JP2002108478A - Method and system for selling software use license with use time unit charge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system which sells a software use license with a charge that corresponds to a value obtained by a software user using software by which the user can use the software easily at a low cost. SOLUTION: Functions '6, 7 and 11' are provided for the computer of a software seller. Functions '1, 2, 3, 4, 8,9 and 10' are provided for the computer of the software user. A software use license is sold (purchased) on time unit by using the data communication '4, 5 and 6'. The user can execute the software within a purchased period by the processing of the software '3 and 8' that is automatically performed on the user's computer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to billing of a software use license fee.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional software usage license fees are settled at the same time when the software is sold. The Software User shall obtain the right to use the Software by purchasing the Software from the Seller at a price including the use license fee, or shall determine the Software purchased by the leasing company on behalf of the Software User. By paying the leasing company the lease fee for the given lease term, you gain the right to use the software and use it.

[0003]

The software user must pay a uniform license fee regardless of the frequency of use of the software and the value obtained by using the software.

As a method of temporarily using software by a software user, there is a method of obtaining software with a mechanism for limiting a use period for a fee or free of charge. With this method, the software can be used for a certain period of time, but if it becomes necessary to use it again after the expiration of the use period, it is necessary to obtain the software again, which is inconvenient. is there. In addition, the use period is determined instead of the use time, which is inconvenient.

There is a need for a system in which a software user sells a usage license fee corresponding to the value obtained by using the software so that the software can be used at low cost and that the user can easily use the software.

[0006]

The seller stores in the sales management computer data for confirming the identity of the user and a license fee in units of software usage time. The sales management computer receives CPU, storage device, input device, communication device, OS, communication software, user data sent from outside via the communication line, and identifies the sender and purchase request. Implement software that checks the license and software that sends the license use permission data of the purchase request to the outside.

[0007] A user uses a computer using the software with a CPU, a storage device, an input device, a communication device, and an O / O.
S, software for communication, software that purchases and uses licenses in hourly units, software that has the function of purchasing usage time from the sales management computer of the seller, and software that controls and accumulates the number of usage hours purchased Implement.

[0008] By using the above apparatus and a communication line such as the Internet, it becomes possible for a seller to sell a software use license on an hourly basis. The user can purchase a software use license for the number of hours he or she wants to use, and when necessary, in units of time for using the software using a communication line such as the Internet.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A seller determines a usage fee per hour by judging a software usage fee from a value obtained by a user during usage time.

[0010] The seller transmits the sales amount of the software use license in units of time, information for judging (specifying) the user, and license information to be sold for each (specific) user to a communication line such as the Internet. Register in advance in the connected sales management computer.

The user obtains, from the seller, the software, ID, password, license information and software to be used, which are information unique to the user, and concludes a use contract.

A user's computer set to use the software is connected to a sales management computer using a communication line, and a time-based use license purchase application is made. At that time, I
D. Enter the password and the number of hours of use to purchase. As a precondition, it is assumed that user information and software use license information are stored in the user computer in advance.

[0013] The user information and the license are collated on both the sales management computer and the user's computer to confirm that the user is a contracted user.

After the confirmation in the preceding paragraph is completed, data for controlling the use time for which the purchase has been applied is sent from the sales management computer to the user's computer. When the user's computer receives the data, the control software sets the use time and makes the software usable.

The control software of the user's computer records the usage time of the software and constantly checks it against the purchased usage time data. Then, when the purchased usage time ends, the software is disabled. When further use is desired, the user purchases the used time again from the sales management computer using the communication line and uses it.

[0016] The user is billed based on the user / license / time information stored in the seller's computer.
Collect fees.

[0017]

1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 show an embodiment of a method and a system for selling a license for use of application software at a charge per use time. The example is
The user is a contractor, and the seller licenses the application software to process the construction work
They are sold in hours of use.

[0018] The contractor often carries out the work of estimating the construction work in order to receive a construction order. In order to process the work in a short time, the application software "10" specialized for the estimating is used. There is a need.

[0019] The seller and the contractor conclude a fee contract for the time use of the application software.
The construction management user information, license information, control software, and sales management software are set to “7” in the sales management computer. At the same time, the construction company's computer sets the construction company's user information, license information, control software, and integration software to “1”.

The construction company starts up the application software “9, 10” for processing the multiplication work, and “2”.
When the software is started, the computer displays "12" the remaining of the purchased usage time. The builder can order "13" a computer to instruct the computer to purchase the hours of use. When the purchase instruction is given by the command "13", the information for requesting connection is transmitted to the sales management computer of the seller using the communication line "4, 5".

When the seller's sales management computer receives the connection request information from the construction company's computer,
The display data (authentication screen) "14" for prompting the input of the ID and the password for confirming the contracted contractor is transmitted to the computer of the contractor.

The computer of the builder displays the authentication screen "14" received from the computer of the seller, and waits for the input of the builder.

[4] The construction company inputs an ID and a password. [5] The computer of the builder transmits the ID and the password to the computer of the seller.

The computer of the seller checks the ID and password received from the computer of the builder against the stored data and, if correct, displays a screen (purchase screen) "15" for inputting purchase information on the usage time. Send to computer.

The computer of the builder displays the purchase screen "15" received from the computer of the seller and waits for the input of the builder.

The construction company inputs the usage time desired to be purchased. The builder's computer sends "4,5" the purchase usage time to the seller's computer.

The seller's computer accumulates the use time and the information of the builder received from the builder's computer, and transmits the use time permission data to the builder's computer. "5, 6, 7"

The computer of the builder performs setting (addition) "4, 1" of the use time from the use time permission data received from the seller's computer.

The usage time permission data includes license information based on the contents of the contract in addition to the usage time, and the information restricts the use of the application software.

The construction company can cause the computer of the construction company to perform the integration work using the application software during the purchased use time.
"9, 10"

When the contractor issues a command to start using the application software to the computer in the accumulating operation, the computer of the contractor compares the license information with the information of the purchased use time and executes the processing of the corresponding accumulating software. I do. At the same time, the actual use time accumulation process is started, and the process of monitoring the relationship between the purchased use time and the actual use time is started. (Control software "1, 8, 20")

When the usage time purchased by the builder's computer during the processing of the accumulating operation is running short, the builder's computer warns the user that the remaining time is running low and displays a message prompting the user to purchase additional usage time. Do. "Figure 2"

The seller carries out paperwork for collecting and collecting a license fee based on the purchase and use time of the contractor stored in the license management computer. "11"

[0034]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained.

The software user can use the software at a price commensurate with the value obtained by using the software. For example, if it becomes necessary to use the software only once every few months, the software must be purchased using the conventional method, which may result in the purchase being forgotten. If so, resolve it easily. Merchants will be able to sell to users who only have a small budget or who do not use it often without discounting prices,
As a result, more users can be acquired as compared with the conventional method.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an entire system configuration.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an initial screen when a user activates software to be used.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of an authentication screen transmitted by the sales management computer to confirm the user when the computer of the user requests connection to the sales management computer of the seller;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a screen on which a user inputs usage time to a sales management computer and purchases usage time.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an image in which a user's computer controls the use time of software.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Software and data to be set on the user's computer 2 Instructions given to the computer by the user 3, 8 Processing executed by the computer (details are shown in 20) 4 Processing by the computer to purchase time from the seller 5 Data communication 6 Process of selling time by sales management computer 7 Software and data set in sales management computer 9, 10 Processing of application software used 11 Processing of sales management software of seller 12 Usable time 13 Purchase of usage time Instruction buttons to be given to the computer 14, 15 Screen for inputting user information to the sales management computer 16 Instruction buttons to send purchase of usage time to the sales management computer 17 Application software to purchase and use the usage time 18, 19 User Process of controlling the execution of the application software from the operating time of the computer on the stored data 21, 22, 23 a computer user has purchased

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A system for selling a software use license on an hourly basis using the software. 2. A system in which a software user can freely purchase the software use license of claim 1 at any time using a communication line such as the Internet.