Terminal device, terminal management system, terminal management method, and program

Abstract

A terminal device 1 provided with: a first module 12 that has a function for processing prescribed information; a second module 13 that is connected to an external device and manages the first module; and a determination unit (control unit 11) that determines whether at least a part of the second module is to be deleted in response to a change in the state of the first module.

Description

Terminal device, terminal management system, terminal management method and program

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal device, a terminal management system, a terminal management method, and a program.

[0002] In a conventional cloud service, two-way communication is performed between an agent installed on a terminal device and a cloud server. Furthermore, an AI container is deployed on the terminal device through the agent, and various processes are executed.

[0003] In cloud services, when the service itself, contract, or license ends, the user must manually delete (uninstall) modules such as agents and AI containers that have already been installed. Also, when upgrading the cloud service, the user must manually delete the above modules before installing new versions of the agents and AI containers.

[0004] Under the circumstances described above, modules that the user has not completely deleted may remain on the terminal device. Such modules may continue to operate unless they are deleted, resulting in unnecessary communication and consumption of resources such as memory.

[0005] Patent Literature 1 describes a method in which a terminal device automatically deletes a specific application by receiving an uninstall command for the application from a server. Patent Literature 2 describes a method in which a component on a server is deleted. Patent Literature 3 describes a method in which an application on a terminal device is deleted when the user accesses a cloud server from the terminal device.

[0006] JP 2011-30233 A JP 2020-64586 A JP 2015-201111 A

[0007] However, in Patent Document 1, applications related to the application being deleted are not deleted at the same time. Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, the purpose is to delete components on the server, so components on the terminal device are not deleted. Furthermore, in Patent Document 3, an application is not deleted unless the user operates the terminal device to connect to the cloud server.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to prevent the occurrence of unnecessary communication and consumption of resources such as memory relatively easily.

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, the terminal device of the present invention comprises: a first module having a function of processing predetermined information; a second module connected to an external device and managing the first module; and a judgment unit that determines whether at least a portion of the second module is to be deleted in response to a change in the state of the first module.

[0010] In addition, the terminal management system according to the present invention comprises: a first module having a function of processing specified information; a second module connected to an external device and managing the first module; and a judgment unit that judges whether at least a portion of the second module is to be deleted in response to a change in the state of the first module.

[0011] In addition, the terminal management method of the present invention includes, in a terminal device or terminal management system having a first module having a function of processing specified information and a second module connected to an external device and managing the first module, a judgment step of determining whether at least a part of the second module is to be deleted in response to a change in the state of the first module.

[0012] In addition, the program of the present invention causes a terminal device or a computer of a terminal management system, which includes a first module having the function of processing specified information and a second module connected to an external device and managing the first module, to function as a judgment unit that determines whether at least a portion of the second module is to be deleted in response to a change in the state of the first module.

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent unnecessary communication and consumption of resources such as memory relatively easily.

[0014] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a terminal management system. It is a flow diagram of a deletion process. It is an image diagram of a deletion completion display screen. It is a flow diagram of a deletion process. It is an image diagram of a compatibility information list.

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and drawings.

[0016] <Terminal Management System 100> First, the configuration of the terminal management system 100 will be described using Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the terminal management system 100 includes a terminal device 1, a cloud server 2 (external device), and a sensing device 3. The terminal device 1 and the cloud server 2 transmit and receive information via a communication network N.

[0017] The terminal device 1 is a device that allows a user to perform AI processing of predetermined information. The terminal device 1 is located, for example, in a shopping mall, a company, or a factory. The predetermined information is, for example, information acquired from a sensing device 3 or the like. The cloud server 2 is a device that deploys an AI container for executing the above-mentioned AI processing to the terminal device 1. Note that the cloud server 2 may be an on-premise device. The sensing device 3 is, for example, a camera. The communication network N is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), the Internet, etc.

[0018] An agent is installed on the terminal device 1. The terminal device 1 is managed by the cloud server 2, and the administrator of the terminal management system 100 operates an administrator terminal device (not shown) connected to the cloud server 2 to deploy an AI container via the agent to the terminal device 1 through the cloud server 2. The AI ​​container runs on a platform for creating, distributing, and executing a container-type virtual environment. Once the AI ​​container is deployed, the terminal device 1 becomes capable of AI processing of specified information.

[0019] <Terminal Device 1> Next, the configuration of the terminal device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the terminal device 1 includes a control unit 11, a first module 12, a second module 13, an operation unit 14, a communication unit 15, a storage unit 16, and a display unit 17.

[0020] The control unit 11 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The CPU of the control unit 11 reads various programs stored in the storage unit 16, loads them into the RAM, executes various processes in accordance with the loaded programs, and controls the operation of each unit of the terminal device 1. The control unit 11 functions as a determination unit that determines whether at least a portion of a second module (described later) is to be deleted in response to a change in the state of a first module (described later). The control unit 11 functions as a deletion unit that deletes at least a portion of the first module and / or the second module.

[0021] The first module 12 is a module having a function of processing predetermined information. The first module 12 is, for example, an AI container.

[0022] The second module 13 is a module that is connected to the cloud server 2 and the first module 12 and manages the first module 12. The second module 13 is, for example, an agent, a platform, or a library associated with the platform.

[0023] The operation unit 14 is a keyboard equipped with cursor keys, numeric input keys, various function keys, etc., a pointing device such as a mouse, a touch panel laminated on the surface of the display unit 17, etc. The operation unit 14 is configured to be operable by an operator, and outputs various signals to the control unit 11 based on operations performed by the operator.

[0024] The communication unit 15 is capable of transmitting and receiving various signals and various data to and from other devices connected via the communication network N.

[0025] The storage unit 16 is configured with a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk, etc., and stores various programs executed by the control unit 11, parameters required for executing the programs, various data, etc. The storage unit 16 stores information regarding termination dates (termination notices) related to the cloud server 2. The information regarding termination dates includes, in addition to the termination date and time, information indicating, for example, the termination of the cloud server 2 service (service termination notice), the termination of a contract to use the cloud server 2 (contract termination notice), or the expiration of a license to use the cloud server 2 (license termination notice). The storage unit 16 stores update notices. The update notices are information notifying of an update to the version of the cloud server 2. The update notices include compatibility information ( FIG. 5 ), which will be described later. The storage unit 16 stores information related to at least a portion of the first module and / or second module to be deleted (first module-related information, second module-related information). The first module-related information is information used to install the first module (e.g., device name, CPU type, installation location, etc.). The second module-related information is information used to deploy the second module (for example, container name, tag, deployment location, etc.).

[0026] The display unit 17 is configured with a monitor such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays various screens and the like according to instructions of a display signal input from the control unit 11. The display unit 17 functions as a notification unit that notifies the user of the deletion. Note that the display unit 17 may include a speaker, a lamp, and the like in addition to the monitor. The notification unit may notify the user using at least one of the monitor, speaker, lamp, and the like.

[0027] <Cloud Server 2> Next, the configuration of the cloud server 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the cloud server 2 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, and a storage unit 23.

[0028] The control unit 21 is configured with a CPU, RAM, etc. The CPU of the control unit 21 reads out various programs stored in the storage unit 23, loads them into the RAM, executes various processes in accordance with the loaded programs, and controls the operation of each unit of the cloud server 2.

[0029] The communication unit 22 is capable of transmitting and receiving various signals and various data to and from other devices connected via the communication network N.

[0030] The storage unit 23 is configured by a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk, etc., and stores various programs executed by the control unit 21, parameters required for executing the programs, various data, etc.

[0031] <Deletion Process: Case 1 When a Termination Notification is Receipt> Next, the deletion process when a termination notification is received in the terminal device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The deletion process is a process of deleting the first module 12 and the second module 13. In the deletion process, the second module to be deleted is changed in response to a change in the desired state of the first module 12 corresponding to the termination notification. It is assumed that the administrator of the terminal management system 100 has set in the cloud server 2 the timing at which the termination notification is sent from the cloud server 2 and the content of the termination notification before the deletion process.

[0032] First, the control unit 11 controls the communication unit 15 to receive a termination notification from the cloud server 2 via the network N (step S1). After receiving the termination notification, the control unit 11 stores the content of the termination notification in the storage unit 16. If the control unit 11 receives another termination notification before the termination date and time, the control unit 11 updates the content of the termination notification stored in the storage unit 16.

[0033] Next, the control unit 11 determines whether the current time of the terminal device 1 has reached the end date and time (step S2). If the date and time is the end date and time (step S2; YES), the control unit 11 proceeds with the deletion process to step S3. If the date and time is not the end date and time (step S2; YES), the control unit 11 proceeds with the deletion process to step S2.

[0034] Next, the control unit 11 determines whether the termination notification is a service termination notification (step S3). If the termination notification is a service termination notification (step S3; YES), the control unit 11 proceeds to the deletion process at step S4. If the termination notification is not a service termination notification (step S3; NO), the control unit 11 proceeds to the deletion process at step S5.

[0035] Next, the control unit 11 deletes all the second modules 13 (step S4), or deletes the second modules 13 except for the platform and the library (step S5).

[0036] Next, the control unit 11 deletes the first module 12 (step S6).

[0037] Next, the control unit 11 causes the display unit 17 to display a deletion completion message (step S7). For example, the control unit 11 causes the display unit 17 to display a deletion completion message screen D1 shown in Fig. 3. It is preferable to display the deleted modules as shown in the deletion completion message screen D1 shown in Fig. 3.

[0038] Next, the control unit 11 controls the communication unit 15 to send a deletion completion notification to the cloud server 2 via the network N (step S8), and ends the deletion process. Based on the deletion completion notification received by the cloud server 2, the administrator of the terminal management system 100 manages the deletion completion status of the terminal device 1.

[0039] This allows modules that should be deleted to be deleted appropriately, making it relatively easy to prevent unnecessary communication and consumption of resources such as memory.If the termination notice is not a service termination notice, by not deleting the platform and library, you can continue to use the platform and library if there is a possibility of contract renewal or license extension.

[0040] In the above, a judgment is made based on whether the termination notification is a service termination notification, and the deletion content is determined based on that judgment, but the termination notification is not limited to a service termination notification and may be any of the other notifications mentioned above.

[0041] <Deletion Process: Case 2, When an Update Notification is Received> Next, the deletion process when an update notification is received in the terminal device 1 will be described using FIG. 4 . Similar to Case 1, the deletion process is a process of deleting the first module 12 and the second module 13. In Case 2, the deletion process determines whether to delete the second module in response to a change in the desired state of the first module 12 corresponding to the update notification. Note that, because Case 2 is a process accompanying an update of the cloud server 2, it basically determines whether to delete the second module "excluding the platform and library." This is because the same platform and library will continue to be used before and after the update of the cloud server 2. The administrator of the terminal management system 100 sets the timing of the update notification sent from the cloud server 2 and the content of the update notification in the cloud server 2 before the deletion process.

[0042] First, the control unit 11 controls the communication unit 15 to receive an update notification from the cloud server 2 via the network N (step S11). After receiving the update notification, the control unit 11 stores the contents of the update notification in the storage unit 16.

[0043] The compatibility information included in the update notification will now be described with reference to Fig. 5. The correspondence table at the top of Fig. 5 is a table showing the compatibility between agent versions and the cloud server 2. The "Compatibility between AI container and latest agent" at the bottom of Fig. 5 is information showing the compatibility between the AI ​​container, which is the first module installed on the terminal device 1 via the cloud server 2, and the latest version of the agent.

[0044] Next, the control unit 11 checks the compatibility of the installed second module 13 based on the compatibility information (step S12). If there is compatibility (step S13; YES), the control unit 11 ends the deletion process. If there is no compatibility (step S13; NO), the control unit 11 proceeds with the deletion process to step S14. For example, if the agent version of the terminal device 1 is 2.1, the control unit 11 determines that the cloud compatibility is "False," and therefore proceeds with the deletion process to step S14.

[0045] Next, the control unit 11 acquires the second module related information and stores it in the storage unit 16 (step S14). After acquiring the information, the control unit 11 deletes the second module 13 (step S15).

[0046] Next, the control unit 11 checks the compatibility of the installed first module 12 based on the compatibility information (step S16). If there is compatibility (step S17; YES), the control unit 11 ends the deletion process. If there is no compatibility (step S17; NO), the control unit 11 proceeds with the deletion process to step S18. For example, since the AI ​​container, which is the first module 12 of the terminal device 1, has "False" as the "Compatibility between AI container and latest agent," the control unit 11 proceeds with the deletion process to step S18.

[0047] Next, the control unit 11 acquires the first module related information and stores it in the storage unit 16 (step S18). After acquiring the information, the control unit 11 deletes the first module 12 (step S19).

[0048] Next, the control unit 11 controls the communication unit 15 to send a deletion completion notification to the cloud server 2 via the network N (step S20), and ends the deletion process. As in Case 1, the administrator of the terminal management system 100 manages the deletion completion status of the terminal device 1 based on the deletion completion notification received by the cloud server 2.

[0049] This allows modules that should be deleted to be deleted appropriately, and relatively easily prevents unnecessary communication and consumption of resources such as memory. Furthermore, obtaining the first module-related information and the second module-related information can be useful when installing a new module after deleting a module.

[0050] <Others> In the above, the case where the control unit 11 of the terminal device 1 functions as a determination unit has been described, but this is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 21 of the cloud server 2 may be given the function of a determination unit. In other words, any control unit included in the terminal management system 100 can be given the function of a determination unit.

[0051] As described above, the terminal device 1 includes a first module 12 that has the function of processing predetermined information, a second module 13 that is connected to an external device and manages the first module, and a determination unit (control unit 11) that determines whether at least a portion of the second module is to be deleted in response to a change in the state of the first module. Therefore, by utilizing the result of this determination, modules that should be deleted can be appropriately deleted, making it relatively easy to prevent unnecessary communication and consumption of resources such as memory.

[0052] Furthermore, the determination unit (control unit 11) determines whether the state of the first module 12 will change in response to a change in the version of the external device (cloud server 2). Therefore, by utilizing this determination result, modules that should be deleted can be appropriately deleted, and unnecessary communication and consumption of resources such as memory can be relatively easily prevented.

[0053] Furthermore, in response to the termination of a service by an external device (cloud server 2), the determination unit (control unit 11) determines that the platform and libraries associated with the platform included in the second module 13 are to be deleted. Therefore, by utilizing this determination result, it becomes possible to appropriately delete modules that should be deleted, and it is relatively easy to prevent unnecessary communication and consumption of resources such as memory.

[0054] The storage unit 16 also stores information related to the first module 12 and / or the second module 13 to be deleted, which is useful when installing a new module after the module has been deleted.

[0055] The terminal management system 100 also includes a first module 12 that has the function of processing predetermined information, a second module 13 that is connected to an external device and manages the first module, and a determination unit (control unit 11) that determines whether at least a portion of the second module is to be deleted in response to a change in the state of the first module. Therefore, by utilizing the result of this determination, modules that should be deleted can be appropriately deleted, making it relatively easy to prevent unnecessary communication and consumption of resources such as memory.

[0056] The terminal management method also includes a determination step (steps S3, S13, and S17) for determining whether at least a part of the second module is to be deleted in response to a change in the state of the first module in a terminal device 1 or a terminal management system 100 that includes a first module 12 having a function of processing predetermined information and a second module 13 that is connected to an external device and manages the first module. Therefore, by utilizing the result of this determination, it is possible to appropriately delete modules that should be deleted, and it is relatively easy to prevent unnecessary communication and consumption of resources such as memory.

[0057] The program also causes the terminal device 1 or the computer of the terminal management system 100, which includes a first module 12 having a function of processing predetermined information and a second module 13 connected to an external device and managing the first module, to function as a determination unit (control unit 11) that determines whether at least a part of the second module is to be deleted in response to a change in the state of the first module. Therefore, by utilizing the result of this determination, modules that should be deleted can be appropriately deleted, making it relatively easy to prevent unnecessary communication and consumption of resources such as memory.

[0058] While the present invention has been specifically described above based on the embodiments, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the above description discloses an example in which a hard disk or a semiconductor nonvolatile memory is used as a computer-readable medium for the program according to the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this example. Portable recording media such as a CD-ROM can also be used as other computer-readable media.

[0059] In addition, the detailed configuration and operation of each device can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0060] The present invention can be used in a terminal device, a terminal management system, a terminal management method, and a program.

[0061] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Terminal management system 1 Terminal device 11 Control unit (determination unit) 12 First module 13 Second module 14 Operation unit 15 Communication unit 16 Storage unit 17 Display unit (notification unit) 2 Cloud server 21 Control unit 21 Communication unit 21 Storage unit 3 Sensing device N Communication network

Claims

1. A terminal device comprising: a first module having a function of processing predetermined information; a second module connected to an external device and managing the first module; and a determination unit that determines whether at least a part of the second module is to be deleted in response to a change in the state of the first module.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether the state of the first module is changed in response to a change in the version of the external device.

3. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that a platform and a library associated with the platform included in the second module are to be deleted in response to the end of service by the external device.

4. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the second module includes an agent, a platform, and a library associated with the platform.

5. The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit, wherein the storage unit stores information regarding an end date related to the external device.

6. The terminal device according to claim 5, wherein the storage unit stores information related to at least a part of the first module and / or the second module to be deleted.

7. The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising a deletion unit that deletes at least a part of the first module and / or the second module when the determination unit determines that at least a part of the first module and / or the second module is to be deleted.

8. The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein the deletion unit deletes the first module after deleting the second module.

9. The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that notifies that deletion is to be performed when the determination unit determines that at least a part of the first module and / or the second module is to be deleted.

10. The terminal device according to claim 9, wherein the notification unit notifies that deletion is to be performed based on the version of the external device.

11. A terminal management system comprising: a first module having a function of processing predetermined information; a second module connected to an external device and managing the first module; and a determination unit that determines whether at least a part of the second module is to be deleted in response to a change in the state of the first module.

12. The terminal management system according to claim 11, comprising a sensing device, wherein the first module processes information sensed by the sensing device.

13. In a terminal device or a terminal management system including a first module having a function of processing predetermined information and a second module connected to an external device and managing the first module, a determination step of determining whether at least a part of the second module is to be targeted for deletion in response to a change in the state of the first module.

14. A program that causes a computer of a terminal device or a terminal management system including a first module having a function of processing predetermined information and a second module connected to an external device and managing the first module to function as a determination unit that determines whether at least a part of the second module is to be targeted for deletion in response to a change in the state of the first module.

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