METHOD OF MANAGING APPLICATION SOFTWARE

• US 20090024984A1
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Maeda, Kenji
• Application Number:
  US12/175,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20090024984A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/121
• 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 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

When there is duplication between already installed applications on the one hand and applications included in integrated package software to be installed on the other hand, usage information that permits a user to use the duplicate application is output. The user is allowed to re-use the duplicate application identical to one of the already installed application, in accordance with the usage information.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine whether at least one of a plurality of applications in integrated package software to be installed by inputting preset usage information is a duplicate application of an already installed application; and

an output unit configured to, when the determination unit determines that there is the duplicate application, output the usage information that allows a user to use the duplicate application.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reconfiguration unit configured to, when the determination unit determines that there is the duplicate application, reconfigure a combination of applications in the integrated package software to be installed, in accordance with a result of the determination.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second output unit configured to output license information associated with applications reconfigured by the reconfiguration unit.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a comparison unit configured to, when the determination unit determines that there is duplication between applications, compare attribute information between duplicate applications,

wherein the reconfiguration unit reconfigures the combination of applications in the integrated package software to be installed, according to a result of the determination performed by the determination unit and a result of the comparison performed by the comparison unit.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the attribute information includes at least one of information indicating a version of the application;

information indicating a unit price of the integrated package; and

information indicating a number of applications included in the integrated package.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive license issue request information indicating a request for issuing a license of integrated package software from an external information processing apparatus into which the integrated package software is to be installed,

wherein the determination unit determines whether there is duplication between applications in the integrated package software already installed in the external information processing apparatus, on the one hand, and applications in the integrated package software the license for which is requested by the license issue request information, on the other hand, and

wherein if the determination unit determines that there is a duplicate application, the output unit transmits the usage information that allows a user to use the duplicate application to the external information processing apparatus.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the receiving unit receives, as the license issue request information, identification information identifying the external information processing apparatus and certificate information associated with a certificate of the integrated package software to be installed,

wherein the information processing apparatus further comprises:

a first identifying unit configured to identify each application already installed in the external information processing apparatus, from information managed by a database, in accordance with the identification information received by the receiving unit; and

a second identifying unit configured to identify each application included in the integrated package software to be installed, from information managed by a database, in accordance with the certificate information received by the receiving unit, and

wherein the determination unit determines, in accordance with results of the identification performed by the first identifying unit and the second identifying unit, whether there is duplication between applications in the integrated package software to be installed in the external information processing apparatus, on the one hand, and applications in integrated package software already installed in the external information processing apparatus, on the other hand.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs, as the usage information, information associated with a certificate of the duplicate application.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs certificate information associated with a certificate of the integrated package software including the duplicate application.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs certificate information associated with a certificate that restrictively defines at least one of a period in which the duplicate application is valid;

and a function of the duplication application.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a changing unit configured to, when the determination unit determines that there is the duplicate application, change registration information described in a database that manages use of the applications in the integrated package software so that use of the duplicate application is permitted,

wherein the output unit outputs, after the registration information described in the database is changed by the changing unit, the usage information indicating that the duplicate application is permitted to be used.

12. An application management method comprising:

determining whether at least one of a plurality of applications in integrated package software to be installed by inputting preset usage information is a duplicate application of an already installed application; and

outputting, when it is determined in the determining that there is the duplicate application, the usage information that allows a user to use the duplicate application.

13. The application management method according to claim 12, further comprising:

reconfiguring, when it is determined in the determining that there is the duplicate application, a combination of applications in the integrated package software to be installed, in accordance with a result of the determination.

14. The application management method according to claim 13, further comprising:

outputting license information associated with applications reconfigured in the reconfiguring.

15. The application management method according to claim 13, further comprising:

comparing, when it is determined in the determining that there is duplication between applications, attribute information between duplicate applications,

wherein the reconfiguring includes reconfiguring the combination of applications in the integrated package software to be installed, according to a result of the determination performed in the determining and a result of the comparison performed in the comparing.

16. The application management method according to claim 15, wherein the attribute information includes at least one of information indicating a version of the application;

information indicating a unit price of the integrated package; and

information indicating a number of applications included in the integrated package.

17. The application management method according to claim 12, further comprising:

receiving license issue request information indicating a request for issuing a license of integrated package software from an external information processing apparatus into which the integrated package software is to be installed,

wherein the determining includes determining whether there is duplication between applications in the integrated package software already installed in the external information processing apparatus, on the one hand, and applications in the integrated package software the license for which is requested by the license issue request information, on the other hand, and

wherein the outputting usage information includes, if it is determined in the determining that there is a duplicate application, transmitting the usage information that allows a user to use the duplicate application to the external information processing apparatus.

18. The application management method according to claim 17, wherein the receiving includes receiving, as the license issue request information, identification information identifying the external information processing apparatus and certificate information associated with a certificate of the integrated package software to be installed,

wherein the method further comprises:

identifying each application already installed in the external information processing apparatus, from information managed by a database, in accordance with the identification information received in the receiving; and

identifying each application included in the integrated package software to be installed, from information managed by a database, in accordance with the certificate information received in the receiving,

wherein the determining includes determining, in accordance with results of the identification performed in the identifying the each already-installed-application and the identifying the each to-be-installed application, whether there is duplication between applications in the integrated package software to be installed in the external information processing apparatus, on the one hand, and applications in integrated package software already installed in the external information processing apparatus, on the other hand.

19. The application management method according to claim 12, wherein the outputting includes outputting, as the usage information, information associated with a certificate of the duplicate application.

20. The application management method according to claim 12, wherein the outputting includes outputting certificate information associated with a certificate of the integrated package software including the duplicate application.

21. The application management method according to claim 12, wherein the outputting includes outputting certificate information associated with a certificate that restrictively defines at least one of a period in which the duplicate application is valid;

and a function of the duplication application.

22. The application management method according to claim 12, further comprising:

changing, when it is determined in the determining that there is the duplicate application, registration information described in a database that manages use of the applications in the integrated package software so that use of the duplicate application is permitted,

wherein the outputting includes outputting, after the registration information described in the database is changed in the changing, the usage information indicating that the duplicate application is permitted to be used.

23. The application management method according to claim 12, further comprising:

installing integrated package software including a plurality of different applications;

transmitting license issue request information indicating a request for issuing a license of integrated package software to be installed in the installing, to a server;

receiving license information indicating the license transmitted from the server in accordance with the license issue request information transmitted in the transmitting;

determining, on the basis of the license information received in the receiving, whether there is duplication between already installed applications on the one hand and applications in the integrated package software to be installed on the other hand; and

uninstalling, of the already installed applications, a duplicate application detected in the determining whether there is the duplication between the already installed applications on the one hand and the applications in the integrated package software to be installed on the other hand,

wherein the installing includes reinstalling the duplicate application detected in the determining, after the application is uninstalled in the uninstalling.

24. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program adapted to make a computer execute the application management method according to claim 12.