Image forming apparatus, license managing method for applications executed by image forming apparatus, program for implementing the method, and storage medium storing the program

• US 7,949,607 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2005
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ito, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca; Pierre Eddy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kamal; Shahid
• Application Number:
  US11/157,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20060021012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,163 Days
• Field of Search: 705/59, 705/51, 705/1, 705/64, 713/176, 713/189, 713/200, 713/201, 726/26, 726/30, 380/232
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction

Abstract

An image forming apparatus which enables a user to continue an operation using an application without restarting the application, by the image automatically accessing a license server to update a license for the application when the license becomes expired while the user is performing the operation. A notification notifying the application of invalidity of the license is issued when it is detected that the license for the application has become invalid during execution of the application. The application suspends the execution of the application in response to the notification.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a storage device that stores an application program and license information relating to a license for the stored application program;

an image forming job-performing device that executes the stored application program to execute an image forming job relating to an image input or output;

a license managing device that manages the stored license information in association with the stored application program; and

a notifying device that issues a notification notifying the application program of invalidity of the license when said license managing device determines that the license for the application program has become invalid during execution of the image forming job,

wherein the image forming job-performing device suspends the execution of the application program in response to the notification from said notifying device, and also suspends the execution of the image forming job associated with the execution-suspended application program,

wherein the image forming job-performing device executes remaining processing of the image forming job when execution of the suspended image forming job is restarted in accordance with updating of the license information,

wherein the image forming apparatus further comprises a scanner that reads an image on an original document, and a printer that prints the read image on a sheet,

wherein the image forming job-performing device executes the stored application program to execute the image forming job, the image forming job including a sheet reading operation by the scanner or printing operation by the printer,

wherein the image forming job-performing device suspends the execution of the application program in response to the notification from said notifying device, and also suspends the execution of the image forming job, including suspending the sheet reading operation by the scanner or the printing operation by the printer, associated with the execution-suspended application program, and

wherein the image forming job-performing device executes remaining processing of the image forming job, including executing remaining sheet reading by the scanner or remaining printing operation by the printer, when execution of the suspended image forming job is restarted in accordance with updating of the license information.

2. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an application program managing device that instructs a license obtaining application program for accessing an external license managing device to start in response to said license managing device detecting that the license of the application program has become invalid during the execution of the image forming job.

3. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said license managing device updates the license information stored in said storage device in response to the license obtaining application program obtaining an updated license from the license managing device, and

said notifying device notifies the application program that the license information has been updated.

4. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the suspended execution of the application program is restarted in response to the notification that the license information has been updated from said notifying device.

5. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a user interface that displays an operation screen of the image forming apparatus and accepts operation inputs from a user,

wherein said user interface displays a message indicating that the application program is suspended in response to the notification from said notifying device.

6. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said user interface displays a massage urging update of the license of the application program.

7. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said user interface instructs start of a license obtaining application program for accessing an external license managing device in response to acceptance of a key input for license update.

8. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

said user interface notifies said license managing device of updated license information in response to acceptance of an input of license update information, and

said license managing device obtains the updated license information notified by said user interface to thereby update the license information stored in said storage device.

9. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface that displays an operation screen of the image forming apparatus and accepts operation inputs from a user; and

a set value storage device that stores in said storage device a setting as to whether to automatically start a license obtaining application program for accessing an external license managing device when the license of the application program has become invalid,

wherein said user interface is responsive to the suspension of the execution of the application program, for instructing start of the license obtaining application program when the stored setting is to start the license obtaining application program, and for displaying a message urging update of the license when the stored setting is not to start the license obtaining application program.

10. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the license information includes information relating to a term of validity of the application program.

11. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the license information includes an upper limit value of a number of times of operation of the image forming apparatus associated with the application program, the image forming apparatus operating in accordance with execution of the application program.

12. A license managing method for an application executed by an image forming apparatus having a storage device that stores an application program and license information relating to a license for the stored application program, the method comprising:

an image forming job-performing step of executing the stored application program to execute an image forming job relating to an image input or output;

a license managing step of managing the stored license information in association with the application program; and

a notifying step of issuing a notification notifying the application program of invalidity of the license when said license managing step determines that the license of the application program has become invalid during execution of the image forming job,

wherein said image forming job-performing step suspends the execution of the application program in response to the notification in said notifying step, and also suspends the execution of the image forming job associated with the execution-suspended application program,

wherein the image forming job-performing step executes remaining processing of the image forming job when execution of the suspended image forming job is restarted in accordance with updating of the license information,

wherein the license managing method further comprises a scanning step of reading, with a scanner, an image on an original document, and a printing step of printing, with a printer, the read image on a sheet,

wherein the image forming job-performing step executes the stored application program to execute the image forming job, the image forming job including a sheet reading operation by the scanner or printing operation by the printer,

wherein the image forming job-performing step suspends the execution of the application program in response to the notification from said notifying step, and also suspends the execution of the image forming job, including suspending the sheet reading operation by the scanner or the printing operation by the printer, associated with the execution-suspended application program, and

wherein the image forming job-performing step executes remaining processing of the image forming job, including executing remaining sheet reading by the scanner or remaining printing operation by the printer, when execution of the suspended image forming job is restarted in accordance with updating of the license information.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program for implementing a license management in an image forming apparatus having a storage device that stores an application program and license information relating to a license for the stored application program, the computer program comprising:

an image forming job-performing module for executing the stored application program to execute an image forming job relating to an image input or output;

a license managing module for managing the stored license information in association with the application program; and

a notifying module for issuing a notification notifying the application program of invalidity of the license when said license managing module determines that the license of the application program has become invalid during execution of the image forming job,

wherein said image forming job-performing module suspends the execution of the application program in response to the notification from said notifying module, and also suspends the execution of the image forming job associated with the execution-suspended application program,

wherein the image forming job-performing module executes remaining processing of the image forming job when execution of the suspended image forming job is restarted in accordance with updating of the license information,

wherein the computer program further comprises a scanning module for reading an image on an original document with a scanner, and a printing module for printing the read image on a sheet with a printer,

wherein the image forming job-performing module executes the stored application program to execute the image forming job, the image forming job including a sheet reading operation by the scanner or printing operation by the printer,

wherein the image forming job-performing module suspends the execution of the application program in response to the notification from said notifying module, and also suspends the execution of the image forming job, including suspending the sheet reading operation by the scanner or the printing operation by the printer, associated with the execution-suspended application program, and

wherein the image forming job-performing module executes remaining processing of the image forming job, including executing remaining sheet reading by the scanner or remaining printing operation by the printer, when execution of the suspended image forming job is restarted in accordance with updating of the license information.