Count system for a number of peripheral devices and for a user-number of software, and royalty settling system

• US 7,305,673 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2002
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shigyo, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Al T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Francis; Mark P.
• Application Number:
  US10/160,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20020188660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-223, 711/1, 717172-178, 717/134, 717/140, 705/14, 707/102
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Software for operating a digital camera is installed in a personal computer. The software takes out a serial number of the digital camera, which is connected to the personal computer, when firstly booted. The serial number is sent to a server via the internet. The server checks the received serial number against ledger data. When the received serial number is not registered, this serial number is recorded in the ledger data. The server charges a dealer a royalty of the software in accordance with a user number counted every predetermined period. The dealer requests a monetary facility to transfer the royalty of the software to an account of a right holder of the software.

Claims

1. A count system for counting one of a number of a plurality of peripheral devices and a user-number of application software associated with said peripheral devices, at least one of said peripheral devices being connected to a personal computer and at least one of said application software being installed in said personal computer, said count system comprising:

serial-number sending means incorporated in each said application software, said serial-number sending means taking a serial number of said respective associated peripheral device and transferring said serial number via the internet connected to said personal computer;

a server connected to the internet; and

registration software installed in said server, said registration software receiving the transferred serial number to check this number with registered serial numbers, and said registration software registering the transferred serial number and incrementing one of a count of the number of said peripheral devices having an associated installed application software and the user-number count of said application software,

wherein said serial-number sending means transfers said serial number whenever said peripheral device having said serial number is connected to said respective personal computer,

wherein a plurality of right holders distribute respective kinds of application software, said server relates said count with an identifier of a right holder of a respective kind of application software and maintains said count-identifier relationship,

wherein said plurality of right holders are different software developing companies.

2. A count system according to claim 1, wherein said serial-number sending means transfers said serial number without confirmation for the user.

3. A count system according to claim 1, wherein said serial-number sending means executes a warning process suggesting either of connection to the internet and user registration by a mail, when said personal computer is incapable of connecting to the internet.

4. A count system according to claim 1, wherein said serial-number sending means saves a transmission-history of said serial number and is prevented from doubly registering said serial number.

5. A count system according to claim 1, wherein said serial number sending means transfers said serial number whenever said respective associated application software is booted.

6. A count system according to claim 1, where in incrementing said one of a count of a usage number of said peripheral devices and a user-number count of said associated application software, said serial-number sending means transferring said serial number of one of said plurality of peripheral devices every predetermined count N (N is an integer greater than zero) that said respective associated application software for the one peripheral device is booted.

7. A count system according to claim 1, where in incrementing one of said count of a usage number of said peripheral devices and a user-number count of said associated application software, said serial-number sending means transferring said serial number upon reaching a predetermined number N (N is an integer greater than zero) that the respective associated application software for the one of said peripheral devices has been booted.

8. A count system according to claim 1, wherein said server further calculates a royalty in accordance with one of the count of the number of said peripheral devices and said user-number count.

9. A count system according to claim 1, wherein said server relates said count with an identifier for a right holder of said application software and maintains said count-identifier relationship.

10. A count system according to claim 9, wherein said right holder is a software developing company.

11. A royalty settling system for settling a royalty in accordance with a user-number count of application software associated with a plurality of peripheral devices, one or more of which are connected to a respective personal computer, at least one said application software being installed in said respective personal computer, said royalty settling system comprising:

serial-number sending means incorporated in each said application software, said serial-number sending means taking a serial number of said respective associated peripheral device and transferring said serial number via the internet connected to said personal computer;

a server connected to the internet; and

registration software installed in said server, said registration software receiving the transferred serial number to check this number with registered serial numbers, and said registration software registering the transferred serial number and incrementing said user-number count of said application software,

wherein said serial-number sending means transfers said serial number whenever said peripheral device having said serial number is connected to said respective personal computer,

wherein a plurality of right holders distribute respective kinds of application software, said server relates said count with an identifier of a right holder of a respective kind of application software and maintains said count-identifier relationship,

wherein said plurality of right holders are different software developing companies.

12. A royalty settling system according to claim 11, wherein said server is set up at a side of a right holder of said application software, said server having a function that a bill of said royalty is automatically issued to a dealer of said peripheral device.

13. A royalty settling system according to claim 12, wherein said server transfers a sum corresponding to the royalty of said user-number count, from an account of a monetary facility of said dealer, said server notifying said dealer about the transfer of the sum.

14. A royalty settling system according to claim 11, wherein said server is set up at a side of a dealer of said peripheral device, said server having a function that said user-number count is automatically notified to a right holder of said application software.

15. A royalty settling system according to claim 14, wherein said server automatically transfers a sum corresponding to the royalty of said user-number, from an account of a monetary facility of said dealer to an account of a monetary facility of said right holder.

16. A royalty settling system according to claim 11, wherein said server is owned by a provider of the internet, said server having a function that said user-number count is automatically notified to both of a dealer of said peripheral device and a right holder of said application software.

17. A royalty settling system according to claim 16, wherein said right holder charges a sum corresponding to the royalty of said user-number count for said dealer, and said dealer transfers said sum to said right holder.

18. A royalty settling system according to claim 11, wherein said server relates said count with an identifier of a right holder of said application software and maintains the count-identifier relationship, and initiates a payment process for payment of royalty to said right holder based on said user-number count of said application software and the identifier of the right holder.

19. A royalty settling system according to claim 18, wherein said right holder is a software developing company.

20. A royalty settling system according to claim 11, wherein a plurality of right holders distribute respective kinds of application software, said server relates said count with an identifier for a right holder of a respective kind of application software, and initiates a payment process for payment of royalty to each said right holder based on said user-number count of said respective kind of application software and said identifier of the right holder.

21. A royalty settling system according to claim 20, wherein said plurality of right holders are different software developing companies.