WO2021260929A1 - Software activation device, information processing device, and software activation method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure has been devised in order to solve such problems, the objective being to provide a software activation device, an information processing method, and a software activation method that enable the overall cost to be reduced. This software activation device, which is for activating software that is executed on at least one information processing device, is provided with: a user authentication unit for authenticating a user using the information processing device; a used device identification unit for identifying the information processing device used by the user; and a software activation request unit for transmitting, to the information processing device identified by the used device identification unit, a software activation request requesting activation of software and user information pertaining to the user authenticated by the user authentication unit.

Description

Software activation device, information processing device, and software activation method

The present disclosure relates to a software activation device and a software activation method for activating software executed by an information processing apparatus, and an information processing apparatus for executing software in response to a software activation request from the software activation device.

Conventionally, after authenticating a user who uses an information processing device and the usage environment of the user, the user and the usage environment of the user are selected by selecting software and user data to be executed for each user and the usage environment of the user. A technique for providing a different information processing environment has been proposed for each (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-276546 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-228729

In Patent Documents 1 and 2, the information processing apparatus that is a client provides user information acquired from a user to a server (also referred to as a host). The server authenticates the user using the received user information, and instructs the information processing device to execute appropriate software according to the authentication result. The information processing device executes the software according to the instructions from the server.

As described above, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, in the overall process of authenticating the user and reflecting the result, the process of acquiring the user information and the process of executing the software are performed by the information processing apparatus. However, since all information processing devices need to have a function to acquire user information, when a new information processing device is added, the new information processing device also needs to have a function to acquire user information. There is a problem that the overall cost is high.

The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a software activation device, an information processing apparatus, and a software activation method capable of reducing the overall cost. ..

In order to solve the above problems, the software activation device according to the present disclosure is a software activation device that activates software executed by at least one information processing device, and is a user authentication that authenticates a user who uses the information processing device. The software activation request for requesting software activation and the user authentication unit for the information processing device specified by the unit, the information processing device specified by the user, and the information processing device specified by the user authentication unit have been authenticated by the user authentication unit. It includes a software activation request unit that sends user information about the user.

According to the present disclosure, the software activation request requesting the activation of software and the user information about the user authenticated by the user authentication unit are sent to the information processing device specified by the device identification unit to be used, so that the overall cost is increased. Can be reduced.

The purposes, features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will be made clearer by the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the structure of the software activation apparatus and the information processing apparatus by Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the structure of the software activation apparatus and the information processing apparatus by Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the registered user information by Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the apparatus position information by Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the software start device by Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the information processing apparatus by Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the structure of the software activation apparatus and the information processing apparatus by the modification of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the structure of the software activation apparatus and the information processing apparatus by Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the priority information by Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the apparatus position information by Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the registered user information by Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the signature necessity list by Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the software start device by Embodiment 2. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the information processing apparatus by Embodiment 2. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the structure of the software activation apparatus and the information processing apparatus by Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the registered user information by Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the registered user information by Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the candidate OS by Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the software start device by Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the information processing apparatus by Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware composition of the software start device by embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware composition of the software start device by embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware composition of the information processing apparatus by embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the structure of the software boot system by embodiment.

<Embodiment 1>
<1-1. Configuration>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the software activation device 1 and the information processing device 5 according to the first embodiment. The software activation device 1 and the information processing device 5 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly. Note that FIG. 1 shows the minimum necessary components constituting the software activation device and the information processing device according to the first embodiment.

The software activation device 1 activates software executed by the information processing apparatus 5. The software activation device 1 includes a user authentication unit 2, a usage device identification unit 3, and a software activation request unit 4.

The user authentication unit 2 authenticates the user who uses the information processing device 5. The used device specifying unit 3 specifies the information processing device 5 used by the user. The software activation request unit 4 sends a software activation request for requesting software activation and user information about a user authenticated by the user authentication unit 2 to the information processing device specified by the device identification unit 3.

The information processing device 5 executes software in response to a software start request from the software start device 1. The information processing apparatus 5 includes a software activation request receiving unit 6 and a software executing unit 7.

The software start request receiving unit 6 receives the software start request and the user information from the software start device 1. The software execution unit 7 executes software according to the user based on the user information.

Next, other configurations of the software activation device and the information processing apparatus including the software activation device 1 and the information processing apparatus 5 shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configurations of the software activation device 8, the information processing device 15, and the information processing device 20 according to other configurations. It is assumed that the software activation device 8, the information processing device 15, and the information processing device 20 are mounted in the vehicle. Further, the information processing device 15 is provided in the driver's seat, and the information processing device 20 is provided in the passenger seat. That is, the user of the information processing apparatus 15 is a driver present in the driver's seat, and the user of the information processing apparatus 20 is an occupant present in the passenger seat. The software activation device 8 and each of the information processing device 15 and the information processing device 20 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly.

<1-1-1. Configuration of software activation device 8>
The software activation device 8 includes a user authentication unit 2, a device identification unit 3, a software activation request unit 4, a device activation request acceptance unit 9, a registered user information acquisition unit 10, and a device position information acquisition unit 11. I have. The user authentication unit 2 and the device identification unit 3 are connected to the user information acquisition device 12, the registered user information acquisition unit 10 is connected to the registered user information storage device 13, and the device position information acquisition unit 11 is the device position information storage device 14. It is connected to the.

The device start request receiving unit 9 starts the operation of the software start device 8 when the device start request is received. Here, the device activation request is, for example, a request generated when the accessory power of the vehicle is turned on, and is notified via CAN (Controller Area Network).

The user authentication unit 2 authenticates the user who uses the information processing devices 15 and 20 based on the user information acquired by the user information acquisition device 12 and the registered user information acquired by the registered user information acquisition unit 10. When a user exists in each of the driver's seat and the passenger seat, the user authentication unit 2 authenticates each user.

The user information acquisition device 12 is composed of, for example, a camera provided in the vehicle, a communication device capable of communicating with a smartphone, a receiver for receiving a signal emitted from a smart key for the vehicle, and the like. When the user information acquisition device 12 includes a camera, the camera is a wide-angle camera capable of photographing at least the driver's seat and the passenger seat. The user information acquisition device 12 may include at least one of such a camera, a communication device, a receiver, and the like, and may include all of them. The user information acquisition device 12 may be provided by the software activation device 8.

The registered user information acquisition unit 10 acquires the registered user information stored in the registered user information storage device 13. The registered user information is information in which the user has registered information about himself / herself as user information.

The registered user information storage device 13 stores the registered user information. The registered user information storage device 13 is composed of a storage device such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory, for example. The registered user information storage device 13 may be provided inside or outside the vehicle, and if it is provided inside the vehicle, the software activation device 8 may be provided.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of registered user information. In the example of FIG. 3, the registered user information includes user feature data, user ID, and user settings. The user feature data includes the feature amount of the user's face (information represented by alphanumerical characters) and the type of the user (children, dealers, etc.). Dealer features may include employee ID and hat information. The user setting indicates the OS (Operating System) used by the user and the setting information of the user in the OS. AGL shown in FIG. 3 is an abbreviation for Automotive Grade Linux. In addition, "Android", "Linux", and "Automotive Grade Linux" are all registered trademarks (the same shall apply hereinafter).

Here, the user authentication by the user authentication unit 2 will be described.

For example, the camera constituting the user information acquisition device 12 outputs the captured feature amount of the user's face as user information to the user authentication unit 2. The user authentication unit 2 authenticates the user by comparing the feature amount of the user's face acquired from the user information acquisition device 12 with the user feature data included in the registered user information acquired by the registered user information acquisition unit 10.

Further, if the user authentication unit 2 cannot authenticate the user by the above method, the user authentication unit 2 may authenticate the user type. In this case, for example, "child" or "dealer" is the authentication result of the user.

Returning to the description of FIG. 2, the used device specifying unit 3 is an information processing device used by the user based on the user information acquired by the user information acquisition device 12 and the device position information acquired by the device position information acquisition unit 11. Identify 15 and 20.

The device position information acquisition unit 11 acquires the device position information stored in the device position information storage device 14. The device position information is information indicating the positions of the information processing devices 15 and 20 provided in the vehicle.

The device position information storage device 14 stores the device position information. The device position information storage device 14 is composed of a storage device such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory, for example. The device position information storage device 14 may be provided inside or outside the vehicle, and if it is provided inside the vehicle, the software activation device 8 may be provided.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of device position information. In the example of FIG. 4, the device position information includes the device position, detection range, and address. The device position indicates the position where the information processing devices 15 and 20 are provided. The detection range indicates a range in which the user information acquisition device 12 detects the device position, and indicates a plane range with an arbitrary point in the front left (front left of the passenger seat) in the traveling direction of the vehicle as the origin. For example, (360,120)-(600,360) indicating the detection range of the driver's seat indicates that the range is a square having a diagonal line connecting the coordinates (360,120) and the coordinates (600,360). There is. The address indicates the communication address of the information processing device 15 provided in the driver's seat and the communication address of the information processing device 20 provided in the passenger seat.

Here, the specification of the information processing devices 15 and 20 by the device specifying unit 3 to be used will be described.

For example, it is assumed that the camera constituting the user information acquisition device 12 detects that a user with a user ID "1000" exists in the range of (400, 140)-(580, 320). In this case, the used device specifying unit 3 refers to the device position information acquired by the device position information acquisition unit 11, determines that the user with the user ID "1000" exists in the driver's seat, and uses the user. It is specified that the information processing device to be used is the information processing device 15 provided in the driver's seat.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 2, the software start request unit 4 receives the device start completion notification from the information processing devices 15 and 20. Here, the device activation completion notification means that each of the information processing devices 15 and 20 notifies the software activation device 8 that the activation of its own operation is completed. When the software activation request unit 4 receives the device activation completion notification from the information processing devices 15 and 20 specified by the device identification unit 3, the software activation request and user information are sent to the information processing devices 15 and 20. Send the user ID.

<1-1-2. Configuration of information processing devices 15 and 20>
Hereinafter, the configuration of the information processing apparatus 15 will be described as a representative, but the same applies to the configuration of the information processing apparatus 20.

The information processing device 15 includes a software activation request receiving unit 6, a software execution unit 7, a software acquisition unit 16, and an information presentation unit 17. The software acquisition unit 16 is connected to the software storage device 19.

Similar to the device start request receiving unit 9 of the software start device 8, the software start request receiving unit 6 starts the operation of the information processing device 15 when the device start request is received. Then, when the software activation request receiving unit 6 completes the activation of the information processing apparatus 15, the software activation request receiving unit 6 sends a device activation completion notification to the software activation request unit 4 of the software activation device 8. The software activation request receiving unit 6 may send a device activation completion notification at regular intervals.

Further, the software start request receiving unit 6 receives the software start request and the user ID sent from the software start request unit 4 of the software start device 8. Then, when the software start request receiving unit 6 receives the software start request and the user ID, the software start request receiving unit 6 instructs the software execution unit 7 to execute the software.

The software execution unit 7 instructs the software acquisition unit 16 to acquire the software corresponding to the user ID received by the software start request receiving unit 6. Then, the software execution unit 7 executes the software acquired by the software acquisition unit 16.

The software acquisition unit 16 acquires software corresponding to the user ID from the software storage device 19.

The software storage device 19 stores various software (specifically, an OS). Further, the software storage device 19 stores user information including a user ID and user setting information. The user ID and the user setting information correspond to the user ID and the user setting shown in FIG. The software storage device 19 is composed of a storage device such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory, for example. The software storage device 19 may be provided inside or outside the vehicle, and may be provided by any of the information processing devices 15 and 20 when it is provided inside the vehicle.

The information presentation unit 17 displays the result of the software execution unit 7 executing the software on the driver's seat display 18. At this time, the information presentation unit 17 may output sound from a speaker (not shown).

<1-2. Operation>
Hereinafter, the operation of the software activation device 8 and the operations of the information processing devices 15 and 20 will be described in order.

<1-2-1. Operation of software activation device 8>
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the software activation device 8. The operation shown in FIG. 5 starts when the device start request receiving unit 9 receives the device start request, and ends when the device start request receiving unit 9 receives the device stop request. Here, the device stop request is, for example, a request that occurs when the accessory power supply of the vehicle is turned off.

In step S101, the user authentication unit 2 uses the information processing devices 15 and 20 based on the user information acquired by the user information acquisition device 12 and the registered user information acquired by the registered user information acquisition unit 10. Authenticate. The user authentication method is as described above.

In step S102, the used device specifying unit 3 uses the information processing devices 15 and 20 used by the user based on the user information acquired by the user information acquisition device 12 and the device position information acquired by the device position information acquisition unit 11. To identify. The method for specifying the information processing devices 15 and 20 used by the user is as described above.

In step S103, the software activation request unit 4 determines whether or not the information processing devices 15 and 20 used by the user have been activated. Specifically, the software start request unit 4 determines that the information processing devices 15 and 20 have not been started until the device start completion notification is received from the information processing devices 15 and 20, and receives the device start completion notification. It is determined that the information processing devices 15 and 20 have already been started. If it has already been started, the process proceeds to step S105. On the other hand, if it has not been started, the process proceeds to step S104.

In step S104, the software activation request unit 4 stores the software activation request and the user information scheduled to be sent to the information processing devices 15 and 20 that have not been activated in a storage device (not shown). The storage device for storing the software activation request and the user information may be provided outside the software activation device 8, or may be provided in the software activation device 8.

In step S105, the software activation request unit 4 sends a software activation request and a user ID, which is user information, to the activated information processing devices 15 and 20.

For example, when the user ID of the user authenticated in step S101 is "1000" and the user uses the information processing device 15 in the driver's seat, the software activation request unit 4 is used by the user with the user ID "1000". When the device start completion notification is received from the information processing device 15, the software start request and the user ID are sent to the information processing device 15 whose address is "192.168.1.100". The content of the software startup request at this time is the content requesting that "Android is started by userdata 1000" (see FIG. 3).

Although the case where the user exists only in the driver's seat has been described here as an example, the same applies to the case where the user exists only in the passenger seat or the user exists in each of the driver's seat and the passenger seat.

<1-2-2. Operation of information processing devices 15 and 20>
Hereinafter, the operation of the information processing apparatus 15 will be described as a representative, but the same applies to the operation of the information processing apparatus 20.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information processing apparatus 15. The operation shown in FIG. 6 starts when the software start request receiving unit 6 receives the device start request, and ends when the software start request receiving unit 6 receives the device stop request.

In step S201, when the software start request receiving unit 6 receives the device start request and the start of the information processing device 15 is completed, the device start request completion notification is sent to the software start device 8.

In step S202, the software start request receiving unit 6 waits until the software start request and the user information (user ID) are received from the software start device 8, and when the software start request is received, the process proceeds to step S203.

In step S203, the software execution unit 7 executes the software corresponding to the user information. Specifically, the software acquisition unit 16 acquires software corresponding to the user ID from the software storage device 19. The software execution unit 7 executes the software acquired by the software acquisition unit 16.

For example, when the user ID is "1000", the software acquisition unit 16 acquires "Android" which is software corresponding to the user ID "1000" and "userdata 1000" which is the setting information of the user. Then, the software execution unit 7 executes "Android" with the user's setting information of "userdata 1000".

The information presentation unit 17 displays the result of the software execution unit 7 executing the software on the driver's seat display 18. At this time, the information presentation unit 17 may output sound from a speaker (not shown).

For example, when the software execution unit 7 executes "Android", the execution result of "Android" is presented to the user by displaying the home screen of "Android" or outputting the sound effect of the startup animation. ..

<1-3. Effect>
According to the first embodiment, the software activation device 8 acquires user information, authenticates the user, identifies the information processing apparatus used by the user, and requests the information processing apparatus used by the user to activate the software. And send user information. That is, in the software activation device 8, the function of acquiring user information and the function of authenticating the user are unified. As a result, the information processing devices 15 and 20 do not require a function for acquiring user information, and the development cost of parts and software related to the function can be reduced, which in turn can reduce the overall cost. can.

Further, the user information using each of the information processing devices 15 and 20 can be changed only by the software activation device 8.

Furthermore, by centralizing the function for authenticating users to the software activation device 8, it is possible to avoid diversification of processing by updating the authentication logic, and it is not necessary to synchronize the registered users with the information processing devices 15 and 20. Become.

In the above, the case where the software activation device 8 and the information processing devices 15 and 20 are mounted in the vehicle has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the software activation device 8 and the information processing devices 15 and 20 may be mounted on the aircraft. In this case, the information processing devices 15 and 20 may be provided in each seat of the aircraft. Further, the information processing devices 15 and 20 may be provided as kiosk terminals in a public space. Further, in a closed space such as an elevator, information processing devices 15 and 20 that perform information processing for each user may be provided on the wall surface.

<1-4. Modification example>
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the software activation device 22 and the information processing device 20 according to the modified example of the first embodiment.

The software activation device 22 has a configuration in which the software activation device 8 and the information processing apparatus 15 shown in FIG. 2 are combined, and is provided in the driver's seat. However, the software activation device 22 does not require the software activation request receiving unit 6. Even with such a configuration, the same effect as that of the first embodiment described above can be obtained.

Note that FIG. 7 shows a configuration in which the software activation device 8 and the information processing apparatus 15 shown in FIG. 2 are combined as an example, but the configuration in which the software activation device 8 and the information processing apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 2 are combined is shown as an example. May be.

<Embodiment 2>
<2-1. Configuration>
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the software activation device 23 and the information processing device 29 according to the second embodiment. It is assumed that the software activation device 23 and the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 are mounted in the vehicle. The software activation device 23 and the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly.

<2-1-1. Configuration of software activation device 23>
The software activation device 23 includes a device activation request receiving unit 9, a registered user information acquisition unit 10, a device position information acquisition unit 11, a used device identification unit 24, a user authentication unit 25, and a software activation request unit 26. I have. The device start request receiving unit 9, the registered user information acquisition unit 10, and the device position information acquisition unit 11 are the same as the device start request receiving unit 9, the registered user information acquisition unit 10, and the device position information acquisition unit 11 shown in FIG. Therefore, detailed description thereof will be omitted here. Hereinafter, the device used identification unit 24, the user authentication unit 25, and the software activation request unit 26 will be described.

The used device specifying unit 24 is based on the user information acquired by the user information acquisition device 12, the device position information acquired by the device position information acquisition unit 11, and the priority information acquired from the priority information storage device 27. Among the information processing devices 15, 20 and 29 used by the user, the information processing devices 15, 20 and 29 are specified in descending order of priority.

The priority information storage device 27 stores priority information indicating the order in which the used device specifying unit 24 identifies the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29. The priority information storage device 27 is composed of a storage device such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory, for example. The priority information storage device 27 may be provided inside or outside the vehicle, and if it is provided inside the vehicle, the software activation device 23 may be provided.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of priority information. In the example of FIG. 9, the information processing device 15 provided in the driver's seat has the highest priority, and the information processing device 29 provided in the rear seat has the lowest priority. Although the priority is shown in three stages in FIG. 9, the priority may be shown in two stages or four or more stages.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of device position information stored in the device position information storage device 14. In the example of FIG. 10, the device position information includes the device position, detection range, and address. The device position indicates the position where the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 are provided. Here, the left rear seat is the seat directly behind the passenger seat, and the right rear seat is the seat directly behind the driver's seat. The detection range indicates a range in which the user information acquisition device 12 detects the device position, and indicates an angle range in a three-dimensional space with an arbitrary point at the center in the width direction of the vehicle as the origin. Regarding the angle range in the three-dimensional space, the positive horizontal direction is the direction of the driver's seat, the negative horizontal direction is the direction of the passenger seat, the positive vertical direction is the ceiling direction of the vehicle, and the negative vertical direction. Is the direction of the vehicle floor. For example, (45 degrees, -15 degrees)-(75 degrees, 15 degrees) indicating the detection range of the driver's seat is in the range of 45 degrees to 75 degrees in the horizontal direction and -15 degrees to 15 degrees in the vertical direction. It shows that it is in the range of. The addresses are the communication address of the information processing device 15 provided in the driver's seat, the communication address of the information processing device 20 provided in the passenger seat, and the communication address of the information processing device 29 provided in the rear seat. Shows the address.

Here, the specification of the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 by the device specifying unit 24 to be used will be described. Hereinafter, a case where the user information acquisition device 12 is a communication device capable of communicating with a smartphone will be described.

First, the used device specifying unit 24 determines whether or not a user exists in order from the device position having the highest priority, based on the priority information acquired from the priority information storage device 27. Specifically, the used device specifying unit 24 acquires the relative angle at which the smartphone exists with respect to the communication device via the communication device. The user who owns the smartphone exists at the device position where the relative angle is obtained.

Next, the used device specifying unit 24 uses the plausible information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 used by the user based on the relative angle in which the smartphone exists and the device position information acquired by the device position information acquisition unit 11. Identify. For example, if the ID of the smartphone is "68, 40, 48, 82, 87" and the relative angle is "60 degrees in the horizontal direction, -10 degrees in the vertical direction", it is determined that the smartphone is in the driver's seat. That is, it is specified that the information processing device used by the user who owns the smartphone whose ID is "68, 40, 48, 82, 87" is the information processing device 15 provided in the driver's seat.

Returning to the description of FIG. 8, the user authentication unit 25 has the information processing devices 15, 20, 29 based on the user information acquired by the user information acquisition device 12 and the registered user information acquired by the registered user information acquisition unit 10. Authenticate users to use.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of registered user information. In the example of FIG. 11, the registered user information includes a smartphone ID, a user ID, a user setting, and a user name. The user ID and user settings are the same as the user ID and user settings shown in FIG.

Here, the user authentication by the user authentication unit 25 will be described.

For example, when the user information acquisition device 12 includes a communication device capable of communicating with a smartphone, the user authentication unit 25 recognizes the ID of the smartphone via the communication device. Then, the user authentication unit 25 authenticates the user who owns the smartphone by referring to the registered user information. In this case, it is specified that the ID of the user who owns the smartphone whose ID is "68, 40, 48, 82, 87" is "1000".

If the user authentication unit 25 cannot authenticate the user, the user authentication unit 25 determines that the user is a guest user. A guest user is a user who temporarily uses the user. For example, if the ID of the smartphone owned by the user is " A9 3E 787C 2C" and the user cannot be authenticated, the user is determined to be a guest user and the ID is set to "9999". In the case of a guest user, the preset software is executed. In the example of FIG. 11, in the case of a guest user, "Android" is executed.

Note that the user authentication unit 25 may authenticate the user by the same method as the authentication method by the user authentication unit 2 described in the first embodiment.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 8, the software start request unit 26 receives the device start completion notification from the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29. Further, when the software activation request unit 26 receives the device activation completion notification from the information processing devices 15, 20, 29, the software activation request and the user ID, which is the user information, are sent to the information processing devices 15, 20, 29. And send.

Further, the software activation request unit 26 is executed by the information processing devices 15, 20, 29 based on the user recognized by the user authentication unit 25 and the signature necessity list stored in the signature necessity list storage device 28. Determine if it is necessary to sign the software to be used. Then, when it is necessary to give a signature, the software start request unit 26 sends the signed software start request and user information. For example, the software activation request unit 26 encrypts the data included in the device activation completion notification received from the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 with a private key stored in a storage device (not shown), and the encrypted data is encrypted. It is given to the software start request and user information as a signature.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a signature necessity list. In the example of FIG. 12, the signature requirement list includes device location and restriction software. Restricted software is software that requires a signature. For example, all software (OS) executed by the information processing device 15 provided in the driver's seat needs to be signed, and software for a dealer executed by the information processing device 20 provided in the passenger seat (FIG. 3). (“Linux”) shown in (1) needs to be signed, and all software (OS) executed by the information processing apparatus 29 provided in the rear seat does not need to be signed.

<2-1-2. Configuration of information processing device 29>
The information processing apparatus 29 includes software execution units 7a and 7b, software acquisition units 16, information presentation units 17a and 17b, and software activation request receiving units 30. The information presentation unit 17a is connected to the left rear seat display 31, and the information presentation unit 17b is connected to the right rear seat display 32. Since the software acquisition unit 16 and the information presentation units 17a and 17b are the same as the software acquisition unit 16 and the information presentation unit 17 shown in FIG. 2, detailed description thereof will be omitted here. Hereinafter, the software execution units 7a and 7b and the software activation request receiving unit 30 will be described.

The software start request receiving unit 30 starts the operation of the information processing device 29 when it receives the device start request, similarly to the device start request receiving unit 9 of the software start device 23. Then, when the software activation request receiving unit 30 completes the activation of the information processing apparatus 29, the software activation request receiving unit 30 sends a device activation completion notification to the software activation request unit 26 of the software activation device 23. The software activation request receiving unit 30 may send a device activation completion notification at regular intervals.

Further, the software start request receiving unit 30 receives the software start request and the user ID sent from the software start request unit 26 of the software start device 23. Then, the software start request receiving unit 30 interprets the software start request and specifies the software execution units 7a and 7b that execute the software.

Further, the software start request receiving unit 30 determines whether or not the signature necessary for executing the software is given. When the signature is given, the software activation request receiving unit 30 decodes using the private key stored in the storage device (not shown) to determine whether the signature is correct or not. If the signature is correct, the software activation request receiving unit 30 instructs the software executing units 7a and 7b to execute the software.

The software execution units 7a and 7b operate as a virtual machine by software such as Hypervisor. Since the functions of the software execution units 7a and 7b are the same as the functions of the software execution unit 7 shown in FIG. 2, the description thereof will be omitted here.

<2-2. Operation>
Hereinafter, the operation of the software activation device 23 and the operation of the information processing device 29 will be described in order.

<2-2-1. Operation of software activation device 23>
FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the software activation device 23. The operation shown in FIG. 13 starts when the device start request receiving unit 9 receives the device start request, and ends when the device start request receiving unit 9 receives the device stop request.

In step S301, the used device specifying unit 24 includes the user information acquired by the user information acquisition device 12, the device position information acquired by the device position information acquisition unit 11, and the priority information acquired from the priority information storage device 27. The information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 are specified in descending order of priority among the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 used by the user. The method of specifying the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 in descending order of priority is as described above.

In step S302, the used device specifying unit 24 selects the information processing device having the highest priority among the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 specified in step S301. For example, when the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 are specified in step S301, the used device specifying unit 24 selects the information processing device 15 having the highest priority.

In step S303, the user authentication unit 25 uses the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 based on the user information acquired by the user information acquisition device 12 and the registered user information acquired by the registered user information acquisition unit 10. Authenticate the user. For example, when the information processing device 15 is selected in step S302, the user authentication unit 25 authenticates the user who uses the information processing device 15. The user authentication method is as described above.

In step S304, the software activation request unit 26 determines whether or not the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 used by the user have been activated. For example, when the information processing apparatus 15 is selected in step S302, the software activation requesting unit 26 determines whether or not the information processing apparatus 15 has been activated. The method of determining whether or not the information processing apparatus 15 has been activated is the same as the method described in step S103 of FIG. If it has already been started, the process proceeds to step S306. On the other hand, if it has not been started, the process proceeds to step S305.

In step S305, the software start request unit 26 stores the software start request and the user information scheduled to be sent to the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 that have not been started in a storage device (not shown).

In step S306, the software activation request unit 26 determines the information processing devices 15, 20, 29 based on the user recognized by the user authentication unit 25 and the signature necessity list stored in the signature necessity list storage device 28. Determine if it is necessary to sign the software that runs in. If the signature is required, the process proceeds to step S308. On the other hand, if the signature is not required, the process proceeds to step S307.

In step S307, the software activation request unit 26 sends the software activation request and the user ID, which is user information, to the activated information processing devices 15, 20, and 29.

For example, when a smartphone user whose smartphone ID is "D7 24 9F 9D 72" uses an information processing device provided in the right rear seat, the software activation request unit 26 has an address of "192.168.1. A software activation request and a user ID are sent to the information processing apparatus 29 which is "201". At this time, no signature is given to the software activation request and the user ID.

In step S308, the software activation request unit 26 sends a software activation request and a user ID, which is user information, to the activated information processing devices 15, 20, and 29. At this time, the software activation request unit 26 assigns a signature to the software activation request and the user ID. The method of giving the signature is as described above.

In step S309, the used device specifying unit 24 determines whether or not all the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 used by the user have been selected. When all the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 are selected, the process ends. On the other hand, if all the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 are not selected, the process returns to step S302. In this case, in step S302, the used device specifying unit 24 selects, for example, the information processing device 20 having the next highest priority from the information processing devices 20 and 29 that have not been selected yet.

<2-2-2. Operation of information processing device 29>
FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information processing apparatus 29. Note that, since step S401, step S402, and step S406 in FIG. 14 are the same as steps S201, S202, and S203 shown in FIG. 6, description thereof will be omitted here. Hereinafter, steps S403 to S405 will be described.

In step S403, when the software start request receiving unit 30 specifies the software to be executed from the user ID, it interprets the software start request and specifies the software execution units 7a and 7b (virtual machines) that execute the software.

In step S404, the software start request receiving unit 30 determines whether or not the software start request and the user ID are signed. If the signature is given, the process proceeds to step S405. On the other hand, if the signature is not given, the process proceeds to step S406.

In step S405, the software activation request receiving unit 30 determines whether or not the signature is correct. If the signature is correct, the process proceeds to step S406. On the other hand, if the signature is incorrect, the process returns to step S402.

<2-3. Effect>
According to the second embodiment, the software activation device 23 specifies the information processing device used by the user in descending order of priority. As a result, the execution of the software can be started from the information processing apparatus having a high priority, so that the time required for the software to be executed in the information processing apparatus having a high priority can be shortened.

If the software activation device 23 cannot authenticate the user, the software activation device 23 determines that the user is a guest user and sends the guest user information to the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29. As a result, even an unregistered user can use the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 as guest users, so that the usage opportunities of the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 can be expanded.

Further, the software activation device 23 adds a signature to the software activation request and the user information as needed. As a result, the software activation device 23, which is the request source of the software activation request, and the information processing devices 15, 20, 29, which are the request destinations, can be confirmed by signing, so that other users can impersonate the user who should originally use it. It is possible to prevent the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 from being used, and to prevent unauthorized addition of other information processing devices.

In the above, the case where the software activation device 23 and the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29 are mounted in the vehicle has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. As described in the first embodiment, it can be applied to other scenes.

The software activation device 23 may be configured in combination with any of the information processing devices 15, 20, and 29. It is effective to configure the software activation device 23 in combination with the information processing devices 20 and 29 provided in the passenger seat or the rear seat because the burden on the driver is reduced.

In FIG. 8, one information processing device 29 is provided for the rear seats, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an information processing device similar to the information processing device 15 or the information processing device 20 may be provided in each of the left rear seat and the right rear seat.

<Embodiment 3>
<3-1. Configuration>
FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the software activation device 33 and the information processing device 35 according to the third embodiment. It is assumed that the software activation device 33 and the information processing devices 15, 20, and 35 are mounted in the vehicle. The software activation device 33 and the information processing devices 15, 20, and 35 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly.

<3-1-1. Configuration of software activation device 33>
The software activation device 33 includes a device activation request receiving unit 9, a registered user information acquisition unit 10, a device position information acquisition unit 11, a used device identification unit 24, a user authentication unit 25, and a software activation request unit 26. It is provided with a user information registration unit 34. Since the components other than the user information registration unit 34 are the same as the components of the software activation device 23 shown in FIG. 8, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

The basic function of the user authentication unit 25 is the same as the function of the user authentication unit 25 described in the second embodiment, but the response when the user cannot be authenticated is different. If the user authentication unit 25 cannot authenticate the user, the user authentication unit 25 determines that the user is an unknown user. For example, if the ID of the smartphone owned by the user is " A9 3E 78 7C 2C" and the user cannot be authenticated, it is determined that the user is an unknown user and the user ID is set to "1002". ..

The software start request unit 26 has the same function as the software start request unit 26 described in the second embodiment. Further, when the user authenticated by the user authentication unit 25 is an unknown user, the software activation request unit 26 sends the user information together with the software activation request including information indicating that the user is an unknown user. Further, when the software activation request unit 26 receives the user information (user information of a new user) to be newly registered from the information processing device 35, the software start request unit 26 registers the user information so as to store the user information in the registered user information storage device 13. Instruct unit 34.

When a user determined by the user authentication unit 25 to be an unknown user performs a registration procedure as a new user in the information processing device 35, the user information registration unit 34 receives newly registered user information received from the information processing device 35. Stored in the registered user information storage device 13. For example, suppose that an unknown user who owns a smartphone whose ID is "A9, 3E, 787, 7C, 2C" and whose user ID is "1002" performs a registration procedure as a new user on the information processing device 35. In this case, in the user information registration unit 34, for example, the user ID is "1002", the OS used by the user is "Android", the user setting information in the OS is "userdata1002", and the user name is "UserC". User information indicating that the information is stored in the registered user information storage device 13.

16 and 17 show an example of registered user information stored in the registered user information storage device 13, FIG. 16 shows before a new user is registered, and FIG. 17 shows a new user registered. Shows after. As shown in FIG. 17, the user ID "1002" is registered as a new user. The user information stored in the registered user information storage device 13 is not limited to the information shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, and may include other information such as the user feature data shown in FIG.

<3-1-2. Configuration of information processing device 35>
The information processing apparatus 35 includes software execution units 36a and 36b, software acquisition units 16, information presentation units 37a and 37b, and software activation request receiving units 30. The information presentation unit 37a is connected to the left rear seat display 31, and the information presentation unit 37b is connected to the right rear seat display 32. Since the software acquisition unit 16 is the same as the software acquisition unit 16 shown in FIG. 8, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

The basic function of the software start request receiving unit 30 is the same as the function of the software start request receiving unit 30 described in the second embodiment, but when the user authentication unit 25 of the software start device 33 determines that the user is unknown. And the case of registering an unknown user as a new user are different. If the user is an unknown user, the software start request receiving unit 30 instructs the software executing units 36a and 36b to execute the user selection software. The user selection software is software for allowing an unknown user to select whether to use it as a guest user or to register and use it as a new user. Further, when the unknown user is registered as a new user, the software activation request receiving unit 30 sends the user information of the new user to the software activation request unit 26 of the software activation device 33.

The software execution units 36a and 36b execute the user selection software in the case of an unknown user. Other functions are the same as the functions of the software execution units 7a and 7b described in the second embodiment.

When the software execution units 36a and 36b execute the user selection software, the information presentation units 37a and 37b present information about the user selection software to the left rear seat display 31 or the right rear seat display 32, and the user inputs to the information presentation units 37a and 37b. Accept information. For the input operation by the user, an input device (not shown) may be used, and if the left rear seat display 31 and the right rear seat display 32 have a touch panel, the touch panel may be used.

The unknown user selects the software (OS) to be executed by the software execution units 36a and 36b when the user is used as a guest user or when the user is registered and used as a new user. The OS that is a candidate for selection at this time is, for example, the OS shown in FIG. In FIG. 18, candidate OSs include “Android” and “AGL”, and the location of each OS is shown. The location of the OS may be the location in the software storage device 19.

<3-2. Operation>
Hereinafter, the operation of the software activation device 33 and the operation of the information processing device 35 will be described in order.

<3-2-1. Operation of software activation device 33>
FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the software activation device 33. The operation shown in FIG. 19 starts when the device start request receiving unit 9 receives the device start request, and ends when the device start request receiving unit 9 receives the device stop request. Since steps S501 to S508 and step S511 in FIG. 19 correspond to steps S301 to S308 and step S309 in FIG. 13, description thereof will be omitted here. Hereinafter, steps S509 and S510 will be described.

In step S509, the software activation request unit 26 determines whether or not the user information newly registered is acquired from the information processing device 35. When the user information to be newly registered is acquired, the process proceeds to step S510. On the other hand, if the user information to be newly registered has not been acquired, the process proceeds to step S511.

In step S510, the user information registration unit 34 stores the newly registered user information in the registered user information storage device 13.

<3-2-2. Operation of information processing device 35>
FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information processing apparatus 35. Since steps S601 to S603 and steps S605 to S607 in FIG. 20 are the same as steps S401 to S403 and steps S404 to S406 in FIG. 14, description thereof will be omitted here. Hereinafter, step S604 and steps S608 to S612 will be described.

In step S604, the software start request receiving unit 30 determines whether or not the user is a registered user. The registered user means a user whose user information is stored in the registered user information storage device 13. If the user is not a registered user, that is, if the user is an unknown user, the process proceeds to step S608. On the other hand, if the user is a registered user, the process proceeds to step S605.

In step S608, the software execution units 36a and 36b execute the user selection software.

In step S609, the information presentation units 37a and 37b present information about the user selection software to the left rear seat display 31 or the right rear seat display 32, and accept the input information of the user for the information. Specifically, when the unknown user uses it as a guest user, he / she inputs to that effect and the software to be used. Further, when registering as a new user, the unknown user inputs the information necessary for registration. The information required for registration is, for example, a user setting and a user name as shown in FIG.

Then, the software execution units 36a and 36b determine whether or not the unknown user is a newly registered user based on the information input by the unknown user. If the unknown user is a newly registered user, the process proceeds to step S611. On the other hand, if the unknown user is not a newly registered user, the process proceeds to step S610.

In step S610, the software execution units 36a and 36b execute the software corresponding to the guest user.

In step S611, the software activation request receiving unit 30 sends the user information of the newly registered user to the software activation device 33.

In step S612, the software execution units 36a and 36b execute software corresponding to the user information set by the newly registered user.

<3-3. Effect>
According to the third embodiment, an unknown user can be registered as a new user. Further, the user who is temporarily used can be used as a guest user without registering the user information.

In the above, the case where the software activation device 33 and the information processing devices 15, 20, and 35 are mounted in the vehicle has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. As described in the first embodiment, it can be applied to other scenes.

The software activation device 33 may be configured in combination with any of the information processing devices 15, 20, and 35.

In FIG. 15, one information processing device 35 is provided for the rear seats, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an information processing device similar to the information processing device 15 or the information processing device 20 may be provided in each of the left rear seat and the right rear seat.

<4. Hardware configuration>
User authentication unit 2, used device identification unit 3, software activation request unit 4, device activation request receiving unit 9, registered user information acquisition unit 10, and device position information acquisition unit 11 in the software activation device 8 described in the first embodiment. Each function of is realized by the processing circuit. That is, the software activation device 8 authenticates the user, identifies the information processing devices 15 and 20 used by the user, requests the information processing devices 15 and 20 to start the software, and starts the software activation device 8. It is provided with a processing circuit for receiving a device start request, acquiring registered user information, and acquiring device position information. The processing circuit may be dedicated hardware, and may be a processor (CPU, central processing unit, processing unit, arithmetic unit, microprocessor, microprocessor, DSP (Digital Signal Processor)) that executes a program stored in the memory. It may be).

When the processing circuit is dedicated hardware, as shown in FIG. 21, the processing circuit 38 may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). , FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these. Each function of the user authentication unit 2, the device identification unit 3, the software activation request unit 4, the device activation request reception unit 9, the registered user information acquisition unit 10, and the device position information acquisition unit 11 is realized by the processing circuit 38, respectively. Also, each function may be collectively realized by one processing circuit 38.

When the processing circuit 38 is the multi-core CPU 39 shown in FIG. 22, the user authentication unit 2, the device used identification unit 3, the software start request unit 4, the device start request receiving unit 9, the registered user information acquisition unit 10, and the device position information acquisition Each function of the unit 11 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software or firmware is described as a program and stored in the main memory 40. The multi-core CPU 39 realizes each function by reading and executing the program recorded in the main memory 40. That is, the software activation device 8 has a step of authenticating a user, a step of specifying the information processing devices 15 and 20 used by the user, a step of requesting the information processing devices 15 and 20 to start software, and a software activation device 8. It is provided with a main memory 40 for storing a program in which a step of receiving a device start request, a step of acquiring registered user information, and a step of acquiring device position information are executed as a result. In addition, these programs follow the procedures or methods of the user authentication unit 2, the device identification unit 3, the software activation request unit 4, the device activation request acceptance unit 9, the registered user information acquisition unit 10, and the device position information acquisition unit 11. It can be said that it is something that is executed by a computer. Here, the main memory 40 is, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM (ErasableProgrammableReadOnlyMemory) EEPROM (ElectricallyErasableProgrammableReadOnlyMemory), a magnetic disk, or a flexible disk. , Optical discs, compact discs, DVDs (DigitalVersatileDisc), etc., or any storage medium that will be used in the future.

Further, as shown in FIG. 22, the software activation device 8 includes an input / output controller 41 and a network controller 42 in addition to the multi-core CPU 39 and the main memory 40. The input / output controller 41 is connected to the user information acquisition device 12 via, for example, CAN (Controller Area Network), LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling), USB (Universal Serial Bus, registered trademark), or the like. The network controller 42 is communicably connected to the information processing devices 15 and 20 via Ethernet (registered trademark).

Some functions of the user authentication unit 2, the device identification unit 3, the software activation request unit 4, the device activation request acceptance unit 9, the registered user information acquisition unit 10, and the device position information acquisition unit 11 are partially performed. It may be realized by dedicated hardware, and other functions may be realized by software or firmware.

In this way, the processing circuit can realize each of the above-mentioned functions by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.

Although the hardware configuration of the software activation device 8 described in the first embodiment has been described above, the same applies to the information processing devices 15 and 20 described in the first embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing devices 15 and 20 described in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 23, the information processing devices 15 and 20 include a multi-core CPU 39, a main memory 40, an input / output controller 41, a network controller 42, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 43, and a display controller 44. ing. The multi-core CPU 39, the main memory 40, the input / output controller 41, and the network controller 42 are the same as the multi-core CPU 39, the main memory 40, the input / output controller 41, and the network controller 42 shown in FIG. The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 43 controls to display information on the driver's seat display 18 or the passenger seat display 21. The display controller 44 controls the information processing device 35 to be connected to the driver's seat display 18 and the passenger seat display 21 via, for example, HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface, a registered trademark).

The same applies to the hardware configurations of the software activation devices 23, 33 and the information processing devices 29, 35 described in each of the second and third embodiments.

<System configuration>
The software activation device described above is a system in which not only an in-vehicle navigation device, that is, a car navigation device, but also a PND (Portable Navigation Device) that can be mounted on a vehicle, a server provided outside the vehicle, and the like are appropriately combined. It can also be applied to navigation devices constructed as. Alternatively, it can be applied to devices other than the navigation device constructed as a system. In this case, each function or each component of the software activation device is distributed and arranged in each function for constructing the system.

Specifically, as an example, the function of the software activation device can be placed on the server. For example, as shown in FIG. 24, the vehicle includes information processing devices 15 and 20, a driver's seat display 18, a passenger seat display 21, and a software storage device 19. Further, the server 45 includes a user authentication unit 2, a device identification unit 3, a software activation request unit 4, a device activation request acceptance unit 9, a registered user information acquisition unit 10, and a device position information acquisition unit 11. To prepare for. With such a configuration, a software booting system can be constructed. The software storage device 19 may be provided outside the vehicle, or may be provided by any of the information processing devices 15 and 20. The server 45 may include the user information acquisition device 12, the registered user information storage device 13, and the device position information storage device 14.

Further, software that executes the operation in the above embodiment may be incorporated into, for example, a server. The software startup method realized by the server executing this software authenticates the user who uses the information processing device, identifies the information processing device used by the user, and applies the software to the specified information processing device. Includes sending a software launch request requesting launch and user information about the authenticated user.

In this way, by incorporating the software that executes the operation in the above embodiment into the server and operating it, the same effect as that in the above embodiment can be obtained.

In the above, the case where each function or software of the software activation device 8 described in the first embodiment is applied to the server has been described, but the software activation device 23, described in each of the other embodiments 2 and 3. The same applies to the case where each function or software of 33 is applied to the server.

Within the scope of the present disclosure, each embodiment can be freely combined, and each embodiment can be appropriately modified or omitted.

Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, the above description is exemplary in all embodiments and is not limiting. It is understood that innumerable variations not illustrated can be assumed.

1 software activation device, 2 user authentication unit, 3 used device identification unit, 4 software activation request unit, 5 information processing device, 6 software activation request receiving unit, 7 software execution unit, 8 software activation device, 9 device activation request receiving unit 10, registered user information acquisition unit, 11 device position information acquisition unit, 12 user information acquisition device, 13 registered user information storage device, 14 device position information storage device, 15 information processing device, 16 software acquisition unit, 17 information presentation unit, 18 Driver's seat display, 19 Software storage device, 20 Information processing device, 21 Passenger's seat display, 22 Software activation device, 23 Software activation device, 24 Device identification unit, 25 User authentication unit, 26 Software activation request unit, 27 Priority Information storage device, 28 signature necessity list storage device, 29 information processing device, 30 software activation request receiving unit, 31 left rear seat display, 32 right rear seat display, 33 software activation device, 34 user information registration unit, 35 information processing Device, 36a, 36b software execution unit, 37a, 37b information presentation unit, 38 processing circuit, 39 multi-core CPU, 40 main memory, 41 input / output controller, 42 network controller, 43 GPU, 44 display controller, 45 server.

Claims (14)

1. A software activation device that activates software executed by at least one information processing device.
   A user authentication unit that authenticates a user who uses the information processing device,
   A device identification unit that specifies the information processing device used by the user, and a device identification unit.
   A software activation request unit that sends a software activation request for requesting software activation to the information processing device specified by the device identification unit to be used, and user information about the user authenticated by the user authentication unit.
   A software activation device.
2. If the user cannot be authenticated, the user authentication unit determines that the user is a guest user to which execution of predetermined software is applied.
   The software activation device according to claim 1, wherein the software activation request unit sends the user information regarding the guest user.
3. If the user authentication unit cannot authenticate the user, the user authentication unit determines that the user is an unknown user and determines that the user is an unknown user.
   The software activation device according to claim 1, wherein the software activation request unit sends the user information regarding the unknown user.
4. When it is necessary to give a signature to the software executed by the information processing device specified by the device identification unit to be used, the software start request unit sends the signed software start request and the user information. The software activation device according to claim 1.
5. When the user authentication unit cannot authenticate the user, the user authentication unit identifies the type of the user and determines the type of the user.
   The software activation device according to claim 1, wherein the software activation request unit sends the user information according to the type of the user.
6. The software activation device according to claim 1, wherein the device specifying unit used specifies the information processing device in descending order of priority.
7. The software activation device according to claim 1, which is integrally configured with the information processing device.
8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.
   A software activation request receiving unit that receives the software activation request and the user information from the software activation device, and
   A software execution unit that executes the software according to the user based on the user information, and
   An information processing device.
9. When the software start request receiving unit receives the software start request and the user information to which the signature is given, the software start request receiving unit determines whether or not the signature is correct.
   The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the software execution unit executes the software when the signature is correct.
10. When the software activation request receiving unit receives the user information according to the type of the user,
    The information processing device according to claim 8, wherein the software execution unit executes the software according to the type of the user.
11. The information processing device according to claim 8, further comprising an information presenting unit that presents the result of executing the software to the user.
12. When the software activation request receiving unit receives the user information regarding an unknown user,
    The information processing device according to claim 11, wherein the information presenting unit presents information asking whether or not to register as a new user to the unknown user.
13. The information processing device according to claim 12, wherein the information presenting unit presents information for registering as the new user when the unknown user chooses to register as the new user.
14. A software activation method for activating software executed by at least one information processing device.
    Authenticate the user who uses the information processing device
    Identify the information processing device used by the user and
    A software activation method for sending a software activation request for requesting software activation and user information about the authenticated user to the specified information processing device.

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