JP2010224946A - Information acquisition system, destination information acquisition server, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically select a server that provides information corresponding to a device having proper information from a client to which the device is connected. <P>SOLUTION: An information acquisition system comprises a client 200 and a dispatch server 100 connected to each other via a network. The client 200 acquires and sends the proper information 311 of the device A310 to the dispatch server 100. The dispatch server 100 refers to a destination information retaining means 104 storing the proper information 311 and destination information, i.e., information about a location where a firmware 411 for the device A will be obtained, and acquires and sends the destination information to the client 200, the characteristic information and the destination information being tagged to each other. The client 200 sends a request to obtain the firmware 411 for the device A to a destination based on the destination information received. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information acquisition system, a connection destination information acquisition server, and a program, and more particularly to a technique for selecting a server to be used corresponding to a device having specific information.

  Among documents known at the time of filing of the present invention, Patent Documents 1 to 3 are cited as documents describing techniques related to the present invention.

  Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe techniques for appropriately selecting a destination terminal by receiving a call from a terminal connected to a telephone exchange network. The present invention is related to the point of connection destination selection. Patent Document 3 discloses a plurality of content providing systems in the case where a content request to a content providing system that provides a wide variety of contents on the Internet is made using a code embedded in image data or the like. However, it is described that content requests are properly distributed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-236020 JP 08-181771 A JP 2007-041632 A

  As a general connection destination selection method as in the related art, a method of selecting connection destinations based on login information will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 6, a user (operator) operating the terminal inputs a URI (Uniform Resource Indicator) of a target connection destination from a browser (step S601), accesses a Web server (step S602), and displays a login screen. The transition is made first (step S603).

  Next, the user inputs a login name from the browser (step S604), and makes an inquiry to the web server (step S605). The Web server changes the connection destination associated with the login name (step S606), and returns the result to the browser (step S607).

  As described above, the user (operator) needs an input operation via the browser, and the transition destination is not automatically determined. The information to be handled is unique information (login name) decided between the client and the Web server. This problem is the same even when there is a device or device connected to the client on the client side and the device has unique information.

  Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides an information acquisition system, a connection destination, and a client that can automatically select a server that provides information corresponding to the device from a client to which a device having specific information is connected. An object is to provide an information acquisition server and a program.

  In order to achieve the above object, an invention having the following configuration is provided.

  An information acquisition system according to the present invention is an information acquisition system in which a client and a connection destination information acquisition server are connected via a network, and the client is first information regarding an apparatus connected to the client. When receiving the connection information from the connection destination information acquisition server and the specific information acquisition and transmission means for acquiring the specific information and transmitting it to the connection destination information acquisition server, connect to the client to the connection destination based on the connection destination information Connection destination information acquisition and transmission means for transmitting a second information acquisition request regarding the device to be connected, wherein the connection destination information acquisition server is information relating to the specific information and the acquisition destination of the second information. The connection destination information holding means stored in association with the connection destination information; and when the unique information is received, the unique information and the connection destination Using the multi-address holding means, acquires the connection destination information, and having a connection destination searching processing means for transmitting to said client.

  The connection destination information acquisition server according to the present invention is a connection destination information acquisition server that connects to a client via a network, and that is connected to the client and unique information that is first information relating to a device connected to the client. Connection destination information holding means stored in association with connection destination information, which is information related to the acquisition destination of the second information about the device, and when receiving the specific information from the client, the specific information And a connection destination search processing means for acquiring the connection destination information and transmitting it to the client using the connection destination information holding means.

  The connection destination information acquisition program according to the present invention includes a server computer that connects to a client via a network, unique information that is first information related to a device that connects the client, and a second that relates to a device that connects to the client. When the server computer receives the unique information from the client, the server computer functions as a connection destination information holding unit that is associated with and stored in the connection destination information that is information about the information acquisition destination. Using the information and the connection destination information holding unit, the connection destination information is acquired, and a connection destination search process for transmitting to the client is executed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically select a server that provides information corresponding to a device from a client to which a device having unique information is connected.

It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the form for implementing this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the principal part of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of specific information. It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure at the time of matching several connection destination information with one specific information. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of the process of this embodiment. It is a sequence diagram for demonstrating an example of the conventional connection destination selection method.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of the present embodiment.
As illustrated, the present embodiment includes a dispatch server 100 and a client 200, and the client 200 is connected to a server A 410 that provides a service A 510 via a data communication network. The client 200 is also connected to a device A310 used in the service A510. The device A310 stores unique information 311 in an internal storage unit (for example, a flash memory) (not shown). The server A 410 has device A firmware 411.

  Similarly, the client 200 connects to a server B 420 that provides a service B 520 via a data communication network. The client 200 is also connected to a device B320 used in the service B520. The device B320 stores unique information 321 in an internal storage unit (for example, a flash memory) (not shown). The server B 420 includes device B firmware 421.

  In the example shown in FIG. 1, there are two types of services A and B used by the client 200, but any number of services may be used. Hereinafter, when a service, a server, a device, and the like are referred to without specifying the type of service, they are called a service 500, a server 400, firmware 401, a device 300, and unique information 301.

  In FIG. 1, the device A 310 used in the service A 510 acquires the device A firmware 411 from the server A 410 and updates the firmware of the device A 310. On the other hand, the device B 320 used in the service B 520 acquires the device B firmware 421 from the server B 420 and updates the firmware of the device B 320.

  In this embodiment, the client 200 can acquire and update the firmware of the device 300 connected to the client 200 without being aware of the connection destination server 400. This function is realized by the client 200 first transmitting the unique information 301 in the device 300 to the dispatch server 100, and the dispatch server 100 returning the connection destination server 400 to the client 200 based on the device unique information 301. .

  In the present embodiment, the dispatch server 100 directly accesses and processes the server 400 to be processed in response to the firmware acquisition / update request of the apparatus 300, not the mode of processing, but the address of the connection destination server 400 to the client 200. Is a mode of returning. For this reason, when there are a plurality of clients 200 and access concentrates on the dispatch server 100, the processing of the dispatch server 100 can be reduced.

  Specific means for realizing the above functions will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 2, the function structure of the principal part of this embodiment is shown.
As shown in the figure, the dispatch server 100 includes a connection destination selection unit 101 and a connection destination information holding unit 104. The connection destination selection unit 101 includes a unique information extraction unit 102 and a connection destination search processing unit 103. The information holding unit 104 holds a data group 105 related to the connection destination.

  The client 200 includes a connection destination selection unit 201, and the connection destination selection unit 201 includes a unique information acquisition / transmission unit 202 and a connection destination acquisition / transmission unit 203. The client 200 is also connected to the device 300.

  The unique information acquisition / transmission means 202 possessed by the client 200 obtains the unique information 301 possessed by the apparatus 300 and transmits a message including the unique information 301 to the dispatch server 100. The connection destination acquisition transmission unit 203 acquires a connection destination from the dispatch server 100 and performs transmission / reception with the server 400.

  The unique information extraction unit 102 included in the dispatch server 100 extracts the unique information 301 from the message received from the client 200. The connection destination search processing unit 103 performs a search using the unique information 301 extracted by the unique information extraction unit 202 and the connection destination information holding unit 104. The connection destination information holding unit 104 is a data group 105 related to the connection destination. In the present embodiment, the data group 105 related to the connection destination includes a plurality of pieces of data in which the unique information 301 in the apparatus 300 is linked to the connection destination information.

  Specific examples of the unique information include a device model number 3011 and a serial number 3012 shown in FIG. 3 (any one may be used). When the device unique information stored in the connection destination information holding unit 104 is only the device model number 3011, the connection destination can be determined for each device model number 3011. On the other hand, when the device model number 3011 and the serial number 3012 are stored in the connection destination information holding unit 104, the connection destination can be determined for each device.

  A plurality of pieces of connection destination information may be associated with one unique information 301. FIG. 4 shows a configuration example of the entire embodiment in this case. As illustrated, the configuration of the embodiment in this case is a configuration in which there are a server A 410 and a server AA 410 a as connection destinations associated with the unique information 311 of the device A 310.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and the sequence diagram of FIG. In the following, a case where there are two pieces of connection destination information that can be acquired as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 5, first, the client 200 acquires the unique information 311 from the device A310 using the unique information acquisition / transmission means 202 (steps S101 and S102). The specific examples of the unique information 311 referred to here are an apparatus model number 3011 and a serial number 3012.

  Next, the unique information acquisition / transmission means 202 sends a message to which the acquired unique information 311 is given by the unique information acquisition / transmission means 202 to the dispatch server 100 (step S103).

  The dispatch server 100 extracts the unique information 311 from the acquired message using the unique information extraction unit 102. The connection destination search processing means 103 derives the corresponding connection destination using the extracted unique information 311 and the connection destination holding means 104 (connection destination search processing), and returns the derived connection destination to the client 200 (step S104, S105).

  Here, when a plurality of connection destinations are found by the connection destination search process (step S104), these may be collectively returned to the client 200. The client 200 acquires connection destination information (including the address of the connection destination) using the connection destination acquisition / transmission means 203, and sends a message requesting transmission of firmware to the connection destination server (step S106). The firmware is acquired (step S107), and the firmware is written in the device A310 (step S110).

  As shown in FIG. 5, when a plurality of connection destinations are returned from the dispatch server 100, firmware acquisition for the returned connection destinations is repeated (steps S106 to S109), and the newest version of firmware is written in the device A310 (step S110). ).

  The firmware writing process in step S110 is performed by the selection destination selection unit 201 and the like.

The effect which the said embodiment show | plays is demonstrated.
The first effect is that it becomes possible to automatically select a server that provides information corresponding to a device from a client to which a device having unique information is connected.

  The second effect is that the connection destination can be selected based on the unique information on the device side. The reason is that the client 200 has the unique information acquisition function of the device 300 and the dispatch server 100 returns server connection destination information based on the device-side unique information.

  A third effect is that setting is possible even when there are a plurality of servers 400 to which the client 200 should be connected. This is because the dispatch server 100 can manage the device-specific information and a plurality of server connection destination information in association with each other.

  In the above embodiment, firmware is used as information / data for the device connected to the client. However, the present invention can be implemented even when this firmware is replaced with content or the like. In this case, the firmware 401 shown in FIG. 1 or the like is replaced with the content.

  In this case, first, the service A 510 is a service for distributing content (for example, a music distribution service), and the device A 310 downloads and stores the content. When the connection destination server corresponding to the unique information 311 of the device A310 is the server A410, the client 200 connects to the server A410 via the dispatch server 100 based on the connection destination information of the server A410. Server A 410 automatically stores content in device A 310. In the present embodiment, since the content can be downloaded without the user's awareness, it is possible to automatically download the viewing content to the user's device A310, and the possibility of usage is widened, as well as user convenience. Will also improve.

  Therefore, the present invention can be implemented for the purpose of selecting a server to be used corresponding to a device having specific information. Further, it is advantageous when it is necessary to inquire a plurality of servers when executing a series of processes. That is, information can be acquired from a plurality of services (music distribution service, file distribution service, etc.) using a single device.

  The client 200 and the dispatch server 100 described above can be configured as a general-purpose computer having general hardware, and each piece of processing of the above-described embodiment as described with reference to FIG. 5 using these hardware. The object of the present invention can also be achieved by a software program that implements the above. Similarly, the object of the present invention can be achieved by a computer-readable recording medium storing such software / program. Also, some functions may be realized by hardware, and similar functions may be realized by cooperative operation of these hardware and software programs.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Dispatch server 101 Connection destination selection means 102 Specific information extraction means 103 Connection destination search processing means 104 Connection destination information holding means 105 Data group related to connection destination 200 Client 201 Connection destination selection means 202 Specific information acquisition transmission means 203 Connection destination acquisition transmission means 300 Device 301 Specific Information 3011 Device Model Number 3012 Serial Number 400 Server 401 Firmware 500 Service

Claims (5)

An information acquisition system in which a client and a connection destination information acquisition server are connected via a network,
The client acquires unique information that is first information related to a device connected to the client, and transmits unique information acquisition and transmission means for transmitting to the connection destination information acquisition server;
Connection destination information acquisition and transmission means for transmitting a second information acquisition request regarding a device connected to the client to a connection destination based on the connection destination information when connection destination information is received from the connection destination information acquisition server; Have
The connection destination information acquisition server includes a connection destination information holding unit in which the unique information and connection destination information that is information about an acquisition destination of the second information are associated and stored,
A connection destination search processing means for acquiring the connection destination information using the unique information and the connection destination information holding means and transmitting it to the client when the specific information is received; An information acquisition system characterized by When there are a plurality of acquisition destinations of the second information,
The connection destination search processing means transmits connection destination information including information of the plurality of acquisition destinations,
2. The information acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the connection destination information acquisition and transmission unit transmits the main morality class to a plurality of connection destinations based on the received connection destination information. The second information regarding the device connected to the client is firmware of the device;
The information acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the client selects one of firmware obtained as a result of the acquisition request and writes the selected firmware in the device. A connection information acquisition server that connects to a client via a network,
A connection in which unique information, which is first information relating to a device connected to the client, and connection destination information, which is information relating to an acquisition destination of second information relating to a device connected to the client, are linked and stored. Prior information holding means;
A connection destination search processing means for acquiring the connection destination information using the unique information and the connection destination information holding means when receiving the specific information from the client, and transmitting the connection destination information to the client; A connection destination information acquisition server characterized by comprising: A server computer connected to the client via the network
A connection in which unique information, which is first information related to a device connected to the client, and connection destination information, which is information related to an acquisition destination of second information related to a device connected to the client, are linked and stored. Function as a prior information holding means,
In the server computer,
When the unique information is received from the client, the connection destination information is acquired using the unique information and the connection destination information holding unit, and a connection destination search process for transmitting to the client is executed. Connection destination information acquisition program characterized by the above.

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