Communications apparatus, communication system, plug-in module control method, and computer-readable recording medium where program for executing by computer is recorded

• US 6,853,960 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2002
• Issued: 02/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamanaka, Hiroshi, Saito, Masashi, Tomari, Yoichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US10/314,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20030200061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 702/188, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/2, 707/10, 710/17
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A communications apparatus includes a required plug-in judgement unit for judging a plug-in module required for specific contents, and a plug-in deletion unit, when a specific amount of a memory storage, whose capacity is the specific amount and which has stored a specific plug-in module, is insufficient to further store the plug-in module judged by the required plug-in judgement unit, the plug-in deletion unit for deleting the specific plug-in module having been stored in the memory storage.

Claims

1. A communications apparatus, comprising:

a plug-in judgement unit to judge whether a plug-in module is required for specific contents; and

a plug-in deletion unit, wherein when a specific amount of a memory storage, whose capacity is the specific amount and which has stored a specific plug-in module, is insufficient to further store the plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit, the plug-in deletion unit to delete the specific plug-in module from the memory storage.

2. The communications apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a resource management unit to manage the specific amount of the memory storage; and

a plug-in management unit to manage the specific plug-in module stored in the memory storage,

wherein the plug-in deletion unit deletes the specific plug-in module stored in the memory storage, based on the specific amount of the memory storage managed by the resource management unit and the specific plug-in module managed by the plug-in management unit.

3. The communications apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plug-in input unit to input the plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit, wherein the input plug-in module to be stored in the memory storage where the specific plug-in module has been deleted by the plug-in deletion unit to have space for storing the input plug-in module.

4. The communications apparatus of claim 3, wherein

the plug-in input unit registers the input plug-in module in the plug-in management unit, and the plug-in management unit manages the registered, input plug-in module.

5. The communications apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the plug-in management unit manages a plurality of plug-in modules and a last use date/time for each of the plurality of plug-in modules, and

the plug-in deletion unit selects a plurality of plug-in modules differing from the plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit, from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit, and deletes a plug-in module in order of priority relating to last use date/time starting from a plug-in module whose last use date/time is the oldest for the plurality of plug-in modules selected by the plug-in deletion unit.

6. The communications apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the plug-in management unit manages a plurality of plug-in modules and a use frequency for each of the plurality of plug-in modules, and

the plug-in deletion unit selects a plurality of plug-in modules differing from the plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit, from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit, and deletes a plug-in module in order of priority relating to use frequency starting from a plug-in module whose use frequency is the lowest for the plurality of plug-in modules selected by the plug-in deletion unit.

7. The communications apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the plug-in management unit manages a plurality of plug-in modules and a use frequency during a specific term of each of the plurality of plug-in modules, and

the plug-in deletion unit selects a plurality of plug-in modules differing from the plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit, from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit, and deletes a plug-in module in order of priority relating to use frequency during the specific term starting from a plug-in module whose use frequency during the specific term is the lowest for the plurality of plug-in modules selected by the plug-in deletion unit.

8. The communications apparatus of the claim 2, wherein

the plug-in management unit manages a plurality of plug-in modules and size for each of the plurality of plug-in modules, and

the plug-in deletion unit selects a plurality of plug-in modules differing from the plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit, from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit, and deletes a plug-in module in order of priority relating to size starting from a plug-in module whose size is the largest for the plurality of plug-in modules selected by the plug-in deletion unit.

9. The communications apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the plug-in management unit manages a plurality of plug-in modules, and a last use date/time, a use frequency and a use frequency during a specific term for each of the plurality of plug-in modules, and

from the plurality of plug-in modules which are managed by the plug-in management unit and differ from the plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit,

the plug-in deletion unit selects a first group relating to last use date/time composed of at least one plug-in module whose last use date/time is older than at least one other plug-in module, based on priority data regarding last use date/time, a first group relating to use frequency composed of at least one plug-in module whose use frequency is lower than at least one other plug-in module, based on priority data regarding use frequency, and a first group regarding use frequency during a specific term composed of at least one plug-in module whose use frequency during a specific term is lower than at least one other plug-in module, based on priority data regarding use frequency during the specific term, and

the plug-in deletion unit selects a second group relating to last use date/time composed of at least one plug-in module whose last use date/time is older than that of a specified plug-in module in the first group relating to last use date/time, a second group relating to use frequency composed of at least one plug-in module whose use frequency is lower than that of the specified plug-in module in the first group regarding use frequency, and a second group relating to use frequency during the specific term composed of at least one plug-in module whose use frequency during the specific term is lower than that of the specified plug-in module in the first group relating to use frequency during the specific term, and

deletes a group having the smallest number of plug-in modules from the second groups selected above.

10. The communications apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the plug-in management unit manages a plurality of plug-in modules, and a last use date/time, a use frequency, a use frequency during a specific term, and size for each of the plurality of plug-in modules, and

from the plurality of plug-in modules which are managed by the plug-in management unit and differ from the plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit,

the plug-in deletion unit selects a plurality of plug-in modules whose last use dates/time are older than at least one other plug-in module, based on priority data relating to last use date/time, a plurality of plug-in modules whose use frequencies are lower than at least one other plug-in module, based on priority data relating to use frequency, and a plurality of plug-in modules whose use frequencies during a specific term are lower than at least one other plug-in module, based on priority data relating to use frequency during the specific term, and

deletes a plurality of plug-in modules having the smallest total amount of priority not to be deleted, by giving these plurality of plug-in modules deletion priority, from the plurality of plug-in modules selected.

11. The communications apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the plug-in management unit manages a plurality of plug-in modules and an input time for each of the plurality of plug-in modules, and

the plug-in deletion unit selects a plurality of plug-in modules differing from the plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit, from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit, and deletes a plug-in module in order of priority data relating to input time starting from a plug-in module whose input time is the shortest, from the plurality of plug-in modules selected by the plug-in deletion unit.

12. The communications apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the plug-in management unit manages a plurality of plug-in modules and a required fee for inputting each of the plurality of plug-in modules, and

the plug-in deletion unit selects a plurality of plug-in modules differing from the plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit, from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit, and deletes a plug-in module in order of priority data relating to the required fee for inputting starting from a module whose required fee is the lowest for the plurality of plug-in modules selected by the plug-in deletion unit.

13. The communications apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a plug-in-inside-history management unit which manages display histories of a plurality of contents, inputs plug-in modules judged by the plug-in judgement unit, manages a plurality of times, and specifies a plug-in module required for each of the plurality of contents corresponding to managed display histories, wherein

the plug-in management unit manages a plurality of plug-in modules, and

the plug-in deletion unit deletes at least one plug-in module, with the exception of the at least one plug-in module being required for each of the plurality of contents corresponding to the display histories managed by the plug-in-inside-history management unit, from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit.

14. The communications apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a plug-in-inside-history management unit which manages display histories of a plurality of contents, inputs plug-in modules judged by the plug-in judgement unit, manages a plurality of times, and specifies a plug-in module required for each of the plurality of contents corresponding to managed display histories, wherein

the plug-in management unit manages a plurality of plug-in modules, and

the plug-in deletion unit selects a plurality of plug-in modules differing from a current plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit, from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit, and when there is a common plug-in module required by a plurality of contents corresponding to a display history managed by the plug-in-inside-history management unit and particular plug-in modules required for each of the plurality of contents corresponding to the display history managed by the plug-in-inside-history management unit, the plug-in deletion unit deletes the particular plug-in modules, by giving deletion priority to the particular plug-in modules, from the plurality of plug-in modules selected.

15. The communications apparatus of claim 2, wherein

when a lack of space for newly storing a plug-in module, judged by the plug-in judgement unit, in the memory storage can be compensated for by deleting a portion of a specific plug-in module stored in the memory storage, the plug-in deletion unit divides the specific plug-in module into two portions and deletes one of the two portions.

16. The communications apparatus of claim 15, wherein

the plug-in management unit manages a division position of plug-in modules where the specific plug-in module has been divided by the plug-in deletion unit, and

the communications apparatus further includes an input-start-position specifying and inputting unit which inputs a deleted portion of the specific plug-in module, deleted by the plug-in deletion unit, based on the division position managed by the plug-in management unit.

17. The communications apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a plug-in information input unit to input plug-in information to be used, wherein

the plug-in management unit manages a plurality of plug-in modules, and

the plug-in deletion unit selects a plurality of plug-in modules differing from the plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit, from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit, and decides a plug-in module is to be deleted, based on the plug-in information input by the plug-in information input unit, from the plurality of plug-in modules selected.

18. The communications apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a deletion priority information input unit for inputting plug-in-deletion-priority-information including priority information for deleting a plug-in module, wherein

the plug-in management unit manages a plurality of plug-in modules, and

the plug-in deletion unit selects a plurality of plug-in modules differing from the plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit, from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit, and determines that a plug-in module is to be deleted based on the plug-in-deletion-priority-information, from the plurality of plug-in modules selected by the plug-in deletion unit.

19. The communications apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

the plug-in management unit manages a plurality of plug-in modules and use right information for each of the plurality of plug-in modules,

a plug-in use right judgement unit which judges whether a use right exists for each of the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit, based on the use right information managed by the plug-in management unit, wherein

the plug-in deletion unit deletes a plug-in module for which no use right exists from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit.

20. The communications apparatus of claim 19, wherein

the plug-in use right judgement unit outputs modified use right information when the use right information managed by the plug-in management unit changes, and

the plug-in management unit registers the modified use right information being output.

21. The communications apparatus of claim 19, wherein

the use right information includes usable-times information, wherein the plug-in use right judgement unit judges whether a value of usable-times for each of the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit is greater than equal to zero, and

the plug-in deletion unit deletes a plug-in module whose value of usable-times has been judged to be equal to zero from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit.

22. The communications apparatus of claim 19, wherein

the use right information includes usable-time-period information, wherein the plug-in use right judgement unit judges whether a value of usable-time-period for each of the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit is greater than or equal to zero, and

the plug-in deletion unit deletes a plug-in module whose value of usable-time-period has been judged to be equal to zero from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit.

23. The communications apparatus of claim 19, wherein

each of the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit processes data of a data-processing-size,

the use right information includes possible-data-processing-size information,

the plug-in use right judgement unit judges whether a value of possible-data-processing-size for each of the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit is greater than or equal to zero, and

the plug-in deletion unit deletes a plug-in module whose value of possible-data-processing-size has been judged to be equal to zero from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit.

24. The communications apparatus of claim 19, wherein

the use right information includes use-expiration-date information,

the plug-in use right judgement unit judges whether a use-expiration-date for each of the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit has expired, and

the plug-in deletion unit deletes a plug-in module whose use-expiration-date is judged to have passed by the plug-in use right judgement unit from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit.

25. The communications apparatus of claim 19, wherein

the use right information includes usable-period information,

the plug-in use right judgement unit judges whether a usable-period for each of the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit has expired, and

the plug-in deletion unit deletes a plug-in module whose usable-period is judged to have passed by the plug-in use right judgement unit from the plurality of plug-in modules managed by the plug-in management unit.

26. The communications apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plug-in storage unit to output the specific plug-in module stored in the memory storage and store in a different memory storage to input the specific plug-in module, stored in the different memory storage, when the plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit is the specific plug-in module.

27. A communications apparatus, comprising:

a plug-in judgement unit to judge whether a plug-in module is required for specific contents;

a plug-in deletion unit, wherein when a specific amount of a memory storage, whose capacity is the specific amount and which has stored a specific plug-in module, is insufficient to further store the plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit, the plug-in deletion unit to delete the specific plug-in module from the memory storage;

a plug-in input unit to input the plug-in module judged by the plug-in judgement unit, wherein the input plug-in module to be stored in the memory storage where the specific plug-in module being deleted by the plug-in deletion unit to have space for storing the input plug-in module; and

a plug-in input fee charge unit for charging a fee when the plug-in module is input by the plug-in input unit.

28. The communications apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

a plug-in input history management unit to manage history information on the plug-in module input by the plug-in input unit, wherein

the plug-in input fee charge unit charges a fee when the plug-in module is input for the first time, based on the history information on the plug-in module managed by the plug-in input history management unit.

29. The communications apparatus of claim 27, wherein

the plug-in input unit inputs the plug-in module through a network, and

the plug-in input fee charge unit charges at least one of a network use fee and a plug-in module use fee at time of inputting the plug-in module.

30. A plug-in module control method, comprising:

judging whether a plug-in module is required for specific contents; and

deleting a specific plug-in module having been stored in a memory storage when a specific amount of the memory storage, whose capacity is the specific amount and which has stored the specific plug-in module, is insufficient to further store the plug-in module being judged.

31. A computer-executable program, comprising instructions for:

judging whether a plug-in module is required for specific contents; and

deleting a specific plug-in module having been stored in a memory storage when a specific amount of the memory storage, whose capacity is the specific amount and which has stored the specific plug-in module, is insufficient to further store the plug-in module being judged.

32. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer-executable program, comprising instructions for:

judging whether a plug-in module is required for specific contents; and

deleting a specific plug-in module having been stored in a memory storage when a specific amount of the memory storage, whose capacity is the specific amount and which has stored the specific plug-in module, is insufficient to further store the plug-in module being judged.

33. A communications apparatus, comprising:

a receiving unit to receive data, the receiver unit including a processing unit;

wherein said processing unit to determine whether a first application is necessary to allow a user to display received data, and to delete at least a portion of at least one alternative application, previously stored in memory, in response to determining that said first application is necessary and that addition of said first application to the memory would exceed memory capacity;

wherein said at least a portion of at least one alternative application being deleted in accordance with deletion priority data including at least a last use threshold, said deletion priority data including a threshold relating to one of either a usage frequency, a usage frequency during a predetermined time period threshold, an application download time, an application size, an application download fee, a received data display history, a common processing threshold, and an authority to use an application threshold.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said communications apparatus being either of a computer and wireless device, the wireless device being either of a personal digital assistant, a cellular phone, and a wireless navigation device.