License Management Server for Multifunction Peripheral Applications
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional information processing systems struggle to manage license information for applications installed on multifunction peripherals (MFPs) when the sources of license information issuance differ, leading to difficulties in collective management.
Innovation Solution
An information processing system comprising an MFP, a first server for storing correspondence information between application identifying information and server specifying information, and multiple second servers for managing use authority information, allowing the MFP to request and receive license information from the appropriate server, enabling collective management of license information across different sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single license management server is used to manage license information, then the management system is simple and easy to operate, but it cannot accommodate applications whose license information is issued by different servers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a license management server as an intermediary component that mediates between the information processing apparatus and multiple external license information management servers. This intermediary server stores correspondence information mapping application identifying information to server specifying information, enabling the system to handle licenses from multiple sources without requiring the information processing apparatus to directly manage multiple servers, thus maintaining relative simplicity while achieving multi-source license management capability
Solution Approach 2:
The license management server is designed with multi-functionality to handle various types of license information from different servers. It can store and manage correspondence information for multiple applications issued by different servers, making a single server capable of performing the functions of multiple specialized servers, thereby improving adaptability without proportionally increasing system complexity
2Ease of operation
If license information is managed separately for each application and server, then each license can be managed precisely, but collective management of multiple licenses becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the management of multiple individual licenses into a unified system. The license management server consolidates correspondence information for multiple applications and their respective servers into a single centralized storage location. This allows the information processing apparatus to manage all licenses collectively through one interface, eliminating the need to separately track each license's source and status, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining complete information through centralized organization
Data Source
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AI summary
An information processing system (100) includes an information processing apparatus (1), a first server (3), and one or more second servers (4a, 4b) configured to manage authority to use different applications. The information processing apparatus (1) includes: a first request information transmitter configured to transmit first request information (131) containing application identifying information that identifies an already-installed application, to the first server (3); a server specifying information receiver (132) configured to receive server specifying information from the first server (3) as a response to the first request information; a second request information transmitter (141) configured to transmit second request information containing the use authority authentication information corresponding to the already-installed application to a second server (4a, 4b) that is specified by the server specifying information; a use authority information receiver (142) configured to receive the use authority information from the second server (4a, 4b) as a response to the second request information.