Information processing device, information processing program, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing method, an information processing program, an information processing device, and an information processing system that are capable of improving user convenience in communication connections between devices.SOLUTION: An information processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the steps of: generating a two-dimensional pattern associated with a network address of a first device; displaying the two-dimensional pattern on a display unit of the first device; acquiring image data indicating the two-dimensional pattern from an imaging unit of a second device; and identifying the network address based on the acquired image data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing method, an information processing program, an information processing apparatus, and an information processing system.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the development of information and communication technologies has been remarkable. Not only personal computers, smartphones, and tablets, but also all kinds of things such as automobiles, home appliances, and sensor devices are being connected to communication networks such as the Internet. Thus, it is expected that an IoT (Internet of Things) society in which trillions of devices on the earth are connected to a communication network will arrive in the near future (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, in current IoT technology, an Internet service provider (ISP) manages the network addresses (typically IP addresses) of each device connected to the Internet. For example, when a predetermined device is connected to the Internet, the ISP assigns an IP address (particularly, a global IP address) to the predetermined device. Thereafter, the predetermined device can access a WEB server on the Internet using the IP address assigned by the ISP. Thus, when connecting a device to a communication network such as the Internet, the intervention of an operator who manages IP addresses such as an ISP is required.

[0005] On the one hand, in order to improve the convenience of users for connecting to a communication network, technologies are currently being developed that can issue the IP address of a device itself without going through an ISP that manages global IP addresses or a DHCP server that manages private IP addresses. An example of such an IP address is EVER / IP (registered trademark). According to this technology, a device A having a communication function can issue its own IP address based on a public key authenticated by a certification authority without going through an ISP or the like. Also, a device B having a communication function can issue its own IP address based on a public key authenticated by a certification authority without going through an ISP or the like. Furthermore, if either one of device A and device B can know the IP address of the other, communication between device A and device B is established. In this way, in order for device A and device B to be communicably connected to each other, at least one of device A and device B must know the IP address of the other in advance.

[0006] In this regard, it is conceivable that the user of device A manually inputs the IP address of device B into device A after knowing the IP address of device B. However, the operation of manually inputting the IP address of device B into device A after knowing the IP address of device B is a very laborious operation. From the above perspective, there is room for further improvement in user convenience.

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing method, an information processing program, an information processing device, and an information processing system capable of improving the convenience of users in communication connections between devices. To do.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is generating a two-dimensional pattern associated with the network address of the first device; displaying the two-dimensional pattern on a display unit of the first device; A step of acquiring image data indicating the two-dimensional pattern from the imaging unit of the second device; A step of specifying the network address based on the acquired image data; It includes.

[0009] According to the above method, the network address of the first device is automatically specified by the second device from the image data indicating the two-dimensional pattern displayed on the display unit of the first device. In this way, since the user does not need to perform operations such as manually inputting the network address of the first device into the second device after grasping the network address of the first device, it is possible to provide an information processing method that can improve the convenience of the user in the communication connection between the first device and the second device.

[0010] Further, the information processing method may further include a step of transmitting predetermined information to the first device using the network address.

[0011] According to the above method, a communication connection between the first device and the second device can be established using the network address of the first device.

[0012] Also, the information processing method is A step of transmitting image data indicating the display screen of the second device to the first device using the network address; A step of displaying the display screen of the second device on the display unit of the first device based on the transmitted image data indicating the display screen of the second device; It may further include.

[0013] According to the above method, the display screen of the second device can be displayed on the display unit of the first device. In this way, for example, the display screen of the second device can be shared by multiple people through the display unit of the first device.

[0014] Also, the information processing method is Receiving, from a third device communicably connected to the second device, image data showing a display screen of the third device; Transmitting, using the network address, the image data showing the display screen of the third device to the first device; Causing the display screen of the third device to be displayed on a display unit of the first device based on the transmitted image data showing the display screen of the third device; may further include.

[0015] According to the above method, image data showing a display screen of a third device communicably connected to a second device is transmitted to a first device via the second device. In this way, the display screen of a third device not directly connected to the first device can be displayed on the display unit of the first device.

[0016] Further, the information processing method includes determining whether the second device is near the first device; and permitting a communication connection between the first device and the second device when the second device is near the first device. may further include.

[0017] According to the above method, a communication connection between the first device and the second device is permitted when the second device is near the first device. In this way, a situation where an external device located at a location away from the first device and the first device are communicably connected to each other can be preferably prevented.

[0018] Further, the step of determining whether the second device is near the first device may include determining that the second device is near the first device in response to a user input operation on the first device.

[0019] According to the above method, it is determined that the second device is near the first device in response to a user input operation on the first device. In this way, it is possible to determine whether the second device is near the first device by a relatively simple method.

[0020] Further, the step of determining whether the second device is near the first device may include: determining that short - range wireless communication between the first device and the second device has been established.

[0021] According to the above method, it is determined that the second device is near the first device in response to the establishment of short - range wireless communication (NFC) between the first device and the second device. In this way, it is possible to determine whether the second device is near the first device by a relatively simple method.

[0022] Further, the step of determining whether the second device is near the first device may include: causing predetermined display information to be displayed on a display unit of the first device; acquiring user input information by the second device through a user input operation on the second device; transmitting the user input information from the second device to the first device; determining whether the second device is near the first device based on a comparison between the transmitted user input information and the predetermined display information; and may include.

[0023] According to the above method, user input information is acquired by the second device through a user input operation on the second device. Then, based on a comparison between the user input information and the predetermined display information, it is determined whether the second device is near the first device. In this way, it is possible to determine whether the second device is near the first device by using the predetermined display information displayed on the display unit of the first device.

[0024] Further, the predetermined display information may be a one - time password.

[0025] According to the above method, it is possible to reliably determine whether the second device is near the first device by using the one-time password displayed on the display unit of the first device.

[0026] Further, the information processing method may further include a step of receiving configuration information of the second device.

[0027] Further, the two-dimensional pattern may be a one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcode.

[0028] Further, the two-dimensional pattern may include a plurality of divided regions. Each of the plurality of divided regions may have color information associated with a part of the network address.

[0029] The first device may be a projector.

[0030] An information processing method according to an aspect of the present disclosure is executed by a processor of a device having a display unit, generating a two-dimensional pattern associated with the network address of the device; causing the two-dimensional pattern to be displayed on the display unit; and includes.

[0031] According to the above method, it is possible to provide an information processing method capable of improving the convenience of the user in communication connection between devices.

[0032] Further, the information processing method may further include a step of generating the network address of the device by the processor of the device before the step of generating the two-dimensional pattern.

[0033] Further, an information processing program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method is provided. Further, a computer-readable storage medium storing the information processing program is provided.

[0034] An information processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes at least one processor, a memory that stores computer-readable instructions, and a display unit. When the computer-readable instructions are executed by the processor, the information processing apparatus is configured to execute the information processing method.

[0035] According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide an information processing apparatus capable of improving user convenience in communication connections between devices.

[0036] An information processing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first device including a display unit and a second device including an imaging unit. The first device generates a two-dimensional pattern associated with the network address of the first device, and causes the display unit to display the two-dimensional pattern. The second device acquires image data indicating the two-dimensional pattern from the imaging unit, and acquires the network address based on the acquired image data.

[0037] According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide an information processing system capable of improving user convenience in communication connections between the first device and the second device.

Advantages of the Invention

[0038] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an information processing method, an information processing program, an information processing apparatus, and an information processing system capable of improving user convenience in communication connections between devices.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0039]

Figure 1

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0040] Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. First, an information processing system 6 according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as "this embodiment") will be described with reference to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system 6 includes a first device 1 and a second device 2 each including a display unit 16. The first device 1 and the second device 2 are configured to be connected to a communication network 4. The communication network 4 is an IP network and includes at least one of a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a radio access network (RAN), and the Internet. The first device 1 and the second device 2 may be connected to the communication network 4 via an access point such as a wireless LAN router or a wireless base station. Further, the first device 1 and the second device 2 may be connected to a router by a wired cable.

[0041] Also, assume that the user U carrying the second device 2 and another user looking at the display unit 16 of the first device 1 are in a closed space K (for example, a conference room or the like).

[0042] The type of the first device 1 is not particularly limited, and all devices that are connected to the communication network 4 using a network address and include a display unit, a processor, a memory, and a network interface are targeted. For example, the first device 1 may be a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet, or a projector. Further, the first device 1 may be a smart home appliance (for example, a smart TV), a car navigation system mounted on a vehicle, or an office device (for example, a printer or a multifunction device).

[0043] Similarly, the type of the second device 2 is not particularly limited, and all devices that are connected to the communication network using a network address and include a processor, a memory, an imaging unit such as a camera, and a network interface are targeted. For example, the second device 2 may be a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet, or a wearable device (e.g., a smartwatch or AR glasses) worn on the user's body (e.g., an arm or a head).

[0044] Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the hardware configuration of the first device 1 (an example of an information processing device) will be described below. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the first device 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the first device 1 includes a control unit 10, a storage device 12, a network interface 13, a display unit 16, and an input operation unit 14. These are communicably connected to each other via a bus 18.

[0045] The control unit 10 is configured to control the operation of the first device 1 and includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store computer-readable instructions (e.g., an information processing program). For example, the memory may be composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory) storing various programs and the like, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) having a plurality of work areas storing various programs and the like executed by the processor. Also, the memory may be composed of a flash memory or the like. The processor includes, for example, at least one of a CPU, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The CPU may be composed of a plurality of CPU cores. The GPU may be composed of a plurality of GPU cores. The processor may be configured to expand a program designated from various programs incorporated in the storage device 12 or the ROM onto the RAM and execute various processes in cooperation with the RAM. In particular, by the processor executing the information processing program stored in the memory, the first device 1 is configured to execute the information processing method according to the present embodiment.

[0046] The storage device 12 is, for example, a storage device (storage) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory, and is configured to store programs and various data. The storage device 12 may store the information processing program according to the present embodiment transmitted from a server on the Internet.

[0047] The network interface 13 is configured to connect the first device 1 to the communication network 4. Specifically, the network interface 13 may include various wired connection terminals for communicating with an external device such as a server via the communication network 4. Further, the network interface 13 may include various processing circuits and antennas for communicating with a wireless router or a wireless base station. The wireless communication standard is, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), LPWA, or the fifth generation mobile communication system (5G).

[0048] The display unit 16 may be a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. Further, when the first device 1 is a projector, the display unit 16 includes a screen and an image projection unit configured to project an image (light) onto the screen.

[0049] The input operation unit 14 is configured to receive an input operation of a user who operates the first device 1 and generate an instruction signal corresponding to the input operation. The input operation unit 14 is, for example, a touch panel disposed on the display unit 26, an operation button attached to the housing, a mouse, and / or a keyboard. After the instruction signal generated by the input operation unit 14 is transmitted to the control unit 10 via the bus 18, the control unit 10 executes a predetermined operation according to the instruction signal. The display unit 16 and the input operation unit 14 may be connected to the first device 1 via an input / output interface such as USB.

[0050] Next, the hardware configuration of the second device 2 will be described below with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the second device 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the second device 2 includes a control unit 20, a storage device 22, a camera 25 (an example of an imaging unit), a network interface 23, a display unit 26, and an input operation unit 24. These are communicably connected to each other via a bus 28.

[0051] The control unit 20 is configured to control the operation of the second device 2 and includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store computer-readable instructions. For example, the memory includes a ROM and a RAM. The processor includes at least one of, for example, a CPU, an MPU, and a GPU. The processor may be configured to expand a program specified from various programs incorporated in the storage device 22 or the ROM onto the RAM and execute various processes in cooperation with the RAM.

[0052] The storage device 22 is a storage device (storage), such as an HDD, an SSD, or a flash memory, for example, and is configured to store programs and various data. The network interface 23 is configured to connect the second device 2 to the communication network 4. Specifically, the network interface 23 may include various wired connection terminals for communicating with an external device such as a server via the communication network 4. Further, the network interface 23 may include various processing circuits and antennas for communicating with a wireless router or a wireless base station. An example of the wireless communication standard is as described above.

[0053] The display unit 26 may be a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, or may be a head-mounted display worn on the head of the user U. The input operation unit 24 is configured to receive an input operation of a user who operates the second device 2 and generate an instruction signal corresponding to the input operation. The input operation unit 24 is, for example, a touch panel disposed on top of the display unit 26, an operation button attached to the housing, a mouse, and / or a keyboard.

[0054] Next, the information processing method of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram for explaining the information processing method of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, in step S1, the control unit 10 of the first device 1 determines whether a predetermined action of the user U on the first device 1 has been detected. Here, the predetermined action is an action that triggers the generation and display of a two-dimensional pattern. As an example of the predetermined action, it is an action of pressing an operation button of the first device 1 (particularly, an operation button displayed on the display unit 16). If the determination result in step S1 is YES, this process proceeds to step S2. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S2 is NO, the determination process in step S1 is executed again.

[0055] Next, the control unit 10 generates a two-dimensional pattern associated with the IP address of the first device 1 (for example, a global IP address) (step S2). Then, the control unit 10 causes the generated two-dimensional pattern to be displayed on the display unit 16 (step S3).

[0056] The IP address of the first device 1 is, for example, an IP address (128 bits) corresponding to IPv6 displayed in 32 hexadecimal digits. The IP address may be generated based on the public key of the first device 1 authenticated by a certification authority. Specifically, after the control unit 10 generates a private key (512 bits) of the first device 1 and a public key (256 bits) corresponding to the private key, it generates a hash value (256 bits) based on the public key and a predetermined hash function. When the generated hash value satisfies a predetermined condition, the control unit 10 generates the IP address of the first device 1 based on the hash value. Then, the first device 1 obtains an electronic certificate associated with the public key from the certification authority. Thus, since the public key of the first device 1 is authenticated by the certification authority, the IP address generated based on the public key is also indirectly authenticated by the certification authority. In this embodiment, the IP address (128 bits) of the first device 1 is It is premised that it has already been generated. On the other hand, after determining that a predetermined action in step S1 has been detected, the control unit 10 may generate the IP address of the first device 1.

[0057] Further, the generated two-dimensional pattern includes at least information (128-bit information) regarding the IP address of the first device 1. The two-dimensional pattern may also include information regarding the first device 1 other than the IP address. The two-dimensional pattern may be a one-dimensional barcode or a two-dimensional barcode (QR Code (registered trademark)). For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a QR code 32 including information regarding the IP address of the first device 1 may be displayed on the display unit 16. In this case, the QR code 32 includes an information amount of 128 bits or more.

[0058] Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the two-dimensional pattern may be a two-dimensional color pattern 33. The two-dimensional color pattern 33 includes a plurality of divided regions R (in this example, 16 divided regions R). Each of the plurality of divided regions R has color information associated with a part of the IP address of the first device 1. For example, when the IP address has an information amount of 128 bits, each of the 16 divided regions R may have 8-bit color information (256 colors). Information regarding the 128-bit IP address can be constituted by the color information (8 bits) of the 16 divided regions R (8 bits × 16 = 128 bits). Furthermore, when the two-dimensional color pattern 33 includes information regarding the first device 1 other than the IP address, the number of divided regions R may be 17 or more.

[0059] Returning to FIG. 4, in step S4, the user U captures the two-dimensional pattern displayed on the display unit 16 of the first device 1 using the camera 25 of the second device 2. Then, the control unit 20 of the second device 2 acquires image data indicating the two-dimensional pattern from the camera 25 (step S5). Next, in step S6, the control unit 20 identifies the IP address of the first device 1 based on the acquired image data. In this regard, when the two-dimensional pattern is a QR code 32 (see FIG. 5), the control unit 20 acquires information (128 bits) regarding the IP address included in the QR code 32 by analyzing the image data indicating the QR code 32. Also, when the two-dimensional pattern is a two-dimensional color pattern 33 (see FIG. 6), the control unit 20 acquires information regarding the IP address included in the two-dimensional color pattern 33 by analyzing the image data indicating the two-dimensional color pattern 33. In this case, the control unit 20 may identify the color information (e.g., red, blue, yellow, etc.) of each divided region R of the two-dimensional color pattern 33 and then refer to a table in which the color information of 256 colors is associated with 8-bit data to identify the 8-bit data corresponding to the color information of each divided region R.

[0060] Next, the control unit 20 transmits a signal (communication connection request signal) for requesting a communication connection with the first device 1 to the second device 2 via the communication network 4 (see FIG. 9) (step S7). Here, the communication connection request signal (IP packet) includes the IP address of the first device 1 as the destination and the IP address of the second device 2 as the source. Note that the IP address of the second device 2 may also be an IP address (128 bits) corresponding to IPv6 displayed in 32 hexadecimal digits. Further, the IP address of the second device 2 may be generated based on the public key of the second device 2 authenticated by the certification authority.

[0061] After that, after receiving a communication connection request signal from the second device 2 (step S8), the control unit 20 of the first device 1 executes a process (step S9) to determine whether the second device 2 is near the first device 1. An example of the determination process in step S9 will be described below with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a process for determining whether the second device 2 is near the first device 1.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 7, in step S20, the control unit 10 of the first device 1 causes the display unit 16 to display a one-time password (an example of predetermined display information). Here, as shown in FIG. 8, it is assumed that a one-time password 34 having a predetermined number of digits is displayed on the display unit 16. Next, in step S21, the control unit 20 of the second device 2 receives user input information through the input operation of the user U. In this regard, the user U attempts to input user input information ("1D5F698ABC") corresponding to the one-time password 34 into the second device 2. Next Therein, the control unit 20 transmits an IP packet including user input information to the first device 1 via the communication network 4 (step S22). Thereafter, after the control unit 10 of the first device 1 receives the user input information in step S23, it determines whether the user input information and the one-time password 34 match each other by comparing the user input information transmitted from the second device 2 with the one-time password 34 (step S24). If the control unit 10 determines that the user input information and the one-time password 34 match each other (YES in step S24), it determines that the second device 2 is near the first device 1 (step S25). Thereafter, in step S10 of FIG. 4, a signal indicating permission for communication connection with the second device 2 (communication connection permission signal) is transmitted to the second device 2 via the communication network 4. On the other hand, if the control unit 10 determines that the user input information and the one-time password 34 do not match each other (NO in step S24), it determines that the second device 2 is not near the first device 1 (step S26). Thereafter, the control unit 10 ends the communication with the second device 2 without transmitting the communication connection permission signal to the second device 2 (step S27). In this case, the control unit 10 may cause the display unit 16 to display a message indicating the end of the communication with the second device 2.

[0063] Note that if the control unit 10 does not receive the user input information within a predetermined period (for example, 60 seconds) after displaying the one-time password 34 on the display unit 16 in step S23, it may execute the process of step S27. Further, if the determination result in step S24 is NO, the control unit 10 may cause the display unit 16 to display that the user input information and the one-time password 34 do not match each other, and may also cause the display unit 16 to display a new one-time password (step S20). In this case, if the determination result in step S24 becomes NO again, the control unit 10 may execute the processes of steps S26 and S27.

[0064] Also, as a second example of the determination process in step S9, the control unit 10 of the first device 1 may determine that the second device 2 is near the first device 1 in response to an input operation of the user U on the first device 1. Specifically, the control unit 10 causes the display unit 16 to display a message prompting the user to press a predetermined operation button of the first device 1. Thereafter, the control unit 10 may determine that the second device 2 is near the first device 1 when the predetermined operation button is pressed within a predetermined period (for example, 30 seconds). According to the second example, it is possible to determine whether the second device 2 is near the first device 1 by a relatively simple method.

[0065] Furthermore, as a third example of the determination process in step S9, the control unit 10 of the first device 1 may determine that the second device 2 is near the first device 1 in response to the establishment of short-range wireless communication (NFC) between the first device 1 and the second device 2. Specifically, the control unit 10 causes the display unit 16 to display a message prompting the second device 2 to touch the NFC interface of the first device 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "NFC interface"). Thereafter, the control unit 10 may determine that the second device 2 is near the first device 1 when a touch action of the second device 2 on the NFC interface of the first device 1 is detected within a predetermined period (for example, 30 seconds). According to the third example, it is possible to determine whether the second device 2 is near the first device 1 by a relatively simple method.

[0066] Next, returning to FIG. 4, after receiving a communication connection permission signal from the first device 1 (step S11), the control unit 20 of the second device 2 transmits the configuration information (descriptor) of the second device 2 to the first device 1 (step S12). Thereafter, in step S13, the first device 1 receives the configuration information of the second device 2. For example, the configuration information of the second device 2 may include information regarding the encoding method of image data and information regarding the display screen size. Note that the control unit 20 may transmit the configuration information of the second device 2 to the first device 1 in response to a signal (configuration information request signal) requesting transmission of the configuration information transmitted from the first device 1.

[0067] Next, in step S14, the control unit 20 of the second device 2 transmits, via the communication network 4, image data indicating the display screen displayed on the display unit 26 of the second device 2 and stored in the memory, to the first device 1 (see FIG. 9). Thereafter, after the control unit 10 of the first device 1 receives the image data indicating the display screen of the second device 2 from the first device 1 (step S15), based on the image data indicating the display screen of the second device 2, the control unit 10 causes the display unit 16 to display the display screen of the second device 2 (step S16). For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the display screen 35 of the second device 2 is displayed on the display unit 16. Thus, the process of the example shown in FIG. 4 is executed.

[0068] According to the present embodiment, after the two-dimensional pattern displayed on the display unit 16 of the first device 1 is imaged by the camera 25, the IP address of the first device 1 is automatically identified by the second device 2 from the image data indicating the two-dimensional pattern imaged by the camera 25. In this way, the user U does not need to perform a laborious task such as manually inputting the IP address of the first device 1 to the second device 2 after grasping the IP address of the first device 1. Thus, the convenience of the user U can be improved in the communication connection between the first device 1 and the second device 2.

[0069] Furthermore, after the IP address of the first device 1 is automatically identified by the second device 2 from the image data imaged by the camera 25, when a predetermined application is launched, the display screen 35 of the second device (see FIG. 10) can be displayed on the display unit 16 of the first device 1 using the identified IP address. In this way, as shown in FIG. 1, the display screen 35 of the second device 2 can be shared among multiple people through the display unit 16 within the closed space K. For example, a presentation can be made to multiple people using the display screen 35 displayed on the display unit 16. In this regard, when the meeting materials (for example, presentation materials) stored in the second device 2 are displayed on the display unit 26 of the second device 2, it is possible to cause the display unit 16 to display the meeting materials as the display screen 35 of the second device 2.

[0070] In addition, in the present embodiment, when the second device 2 is in the vicinity of the first device 1, a communication connection between the first device 1 and the second device 2 is permitted. Thus, a situation where an external device existing at a location away from the first device 1 (particularly, not existing within the closed space K) and the first device 1 are communicatively connected to each other can be preferably prevented. In this regard, it is possible to determine whether the second device 2 is in the vicinity of the first device 1 (particularly, whether the second device 2 is within the space K) using the one-time password 34 (see FIG. 8) displayed on the display unit 16 of the first device 1.

[0071] In addition, in the series of processes shown in FIG. 4, a process for authenticating the IP address of the first device 1 may be executed after the process of step S6. In this case, after authenticating the IP address of the first device 1, the control unit 20 of the second device 2 may transmit a communication connection request signal to the first device 1. Further, in order to ensure secure communication between the first device 1 and the second device 2, before the process of step S14 is executed, the first device 1 may transmit the authenticated public key of the first device 1 and the electronic certificate of the public key to the second device 2. Similarly, the second device 2 may transmit the authenticated public key of the second device 2 and the electronic certificate of the public key to the second device 2. In this way, the second device 2 can encrypt the transmission data based on the public key of the first device 1 and then transmit the encrypted transmission data to the first device 1. Similarly, the first device 1 can encrypt the transmission data based on the public key of the second device 2 and then transmit the encrypted transmission data to the second device 2. In this way, secure communication between the first device 1 and the second device 2 can be executed using the public keys of the first device 1 and the second device 2.

[0072] (First Modification Example) Next, the information processing system 6a according to the first modification of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an information processing system 6a including a first device 1 and two second devices 2a and 2b. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen 35 of the second device 2a and a display screen 36 of the second device 2b displayed on the display unit 16 of the first device 1. In this modification, it is assumed that each of the second devices 2a and 2b has the same configuration as the second device 2 described in the present embodiment.

[0073] According to this modification, after the two-dimensional pattern displayed on the display unit 16 of the first device 1 is imaged by the camera of the second device 2a, the IP address of the first device 1 is automatically specified by the second device 2a from the image data indicating the two-dimensional pattern imaged by the camera. Further, since the second device 2a is communicably connected to the first device 1 using the specified IP address, as shown in FIG. 12, the display screen 35 of the second device 2a can be displayed in the divided area 40a of the display unit 16. Similarly, after the two-dimensional pattern displayed on the display unit 16 of the first device 1 is imaged by the camera of the second device 2b, the IP address of the first device 1 is automatically specified by the second device 2b from the image data indicating the two-dimensional pattern imaged by the camera. Further, since the second device 2b is communicably connected to the first device 1 using the specified IP address, as shown in FIG. 12, the display screen 36 of the second device 2b can be displayed in the divided area 40b of the display unit 16.

[0074] In this way, the display screen 35 of the second device 2a and the display screen 36 of the second device 2b can be shared by multiple people through the display unit 16 within the closed space K. In this way, the user U1 carrying the second device 2a can give a presentation to multiple people using the display screen 35 displayed on the display unit 16. Also, the user U2 carrying the second device 2b can give a presentation to multiple people using the display screen 36 displayed on the display unit 16.

[0075] Furthermore, the information processing system 6a may include three or more second devices. In this case, a number of divided regions corresponding to the number of second devices may be set in the display unit 16 of the first device 1.

[0076] (Second Modification Example) Next, an information processing system 6b according to a second modification example of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the information processing system 6b including the first device 1, the second device 2, and the third device 8. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen 37 of the third device 8 displayed on the display unit 16 of the first device 1. Note that in this modification example, the third device 8 is different from the hardware configuration of the second device 2 shown in FIG. 3 in that it does not include a camera. That is, the third device 8 is not capable of imaging the two-dimensional pattern displayed on the display unit 16. Also, the third device 8 is communicably connected to the second device 2 while not being communicably connected to the first device 1.

[0077] According to this modification example, after the two-dimensional pattern displayed on the display unit 16 of the first device 1 is imaged by the camera of the second device 2, the IP address of the first device 1 is automatically specified by the second device 2 from the image data showing the two-dimensional pattern imaged by the camera. Further, the second device 2 is communicably connected to the first device 1 using the specified IP address. In this way, the display screen of the second device 2 can be displayed on the display unit 16 of the first device 1. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, since the second device 2 is communicably connected to the third device 8, the display screen 37 of the third device 8 can be displayed on the display unit 16. In this regard, since the third device 8 is communicably connected to the second device 2, the image data showing the display screen 37 of the third device 8 is transmitted to the second device 2. Thereafter, the second device 2 transmits the image data showing the display screen 37 to the first device 1 via the communication network 4 using the IP address of the first device 1. Thereafter, the first device 1 displays the display screen 37 on the display unit 16 based on the transmitted image data.

[0078] In this way, the display screen 37 of the third device 8 that is not directly connected to the first device 1 can be displayed on the display unit 16. Also, within the closed space K, the display screen 37 of the third device 8 can be shared among multiple people through the display unit 16. In this way, the user U carrying the third device 8 can use the display screen 37 displayed on the display unit 16 to give a presentation to multiple people.

[0079] Also, in order to implement the first device 1 according to this embodiment by software, the information processing program may be pre - incorporated in the storage device 12 or the ROM. Similarly, in order to implement the second device 2 according to this embodiment by software, the information processing program may be pre - incorporated in the storage device 22 or the ROM. Further, the information processing program may be stored in a computer - readable storage medium such as a magnetic disk (e.g., HDD, floppy disk), an optical disk (e.g., CD - ROM, DVD - ROM, Blu - ray (registered trademark) disk), a magneto - optical disk (e.g., MO), a flash memory (e.g., SD card, USB memory, SSD). In this case, the information processing program stored in the computer - readable storage medium may be incorporated into the storage device. Furthermore, after the information processing program incorporated into the storage device is loaded onto the RAM, the processor may execute the information processing program loaded onto the RAM. In this way, the information processing method according to this embodiment is executed by the first device 1 (or the second device 2).

[0080] Also, the information processing program may be downloaded from a server on a communication network such as the Internet via the network interface. In this case as well, the downloaded information processing program may be incorporated into the storage device.

[0081] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been explained. However, the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed in a limited manner by the description of these embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it is understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications of the embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present invention should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

[0082] In this embodiment, an example of the network addresses of the first device 1 and the second device 2 is an IP address, which is a network address corresponding to the Internet Protocol. However, the network address is not limited to the IP address. For example, the network addresses of the first device 1 and the second device 2 may be network addresses corresponding to a predetermined communication protocol other than the Internet Protocol.

[0083] Also, in this embodiment, the first device 1 and the second device 2 are communicably connected to each other via the communication network 4. However, the first device 1 and the second device 2 may be communicably connected to each other without using the communication network 4. For example, the first device 1 and the second device 2 may be communicably connected to each other in an ad-hoc mode, or may be communicably connected to each other via an access point that is not connected to the communication network.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0084] 1: First device 2, 2a, 2b: Second device 4: Communication network 6, 6a, 6b: Information processing system 8: Third device 10: Control unit 12: Storage device 13: Network interface 14: Input operation unit 16: Display unit 18: Bus 20: Control unit 22: Storage device 23: Network interface 24: Input operation unit 25: Camera 26: Display unit 28: Bus 32: QR code 34: One-time password 35, 36, 37: Display screen 40a, 40b: Split area

Claims

1. An information processing device, means for determining the entire network address of the information processing device based on the public key of the information processing device; means for generating a two-dimensional pattern associated with a network address of the information processing device; and determining a network address of the other information processing device based on a two-dimensional pattern generated by the other information processing device.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising: means for performing communication using a network address of said other information processing device.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising means for displaying the generated two-dimensional pattern.

4. 4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the network address of the information processing device is an IP address.

5. 5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the entire network address of the information processing device is determined using only a hash value generated based on a public key of the information processing device and a predetermined hash function.

6. 6. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device receives data encrypted using a public key of the information processing device from the other information processing device.

7. An information processing program, which is installed on a computer, determining the entire network address of the computer based on the public key of the computer; generating a two-dimensional pattern associated with the network address of the computer; and determining a network address of the other computer based on a two-dimensional pattern generated by the other computer.

8. 1. A computer-implemented information processing method, comprising: determining the entire network address of the computer based on the public key of the computer; generating a two-dimensional pattern associated with the network address of the computer; An information processing method comprising a step of determining a network address of another computer based on a two-dimensional pattern generated by the other computer.

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