License management system, license management device, and computer-readable recording medium having license management program

• US 9,699,195 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2010
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ito, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Rashid, Harunur
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, QUY C
• Application Number:
  US13/503,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20120210442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,436 Days
• Field of Search: 726 33
• 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 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A license management device includes a license identifier generator unit generating a license identifier and license information corresponding to a group of application programs, the license identifier associated with a group identifier of the group and the license information on the group, a group information storage unit storing the group identifier with a product identifier of each application program, a license information storage unit recording the license identifier corresponding to the group identifier with the product identifier of the application program, a determination unit determining, on receiving the license identifier associated with the application program, whether the received license identifier is recorded in the license information storage unit, and a sending unit sending via a network, if the received license identifier is recorded in the license information storage unit, a license file corresponding to the recorded license identifier to provide a permission to use the application program of the group.

Claims

1. A license management device comprising:

a network interface connected, via a network, to one or more distribution servers, the one or more distribution servers being configured to manage distribution of one or more application programs, and the one or more distribution servers being set to provide for different distribution areas; and

circuitry configured to;

generate a license identifier and license information corresponding to a purchased group of one or more application programs from the one or more distribution servers, the license identifier being associated with a group identifier of the purchased group of the one or more application programs, the license identifier being associated with the license information corresponding to the purchased group of the one or more application programs;

store, in a memory, identifier information of the one or more distribution servers and the group identifier of the purchased group of the one or more application programs in association with respective product identifiers of the one or more application programs of the purchased group, the group identifier of the purchased group of the one or more application programs being associated with the one or more distribution servers based on a corresponding distribution area;

record, in the memory, the license identifier corresponding to the group identifier of the purchased group of the one or more application programs in association with the respective product identifiers of the one or more application programs of the purchased group;

determine, on receiving the generated license identifier associated with the group identifier of the purchased group of at least one of the one or more application programs, whether the license identifier is recorded in the memory;

send, via the network interface, when the circuitry determines that the received license identifier is recorded in the memory, a license file corresponding to the license identifier to provide a permission to use the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group associated with the license identifier;

generate an installation list, separate from the license file, of the one or more application programs of the purchased group when the circuitry determines that the received license identifier is recorded in the memory;

send, via the network interface, the generated installation list for selecting one or more of the one or more application programs of the purchased group for installation;

send, via the network interface, an application program acquisition instruction for acquiring the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group associated with the respective product identifiers;

prohibit a deletion of the purchased group of the one or more application programs;

prohibit a modification of a configuration of a group when at least one license associated with the group is in use, the group having the one or more application programs;

receive via, the network interface, a license utilization request including an apparatus identifier uniquely assigned to an installation destination apparatus subject to installation of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group, the license identifier associated with the at least the one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group, and the product identifier of the at least the one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group, and determine whether a license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group contained in the license utilization request is available based on whether information indicating that the license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group being in use is recorded in the memory;

record, in the memory when the license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group is available, the information indicating that the license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group is in use in association with the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group;

determine whether the received license identifier is registered in a license management table;

determine whether a first apparatus identifier identical to the received apparatus identifier is registered corresponding to the received license identifier in the license management table when the circuitry determines that the received license identifier is registered in the license management table;

when the first apparatus identifier is not registered in the license management table, determine whether there is a record having a check-in status among records corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier in the license management table;

when the record having the check-in status is found in the license management table, record the received apparatus identifier in a target record and change the check-in status of the target record to a check-out status;

when the first apparatus identifier is registered in the license management table, determine whether a found record having the first apparatus identifier has the check-in status;

when the found record having the first apparatus identifier has the check-in status, record the received apparatus identifier in the target record and change the check-in status of the target record to the check-out status; and

generate the license file corresponding to the at least one of the one or more application programs associated with the product identifier and the license identifier corresponding to the product identifier such that the at least one of the one or more application programs associated with the product identifier and the license identifier corresponding to the product identifier is used in the installation destination apparatus associated with the apparatus identifier.

2. The license management device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

send, via the network interface, the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group associated with the respective product identifiers.

3. The license management device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the different distribution areas are based on geographic regions.

4. The license management device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:

record, in the memory when the license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group is available, the apparatus identifier of the installation destination apparatus in association with the received license identifier corresponding to the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs.

5. The license management device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

receive the license utilization request sent via a screen displayed based on the installation list in which the one or more of the one or more application programs are selected.

6. The license management device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

record, in the memory when the license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group is available, and a license expiration date of another application program associated with a same purchased group of the at least one of the one or more application programs is assigned as a license expiration date of the license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group, the assigned expiration date in association with the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group.

7. The license management device as claimed is in claim 1, wherein the different distribution areas are based on geographic regions.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium containing a computer program for causing a computer to carry out a method for managing a license in a license management device, the method comprising:

connecting, via a network, to one or more distribution servers, the one or more distribution servers being configured to manage distribution of one or more application programs, the one or more distribution servers being set to provide for different distribution areas;

generating a license identifier and license information corresponding to a purchased group of one or more application programs from the one or more distribution servers, the license identifier being associated with a group identifier of the purchased group of the one or more application programs, the license identifier being associated with the license information corresponding to the purchased group of the one or more application programs;

storing identifier information of the one or more distribution servers and the group identifier of the purchased group of the one or more application programs in association with respective product identifiers of the one or more application programs of the purchased group, the group identifier of the purchased group of the one or more application programs being associated with the one or more distribution servers based on a corresponding distribution area;

recording the license identifier corresponding to the group identifier of the purchased group of the one or more application programs in association with the respective product identifiers of the one or more application programs of the purchased group;

determining, on receiving the generated license identifier associated with the group identifier of the purchased group of at least one of the one or more application programs, whether the license identifier is recorded by the computer;

sending, via the network, when the received license identifier associated with the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group is determined as being recorded by the computer, a license file corresponding to the license identifier to provide a permission to use the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group associated with the license identifier;

generating an installation list, separate from the license file, of the one or more application programs of the purchased group when the received license identifier is determined as being recorded by the computer;

send, via the network, the generated installation list for selecting one or more of the one or more application programs of the purchased group for installation;

sending an application program acquisition instruction for acquiring the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group associated with the respective product identifiers;

prohibiting a deletion of the purchased group of the one or more application programs;

prohibiting a modification of a configuration of a group when at least one license associated with the group is in use, the group having the one or more application programs;

receiving, via the network, a license utilization request including an apparatus identifier uniquely assigned to an installation destination apparatus subject to installation of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group, the license identifier associated with the at least the one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group, and the product identifier of the at least the one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group, and determining whether a license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group contained in the license utilization request is available based on whether information indicating that the license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group being in use is recorded by the computer;

recording, when the license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group is available, the information indicating that the license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group is in use in association with the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group;

determining whether the received license identifier is registered in a license management table;

determining whether a first apparatus identifier identical to the received apparatus identifier is registered corresponding to the received license identifier in the license management table when it is determined that the received license identifier is registered in the license management table;

when the first apparatus identifier is not registered in the license management table, determining whether there is a record having a check-in status among records corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier in the license management table;

when the record having the check-in status is found in the license management table, recording the received apparatus identifier in a target record and changing the check-in status of the target record to a check-out status;

when the first apparatus identifier is registered in the license management table, determining whether a found record having the first apparatus identifier has the check-in status;

when the found record having the first apparatus identifier has the check-in status, recording the received apparatus identifier in the target record and changing the check-in status of the target record to the check-out status; and

generating the license file corresponding to the at least one of the one or more application programs associated with the product identifier and the license identifier corresponding to the product identifier such that the at least one of the one or more application programs associated with the product identifier and the license identifier corresponding to the product identifier is used in the installation destination apparatus associated with the apparatus identifier.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 8, wherein the method further includes:

sending the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group associated with the respective product identifiers.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 9, wherein the different distribution areas are based on geographic regions.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 8 , wherein

when the license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group is available, the apparatus identifier of the installation destination apparatus is recorded in association with the received license identifier corresponding to the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 8, wherein

the license utilization request sent via a screen displayed based on the installation list in which the one or more of the one or more application programs are selected is received in the receiving.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 8, wherein

when the license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group is available, and a license expiration date of another application program associated with a same purchased group of the at least one of the one or more application programs is assigned as a license expiration date of the license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group, the assigned expiration date is recorded in association with the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group in the recording.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 8, wherein the different distribution areas are based on geographic regions.

15. A license management system comprising:

an information processing apparatus;

one or more distribution servers that are configured to manage distribution of one or more application programs, the one or more distribution servers being set to provide for different distribution areas; and

a license management device connected to the information processing apparatus and the one or more distribution servers via a network, the license management device including circuitry configured to;

generate a license identifier and license information corresponding to a purchased group of one or more application programs from the one or more distribution servers, the license identifier being associated with a group identifier of the purchased group of the one or more application programs, the license identifier being associated with the license information corresponding to the purchased group of the one or more application programs;

store, in a memory, identifier information of the one or more distribution servers and the group identifier of the purchased group of the one or more application programs in association with respective product identifiers of the one or more application programs of the purchased group, the group identifier of the purchased group of the one or more application programs being associated with the one or more distribution servers based on a corresponding distribution area;

store, in the memory, the license identifier corresponding to the group identifier of the purchased group of the one or more application programs in association with the respective product identifiers of the one or more application programs of the purchased group;

determine, on receiving the generated license identifier associated with the group identifier of the purchased group of at least one of the one or more application programs, whether the license identifier is recorded in the memory;

send to the information processing apparatus via the network, when the circuitry determines that the received license identifier associated with the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group is recorded in the memory, a license file corresponding to the license identifier to provide a permission to use the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group associated with the license identifier;

generate an installation list, separate from the license file, of the one or more application programs of the purchased group when the circuitry determines that the received license identifier is recorded in the memory;

send to the information processing apparatus, via the network, the generated installation list for selecting one or more of the one or more application programs of the purchased group for installation;

send to the one or more distribution servers, via the network interface, an application program acquisition instruction for acquiring the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group associated with the respective product identifiers;

prohibit a deletion of the purchased group of the one or more application programs;

prohibit a modification of a configuration of a group when at least one license associated with the group is in use, the group having the one or more application programs;

receive via, the network, a license utilization request including an apparatus identifier uniquely assigned to an installation destination apparatus subject to installation of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group, the license identifier associated with the at least the one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group, and the product identifier of the at least the one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group, and determine whether a license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group contained in the license utilization request is available based on whether information indicating that the license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group being in use is recorded in the memory;

record, in the memory when the license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group is available, the information indicating that the license corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group is in use in association with the received license identifier and the received product identifier of the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group;

determine whether the received license identifier is registered in a license management table;

determine whether a first apparatus identifier identical to the received apparatus identifier is registered corresponding to the received license identifier in the license management table when the circuitry determines that the received license identifier is registered in the license management table;

when the first apparatus identifier is not registered in the license management table, determine whether there is a record having a check-in status among records corresponding to the received license identifier and the received product identifier in the license management table;

when the record having the check-in status is found in the license management table, record the received apparatus identifier in a target record and change the check-in status of the target record to a check-out status;

when the first apparatus identifier is registered in the license management table, determine whether a found record having the first apparatus identifier has the check-in status;

when the found record having the first apparatus identifier has the check-in status, record the received apparatus identifier in the target record and change the check-in status of the target record to the check-out status; and

generate the license file corresponding to the at least one of the one or more application programs associated with the product identifier and the license identifier corresponding to the product identifier such that the at least one of the one or more application programs associated with the product identifier and the license identifier corresponding to the product identifier is used in the installation destination apparatus associated with the apparatus identifier, wherein

the information processing apparatus includes another circuitry configured to;

receive the license identifier input thereto;

send the input license identifier to the license management device; and

receive the license file corresponding to the received license identifier associated with the at least one of the one or more application programs of the purchased group from the license management device.

16. The license management system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the different distribution areas are based on geographic regions.