CN100462939C

CN100462939C - Service providing equipment by using user as centre and its method

Info

Publication number: CN100462939C
Application number: CNB031010032A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 英春; 付荣耀; 李伟; 李实恭; 宋松; 刘晓曦
Original assignee: International Business Machines Corp
Current assignee: International Business Machines Corp
Priority date: 2003-01-06
Filing date: 2003-01-06
Publication date: 2009-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 2023-01-06
Also published as: TWI307049B; TW200523769A; CN1516023A

Abstract

The present invention provides a service supply equipment and service supply method allowing user to use capability of several equipments to receive service. According to the requiements for service the usable physical equipment or physical equipment composition can be selected for user, the user can utilize the selected physical equipment or physical equipment composition to receive service. It utilizes the user of virtual equipment to provide service for user so as to 'maks' the physical equipment, further. It can provide 'specially-made' virtual equipment for user according to user's environment, user's like and requirement for service, and can provide 'specially-made' information for user, so that it can provide seamless service for user.

Description

The service providing device of customer-centric and service providing method

Technical field

The present invention relates to the service providing device and the service providing method of customer-centric, the invention particularly relates to the service providing device and the service providing method that allow the user to use the ability of plurality of devices to accept to serve.

Technical background

In recent years, outside the computing machine of routine, many terminal devices that processing and communication capacity are provided for the user have appearred.These equipment comprise for example PDA(Personal Digital Assistant), mobile phone, in-vehicle device, computer peripheral (for example printer, facsimile recorder etc.) or the like.

Present present situation is, existing service provider is based on so-called " equipment oriented " ways of services supplied and provides service for the user.That is, the user accepts special certain service at this equipment by the function of certain independent terminal device.For example, answer the phone that the other side makes by mobile phone; Carry out simple copy editor or the like by PDA.

Can predict, in the near future, the terminal device that various functions will occur more having is selected to use for the user.Therefore, user-selected space is bigger.

But the issuable greatest problem of above-mentioned this " equipment oriented " ways of services supplied is: on the one hand, be necessary for the middleware that various terminal devices are provided for realizing corresponding service function; On the other hand, the service provider must spend a large amount of energy and become the original more new terminal device function that provides support that is.

And, for the user, though may have numerous terminal devices, because the limitation of each terminal device still unavoidably will be stood low-quality service, the audio-visual quality of for example little screen size, low speed links time, bad luck.

In addition, though certain user may have numerous terminal devices, but when using certain concrete terminal device, because terminal device itself is limited in one's ability, still stoped this user to finish more senior task, even user's this moment also has miscellaneous equipment to have the ability of this task of realization at one's side.

Therefore, come uniformly for the user provides service, then for a kind of approach that provides is provided if can integrate formation one " virtual unit " to the ability of an operable various device of user.

Summary of the invention

In order to solve the problems referred to above of prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a kind of virtual unit, wherein for each user who accepts service provides a virtual unit, this user accepts service by this virtual unit from the service provider.

A further object of the invention provides a kind of service providing method, wherein selects available physical equipment or physical equipment combination according to the requirement of service for the user, and the user makes up the service of acceptance by selecteed physical equipment or physical equipment.

To achieve these goals, the invention provides a kind of service providing device that service is provided for the user, wherein this service providing device is utilized a plurality of physical equipments that this user can use, for the user provides information on services, this service providing device comprises: the interface section, link to each other the management of this administrative section and this subscriber-related information and the relevant information of physical equipment that can use with this user with the physical equipment administrative section with a user; Monitor portion is used for obtaining this physical equipment of being managed and/or user profile by this interface; Negotiation section communicates with the service provider, selects a kind of COS for the user from the COS of the service that this service provider provided; The service processing part communicates with this service provider, will transmit by mutual information on services between this user of this COS and this service provider; The information on services redistribution section, be used to receive that this service processing partly transmits sends to this user's information on services from this service provider, the physical equipment ability required according to selected COS is assigned to this information on services in corresponding physical equipment in described a plurality of physical equipment/physical equipment combination; Control section is used to coordinate to control the operation of each part mentioned above, carries out the forwarding of information.

The invention provides a kind ofly provides service method for the user, the a plurality of physical equipments that wherein utilize this user to use, for the user provides service, this method comprises: receive this user by a physical equipment to a services request that the service provider sent or receive the request that service provider requires to provide to this user service; Obtain and this subscriber-related information and the relevant information of physical equipment that can use with this user; From the COS that the service provider can provide, select a kind of COS for this user; The physical equipment ability required according to this COS, the information on services with this service provider sends to this user is assigned in corresponding physical equipment in described a plurality of physical equipment/physical equipment combination.

The present invention comes to provide service as the user by using virtual unit, thus " shielding " equipment of physics.Therefore for user and service provider, what need not be concerned about concrete use is that what equipment is accepted service, the user only need be concerned about oneself needs any service, and the service provider only need be concerned about what special service can be provided oneself, realizing by virtual unit alternately between them, thus realized that real user oriented service provides.

And then, because the present invention can be according to the residing environment of user, user's hobby, and coming to provide the virtual unit of " custom-made " for this user according to the requirement of service, therefore, can provide specially for adapting to the information of this user " customization " to the user.

And then the running environment of virtual unit of the present invention is dynamically changeable, and it will be according to the residing environment of user, user's hobby, and the requirement of service and changing.Therefore can provide seamless service for the user.

By below in conjunction with the detailed description of accompanying drawing to most preferred embodiment of the present invention, these and other advantage of the present invention will be more obvious.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 illustrates the concept map according to service provider system of the present invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates the block diagram according to service provider system of the present invention.

Fig. 3 illustrates the process flow diagram that carries out subscriber information management.

Fig. 4 illustrates the process flow diagram that carries out equipment information management.

Fig. 5 shows the block diagram of agent apparatus.

Fig. 6 is illustrated in and uses agent apparatus to carry out the synoptic diagram that facility information is collected under the centralized collection mode.

Fig. 7 is illustrated in the process flow diagram of collecting device information under the centralized collection mode.

Fig. 8 is illustrated in and uses agent apparatus to carry out the synoptic diagram that facility information is collected under cascade (ad hoc) collection mode.

Fig. 9 is illustrated in the process flow diagram of collecting device information under the cascade collection mode.

Figure 10 illustrates the collection process process flow diagram of static environment information.

Figure 11 illustrates a kind of collection process process flow diagram of dynamic environment information.

Figure 12 illustrates the collection process process flow diagram of another kind of dynamic environment information.

Figure 13 illustrates the collection process process flow diagram of another dynamic environment information.

Figure 14 illustrates by the personnel equipment data item and set up related synoptic diagram between user object and device object.

Figure 15 illustrates by environmental information and set up related synoptic diagram between user object and device object.

Figure 16 illustrates by the social relationships data item and set up related synoptic diagram between user object and device object.

Figure 17 A-17C illustrates operation associated process flow diagram.

Figure 18 is the structural drawing according to virtual unit of the present invention.

Figure 19 has illustrated that virtual unit is the processing flow chart that user object is selected COS according to one embodiment of present invention.

Figure 20 has illustrated that virtual unit is the processing flow chart that user object is selected COS according to another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 21 has illustrated the process flow diagram flow chart of user object acceptance service.

Figure 22 has illustrated the process flow diagram that virtual unit running environment is adjusted.

Figure 23 has illustrated that virtual unit is the processing flow chart that user object is selected COS according to still a further embodiment.

Figure 24 has illustrated that virtual unit is the processing flow chart that user object is selected COS according to still another embodiment of the invention.

Embodiment

As shown in Figure 1, this illustrates the conceptual schematic view according to service provider system of the present invention.Service provider system of the present invention is according to the physical object of real world, and for example user and physical equipment come to be each user's constructing virtual equipment; And service provider system of the present invention can also be the information of the environment around each user, mainly be spatially with subscriber-related environmental information, collect.The user accepts service provider's service by this virtual unit that constructs.Alleged user not only comprises the people in the real world in the invention, also comprises entities such as animal.The alleged equipment of the present invention comprises the physical equipment that all can provide communication service for the user.

Process among following brief description Fig. 1.

At first, the physical object of real world 100, for example user 122...122 and physical equipment 120...120 sign in in the system in advance.In addition, preferred, also be collected (102) with the information of each subscriber-related environment 124.

Then, system extracts Useful Information from the information of login, and the equipment and the user that are respectively each login generate device object 126 and user object 128.And the environmental information of collecting is stored in the environmental information storehouse 130.User object, device object with and/or the environmental information storehouse constituted virtual world 104.

System associates (106) with this user's user object and associated one or more available device object then, thereby sets up a sensing network (SN) 108 for this user object.If necessary, system of the present invention will set up a sensing network for the user's of each login user object.The inscape of this sensing network comprises a user object and the one or more available device objects relevant with this user object.

When this user object is accepted service or service provider service is provided, system sets up a virtual unit (VD) for this user, and according to service features or requirement, with and/or user's parameters such as requirement set up virtual unit (VD) running environment 112 (110) for this user.So user object can visit service provider 114,116 or accept service etc. from them by this virtual unit (VD) in virtual unit (VD) running environment 112.

To describe according to information providing system of the present invention how to realize said process in detail below.

Fig. 2 illustrates the basic structure block scheme according to information providing system of the present invention.As shown in Figure 2, this information providing system comprises user management part 1, equipment control part 2, static environment information management part 3, dynamic environment information management part 4, related part 5, and virtual device management part 6; Wherein user management part 1, equipment control part 2 constitute a sensing network with related part 5 and generate equipment.Preferably, static environment information management part 3 and dynamic environment information management part 4 also can be used for constituting this sensing network and generate equipment.

Formation to each part mentioned above describes respectively below.

In user management part 1, User Manager 200 receives user's login or change, for the user in the real world sets up user object or upgrades the information of user object, and be stored in user object in the user object storer 202 or revise user object information in the user object storer 202.

In equipment control part 2, the login or the change of physical equipment manager 204 receiving equipments, be the information of the equipment apparatus for establishing object in the real world or the object of updating the equipment, and device object is stored in the device object storer 206 or revises the device object information in the device object storer 206.

In information providing system according to the present invention, the physical entity in the real world is divided into user and equipment.Wherein the user is a target of accepting service, and equipment is the media that service is provided for the user.Service provider system according to the present invention is set up a user object for each user, for each physical equipment is set up a device object.

User object for example is defined as having following data item:

User object

-----essential information

----task equipment (PD)

----physiological characteristic (PC)

----social relationships (SC)

...

------authorization message

------preference information

...

Each user object comprises and this user-dependent information, this user's essential information for example, authorization message and preference information etc.

Essential information comprises: the identifying information of each task equipment (PD) that this user had; This user's physiological characteristic (PC) information; This user's social relationships (SC) information or the like.

Task equipment is the term that is used for describing by certain equipment that the user had of real world, and this equipment for example is employee's chest card, credit card, mobile phone, PDA etc.Under the task equipment data item, deposit the identifying information of the said equipment, employee's chest card number for example, credit number, mobile phone number, PDA net card number etc.But be not limited to above-mentioned example, as long as this identifying information can make system discern this task equipment uniquely.

User's physiological characteristic information for example is fingerprint, vocal print, iris image, facial characteristics of user or the like.

User's social relationships information comprises the user, information of user's kinsfolk, colleague, friend or the like, for example their name.

In authorization message, deposit rights of using and the use rank of expression user for the resource in certain environment.For example, for certain company, the available resources of its visited company can then be refused to the authority of all available resources of employee's granted access company of the said firm by this system for the visiting guest.In user object, this authorization message is optional.

In preference information, deposit the user for the requirement of accepting the service or the equipment of use, for example like which kind of physical equipment accepting audio-frequency information with; Can not use which kind of physical equipment to accept service, to requirement of certain service or the like.

In above-mentioned information, essential information is static information normally.And authorization message and preference information multidate information normally.

Device object for example is restricted to has following data item:

Device object

----basic setup

----state

----access interface

...

Each device object comprises and this device-dependent information, for example basic setup information, status information, access interface information or the like.It is emphasized that at this, for the physical equipment that does not belong to certain user and had specially, for example be installed in gamma camera in the building LAN (Local Area Network), printer, duplicating machine etc., also will set up device object for them, this is because these equipment also still can be used by the user as common equipment.The present invention will set up a device object for each physical equipment.

Basic setup information comprises that device identification number, type, model, display capabilities, processing power, function introduction or the like relate to the information of the basic setup of equipment.This basic setup information generally is static information, that is, it in signing in to system after, generally can not change.

Status information comprises the user mode of equipment, and for example whether this equipment is current online, information available whether, and this status information generally is a multidate information, may change according to the operating position or the situation of movement of equipment.Therefore the user mode information of equipment may be: not online; Online.

Access interface information comprises the description of the access method of equipment, for example its communication protocol or the like.

Describe according to subscriber information management process of the present invention below with reference to Fig. 3.

User's login can be adopted multiple mode, for example can adopt the mode of manual entry or login automatically or adopt the mode that this dual mode is combined.Under the mode of manual entry, by existing communication network oneself information is sent to User Manager 200 by the user.In addition, in order to collect user's information as far as possible all sidedly, User Manager 200 of the present invention can provide a login screen to the user, the information that the prompting user need login.Certainly, under the mode of manual entry, also can be by certain network at user place, for example the system manager of LAN (Local Area Network) offers User Manager 200 to user's information.

Under the situation of login automatically, can be by the one or more network download and this user-dependent information of User Manager 200 from the user place.When automatically the situation of login usually occurs in the user and enters an interim environment, this environment can automatically detect user's existence, and the specialized equipment by the user obtains and this user-dependent information, thereby logins automatically in flowing environment for this user.With this user-dependent information can be to exist on user's the specialized equipment or network linking.A kind of agent apparatus described later will help the present invention to realize automatic login to user profile.

For some users, login work only need be carried out once, have only when above-mentioned described user object informational needs changes, just the information that changes is sent to User Manager 200 once more, perhaps by User Manager 200 regularly or aperiodically from one or more network active collection users' at user place fresh information.

User Manager 200 log-on messages according to this user who is received, therefrom extract for the data item of describing this user object needed with the relevant information of its task equipment (PD); With the relevant information of its physiological characteristic (PC); With the relevant information of its social relationships (SC); Authorization message; Preference information or the like is constructed a user object according to these information for this user.

The operating process of User Manager 200 is described below in conjunction with Fig. 3.

At the step S300 of Fig. 3, User Manager 200 receives and subscriber-related information.

At step S302, judge whether the user of transmission information is registered users.When judging the user and be non-registered users, advance to step S304.

At step S304, User Manager 200 extracts the required information of user object of describing from the information that is received.

At step S306, be that the user creates user object according to the information that is extracted by User Manager 200.

At step S308, the user object that will newly be created by User Manager 200 is stored in the user object storer 202.

At step S310, User Manager 200 is registered this message informing with new user and is given associate device 208, carries out later processing by it.The operation of associate device 208 will be described afterwards.

When being judged as the user at step S302 when being registered users, advance to step S312, be stored in corresponding user object data item information in the user object storer 202 by User Manager 200 according to the information updating that is received.

At step S314, User Manager 200 upgrades this message informing with user profile and gives associate device 208, carries out later processing by it.The operation of associate device 208 will be described afterwards.

When equipment is registered, may there be two kinds of situations.For static device, printer for example, the equipment that positions such as landline telephone are relatively more fixing, can newly come into operation at equipment, promptly, when being linked in the network, by the system manager of the network at equipment place facility information is registered to physical equipment manager 204, perhaps by the information of physical equipment manager 204 from this equipment of network download at these equipment places.For dynamic device, for example user's PDA, mobile phone, notebook computer etc. can come into operation at equipment, and for example start is registered to physical equipment manager 204 by the server of the network at its place with it when entering network.Those skilled in the art can understand, for dynamic device, also can be when equipment be newly bought, and by the system manager or the server of the network at equipment place this facility information is registered to physical equipment manager 204.A kind of agent apparatus described later will help the present invention to realize automatic registration to equipment.

Physical equipment manager 202 log-on messages according to this equipment that is received, therefrom extract for the needed basic setup information of the data item of describing this device object, status information, access interface information or the like, and be device object of this equipment structure according to these information.

The operating process of physical equipment manager 204 is described below in conjunction with Fig. 4.

At the step S400 of Fig. 4, physical equipment manager 204 receives the information relevant with equipment.

At step S402, judge whether the equipment of transmission information is registered device.When the equipment of judging is unregistered equipment, advance to step S404.

At step S404, equipment manager extracts the required information of each data item of device object from the information that is received.

At step S406, be that equipment is created device object according to the information that is extracted by physical equipment manager 204.

At step S408, the device object that will newly be created by physical equipment manager 204 is stored in the device object storer 206.

At step S410, physical equipment manager 204 is registered this message informing with new equipment and is given associate device 208, carries out later processing by it.The operation of associate device 208 will be described afterwards.

When step S402 affirmation equipment is registered device, advance to step S412, be stored in this device object information in the device object storer 206 by physical equipment manager 204 according to the information updating that is received.

At step S414, physical equipment manager 204 has upgraded this message informing with facility information and has given associate device 208, carries out later processing by it.The operation of associate device 208 will be described afterwards.

Comprise the multidate information that need upgrade at any time owing to be used for describing the information of device object, status information for example, therefore, even after facility registration is intact, in case change by the above-mentioned multidate information that monitors discovering device, just the above-mentioned variation with equipment informs physical equipment manager 204, revises the physical device object information of having registered by this physical equipment manager 204, thereby keeps up-to-date equipment state constantly.

This supervision is for example by being come the status signal of physical equipment is monitored by a special surveillance equipment, and when the state of physical equipment changes, the change of state is notified to physical equipment manager 204, carry out the renewal of status information by it.This surveillance equipment for example can be served as by the server of the network at physical equipment place.

To introduce below according to a kind of agent apparatus of the present invention.This agent apparatus can removably append to the form of annex on the various physical equipments, and the information that other physical equipment is broadcasted by agent apparatus is broadcasted away or received to the function and the essential informations such as state and access method of these physical equipments.

Fig. 5 shows the block diagram of this agent apparatus.

As shown in Figure 5, agent apparatus comprises processing unit 500, interface 502, Transmit-Receive Unit 504 and storage unit 506.

Wherein processing unit 500 is responsible for the integral body control of agent apparatus, and undertaken alternately by a standard interface 502 and main equipment 508 when needed, obtain and this device-dependent information, for example the basic setup information of this equipment, status information, access interface information or the like from main equipment 508.Preferably, when main equipment 508 is certain user's task equipment, also obtain and this subscriber-related information from this main equipment 508.

The basic setup information of equipment for example comprises that identifier, type, model, display capabilities, processing power, function introduction of main equipment or the like relates to the information of the basic setup of equipment.

Whether online the status information of equipment comprises the user mode of main equipment, for example the current information of this equipment.

Therefore, the information that processing unit 500 is obtained had both comprised static information, and for example the basic setup information of main equipment, access interface information etc. comprise multidate information again, for example the status information of main equipment.

Standard interface 502 can adopt any known can with main equipment between carry out information interaction and the hardware of communicating by letter and/or software or their combination.For example, this standard interface 502 can be a RS-232 interface, and a parallel interface, or wave point for example adopt the wave point of bluetooth or infrared technique.But this standard interface 502 not necessarily.Also can be in advance the information relevant with main equipment 508 be input in the agent apparatus and stores by not shown input equipment.

Processing unit 500 can be the processor with arithmetic logical operation ability of known any model.From cost-effective angle, can adopt the lower processors such as CPU of processing power.

Storage unit 506 stores the information of the main equipment 508 that processing unit 500 is obtained temporarily or for good and all.For example this storage unit 506 can for good and all be preserved the static information that obtains, and the multidate information that obtains is preserved provisionally.

Transmit-Receive Unit 504 is gone out the information broadcast of the main equipment 508 that processing unit 500 is obtained.Wherein for static information, Transmit-Receive Unit can only be broadcasted once according to the situation whether main equipment has signed in in the system, and for multidate information, just the multidate information after changing is broadcasted away in case can change at it.But should be noted in the discussion above that the parameter that is used to discern main equipment, for example model and identifier information are the facility informations that must broadcast, with identification equipment.But the parameter that is used to discern main equipment is not limited to above-mentioned example, can also have other to be used to discern the parameter of main equipment.

In addition, Transmit-Receive Unit 504 can also have receiving function, and the message pick-up of other main equipment that will broadcast from other agent apparatus gets off, and the information that receives is further processed.This processing will be described afterwards.

The information of being broadcasted away by Transmit-Receive Unit 504 is received by facility information gathering-device 510 or the other agent apparatus 512 that has broadcast capability equally.The back will be described the facility information collection process that adopts this dual mode in detail.

Preferably, Transmit-Receive Unit 504 can be any known wireless senser, for example adopts the wireless senser of bluetooth or infrared technique etc.Adopt the perception mutually usually each other of constructed sensor.For example adopt the wireless senser of Bluetooth technology can perception other information that adopts the wireless senser of Bluetooth technology to broadcast in certain distance range, vice versa.Agent apparatus with this wireless senser structure is particularly useful for broadcasting main equipment or user's information to be grasped by system in mobile environment.In addition, for equipment, also can load an agent apparatus, broadcast the information of this fixed equipment with fixed position.

Preferably, Transmit-Receive Unit 504 can be the combination of any known various wireless sensers, and for example this Transmit-Receive Unit 504 is combinations of adopting the wireless senser of bluetooth and adopting the wireless senser etc. of infrared technique.Like this, the information of the different sensing technologies of employing be collected or be broadcasted to an agent apparatus can the while compatibility, thereby expanded the function of agent apparatus.

Preferably, can also have an electric power system according to agent apparatus of the present invention, even thereby being under the closing state when main equipment, this agent apparatus still can be worked, and acts on behalf of main device that it connects information or the perception miscellaneous equipment to the main device of external broadcasting.

In addition, agent apparatus of the present invention can also can be existed by the form of the record label of miscellaneous equipment perception with one, and this agent apparatus for example is a bar coded sticker, and this bar coded sticker has write down this agent apparatus institute's supplementary equipment therefore or user's information.Thereby collect its information by other collecting device.

In the present invention, agent apparatus can be appended on any main equipment, collect the information of main equipment with help system.The invention provides following mode comes by using the information of agent apparatus collecting device.

In this manner, equipment 1 all adds an agent apparatus as shown in Figure 5 to equipment N each.Facility information gathering-device 510 is collected the broadcast message that those agent apparatus of being positioned at its wireless aware scope are broadcasted.Constitute a kind of sensor network by facility information gathering-device 510 and equipment 1 to equipment N like this and come collecting device information.

In addition, under the centralized collection mode, also the function of facility information gathering-device 510 can be placed on physical equipment manager 204 sides and realize.

Be the process that example is described collecting device information with equipment 1 below.

At first, at step S700, when in the information gathering scope of equipment 1 access arrangement information collection apparatus 510 time, collect this facility information that these equipment 1 are broadcasted by the agent apparatus 100 of oneself by facility information gathering-device 510.

At step S702, facility information gathering-device 510 sends to physical equipment manager 204 with the information of this collected equipment.

At step S704, physical equipment manager 204 carries out the establishment or the modification of device object according to the implementation of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is illustrated in and uses agent apparatus to carry out the synoptic diagram that facility information is collected under the cascade collection mode.

In this manner, replace the information of collecting each physical equipment, and collect other physical equipment information in its sensing range by the agent apparatus of a concrete physical equipment by a facility information gathering-device 510.The collection of facility information realizes by carry out the facility information transmission between agent apparatus.This mode is particularly useful for carrying out information gathering in the mobile environment of relative closure handles, and this mobile environment for example is the mobile environment of being carried by the employee in company's work that mobile device constituted.

In this manner, have one or more agent apparatus from the information of its collection to physical equipment manager 204 that can report.In example shown in Figure 8, the agent apparatus of set device 1 has the above-mentioned function of reporting.

At first, at step S900, the agent apparatus of an equipment receives the information of broadcasting from other agent apparatus.

Then, at step S902, this agent apparatus judges whether oneself can communicate with physical equipment manager 204.This for example judges by sending inquiry and receive response from it to physical equipment manager 204, perhaps the relevant access parameter by storing corresponding physical equipment manager 204 in advance in the storage unit of agent apparatus and undertaken by inquiring about this access parameter.

When being judged as when can not communicate with physical equipment manager 204, at step S904, this agent apparatus by Transmit-Receive Unit with the broadcast message that received with and/or its oneself identifying information broadcast away, receive by its adjacent agent apparatus.

When being judged as when can communicate with physical equipment manager 204, at step S906, this agent apparatus by Transmit-Receive Unit with the broadcast message that received with and/or its oneself identifying information send to physical equipment manager 204.

Other agent apparatus all carries out identical operations.

In this way, the facility information of all devices among Fig. 81 to N is reported to physical equipment manager 204 by the agent apparatus of equipment 1.Then, carry out processing shown in Figure 4 by this physical equipment manager 204.Like this, the equipment 1 to N of Fig. 8 has constituted a kind of sensor network and has come collecting device information.

Those skilled in the art can understand, and above-mentioned dual mode can separately or be incorporated into enforcement usefulness, thereby to the physical equipment manager 204 notifying device information of system.For example, when being used in combination, can the facility information of all devices 1 to N be reported to the facility information gathering-device 510 that can cover this equipment 1 by equipment 1, and and then the facility information of the facility information of this equipment 1 to N and the miscellaneous equipment that received be reported to physical equipment information manager 204 by this facility information gathering-device 510.

The above-mentioned agent apparatus that is applied to physical equipment and carry out the dual mode that facility information collects by these agent apparatus and can be applied to user information collection equally.Being applied under the situation of user information collection,, this agent apparatus can be carried for the user.In this case, essential information or the modification information with the user is stored in this agent apparatus in advance, uses during in order to login later on or modification.

Those skilled in the art can understand, and user's information can also be stored in the agent apparatus as the annex of this user's task equipment, thus agent apparatus in the information of this user's of broadcasting task equipment, the information of going back broadcasting user.In addition, user's information can also be broadcasted away by the agent apparatus that appends on these equipment by the task equipment that the user carries.Any information with user or equipment is broadcasted away by agent apparatus of the present invention or by the form of its collection all within the scope of the present invention.

Those skilled in the art can understand, for by User Manager 200 and physical equipment manager 204 collected user and facility information, except those information described above, the information that other can also be arranged is as long as these other information is for needing in order to set up described sensing network in back and virtual unit.

At length introduced the process of carrying out user profile and facility information collection above.For be a user search go out when the user receives service can with and effective equipment.Sometimes environmental information also is very important.For example, as user the time, allow system grasp various device information in this laboratory environment for provide abundant more service to have realistic meaning for the user at present a laboratory work.Again for example, when the user is in the mobile office environment, constantly understand user's utilizable device resource under each mobile environment, for provide the service that more is adapted to this mobile environment to have effectively reference significance for the user.

Therefore, the present invention and then static environment information management part 3 and the dynamic environment information management part 4 that is used for the collecting ring environment information is provided, thereby the equipment that the system that makes can be available for the user collects according to environmental information.

As shown in Figure 2, static environment information management part 3 comprises static environment information manager 201 and static environment information-storing device 203.

Static environment information manager 201 from the existing information network for example the LAN (Local Area Network) of company know various static devices in the company, for example positional information and the device identifying information of printer, scanner, the computing machine that is difficult for moving, landline telephone etc.And they are stored in the static environment information-storing device 203.Certainly, static environment information manager 201 can also be collected static information from other approach, for example, collects by the sensor network that agent apparatus constituted that is attached on each static device provided by the invention.

The structure example of static environment information data item is as comprising:

Spatial dimension

-subspace scope 1

--device A ID; Device A particular location (optional) ...

--equipment B ID; Equipment B particular location (optional) ...

...

-subspace scope 2

--equipment C ID; Equipment C particular location (optional) ...

--equipment D ID; Equipment D particular location (optional) ...

...

Wherein, spatial dimension for example is the building at a company place; The subspace scope for example is each room that the said firm inside is divided; Device id is the device id that is positioned at each subspace scope.

By this static environment information manager 201, system can grasp the locus situation of this intrasystem static device.

Figure 10 illustrates the collection process flow diagram of static environment information.

At first, at step S1000, static environment information manager 201 is from external network, the LAN (Local Area Network) of company for example, and the telephone networks of company etc. receive the environmental information of relevant static device.Alternatively, can also append to the environmental information that sends relevant static device on these static devices by the sensor network that agent apparatus constituted to static environment information manager 201 to agent apparatus of the present invention.

At step S1002, judge whether the environmental information of received relevant static device once was collected.

Be not collected out-of-dately when being judged as,, from the environmental information of the relevant static device that received, extract in order to form the required information of static environment information at step S1004.

At step S1006, with the static device information stores that is extracted.

At step S1008, give associate device 208 with collecting new this message informing of static environment information.Be further processed by this associate device 208.

At step S1002, be collected out-of-dately when being judged as static device information, at step S1010, static environment information is upgraded according to the static device information that receives.

At step S1012, static environment information is updated this message informing gives associate device 208.Be further processed by this associate device 208.

Those skilled in the art can understand, and newly be inserted or can trigger aforesaid operations when static device is moved the position at static device.

Because mobile device is universal day by day, except above-mentioned static environment information, also comprises a large amount of dynamic environment information, these dynamic environment information comprise mobile device and/or user profile.Environmental information generally also is a dynamically changeable, and when the equipment in the true world or network were observed its surrounding environment and changed to some extent, it upgraded the environmental information that its " observation " arrives with reporting system.For example, camera has the ability of visually observing surrounding environment, so this camera environmental information of catching will be As time goes on and different.For example finger-printer reader has perception who has touched its ability again, so this finger-printer reader environmental information of catching will be As time goes on and user's change and different.In addition, the known network of the customer location that can accuse also is a this example that can capturing ambient information, for example when an employee entered certain room by the chest card that uses oneself, the attendance checking system in building can be learnt this employee's present located position by the chest card information that obtains this employee.

In the present invention, the equipment or the network that will have a ability that can the perception environmental change is called dynamic environment information capture network.This environmental change typically refers to the online physical equipment or the user that are in moving and enters or leave the variation that certain dynamic environment information capture network is brought.Dynamic environment information capture network includes but not limited to: wireless networks such as GSM, CDMA; The GPS positioning system; Bluetooth equipment; Equipment or system with auditory function; Equipment or system with visual performance; Have the equipment or the system that catch the human body physiological characteristics data; Sensor network that agent apparatus constituted or the like.

The present invention realizes the dynamic environment management of information by a dynamic environment information management part 4 is provided.

As shown in Figure 2, dynamic environment information management part 4 comprises dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 and dynamic environment information-storing device 207.

Dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 receives the change of the environment that these networks perceive from above-mentioned various dynamic environment information capture networks, and this change is stored in the dynamic environment information-storing device 207.

In the present invention, owing to can receive dynamic environment information from many dynamic environment information capture networks, therefore, preferred, in dynamic environment information-storing device 207 the dynamic environment information that storage area of each dynamic environment information capture network allocation is deposited this network.For the dynamic environment information capture network of the position that can determine mobile device or user, for example wireless network such as GSM, CDMA; The GPS positioning system; Be installed in in-company attendance checking system, the structure example of its dynamic environment information data item is as comprising:

Spatial dimension

-subspace scope 1

--mobile device A ID; Mobile device A particular location (optional) ...

--mobile device B ID; Mobile device B particular location (optional) ...

...

--user A ID; User A particular location (optional) ...

...

-subspace scope 2

--mobile device C ID; Mobile device C particular location (optional) ...

--mobile device D ID; Mobile device D particular location (optional) ...

...

--mobile subscriber B ID; Mobile subscriber B particular location (optional) ...

...

Wherein, spatial dimension for example is the building at a company place; The subspace scope for example is each room that the said firm inside is divided; Mobile device ID is the mobile device ID that moves between each subspace.

And for the particular location that can not determine mobile device or user, but can catch the spatial relation of mobile device, or user's spatial relation, or the dynamic environment information capture network of user and equipment, for example be installed in in-company surveillance camera system, provided by the present invention by sensor network that agent apparatus constituted or the like, the structure example of its dynamic environment information data item is as comprising:

--dynamic environment information capture network ID

--the mobile device of being caught or user's id information or its map information or the like.

For example for surveillance camera system, its multidate information data item may comprise gamma camera ID, those users' that it is caught physiological characteristic data.

To introduce in detail below and adopt the processing of carrying out dynamic environment information gathering by the sensor network that agent apparatus constituted provided by the present invention.

Is the collection process process flow diagram that example is described in dynamic environment information under the centralized system of Fig. 6 below with reference to Figure 11 with equipment 1.

At first, at step S1100, when in the information gathering scope of equipment 1 access arrangement information collection apparatus 510 time, collect this facility information that these equipment 1 are broadcasted by the agent apparatus 100 of oneself by facility information gathering-device 510.

At step S1102, facility information gathering-device 510 sends to dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 according to the id information of this collected equipment.

At step S1104, dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 is stored in the ID of the equipment 1 that received in the storage space that sensor network distributed that serve as reasons in the dynamic environment information-storing device 207 this facility information gathering-device 510 and equipment 1-N constituted.

At step S1106, the memory contents in other storage spaces of dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 search will have the record deletion of the ID of this equipment 1.Like this, guarantee that dynamic environment information management part 4 always can keep up-to-date dynamic environment information.

At step S1108, dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 is given associate device 5 with the message informing that dynamic environment information has changed.Carry out later processing by associate device 5.

In this way, system can grasp the situation of the mobile device of facility information gathering-device 510 current institutes perception, carries out after being provided with using when operation associated.

Be described in the collection process process flow diagram of the dynamic environment information under the cascade system of Fig. 8 below with reference to Figure 12.

At first, at step S1200, the agent apparatus of an equipment receives the information of broadcasting from the agent apparatus of another equipment.

At step S1202, this agent apparatus with the id information of another equipment of being received with and oneself the ID of main equipment make mapping table.

Then, at step S1204, this agent apparatus judges whether whether oneself can communicate with dynamic environment information capture network manager 205, promptly have the function of reporting.This for example judges by sending inquiry and receive response from it to dynamic environment information capture network manager 205, is perhaps undertaken by store the relevant access parameter that the corresponding dynamic environmental information catches network manager 205 in advance in the storage unit of agent apparatus.

When being judged as when can not communicate with dynamic environment information capture network manager 205, at step S1206, this agent apparatus with the mapping table of made with and the ID of the own main equipment that add broadcast away, by its adjacent agent apparatus reception.Its adjacent agent apparatus also will be made a mapping table, and this mapping table will comprise the device id that this is adjacent and the mapping relations of this device id, and the mapping relations between the ID of the ID of this equipment and this another equipment.Those skilled in the art can understand, and according to the number of times that mapping table is transmitted, above-mentioned mapping relations may comprise the multilayer mapping.

When being judged as when can communicate with dynamic environment information capture network manager 205, at step S1208, this agent apparatus sends to dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 by Transmit-Receive Unit with the mapping table information of made.

At step S1209, dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 judges whether that according to the mapping table information that is received needs upgrade the dynamic environment information that is kept.When being judged as unwanted the time end process.Otherwise advance to step S1210.

At step S1210, the mapping relations in the sensor network storage space that dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 is made of equipment 1-N according to the mapping table information updating that is received.

At step S1212, the memory contents in other storage spaces of dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 search will have the record deletion of the ID of relevant device.Like this, guarantee that dynamic environment information management part 4 always can keep up-to-date dynamic environment information.

At step S1214, dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 is given associate device 5 with the message informing that dynamic environment information has changed.Carry out later processing by associate device 5.

In this way, system can grasp the mutual relationship of each mobile device of equipment 1 current institute perception, carries out after being provided with using when operation associated.

Those skilled in the art can understand, and above-mentioned dual mode can separately or be incorporated into enforcement usefulness, thereby to the mutual relationship information of dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 notifying devices of system.For example, when being used in combination, can give the facility information gathering-device 510 that can cover this equipment 1 with the device relationships report information of all devices 1 to N by equipment 1, and and then device relationships information and other dynamic environment information of equipment 1 to N be reported to dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 by this facility information gathering-device 510.

Those skilled in the art can understand, and the operation of above-mentioned Figure 11 and Figure 12 can be used to be collected under the mobile environment between the user equally, and then the relation of the mutual mapping between mobile subscriber and the mobile device.

Those skilled in the art also can understand, the operation of above-mentioned Figure 11 and Figure 12 can be used to be collected in the relation of the mutual mapping between the equipment and user under the static environment equally, and then collects various device under static state and the dynamic environment and/or the relation between the user.Catch network by the environmental information of using agent apparatus to constitute and come capturing ambient information, provide a quick and approach easily for collecting equipment as much as possible and user profile.

Other dynamic environment information capture network is similar to process and the process described in above-mentioned Figure 11 that dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 sends dynamic environment information.Its difference is, replace using facility information gathering-device 510, by the server of dynamic environment information capture network (is that this sensing equipment itself just is regarded as a server under the situation of independent sensing equipment at this network) the dynamic environment information of being caught is sent to dynamic environment information capture network manager 205.And this dynamic environment information is also according to dynamic environment information capture network and difference for example may be user's a physiological characteristic information.This processing procedure as shown in figure 13.

At step S1300, dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 is caught network from a dynamic environment and is received the dynamic environment information that this network is caught.

At step S1302, dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 judges whether the dynamic environment information of being stored in the dynamic environment information-storing device 207 needs to upgrade.When being judged as unwanted the time end process.Otherwise advance to step S1304.

At step S1304, dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 is according to the information in the dynamic environment information updating respective stored space that is received.

At step S1306, the memory contents in dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 other storage spaces of search will keep user object or the device object information deletion relevant with this dynamic environment information.Like this, guarantee that dynamic environment information management part 4 always can keep up-to-date dynamic environment information.

At step S1308, dynamic environment information capture network manager 205 is given associate device 5 with the message informing that dynamic environment information has changed.Carry out later processing by associate device 5.

Description by the back can be understood, and static environment information that the present invention is collected and dynamic environment information are for setting up the interrelated effect of playing bridge for each user in the real world with more available devices.

Introduced the collection and treatment of environmental information above.To introduce the operation that a user object and one or more available device object are associated below.

Associate device 208 among Fig. 2 and is set up incidence relation between one or more device object that is stored in the device object storer 206 with a user object of storage in the user object storer 202.And if necessary,, carry out operation associated according to the environmental information that static environment information management part 3 and dynamic environment information management part 4 are provided.

To introduce in detail below according to three kinds of modes of setting up incidence relation of the present invention.

First kind of mode is to set up incidence relation by task equipment (PD) between user object and device object.

As previously mentioned, store the information of its task equipment that has in the user object storer 202 under task equipment (PD) data item of each user object.And in the device object storer 206 storage be device object information.

Therefore associate device 208 is with the type and the identifier of the task equipment under the task equipment data item of user object, mate with type and identifier under the essential information data item of each device object, therefrom find out and device object that this user object has identical information, thereby between this user object and this device object, set up association.

For example, a user A in the real world has a task equipment: the mobile phone X with Bluetooth function.Because in virtual world, user object A1 that creates for this user A and the mobile phone object X1 that creates for this mobile phone X comprise type and the telephone number information of this mobile phone X, so associate device 208 can associate this user object A1 and mobile phone object X1 with type and the telephone number information that mobile phone object X1 has identical mobile phone by identifying user object A1.

Though carry out related by the type of utilizing task equipment with identifier information above, but the information that can also use under the essential information data item of task equipment object other to be used to identify this task equipment is carried out association, as long as by mating user and task equipment are associated.

In order to reduce related workload, associate device 208 of the present invention can also carry out filter operation before operation associated, earlier some equipment was filtered away according to some condition, thereby no longer these equipment was operated in operation associated carrying out.For example, the device object that status information is shown as " not online " filters away, does not have an ability to work because these equipment are current.But this filtration step not necessarily.

According to above-mentioned interrelational form, associate device 208 of the present invention can get up a user object and relevant device object association by the task equipment identifying information.

User object A among Figure 14 and belong to this user's mobile phone device object A ' and associate by first kind of mode.

The second way is to utilize physiological characteristic data to set up incidence relation between user object and device object.

As previously mentioned, when a user logins, User Manager 200 will be put into its physiological characteristic information under the physiological characteristic data item of its user object.

And many dynamic environment information capture networks also can be caught and sensing user's physiological characteristic information.For example catch the face-image that network can be caught the user, catch the sound characteristic that network can be caught the user by what the voice capturing device constituted by what camera apparatus constituted.And as mentioned above, these are caught the dynamic environment information that network catches and all are stored in the dynamic environment information-storing device 207.

Therefore associate device 208 is with the physiological characteristic data under the physiological characteristic data item of user object, mate with the dynamic environment information of being stored in the dynamic environment information-storing device 207, therefrom find out the one or more device objects (or catching network) that have one or more identical physiological characteristic data with this user object, thereby between this user object and corresponding apparatus object, set up association.

For example, user object A among Figure 15 and video camera apparatus object C ' associate by the second way.

On the basis of above-mentioned two kinds of interrelational forms, can also be by utilizing static environment information or dynamic environment information with user object A and more equipment object association.

For example, in Figure 14, when associate device 208 for user object A and mobile telephone equipment object A ' set up related after, associate device 208 can also be a bridge with this mobile telephone equipment object A ', sets up association between this user object and the more equipment object in conjunction with the static state of collecting/dynamic environment information.For example, the mobile telephone equipment object A ' that has stored the GSM network provided in dynamic environment information-storing device 207 is arranged in certain meeting room of company; Also have a printer resource in this meeting room and stored in static environment information-storing device 203, then associate device 208 is set up related at user object A with this printer resource according to these information.

It is that user object is set up more related example that the right side of Figure 14 shows environment for use information.Associate device 208 is according to the dynamic environment information that network is collected of catching from the agent apparatus that comprises mobile telephone equipment object A ', with user's mobile phone device object A ' is bridge, at user object A and set up related between equipment D ', equipment E ' that network catches and the equipment F ' by catching of the agent apparatus place of this mobile phone.

It is that user object is set up more related example that the right side of Figure 15 shows environment for use information.Associate device 208 is according to from the dynamic environment information that network is collected of catching by the agent apparatus place of video camera apparatus object C ', with video camera apparatus object C ' is bridge, at user object A and by equipment H ', the equipment I of catching network acquisition at the agent apparatus place of this video camera apparatus object C ' ' and equipment J ' between set up related.

The third interrelational form is to set up incidence relation by the social relationships data between user object and device object.

As previously mentioned, when the user logins, if possible, User Manager 200 will be put into its social relationships information under the social relationships data item of its user object.

Figure 16 shows by the social relationships data item and set up related synoptic diagram between user object and device object.

For example, if associate device 208 for user B sets up and some device objects, the incidence relation of device object K ', L ' and M ' for example.If user A and user B have some social relationships, then associate device 208 is by the information under the social relationships data item of user A object, set up the relation between user A and the user B, and and then and and user B set up between those device objects K ', the L ' of incidence relation and the M ' and set up incidence relation.

Associate device 208 can make up above-mentioned three kinds of modes arbitrarily and uses or with its independent use when user object and device object are carried out association.The present invention provides interrelational form flexibly for the foundation of incidence relation.

By the operation of associate device 208, be that a user object is set up the incidence relation with one or more available devices objects.

It should be noted that the incidence relation of these associate device 208 available devices objects that set up for user object and one or more also may change.For example, when new device object was created, associate device 208 associated this new device object with corresponding user object.When static state/when dynamic environment information changes, this associate device 208 will be rebuild the incidence relation of corresponding user object or revise according to the environmental information after this variation.Any influence that may cause the incidence relation of user object and device object all will trigger this associate device 208 incidence relation of corresponding user object is rebuild or revised.Therefore, associate device 208 can be kept the incidence relation of up-to-date user object and available devices object.

Associate device 208 each user object and be the associated one or more device objects of this user object as a sensing network entity, be stored in the sensing network storer 210.

Figure 17 A-17C illustrates the operation associated processing procedure of associate device.

At step S1700, associate device 208 monitors, judges whether to receive registration or Notification of Changes and whether receive the environmental information Notification of Changes from static state/dynamic environment information manager 201,205 from User Manager 200 or physical equipment manager 204.

When judged result is when not receiving advise of same, associate device 208 is proceeded to monitor.

When judging when User Manager 200 receives notice, advance to step S1702, judge that this notice is registration notification or Notification of Changes.When judged result is registration notification, advance to step S1704, adopt above-mentioned three kinds of interrelational forms or their user object that is combined as this new registration to carry out operation associated by associate device 208.Please note, carry out operation associated in, can also be according to the user preference information of in user object, being stored, the preference information of user's equipment of refusing to use for example, some device object is abandoned, thus the device resource of selecting the user to use according to user's customization.And then, carry out operation associated in, can also be for example according to the status information of device object, state is abandoned for the device object of " not online ".In addition, carry out operation associated in, can also be according to authorization message, for example the user comes further some device object to be abandoned for the access rights of some equipment.Thereby make associated device object be actually the device object that user object can be used.

At step S1706, with this user object, and be the associated device object of this user object as a sensing network entity stores in sensing network storer 210.

Alternatively,, give virtual device management part 6, carry out later operation by it with the message informing of newly setting up sensing network also at step S1708.

When being judged as at step S1702 when being alter operation, advance to step S1710, associate device is given virtual device management part 6 with the message informing that user object information has changed.Judge whether that according to changed content needs upgrade existing incidence relation.Whether this judgement for example can change according to user preference information and/or authorization message is carried out.When being judged as the needs renewal, advance to step S1712, carry out operation associated according to the user object changed content.Otherwise processing finishes.

At step S1714, update stored in corresponding sensing network in the sensing network storer 210 with operation associated result.

Alternatively,, give virtual device management part 6, carry out later operation by it with the message informing that sensing network has changed at step S1715.

When being judged as at step S1700 when being notice from physical equipment manager 204, advance to step S1716, judge that this notice is facility registration notice or facility information Notification of Changes.

When judged result is registration notification, advance to step S1718, for the equipment of this new registration carries out operation associated.Adopt above-mentioned three kinds of interrelational forms or their device object that is combined as this new registration to carry out operation associated by associate device 208.Please note, carry out operation associated in, can also device object be abandoned, thereby determine according to user's customization whether device object can be used as the device resource that certain user can use according to the user preference information of in associated user object, being stored.And then, carry out operation associated in, can also be according to the status information of device object, state is abandoned for the device object of " not online ", thereby is made associated device object be actually the device object that user object can be used.

After the device object of this new registration and corresponding user object are associated,, use operation associated result to update stored in corresponding sensing network content in the sensing network storer 210 at step S1720.

Alternatively,, give virtual device management part 6, carry out later operation by it with the message informing that sensing network has changed at step S1722.

When being judged as at step S1716 when being alter operation, advance to step S1724, give virtual device management part 6 with the message informing that device object information has changed, judge whether that according to changed content needs upgrade existing incidence relation.Preferably, when the state of equipment changes, for example become off-line state, or when becoming presence, be judged as and upgrade from off-line state from presence.When being judged as the needs renewal, advance to step S1726, carry out operation associated according to the device object changed content.Otherwise processing finishes.

At step S1728, update stored in corresponding sensing network in the sensing network storer 210 with operation associated result.

Alternatively,, give virtual device management part 6, carry out later operation by it with the message informing that sensing network has changed at step S1730.

When being judged as at step S1700 when being notice from static state/dynamic environment information manager 205,207, advance to step S1740, be that corresponding one or more user object carries out operation associated by associate device 208 according to the environmental information of change.

At step S1742, update stored in corresponding one or more sensing networks in the sensing network storer 210 with operation associated result.

Alternatively,, give virtual device management part 6, carry out later operation by it with the message informing that one or more sensing networks have changed at step S1744.

Those skilled in the art can understand, and the above-mentioned operation of notifying to virtual device management part 6 not necessarily.

By operation associated, be that a user object searches out available device object resource, and they are got up as a sensing network entity stores, thereby can grasp the facility information that the user can use in the real world in real time.

By above-mentioned explanation, the invention provides a kind of sensing network and form method and apparatus, by the equipment in the real world, user, environmental information are collected, and based on the information of collecting is that user search goes out available device resource, thereby for carrying out resource sharing, making equipment carry out collaborative work to provide the foundation.

In the time of the service of user's active request visit in the true world, perhaps when service provider's active request when a user provides information on services, virtual device manager of the present invention is partly set up a virtual unit running environment for this user.By a virtual unit as the service interface between user and the service provider.This virtual unit will make full use of the integration capability of current available those physical equipments of this user and come to provide service for the user.

Therefore, only carry out alternately to user's delivery service information the time as the service provider with this virtual unit.And service provider's that the user is mail to information is transmitted by this virtual unit.This virtual unit to this user can with equipment coordinate and manage, thereby to the user provide according to user's service request with and/or the service of the ability of equipment.

Having described by carrying out information gathering and association process in front of the present invention, is that a user object is set up a sensing network in virtual world, and this sensing network comprises the information of the device object that this user object and this user object can be used.Therefore, this sensing network can be considered as the present invention is the available devices object data bank that a user object is set up.Therefore below will be in the explanation virtual unit with the available devices object data bank of this sensing network as virtual unit.But the available devices object data bank of this virtual unit can also be obtained by alternate manner, and is not limited only to sensing network of the present invention.For example this available devices object data bank can be obtained from existing other prior art that the current available physical facility information of user can be provided.Therefore, the employed available devices object of virtual unit of the present invention data bank is not limited to the said sensed network, and this sensing network is an example of the utilizable available devices object of virtual unit data bank.

To introduce the processing of virtual device manager part 6 in detail below.

Virtual device manager part 6 of the present invention is that the user object of the acceptance service in each sensing network generates a virtual unit.The virtual unit that is based upon its generation to provide suitable service for user object.

As shown in figure 18, this virtual unit comprises service processing part 1800, negotiation section 1802; Control section 1804, monitor portion 1806, information on services redistribution section 1808 and interface section 1810.

Wherein control section 1804 is used to coordinate to control the operation of other each several part that constitutes virtual unit, carries out the forwarding of information.

Interface section 1810 is to carry out mutual interface with the sensing network generating portion, and each information interaction of forming of virtual unit other parts and sensing network generating portion is all passed through this interface section 1810 and carried out.In addition, user object is mutual with virtual unit by this interface section 1810.

Monitor portion 1806 is responsible for the sensing network generating portion mutual, and sensing network is monitored, and grasps the real-time formation situation of sensing network.

Negotiation section 1802 is responsible for the service provider mutual, selects optimal COS according to sensing network for the user.

When the user accepts concrete service, the information interaction that service processing part 1800 is responsible between user and the service provider.

Information on services redistribution section 1808 determines to accept the device object/device object combination of service needs according to negotiation section 1802 determined COS, with the information distribution of service processing part 1800 user object that sends to the corresponding apparatus object, and when determine be the device object combination time, also be responsible for coordinating the operation between each device object.

To introduce the operation of each part mentioned above in detail below.

When at first working as user object by the transmission of the device object in sensing network services request in conjunction with Figure 19 explanation, virtual unit is the processing that user object is selected COS and device object/device object combination.

At first, at step S1900, the device object of interface section 1810 from sensing network receives the services request that user object sent, interface section 1810 is transmitted to control section 1804 with this services request, control section 1804 is transmitted to negotiation section 1802 with this services request, and gives monitor portion 1806 with this services request event notice.

At step S1902, response receives the services request incident, and monitor portion 1806 is obtained each available device object information and/or user object information by interface section 1810 from the sensing network of this user object.By control section 1804 the device object information of being obtained is sent to negotiation section 1802 then.

At step S1904, response receives services request, negotiation section 1810 sends to corresponding service provider with this services request, and the request service provider provides the service type information of the service of satisfying this services request and the device object Capability Requirement information under each COS.The type service of this COS one or more grades that for example to be the service provider can provide for a services request, this device object Capability Requirement information for example is desired capacity of equipment under certain COS.

At step S1906, COS and device object Capability Requirement information that response receives from the service provider, negotiation section 1802 is according to the device object information and/or the user object information that are received from monitor portion 1806, from the COS that the service provider provided, select a kind of COS of the ability that is adapted to available device object, with selected COS notification service provider, and will send to information on services redistribution section 1808 by control section 1804 corresponding to the device object Capability Requirement information of this COS.

Alternatively, in above-mentioned selection course, can and then require to determine COS with reference to user's personal customization.

For example, at step S1906, that from user object, obtained in advance or further filter current available device object for the preference information of the equipment that receives service according to monitor portion 1806 by the inquiry user that the user obtained, this preference information for example is that what physical equipment the user preferably uses accept Video service, uses what equipment to accept audio service or the like.And then, from the COS that the service provider provided, select a kind of COS of the ability of the available device object after being adapted to filter according to the device object essential information after filtering.

Alternatively, negotiation section 1802 can be selected those COS of the ability that is adapted to available device object in advance from the multiple COS that the service provider provided, and by the inquiry user object determine a kind of COS, perhaps by reference, for example, about the requirement of user, further determine COS in the preference information of user object for service.

Figure 20 illustrates another kind of when user object sends services request by the device object in the sensing network, and virtual unit is the processing that user object is selected COS and device object/device object combination.

In this manner, step S2000 is identical with the operation of step S1900 and S1902 with S2002, therefore omits its explanation.

At step S2004, response receives services request, the information and/or the user object information of the available devices object that negotiation section 1810 is received with this services request and from monitor portion 1806 send to corresponding service provider, and the request service provider determines to satisfy the COS of this services request according to the ability of available device object.

At step S2006, the service type information that response receives from the service provider, negotiation section 1802 is selected a kind of COS for user object, with selected COS notification service provider, and will send to information on services redistribution section 1808 by control section 1804 corresponding to the device object Capability Requirement information of this COS.

Alternatively, in above-mentioned steps S2004, that from user object, obtained in advance or further filter current available device object for the preference information of the equipment that receives service according to monitor portion 1806 by the inquiry user that the user obtained, the device object information after the filtration is offered the service provider.

Alternatively, at step S2006, negotiation section 1802 can will offer user object from the multiple COS that the service provider provided, and by the inquiry user object determine a kind of COS, perhaps by reference, for example, about the requirement of user, further determine COS in the preference information of user object for service.

By the processing of above-mentioned negotiation section 1802, accept information on services for user object and determined a COS.

The following describes the processing procedure that service is provided for user object under determined COS.

Negotiation section 1802 so also by control section 1804 with filtered out or be notified to monitor portion 1806 according to the device object identifying information that user profile is abandoned using.

Figure 21 shows the process flowchart that service is provided for user object.

At first, at step S2100, the information on services that is provided under the selecteed COS is provided from the service provider service processing part 1800.

At step S2102, service processing part 1800 sends to information on services redistribution section 1808 with the information on services that receives by control section 1804.

At step S2104, information on services redistribution section 1808 obtains each available device object information from monitor portion 1806, and if necessary, the device object information of when negotiation section 1802 is obtained the filter plant object, being abandoned and/or the user object preference information of institute's reference, according to the device object Capability Requirement information that is received from negotiation section 1802, determine to receive the device object/device object combination of information on services for user object.

At step S2106, information on services redistribution section 1808 is distributed to determined device object/device object combination with information on services by interface section 1810.And when needs are coordinated, for example between each device object, in the synchronous various information on services streams, carry out synchronous operation control between device object at needs.

Provide for user object in the process of service the service provider, the interactive information between user object and the service provider is all undertaken by virtual unit.Send to service provider's interactive information for user object, at first send to control section 1804 by interface section 1810.Control section 1804 is transmitted to service processing part 1800 with interactive information, is responsible for being transmitted to the service provider by service processing part 1800.

Thus, according to the present invention, the service of accepting the service provider for user object provides a virtual unit running environment.

Therefore, by only providing information on services alternately with virtual unit, the service provider can consider the ability of the concrete equipment of the service that receives, thereby can develop the various abundant COS of user oriented different needs.

And then, can be according to virtual unit of the present invention according to the COS that the service provider provided, and select suitable COS for the user in conjunction with the ability of available device object.Thereby improved the service quality that the user accepts to serve and utilized capacity of equipment around the user fully.

And then virtual unit according to the present invention requires to determine the device object or the COS of available reception information on services according to user's personal customization, thereby the service of customer-centric is provided.

And then, because virtual unit of the present invention can be grasped the device resource that the user can use in real time, therefore, for immediately providing a kind of valid approach for the user provides information service.

Above-mentioned virtual unit is providing for user object in the process of service, when the device object information in the sensing network or user object information change, for example when increasing or reduce device object, for example when the preference information of user object changes, the quality in the time of might influencing user object and accept service.Therefore, virtual unit of the present invention and then have according to the change of sensing network and suitably carry out the ability that virtual unit running environment is adjusted.

Figure 22 shows the process that virtual unit carries out virtual unit running environment adjustment operation.

At first at step S2200, monitor portion 1806 monitors the information of sensing network by the interface section.

At step S2202, monitor portion 1806 determines whether the information of sensing network changes.When change takes place the information that monitors sensing network, advance to step S2206, otherwise proceed to monitor.

At step S2206, monitor portion 1806 is judged the type of change.

When change type is the device object minimizing, advance to step S2208, judge whether the device object that reduces is used to accept information on services.When judged result whether the time, end process.Otherwise advance to step S2210, notifying service information redistribution section 1808 device objects are reduced, and judge whether alternative device object/device object combination by information on services redistribution section 1808.When existing alternative device object/device object to make up, advance to step S2212, notifying service information redistribution section 1808 is provided by these alternate device objects/device objects combination continuing to provide information service.At step S2214,1808 responses of information on services redistribution section receive this notice, and this alternate device object/device object combination continuing to provide information service is provided.

Do not have alternative device object when being judged as at step S2210/device object combination in, advance to step S2216, carry out determining of COS once more by information on services redistribution section 1808 notice negotiation section 1802, and the current service progress msg of notice control section 1804 maintenances, the temporary transient interruption provides service to user object.

At step S2218, negotiation section 1802 is according to current available device object information, current service progress msg is notified to the service provider, is that user object is determined a new COS once more according to the step S1904-S1906 of Figure 19 or S2004 or the S2006 of Figure 20.

At step S2220, service processing part 1800 is determined new device objects/device objects combination in the service that continues to receive from the service provider under the new COS after being interrupted by information on services redistribution section 1808.

At step S2222, the new device object that use is redefined under new COS/device object combination continues as user object provides information on services then.

When being judged as device object at step S2206 when being increased, do not exert an influence owing to provide for current information on services, so end process.But, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that when device object is increased, also can determine the COS of a device object after being increased based on this by negotiation section 1802 again for user object, with enhanced quality-of-service.

When the preference information that is judged as user object at step S2206 is changed, advance to step S2224, judge whether this change can influence the selected of the device object of current reception information on services/device object combination.When not influencing, end process.Otherwise advance to step S2210, carry out later processing.

Therefore, virtual unit of the present invention can be adjusted ways of services supplied according to the change of user's sensing network information, thereby the instant environment that dynamically adapts to the user or the formula of information providing more flexibly of instant needs are provided.

Virtual unit of the present invention can also be selected a kind of appropriate information appearance form for the user and presents to the user the information on services that service provider's side initiatively sends to the user.

Figure 23 shows the processing flow chart of the information on services that is sent by service provider's side direction user.

At first, at step S2300, the service provider sends a notice to negotiation section 1802, and notice will send service information to user object, and its COS that can provide and corresponding apparatus object Capability Requirement information are sent to negotiation section 1802.

At step S2302, response receives this notice, the sensing network information that negotiation section 1802 sends about this user object by control section 1804 request monitor portion 1806,

At step S2304, response receives this request, and monitor portion 1806 is obtained each available device object information and/or user object information by interface section 1810 from the sensing network of this user object.By control section 1804 the device object information of being obtained is sent to negotiation section 1802 then.

At step S2306, negotiation section 1802 is according to the device object information that is received from monitor portion 1806, from the COS that the service provider provided, select a kind of COS of the ability that is adapted to available device object, and with selected COS notification service provider.

For example, that from user object, obtained in advance or further filter current available device object for the preference information of the equipment that receives service according to monitor portion 1806 by the inquiry user that the user obtained, this preference information for example is that what physical equipment the user preferably uses accept Video service, uses what equipment to accept audio service or the like.And then, from the COS that the service provider provided, select a kind of COS of the ability of the available device object after being adapted to filter according to the device object essential information after filtering.

Alternatively, negotiation section 1802 can be selected those COS of the ability that is adapted to available device object from the multiple COS that the service provider provided, and by the inquiry user object determine a kind of COS, perhaps by reference, for example, about the requirement of user, further determine COS in the preference information of user object for service.

Send service information to user object according to flow process illustrated in fig. 21 then.

Figure 24 illustrates the another kind of processing flow chart that is sent service information by service provider's side direction user.

At first, at step S2400, the service provider sends a notice to negotiation section 1802, and notice will send service information to user object.

At step S2402, response receives this notice, the sensing network information that negotiation section 1802 sends about this user object by control section 1804 request monitor portion 1806,

At step S2404, response receives this request, and monitor portion 1806 is obtained each available device object information and/or user object information by interface section 1810 from the sensing network of this user object.By control section 1804 the device object information of being obtained is sent to negotiation section 1802 then.

At step S2406, negotiation section 1810 will send to corresponding service provider from the sensing network information that monitor portion 1806 is received, and the request service provider determines to satisfy one or more COS that its information on services provides according to the facility information in this sensing network.

At step S2408, the service type information that response receives from the service provider, negotiation section 1802 is selected a kind of COS for user object, and with selected COS notification service provider.

Alternatively, in above-mentioned steps S2406, that from user object, obtained in advance or further filter current available device object for the preference information of the equipment that receives service according to monitor portion 1806 by the inquiry user that the user obtained, the ability information of the device object after the filtration is offered the service provider.

Alternatively, at step S2408, negotiation section 1802 can will offer user object from the multiple COS that the service provider provided, and by the inquiry user object determine a kind of COS, perhaps by reference, for example, about the requirement of user, further determine COS in the preference information of user object for service.

Alternatively, virtual unit of the present invention sends to the mutual control information between each ingredient of virtual unit and service provider and the user on user's the physical equipment specially, uses this physical equipment to be used as " telepilot " that the user controls service.Therefore, control section 1804 of the present invention can comprise a not shown control information administrative section, the control information that to mail to the user by a not shown control information interactive interface send to the user specified or virtual unit from available equipment on the selected equipment, by control information shown on this equipment, make the user operate all miscellaneous equipments.And the user is mail to the control information of virtual unit and also is transmitted to monitor portion by this control information interactive interface by the control information administrative section, negotiation section or service processing part.

Therefore, virtual unit of the present invention can also according to the service provider initiatively send to the user information on services select a kind of suitable COS for the user, for the user provides service.

It should be noted that embodiment described above just is used to illustrate the present invention, is not construed as limiting the invention.

In addition, the mode of the program that can carry out with the computing machine that is stored in the various media of above-mentioned each operating process realizes.These media include but not limited to: various storeies and storage unit, semiconductor equipment, disc unit be light, magnetic and magneto-optic disk for example, and other is suitable for the medium of canned data.

Though describe embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in detail, for a person skilled in the art, still can make various changes and modifications and may not the spirit and scope of the invention to above-mentioned embodiment.Therefore, scope of the present invention only is defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. one kind for the user provides the service providing device of service, a plurality of physical equipments that its this service providing device utilizes this user to use, and for the user provides information on services, this service providing device comprises:

Interface section (1810) links to each other with the physical equipment administrative section with a user, the management of described administrative section and this subscriber-related information and the relevant information of physical equipment that can use with this user;

Monitor portion (1806) is used for obtaining this physical equipment of being managed and/or user profile by described interface;

Negotiation section (1802) communicates with the service provider, selects a kind of COS for the user from the COS of the service that this service provider provided;

Service processing part (1800) communicates with this service provider, will transmit by mutual information on services between this user of this COS and this service provider;

Information on services redistribution section (1808), be used to receive that described service processing partly transmits sends to this user's information on services from this service provider, the physical equipment ability required according to selected COS is assigned to this information on services in corresponding physical equipment in described a plurality of physical equipment/physical equipment combination;

Control section (1804) is used to coordinate to control the operation of each part mentioned above, carries out the forwarding of information.

2. the described service providing device of claim 1 is characterized in that:

Described negotiation section is configured to,

According to the available physical facility information that obtains from the monitoring unit branch, and the physical equipment Capability Requirement information under each COS that the service provider provided, for the user determines a COS.

3. the described service providing device of claim 2 is characterized in that:

Described negotiation section is configured to,

Further determine COS for the user according to the user preference information in the user profile.

4. the described service providing device of claim 3 is characterized in that:

Described information on services redistribution section is configured to,

Further determine to accept the physical equipment/physical equipment combination of service for the user according to the user preference information in the user profile.

5. the described service providing device of claim 2 is characterized in that:

Described monitor portion is configured to:

Monitor whether the available physical facility information and the user profile of being managed in available user and the physical equipment administrative section change; And

When described variable effect provided to current service, the notice negotiation section was determined new COS, and perhaps the notifying service information redistribution section need use alternative physical equipment/physical equipment combination,

Respond the described notice of determining new COS, described negotiation section is according to current available physical facility information, for the user determines a kind of new COS, described information on services redistribution section is according to the described new required physical equipment ability of COS, determine new physical equipment/physical equipment combination, and continue information on services is assigned in corresponding physical equipment/physical equipment combination;

Respond the notice of the alternative physical equipment of described use, described information on services redistribution section is selected alternative physical equipment, continues information on services is assigned on the corresponding physical equipment.

6. the described service providing device of claim 2 is characterized in that:

Described information on services redistribution section carries out synchro control to the physical equipment of accepting service.

7. one kind for the user provides service method, a plurality of physical equipments that wherein utilize this user to use, and for the user provides service, this method comprises:

Receive this user by a physical equipment to a services request that the service provider sent or receive the request that service provider requires to provide to this user service;

Obtain and this subscriber-related information and the relevant information of physical equipment that can use with this user;

From the COS that the service provider can provide, select a kind of COS for this user;

The physical equipment ability required according to described COS, the information on services with this service provider sends to this user is assigned in corresponding physical equipment in described a plurality of physical equipment/physical equipment combination.

8. the described service providing method of claim 7 is characterized in that:

The step of described selection COS comprises:

According to the available physical facility information, and the physical equipment Capability Requirement information under each COS that the service provider provided, for the user determines a COS.

9. the described service providing method of claim 8 is characterized in that:

The step of described selection COS comprises:

10. the described service providing method of claim 9 is characterized in that:

Described information on services reallocation step comprises:

Further determine to accept the physical equipment of service for the user according to the user preference information in the user profile.

11. the described service providing method of claim 8 is characterized in that:

Monitor whether available physical facility information and user profile change; And

When described variable effect provides to current information on services, determine new COS, perhaps use the physical equipment/physical equipment combination that substitutes,

Wherein saidly determine that the step of new COS comprises according to new available physical facility information, for the user determines a kind of new COS, according to the described new required physical equipment ability of COS, continue information on services is assigned in corresponding physical equipment/physical equipment combination;

The step of the physical equipment that described use substitutes comprises that physical equipment/physical equipment of selecting to substitute makes up, and continues information on services is assigned in corresponding physical equipment/physical equipment combination.

12. the described service providing method of claim 7 is characterized in that:

When accept service be the physical equipment combination time, each physical equipment in this physical equipment combination of accepting service is carried out synchro control.