JP2020154875A - Service mediation device and service mediation program - Google Patents

Abstract

To connect a client device that a user uses to a service mediation device compatible to a license that the user possesses when provision of service processing is requested from a user who possesses an incompatible license.SOLUTION: A service mediation device includes: a first transmission unit 30 for, when provision of service processing to a user is requested from a client device, transmitting request information for requesting the confirmation of whether or not the user possesses a license of service processing to a license holding device which holds license information on the user who possesses the license of service processing; a reception unit 32 for receiving possession information indicating whether or not the user possesses the license from the license holding device; and a second transmission unit 34 for, when the possession information indicates that the user does not possess the license, transmitting connection information necessary for the client device to connect to the service intermediation device to be connected to the client device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a service brokerage device and a service brokerage program.

Patent Document 1 describes license information and the license information stored in association with each of the plurality of servers in a distributed device capable of connecting to a plurality of clients and a plurality of servers that provide services to the clients based on the license information. Corresponds to the server license information and the availability information indicating whether or not the service can be provided based on the license information, based on the first correspondence information associated with the number of clients that can provide the service based on the license information. A control unit that generates the attached second correspondence information, refers to the second correspondence information based on the access from the client, and determines whether or not the server corresponding to the access can provide the service, and the control. It is characterized by having a management unit that establishes a connection between the client that transmitted the access and the server that is determined to be able to provide the service when the unit determines that the service can be provided. Disperser to be disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-214316

As a system in which the user receives the service processing, the client device used by the user requests the license holding device to acquire the license via the service intermediary device, and the user has the license to receive the service processing. There is a system that permits the provision of service processing when it is determined that there is. In this case, it is usual that only one service brokerage device corresponding to a predetermined license is set as a connection destination in the software installed in the client device.

Here, if a service brokerage device corresponding to a new license different from the license owned by the user is added, it may be connected to the newly added service brokerage device by routing depending on the position of the client device. .. In this case, since the service brokerage device to be accessed is different, the user cannot receive the service processing. Further, when it is desired to use a new service brokerage device as a connection destination, it is necessary to install software with the new service brokerage device as the connection destination on the client device, which is troublesome.

According to the present invention, when a user who holds an unsupported license requests the provision of service processing, the client device used by the user can be connected to the service brokerage device corresponding to the license owned by the user. The purpose is to provide a service brokerage device and a service brokerage program.

The service intermediary device according to the first aspect is a license holding device that holds license information about a user who holds a license for the service processing when the client device requests the provision of the service processing to the user. From the first transmitter that sends request information requesting confirmation of whether or not the user has a license for service processing, and the possession information indicating whether or not the user has a license from the license holding device. When the receiving unit to be received and the possessed information are information indicating that the user does not possess the license, the client provides the connection information necessary for connecting to the service intermediary device to which the client device should connect. It includes a second transmission unit that transmits to the device.

The service brokerage device according to the second aspect includes an acquisition unit that acquires a correspondence between the license type and the connection information of the service brokerage device in the service brokerage device according to the first aspect, and the receiving unit is the receiving unit. When the type of license possessed by the user is received from the license holding device as the possession information, and the second transmitting unit does not correspond to the type of license received by the receiving unit, the corresponding relationship is used. The connection information of the service brokerage device corresponding to the type of license possessed by the user received by the receiving unit is acquired and transmitted to the client device.

The service brokerage device according to the third aspect is the service brokerage device according to the first aspect or the second aspect, and the second transmission unit does not correspond to the type of license received by the reception unit as the possession information. , Sends a message to the client device indicating that the software relating to the connection of the client device to the service brokerage device should be updated.

The service brokerage program according to the fourth aspect functions as each part of the service brokerage device according to any one of the first to third aspects in the service brokerage device according to any one of the first to third aspects. It is a program for.

According to the first and fourth aspects, when a user who holds an unsupported license requests the provision of service processing, the client device used by the user as a service brokerage device corresponding to the license owned by the user. Has the effect of being able to connect.

According to the second aspect, as compared with the case where the connection information of the service brokerage device corresponding to the license possessed by the user is acquired and not transmitted to the client device, the user uses the service brokerage device corresponding to the license possessed by the user. It has the effect that the client device to be used can be easily connected.

According to the third aspect, the client device connects to the service intermediary device to be connected as compared with the case where the message indicating that the software for connecting the client device to the service intermediary device should be updated is not sent to the client device. This has the effect of prompting an older client device that cannot be recognized even if it obtains the necessary connection information to update the software.

It is a block diagram of a service brokerage system. It is a block diagram which shows the electrical structure of the service intermediary device. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the service intermediary device. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing flow of a service brokerage program. This is an example of a connection information database stored in a service brokerage device that supports the global license. This is an example of a connection information database stored in a service brokerage device that supports the Chinese license.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a service brokerage system 1. The service brokerage system 1 includes service brokerage devices 10A and 10B, a client device 11, a routing device 14, and a license holding device 16. In the present embodiment, the case where there are two service brokerage devices will be described, but three or more service brokerage devices may be provided. When the service intermediary devices 10A and 10B are not distinguished, they are referred to as the service intermediary device 10.

When the service intermediary device 10 is requested by the user to provide the service process via the client device 11, the service intermediary device 10 is attached to the license holding device 16 which holds the license information about the user who holds the license for the requested service process. It is a device that mediates the confirmation process of whether or not a license is possessed. Here, the service process is a process executed by the application software and is provided by a service providing device (not shown). Examples of the functions provided by the application software include, but are not limited to, a document management function, a storage management function, and an email function.

The client device 11 is a multifunction device having functions such as a print function, a copy function, a scan function, and a facsimile function. The client device 11 is not limited to the multifunction device, but may be a personal computer or a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

The user instructs the client device 11 to provide the service process provided by the service providing device (not shown). When the client device 11 is instructed to provide the service process, the client device 11 transmits the request information requesting confirmation as to whether or not the user has a license for the service process to the service intermediary device 10. The request information includes user information. Here, the user information is information for uniquely identifying a user, and includes, for example, a user ID and the like.

The request information transmitted from the client device 11 is transmitted by the routing device 14 to the service brokerage device 10A or the service brokerage device 10B.

The routing device 14 transmits the request information transmitted from the client device 11 to the service brokerage device 10A or 10B which is closer to the installation location of the client device 11. That is, the request information transmitted from the client device 11 is routed. For example, when the service brokerage device 10A is installed in Singapore and the service brokerage device 10B is installed in China, and the client device 11 is installed in Singapore, the routing device 14 is the client device 11 The request information transmitted from is transmitted to the service intermediary device 10A. On the other hand, when the client device 11 is installed in China, the routing device 14 transmits the request information transmitted from the client device 11 to the service brokerage device 10B.

The routing by the routing device 14 is performed by a known method based on, for example, the IP address of the client device 11. The IP address is related to the installation location of the client device 11. Therefore, by routing based on the IP address, the request information is transmitted to the service intermediary device closer to the setting location of the client device 11.

When the request information is transmitted from the client device 11, the service brokerage device 10 transmits the request information to the license holding device 16 and transmits possession information indicating whether or not the user has a license for service processing. Request.

The license holding device 16 holds a license list as license information indicating the types of licenses that the user has regarding the provision of service processing. Then, the user information included in the request information transmitted from the service brokerage device 10 is collated with the license list, and the type of license possessed by the user represented by the user information is transmitted to the service brokerage device 10 as possession information. ..

In the service intermediary device 10, when the received possession information is information indicating that the user possesses a license, specifically, the type of license represented by the possession information transmitted from the license holding device 16 is , In the case of the license type supported by the service intermediary device 10, a response result indicating that the service can be provided is transmitted to the client device 11. As a result, the user can access the service providing device (not shown) and receive the service processing.

On the other hand, in the case of the response result indicating that the user does not possess the license, specifically, the type of license represented by the possession information transmitted from the license holding device 16 is not supported by the service brokerage device 10. If it is the type of license, the connection information necessary for the client device 11 to connect to the service brokerage device to be connected is transmitted to the client device 11. As a result, the client device 11 can be connected to the service intermediary device 10 required to receive the service processing.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the service brokerage device 10. The service brokerage device 10 is composed of a device including a general computer.

As shown in FIG. 2, the service brokerage device 10 includes a controller 12. The controller 12 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 12A, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12B, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12C, a non-volatile memory 12D, and an input / output interface (I / O) 12E. The CPU 12A, ROM 12B, RAM 12C, non-volatile memory 12D, and I / O 12E are connected to each other via the bus 12F.

Further, the communication unit 18 and the storage unit 20 are connected to the I / O 12E.

The communication unit 18 is an interface for performing data communication with an external device.

The storage unit 20 is composed of a non-volatile storage device such as a hard disk, and stores a service brokerage program 20A and a connection information database (DB) 20B, which will be described later. The CPU 12A reads and executes the service brokerage program 20A stored in the storage unit 20.

Next, the functional configuration of the CPU 12A when the service brokerage device 10 executes the service brokerage program 20A will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the CPU 12A functionally includes a first transmission unit 30, a reception unit 32, a second transmission unit 34, and an acquisition unit 36.

When the client device 11 requests the provision of the service process to the user, the first transmission unit 30 sends the user to the license holding device 16 that holds the license information about the user who holds the license for the service process. Send request information requesting confirmation of whether you have a license.

The receiving unit 32 receives possession information indicating whether or not the user possesses a license from the license holding device 16.

The second transmitting unit 34 is necessary for connecting to the service intermediary device 10 to be connected by the client device 11 when the possession information received by the receiving unit 32 is information indicating that the user does not possess the license. Connection information is transmitted to the client device 11.

The acquisition unit 36 acquires the connection information DB 20B representing the correspondence between the type of license and the connection information of the service brokerage device 10 by reading it from the storage unit 20. In this case, the receiving unit 32 receives the type of license possessed by the user from the license holding device 16 as possession information. Then, when the second transmitting unit 34 does not correspond to the type of license received by the receiving unit 32, the second transmitting unit 34 uses the connection information DB 20B to mediate the service corresponding to the type of license possessed by the user received by the receiving unit 32. The connection information of the device 10 is acquired and transmitted to the client device 11.

The second transmission unit 34 sends a message indicating that the software related to the connection of the client device 11 to the service brokerage device 10 should be updated when the reception unit 32 does not support the type of license received as possession information. It may be transmitted to the client device 11.

Next, the operation of the service intermediary device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the service brokerage program 20A is stored in the storage unit 20. When the CPU 12A reads out and executes the service brokerage program 20A, the service brokerage process shown in FIG. 4 is executed. The service brokerage process shown in FIG. 4 is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals.

In the following, a plurality of licenses are set for the service processing provided by the service providing device (not shown), and a case where a global version license and a Chinese version license are set will be described as an example. The service brokerage device that the user with the global version license should access is the service brokerage device 10A installed in Singapore, and the service brokerage device that the user with the Chinese version license should access is the service brokerage device installed in China. It will be described as assuming that it is 10B.

When the user instructs the client device 11 to provide the service processing provided by the service providing device (not shown), the client device 11 requests confirmation as to whether or not the user has a license for the service processing. The information is transmitted to the service intermediary device 10. The request information transmitted from the client device 11 is routed by the routing device 14, and is transmitted to the service brokerage device 10A or 10B which is closer to the installation location of the client device 11.

In step S100, it is determined whether or not the request information has been received from the client device 11. Then, when the request information is received from the client device 11, the process proceeds to step S102, and when the request information is not received from the client device 11, this routine is terminated.

In step 102, the request information received in step S100 is transmitted to the license holding device 16. As a result, the license holding device 16 collates the user information included in the request information received from the service brokering device 10 with the license list, and services the type of license held by the user represented by the user information as possession information. It is transmitted to the intermediary device 10.

In step S104, it is determined whether or not possession information has been received from the license holding device 16. Then, when the possession information is received, the process proceeds to step S106, and when the possession information is not received, the process waits until the possession information is received.

In step S106, it is determined whether or not the type of license received in step S104 is the type of license that is not supported by the service brokerage device 10 that executes this routine. Specifically, when the service brokerage device that executes this routine is the service brokerage device 10A corresponding to the global version license, the type of license received in step S104 is a license not supported by the service brokerage device 10A. Whether or not it is a license other than the global version license is determined. On the other hand, when the service brokerage device that executes this routine is the service brokerage device 10B corresponding to the Chinese version license, whether or not the type of license received in step S104 is a license not supported by the service brokerage device 10B. That is, it is determined whether or not the license is other than the Chinese version license.

Then, if the type of license received in step S104 is a type of license that is not supported by the service brokerage device 10 that executes this routine, the process proceeds to step S108. On the other hand, if the type of license received in step S104 is the type of license that can be handled by the service brokerage device 10 that executes this routine, the process proceeds to step S112.

In step S108, the connection information DB 20B stored in the storage unit 20 is referred to, and the connection information of the service brokerage device corresponding to the type of license possessed by the user is acquired.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the connection information DB 20B stored in the storage unit 20 of the service brokerage device 10A corresponding to the global version license. As shown in FIG. 5, the connection information DB 20B is a database showing the correspondence between the types of licenses that the service brokerage device 10A does not support and the connection information that corresponds to the types of licenses that the service brokerage device 10A does not support. is there. In the present embodiment, the connection information is information representing the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the service brokerage device 10 of the connection destination as an example, but is not limited to this.

The service brokerage device 10A does not support the Chinese version license. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the connection information DB 20B includes the URL of the connection destination corresponding to the Chinese version license.

Further, FIG. 6 shows an example of the connection information DB 20B stored in the storage unit 20 of the service brokerage device 10B corresponding to the Chinese version license. The service brokerage device 10B does not support the global license. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the connection information DB 20B includes the URL of the connection destination corresponding to the global version license.

In step S110, the connection information acquired in step S108 is transmitted to the client device 11. Specifically, for example, if the service brokerage device that executes this routine is the service brokerage device 10A corresponding to the global version license, and the type of license acquired in step S104 is the Chinese version license, the Chinese version license is supported. The connection destination URL of the service brokerage device 10B is transmitted to the client device 11 as connection information. As a result, the client device 11 transmits the user information to the service brokerage device 10B, which is the correct connection destination. As a result, the user can receive the service processing.

If the service brokerage device that executes this routine is the service brokerage device 10B corresponding to the Chinese version license and the type of license acquired in step S104 is the global version license, the service brokerage device corresponding to the global version license The connection destination URL of 10A is transmitted to the client device 11 as connection information. As a result, the client device 11 transmits the user information to the service brokerage device 10A, which is the correct connection destination. As a result, the user can receive the service processing.

In step S112, since the type of license supported by the service brokerage device that executes this routine matches the type of license owned by the user, the client device outputs a response result indicating that the service can be provided. Send to 11. As a result, the user can receive the service processing.

In this way, the service brokerage device 10 corresponds to the type of license possessed by the user when the type of license possessed by the user represented by the user information transmitted from the client device 11 is not supported. The connection information regarding the connection destination of the service intermediary device is transmitted to the client device 11. As a result, the client device 11 can be connected to the service brokerage device corresponding to the license possessed by the user.

Here, for example, when a new service brokerage device 10 is added and the client device 11 is connected to an unintended service brokerage device 10 by routing, the correct connection destination is described in the newly added service brokerage device 10. The connection information DB 20B may be provided. As a result, the client device 11 is connected to the correct connection destination.

Further, for the service brokerage device other than the newly added service brokerage device 10, the connection destination of the newly added service brokerage device may be added to the connection information DB 20B.

In this way, the client device 11 does not need to hold the connection information regarding the connection destination. Further, even when it is desired to change the new service brokerage device to the connection destination, it is not necessary to install the software having the new service brokerage device as the connection destination in the client device 11.

By the way, when the client device 11 receives the connection information transmitted from the service brokerage device 10 in step S110 of FIG. 4, the client device 11 accesses the URL of the connection destination included in the received connection information, but the old client device 11 That is, if the software installed on the client device 11 and the version of the software related to the connection to the service brokerage device 10 is old, the connection information transmitted from the service brokerage device 10 cannot be recognized and is correct. You may not be able to connect to the connection destination.

Therefore, in step S110 of FIG. 4, in addition to transmitting the connection information to the client device 11, or instead of transmitting the connection information, the software related to the connection of the client device 11 to the service brokerage device 10 is updated. A message indicating what should be done, for example, a message such as "Please update software" may be transmitted to the client device 11. As a result, a message is displayed on the old client device 11 to prompt the user to update the software. Then, when the software is updated in the client device 11, it becomes possible to recognize the connection information transmitted from the service brokerage device 10 in step S110 of FIG. 4, and the client device 11 is connected to the correct connection destination.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention, and the modified or improved forms are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the present embodiment, the case where there are two service brokerage devices 10 has been described, but three or more service brokerage devices 10 may be provided. In this case, each service brokerage device 10 may store a connection information database showing the correspondence between the types of unsupported licenses and the connection information of the service brokerage devices of the unsupported licenses. For example, if there is a European license in addition to the global license and the Chinese license, the connection information of the Chinese license and the European license may be stored in the service brokerage device corresponding to the global license. .. In addition, the connection information of the global license and the European license may be stored in the service brokerage device corresponding to the Chinese license. In addition, the connection information of the global license and the Chinese license may be stored in the service brokerage device corresponding to the European license.

Further, the above-described embodiment does not limit the invention according to the claim, and it is said that all combinations of features described in the embodiment are indispensable for the means for solving the invention. Not exclusively. The above-described embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions are extracted by combining a plurality of disclosed constituent requirements. Even if some constituents are deleted from all the constituents shown in the embodiment, a configuration in which some of the constituents are deleted can be extracted as an invention as long as the effect is obtained.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the service brokerage program is pre-installed in the storage unit 20 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the service brokerage program may be provided by being stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), or may be provided via a network.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the service brokerage process is realized by the software configuration by using the computer by executing the program has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the service brokerage process may be realized by a hardware configuration or a combination of a hardware configuration and a software configuration.

In addition, the configuration of the service brokerage device 10 described in the above embodiment (see FIG. 2) is an example, and unnecessary parts are deleted or new parts are added within a range that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. It goes without saying that you can do it.

Further, the processing flow of the service brokerage program described in the above embodiment (see FIG. 4) is also an example, and unnecessary steps are deleted or new steps are added within a range that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. Needless to say, the processing order may be changed.

1 Service brokerage system 10, 10A, 10B Service brokerage device 11 Client device 12 Controller 14 Routing device 16 License holding device 18 Communication unit 20 Storage unit 20A Service brokerage program 30 First transmission unit 32 Reception unit 34 Second transmission unit 36 Acquisition department

Claims (4)

Whether or not the user holds the license for the service processing in the license holding device that holds the license information about the user who holds the license for the service processing when the client device requests the provision of the service processing to the user. A first transmitter that sends request information requesting confirmation of
A receiving unit that receives possession information indicating whether or not the user possesses a license from the license holding device.
When the possession information is information indicating that the user does not possess the license, the second is to transmit the connection information necessary for connecting to the service brokerage device to be connected by the client device to the client device. Transmitter and
Service brokerage device equipped with. It is provided with an acquisition unit that acquires the correspondence between the license type and the connection information of the service brokerage device.
The receiving unit receives the type of license possessed by the user from the license holding device as possession information, and receives the type of license possessed by the user.
When the second transmitting unit does not correspond to the type of license received by the receiving unit, the service intermediary corresponding to the type of license possessed by the user received by the receiving unit using the corresponding relationship. The service brokerage device according to claim 1, wherein the connection information of the device is acquired and transmitted to the client device. The second transmitting unit sends a message indicating that the software related to the connection of the client device to the service brokerage device should be updated when the receiving unit does not support the type of license received as the possession information. The service intermediary device according to claim 1 or 2, which is transmitted to the device. A service brokerage program for causing a computer to function as each part of the service brokerage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.