Service management apparatus, program, and service management method

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a method for managing a permission to use a service, the method comprising the steps of:

• causing the computer to function as:
• i) a user storage device which stores information for identifying a user and a terminal associated in advance with the user;
• ii) a license information storage device which stores a license including information for identifying the terminal associated in advance with the user, license information for identifying a predetermined service the user is permitted to use on the terminal and license information for identifying a setting limitation on the license;
• and iii) a control device;
• and
• causing the control device to execute:
• i) a setting request reception step of receiving a setting request issued by another terminal to set the license, the setting request including information for identifying the another terminal that has issued the setting request and a user of the another terminal;
• ii) an associated terminal identification processing step of acquiring information for identifying the another terminal that is associated with the user of the another terminal included in the setting request;
• iii) a license identification processing step of identifying a respective license that each terminal is permitted to use and is settable to the another terminal that has issued the setting request, wherein the each terminal is identified by the information acquired by an associated terminal identification processing device;
• and iv) a license setting processing step of setting the license identified in the license identification processing step to the another terminal that has issued the setting request;
• storing, in a model-service association information storage device, model-service association information including information for identifying a model of the another terminal and information for identifying, for each model, the predetermined service that is available at the each model, wherein
• the license information includes, as the setting limitation, information for identifying whether or not the license is copyable and information for identifying whether or not the license is movable,
• the license identification processing device determines that the license is settable when the license is at least one of a copyable license and a movable license,
• the license setting processing device sets the license to the another terminal by copying the license when the license is copyable irrespective of whether or not the license is movable, and sets the license to the another terminal by moving the license when the license is not copyable but movable,
• the license identification processing device determines that the license is not settable when the predetermined service relating to the license is unavailable at the another terminal that has issued the setting request, and
• a license of service authenticated by the terminal is moved to the another terminal after the another terminal has issued the setting request, when it is determined that the user has switched from using the terminal to using the another terminal.

A service management method for use in a service management apparatus which manages a permission to use a service, the service management method comprising:

• a setting request reception step of receiving a setting request from a terminal to set a license including information for identifying the terminal that has issued the setting request and a user of the terminal;
• an associated terminal identification processing step of acquiring information for identifying the terminal that is associated with the user included in the setting request;
• a license identification processing step of identifying a respective license that each of another terminal and the terminal is permitted to use and is settable to the terminal that has issued the setting request, wherein the each of the another terminal and the terminal is identified by the information acquired by an associated terminal identification processing hardware device;
• storing, in a model-service association information storage device, model-service association information including information for identifying a model of the another terminal and information for identifying, for each model, the predetermined service that is available at the each model;
• and
• a license setting processing step of setting the license identified in the license identification processing step to the terminal that has issued the setting request, wherein the service management apparatus comprises a user storage hardware device which stores information for identifying the user and the another terminal, which is associated in advance with the user, and a license information storage hardware device which stores the license including information for identifying the another terminal in which the user is permitted to use a predetermined service and license information for identifying a setting limitation on the license, wherein
• a license of service authenticated by the terminal is moved to the another terminal after the another terminal has issued the setting request, when it is determined that the user has switched from using the terminal to using the another terminal,
• the license information includes, as the setting limitation, information for identifying whether or not the license is copyable and information for identifying whether or not the license is movable,
• the license identification processing hardware device determines that the license is settable when the license is at least one of a copyable license and a movable license,
• the license setting processing hardware device sets the license to the another terminal by copying the license when the license is copyable irrespective of whether or not the license is movable, and sets the license to the another terminal by moving the license when the license is not copyable but movable, and
• the license identification processing hardware device determines that the license is not settable when the predetermined service relating to the license is unavailable at the another terminal that has issued the setting request.