License acquiring system, server apparatus and terminal apparatus

• US 20070150967A1
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Eiji
• Application Number:
  US10/576,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20070150967A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

To provide a license acquisition system wherein a user can easily obtain a desired license, and a server and a terminal apparatus therefor. A terminal apparatus 3 obtains contents from a contents server 1 through a communication line 4, and also obtains, from a license server 2, a license that permits the user of obtained contents. To obtain the license, the terminal apparatus 3 transmits terminal state information indicating a terminal state related to a license and contents. When there are a plurality of types of licenses corresponding to contents, the license server 2 employs the terminal state information to designate priority levels for licenses in order that it is predicted that the user will obtain, prepares a license list based on the priority levels, and transmits the license list.

Claims

1. A license acquisition system for obtaining a license that permits the use of contents, comprising:

a terminal apparatus that obtains the contents; and

a server connected to the terminal apparatus through a communication line to provide, for the terminal apparatus, a license that permits the use of the contents,

wherein the terminal apparatus includes;

a storage unit that stores terminal apparatus information indicating a terminal state related to the contents and the license; and

a communication unit that transmits the terminal state information when an acquisition request is performed to obtain a license that corresponds to the contents, and

wherein the server includes;

a receiving unit that receives the license acquisition request and the terminal state information;

a license information preparation unit that designates priority levels to a plurality of licenses based on the terminal state information in a case that the plurality of licenses corresponding to the contents are exist, and prepares license information indicating a correlation between the plurality of licenses and the designated priority levels; and

a transmission unit that transmits the license information to the terminal apparatus.

2. The license acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the license information preparation unit prepares a license list in which the designated licenses are arranged in order of high priority levels.

3. The license acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the license information preparation unit prepares a license list in which only the licenses designated with the high priority levels are arranged.

4. The license acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the license information preparation unit prepares license information that includes only the license designated with the highest priority levels.

8. The license acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal state information indicates whether the terminal apparatus holds a license corresponding to the contents.

9. The license acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal state information indicates the consumption state of the license.

10. The license acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal state information indicates a period for the use of the contents.

11. The license acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal state information indicates a method of using the contents in the terminal apparatus.

12. The license acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal state information indicates a time when the terminal apparatus obtained the contents.

5. A license acquisition system for obtaining a license that permits the use of contents, comprising:

a terminal apparatus that obtains the contents; and

a server connected to the terminal apparatus through a communication line to provide, for the terminal apparatus, a license that permits the use of the contents,

wherein the terminal apparatus includes;

a storage unit that stores the contents, acquisition request destination information that indicates license acquisition request destinations that correspond to a plurality of groups of the licenses in a case that the plurality of licenses corresponding to the contents are exist, and terminal state information that indicates a terminal state related to the contents and the licenses,

a controller that selects at least one of the license acquisition request destinations based on the terminal state information when a license acquisition request is performed to obtain a license that corresponds to the contents, and

a transmitter that transmits a license acquisition request to the selected license acquisition request destination, and

wherein the server includes;

a receiver that receives the acquisition request;

a storage unit that stores the licenses in correlation with the acquisition request destinations, and

a transmitter that transmits, to the terminal apparatus, the license that is correlated with the acquisition request destination designated in the license acquisition request.

6. The license acquisition system according to claim 5, wherein the server transmits a list of a plurality of licenses in a case that the plurality of licenses corresponded to the acquisition request destination are exist.

7. A license acquisition system for obtaining a license that permits the use of contents, comprising:

a terminal apparatus that obtains the contents; and

a server connected to the terminal apparatus through a communication line to provide, for the terminal apparatus, a license that permits the use of the contents,

wherein the server includes;

a receiver that receives, from the terminal apparatus, a license acquisition request for requesting acquisition of a license corresponding to the contents; and

a transmitter that transmits a license list including a plurality of licenses in a case that the plurality of license corresponding to the contents are exist, and

wherein the terminal apparatus includes;

a receiver that receives the license list information;

a storage unit that stores the contents and terminal state information indicating a terminal state related to the contents and the licenses; and

a controller that edits the license list to designate priority levels to the licenses on the license list by referring to the terminal state information.

13. A server for providing a license that permits the use of contents obtained by a terminal apparatus, comprising:

a receiver that receives, from the terminal apparatus, a license acquisition request for requesting acquisition of a license corresponding to the contents, and terminal state information that indicates a terminal state related to the contents and the license;

a license information preparation unit that designates priority levels to a plurality of licenses based on the terminal state information in a case that the plurality of licenses corresponding to the contents are exist, and prepares license information indicating a correlation between the plurality of licenses and the designated priority levels; and

a transmitter that transmits the license information to the terminal apparatus.

14. A terminal apparatus, comprising:

a storage unit that stores obtained contents, acquisition request destination information that indicates acquisition request destinations that correspond to a plurality of groups of the licenses in a case that the plurality of licenses corresponding to the contents are exist, and terminal state information that indicates a terminal state related to the contents and the licenses;

a controller that selects a license acquisition request destination based on the terminal state information when a license acquisition request is performed to obtain a license that corresponds to the contents; and

a transmitter that transmits a license acquisition request to the selected license acquisition request destination.

15. A terminal apparatus, comprising:

a storage unit that stores obtained contents and terminal state information indicating a terminal state related to the contents and a license;

a receiver that receives list information for licenses corresponding to the contents; and

a controller that edits the license list to designate priority levels to the licenses included in the list information by referring to the terminal state information.