Data management method and system with management table indicating right of use

• US 5,291,596 A
• Filed: 02/16/1993
• Issued: 03/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mita, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Gareth D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KATBAB, ABDOLLAH
• Application Number:
  US08/022,419
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 364/DIG. 1, 364/242.94, 364/284.3, 364/284.4, 364/286.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database

Abstract

A data management system comprising, a management device, wherein the management device comprises, a plurality of data, a table formation device for forming a management table indicating respective conditions of a right of use for each one of the plurality of data, a use authorization determination device for determining whether a request for the right of use for one of the plurality of data is authorized by reference to the management table, and a use allocation device for granting the right of use for one of the plurality of data on the basis of a determination by the use authorization determination device. The data management system also includes a plurality of information processing devices, each one of the plurality comprising, a use authorization request device for requesting from the management device a grant of the right of use for one of the plurality of data, and a data storage devices for storing at least one of the plurality of data upon transfer of the one of the plurality of data from the management device and, a connection cable between the management device and the plurality of information processing devices, whereby a network is formed and whereby data is transferred.

Claims

1. A method of managing a plurality of data in an information processing network having a plurality of information processing workstations, each having first data storage means for storing the plurality of data and first memory means, a management workstation having second memory means for storing a management table, connecting means for connecting the plurality of information processing workstations to the management workstation, wherein the management table includes for each one of the plurality of data a first value indicating a number of residual copies available for use by the plurality of information processing workstations, a second value indicating an amount of residual time that each one of the plurality of data can be used by the plurality of information processing workstations, and a third value indicating an estimated duration of use, the method comprising the steps of:

requesting, by one of the plurality of information processing workstations from the management workstation via the connecting means, a right of use for at least one of the plurality of data;

granting, by the management workstation, the right of use whenever the first and second values are greater than zero, otherwise denying the right of use;

subtracting, upon granting the request for right of use, one from a first value and subtracting a third value from a second value, all the values corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of data;

transferring the at least one of the plurality of data from the first storage means to the first memory means of the requesting one of the plurality of information processing workstations; and

storing, by the requesting one of the plurality of information processing workstations, the transferred at least one of the plurality of data in the first memory means of the requesting one of the plurality of information processing workstations.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

indicating by one of the plurality of information processing workstations to the management workstation that use of one of the plurality of data is completed; and

,

increasing by one a corresponding first value in the management table for each indication of completion the each one of the plurality of data.