LICENSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND LICENSE MANAGEMENT METHOD

• US 20090037336A1
• Filed: 07/30/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sunata, Jin
• Application Number:
  US12/182,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037336A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level

Abstract

A device managing server is configured to generate, in the case of a device causing an error, device-unavailable information including the operation status of the device thereof, and a license information issuance server is configured to obtain the compensation worth of a license based on the device-unavailable information in the case of determining that the device cannot be used regarding which the user cannot be faulted.

Claims

1. A license management system for managing license information to execute a function of an electronic device, comprising:

an issuing unit configured to issue license information as to a function executed by the electronic device to the electronic device;

an obtaining unit configured to obtain function execution information indicating an execution state of the function of the electronic device; and

a compensating unit configured to execute, based on the function execution information, processing for compensating the license information of the function of which the execution state is indicated with the function execution information.

2. The license management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determining unit configured to determine, based on the function execution information, whether the function of which the execution state is indicated with the function execution information is executed correctly,

wherein the compensating unit executes processing for compensating the license information of the function if the determining unit determines that the function is not executed correctly.

3. The license management system according to claim 1, wherein the function execution information includes at least any one of information relating to a number of times of execution of the function, information relating to a failure type of the function, and information relating to a period in which the function has not been executed correctly.

4. The license management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a distinguishing unit configured to distinguish, based on the function execution information, the function of which the execution state is indicated with the function execution information,

wherein the compensating unit executes processing for compensating the license information of the function distinguished by the distinguishing unit.

5. A method for managing license information to execute a function of an electronic device, the method comprising:

issuing, to the electronic device license, information as to a function executed by the electronic device;

obtaining function execution information indicating an execution state of the function of the electronic device; and

executing, based on the function execution information, processing for compensating the license information of the function of which the execution state is indicated with the function execution information.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

determining, based on the function execution information, whether the function, of which the execution state is indicated in the function execution information, is being executed correctly,

wherein the processing for compensating the license information of the function occurs if it is determined that the function is not executed correctly.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the function execution information includes at least any one of information relating to a number of times of execution of the function, information relating to a failure type of the function, and information relating to a period in which the function is not executed correctly.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

distinguishing, based on the function execution information, the function of which the execution state is indicated with the function execution information,

wherein processing is performed for compensating the license information of the distinguished function.

9. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program arranged to cause a computer to execute the method according to claim 5.