Image forming apparatus and control method therefor, program for executing the control method and storage medium storing the program
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a storage device that stores apparatus identification information for identifying the image forming apparatus, and a plurality of programs for realizing optional functions, respectively;
a program management device that holds start program identification information indicative of whether each of the plurality of programs has been set to a program to be executed at a start of the image forming apparatus, in association with each of the plurality of programs; and
a license management device that permits use of the plurality of programs on a program-by-program basis; and
wherein said license management device comprises;
a license information acquisition device that acquires license information including apparatus specifying information and program specifying information for specifying a program designated from an external device as a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus;
a determination device that determines, by referring to the start program identification information held by said program management device, whether the program identified by the program identification information has been set to a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus, when the apparatus specifying information included in the license information acquired by said license information acquisition device and the apparatus identification information stored in said storage device match, and the program specified by the program specifying information included in the license information is identical to any of the plurality of programs; and
a setting device that sets the program specified by the program specifying information to a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus, when said determination device determines that the program specified by the program specifying information has not been set to a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus.
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Abstract
In the image forming apparatus, a license management module acquires license information including a apparatus identification information specifying the apparatus and a program specifying information for specifying a program as a program to be executed at the start of the apparatus, from an external device. When the module determines that the program specified by program specifying information has not been set to a program to be executed at the start of the apparatus, it sets the program to a program to be executed.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
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a storage device that stores apparatus identification information for identifying the image forming apparatus, and a plurality of programs for realizing optional functions, respectively;
a program management device that holds start program identification information indicative of whether each of the plurality of programs has been set to a program to be executed at a start of the image forming apparatus, in association with each of the plurality of programs; and
a license management device that permits use of the plurality of programs on a program-by-program basis; and
wherein said license management device comprises;
a license information acquisition device that acquires license information including apparatus specifying information and program specifying information for specifying a program designated from an external device as a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus;
a determination device that determines, by referring to the start program identification information held by said program management device, whether the program identified by the program identification information has been set to a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus, when the apparatus specifying information included in the license information acquired by said license information acquisition device and the apparatus identification information stored in said storage device match, and the program specified by the program specifying information included in the license information is identical to any of the plurality of programs; and
a setting device that sets the program specified by the program specifying information to a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus, when said determination device determines that the program specified by the program specifying information has not been set to a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of controlling an image forming apparatus including a storage device that stores apparatus identification information for identifying the image forming apparatus, and a plurality of programs for realizing optional functions, respectively, and a program management device that holds start program identification information indicative of whether each of the plurality of programs has been set to a program to be executed at a start of the image forming apparatus, in association with each of the plurality of programs,
the method comprising: -
a license information acquisition step of acquiring license information including apparatus specifying information and program specifying information for specifying a program designated from an external device as a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus;
a determination step of determining, by referring to the start program identification information held by said program management device, whether the program identified by the program identification information has been set to a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus, when the apparatus specifying information included in the license information acquired in said license information acquisition step and the apparatus identification information stored in said storage device match, and the program specified by the program specifying information included in the license information is identical to any of the plurality of programs; and
a setting step of setting the program specified by the program specifying information to a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus, when it is determined in said determination step that the program specified by the program specifying information has not been set to a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus.
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9. A program for controlling an image forming apparatus including a storage device that stores apparatus identification information for identifying the image forming apparatus, and a plurality of programs for realizing optional functions, respectively, and a program management device that holds start program identification information indicative of whether each of the plurality of programs has been set to a program to be executed at a start of the image forming apparatus, in association with each of the plurality of programs,
the program comprising: -
a license information acquisition module for acquiring license information including apparatus specifying information and program specifying information for specifying a program designated from an external device as a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus;
a determination module for determining, by referring to the start program identification information held by said program management device, whether the program identified by the program identification information has been set to a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus, when the apparatus specifying information included in the license information acquired by said license information acquisition module and the apparatus identification information stored in said storage device match, and the program specified by the program specifying information included in the license information is identical to any of the plurality of programs; and
a setting module for setting the program specified by the program specifying information to a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus, when it is determined by said determination module that the program specified by the program specifying information has not been set to a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus.
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10. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for controlling an image forming apparatus including a storage device that stores apparatus identification information for identifying the image forming apparatus, and a plurality of programs for realizing optional functions, respectively, and a program management device that holds start program identification information indicative of whether each of the plurality of programs has been set to a program to be executed at a start of the image forming apparatus, in association with each of the plurality of programs,
the program comprising: -
a license information acquisition module for acquiring license information including apparatus specifying information and program specifying information for specifying a program designated from an external device as a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus;
a determination module for determining, by referring to the start program identification information held by said program management device, whether the program identified by the program identification information has been set to a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus, when the apparatus specifying information included in the license information acquired by said license information acquisition module and the apparatus identification information stored in said storage device match, and the program specified by the program specifying information included in the license information is identical to any of the plurality of programs; and
a setting module for setting the program specified by the program specifying information to a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus, when it is determined by said determination module that the program specified by the program specifying information has not been set to a program to be executed at the start of the image forming apparatus.
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Specification