Fee imposition system for application software

• US 7,065,504 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2002
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Morita, Hirotaka, Sakuma, Toshiyuki, Enomoto, Mitsuhiro, Kaneko, Yuichi, Honma, Masaki, Nakamura, Haruhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Worjloh, Jalatee
• Application Number:
  US10/100,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 705 51- 59, 713/165, 713/182, 713183-186, 380200-203, 380227-234, 709201-203
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Fee imposition system and method for application software, in which a software providing corporation can collect the fee without fail and charge a fair fee to a customer, and thereby the customer can use the application software with a paying method easy to estimate. The fee imposition system includes a server machine installed in a management center for managing the software, a client machine installed in a customer'"'"'s office and connected with the server machine through a communication means, a ticket issue unit for issuing a ticket file on the basis of a predetermined fee schedule, and a data copy/writing unit for copying data corresponding to the information designated by the ticket file from a data source memory unit and recording the copied data on a data target memory unit.

Claims

1. A fee imposition system for application software in which the application software is executed based on a plurality of tables, comprising:

an input means for inputting a name of software that a customer wants to use, and a name of a table that the customer wants to use while using the software;

a ticket file issue means for issuing a ticket file based on a predetermined fee schedule according to a kind of the software and the table, and transmitting the ticket file to a client machine; and

a data copy/writing means for copying data of the designated table from a data source memory unit storing a plurality of the tables, and writing the data of the designated table on a data target memory unit, based on information designated by the ticket file.

2. A fee imposition system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the input means receives an input about a designation of a record range or a data amount in regard to the table that the customer wants to use, and

wherein the ticket file issue means issues the ticket file according to information about the designation of the record range or the data amount.

3. A fee imposition system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a ticket file inspection means for receiving the ticket file from the client machine, combining the received ticket file with a data of the ticket file recorded in a ticket information memory unit, and sending a copy/writing command to the data copy/writing means in case the received ticket file is a normal one.

4. A fee imposition system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a processing means for receiving the ticket file from the client machine and executing the software corresponding to the ticket file,

wherein, the processing means updates the ticket file with reference to a data update number when a data recorded in the data source memory unit is updated as the software is executed, records the updated ticket file on a ticket information memory unit, and transmits the ticket file to the client machine.

5. A fee imposition system for application software in which the application software is executed based on a plurality of tables, comprising:

an input means for inputting a name of software that a customer wants to use, and a name of a table that the customer wants to use while using the software;

a ticket file issue means for issuing a ticket file based on a predetermined fee schedule according to a kind of the software and the table, and transmitting the ticket file to a client machine; and

a data read control means for control of reading data in the table designated by information of the ticket file, with respect to a data source memory unit storing a plurality of the tables.

6. A fee imposition system as claimed in claim 5,

wherein the input means receives an input about a designation of a record range or a data amount in regard to the table that the customer wants to use, and

wherein the ticket file issue means issues the ticket file according to information about the designation of the record range or the data amount.

7. A fee imposition system as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a ticket file inspection means for receiving the ticket file from the client machine, combining the received ticket file with data of the ticket file recorded in a ticket information memory unit, and sending a read allowance command to the data read control means in case the received ticket file is a normal one.

8. A fee imposition system as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a processing means for receiving the ticket file from the client machine, and executing the software corresponding to the ticket file,

wherein the processing means updates the ticket file with reference to a data update number when a data recorded in the data source memory unit is updated as the software is executed, records the updated ticket file on a ticket information memory unit, and transmits the ticket file to the client machine.

9. A fee imposition system for application software in which the application software is executed based on a plurality of tables, comprising:

a management server machine having an input means and a ticket issue means, the input means inputting a name of software that a customer wants to use and a name of a table that the customer wants to use while using the software, the ticket file issue means issuing a ticket file based on a predetermined fee schedule according to a kind of the software and the table and transmitting the ticket file to a client machine; and

a plurality of server machines respectively having at least one of a data copy/writing means and a data read control means, the data copy/writing means copying data of the designated table from a data source memory unit storing a plurality of the tables and writing the data of the designated table on a data target memory unit, based on information designated by the ticket file, the data read control means controlling a read of data in the table designated by information of the ticket file with respect to the data source memory unit.

10. A fee imposition system as claimed in claim 9,

wherein data informing of a reservation status is transmitted to a client machine when there is no reservation, and one of the plurality of server machines is used exclusively according to a designated condition when a reservation demand is applied from the client machine.