1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data providing system and a computer-readable recording medium storing data providing program for providing electronic data. In addition, the present invention relates to a data receiving system and a computer-readable recording medium storing data receiving program for receiving electronic data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, when a data provider offers electronic data such as a computer program, the following method has been generally used. For example, a program is stored in a connectable server on the Internet and downloaded to a user (i.e., a data receiver) who connects with this. Besides, an electronic device possessed by a user as the data receiver is not limited to dedicated equipment having only a specific function (e.g., a copying function). As the market has been increasingly satisfied with hardware resources, an electronic device which has diverse functions complexly has been popular. Therefore, even after an electronic device has been newly introduced, if additional functions are incorporated therein, the electronic device can be given a multiple function and customized. This is serviceable to a user.
The above described background has recently encouraged the art of equipping an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine with an execution environment for a Web application program and installing an external application program in an image forming apparatus on the Internet. This prior art enables a user to access a Web page using a client terminal (i.e., a PC) linked to the Internet, and via this Web page, install the external application program in the image forming apparatus. This external application program is stored, for example, into a server, an IC card or the like which is linked to the Internet.
However, according to such an aspect of the prior art in which the external application program is stored in the server and installed from there in the image forming apparatus, a disadvantage arises in that a user tends to suffer damage, such as illegitimate read-out of data stored in the server and tapping of communication with the server. There is also a disadvantage in that the contents of the external application program may be maliciously altered through unjust access to the server and the application program altered without being noticed can be installed in the image forming apparatus.
In addition, if a third party with evil intent establishes a server and pretends to be a distributor of an application program, a user may install the application program from there unwittingly.