BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a view showing contents recorded on an FD inserted into the information processing apparatus 100 and the structure of the contents;
FIG. 3 is a view showing a memory map in a state in which a control program is loaded into a RAM 103 and becomes executable;
FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of the configuration of a network system in which a plurality of MFPs each having the information processing apparatus 100 connect to each other via a network such as a LAN or WAN;
FIG. 5 is a view showing the module configurations of information processing apparatuses in the network system shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the whole sequence in an information processing apparatus (device A) functioning as a license providing device in the network system shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the detailed sequence of a license check process;
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the detailed sequence of a proxy process;
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the sequence of a proxy search process;
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the sequence of a proxy notification process;
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the sequence of a proxy asking process;
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the sequence of a license return request process;
FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the whole sequence in an information processing apparatus (device B) functioning as an application operating device in the network system shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the sequence of a proxy search response process;
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the sequence of a proxy notification response process;
FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the sequence of a license preparation process;
FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the detailed sequence of a component preparation process;
FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the detailed sequence of a proxy asking response process;
FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the detailed sequence of a license return response process;
FIG. 20 is a view showing an example of a display window representing that there is no license;
FIG. 21 is a table showing an example of the structure of a license DB;
FIG. 22 is a chart showing the sequence of the proxy search process in device A and the proxy search process in device B;
FIG. 23 is a chart showing the sequence of the proxy notification process in device A and the proxy notification response process in device B;
FIG. 24 is a chart showing the sequence of the proxy asking process in device A and the proxy asking response process in device B;
FIG. 25 is a chart showing the sequence of the license return request process in device A and the license return response process in device B;
FIG. 26 is a view showing an example of a proxy search ticket;
FIG. 27 is a view showing an example of a proxy search response ticket;
FIG. 28 is a view showing an example of a proxy asking ticket;
FIG. 29 is a view showing an example of a proxy search ticket capable of designating the license return timing;
FIG. 30 is a table showing an example of a license DB corresponding to the proxy search ticket capable of designating the license return timing; and
FIG. 31 is a flowchart showing the sequence of a license check process corresponding to the proxy search ticket capable of designating the license return timing.
Patent Application
20070229876
