Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an install unit to receive install data for software to install the software for providing a function, an acquisition unit to acquire a license file for activating the function, a management unit to manage information indicative of presence or absence of a license to use the function, independently of presence or absence of the license file, and an update unit to update the information indicative of presence or absence of the license upon transferring the license between apparatuses.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a program storing unit, a function introducing unit to obtain a program licensed to an individual user and license information about the program from an external source and to store the program in the program storing unit, a user information storing unit to store user information that includes the license information about the program that is stored by the function introducing unit, the license information being associated with a user ID of the individual user in the user information, a removal timing receiving unit to receive a setting of removal timing at which the program stored by the function introducing unit is removed from the program storing unit, and a removal unit to remove the program stored by the function introducing unit from the program storing unit upon arrival of the removal timing received by the removal timing receiving unit.

Abstract: An operation inhibiting system includes an image forming apparatus in which programs are installed and an operation inhibition information providing apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a configuration information storing unit to store configuration information about the installed programs, an operation inhibition information acquiring unit to transmit the configuration information to the operation inhibition information providing apparatus, and to receive operation inhibition information that is transmitted from the operation inhibition information providing apparatus in response to the configuration information, the operation inhibition information indicating on a program-specific basis whether an operation to modify a configuration of an installed program is allowed, and an operation unit to inhibit the operation on the program based on the received operation inhibition information, wherein the operation inhibition information providing apparatus includes a unit that transmits the operat

Abstract: An information processor includes a first part storing one or more programs included in one or more packages; a second part correlating and retaining the package and version information of the programs on a program basis; a third part comparing, if one of the installed programs is to be installed, the version information of the installed one of the programs and the one of the programs to be installed; a fourth part determining whether the one of the programs to be installed is subordinate to a package other than a package including the one of the programs to be installed, if the version information of the one of the programs to be installed is determined to be lower; and a fifth part installing the one of the programs to be installed if the one of the programs to be installed is determined to be not subordinate to the other package.

Abstract: An information processing device includes an installation unit which downloads installation data of an application program corresponding to a function from an external device and installs the application program. A license acquisition unit acquires a license file from an external device in order to activate the function. A license managing unit manages presence of a license of the function independently of presence of the license file. A license transfer managing unit transfers the license from a source device to a destination device and updates the presence of the license of the function. An automatic return unit automatically returns the transferred license to the source device according to automatic return conditions stored in the information processing device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a print control method prevents a disadvantageous effect to a user due to print failure, before an image forming operation is started. The image forming apparatus includes an interface for connecting an external storage device to the image forming apparatus. Data stored in the external storage device is read via the interface and printed by the image forming apparatus. A memory usage at the time of printing the data is calculated based on a parameter obtained from various information about the data. The calculated memory usage and a memory capacity that is available in the image forming apparatus during printing are compared. An image forming operation for printing the data is controlled depending on a comparison result.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus that receives print data from an external device and prints out the print data in response to a print command, a searching unit that searches, when new print data is received from the external device, a storage unit storing therein the print data that includes user information for previous print data that includes user information same as that of the new print data; and a notifying unit that sends, when the searching unit finds the previous print data, a notice to the external device saying that the previous print data is still present in the storage unit.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes a communication unit to communicate with other electronic apparatuses and a license management apparatus; a license file management unit to obtain license files from the license management apparatus; a license information management unit to manage license information to determine licensed software programs; an apparatus management unit to manage apparatus-related information including component parts information; and a license distribution management unit. The license distribution management unit confirms that licensed software programs are present. When transferring licenses for the confirmed software programs, the license distribution management unit requests and obtains the license information and the apparatus-related information from the other electronic apparatuses.

Abstract: A disclosed information processing apparatus includes an installing part configured to install a function by downloading installing data of the function from outside the information processing apparatus, a license file acquiring part configured to acquire a license file for activating the function from the outside, a license managing part configured to manage existence of a license for the function regardless of existence of the license file, a license moving and updating part configured to move the license to or from another apparatus and update existence of the license of the function, a license returning part configured to cause the moved license to be returned based on an automatic return condition to a predetermined apparatus, and a license holding part configured to hold a predetermined license structure of the information processing apparatus set up by a user to cause the license to be moved in conformity with the predetermined license structure.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a login unit configured to receive a login of a user; a program storage unit; a function introduction unit configured to obtain a first program licensed to the user and license information of the first program, and to store the first program and the license information in the program storage unit without deleting a second program that is a different version of the first program from the program storage unit; a user information storage unit configured to store user information that registers license information of introduced programs and version information with user IDs; and a function providing unit configured to specify license information and version information that are associated with a user ID of a user who logs into the image forming apparatus in order to provide a function realized by a program corresponding to the license information and the version information to the user.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a program storing unit, a function introducing unit to obtain a program licensed to an individual user and license information about the program from an external source and to store the program in the program storing unit, a user information storing unit to store user information that includes the license information about the program that is stored by the function introducing unit, the license information being associated with a user ID of the individual user in the user information, a removal timing receiving unit to receive a setting of removal timing at which the program stored by the function introducing unit is removed from the program storing unit, and a removal unit to remove the program stored by the function introducing unit from the program storing unit upon arrival of the removal timing received by the removal timing receiving unit.

Abstract: An information processing device includes an installation unit which downloads installation data of an application program corresponding to a function from an external device and installs the application program. A license acquisition unit acquires a license file from an external device in order to activate the function. A license managing unit manages presence of a license of the function independently of presence of the license file. A license transfer managing unit transfers the license from a source device to a destination device and updates the presence of the license of the function. An automatic return unit automatically returns the transferred license to the source device according to automatic return conditions stored in the information processing device.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an install unit to receive install data for software to install the software for providing a function, an acquisition unit to acquire a license file for activating the function, a management unit to manage information indicative of presence or absence of a license to use the function, independently of presence or absence of the license file, and an update unit to update the information indicative of presence or absence of the license upon transferring the license between apparatuses.

Abstract: An operation inhibiting system includes an image forming apparatus in which programs are installed and an operation inhibition information providing apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a configuration information storing unit to store configuration information about the installed programs, an operation inhibition information acquiring unit to transmit the configuration information to the operation inhibition information providing apparatus, and to receive operation inhibition information that is transmitted from the operation inhibition information providing apparatus in response to the configuration information, the operation inhibition information indicating on a program-specific basis whether an operation to modify a configuration of an installed program is allowed, and an operation unit to inhibit the operation on the program based on the received operation inhibition information, wherein the operation inhibition information providing apparatus includes a unit that transmits the operat

Abstract: A shock absorbing structure for a vehicle including a top wall to which a shock is to be applied and two side walls integrally formed with the top wall and extending from the top wall such that the side walls are opposed to each other, thereby forming an angular U-shaped cross section. The side walls have a waveform in which convex portions and concave portions are alternately and continuously provided. In addition, a bottom plate is integrally formed with an end portion of the respective side walls. The shock absorbing structure further includes a first window portion that is formed over a portion of the each side wall including a part of a bottom portion and parts of opposite side portions of the concave portions and a portion of the bottom plate that is connected to the bottom portion and that is positioned between the opposite side portions.

Abstract: A pedestrian protection apparatus is provided which prevents occurrence of bending deformation resulting from thermal contraction after the molding of a resin base member. The apparatus includes a resin base member that is fixed to a vehicle at a rear portion thereof and a plurality of reinforcing beads that extend in a front to back direction of the vehicle and space apart from each other in a vehicle width direction at a front portion of the base member. On a portion of the base member positioned between mutually adjacent ones of these reinforcing beads is integrally formed a planar connecting rib extends in a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the reinforcing beads, so that mutually opposing surfaces of the adjacent reinforcing beads are connected to each other by the connecting rib.

Abstract: An information processor includes a first part storing one or more programs included in one or more packages; a second part correlating and retaining the package and version information of the programs on a program basis; a third part comparing, if one of the installed programs is to be installed, the version information of the installed one of the programs and the one of the programs to be installed; a fourth part determining whether the one of the programs to be installed is subordinate to a package other than a package including the one of the programs to be installed, if the version information of the one of the programs to be installed is determined to be lower; and a fifth part installing the one of the programs to be installed if the one of the programs to be installed is determined to be not subordinate to the other package.

Abstract: A pedestrian protection apparatus for a vehicle, including a plate member which is disposed at a front face of the vehicle, which includes front and rear portions, and which is fixed at the rear portion to the vehicle with at least a leading end part of the front portion protruded from the front face of the vehicle, the apparatus being arranged to sweep a leg portion of a pedestrian, thereby protecting the leg portion, wherein the leading end part includes at least one horizontally extending portion and a plurality of vertically extending portions each having an anterior surface substantially orthogonal to a horizontal plane, the horizontally extending portion and the vertically extending portions being formed integrally with the leading end part so as to be alternately disposed in the frontward and backward direction of the vehicle and extend in a staircase-like form.

Abstract: A pedestrian protection apparatus is provided which prevents occurrence of bending deformation resulting from thermal contraction after the molding of a resin base member. The apparatus includes a resin base member that is fixed to a vehicle at a rear portion thereof and a plurality of reinforcing beads that extend in a front to back direction of the vehicle and space apart from each other in a vehicle width direction at a front portion of the base member. On a portion of the base member positioned between mutually adjacent ones of these reinforcing beads is integrally formed a planar connecting rib extends in a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the reinforcing beads, so that mutually opposing surfaces of the adjacent reinforcing beads are connected to each other by the connecting rib.

Abstract: A pedestrian protection apparatus for a vehicle, including: a plate member, which includes front and rear portions, and which is fixed at the rear portion to the vehicle; and at least one reinforcing bead each formed integrally on the front portion of the plate member and each including a bead-extending portion and a bead-end portion which extends integrally from a rear-side edge of the bead-extending portion for connecting the rear-side edge and the rear portion of the plate member, the apparatus being arranged to sweep a leg portion of a pedestrian that has collided with the front of the vehicle by contact of a front end of the plate member with the leg portion, thereby protecting the leg portion, wherein a connecting portion between the bead-end portion and the rear portion of the plate member is gently curved without being folded.