JP2009238079A - Program delivery management system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To raise satisfaction degree of customers for a package program. <P>SOLUTION: An HP of an objective program is opened on a Web server, and its downloading is managed. A registered user having a right for downloading a latest version is uniquely assigned with user ID and user authentication information for, and they are registered in a user management DB. Only the registered user is allowed to download a latest version based on the user ID and user authentication information. A download process of each user is registered as data in a download history DB. When downloading of the latest version becomes available, updating on HP and package program information of latest version are registered in a package program DB. The download history DB is referred to upon requesting from a manager. Such registered user as not performed downloading after a latest version is registered is detected, and necessity of downloading of a program of latest version is automatically notified by a mail. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  In the present invention, the latest version of a package program that can be downloaded from a homepage (hereinafter referred to as HP) is permitted to be downloaded to an authorized user based on a user management database (hereinafter referred to as DB), and downloaded based on the download history DB. The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for automatically determining the necessity and notifying an authorized user who has not been downloaded after a certain period of time has passed since the latest version has been released about the necessity of downloading the latest version.

  1. Conventionally, when the latest version can be downloaded on a publicly available HP, it is possible for a general user to download a new version that should be distributed only to authorized users.

  2. The necessity of downloading the program has been made based on the judgment of the user on the spot. Therefore, the same user may download the same version of the same program multiple times.

  3. There is a case where a new version improved on the problems confirmed in the old version is released on the HP, and the latest version is not distributed to some authorized users even after several months.

  Patent Document 1 proposes a management method for reducing the burden of communication work for updating a client application program of a server apparatus administrator. Specifically, in response to a download instruction from the operator of the client device, a download application in the client device is started, a new client application program prepared in the server device is downloaded into the client device, and then the existing client The application program is temporarily saved and the downloaded new client application program is stored in a predetermined storage area. If the storage process ends normally, the download is successful. If the process cannot be executed normally, the download is failed and the existing temporarily saved client application program is restored to the predetermined storage area.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-24934

  1. At the beginning of the release of the latest version of the program on HP, there was an inquiry from a general user directly to the development company or sales company of the package program by e-mail, telephone, etc. as to whether the currently released program can be downloaded. In order to eliminate these inquiries, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of performing user authentication as a regular user before the download process and permitting download to only the regular user.

  2. When the latest version of the program was published on the HP, there were inquiries from legitimate users regarding the current necessity for downloading, etc. by e-mail or telephone. Conventionally, in order to respond to these inquiries, the package program administrator first checks whether the customer in question is a legitimate user, and if it is a legitimate user, investigates the download status of the target user and emails the need for download. Etc. However, immediately after the release of the latest version of the program, the number of inquiries from users temporarily increased, the burden on the administrator increased, and contact with customers who responded to inquiries could be delayed. The object of the present invention is to manage download processing as history information, and when downloading the latest version of a regular user, investigate the past download status from the download history DB before starting the processing, and the second and subsequent times for the same version of the same program If there is a download, a service for notifying the user that the current download is unnecessary is required.

  3. Even if the latest version can be downloaded on the HP, the latest version is not acquired unless the user browses the HP. A new version that improved the problems found in the old version was released to the general public, and even after several months, the latest version might not be downloaded to some authorized users. Therefore, even after registration of the latest version that improves the problems in the old version, some users may make inquiries and complaints about problems in the old version. Conventionally, the administrator of a package program investigated the download status of authorized users, and sent email notifications to authorized users who have not downloaded the latest version after several months. However, there are problems that the number of authorized users increases due to the increase in the number of packages sold, and that the download management burden on the administrator increases as the frequency of version upgrades of the package program increases.

  The object of the present invention is to automatically grasp the download status of a legitimate user at the request of the administrator, and when a legitimate user who does not perform the download process even if the latest version of the program can be downloaded is detected for that user. A service that automatically notifies the necessity of downloading the latest program is required. As mentioned above, it is to propose.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration.

  1. In the download process of the latest version of authorized users, user authentication is performed before starting the process using the user ID and user authentication information distributed at the time of user registration, and download processing is possible only for users who are confirmed to be authorized users. And When the download process is actually performed, the download process of each user is registered as download history information.

  2. In order to deal with the second and subsequent download processing for the same version of the same program of the authorized user, the current download necessity is determined based on the download history information and notified on the HP screen on the download processing. In addition, it is possible to confirm from the user side, and provide a judgment material for execution of download to the user.

  3. A new version that improved the problems confirmed in the old version was released on the HP, but in order to support some regular users who do not download after several months, download history DB, A list of target users is created based on the user management DB, and an e-mail notification that prompts the necessity of downloading the latest program is performed.

  The invention described in claim 1 includes a Web server connected to a plurality of user terminals via a public network, and an administrator terminal connected to the Web server via an intra-company LAN such as an in-house LAN. A program distribution management system that allows a user to download and distribute a new version of a computer program on a homepage (hereinafter abbreviated as HP), and systematically manages each version of the computer program on the Web server Program database (hereinafter abbreviated as DB), a download history DB that manages each user's previous download as download history information, a user management DB that manages user ID and user authentication information, and a user who is a user Web page to be accessed for registration and download processing When a new version of the program is released, the Web page is updated, the HP management processing device that registers the computer program in the program DB, and the user's access via the user terminal, the user receives the Distributing IDs and user authentication information, registering the information in the user management DB, and registering history information that the user has downloaded the program in the download history DB, and the user wishing to download processing To authenticate that it is a regular user by accessing the user management DB, and to obtain a previous download history by accessing the download history DB for a user confirmed to be a regular user. It is displayed on the user terminal of the user and the package is displayed to the user. A program distribution management system comprising a download processing unit to allow access to the program DB.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the program distribution management system according to claim 1, wherein the Web server further downloads by accessing the download history DB and the user management DB when requested by the administrator. A program distribution management system comprising a download history management processing device that detects a non-regular user and notifies a target user by e-mail of a notification prompting the necessity of downloading the latest version of the program.

  The invention described in claim 3 comprises a Web server connected to a plurality of user terminals via a public network, and an administrator terminal connected to the Web server via an institutional LAN. Is a program DB that systematically manages each version of the computer program, a download history DB that manages previous downloads of each user as download history information, and a user management DB that manages user IDs and user authentication information An HP management processing device that publishes a Web page as an access destination for user registration and download processing by the user, updates the Web page when a new version of the program is published, and registers the computer program in the program DB Receiving user access via the user terminal. And a user registration processing device that distributes the user ID and user authentication information to the user and registers the information in the user management DB, and a new version of the computer program is a homepage (hereinafter abbreviated as HP). A program distribution management method in a program distribution management system that allows a user to download and distribute the above, registering history information of a program downloaded by a user in a download history DB, and when the user desires a download process, the user The management DB is accessed to authenticate that it is a regular user, and the user who has been confirmed to be a regular user accesses the download history DB to obtain the previous download history and stores it as the user. The package program to the user terminal A program distribution management method and permits access to the B.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the program distribution management method according to claim 3, and further detects authorized users who are not downloading by accessing the download history DB and the user management DB when requested by the administrator. A program distribution management method characterized by notifying a target user by e-mail of a notification urging necessity of downloading the latest version of the program.

  The program distribution system and method of the present invention have the following effects.

  1. When downloading the latest version on HP, it is necessary to log in with a user ID that proves that the user is a legitimate user. Can be confirmed from the HP. Inquiries about the possibility of downloading by mail, telephone, etc. from general users are reduced, and the workload for handling the inquiries on the administrator side is reduced.

  2. Even if it is a download process of an authorized user, if a download history of the same version of the same program is detected by referring to the download history DB, the HP is notified to the user before starting the process that the current download is unnecessary. Notification is possible from above. The user side will be provided with effective judgment materials at the time of download execution, the administrator side will be reduced inquiries about the necessity of download from the user, the download history investigation and user notification work will be reduced, and the workload will be reduced It becomes.

  3. Investigate the download status from the download history DB at the request of the administrator, and if a legitimate user who does not download the latest version of the program is detected, an email notification that prompts the target user to download the latest program is automated It becomes possible to reduce the workload of the administrator. Furthermore, the download of the user who receives the mail indicating the necessity for download is started, and the efficiency of the latest program download process is improved. As a result, the number of inquiries, complaints, etc. regarding problems in the old version that has been improved in the latest version is reduced, and the workload for handling inquiries on the administrator side is also reduced.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a program download management system to which the present invention is applied will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention. The Web server 1 discloses the HP of a target program, and download processing is performed so that a legitimate user can download the latest version of the program. I manage.

  The HP of the program can be viewed from general users other than authorized users. .., 3n are connected to the Web server 1 through the public line network 2. The user terminal devices 3a, 3b,. The administrator terminal 4 that executes the process on the administrator side does not disclose the HP for the process on the administrator side to the general public, and is executed by an operation from within the organization to the Web server 1. ing. The public line network may be realized not only by a normal telephone line but also by an optical cable, a coaxial cable, and other dedicated lines.

  The Web server 1 is provided with three databases: a package program DB 10 for registering information such as the version of each program, a download history DB 11 for registering each user's download process as data, and a user management DB 12 for registering user information.

  In the HP management processing device 6, the user side publishes an HP for performing user registration and download processing, updates the HP when the latest version of the program is released, registers package program information in the package program DB 10, and updates the DB. The download history management device 7 refers to the download history DB 11 and the user management DB 12 at the request of the administrator, and even if the latest version of the program can be downloaded, an e-mail notification that prompts the non-downloaded regular user to download the latest program carry out.

  The user registration processing device 8 registers user information registered from the user side in the user management DB 12 and updates the DB. The download processing device 9 refers to the user management DB 12 and distributes the program only when the user requesting the download process is a regular user, and updates the download history DB 11 when the download process is executed.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of processing on the user side of the user registration processing device 8 and the download processing device 9 in the Web server 1.

  A menu screen for accepting a processing request from the user is displayed, and the requested processing is distributed to user registration or download processing (steps 201, 202, and 206).

  The user registration processing device 8 assigns a user ID and user authentication information to prove that the user is a legitimate user who can download the latest version, and distributes it to the user side. The user management DB 12 is updated based on the user information input from the user side on the HP together with the user ID and user authentication information (steps 203, 204, 205).

  The download processing device 9 performs user authentication as to whether the user is an authorized user registered on the user management DB 12 based on the user ID and user authentication information input by the user on the HP, and performs a download process when the authorized user requests processing. Continue (steps 207, 208, 209).

  Further, the download processing device 9 refers to the download history DB 10 to check the download status of the same user in the past, and if the same version of the program requested for download this time has already been downloaded, the status is posted on the HP. (Steps 210, 211, 212).

  Before executing the download process, information such as a program name and package program information to be downloaded is posted on the HP, and a selection screen for the user to finally determine whether to execute or not execute the download process is posted on the HP page. (Steps 213 and 214).

  When the user selects process execution, the download process is executed and the download history DB 11 is updated (steps 215 and 216).

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an outline of processing on the administrator side of the HP management processing device 6 and the download history management processing device 7 in the Web server 1.

  A menu screen for accepting a processing request from the administrator is displayed, and the requested processing is distributed to the latest package program registration and download history management processing (steps 301, 302, and 305).

  The HP management processor 6 registers the information on the latest package program registered by the administrator on the HP, and updates the package program DB 10 (steps 303 and 304).

  The download history management device 7 verifies the program information registered by the administrator on the HP, refers to the package program DB 10, and is the latest version of the currently released program, and when one month has passed since registration on the HP. Continues the process, and if it is not the latest version or if one month has not passed since registration with HP, a message is sent to the administrator and the process ends. (Steps 306, 307, 308, 309).

  Further, referring to the download history DB 11 and the user management DB 12, when there is a user who has not yet downloaded the latest version, a list of authorized regular users is created, and notifications that prompt the necessity of downloading the latest program are provided. This is executed by e-mail to the user (steps 310, 311, 312, and 313).

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a data structure of three tables in which information necessary for each process of the Web server 1 is registered as a database.

  The user management DB 410 is a table in which a user who has purchased a package program is updated in the user registration process 8.

  Each record of the user management DB 410 includes a user ID 411, user authentication information 412, name 413, company name 414, address 415, telephone number 416, mail address 417, and registration date 418.

  The user ID 411 and the user authentication information 412 register a number and password for proving that the user is an authorized user by user authentication before the start of the download process 9. The user ID and password authentication are assigned and distributed 204 so that the number and password are unique to each user. The user information input on the HP from the user side is registered in the data items of the name 413, the company name 414, the address 415, the telephone number 416, and the mail address 417. Among the user information, the name 413 and the e-mail address 417 that are essential for the mail notification process execution 313 to the target user on the download history management process 7 are required items when the user inputs data, and other items are optional inputs. To do. The registration date 418 registers a date for updating the user management DB 410 at the time of data registration.

  The package program DB 420 is a table for registering package program information at the time of registration to download a new version of a program that has improved the problems confirmed in the old version onto the HP.

  Each record of the package program DB 420 includes a package program name 421, a program version 422, and an HP registration date 423.

  Two keys of a package program name 421 and a program version 422 are used as main keys, and a plurality of versions are managed even in the same program. The HP registration date 423 is the date registered on the HP, and the package program DB 420 is updated in the HP management process 6, the program information input 303 is performed by the administrator, and the package program DB update 304 is executed. To do.

  The download history DB 430 is a table for registering download processing of authorized users as data and referring to the download status survey.

  Each record in the download history DB 430 includes a user ID 431, a package program name 432, a program version 433, and a download date / time 434.

  The user ID 431 verifies whether the user ID and user authentication information input 207 of the download processing apparatus 9 are the user ID 411 and user authentication information 412 registered in the user management DB 410 and authenticates the authorized user. Processing is performed. After the user authentication, it is verified whether the program requested by the user to download is the package program name 421 and program version 422 registered in the package program DB 420, and registered in the package program name 432 and program version 433. Before the download processing execution 215, it is checked whether it has already been downloaded by referring to the download history DB 210, and it is checked whether the same user has already downloaded the same version of the program before. In the case of the second and subsequent downloads, the status is posted on the HP together with the download information, and is used as a judgment material for the download execution on the user side.

  The download history DB update 216 is performed after the download selection execution by the user and the download process execution 215 is actually performed. The download date / time 434 registers the date / time of the download history DB update 216.

  In the download history management processing 7, the download status of each user is investigated by referring to the download history DB 311 using the package program name 432 and the program version 433 as search keys at the request of the administrator, and the latest version download processing of the program is still performed. Detect legitimate users who are not.

  The HP management processing device 6, the download history management processing device 7, the user registration processing device 8, and the download processing device 9 are expressed as “device”, but in reality, the central processing device (CPU) of the computer (Web server 1) is used. Each time, it is realized by reading a necessary computer program and executing its contents.

  In the embodiment described above, it is assumed that the computer program sold to the user is a package program (a computer program in a form stored in a medium such as a CD and sold). The present invention is useful for support work for package programs, but is not limited thereto, and is also useful for support work for computer programs that are downloaded and sold from the beginning.

  It becomes possible to cope with version upgrades of computer programs at a lower cost.

It is a system configuration figure showing an example of an embodiment of the invention. It is a flowchart which shows the outline | summary of the user registration process of a user side process, and a download process. It is a flowchart which shows the outline | summary of the HP management process and download history management process of the process of the administrator side. It is the schematic of the data structure of three tables which have registered the download management information required for each process of a Web server as a database.

Explanation of symbols

1 Web server 2 Public line network 3a, 3b, 3n User terminal 4 Administrator terminal 5 LAN in the organization
6 HP management processing device 7 Download history management device 8 User registration processing device 9 Download processing device 10 Package program DB
11 Download history DB
12 User management DB

Claims (4)

A web server connected to a plurality of user terminals via a public network and an administrator terminal connected to the web server via an intra-organizational LAN. A new version of a computer program is called a homepage (hereinafter referred to as HP). A program distribution management system that allows users to download and distribute
The web server includes
A program database (hereinafter abbreviated as DB) for systematically managing each version of the computer program;
A download history DB that manages each user's previous downloads as download history information;
A user management DB that manages user IDs and user authentication information;
An HP management processing device that publishes a Web page to be accessed by the user for user registration and download processing, updates the Web page when a new version of the program is released, and registers the computer program in the program DB;
A user registration processing device that receives a user's access via a user terminal, distributes a user ID and user authentication information to the user, and registers the information in the user management DB;
The user registers the history information of downloading the program in the download history DB, and when the user desires the download process, the user management DB is accessed to perform the authentication process to confirm that the user is a regular user. Download process for accessing the download history DB for a user who has been confirmed, obtaining the previous download history, displaying it on the user terminal of the user, and allowing the user to access the package program DB A program distribution management system comprising a device. The program distribution management system according to claim 1,
The web server further includes
Download history management processing for detecting a legitimate user who has not been downloaded by accessing the download history DB and user management DB at the request of the administrator, and notifying the target user by e-mail of a notification prompting the necessity of downloading the latest version of the program A program distribution management system comprising an apparatus. A Web server connected to a plurality of user terminals via a public network, and an administrator terminal connected to the Web server via an intra-organization LAN. Each version of the computer program is stored in the Web server. Program DB for systematically managing, download history DB for managing each user's previous download as download history information, user management DB for managing user ID and user authentication information, and user registration and download by user An HP management processing device that publishes a Web page as an access destination for processing, updates the Web page when a new version of the program is published, and registers the computer program in the program DB, and a user via a user terminal Will receive access to the user D and a user registration processing device that distributes user authentication information and registers the information in the user management DB, and allows a user to download a new version of a computer program on a homepage (hereinafter abbreviated as HP). A program distribution management method in a program distribution management system for distributing
Register the history information that the user downloaded the program in the download history DB,
When the user desires download processing, the user management DB is accessed and authentication processing for authenticity is performed,
Access the download history DB for a user confirmed to be a regular user, obtain a previous download history and display it on the user terminal of the user,
A program distribution management method comprising: permitting the user to access the package program DB. The program distribution management method according to claim 3,
further,
At the request of the administrator, the download history DB and the user management DB are accessed to detect a regular user who is not downloading,
A program distribution management method characterized by notifying a target user by e-mail of a notification prompting the necessity of downloading the latest version of the program.

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