US 7,454,780 B2Granted

Service providing system and method

AssigneeSony Corporation

InventorsTomohiro Katsube, Atsushi Fuse, Masato Yokobori, Takamasa Iwade, Naoshi Suzuki, Keiji Yuzawa, Junichi Ootani, Takafumi Masuda, Hiroshi Iwasaki

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

This invention relates to a service providing system and a service providing method for allowing users to receive a service from a service server without having to submit their security-critical information to that server. A CE device 1 requests provision of the service by transmitting authentication information such as a device ID to a surrogate authentication server 2. The surrogate authentication server 2 authenticates the CE device 1 based on the authentication information and transmits a result of the authentication to the service server 3. In turn, the service server 3 provides the CE device 1 with the requested service based on the result of the authentication received from the surrogate authentication server 2. The CE device 1 then uses the service provided by the service server 3. This system can be applied advantageously to network-based marketing systems.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A service providing system comprising:

a terminal unit for requesting and using a service;
a service providing apparatus for providing said service;
and
an authentication apparatus, being distinct from and in communication with said service providing apparatus, for authenticating said terminal unit as a legitimate terminal unit to receive said service, for examining said service providing apparatus upon application by said service providing apparatus for registration of said service, and for determining whether said service is fit for registration as a service to be provided based on a result of said examination of said service providing apparatus,
wherein,
said terminal unit includes:
a first transmitting unit for transmitting authentication information to said authentication apparatus, and
a usage unit for using said service provided by said service providing apparatus, said authentication apparatus includes:
an authenticating unit for authenticating said terminal unit based on said authentication information transmitted from said first transmitting unit of said terminal unit, and
a second transmitting unit for transmitting a result of the authentication performed by said authenticating unit to said service providing apparatus, and said service providing apparatus includes:
a providing unit for providing said service directly to said terminal unit depending on said result of said authentication transmitted from said second transmitting unit of said authentication apparatus.

8 more elements

A service providing system comprising:

a terminal unit for requesting and using a service,
a service providing apparatus for providing said service, and
an authentication apparatus, distinct from and in communication with said service providing apparatus, for authenticating said terminal unit as a legitimate terminal unit to receive said service,
wherein,
said terminal unit includes:
a service requesting unit for requesting said service from said service providing apparatus;
an authentication information transmitting unit for transmitting authentication information to said authentication apparatus;
an authentication result receiving unit for receiving a result of the authentication from said authentication apparatus;
a first authentication result transmitting unit for transmitting said result of said authentication to said service providing apparatus;
and
a usage unit for using said service provided by said service providing apparatus, said authentication apparatus includes:
an authentication information authenticating unit for authenticating said terminal unit based on said authentication information transmitted from said authentication information transmitting unit of said terminal unit;
an examination unit for examining said service providing apparatus upon application by said service providing apparatus for registration of said service;
a determination unit for determining whether said service is fit for registration as a service to be provided based on a result of said examination of said service providing apparatus;
a second authentication result transmitting unit for transmitting a result of the authentication performed by said authentication information authenticating unit to said terminal unit;
and
an authentication result authenticating unit for authenticating said result of said authentication transmitted from said service providing apparatus, and said service providing apparatus includes:
a providing unit for providing said service directly to said terminal unit after transmitting to said authentication apparatus said result of said authentication transmitted from said first authentication result transmitting unit of said terminal unit.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/484,201Filed 19 May 2003
Priority: JP 2002-14489620 May 2002
Published: US 2005/0132189 A116 Jun 2005
Granted: 18 Nov 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H04L 63/0407
For providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks: wherein the identity of one or more…
G06F 21/31
Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals: user authentication
G06F 21/33
User authentication: using certificates
G06F 21/6245
To a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database: protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes