Apparatus, license determining method, recording medium

• US 9,131,169 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2009
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Nagumo, Taku, Sugiura, Yuuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Coppola, Jacob C.
• Application Number:
  US12/535,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20100058482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,226 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/18 Licensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00912 Arrangements for controlling a still picture apparatus or components thereof not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00962 Input arrangements for operating instructions or parameters, e.g. updating internal software program loading in general G06F9/445; network-specific protocols involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32106 separate from the image data, e.g. in a different computer file
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3204 of data relating to a user, sender, addressee, machine or electronic recording medium H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3281 Encryption; Ciphering

Abstract

An image forming apparatus for executing an application constituted by one or more program modules, includes a license target identification information generating unit configured to generate license target identification information used for identifying which of the program modules are targets of license management, and to store the license target identification information in a storage device, wherein the license target identification information is generated based on one or more program module information items each being associated with one of the program modules to indicate whether the corresponding program module is a target of license management; and a license determination unit configured to determine, in response to an input of a usage request to use the application, whether a license is present, wherein the determination is made only for one or more of the program modules identified as being the targets of license management based on the license target identification information.

Claims

1. An apparatus for executing an application constituted by a plurality of program modules, comprising:

a controller circuit programmed to implement a license management unit by

being programmed to generate license target identification information used for identifying which of the plurality of program modules are targets of license management, and to store the license target identification information in a storage device, wherein the license target identification information is generated based on one or more program module information items each being associated with one of the plurality of program modules to indicate whether the corresponding program module is a target of license management, and

being programmed to determine, in response to an input of a usage request to execute the application, whether a license is present, wherein the determination is made only for those program modules of the plurality of program modules, which are identified as being the targets of license management based on the license target identification information.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

in the event that no license target identification information is stored in the storage device when the usage request to use the application is input, the license management unit generates the license target identification information; and

the license management unit determines whether the license is present based on the license target identification information that has been generated in response to the input of the usage request.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller circuit is further programmed to implement an authenticity determination unit by being programmed to determine, in response to the input of the usage request to use the application, whether the license target identification information is authentic,

the license management unit once again generates the license target identification information in the event that the license target identification information is determined as being inauthentic by the authenticity determination unit, and

the license management unit determines whether the license is present based on the license target identification information that has been once again generated.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the license target identification information comprises one or more of the program module information items corresponding to one or more of the program modules identified as being the targets of license management.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the license management unit encrypts the license target identification information when storing the license target identification information in the storage device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination regarding whether a license is present for only those program modules of the plurality of program modules, which are identified as being the targets of license management based on the license target identification information, is made further in response to receipt of an identification of the application.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller circuit is programmed to implement the license management unit by being programmed to generate an activation-forbidden list which indicates which program modules are not permitted to be activated in the application.

8. A license determining method performed by an apparatus for executing an application constituted by a plurality of program modules, the license determining method comprising:

a license target identification information generating step of generating license target identification information used for identifying which of the plurality of program modules are targets of license management, and storing the license target identification information in a storage device, wherein the license target identification information is generated based on one or more program module information items each being associated with one of the plurality of program modules to indicate whether the corresponding program module is a target of license management; and

a license determination step of determining, in response to an input of a usage request to execute the application, whether a license is present, wherein the determination is made only for those program modules of the plurality of program modules, which are identified as being the targets of license management based on the license target identification information.

9. The license determining method according to claim 8, wherein:

in the event that no license target identification information is stored in the storage device when the usage request to use the application is input, the license target identification information is generated at the license target identification information generating step; and

at the license determination step, the determination as to whether the license is present is made based on the license target identification information that has been generated in response to the input of the usage request.

10. The license determining method according to claim 8, further comprising:

an authenticity determination step of determining, in response to the input of the usage request to use the application, whether the license target identification information is authentic; and

a license target identification information re-generating step of once again generating the license target identification information in the event that the license target identification information is determined as being inauthentic at the authenticity determination step, wherein;

at the license determination step, the determination as to whether the license is present is made based on the license target identification information that has been once again generated.

11. The license determining method according to claim 8, wherein:

the license target identification information comprises one or more of the program module information items corresponding to one or more of the program modules identified as being the targets of license management.

12. The license determining method according to claim 8, wherein:

at the license target identification information generating step, the license target identification information is encrypted when storing the license target identification information in the storage device.

13. The license determining method according to claim 8, further comprising:

generating an activation-forbidden list which indicates which program modules are not permitted to be activated in the application.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded therein instructions for causing a computer to function as an image processing apparatus to perform a procedure for executing an application constituted by a plurality of program modules, the procedure comprising:

a license target identification information generating step of generating license target identification information used for identifying which of the plurality of program modules are targets of license management, and storing the license target identification information in a storage device, wherein the license target identification information is generated based on one or more program module information items each being associated with one of the plurality of program modules to indicate whether the corresponding program module is a target of license management; and

a license determination step of determining, in response to an input of a usage request to execute the application, whether a license is present, wherein the determination is made only for those program modules of the plurality of program modules, which are identified as being the targets of license management based on the license target identification information.

15. The recording medium according to claim 14, wherein:

in the event that no license target identification information is stored in the storage device when the usage request to use the application is input, the license target identification information is generated at the license target identification information generating step; and

at the license determination step, the determination as to whether the license is present is made based on the license target identification information that has been generated in response to the input of the usage request.

16. The recording medium according to claim 14, wherein the procedure further comprises:

an authenticity determination step of determining, in response to the input of the usage request to use the application, whether the license target identification information is authentic; and

a license target identification information re-generating step of once again generating the license target identification information in the event that the license target identification information is determined as being inauthentic at the authenticity determination step, wherein;

at the license determination step, the determination as to whether the license is present is made based on the license target identification information that has been once again generated.

17. The recording medium according to claim 14, wherein:

the license target identification information comprises one or more of the program module information items corresponding to one or more of the program modules identified as being the targets of license management.

18. The recording medium according to claim 14, wherein:

at the license target identification information generating step, the license target identification information is encrypted when storing the license target identification information in the storage device.

19. The recording medium according to claim 14, further comprising:

generating an activation-forbidden list which indicates which program modules are not permitted to be activated in the application.