a control target device connected to a private network and publishes page information on a public server simply generates or obtains control information of the control target device, and can perform public operations without complicated operations. It can be published on the server's own page for use by other users.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. A private network 13 used only by a specific user provided in the house or the like and a public network 21 used by an unspecified number of users such as the Internet are connected to each other.

  A public server 25 is connected to the public network 21, and various mobile devices 23 can be connected. The public server 25 stores page information (web log in this embodiment) of each of a plurality of users in a page prepared for each user on the network so that an unspecified number of people can usually access. Publish. The mobile device 23 is a portable device such as a mobile phone or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), and is connected to the public network 21 via a mobile network. The public server 25 includes a storage device 26 that stores various data.

  The private network 13 includes a private server 11 and a robot 14 having a photographing function, a HDD / DVD recorder 16, and a terminal device (also simply referred to as a terminal) of the private server 11 as various controllable devices that can be remotely controlled. A functioning personal computer (PC) 15 with a recording function is connected. The private server 11 includes a database 12 that stores various data. The database 12 stores “all information related to communication” such as information transmitted / received between the public server 25 and the mobile device 23 and its history, information transmitted / received between various control target devices, and its history. It has become. The database 12 can also store personal information (PIM information) such as an address book, schedule book, telephone book, and address book. The personal information stored in the database 8 cannot be accessed by a third party, and a high security system is constructed.

  The private server 11 stores the web log created by the user in the database 12 and uploads at least a part of the web log to its own storage area (web page) of the public server 25. . When editing the web log, the user performs an editing operation on the web log stored in the database 12 of the private server 11 and performs the editing operation on the web log without accessing the public server 25. It is possible.

  When a user uploads a web log to the public server 25, it is possible to specify information to be disclosed or information to be made private, and the private server 11 uploads only the information to be published to the public server 25. , Do not disclose private information.

  The user of the private server 11 can use the shared information published on the other user's page on the public server 25 by taking it into his / her private server 11. Such shared information includes recording information for recording reservation of a broadcast program, device operation information of a device to be controlled, production information at the time of reproduction (viewing) of content, and the like. Production information in this specification refers to operations and editing when processing is performed by processing such as fast-forwarding and pausing when viewing content, adding comments on content, and combining images such as stamps and backgrounds. Information. Other uses of production information include, for example, TV programs and personally created content that tell other users how to correct recording settings by changing the schedule of TV programs when teaching complicated and unclear operations. Examples include sharing presentation information added while the user is viewing, sharing operation data of a network robot in the home, and sharing operation information of the playback device regarding checkpoints and emphasis on certain contents. Such effect information can be acquired as device operation log information.

  The operation of the system in this embodiment will be described below.

  First, when using the web log service provided by the public server 25, first, the user operates a terminal such as the PC 15 to establish a communication line with the public server 25. In establishing this communication line, in this system, a direct communication line is not established between the terminal and the public server 25, but once between the terminal and the private server 11 via the private network 13. Then, a communication line is established, and thereafter, a communication line is established between the private server 11 and the public server 25 via the public network 21. That is, a terminal in the private network 13 is indirectly connected to the public server 25 on the public network 21 via the private server 11.

  When a communication line is established with the public server 25, the user operates the terminal to receive a user identification number (user ID) from the public server 25 and registers a password (password). Log in to the public server 25 based on the user ID and password. When login is performed, the public server 25 transmits a page setting screen serving as the first page of the website to the private server 11. The private server 11 stores this page setting screen in the database 12 and transmits it to the user terminal. Thereby, the page setting screen of the web log website provided by the public server 25 is displayed on the display screen of the user terminal.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of a page setting screen displayed on the web browser of the user's terminal. In this example of the page setting screen, the site name display area 111 provided almost above the display area is called a “setting page”, which is a page of the web log service provided to each registered user by the public server 25. The name is displayed. In the setting page display area 112, a menu item (new entry creation) selected when a new web log is posted, and a menu item (entry edit) selected when editing a posted web log are displayed. ), Menu items to select when uploading files attached to the weblog to be posted (file UPLOAD), menu items to select when editing the desired template of the weblog to be posted (Edit Template), etc. Has been. Also, in the display area 113 of the setting page, as “Recent entries”, the titles of the posts (“Sunny after the storm ...”, “Yokosuka Line ...”, etc.) are displayed in the order of the posting time. Has been.

  When posting the web log, the user operates the terminal and selects the menu item “Create New Entry” on the page setting screen. When this selection is made, a web log template (web log input screen) is transmitted from the public server 25 to the private server 11. The private server 11 stores the web log template in the database 12 and transmits it to the terminal via the private network 13. Thereby, the input screen of the web log transmitted from the public server 25 is displayed on the display screen of the user's terminal.

  As a template, a screen of a template prepared as a default on the public server 25 side is normally transmitted to the private server 11, but when a user performs a desired edit in “Edit Template”. The edited template is transmitted from the public server 25 to the private server 11.

  As described above, the web log input screen transmitted from the public server 25 is stored in the database 12. For this reason, once the web log input screen is stored in the database 12, the web log input operation can be performed in the private network 13 after the communication line with the public server 25 is disconnected. It becomes possible. Specifically, after the web log input screen is stored in the database 12, the user operates the terminal to disconnect the communication line established between the public server 25 and the private server 11.

  Next, the user operates the terminal to access the private server 11 and designates transfer of the weblog input screen. When this designation is made, the private server 11 reads the web log input screen stored in the database 12 and transmits it to the terminal via the private server 11. Thereby, the input screen of the web log memorize | stored in the database 12 is displayed on the display screen of a terminal.

  In the example of FIG. 2, a device operation information input area 115 for inputting the location (URL) of device operation information to be downloaded is provided at the lower right of the screen. Although the user can manually input a URL in the device operation information input area 115, as will be described later, device operation information published on another user's web page is used for a predetermined operation (for example, a predetermined icon). Or a character or the like by drag-and-drop operation). The user can instruct the operation of the control target device according to the device operation information using the device operation information once captured.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of the web log browsing page displayed on the web browser of the terminal. This browsing page includes a display area 121 for the site name “XX blog”, a calendar display area 122 for the month, an input area 124 for inputting a personal identification number when logging in to the public server 25, and a control target device ( Here, a display area 125 for operation of the recording device), a search word input area 127 for inputting a search word when using a search engine, and writing of text 131 constituting a desired weblog by the user It has a writing area 128 for pasting the image 132 and the like, and a device cooperation information list display area 129 for displaying device operation information and the like. The writing area 128 is also provided with an image area 130 on which a photographed image of the robot 14 having a photographing function in this embodiment is placed.

  In the writing area 128, the corresponding separate contents are displayed for each date selected in the calendar. Regarding the device cooperation information list in the display area 129, in the content related to the date such as the recording information of the broadcast program, the content is switched for each date selected in the calendar (if it exists). However, information that is not directly related to the date, such as robot operation information, may always be displayed in the display area 129 regardless of the date selected on the calendar, or may be displayed on the creation date or on the page. You may make it respond | correspond to a day. In addition, for images recorded with shooting date and time such as video image data, it may be selected according to the switching of the calendar date, or may be selected regardless of the calendar date. It may be. If there are many list items and they cannot be stored in the display area 129, a scroll bar (not shown) is displayed so that the list items in the area can be scrolled.

  In order to input information in the writing area 128, the user opens a text input screen from “Create New Entry” on the setting page described above, writes text, or pastes an image. Is reflected on the browsing page of FIG. Such information is temporarily stored in the database 12 of the private server 11 and can be completed only in the private network 13 without accessing the public server 25.

  When uploading the web log created in this way to the public server 25, the user operates the terminal to input a password in the input area 124 and performs a login operation. The password is once transmitted to the private server 11. When this login instruction is given, the private server 11 establishes a communication line with the public server 25 and logs in to the weblog system of the public server 25 based on the password entered by the user. After this login, the web log created by the user is uploaded to the public server 25. As a result, the web log created by the user is taken into the public server 25 and released on the network so that anyone can view it.

  The private server 11 is a communication log of communication with the terminal in such web log creation, and a communication log of communication with the public server 25 in login, web log upload, etc. Are all stored in the database 12.

  Here, among the entire web log shown in FIG. 2, the user can specify information to be disclosed and not to be disclosed on his / her browsing page in the public server 25 from, for example, the setting page shown in FIG. 2. In the illustrated example, the image area 130 for displaying the robot photographed image is set to be private.

  When such designation is made, the private server 11 stores in the database 12 information indicating an area designated as non-public by the user. Uploading to the public server 25 is performed in a state where the information of the private area is removed.

Thus, the weblog system in this embodiment is a service using a network,
A. Device operation via network Fusion of management, transmission and editing of information represented by web log service. That is, two types of information, personal information and device operation log, can be managed by a home server. In the present invention, the following two functions are further added.
i. Share device operation information with other users (use information distribution via web such as a blog as a sharing method)
ii. Sharing production information to be added to the content when it is played back with other users (production information is usually created by the user)

  For item i, log information when operating the device is distributed by placing it on a web page that can be shared with other users, and when receiving, download the data and add an information reading interface to each user's server Thus, transmission is possible. This information is information related to various device operations, such as setting or changing reservation recording, an operation program for a home robot, and the like.

  For item ii, when user A and user B hold some common content, when user A sees the content, fast forward, pause, add a comment on the content, image composition such as a stamp or background, etc. This is a function of sharing the operation and editing information as the production information at the time of processing when processing is performed by the above process.

  In addition, the user may add link information related to the content (for example, travel program, other event information related to the region) to his / her page as the production information of the content, or the TV program information supply side may be a TV program. For example, it is possible to automatically add sponsor information prepared as production information.

  FIG. 4 shows a viewing page of a user (referred to as user A) published on the public server 25. As described above, the image area 130 in the screen shown in FIG. 3 is set to be non-public, and thus does not appear on the screen in FIG. Since the password input area 124 is not necessary for the screen after login, it does not appear on this browsing page. In the device-related information list display area 129, effect information for a specific content (here, a television program) is placed. In this example, since it is not private, it is uploaded to the public server 25 and displayed on the browsing page of the same user.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of a browse page published on the public server 25 of another user (user B). The layout of the page can be changed by the user, and is different from the layout of the browsing page of FIG. In the display area 129 of the device cooperation information list in the browsing page of FIG. 5, “control information” as device operation information (here, a robot operation program that makes the robot 14 greet with handstand) is disclosed. Such control information is automatically taken in as log information of the actual operation of the robot 14, or installed in the private server 11 as a program created in advance. The name of the program can be given by the user when creating or saving the program or when saving the log information. When the user does not give, a name determined according to a predetermined rule is automatically given.

  Consider a case where the user A uses the control information uploaded by the user B from the browsing page of the user B. For this purpose, several methods are conceivable. For example, the user A directly manually inputs the URL of the control information and the like publicized by the user B in the device operation information input area 115 (FIG. 2) in the setting page of the user A, and the information of the URL is input to the private server 11. Can be downloaded. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the setting page (FIG. 2) of the user A and the browsing page of the user B (FIG. 5) are simultaneously displayed in another area in the display screen, and the user A is pointing using a mouse or the like. It is also possible to download the device operation information to the user A's private server by dragging and dropping the title 129a or the information type display button 129b into the device operation information input area 115 of the setting page using the device. For this purpose, the control information (or production information) uploaded to the public server 25 includes a known description (for example, RSS: Rich) for enabling such a download operation when the private server 11 uploads. Add description using Site Summary). When the user A indicates (clicks) the title (character string) of the information, a window including the description of the control information, the URL of the control information, and the like may be displayed.

  In the present invention, when control information and effect information are fetched from the public server 25 to the private server 11, the entity information of the information is downloaded and stored in the public server 25, and thereafter, without accessing the public server 25. Make that information available.

  Recording information uploaded from the private server 11 of another user to the public server 25 can also be downloaded, but it can be used as recording reservation information only when the broadcast time has not passed. When the broadcast time has passed, it cannot be used as information for recording reservation.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a typical operation flow when the user B uses the information of the user A. The private server 11 of the user A controls the control target device of the user A according to the instruction operation of the user A (S1). This control can include both the case where the user A performs from the terminal (or mobile device) and the case where the user A performs the control target device itself. The procedure of this instruction operation is recorded and saved as log information by the private server 11 (S2). If the user A does not make this information private (S3), the information is uploaded to the public server 25 and published on the viewing page of the user A (S4). When the user B who browses the page of the user A gives an instruction to download the information (S5), the information is downloaded into the private server 11 of the user B (S6). When this information is used, the user B can control the same type of control target device with this information (S7). This control can be performed remotely from a private server or the like, or can be performed by sending control information to the device to be controlled and storing it for local control.

  Thereby, the same operation as the device operation enjoyed by the user A with the same information can be reproduced without the user B manually operating. Note that the user B downloads the information on the premise that the control target device controlled by the information is connected to the private network of the user B. If the control information of a device you do not own is downloaded, that information will not work.

  As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to add a function of sharing information such as device operation and effects at the time of content reproduction to a service that combines device operation, information management, and communication.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but various modifications and changes other than those mentioned above can be made. For example, although the private server 11 and the terminal (PC 15) operated by the user have been described as physically different computer devices, they may be realized using the same computer device. Although the robot and the HDD / DVD recorder have been shown as the control target devices, other arbitrary electronic devices may be used.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the system by embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the page setting screen displayed with the web browser of the user's terminal in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the browsing page of the said web log displayed with the web browser of the terminal in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the browsing page of the user published on the public server in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the browsing page of the other user published on the public server in embodiment of this invention. In embodiment of this invention, it is the figure which showed the typical flow of operation in case another user utilizes the information of a certain user via a public server. In embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows a mode that apparatus operation information is downloaded to the private server of the user A by drag & drop operation.

Explanation of symbols

8 ... Database, 11 ... Private server, 12 ... Database, 13 ... Private network, 14 ... Robot, 16 ... HDD / DVD recorder, 21 ... Public network, 23 ... Mobile device, 23 ... Various mobile devices, 25 ... Public server, 26 ... Storage device, 111 ... Display area, 112 ... Display area, 113 ... Display area, 115 ... Device operation information input area, 121 ... Display area, 122 ... Display area, 124 ... Input area, 125 ... Display area, 127 ... Input area, 128 ... writing area, 129 ... display area, 129 a ... title, 129 b ... information type display button, 130 ... image area, 131 ... text, 132 ... image

Claims (6)

A public server that is provided on a public network and that publishes page information uploaded from multiple users to a page prepared for each user on the network;
Provided on a private network connected to the public network, a terminal device for each user for creating the page information and designating information to be kept private among the information constituting the page information;
Provided on the private network, an input screen for creating page information is transmitted to the terminal device via the private network, and is created based on the input screen by the terminal device and returned via the private network The page information is stored in the database, and the page information stored in the database is created by removing the information designated to be private from the terminal device and creating the page information A private server for each user uploaded to the public server,
A control target device for each user connected to the private server on the private network,
The first user's private server includes the control information for the control target device, which is placed in the private server by the first user and is not designated as private, in the page information. The control information thus published is taken into the second user's private server from the first user's page in accordance with the second user's instruction, and the second user's instruction is released. In accordance with the information processing system, the control target device of the second user is controlled by the control information.   The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the control target device is a robot, and the control information is control information for operating the robot.   The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the control target device is a content reproduction device capable of reproducing content according to the production information, and the control information is production information. A server connected to a public network and a private network including the device to be controlled,
Means for transmitting an input screen for creating page information to the terminal device via the private network;
Means for receiving page information created by the terminal device based on the input screen and returned via the private network;
A database for storing the received page information;
Means for creating page information obtained by removing information designated to be private from the terminal device out of the information constituting the page information stored in the database and uploading it to the public server,
Of the uploaded information, the control information for the control target device can be downloaded by another user.   The server according to claim 4, wherein the device to be controlled is a robot, and the control information is control information for operating the robot.   The server according to claim 4, wherein the control target device is a content reproduction device capable of reproducing content in accordance with effect information, and the control information is effect information.

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