JP2000057035A - License management system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a user to use the content, etc., by making a server computer permit and/or release license based on the user name of a client computer and the network address. SOLUTION: The users (client computers) 7a, 7b..., 7n are connected to a server computer (server) 3 via a network 5. An HTML server 4 is connected to the server 3, and the users 8a, 8b..., 8n are connected to the server 4 via an internet 6. A content license 12 is stored in a floppy disk 11, and the content data 14 are stored in a CD-ROM 13. Then the server 3 decides any one of data 14 that can be used by one of users 7 and 8 based on the license using start and release conditions, etc. In other words, the server 3 permits and/or releases the licenses to the computers 7a to 7n based on their user names and the network address.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a license management system in a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the use of content in computer networks, that is, the use of electronic libraries and the like has been increasing. Here, the content is data of an electronic publication or the like, and is, for example, a digitized dictionary of Kojien or the like. In such a licensing method for granting a license to use content, a method of managing the terminal name of a user's computer, that is, an IP address is generally used. In recent years, the use of the Internet has increased, and there is a demand for using such content on the Internet.

[0003]

When content is used via the Internet in this way, an IP address is assigned to the user when the user who has contracted with the Internet provider connects to the Internet provider. Therefore, a different IP address is assigned to the same user every time a connection is made, and there is a problem in that the license is managed as a different license in the license system managed by the IP address.

[0004] When using the content via the Internet, the usage time is an instant when a desired search is made by connecting to a server. In the conventional licensing method, the number of content users, that is, the accurate number of licenses, is determined. Management was difficult. The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a license management system in which a server manages license grant and release in a network so that a user can use content and the like. It is to provide a system.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a server computer and at least one client computer which are networked,
A system in which data in the server is used by a licensed client computer, wherein the server grants and / or releases a license to the client computer based on a user name and a network address of the client computer. And a license management system.

The second invention has a server computer and at least one client computer connected to the server computer via the Internet, and the client computer to which data in the server is licensed is provided. The system to be used, wherein the server is a client computer,
A license management system for granting and / or releasing a license based on a user name and a network address of a client computer.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the license management system 1. User (synonymous with client computer) 7a, 7b,..., 7 to server computer (called server) 3 via network 5
n is connected. An HTML server 4 is connected to the server 3, and users 8a, 8b,
.., 8n are connected.

A hard disk 9 is connected to the server 3, and a management file 10 is stored in the hard disk 9. A content license 12 is stored in the floppy disk 11. Content data 14 is stored in the CD-ROM 13.

The content data 14 is an electronic publication (for example, Kojien, Encyclopedia) or the like, and software for searching the publication. Here, it is assumed that there are N pieces of content data. Content license 12
Stores a license for the user 7 or the user 8 to use the content data 14. The hard disk 9 stores the content license 12 and the content data 14 as well as various management information. Content license 12, content data 14
May be recorded on a recording medium other than a floppy disk or CD-ROM.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a license use start condition, a release condition 21, and the like. The server 3 determines which user 7 or 8 Determine if you can use These conditions are determined by the license condition setting right holder. A license condition setting right holder is a person who has the right to determine various conditions when using a license for content, and the content supplier (publisher, newspaper publisher, software company, etc.) is equivalent to this. In the case where a license is granted while some of the conditions are not determined, the server administrator may have the right to determine the conditions.

The license use start condition 23 is a condition for the server 3 to recognize that the use of the content license has been started. License use start condition 23
As the parameter of, the access start to the content 2
7, explicit start of license acquisition 29 by the user, license setting 31 by the administrator, and the like.

The access start 27 to the content is to access the content for the first time after obtaining the license of the content. The user's explicit license acquisition start 29 means that the user explicitly acquires a content license by a command or the like. The license setting 31 by the administrator means that when the administrator explicitly permits a certain user to use the license, this permission is actually granted.

License release condition and its restriction condition 25
Releases content licenses and limits
Are automatic release and release restrictions 33 based on the time elapsed since the last access, license release 39 by the administrator, and explicit license release 4 by the user.
1, the end 43 of the client.

The automatic release and release restriction 33 based on the elapsed time from the last access is such that when the automatic release and release restrictions are performed on the condition of the elapsed time, the starting point of the elapsed time is the time of the last access to the content. There are an automatic release period 43 and a release restriction period 45 as parameters.

Here, the automatic release means that the server 3 automatically gives a user who has not been used a license, which has been in the acquisition state, to a user who has passed a certain period from the last access to the content. Release. The automatic release period 43 permits the license condition setting right holder to automatically release the license to the server 3 and means a certain non-use period.

The release restriction means that if a certain period of time has not passed since the last access to the content, the user 7
Alternatively, this means that the license is not substantially released even if the user 8 explicitly returns the license. In the release restriction period 45, the license condition setting right holder gives the server 3
It means a certain period of non-use when restricting license release.

As a parameter of the license release 39 by the administrator, there is a license release instruction 53. The license release instruction 53 is explicitly released by the administrator of the server 3 to the license acquired or used by the user 7 or the user 8. This is a license release command when possible, and when the administrator of the license management system 1 issues a license release command to the server 3, a predetermined license is released.

As a parameter of the user's explicit license release 41, there is a license release instruction 55. The license release instruction 55 is a license release instruction when the user can explicitly release the license acquired or used by the user. When the user 7 or the user 8 issues the license release command to the server 3, the license of the user 7 or the user 8 is released.

As a parameter of the end 43 of the user, there is a license release instruction 57, and the license release instruction 57
The server 3 releases the license of the user 7 or the user 8 after a certain period of time after the search operation or the like performed by the user 7 or the user 8 connected to the server 3 or the HTML server 4 is completed.

In the above description, the license use start condition and release condition 21 are managed by the server 3, but the license use start condition and release condition 21 for the user 8 may be managed by the HTML server 4.

Next, the processing from the license acquisition of the user 7 or the user 8 to the release of the license will be described.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the entire process. For example, when activated by the user 7a (step 201), a content license setting window is opened (step 202). For example, “Kojien”, “chronology”, “Yatsushiroshu”, etc. are displayed on the screen as the content list. In this case, since the license of "Kojien" has been acquired, "acquiring" is displayed.

The user 7a acquires the license (step 203) or returns the license (step 2).
04), whether to use the license being acquired (step 2)
05) is selected.

Next, a search is performed (step 20).
6). For example, when "Kojien" is used, for example, when "Sakura" is input, information on "Sakura" is retrieved from "Kojien" and displayed on the screen.

On the other hand, the server 3 periodically checks the license use status of each content (step 221), and determines whether or not any licenses acquired by the user 7a have passed the automatic release period 47. A determination is made (step 222). When using the automatic release period 47,
The server 3 recognizes the point in time when the user 7a starts using. If there is such a thing, a message to the effect that "the license is released" is issued to the user 7a (step 223), and the license is released (step 2).
24).

As described above, when the license is released in the server 3, the user 7a receives the message sent from the server 3 (step 207), and cannot use the license (step 208). When the use of the search service ends (step 209), the search ends (step 212).

After the user 7a completes the search (step 212), the license is released after a certain period of time (step 224). If the search is continued in step 209 and the license is acquired and returned (step 210), the setting window is called (step 211) and the process proceeds to step 202.

It should be noted that the user 8a performing the search processing via the Internet 6 can also perform the search processing in the same manner. .

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for acquiring a license, in which a license is acquired by a user's explicit license acquisition start 29. The user 7a
When requesting the acquisition of the license for the content n (step 301), the server 3 checks the license use status of the content n (step 311), and determines whether or not the total number of users = the maximum number of usable users (step 312). If the total number of users is equal to the maximum number of usable persons, a message indicating that acquisition is impossible is notified to the user 7a (step 313).

In step 312, if the total number of users is smaller than the maximum number of usable users, a license can be obtained, and the user of the content 7a is determined as a user of the content n.
Is registered (step 314), and the registration time is recorded as the use start time (step 315).
a is notified (step 316).

When the user 7a receives the message indicating that the license cannot be obtained (step 302), the license cannot be obtained (step 304). When the user 7a receives the message indicating that the license has been obtained (step 303), the license can be obtained (step 305). .

When using the content n via the Internet 6, the user 8a can obtain a license in the same manner. In this case, the HTML server 4
May perform the processing of the server 3 shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the use status of the content n. In step 312, it is determined whether or not the total number of users of the content n = the maximum number of users who can use the content n. The users 8a, 8b, and 8c who use the
Is to access the server 3 or the HTML server 4 to search for words and the like, and the use time is very short as shown in FIG. Therefore, the content n
It is difficult to accurately grasp the "total number of users of the content n" at the time of the license acquisition request to the user.

In order to reliably obtain the “total number of users of the content n”, a certain usage status sampling time is provided, and users who are using or have a usage record within that time are counted as users of the content n. I do.
For example, in the usage state sampling time (portion surrounded by a frame) shown in FIG.
However, the users 8b and 8n are counted as users via the Internet 6, and the total number of users is "4".

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the return of the license. The license release command 55 and the release restriction period 4
5 is used.

When the user 7a issues a license release command 55 and requests a return of the license of the content n (step 401), the server 3 determines whether the release limit period 45 has passed for the content n (step 401). 411) If the release restriction period 45 has passed, the license of this user is released for the content n (step 412), and the completion of the return is notified (step 413). The user 7a and the server administrator receive a message indicating completion of return (steps 402 and 42).
1).

When using the content n via the Internet 6, the user 8a can release the license in the same manner. In this case, the HTML server 4
May perform the processing of the server 3 shown in FIG.

Next, the processing when the user 7a or the user 8a uses the content n will be described in detail. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a process when the user 7a uses the content n. The user 7a connects to the server 3 via the network 5, transmits the user name and the terminal name of the user (network address such as an IP address) (step 501), and the server 3 checks the user name and the terminal name and uses them. If it is a possible user, a user ID is returned (step 502).

Next, the user 7a sends an available content name acquisition command (step 503), the server 3 checks the user ID, creates a content name list usable by the user 7a, and obtains a license acquired. Content name, ID of content name for which license can be obtained
The list is returned (step 504).

Next, the user 7a specifies the used content name (step 505), and after checking the user ID, the server 3 updates the license management file, that is, adds a use start mark, and returns the content ID (step 5).
06).

Further, at the end of use, the server 3
D, Content ID is checked, illegal use, license expiration date, license condition (command use restriction), etc. are checked, and the check result is transmitted (step 507).

Next, when the user 7a requests the release of the content (step 508), the content ID is checked, and if possible, the management file is updated to mark the use end (step 509). Next, the user 27a requests termination of the connection to the server 3 (step 510).
Then, the server 3 checks the user ID and updates the management file (step 511).

When the user 7a terminates the connection to the server 3 without requesting the release of the content, that is, without returning the license (step 512).
The server 3 checks the content ID and the user ID,
If possible, the license is released, the management file is updated, and the use end mark is recorded (step 513). At this time, the automatic release period 43 and the release restriction period 45 can be applied to the user 7a.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a process when the user 8a uses the content n. The user 8a connects to the HTML server 4 via the Internet 6 and transmits the user name and its own terminal name (network address) (step 701). The HTML server 4 checks the user name and the terminal name, and If so, the user ID is returned (step 702).

Next, the user 8a transmits an available content name acquisition command (step 703), the HTML server 4 checks the user ID, creates a content name list usable by the user 8a, and obtains a license. And the ID list of the content names for which the license can be obtained (step 704).

Next, the user 8a specifies a used content name (step 705), and the HTML server 4
After checking D, update the license management file,
That is, a use start mark is added, and a content ID is returned (step 706), and the content is used.

Further, at the end of use, the HTML server 4 checks the user ID and the content ID, checks for illegal use, license expiration, license conditions (command use restriction), and transmits the check result (step 70).
7).

Next, when the user 8a requests the use of the content (step 708), the content ID is checked, and if possible, the management file is updated to update the last use time (step 709). Check
The license of the user who has passed a certain time from the last use time is released, and the management file is updated (step 710).

When the user 8a requests the content release, that is, when the license is returned (step 7).
11), HTML server 4 has content ID and user I
D is checked, and if possible, the license is released, the management file is updated, and the use end mark is recorded (step 713).

As described above, in the present embodiment, the user 7
Even when there is no explicit license release of a, the license can be released, and the number of licenses can be easily managed. Also,
License management for the user 8 via the Internet 6, which has conventionally been complicated in managing the number of licenses, is also facilitated.

Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the license setting 31 by the administrator is adopted as the license use start condition, and the license release instruction 53 is adopted as the license release condition and the restriction condition.

Here, the user 7a obtains a license in accordance with a command from the server administrator, and then the user 7b attempts to obtain a license. However, the user 7a rejects the license because there is no available license. Is released, and the user 7b uses the vacant license.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the second embodiment. The user 7a requests acquisition of a license for the content n (step 631). In this case, the user of the user 7a verbally requests the server administrator. The server administrator requests the server 3 to obtain a license for the content n by the user 7a (step 621).
That is, the license is set by the administrator.

The server 3 checks the license use status of the content n (step 601), and checks the management file 10
, It is determined whether or not the total number of users is equal to the maximum number of available users (step 602).
a is notified (not shown), and if not equal (the total number of users is smaller), the user 7a is registered in the management file 10 as a user of the content n (step 603), and the acquisition is completed. Is sent to the server administrator (step 604), and the server administrator verbally conveys this message to the user 7a (step 620).

The user 7a receives the message indicating the completion of the acquisition (step 633) and conducts a search (step 6).
34).

On the other hand, the user of the user 7b is the content n
Verbally requesting a license for (step 64)
1). The server administrator determines the content n by the user 7b.
Request the server 3 to acquire the license (step 6)
22).

The server 3 checks the license use status of the content n (step 605), and checks the management file 10
, It is determined whether the total number of users is equal to the maximum number of usable persons (step 606). Since the total number of users is equal to the maximum number of usable persons, an unacquirable message is sent to the server administrator, and the server The administrator verbally conveys this message to the user 7b (step 623), and the user 7b receives this message (step 642). If the total number of users is not equal to the maximum number of users (the total number of users is smaller) in step 606, the license income of the user 7b can be obtained (not shown).

Then, the server administrator requests the server 3 to return the license of the user 7a (step 62).
4), the server 3 returns the license of the user 7a (Step 607), and releases the license of the user 7a using the management file 10. Then, the server administrator is notified of the completion of the return of the license of the user 7a (step 608),
The server administrator verbally transmits a message to that effect to the user 7a (step 625), and the user 7a receives the message and cannot use the license (step 636).

The server administrator requests the user 7b to obtain a license for the content n again (step 62).
6), the server 3 checks the license usage status of the content n (step 609), and refers to the management file 10 to determine whether or not the total number of users is equal to the maximum number of available users (step 610). In step 607, the user 7
Since the license used by a has been released, the total number of users is one less than the maximum number of users available and is not equal. If they are not equal, the user 7b is registered in the management file 10 as the user of the content n (step 611), and the completion of the acquisition is notified to the server administrator (step 612), and the server administrator sends a message to that effect to the user. The user 7b verbally conveys the message (step 627), the user 7b receives this message (step 643), and starts the search (step 644). If the total number of users is equal to the maximum number of available users in step 610, the user 7
b is notified that acquisition is not possible (not shown).

As described above, in the third embodiment, the license setting 31 and the license release instruction 53 by the administrator are performed.
The license of the user 7a can be released, and the license can be used by the user 7b. Note that the processing shown in FIG. 9 is also applicable to the user 8 via the Internet 6.

The license use start condition 23 shown in FIG. 2 and the license release condition and its restriction condition 25 can be used in appropriate combination. The first and second embodiments are examples. In FIG. 1, the server 3 and the HTML server 4 can be the same computer.

[0061]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the license of content and the like can be efficiently granted and released in the network. That is, in a network, it is possible to provide a license management system in which a server manages permission and release of a license and a user can use content and the like. As a result, content suppliers (publishers, newspapers,
Copyright rights of software companies etc. are properly protected, and the convenience of content readers or users is also ensured, and further development of the information society can be expected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a license management system 1.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing license use start conditions, release conditions, and the like.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing overall processing according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing license acquisition according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the usage status of content.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a license return according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a content use process of the user 7a.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a content use process of the user 8a.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating processing according to the second embodiment;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 License management system 3 Server computer 4 HTML server 5 Network 6 Internet 7 and 8 User 10 Management file 12 Content license 14 …… Content data

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hisao Miyauchi 2-5-5 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Co., Ltd. Inside Iwanami Shoten Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Masashi Ueno 2-5-5 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Iwanami Shoten, Shikisha Co., Ltd. (72) Tomomitsu Sato, Inventor 2-5-5 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Co., Ltd. Inside Iwanami Shoten (72) Inventor Hideki Kondo 130 in Yamabuki-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo In-system Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Naoto Watanabe 130 in Inuki-system, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo In-system Co., Ltd. 1-1-1 Ichigaya-Kaga-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor ▲ Kuzu ▼ Nishihiroaki Nishi 1-1-1 Kamachi Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 5B075 KK07 KK13 KK32 KK43 KK44 MM01 MM11 UU11 UU40 5B082 EA11

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A system in which a server computer and at least one client computer are networked, and wherein data in the server computer is used by a licensed client computer, wherein the server computer communicates with the client computer. License based on the user name and network address of the client computer and / or
Or a license management system characterized by releasing. 2. A server computer comprising: a server computer; and at least one client computer connected to the server computer via the Internet or a network other than the Internet, wherein the client computer to which data in the server computer is licensed is provided. A system to be used, wherein the server computer grants a license to a client computer based on a user name and a network address of the client computer, and / or
Or a license management system characterized by releasing. 3. The license according to claim 1, wherein the number of licenses is the number of client computers that can use the content in parallel within a predetermined time.
License management system as described. 4. The license management system according to claim 1, wherein the server computer releases a license for the client computer in response to a request from the client computer. 5. The license management system according to claim 2, wherein the server computer releases the license to a client computer connected via the Internet after a lapse of a predetermined time from the last use time. 6. The license management system according to claim 1, wherein the server computer releases a license for a specific client computer according to an instruction of an administrator.