Abstract:
The invention provides a process for managing an application operating on a virtual machine. In the invention, information regarding a program file of the application is stored in an internal storing device of a managing apparatus. The program file is stored in an external storing device, and positional information indicating a position in the external storing device at which the program file is stored is registered in the internal storing device when the program file of the application is received from a client via a network.

Description:
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 10/102,982, filed Mar. 22, 2002 (allowed). 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to apparatus and method for managing application and, a storing medium and a program, and mote particularly, it relates to apparatus and method for managing application and, a storing medium and a program, which are suitable for executing an application program on an incorporated equipment such as a copying machine, a printer, a multi function printer (MFP) having copier, printer and facsimile functions and a digital camera. 
     2. Related Background Art 
     In recent years, processors, memories and display devices mounted to incorporated equipments have been designed to have a high function and a large capacity. Further, in the incorporated equipment (for example, even in a copying machine), a multi function printer which is used not only merely as a copier but also as a printer or a facsimile has mainly been utilized. 
     The incorporated equipment as mentioned above includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display having a certain degree of resolving power so that an application program which is used by the operator to carry out various functions can be executed. However, since such an application program is fixedly written in a ROM, the operator cannot easily exchange or alter the application program. 
     For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-250758 (corresponding to U.S. Application No. 259616 filed on Mar. 1, 1999), application manager “Java” (trade mark) for an incorporated equipment has been proposed by Hylet Packard Inc. In a technique described in this Application, a class loader for developing and managing class of the “Java” program to be operated (one unit of the program in “Java”) on a memory is not prepared for each of the Java programs, if there is different class having the same name in the Java program formed by the user or a third party, a Java virtual machine cannot judge which class should be executed, so that a plurality of Java programs cannot be executed. 
     However, in the above-mentioned conventional technique, there arise the following problems. That is to say, as mentioned above, since the application program for the incorporated equipment is fixedly written in the ROM, it is impossible to easily exchange or alter the application by the operator, and, if any trouble occurs, the application program can be corrected only by a method in which the ROM is exchanged by an expert. 
     Further, when a plurality of incorporated equipments are used by the operator, the application program cannot be executed until the operator reaches and utilizes an incorporated equipment capable of installing a given operator&#39;s application program, so that the management is difficult and troublesome. 
     Further, although the conventional application program for the incorporated equipment is started upon start-up of the incorporated equipment, in the incorporated equipment capable of installing the application program, it is necessary to start and stop the installed application program, since such application program is a problem regarding the resource of the incorporated equipment, so that the program is not required to always be operated, and in many cases, the program is needed under a particular condition or only when it is used by the operator. 
     On the other hand, in an equipment such as the incorporated equipment having limited resource, it is difficult to operate the plurality of Java virtual machines, since, although the Java virtual machine requires a high speed processor and a large capacity memory, many of incorporated equipments do not have such a high speed processor and a large capacity memory. 
     Further, depending upon an operating system for controlling the incorporated equipment, the same program cannot be executed by plural times or the program once started cannot be stopped or the program cannot be re-started after it is stopped. In such equipment, one Java virtual machine is started whenever one Java program is risen up, and, even when the started Java program becomes useless, the useless Java virtual machine continues to operate until the power supply of the equipment is turned OFF. 
     To avoid this, it is necessary to provide application managing means for operating the plurality of Java application programs by a single VM (virtual machine). When the plural Java application programs are executed on the single VM, a certain Java application program must effect installation, start, stop and uninstallation of other Java application programs without affecting an influence upon the operation. 
     Further, when the program can easily be installed into the incorporated equipment, there arises a problem that class names of the Java programs formed by the operator or the third party may be interfered with each other. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and a first object of the present invention is to provide apparatus and method for managing application, and a storing medium and a program, in which, after an incorporated equipment such as a copying machine, a printer, a multi function printer (MFP) having copier, printer and facsimile functions and a digital camera is forwarded, the program can be installed into the incorporated equipment and/or installed program can be started. 
     Further, the present invention is made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and a second object of the present invention is to provide apparatus and method for managing application, and a storing medium and a program, in which a memory of an incorporated equipment can be saved by deleting a class loader of a program not used from the memory. 
     Further, the present invention is made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and a third object of the present invention is to provide apparatus and method for managing application, and a storing medium and a program, in which installation, start, stop and uninstallation of a program itself for effecting installation, start, stop and uninstallation can easily be executed. 
     To achieve the above objects, an application managing apparatus for managing application operating on a virtual machine according to the present invention in an equipment comprises storing means for storing information regarding a program file of the application, network connecting means for effecting communication to a client, and registration control means for storing the program file in an external storing device and for registering positional information of the program file in the storing means when the program file is sent from the client through the network connecting means. 
     Further, an application managing apparatus for managing application operating on a virtual machine according to the present invention in an equipment comprises registration means for registering a class loader of the application, storing means for storing a storing location of a program file of the application, network connecting means for effecting communication to a client, and start means for forming a class loader for the application, starting the application, registering the formed class loader in the registration means and loading the class by means of the formed class loader when start instruction for the application is sent from the client through the network connecting means and if the class loader for the start-instructed application is not registered in the registration means, and for obtaining the class loader registered in the registration means, loading the class by means of the obtained class loader and starting the application if the class loader for the start-instructed application is registered in the registration means. 
     Further, an application managing method for managing application operating on a virtual machine according to the present invention in an equipment comprises a step for storing information regarding a program file of the application, and a registration control step for storing the program file in an external storing device and for registering positional information of the program file in the storing means when the program file is sent from a client through network connecting means. 
     Further, an application managing method for managing application operating on a virtual machine according to the present invention in an equipment comprises a registration step for registering a class loader of the application in registration means, a storing step for storing a storing location of a program file of the application in storing means, and a starting step for forming a class loader for the application, starting the application, registering the formed class loader in the registration means and loading the class by means of the formed class loader when start instruction for the application is sent from a client through network connecting means and if the class loader for the start-instructed application is not registered in the registration means, and for obtaining the class loader registered in the registration means, loading the class by means of the obtained class loader and starting the application if the class loader for the start-instructed application is registered in the registration means. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a construction of an application managing system according to first and second embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a construction of a server manager according to the first and second embodiments; 
         FIG. 3  is an explanatory view showing a construction of a class path information management portion according to the first and second embodiments; 
         FIG. 4  is an explanatory view showing a construction of a class loader management portion according to the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a flow chart showing installation processing according to the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a flow chart showing start processing according to the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram showing a construction of an application managing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a flow chart showing uninstallation processing according to the third embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is a block diagram showing a construction of an application managing system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a flow chart showing memory management processing according to the fourth embodiment; 
         FIG. 11  is an explanatory view showing a service installation screen according to the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 12  is an explanatory view showing a service start/stop screen according to the second embodiment; and 
         FIG. 13  is an explanatory view showing a service uninstallation screen according to the third embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     First of all, prior to explanation of embodiments of the present invention, summary of the present invention will be described. 
     A Java virtual machine used in the present invention is a virtual machine for executing a program described by Java languages developed by Sun MicroSystems, Inc. By using an application management program (referred to as “server manager” hereinafter) for managing operations of plural applications (referred to as “services” hereinafter) operating on the Java virtual machine, an HTTP server service as a web server operating on the application management program, and an install servlet and a control servlet operating an servlet as one form of a Java program operating on the HTTP server service, it is possible to easily add a program, to operate the program and to delete the program without affecting an influence upon execution of other Java applications being executed on an equipment such as an incorporated equipment after the equipment was forwarded, by installing the service into the equipment from a remote web browser, starting the service and/or stopping the service. 
     Further, by forming and managing a class loader for each service prepared in the Java in order to read class data as a unit of program data for individual service from a disk and to manage the read class data, increase of vacant memory can easily be realized by avoiding interference between service class names or by deleting the class loader from the memory. 
     Now, first to fourth embodiments of the present invention will be fully explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     First Embodiment 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a construction of an application managing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The application management system comprises a Java virtual machine  107 , a web browser  100  arranged at a user side where installation of Java application (referred to as “service” hereinafter) is effected, a service manager  101  for managing the service, an HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) server  102  executed as service on the service manager  101 , an install servlet  103  formed in the form of servlet as one style of a Java program executed on the HTTP server  102  and operating on the HTTP server  102  and adapted to effect installation processing, and an external storing device  105  in which the program to be installed is stored. The reference numerals  106   a  and  106   b  denote services. Incidentally, the reference numeral  104  denotes a constructional element in a second embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing the service manager  101  according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The service manager  101  includes a class path information management portion  202  for storing a pair comprised of a name of the service installed and a path information in which a program file of the service is stored. Incidentally, the reference numerals  201  and  203  denote constructural elements of the second embodiment. 
       FIG. 3  is an explanatory view showing a construction of the class path information management portion  202  according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As mentioned above, the pair comprised of the service name and the path information is stored in the class path information management portion  202 . 
     Next, an operation of the first embodiment of the present invention constructed as mentioned above will be fully explained with reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  5  and  11 . 
     First of all, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the install servlet  103  operating on the HTTP server  102  which is one of services operating on the service manager  101  and adapted to effect the installation of the service serves to send form data comprised of a column  1101  for inputting the name  111  of the service, a column  1102  for inputting the path at a side of the web browser of the program data of the service and a transfer button  1103 , on the basis of request from the web browser  100  (step S 500 ), as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
     In the web browser  100 , when the operator inputs the service name  111  and the path at the side of the web browser to the form and depresses the transfer button  1103 , in accordance with specification of the form defined by HTML (HyperText Markup Language), the service name  111  to be installed and the program data  112  of the service are transferred from the web browser  100  to the install servlet  103  as installation instruction  110  of the program by HTTP protocol (step S 501 ). 
     When the install servlet  103  receives the program data  112  sent from the web browser  100  (step S 502 ), the install servlet stores the program data  112  in the external storing device  105  as a file (step S 503 ) and further registers the pass storing the program and the service name  111  in the class path management portion  202  (step S 504 ). 
     As mentioned above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, by providing the service manager  101  as the application management program for managing the operations of the plural Java applications (services) operating on the Java virtual machine  107 , the HTTP server  102  as the web server operating on the service manager  101 , and the install servlet  103  operated as the servlet as one form of the Java program operating on the HTTP server  102 , it is possible to easily add, operate or delete a program after the equipment is forwarded, without affecting execution of other Java applications executed in the equipment such as the incorporated equipment, by installing the service into the equipment from a remote web browser  100 , starting the service or stopping the service. 
     Further, by forming and managing the class loader for each service prepared in the Java in order to read the class data as the unit of the program data for individual service from the disk and to manage the read class data, increase of a vacant memory can easily be realized by avoiding interference between the service class names or by deleting the class loader from the memory. 
     That is to say, after the incorporated equipment such as a copying machine, a printer, a multi function printer (MFP) having copier, printer and facsimile functions and a digital camera is forwarded, it is possible to install the program into the incorporated equipment and to start the installed program. Further, by deleting a class loader of a program which is not used, from the memory, the memory of the incorporated equipment can be saved. Furthermore, since the program for effecting the installation, start/stop and uninstallation is a program operating on the application management program, installation, start/stop and uninstallation of the program itself for effecting the installation, start/stop and uninstallation can easily be performed. 
     Second Embodiment 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a construction of an application managing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The application management system comprises a Java virtual machine  107 , a web browser  100  arranged at a user side where installation of Java application (referred to as “service” hereinafter) is effected, a service manager  101  for managing the service, an HTTP server  102  executed as service on the service manager  101 , an control servlet  104  formed in the form of servlet as one style of a Java program executed on the HTTP server  102  and operating on the HTTP server  102  and adapted to effect start/stop processing of the service, and an external storing device  105  in which the program to be installed is stored. The reference numerals  106   a  and  106   b  denote services. Incidentally, the reference numeral  103  denotes the constructural element in the first embodiment. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing the service manager  101  according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The service manager  101  includes a service start portion  201  for effecting start/stop of the service, a class path information management portion  202  for storing a pair comprised of a name of the service installed and a path information in which a program file of the service is stored, and a class loader management portion  203  for storing a pair comprised of the service name and a class loader (for the started service) formed in the service start portion  201  when the service is started. 
       FIG. 3  is an explanatory view showing a construction of the class path information management portion  202  according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 4  is an explanatory view showing a construction of the class loader management portion  203  according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As mentioned above, the pair comprised of the service name and the path information is stored in the class path information management portion  202 , and the pair comprised of the service name and the class loader is stored in the class loader management portion  203 . 
     Next, an operation of the second embodiment of the present invention constructed as mentioned above will be fully explained with reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  6  and  12 . 
     First of all, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the control servlet  104  operating on the HTTP server  102  which is one of service operating on the service manager  101  and adapted to effect the installation of the service serves to send form data including a service name list  1201  comprised of the service name and a check box, a start button  1202  and a stop button  1203 , on the basis of request from the web browser  100  (step S 600 ), as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
     In the web browser  100 , when the operator checks the check box of the service which is desired to be started by using the service name list  1201  of the form and depresses the start button  1202 , in accordance with specification of the form defined by HTML, the service name  114  to be installed is transferred from the web browser  100  to the control servlet  104  as start instruction  113  of the program by HTTP protocol (step S 601 ). 
     Further, when the service name  114  to be installed is transferred from the web browser  100  to the control servlet  104  as the start instruction  113  of the program (step S 601 ), the control servlet  104  receives the service name  114  (to be started) sent from the web browser  100  (step S 602 ) and outputs start instruction to the service manager  101 . 
     When the service start portion  201  of the service manager  101  receives the start instruction from the control servlet  104 , the service start portion firstly checks whether the service name  114  is registered in the class path information management portion  202  (step S 603 ). If there is no object service in the class path information management portion  202 , the processing is ended. On the other hand, if there is the object service in the class path information management portion  202 , then, it is checked whether the object service is stopped or not (step S 604 ). If the object service is not stopped, the processing is ended. On the other hand, if the object service is stopped, it is checked whether the class loader of the object service required for executing the object service is registered in the class loader management portion  203  or not (step S 605 ). 
     If the class loader of the object service required for executing the object service is not registered in the class loader management portion  203 , a class loader for the object service is produced. The produced class loader acquires a storing location of the program data from the class path information management portion  202 , loads the file of the program data from the external storing device  105 , starts the service (step S 607 ) and registers the class loader produced in the step S 607  in the class loader management portion  203  (step S 608 ). If the class loader of the object service required for executing the object service is registered in the class loader management portion  203 , the class loader of the object service is acquired from the class loader management portion and the service is started (step S 606 ). 
     As mentioned above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, by providing the service manager  101  as the application management program for managing the operations of the plural Java applications (services) operating on the Java virtual machine  107 , the HTTP server  102  as the web server operating on the service manager  101 , and the control servlet  104  operated as the servlet as one form of the Java program operating on the HTTP server  102 , it is possible to easily add, operate or delete a program after the equipment is forwarded, without affecting execution of other Java applications executed in the equipment such as the incorporated equipment, by installing the service into the equipment from the remote web browser  100 , starting the service or stopping the service. 
     Further, by forming and managing the class loader for each service prepared in the Java in order to read the class data as the unit of the program data for individual service from the disk and to manage the read class data, increase of a vacant memory can easily be realized by avoiding interference between the service class names or by deleting the class loader from the memory. 
     That is to say, after the incorporated equipment such as a copying machine, a printer, a multi function printer (MFP) having copier, printer and facsimile functions and a digital camera is forwarded, it is possible to install the program into the incorporated equipment and to start the installed program, and, further, the memory of the incorporated equipment can be saved, and, further, installation, start/stop and uninstallation of the program itself for effecting the installation, start/stop and uninstallation can easily be performed. 
     Third Embodiment 
       FIG. 7  is a block diagram showing a construction of an application managing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The application management system comprises a Java virtual machine  107 , a web browser  100  arranged at a user side where installation of Java application (referred to as “service” hereinafter) is effected, a service manager  101  for managing the service, an HTTP  102  executed as service on the service manager  101 , an uninstall servlet  701  formed in the form of servlet as one style of a Java program executed on the HTTP server  102  and operating on the HTTP server  102  and adapted to effect uninstallation processing of the service, and an external storing device  105  in which the program to be installed is stored. 
     Further, the service manager  101  includes a service uninstallation portion  702  for effecting uninstallation processing of the service, a class path information management portion  202  for storing a pair comprised of a name of the service installed and a path information in which a program file of the service is stored, and a class loader management portion  203  in which a pair comprised of the service name and a class loader (for the started service) formed in the service start portion  201  when the service is started. 
     Next, an operation of the third embodiment of the present invention constructed as mentioned above will be fully explained with reference to  FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  13 . 
     First of all, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the uninstall servlet  701  operating on the HTTP server  102  which is one of services operating on the service manager  101  and adapted to effect the uninstallation processing of the service serves to send form data including a service name list  1301  comprised of the service name and a check box, and an uninstallation button  1302 , on the basis of request from the web browser  100  (step S 800 ), as shown in  FIG. 13 . 
     In the web browser  100 , when the operator checks the check box of the service which is desired to be uninstalled by using the service name list  1301  of the form and depresses the uninstallation button  1302 , in accordance with specification of the form defined by HTML, the service name  711  to be uninstalled is transferred from the web browser  100  to the uninstallation servlet  701  as uninstallation instruction  710  of the program by HTTP protocol (step S 801 ). 
     When the service name  711  to be uninstalled is transferred from the web browser  100  as the uninstallation instruction  710  of the program (step S 801 ), the uninstallation servlet  701  receives the uninstallation instruction  710  and the service name  711  (to be started) sent from the web browser  100  (step S 802 ) and outputs uninstallation instruction  712  of the service to the service manager  101 . 
     When the service uninstallation portion  702  of the service manager  101  receives the uninstallation instruction from the uninstallation servlet  701 , the service uninstallation portion firstly checks whether the service name  711  is registered in the class path information management portion  202  (step S 803 ). If there is no object service in the class path information management portion  202 , the processing is ended. On the other hand, if there is the object service in the class path information management portion  202 , then, it is checked whether the object service is stopped or not (step S 804 ). 
     If the object service is not stopped, the processing is ended. On the other hand, if the object service is stopped, class loader deletion  714  of the object service from the class loader management portion  703  is effected (step S 805 ). Further, after class path information deletion  713  of the object service from the class path information management portion  202  is effected (step S 806 ), program file deletion  715  of the object service from the external storing device  105  is effected (step S 807 ), and the processing is ended. 
     As mentioned above, according to the third embodiment of the present invention, similar to the first embodiment, after the incorporated equipment such as a copying machine, a printer, a multi function printer (MFP) having copier, printer and facsimile functions and a digital camera is forwarded, it is possible to install the program into the incorporated equipment and to start the installed program, and, further, the memory of the incorporated equipment can be saved, and, further, installation, start/stop and uninstallation of the program itself for effecting the installation, start/stop and uninstallation can easily be performed. 
     Fourth Embodiment 
       FIG. 9  is a block diagram showing a construction of an application managing system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The application management system comprises a Java virtual machine  900 , and a service manager  101  for managing Java application (referred to as “service” hereinafter). 
     Further, the service manager  101  includes a service memory management portion  902  for managing the memory of the service, a service status management portion  901  for managing the installed service name and a execution status of the service, and a class loader management portion  203  for storing a pair comprised of the service name and a class loader (for the started service) formed in the service start portion when the service is started. 
     Next, an operation of the fourth embodiment of the present invention constructed as mentioned above will be fully explained with reference to  FIGS. 9 and 10 . 
     If the memory becomes insufficient during the execution of the Java program, as shown in  FIG. 10 , request  910  of freeing up memory is sent from the Java virtual machine  900  to the service memory management portion  902  of the service manager  101  (step S 101 ). The service memory management portion  902  obtains the name of the service which is not presently operated, from the service status management portion  901  (step S 1002 ). The service status management portion  901  checks whether or not there is any service having stop status (step S 1003 ). 
     If there is no service having stop status, the processing is ended. On the other hand, if there is the service having stop status, the class loader of said service is deleted from the class loader management portion  203  (“YES” in a step S 1004 ), and the processing is ended. If the class loader of said service cannot be deleted from the class loader management portion  203  (“NO” in the step S 1004 ), the processing is returned to the step S 1002 . 
     As mentioned above, according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, similar to the first embodiment, after the incorporated equipment such as a copying machine, a printer, a multi function printer (MFP) having copier, printer and facsimile functions and a digital camera is forwarded, it is possible to install the program into the incorporated equipment and to start the installed program, and, further, the memory of the incorporated equipment can be saved, and, further, installation, start/stop and uninstallation of the program itself for effecting the installation, start/stop and uninstallation can easily be performed. 
     In the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention, although the equipment to which the application management system is applied was not specified, the application management system can be applied to various incorporated equipments such as a copying machine, a printer, a multi function printer (MFP) having copier, printer and facsimile functions and a digital camera. 
     Incidentally, the present invention may be applied to a system including plural equipment and a system including a single equipment. It should be noted that the object of the present invention can be achieved by supplying a storing medium storing a program code of software for executing the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments to the system or apparatus and by reading out and executing the program code stored in the storing medium by means of a computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or the apparatus. 
     In this case, the program code itself read out from the storing medium realizes the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments, and, thus, the storing medium storing such program code constitutes the present invention. As the storing medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a photo-magnetic disk, CD-ROM, CD-R, a magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory card, ROM or download via a network can be used. 
     Further, it should be noted that the present invention includes a concept that not only the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments are realized by executing the program code read out by means of the computer, but also OS (operating system) running on the computer executes the actual processing partially or totally on the basis of instruction of the program code to realize the functions of the embodiments. 
     Further, it should be noted that the present invention includes a concept that, after the program code read out from the storing medium is written in a memory of a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, a CPU of the function expansion board or of the function expansion unit executes the actual processing partially or totally on the basis of instruction of the program code to realize the functions of the embodiments. 
     As mentioned above, according to the application management system of the embodiment, when the program file is sent from the client, the program file is stored in the external storing device, and the positional information of the program file is registered in the storing means. 
     Further, when the stop instruction of the application is sent from the client, the stop-instructed application is stopped, and, when the start instruction of the application is sent from the client and if the class loader of the start-instructed application is not registered in the registration means, the class loader for the application is formed, the application is started, the formed class loader is registered in the registration means, and the class is loader by the formed class loader; whereas, if the class loader of the start-instructed application is registered in the registration means, the registered class loader is acquired, the class is loaded by the acquired class load, and the application is started. 
     Further, when the uninstallation instruction and the name of the application to be uninstalled are sent from the client, the program file corresponding to the application name is deleted from the external storing device, and entry corresponding to the application name is deleted from the registration means and the storing means. 
     As a result, after the incorporated equipment such as a copying machine, a printer, a multi function printer (MFP) having copier, printer and facsimile functions and a digital camera is forwarded, it is possible to install the program into the incorporated equipment and to start the installed program. Further, the memory of the incorporated equipment can be saved by deleting the class loader of the program not used from the memory. Further, since the program for effecting the installation, start/stop and uninstallation is the program operating on the application management program, installation, start/stop and uninstallation of the program itself for effecting the installation, start/stop and uninstallation can easily be performed. 
     Further, also in the application management method of the present invention, the storing medium of the present invention and the program of the present invention, similar to the above, after the incorporated equipment is forwarded, it is possible to install the program into the incorporated equipment and to start the installed program.