JP2003030347A - Software property distribution service system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To structure a software distribution service system which can regularly provide software of high quality. SOLUTION: A server 100 for a software property bank is provided in a network 800 and a software property storage 400 and a software product store 500 are provided on a server 100. The intermediate results of software being developed are managed in the software property storage 400 during the software development, and when completed software property is sold, it is copied to the software product store 500. When a terminal device 300 connected to the network 800 accesses the software product store 500 to purchase the software property, a property identifier is embedded in the software property, which is sent to the buyer 300 from the software product store 500.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a software asset distribution service system for managing software produced by a software producer as an asset and providing this software asset to a user for a fee or free of charge, and in particular, using a network. The present invention relates to a software asset distribution service system suitable for managing and providing software assets.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional technique relating to distribution of software via a network, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-26
"Software distribution method and server device and client device" described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 9078, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-2
There is a "shareware usage fee remittance agent system" described in Japanese Patent No. 91889.

[0003] In these conventional techniques, in order to distribute software, an assortment of software as products is disclosed to users through a network so that the software can be downloaded at the request of the users. . In addition, when using this service, the purchase price will be automatically deducted using the credit card number registered in advance, and when you apply for use or download the software,
We are implementing security to protect personal information.

[0004]

It is necessary as a business to provide appropriate software in response to a user's request for using software. Further, in the actual provision, it is necessary to maintain the quality of the provided software high and always provide high quality products.

However, the above-mentioned conventional techniques are all
Although the software is downloaded and the payment is settled safely and simply, no consideration is given to how to store high-quality software in the server as an asset and supply it to the user.

In software development, it is important to manage the configurations of documents and programs which are intermediate products. When software is centrally managed in a master machine or when a part of the software is changed, it is general to manage the software by identifying it with a version symbol.

[0007] However, the management of these intermediate products is cumbersome during the software development, and is not managed at present. Further, since the management of the intermediate product is conventionally managed by the software producer on his / her own computer, there is often no opportunity to objectively evaluate it and reflect it in the quality of the software.

[0008] Furthermore, when software, which is a product, is provided to a user via a network, how the provided software product is copied and illegally transferred to other users or is illegally used. It is also necessary to consider whether to prevent it.

An object of the present invention is to manage a wide variety of software assets produced by a software producer together with their intermediate products on a server on a network, and provide completed high quality software to users via the network. At the same time, another object of the present invention is to provide a software asset distribution service system that prevents unauthorized copying and facilitates tracking when unauthorized copying is made.

[0010]

According to the present invention, a server for a software asset bank is provided in a network, and an area for a software asset storage function and an area for a software product store function are provided in the server. Is provided
During software development, the intermediate product data of the software under development is stored in the area of the software asset storage and managed by the server, and the completed software asset is stored in the area of the software asset storage. At the time of selling the asset, the server copies the software asset to the area of the software product store, and the terminal connected to the network accesses the area of the software product store in the server to purchase the software asset routine. Disclosed is a software asset distribution service system in which the server embeds an asset identifier in the software asset and sends the software asset to the terminal device of the purchaser from the software product store.

Further, according to the present invention, a dedicated storage area is provided for each of a plurality of software developers in the area of the software asset storage, and when the completed software assets being stored are sold. Discloses a software asset distribution service system characterized in that a terminal device of a software developer connected to a network requests the server to copy the software asset to the software product store area.

Further, according to the present invention, when a software asset is to be sold, if the server tests the software asset and determines that there is no defect, the software asset is copied to the software product store area for sale. Disclosed is a software asset distribution service system characterized by:

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, when the software purchaser holds a storage for exclusive use of himself / herself in the software asset storage area, the purchased software asset is transmitted and stored in the storage area. The software asset distribution service system is disclosed.

When the distribution system of software products is popularized, it is preferable to increase the number of candidates of software to be sold. Therefore, in the present invention,
Even during software development, the intermediate products and version management are performed using the server, and the number of software for asset management is increased. Further, since the version upgrade is also developed by using the server, the number of assets (number of software) can be secured.

Further, by installing a store in the software storage provided on the server, not only asset management but also software distribution can be performed, and software developers can centrally manage software development and software sales. Is possible.
Further, since the server manages the master management and the configuration management necessary for ensuring the quality in software development, the burden on the developer is reduced and the quality verification can be performed easily and surely, and the quality is high for the server administrator. Since a large number of software can be managed and stored, high quality software can be sold regularly.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a software asset distribution service system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This system is a server (hereinafter referred to as a software asset bank) 10 that constitutes a software asset bank connected to a wide area network 800 such as a LAN or WAN.
0, a provider terminal device (hereinafter referred to as an A company terminal) 200 of a person who is connected to the wide area network 800 and registers and publishes software in the soft asset bank 100, and the soft asset bank 100 through the wide area network 800. And a user terminal device (hereinafter referred to as a company B terminal) 300 for accessing and purchasing software.

The software asset bank 100 includes a software asset storage area 400 including a storage device and a software product store (software asset store) area 5 including a storage device.
00, a software asset storage management terminal device 600, and a backup medium 700 for backing up the asset storage 400. Below are areas 100 and 40
The terms 0 and 500 omit the term of area.

The company A terminal 200 is the asset registration operation terminal 21.
0, and the storage device storing the A-company development software 220 and the A-company development drawing 230 which is one of the intermediate products of the software 220.

The company B terminal 300 is an asset purchase operation terminal 31.
0, and a storage device that stores the software 320 and the drawing 330 that is one of the intermediate products thereof. In the present embodiment, Company B is described as a side that purchases software, but of course, it may be a side that sells software, that is, Company A.

In this example, the asset registrant 200 deposits the software under development 220, which is an intermediate product of the software under development, and the related drawing 230 in the software asset bank 100. This is under development in Soft Asset Bank 100
20 and the related drawing 230, the software asset storage 4
Stored in 00 and managed. Company A, if the software under development changes, the new version of software 22
0 and the related drawing 230 again to the soft asset bank 10
0, the software asset bank 100 stores the changed new version of the software 220 and the associated drawing 230 in the software asset storage 400. In the software asset storage 400, the software 220 and the related drawings 23
It also manages version 0.

Further, at the operation terminal 210 of the company A 200, the software 220 under development or the development drawing 230 may or may not be stored in the storage device of the company A 200. Software that is managed by
If you want to take out the data 20 or the development drawing 230, you can do the necessary data (software 220,
The development drawing 230) can be imported from the software asset bank 100.

The company A (asset registrant) 200, when the software under development is completed and the latest version of the software is stored in the software asset bank 100, and the completed software product is sold to a third party, Issues a request to that effect to the software asset bank 100.

The software asset bank 100 is used by the asset registrant 2
In accordance with the request No. 00, the software assets stored and managed in the software asset storage 400 are moved to the software asset store 500. The software list transferred to the software asset store 500 and each function can be viewed by any terminal that can connect to the wide area network 800, and the software product purchaser (in this example, B
Company) 300 can purchase the software assets of other companies placed in the software asset store 500 of the software asset bank 100.

FIG. 2 shows a software asset bank 1 of software assets.
It is a figure showing the flow of data from the deposit to 00 to the software asset purchase. The asset publisher 100 deposits the software assets in its own software asset storage 400 until the software assets have been tested and can be disclosed to a third party. At the stage when the test is completed and the third party can provide the information, a request for asset disclosure (asset sale) is made to the soft asset bank 100.

Soft asset bank 100 that received this request
The side installs the requested software product in the test machine 450 held by itself and executes the test. As a result of this test, if there is a deficiency, a notice of the deficiency is notified to the asset publisher 100 to prompt correction, and the asset is not disclosed. When the asset publisher 200 re-deposits the software after the modification according to the modification, the version of the software asset is uploaded and stored.

The copyright information such as the asset identifier is embedded in the software product whose test result has no deficiency, which is copied to the software product store 500, and the asset is disclosed as a software product.

Assets released by the asset purchaser 300 are
With reference to the software product store 500, a purchase request is made to the software asset bank 100. The assets requested to be purchased are purchased from the software asset bank 100 by the asset purchaser 30.
0, and the purchase procedure is completed. The result of the purchase is notified to the asset publisher 200, and the asset publisher 200 knows that the company's software asset has been purchased. The software asset bank 100 carries out the entire operation and management of the asset, and when the software asset is purchased by a third party, the software asset bank 100 collects the fee as described later.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a procedure in which the asset publisher 100 opens the asset storage 400 dedicated to the company in order to entrust asset management to the software asset bank 100.
If you click "Open Asset Storage" on the home page 1 of the Soft Asset Bank, the screen changes to the asset storage opening request screen 2. On this asset store opening request screen 2, enter the necessary items such as "company name", "client name", "bank account",
Click the "Request to open storage" button.

This request information is stored in the software asset bank 100.
And the acceptance completion screen 4 is displayed. This completes the request for opening the storage. Soft Asset Bank 1
At 00, the software asset storage 400 for the requesting company is created based on the request information. And Soft Asset Bank 10
0 assigns a new storage number using the storage management terminal 600, and notifies the storage number, the user ID, and the password by mail to the company A (asset publisher) 200.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a procedure for managing and registering software assets in the asset storage 400 after the software asset storage 400 is opened. On the home page 1 of the software asset bank, click "Access to asset storage" to move to the asset storage connection screen 5. On the asset storage connection screen 5, the "asset storage number", the "user ID" for connecting the storage, and the "password" are input, and the "connect" button 6 is clicked. As a result, the registered asset screen 7 is displayed.

When newly registering an asset, the category of the place to be registered is clicked on the registered asset screen 7 to bring it into the selected state. Then, click "Deposit" in the action frame to display the deposit screen 8 that displays the folder hierarchy in which the assets to be deposited exist.

On the deposit screen 8, a folder for asset registration is clicked from the displayed folder hierarchy to bring it into a selected state, and a "deposit" button 9 is clicked. As a result, the deposited asset confirmation screen 10 is displayed.

On the deposit property confirmation screen 10, the folder designated on the deposit screen and the folders and files under the hierarchy are displayed. It is confirmed whether the folder and the folders and files under the folder are correct, and if it is OK, the asset name is input and the “OK” button 11 is clicked to register the asset in the software asset storage 400. If it is NG, "N
Click “G button” 12 to return to the deposit screen 8.
Select the registered asset again.

When the "OK" button 11 is clicked and the software asset is registered in the software asset storage 400, the asset deposit end screen 13 is displayed. The asset publisher 200 confirms on this screen 13 which version the software asset of his / her own has been registered, and clicks on the "to asset screen" button 14. As a result, the registered asset screen 15 is displayed, and the asset publisher 200 can check that the asset is actually registered under the designated category by checking this screen.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a procedure for registering the registered assets in the software product store 500 in order to provide the registered assets to a third party. On the home page 1 of the software asset bank 100, click "Access Asset Storage" to display the asset storage connection screen 5. On this asset storehouse connection screen 5, enter the "asset storehouse number", the "user ID" for connecting to the storehouse, and the "password",
Click the "Connect" button 6. As a result, the screen changes to the registered assets screen 7.

On the registered asset screen 7, the asset to be disclosed is clicked to bring it into the selected state. After that, by clicking "disclosure of assets" in the action frame, the screen transitions to the asset disclosure confirmation screen 16, the public assets are confirmed again on this screen 16, and if OK, the "detailed content setting" button 17 is clicked. This causes the transition to the registration detail setting screen 18.

On the registration detail setting screen 18, "function", "price", "classification", and "operating condition" of the software asset to be disclosed
Enter, and click the “Registration” request button 19. When the reception of this registration is completed, the asset disclosure result screen 20 is displayed next, and the content of the software asset to be published can be confirmed with the content specified on the screen 18. In order to save the storage capacity of the software product store 500 for registering the software, the freeze key is used to compress and freeze the software.

FIG. 6 shows a software product store 50.
It is a figure which shows the procedure from the reference of the software asset registered to 0 to the purchase of the software asset. Soft Asset Bank 10
If you click “Purchase Asset” on Homepage 1 of 0, the screen changes to the store connection screen 21.

In the store connection screen 21, if the purchaser has the exclusive storage 400 in the software asset bank 100, the "asset storage number" and the "user ID" for connecting the storage are displayed. , "Password" is input and "Connect" button 22 is clicked. If you have a user ID, enter your "user ID" and "password"
Click the "Connect" button 22. If the software asset bank 100 does not have the storage number or user ID, the “Connect” button 22 is clicked as it is. When the connection button 22 is clicked, the screen changes to the asset display screen 23.

The asset display screen 23 is classified by asset classification. In addition, by clicking the title of "Detailed classification" unit, "Company" unit, etc., you can change the view and refer to the asset. Further, by clicking on the software asset desired to be purchased, the asset detail screen 24 showing the detailed contents of the software asset can be displayed.

On the asset detail screen 24, the detailed contents of software assets are confirmed and public assets are purchased. The detailed assets can be confirmed on the current display screen. Also, if you want to see the asset composition, click the "Configuration" button 2
Click 5 to check the folder structure of assets. When purchasing the software property, the number of licenses to be purchased is input and the “Purchase” button 26 is clicked to complete the input of the purchase instruction.

After inputting the purchase instruction, the software asset bank 100 owns the software asset storage 400 or has a user ID, and the software asset storage 400 does not have the asset storage 400 or does not have a user ID. , The screen flow changes.

When the "purchase" button 26 is clicked when the software asset bank 100 has the software asset storage 400 or the user ID, the software asset storage 40 in which the purchased software asset is assigned to the purchaser
0 is sent and the purchase is completed. After the property transmission is completed, the purchase result screen 27 is displayed, so that the purchase result can be confirmed.

When the software asset bank 100 has neither the software asset storage 400 nor the user ID (the store connection screen 21
When all are connected in blank), the user information registration screen 28 is displayed when the "Purchase" button 26 is clicked. On this screen 28, enter "name", "email address", "bank name", "credit company", etc. as user information and click the "execute registration" button 29,
Since the screen changes to the user information confirmation screen 30, it is confirmed whether the information input by the user on the screen 30 is correct.

If it is correct, the "OK" button 31 is clicked. As a result, the compressed and frozen software asset file is transferred to the asset purchase operation terminal 310 of the asset purchaser 300, and after the transfer is completed, the purchase result screen 32 is displayed. When the entered information is incorrect, that is, when the information is NG, the “NG” button 33 is clicked. As a result, the user information registration screen 28 is returned to again and the input information can be corrected.

The software asset bank 100 side investigates the user information input on the screen 28, and if there is no problem, the decompression method and the decompression key are notified to the purchaser's terminal 310 by mail. As a result, the software asset transferred to the asset purchase operation terminal 310 of the asset purchaser 300 can be decompressed using the decompressing key that has been contacted. To such a purchaser, the user ID that can be used for the next and subsequent purchases is sent by e-mail together with the decompression key.

When software assets are purchased by a third party in this way, the purchase price is divided from the bank account of the asset purchaser 300 to the bank account of the software asset bank 100 and the silver account of the asset provider 200. The amount is transferred. The transfer amount to the software asset bank 100 is the fee for the software asset bank 100.

FIG. 7 is a data structure diagram of the software asset storage 400. The data structure of the storage 400 is composed of three folders, files and management files. There is a "company name" as the first folder, and then a "category" folder for classifying assets (this may have any number of layers)
There is an “asset name”, an “document” as an asset, a “program”, and a “management file” that is detailed information about the asset. The contents of each file of the document and the program are configured and managed by an initial file and a difference information file, and the data created in the past can also be specified by specifying the version number.
Since it can be extracted from 0, the asset publisher 200
By operating the asset registration operation terminal 210 of itself, the software asset relating to the past version can be taken out.

As a method of managing the version of the asset, in addition to the method of holding and managing the information by the difference, a method of holding the information of the directory / file corresponding to all versions for each asset, and the difference information It is also possible to manage the version with a separate file such as a file and a version management information management file.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a procedure for the asset publisher 200 to take out the assets deposited in the software asset storage 400 by himself. On the home page 1 of the software asset bank 100, click "Access Asset Storage" to display the asset storage connection screen 5. On this asset storehouse connection screen 5, enter the "asset storehouse number", the "user ID" for connecting to the storehouse, and the "password",
Click the "Connect" button 6. As a result, the screen changes to the registered assets screen 7.

When the software asset deposited in the asset storage 400 in the past is taken out, the "asset name" under the category of the place to be taken out is clicked to bring it into the selected state. Then, click "Eject" in the action frame. As a result, the taken-out property confirmation screen 35 is displayed.

Since the asset name of the asset to be taken out is displayed on the taken out asset confirmation screen 35, it is confirmed whether this asset name is correct or not. Further, the version number of the asset to be taken out is input, and the "OK" button 36 is clicked. As a result, the registered asset is read from the software asset storage 400 and sent to the asset registration terminal 210. If the asset name retrieved on screen 35 is incorrect,
Click the "NG" button 37. As a result, the screen returns to the registered asset screen 7, and the registered asset is selected again on this screen 7.

The assets retrieved from the asset storage 400 are transferred to the asset registration terminal 2 via the wide area network 800.
When the asset is transferred to 10, and the asset is received by the asset registration terminal 210 and taken out by the terminal 210, the asset removal end screen 38 is displayed. To take out other assets successively, click the “take out” button 39 on this screen 38. Thereby, the registered asset screen 7 is displayed, and the asset can be taken out again. When the extraction of the asset is not further performed, the “end” button 40 on the screen 38 is clicked. When the extraction of the asset is completed, the designated directory of the asset registration terminal 210 is opened and it is confirmed that the target software asset is stored in the designated directory.

As described above, in the present embodiment, a management file of the hierarchical structure and data used in a normal personal computer, UNIX (registered trademark), etc. without using a special database as a software asset storage. Are using. This is so that even if the computer used for the software asset storage 400 is changed to the computer of another OS, the software assets can be easily transferred. The software asset storage may use a commercially available database.

[0056]

According to the present invention, software development and software sales can be centrally managed, and a large number of high-quality software can be steadily distributed at a low price.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a software asset distribution service system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data flow from depositing software assets to purchasing software assets in the software asset distribution service system shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a procedure for opening an asset storage for starting asset management using the software asset bank in the software asset distribution service system shown in FIG.

4 is a diagram showing a procedure for managing and registering an asset in the asset storage after the software asset storage is opened in the software asset distribution service system shown in FIG.

5 is a diagram showing a procedure for registering a registered asset in a software product store in order to provide the registered asset in the software asset distribution service system shown in FIG.

6 is a diagram showing a procedure from the reference of the software product registered in the software product store to the purchase of the software product in the software asset distribution service system shown in FIG.

7 is a data structure diagram of a software asset storage in the software asset distribution service system shown in FIG.

8 is a diagram showing a procedure for an asset publisher to take out the asset deposited in the software asset storage in the software asset distribution service system shown in FIG. 1 by himself / herself.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 Soft Asset Bank 200 Company A (Publisher of assets) 210 Asset registration operation terminal 220 A company development software 230 A company development drawing Company B (asset purchaser) 310 Asset purchase operation terminal 320 Company B development software 330 company B development drawing 400 Software Asset Storage 450 Software Product Testing Machine 500 software product stores 600 Software asset storage management terminal 700 Backup media for asset storage Wide area network such as 800 LAN, WAN

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) G06F 1/00 G06F 9/06 610Q 9/445 640A 660C (72) Inventor Yuki Takahashi Omikamachi, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture 5-2-1, Hitachi Ltd. Information Control Systems Division (72) Inventor Takashi Owaki 5-2-1, Omika-cho, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture F-term (Hitachi Corporation Information Control Systems Division) Reference) 5B076 AB10 BB06 FB05 FC10

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A server for a software asset bank is provided in the network, and an area for the function of a software asset store and an area for the function of a software product store are provided in the server. The intermediate product data of the software under development is stored in the software asset storage area and managed by the server, and the completed software asset is stored in the software asset storage area. Copies the software assets to the area of the software product store,
When the software product store area in the server is accessed from a terminal device connected to the network and a software asset purchase procedure routine is executed, the server embeds the asset identifier in the software asset and the purchaser The software asset distribution service system, wherein the software product distribution service is transmitted to the terminal device. 2. A dedicated storage area is provided for each of a plurality of software developers in the area for storing software assets, and a network is used when selling completed software assets that are being stored. 2. The software asset distribution service system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device of a software developer connected to the server requests the server to copy the software asset to the software product store area. 3. When the software asset is to be sold, if the server tests the software asset and determines that there is no defect, the software asset is copied to the software product store area for sale. 3. The software asset distribution service system according to claim 2. 4. When the software purchaser holds a storage for exclusive use of himself / herself in the software asset storage area, the purchased software asset is transmitted and stored in the storage area. A software asset distribution service system according to any one of items 1 to 3. 5. When the purchaser of the software asset is not the registrant of the server, the server side inputs the purchaser's registration information and compresses the software asset to the purchaser's terminal device using a freeze key. 5. The software asset distribution service system according to claim 1, wherein the software asset distribution service is frozen and transmitted, and when the server determines that the registration information is correct, the decompression key is transmitted to the purchaser.