License management system, license management method and license management program

• US 8,973,155 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2010
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Iwai, Kanako
• Primary Examiner(s): LESNIEWSKI, VICTOR D
• Application Number:
  US12/714,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20100229231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: 726/27, 726/28, 713/182
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed

Abstract

A license management system is connected to an authentication database holding information about license and user and manages a plurality of licenses. The system comprises a data receiving section, a data reading section and a license confirmation section. The data receiving section receives a user ID which is a code to identify a user. The data reading section reads out from the authentication database a user-type ID which is associated with the received user ID and is a code to identify the type of the user, and reads out from the authentication database a license ID which is associated with the user-type ID and is a code to identify the license. The license confirmation section confirms the content of a license which is associated with the read-out license ID and whether the license is correct on the basis of the confirmed content, and allows login by the user only when the license is correct.

Claims

1. A license management system that is connected to an authentication database comprising a first data group in which user IDs and user-type IDs are associated with one another and a second data group in which application function IDs and the user-type IDs are associated with one another, the user-type IDs being each given a priority level, the license management system comprising:

a data receiver configured to receive a user ID and an application function ID, the user ID being a code to identify a user, the application function ID being a code to identify an application function and being identified by a user'"'"'s operation of a screen for an application function;

a data reader configured to determine whether a user-type ID, which is associated with the user ID received by the data receiver and is a code to identify the type of the user, exists in the first data group of the authentication database, to read out the user-type ID from the authentication database if the user-type ID exists, to read out from the second data group of the authentication database a user-type ID associated with the application function ID received by the data receiver, to compare the priority levels given to the two user-type IDs, and to read out from the authentication database a license ID which is associated with the user-type ID whose priority level is higher, the license ID being a code to identify the license, the data reader being further configured to, when the user-type ID does not exist as a result of determination by the data reader, read out from the second data group of the authentication database a user-type ID associated with the application function ID, and to read out from the authentication database a license ID associated with the user-type ID;

a license confirmation processor configured to confirm the content of a license which is associated with the license ID read out by the reader from the authentication database and whether the license is correct on the basis of the confirmed content, and to allow login by the user only when the license is correct; and

a user-type registration processor configured to, when any user-type ID associated with the user ID does not exist in the first data group of the authentication database as a result of determination by the data reader, register the user-type ID, which is read out from the second data group of the authentication database, in the first data group of the authentication database so that the user-type ID is associated with the user ID, the user-type registration processor being further configured to, when any user-type ID associated with the user ID exists in the first data group of the authentication database as a result of determination by the data reader, register in the first data group of the authentication database the user-type ID whose priority level is higher so that the user-type ID is associated with the user ID.

2. The license management system according to claim 1, wherein:

the data receiver further receives a password; and

the license management system further includes an authentication confirmation processor which makes inquiries to the authentication database as to whether a combination of the user ID that the data receiver receives and the password is correct, and prohibits the user from logging in when the combination is incorrect.

3. The license management system according to claim 1, wherein:

the receiver receives an application function ID, which is a code to identify an application function corresponding to user'"'"'s operation, along with the user ID, and

the data reader reads out the user-type ID associated with the application function ID, from the authentication database.

4. The license management system according to claim 1, wherein

the license confirmation processor confirms, as the content of the license, at least one of whether a number of licenses are within a range and whether the license is not expired.

5. A license management method of managing a plurality of licenses in a license management system connected to an authentication database comprising a first data group in which user IDs and user-type IDs are associated with one another and a second data group in which application function IDs and the user-type IDs are associated with one another, the user-type IDs being each given a priority level, the method comprising:

a data receiving step that a data receiver receives a user ID and an application function ID, the user ID being a code to identify a user, the application function ID being a code to identify an application function and being identified by a user'"'"'s operation of a screen for an application function;

a data reading step that a data reader determines whether a user-type ID, which is associated with the received user ID and is a code to identify the type of the user, exists in the first data group of the authentication database, read out the user-type ID from the authentication database if the user-type ID exists, reads out from the second data group of the authentication database a user-type ID associated with the application function ID received by the data receiver, compares the priority levels given to the two user-type IDs, and reads out from the authentication database a license ID which is associated with the user-type ID whose priority level is higher, the license ID being a code to identify the license, and the data reader further, when the user-type ID does not exist as a result of determination by the data reader, reads out from the second data group of the authentication database a user-type ID associated with the application function ID, and reads out from the authentication database a license ID associated with the user-type ID;

a license confirmation step that a license confirmation processor confirms the content of a license which is associated with the read-out license ID and whether the license is correct on the basis of the confirmed content, and allows login by the user only when the license is correct; and

a user-type registration step that a user-type registration processor, when any user-type ID associated with the user ID does not exist in the first data group of the authentication database as a result of determination by the data reader, registers the user-type ID which is read out from the second data group of the authentication database, in the first data group of the authentication database so that the user-type ID is associated with the user ID, and the user-type registration processor further, when any user-type ID associated with the user ID exists in the first data group of the authentication database as a result of determination by the data reader, register in the first data group of the authentication database the user-type ID whose priority level is higher on that the user-type ID is associated with the user ID.

6. The license management method according to claim 5, wherein:

the data receiving step further receives a password; and

the license management method further includes an authentication confirmation step that an authentication confirmation processor makes inquiries to the authentication database as to whether a combination of the user ID received in the data receiving step and the password is correct, and prohibits the user from logging in when the combination is incorrect.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium stored therein a license management program that is installed on a license management system connected to an authentication database comprising a first data group in which user IDs and user-type IDs are associated with one another and a second data group in which application function IDs and the user-type IDs are associated with one another, the user-type IDs being each given a priority level, the license management program causing a computer to function as the license management system, wherein

the license management system includes:

a data receiver configured to receive a user ID and an application function ID, the user ID being a code to identify a user, the application function ID being a code to identify an application function and being identified by a user'"'"'s operation of a screen for an application function;

a data reader configured to determine whether a user-type ID, which is associated with the received user ID and is a code to identify the type of the user, exists in the first data group of the authentication database, to read out the user-type ID from the authentication database if the user-type ID exists, to read out from the second data group of the authentication database a user-type ID associated with the application function ID received by the data receiver, to compare the priority levels given to the two user-type IDs, and to read out from the authentication database a license ID which is associated with the user-type ID whose priority level is higher, the license ID being a code to identify the license, the data reader being further configured to, when the user-type ID does not exist as a result of determination by the data reader, read out from the second data group of the authentication database a user-type ID associated with the application function ID, and to read out from the authentication database a license ID associated with the user-type ID;

a license confirmation processor configured to confirm the content of a license which is associated with the read-out license ID and whether the license is correct on the basis of the confirmed content, and to allow login by the user only when the license is correct; and

a user-type registration processor configured to, when any user-type ID associated with the user ID does not exist in the first data group of the authentication database as a result of determination by the data reader, register the user-type ID, which is read out from the second data group of the authentication database, in the first data group of the authentication database so that the user-type ID is associated with the user ID, the user-type registration processor being further configured to, when any user-type ID associated with the user ID exists in the first data group of the authentication database as a result of determination by the data reader, register in the first data group of the authentication database the user-type ID whose priority level is higher so that the user-type ID is associated with the user ID.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein:

the data receiver further receives a password; and

the license management system further includes authentication confirmation processor which makes inquiries to the authentication database as to whether a combination of the user ID that the data receiver receives and the password is correct, and prohibits the user from logging in when the combination is incorrect.