Information processing apparatus and control method thereof, service providing apparatus and control method thereof, information processing system, information processing method, program, and recording medium

Abstract

An information processing apparatus that provides a proxy for a service that a service providing apparatus provides to a control apparatus, the information processing apparatus includes: a first communications unit adapted to connect to a first communications path; a second communications unit adapted to connect to a second communications path; a first determination unit adapted to determine whether or not the providing apparatus exists via the first communications unit; a second determination unit adapted to determine whether or not the providing apparatus exists via the second communications unit; a connection unit adapted to connect to the providing apparatus via the second communications unit; and a proxy unit adapted to connect to the control apparatus via the first communications unit, and provide a proxy for a service between the providing apparatus and the control apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An information processing apparatus comprising:
 a first communication unit configured to perform a wireless communication by a first communication method;   a second communication unit configured to perform a wireless communication by a second communication method different from the first communication method;   a transmitting unit configured to transmit, to another information processing apparatus by the first communication unit, information indicating that a predetermined service can be executed;   a receiving unit configured to, in response to the transmitting by the transmitting unit, receiving an execution request of the predetermined service from the other information processing apparatus by the first communication unit;   a sharing unit configured to share, between the information processing apparatus and the other information processing apparatus, a communication parameter to be used for connection by the second communication unit, in the communication using the first communication unit; and   an execution unit configured to, if the execution request of the predetermined service is received by the receiving unit, connect with the other information processing apparatus based on the communication parameter shared by the sharing unit, and execute the predetermined service with the communication by the second communication unit.   
     
     
         2 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the sharing unit transmits the communication parameter to the other information processing apparatus. 
     
     
         3 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the information processing apparatus is notified, from the other information processing apparatus, that a content delivery service is executable. 
     
     
         4 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, after connecting with the other information processing apparatus by the second communication unit, the providing of the service via the second communication unit starts. 
     
     
         5 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second communication unit performs a wireless communication via a wireless LAN. 
     
     
         6 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second communication unit performs a wireless communication by Bluetooth (Registered Trademark). 
     
     
         7 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, after the second communication unit connects with the other information processing apparatus based on the communication parameter shared by the sharing unit, the second communication unit disconnects the communication with the other information processing apparatus if the service with the other information processing apparatus cannot be executed. 
     
     
         8 . The information processing apparatus comprising:
 a first communication unit configured to perform a wireless communication by a first communication method;   a second communication unit configured to perform a wireless communication by a second communication method different from the first communication method;   a receiving unit configured to receive, from another information processing apparatus by the first communication unit, information indicating that a predetermined service can be executed;   a transmitting unit configured to transmit, in response to reception by the receiving unit, to the other information processing apparatus by the first communication unit an execution request of the predetermined service;   a sharing unit configured to share, between the information processing apparatus and the other information processing apparatus, a communication parameter to be used for connection by the second communication unit, in the communication by the first communication unit; and   an execution unit configured to, if the execution request of the predetermined service is transmitted by the transmitting unit, connect with the other information processing apparatus by the second communication unit based on the communication parameter shared by the sharing unit, and execute the predetermined service by the communication by the second communication unit.   
     
     
         9 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the sharing unit receives the communication parameter from the other information processing apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the information processing apparatus notifies, to the other information processing apparatus, that a content delivery service is available. 
     
     
         11 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein, after connecting with the other information processing apparatus by the second communication unit, the providing of the service via the second communication unit starts. 
     
     
         12 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the second communication unit performs a wireless communication via a wireless LAN. 
     
     
         13 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the second communication unit performs a wireless communication by Bluetooth (Registered Trademark). 
     
     
         14 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein, after the second communication unit connects with the other information processing apparatus based on the communication parameter shared by the sharing unit, the second communication unit disconnects the communication with the other information processing apparatus if the service with the other information processing apparatus cannot be executed. 
     
     
         15 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined service is a proxy service for the service provided by another apparatus. 
     
     
         16 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the execution unit communicates contents with the other information processing apparatus. 
     
     
         17 . A control method of an information processing apparatus having a first communication unit configure to perform a wireless communication by a first communication method and a second communication unit configured to perform a wireless communication by a second communication method different from the first communication method, the control method comprising:
 transmitting, to another information processing apparatus by the first communication method, information indicating that a predetermined service can be executed;   in response to the transmitting in the transmitting step, receiving an execution request of the predetermined service from the other information processing apparatus by the first communication method;   sharing, in the communication using the first communication method, a communication parameter to be used for connection by the second communication method;   if the execution request of the predetermined service is received in the receiving step, connecting with the other information processing apparatus by the second communication method based on the communication parameter shared in the sharing step, and executing the predetermined service with the communication by the second communication method.   
     
     
         18 . A control method of an information processing apparatus having a first communication unit configured to perform a wireless communication by a first communication method and a second communication unit configured to perform a wireless communication by a second communication method different from the first communication method, the method comprising:
 receiving, from another information processing apparatus by the first communication method, information indicating that a predetermined service can be executed;   transmitting, in response to reception in the receiving step, to the other information processing apparatus by the first communication method an execution request of the predetermined service;   sharing, between the information processing apparatus and the other information processing apparatus, a communication parameter to be used for connection by the second communication method, in the communication by the first communication method; and   if the execution request of the predetermined service is transmitted in the transmitting step, connecting with the other information processing apparatus by the second communication method based on the communication parameter shared in the sharing step, and executing the predetermined service by the communication by the second communication method.   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program which causes a processor in an information processing apparatus having a first communication unit configure to perform a wireless communication by a first communication method and a second communication unit configured to perform a wireless communication by a second communication method different from the first communication method, to execute the steps of a method, the method comprising:
 transmitting, to another information processing apparatus by the first communication method, information indicating that a predetermined service can be executed;   in response to the transmitting in the transmitting step, receiving an execution request of the predetermined service from the other information processing apparatus by the first communication method;   sharing, in the communication using the first communication method, a communication parameter to be used for connection by the second communication method;   if the execution request of the predetermined service is received in the receiving step, connecting with the other information processing apparatus by the second communication method based on the communication parameter shared in the sharing step, and executing the predetermined service with the communication by the second communication method.   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program which causes a processor in an information processing apparatus having a first communication unit configure to perform a wireless communication by a first communication method and a second communication unit configured to perform a wireless communication by a second communication method different from the first communication method, to execute the steps of a method, the method comprising:
 receiving, from another information processing apparatus by the first communication method, information indicating that a predetermined service can be executed;   transmitting, in response to reception in the receiving step, to the other information processing apparatus by the first communication method an execution request of the predetermined service;   sharing, between the information processing apparatus and the other information processing apparatus, a communication parameter to be used for connection by the second communication method, in the communication by the first communication method; and   if the execution request of the predetermined service is transmitted in the transmitting step, connecting with the other information processing apparatus by the second communication method based on the communication parameter shared in the sharing step, and executing the predetermined service by the communication by the second communication method.