INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, COMPUTER PROGRAM AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20080027742A1
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Maeda, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level

Abstract

An information processing method for managing issuance of a license that controls an operation of a device and a function of an application to be installed in the device determines whether issuance of a unified license that unifies licenses for making the application operable in a plurality of devices is requested. The unified license is issued based on a combination of the devices identified by the device serial information and the application identified by the license access information, if determined that issuance of the unified license is requested.

Claims

1. An information processing method for managing issuance of a license that controls an operation of a device and a function of an application to be installed in the device, comprising:

an application information input step of inputting license access information for identifying the application in order to issue the license;

a determining step of determining whether issuance of a unified license that unifies licenses for making the application operable in a plurality of devices is requested;

a device information input step of inputting device information for identifying the plurality of devices; and

a license issuing step of issuing the unified license based on a combination of the devices identified by the device information and the application identified by the license access information, if it is determined in the determining step that issuance of the unified license is requested.

2. An information processing method according to claim 1, wherein a format of the unified license to be issued is selected in the license issuing step, depending on whether the devices identified by the device information are the same model or a plurality of models.

3. An information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising a generating step of generating a management information table for managing the unified license,

wherein if the unified license is newly issued in the license issuing step, the management information table is updated in the generating step based on information relating to the unified license.

4. An information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising a return reception step of receiving return of the unified license,

wherein if return of the unified license is received in the return reception step, the management information table is updated in the generating step by deleting information relating to the returned unified license from the management information table.

9. A computer program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method claimed in claim 1.

10. A computer readable storage medium storing the computer program claimed in claim 9.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the device information is device serial information.

5. An information processing apparatus for managing issuance of a license that controls an operation of a device and a function of an application to be installed in the device, comprising:

an application information input unit adapted for input of license access information for identifying the application in order to issue the license;

a determining unit adapted to determine whether issuance of a unified license that unifies licenses for making the application operable in a plurality of devices is requested;

a device information input unit adapted for input of device information for identifying the plurality of devices; and

a license-issuing unit adapted to issue the unified license based on a combination of the devices identified by the device information and the application identified by the license access information, if it is determined by the determining unit that issuance of the unified license is requested.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a format of the unified license to be issued is selected by the license-issuing unit, depending on whether the devices identified by the device information are the same model or a plurality of models.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a generating unit adapted to generate a management information table for managing the unified license,

wherein if the unified license is newly issued by the license-issuing unit, the management information table is updated by the generating unit based on information relating to the unified license.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a return reception unit adapted to receive return of the unified license,

wherein if return of the unified license is received by the return reception unit, the management information table is updated by the generating unit by deleting information relating to the returned unified license from the management information table.

12. An information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the device information is device serial information.

13. An information processing method for managing issuance of a license that controls a function of a plurality of application to be installed in a processing apparatus, comprising:

an application information input step of inputting license access information for identifying each of the plurality of application in order to issue the license;

a determining step of determining whether issuance of a unified license that unifies licenses for making the plurality of application operable in a processing apparatus is requested;

a license issuing step of issuing the unified license based on a combination of the plurality of application identified by the application identified by the license access information, if it is determined in the determining step that issuance of the unified license is requested;

a generating step of generating a management information table for managing the unified license;

a return reception step of receiving return of the unified license,

wherein if the unified license is newly issued in the license issuing step, the management information table is updated in the generating step based on information relating to the unified license, and

wherein if return of the unified license is received in the return reception step, the management information table is updated in the generating step by deleting information relating to the returned unified license from the management information table.

15. A computer readable storage medium storing a program for implementing the method claimed in claim 13.

14. An information processing apparatus for managing issuance of a license that controls a function of a plurality of application to be installed in a processing apparatus, comprising:

an application information input unit adapted for input of license access information for identifying each of the plurality of application in order to issue the license;

a determining unit adapted to determine whether issuance of a unified license that unifies licenses for making the plurality of application operable in a processing apparatus is requested;

a license-issuing unit adapted to issue the unified license based on a combination of the plurality of application identified by the application identified by the license access information, if it is determined in the determining step that issuance of the unified license is requested;

a generating unit adapted to generate a management information table for managing the unified license;

a return reception unit adapted to receive return of the unified license,

wherein if the unified license is newly issued by the license-issuing unit, the management information table is updated by the generating unit based on information relating to the unified license, and

wherein if return of the unified license is received by the return reception unit, the management information table is updated by the generating unit by deleting information relating to the returned unified license from the management information table.