JP2020173681A - File export and import system, and electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

To export an application file from an electronic device to import it to another electronic device.SOLUTION: A first electronic device creates an application file exported from the first electronic device and an export file including export date and time when the application file is exported, reads a property file of the export file created by a file system of the first electronic device and including export file creation time and date when the export file is created, and writes the export file and the property file in a recording medium. A second electronic device, when determining that the export time and date and the export file creation time and date are matched with each other, imports the application file included in the export file into the second electronic device, and erases the export file and the property file from the recording medium after installation thereof.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a file export and import system, which is a system for exporting a file from an electronic device and importing it into another electronic device. The present invention further relates to an electronic device that exports a file and an electronic device that imports a file.

With the replacement of electronic devices, there is known a technique of exporting an application file installed in an old electronic device from the old electronic device and importing it into another new electronic device.

JP-A-2009-271680

The technology of exporting an application file from an electronic device and importing it into another electronic device should be both convenient and authentic to prevent unauthorized export and import of the application file.

The file export and import system according to one embodiment of the present invention is
A first electronic device having a first control circuit,
A second electronic device having a second control circuit,
A recording medium accessible to the first electronic device and the second electronic device is provided.
The first control circuit of the first electronic device is
An export file including the application file exported from the first electronic device and the export date and time, which is the date and time when the application file was exported, is created.
Read the property file of the export file including the export file creation date and time, which is the date and time when the export file was created, created by the file system of the first electronic device.
Write the export file and the property file to the recording medium,
The application file exported from the first electronic device is irreversibly deactivated and
The second control circuit of the second electronic device is
The export file and the property file are read from the recording medium,
It is determined whether or not the export date and time included in the export file and the export file creation date and time included in the property file match.
When it is determined that the export date and time and the export file creation date and time match, the application file included in the export file is imported into the second electronic device, and after the import is completed, the export file and the property file are imported. Erase from the recording medium.

(1) According to the present embodiment, the import is permitted to the second electronic device only when the export date and time and the export file creation date and time match and the export file is genuine, so that the activation key is unnecessary. At the same time, there is no risk of application files being illegally imported into multiple electronic devices. Further, as a result of the first electronic device irreversibly deactivating the application file and the second electronic device erasing the export file and property file from the USB flash drive 20, only one second electronic device However, the application file can be imported.

The application file contains the application package and activation information.
The first control circuit of the first electronic device is
The activation information of the application file exported from the first electronic device is rewritten with information indicating that activation is possible without an activation key.
The application file including the application package and the activation information after rewriting, and the export file including the export date and time are created.

(2) According to the present embodiment, by enabling activation without an activation key, the electronic device to which the application package is imported is not specified. In other words, the application package is allowed to be imported into an unspecified electronic device. In this way, the application package is allowed to be imported into an unspecified electronic device, and at the same time, as described above, only one second electronic device can use the application file. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both the convenience of not having an activation key and the authenticity of always using one electronic device to be imported.

The first control circuit of the first electronic device is
That the activation information of the application file exported from the first electronic device can be activated without the activation key including the information for identifying the second electronic device to which the application file is imported. Rewrite with the information shown.

(3) According to the present embodiment, if the serviceman does not know the identifier of the new electronic device before installing the new electronic device, the activation key is not issued before installing the new electronic device. There is no risk that application files cannot be imported into new electronic devices at the right time.

The first control circuit of the first electronic device is
The export date and time is encrypted, and the export file including the application file and the encrypted export date and time is created.
The second control circuit of the second electronic device is
The encrypted export date and time included in the export file is decrypted, and it is determined whether or not the decrypted export date and time and the export file creation date and time included in the property file match.

(4) According to the present embodiment, according to the present embodiment, by encrypting the export date and time, it is possible to prevent the export date and time from being illegally rewritten in the future.

The second control circuit of the second electronic device is
If it is determined that the export date and time and the export file creation date and time do not match, the application file is not imported into the second electronic device, and the export file and the property file are not deleted from the recording medium.

(5) According to the present embodiment, it is possible to guarantee the authenticity that the number of electronic devices to be imported is always one.

The electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention is
Create an export file containing the application file exported from the electronic device and the export date and time, which is the date and time when the application file was exported.
Read the property file of the export file, including the export file creation date and time, which is the date and time when the export file was created, created by the file system of the electronic device.
Write the export file and the property file to the recording medium,
A first control circuit that irreversibly deactivates the application file exported from the electronic device.

The electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention is
Read the application file, the export file including the export date and time when the application file was exported, and the property file including the export file creation date and time which is the date and time when the export file was created from the recording medium.
It is determined whether or not the export date and time included in the export file and the export file creation date and time included in the property file match.
When it is determined that the export date and time and the export file creation date and time match, the application file included in the export file is imported into the electronic device, and after the import is completed, the export file and the property file are transferred from the recording medium. It has a second control circuit to erase.

According to the present invention, in the technique of exporting an application file from an electronic device and importing it into another electronic device, it is possible to achieve both convenience and authenticity to prevent unauthorized export and import of the application file. ..

The effects described here are not necessarily limited, and may be any of the effects described in the present invention.

The hardware configuration of the electronic device according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown. The functional configuration of the first electronic device and the second electronic device is shown. The file created by the first electronic device is schematically shown. The operation flow of the first electronic device is shown. The operation flow of the second electronic device is shown.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1. 1. Hardware configuration of electronic devices

FIG. 1 shows a hardware configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, an image forming apparatus (Multifunction Peripheral) will be described as an example of the electronic device 10. The electronic device 10 includes a control circuit 100. The control circuit 100 is composed of a CPU 11a (Central Processing Unit) which is a processor, a RAM 11b (Random Access Memory), a ROM 11c (Read Only Memory) which is a memory, a dedicated hardware circuit, and the like, and is an overall image forming apparatus 10. Controls motion control. The CPU 11a loads the information processing program stored in the ROM 11c into the RAM 11b and executes it. The ROM 11c fixedly stores programs, data, and the like executed by the CPU 11a. The ROM 11c is an example of a non-transient computer-readable recording medium.

The control circuit 100 includes a USB interface 11, an image reading unit 12 (image scanner), an image processing unit 14 (including a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)), an image memory 15, an image forming unit 16 (printer), and a display unit 17a. It is connected to an operation unit 17 (touch panel), a large-capacity non-volatile storage device 18 such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), a facsimile communication unit 19, a network communication interface 13, and the like. The control circuit 100 controls the operation of each of the connected parts and transmits / receives a signal or data to / from each part. The USB interface 11 is an interface for accessing the mounted USB flash drive 20 (recording medium) to read / write information.

2. Functional configuration of the first electronic device and the second electronic device

FIG. 2 shows the functional configuration of the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

The application file 210 is imported into the first electronic device 10A. With the replacement of the first electronic device 10A with the second electronic device 10B, the application file 210 is exported from the first electronic device 10A and imported into the second electronic device 10B. Hereinafter, the electronic device 10 for exporting the application file 210 will be referred to as the first electronic device 10A, and the electronic device 10 for importing the application file 210 will be described and illustrated as the second electronic device 10B.

In the control circuit 100 of the first electronic device 10A, the CPU 11a loads the information processing program 110 stored in the ROM 11c into the RAM 11b and executes it, thereby executing the application file export unit 111, the activation information rewriting unit 112, and the export date / time encryption. It operates as a unit 113, an export file creation unit 114, a property file reading unit 115, a file writing unit 116, and a deactivation unit 117.

In the control circuit 100 of the second electronic device 10B, the CPU 11a loads the information processing program stored in the ROM 11c into the RAM 11b and executes it to execute the file reading unit 101, the export date / time decoding unit 102, the date / time comparison unit 103, and the file. It operates as an import unit 104 and a file erase unit 105.

3. 3. Operation of the first electronic device

FIG. 3 schematically shows a file created by the first electronic device. FIG. 4 shows an operation flow of the first electronic device.

The application file export unit 111 of the first electronic device 10A exports the application file 210 (step S101). The application file 210 includes the application package 211 and the activation information 212. The application package 211 contains the application program data itself. The activation information 212 includes a so-called activation key required for the first electronic device 10A to activate the application package 211. Typically, the activation key contains information that identifies the electronic device 10 (first electronic device 10A) to which the application file is to be imported. For example, the activation key is a character string including an identifier that identifies the first electronic device 10A to which the application file is to be imported and an identifier that identifies the application file.

The activation information rewriting unit 112 rewrites the activation information 212 included in the exported application file 210 (step S102). Specifically, the activation information rewriting unit 112 rewrites the activation information 212 with information indicating that activation is possible without an activation key. As mentioned above, the activation key contains information that identifies the electronic device 10 to which the application file is imported. Therefore, by rewriting the activation information 212 with information indicating that the activation can be performed without the activation key, the electronic device 10 to which the application package 211 is to be imported is not specified. In other words, the application package 211 is allowed to be imported into the unspecified electronic device 10.

The export date / time encryption unit 113 acquires the date / time (export date / time) when the application file 210 was exported, and encrypts the export date / time (step S103). The reason for encrypting the export date and time is to prevent the export date and time from being illegally rewritten in the future.

The export file creation unit 114 creates an export file 200 including the exported application file 210 and the encrypted export date and time 220 (step S104). The application file 210 includes the application package 211 and the rewritten activation information 212.

The operating system file system 120 creates a non-rewritable property file 300 when the export file 200 is created. The property file 300 includes the file information 310. The file information 310 includes, for example, a file name, type, location, size, export file creation date / time 311, modification date / time, access date / time, and attributes. The export file creation date and time 311 is the creation date and time of the export file 200, and coincides with the export date and time 220.

The property file reading unit 115 reads the property file 300 from the storage device 18 (step S105).

The file writing unit 116 writes the export file 200 and the property file 300 to the USB flash drive 20 attached to the USB interface 11 (typically attached by a service person) (step S106).

The deactivation unit 117 irreversibly deactivates the application file 210 exported from the first electronic device 10A (step S107). This makes it irreversibly impossible for the first electronic device 10A to execute the application file 210.

4. Operation of the second electronic device

FIG. 5 shows an operation flow of the second electronic device.

The file reading unit 101 of the second electronic device 10B reads the export file 200 and the property file 300 from the USB flash drive 20 mounted on the USB interface 11 (typically mounted by a service person) (step S201). ..

The export date / time decoding unit 102 decrypts the encrypted export date / time 220 included in the read export file 200 (step S202).

The date / time comparison unit 103 compares the decrypted export date / time 220 with the export file creation date / time 311 included in the property file 300, and determines whether or not they match (step S203). When the export date and time 220 and the export file creation date and time 311 match, it means that the export file 200 is a genuine export file 200 created by the first electronic device 10A of the export source (step S204, YES). On the other hand, the fact that the export date / time 220 and the export file creation date / time 311 do not match (typically, the export file creation date / time 311 is later than the export date / time 220) means that the export file 200 exported to the export date / time 220 , It means that the file was illegally duplicated at the subsequent export file creation date and time 311 (step S204, NO).

When the export date / time 220 and the export file creation date / time 311 match (step S204, YES), the file import unit 104 imports the application file 210 included in the export file 200 into the second electronic device 10B and activates it. (Step S205).

After the import of the application file 210 is completed, the file erasing unit 105 erases the export file 200 and the property file 300 from the USB flash drive 20 mounted on the USB interface 11 (step S206). This makes it impossible to further import the application file 210 into another electronic device 10 (not shown) using the export file 200 and the property file 300 recorded in the USB flash drive 20. In other words, the application file 210 can be imported by using the export file 200 and the property file 300 recorded in the USB flash drive 20 by one unspecified electronic device 10 (in this example, the second one). Limited to electronic devices 10B).

On the other hand, when the export date / time 220 and the export file creation date / time 311 do not match (step S204, NO), the file import unit 104 cancels the import because the export file 200 is illegally duplicated (END). .. In other words, the file import unit 104 does not import the application file 210 included in the illegally duplicated export file 200 into the second electronic device 10B. The file erasing unit 105 does not erase the export file 200 and the property file 300 from the USB flash drive 20.

5. Modification example

In the present embodiment, the first electronic device 10A writes the export file 200 and the property file 300 to the USB flash drive 20. The second electronic device 10B reads the export file 200 and the property file 300 from the USB flash drive 20.

Instead of the USB flash drive 20, any recording medium may be used as long as it is an accessible recording medium of the first electronic device 10A and the second electronic device 10B. For example, the first electronic device 10A and the second electronic device 10B may write and read the export file 200 and the property file 300 to the recording medium of the information processing device (not shown) accessible via the network. Good.

6. Conclusion

The electronic device 10 may be replaced due to aging or failure. When replacing the electronic device 10, the application file used in the old electronic device 10 is exported from the old electronic device 10 and imported into the new electronic device 10. A so-called activation key is typically required to import and activate the application file into the new electronic device 10. Typically, the activation key includes an identifier that identifies the electronic device 10 to be imported in order to limit the import of the application file to one electronic device 10. If an activation key is required to import the application file, the activation key must be issued before installing the new electronic device 10. However, if the serviceman does not know the identifier of the new electronic device 10 before installing the new electronic device 10, the activation key may not be issued before the new electronic device 10 is installed. As a result, the application file may not be imported into the new electronic device 10 at an appropriate timing. On the other hand, if the activation key is not required to import the application file into the new electronic device 10, the application file may be illegally imported into the plurality of electronic devices 10.

(1) In view of the above circumstances, according to the present embodiment, the first electronic device 10A includes an export file 200 including an application file 210 and an export date and time 220, and a property file including an export file creation date and time 311. 300 is written to the USB flash drive 20 (steps S101-S106). The second electronic device 10B imports the application file 210 when the export date / time 220 and the export file creation date / time 311 match (steps S201-S205). When the export date and time 220 and the export file creation date and time 311 match, it means that the export file 200 is a genuine export file 200 created by the first electronic device 10A of the export source. As a result, the import is permitted to the second electronic device 10B only when the export file 200 is genuine, so that the activation key is not required and the application file 210 is illegally imported to the plurality of electronic devices 10. There is no risk of

Further, the first electronic device 10A irreversibly deactivates the application file 210 (step S107). This makes it irreversibly impossible for the first electronic device 10A to execute the application file 210. Further, the second electronic device 10B erases the export file 200 and the property file 300 from the USB flash drive 20 after the import is completed (step S206). This makes it impossible to further import the application file 210 into another electronic device 10 (not shown) using the export file 200 and the property file 300 recorded in the USB flash drive 20. In other words, the application file 210 can be imported by using the export file 200 and the property file 300 recorded in the USB flash drive 20 by one unspecified electronic device 10 (in this example, the second one). Limited to electronic devices 10B). As a result, the first electronic device 10A irreversibly deactivates the application file 210, and the second electronic device 10B erases the export file 200 and the property file 300 from the USB flash drive 20. Only the second electronic device 10B of the above can use the application file 210.

(2) According to the present embodiment, the first electronic device 10A rewrites the activation information 212 into information indicating that the activation can be performed without the activation key (step S102). As a result, the electronic device 10 to which the application package 211 is imported is not specified. In other words, the application package 211 is allowed to be imported into the unspecified electronic device 10. In this way, the application package 211 is allowed to be imported into the unspecified electronic device 10, and at the same time, as described above, only one second electronic device 10B can use the application file 210. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both the convenience of not having an activation key and the authenticity of always using one electronic device 10 to be imported.

(3) According to the present embodiment, the first electronic device 10A can activate the activation information 212 without an activation key including information for identifying the second electronic device 10B to which the application file 210 is imported. It is rewritten with the information indicating that (step S102). As a result, if the serviceman does not know the identifier of the new electronic device 10 before installing the new electronic device 10, the activation key is not issued before the new electronic device 10 is installed, and the application file is updated. There is no possibility that a case may occur in which the electronic device 10 cannot be imported at an appropriate timing.

(4) According to the present embodiment, the first electronic device 10A encrypts the export date and time 220 (step S103). For example, if the export file 200 is illegally duplicated, the export file creation date and time 311 becomes the date and time at the time of replication. If the export date / time 220 is not encrypted, if the export date / time 220 is rewritten to the export file creation date / time 311 (date / time at the time of duplication), the export date / time 220 and the export file creation date / time 311 match, and the duplicated export file 200 Can be illegally imported into another electronic device 10. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, by encrypting the export date and time 220, it is possible to prevent the export date and time 220 from being illegally rewritten in the future.

(5) According to the present embodiment, if the second electronic device 10B determines that the export date / time 220 and the export file creation date / time 311 do not match, the second electronic device 10B does not import the application file 210 into the second electronic device 10B (step). S204, NO). If the export date and time 220 and the export file creation date and time 311 do not match, the export file 200 is illegally duplicated and the application file 210 is not imported. As a result, it is possible to ensure the authenticity that the number of electronic devices 10 to be imported is always one.

Although each embodiment and each modification of the present technology have been described above, the present technology is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present technology. Of course.

First electronic device 10A
Second electronic device 10B
USB flash drive 20
File reading unit 101
Export date and time decoding unit 102
Date and time comparison unit 103
File import unit 104
File eraser 105
Application file export unit 111
Activate information rewriting unit 112
Export date and time encryption unit 113
Export file creation unit 114
Property file reader 115
File writing unit 116
Deactivate section 117
Export file 200
Application file 210
Application package 211
Activation information 212
Export date and time 220
Property file 300
Export file creation date and time 311

Claims (7)

A first electronic device having a first control circuit,
A second electronic device having a second control circuit,
A recording medium accessible to the first electronic device and the second electronic device is provided.
The first control circuit of the first electronic device is
An export file including the application file exported from the first electronic device and the export date and time, which is the date and time when the application file was exported, is created.
Read the property file of the export file including the export file creation date and time, which is the date and time when the export file was created, created by the file system of the first electronic device.
Write the export file and the property file to the recording medium,
The application file exported from the first electronic device is irreversibly deactivated and
The second control circuit of the second electronic device is
The export file and the property file are read from the recording medium,
It is determined whether or not the export date and time included in the export file and the export file creation date and time included in the property file match.
When it is determined that the export date and time and the export file creation date and time match, the application file included in the export file is imported into the second electronic device, and after the import is completed, the export file and the property file are imported. A file export and import system that erases from recording media. The file export and import system according to claim 1.
The application file contains the application package and activation information.
The first control circuit of the first electronic device is
The activation information of the application file exported from the first electronic device is rewritten with information indicating that activation is possible without an activation key.
A file export and import system that creates the export file containing the application package and the rewritten activation information, and the export date and time. The file export and import system according to claim 2.
The first control circuit of the first electronic device is
That the activation information of the application file exported from the first electronic device can be activated without the activation key including information for identifying the second electronic device to which the application file is imported. A file export and import system that rewrites the information shown. The file export / import system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The first control circuit of the first electronic device is
The export date and time is encrypted, and the export file including the application file and the encrypted export date and time is created.
The second control circuit of the second electronic device is
File export and import that decrypts the encrypted export date and time included in the export file and determines whether or not the decrypted export date and time and the export file creation date and time included in the property file match. system. The file export / import system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The second control circuit of the second electronic device is
If it is determined that the export date and time and the export file creation date and time do not match, the application file is not imported into the second electronic device, and the export file and the property file are not deleted from the recording medium. File export and import system. It ’s an electronic device,
Create an export file containing the application file exported from the electronic device and the export date and time, which is the date and time when the application file was exported.
Read the property file of the export file, including the export file creation date and time, which is the date and time when the export file was created, created by the file system of the electronic device.
Write the export file and the property file to the recording medium,
An electronic device having a first control circuit that irreversibly deactivates the application file exported from the electronic device. It ’s an electronic device,
Read the application file, the export file including the export date and time when the application file was exported, and the property file including the export file creation date and time which is the date and time when the export file was created from the recording medium.
It is determined whether or not the export date and time included in the export file and the export file creation date and time included in the property file match.
When it is determined that the export date and time and the export file creation date and time match, the application file included in the export file is imported into the electronic device, and after the import is completed, the export file and the property file are transferred from the recording medium. An electronic device having a second control circuit to be erased.

Images