Service providing system and information gathering method

An information gathering method executed in a service providing system that includes one or more information processing apparatuses and is configured to provide a service to a service using apparatus connected to the service providing system via a network, the information gathering method comprising:

• a management information storage step of storing management information including an association between service identification information of the service to be provided, user identification information of a user using the service, and device identification information of the service using apparatus;
• an authentication information receiving step of receiving authentication information from the service using apparatus, the authentication information including at least one of user authentication information used for user authentication and device authentication information used for device authentication;
• an authentication step of executing an authentication process on the received authentication information;
• a service identification step of identifying the service associated with the authentication information based on the authentication information and the management information in a case where the authentication information is authenticated;
• and
• an execution step of executing a process according to a use request for the service identified in the service identification step upon receiving the use request for the service from the service using apparatus;
• wherein the execution step includes
• a rule application determination step of determining rule information to be applied to the user based on use history information of the service stored in association with the user identification information, and rule information to be applied to the process associated with the use request for the service according to the use history information;
• a rule information application step of applying the rule information to be applied to the user determined in the rule application determination step to the process associated with the use request for the service;
• and
• a storage step of storing a record of the rule information applied to the process associated with the use request for the service in the rule information application step.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon that is executable by a service providing system including one or more information processing apparatuses and being configured to provide a service to a service using apparatus connected to the service providing system via a network, the program, when executed, causing the service providing system to act as:

• a management information storage unit configured to store management information including an association between service identification information of the service to be provided, user identification information of a user using the service, and device identification information of the service using apparatus;
• an authentication information receiving unit configured to receive authentication information from the service using apparatus, the authentication information including at least one of user authentication information used for user authentication and device authentication information used for device authentication;
• an authentication unit configured to execute an authentication process on the received authentication information;
• a service identification unit configured to identify the service associated with the authentication information based on the authentication information and the management information in a case where the authentication information is authenticated;
• and
• an execution unit configured to execute a process according to a use request for the service identified by the service identification unit upon receiving the use request for the service from the service using apparatus;
• wherein the execution unit includes
• a rule application determination unit configured to determine rule information to be applied to the user based on use history information of the service stored in association with the user identification information, and rule information to be applied to the process associated with the use request for the service according to the use history information;
• a rule information application unit configured to apply the rule information to be applied to the user determined by the rule application determination unit to the process associated with the use request for the service;
• and
• a storage unit configured to store a record of the rule information applied to the process associated with the use request for the service by the rule information application unit.