Managing the allowed usage amount of a program using license information

• US 8,175,978 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2003
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Endoh, Tomoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Reagan, James A
• Application Number:
  US10/527,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20060026105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,137 Days
• Field of Search: 705/59
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1079 Return
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/901 Digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/902 Licensing digital content
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/904 Usage protection of distributed files
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/911 Copy protection or prevention

Abstract

A management method is disclosed for managing license information indicating an allowed amount of usage of a program executable on a peripheral device or a function provided by the peripheral device. The method includes the steps of acquiring, from the outside, license identification information for identifying license information, and license information indicating an amount of a change in right of usage of the program, managing license identification information corresponding to license information that has already been installed, determining whether license identification information corresponding to license information is included in license identification information managed in the management step, and performing operation such that if it is determined in the determination step that the license identification information corresponding to the license information is included in the license identification information managed in the management step, changing the value of the already installed right of usage of the program by an amount equal to a change in the right of usage of the program.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus comprising:

a printing unit constructed to execute a printing process;

an acquisition unit constructed to acquire, via a network, license information that gives a user authority to use a program executable on the printing apparatus and indicates an amount of allowed usage of the program, together with device identification information identifying an apparatus;

a recognition unit constructed to recognize whether the acquired device identification information corresponds to device identification information of the printing apparatus;

an installation unit constructed to, if the recognition unit recognizes that the acquired device identification information corresponds to the device identification information of the printing apparatus, install the acquired license information to use the program, wherein the installation unit does not install the acquired license information if the recognition unit recognizes that the acquired device identification information does not correspond to the device identification information of the printing apparatus;

a control unit constructed to control usage of the program according to the installed license information by using a counter for counting a number of usages of the program;

a production unit constructed to produce transfer license information for transferring the installed license information corresponding to the program to another printing apparatus; and

a transmission unit constructed to transmit the transfer license information produced by production unit to the other printing apparatus via the network.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquired license information is encrypted using an encryption key uniquely assigned to the printing apparatus;

and

the printing apparatus further comprises a decryption unit constructed to decrypt the encrypted license information.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit encrypts the transfer license information and transmits the encrypted the transfer license information to the other printing apparatus.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the production unit produces the transfer license information by using a remaining number of allowed usages of the program according to the installed license information.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the transfer license information is produced, the installed license information is invalidated in the printing apparatus.

6. A license information management method implemented by a printing apparatus, comprising;

a processor of the printing apparatus performing the steps of;

a printing step of executing a printing process;

an acquisition step of acquiring, via a network, license information that gives a user authority to use a program executable on the printing apparatus and indicates an amount of allowed usage of the program, together with device identification information identifying an apparatus;

a recognition step of recognizing whether the acquired device identification information corresponds to device identification information of the printing apparatus;

an installation step of, if the recognition step recognizes that the acquired device identification information corresponds to the device identification information of the printing apparatus, installing the acquired license information to use the program, and if the recognition step recognizes that the acquired device identification information does not correspond to the device identification information of the printing apparatus, not installing the acquired license information;

a control step of controlling usage of the program according to the installed license information by using a counter for counting a number of usages of the program;

a production step of producing transfer license information for transferring the installed license information corresponding to the program to another printing apparatus; and

a transmission step of transmitting the transfer license information produced by the production step to the other printing apparatus via the network.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein

the acquired license information is encrypted using an encryption key uniquely assigned to the printing apparatus;

and

the method further comprises a step of decrypting the encrypted license information.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the transmission step encrypts the transfer license information and transmits the encrypted the transfer license information to the other printing apparatus.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the production step produces the transfer license information by using a remaining number of allowed usages of the program according to the installed license information.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein, when the transfer license information is produced, the installed license information is invalidated in the printing apparatus.

11. A computer-readable storage medium including a control program stored thereon for being executed by a processor of printing apparatus to manage license information, the control program comprising the steps of:

a printing step of executing a printing process;

an acquisition step of acquiring, via a network, license information that gives a user authority to use a program executable on the printing apparatus and indicates an amount of allowed usage of the program, together with device identification information identifying an apparatus;

a recognition step of recognizing whether the acquired device identification information corresponds to device identification information of the printing apparatus;

an installation step of, if the recognition step recognizes that the acquired device identification information corresponds to the device identification information of the printing apparatus, installing the license information to use the program and if the recognition step recognizes that the acquired device identification information does not correspond to the device identification information of the printing apparatus, not installing the acquired license information;

a control step of controlling usage of the program according to the installed license information by using a counter for counting a number of usages of the program;

a production step of producing transfer license information for transferring the installed license information corresponding to the program to another printing apparatus; and

a transmission step of transmitting the transfer license information produced by the production step to the other printing apparatus via the network.