System and method for controlling terminal application usage through subscriber-application association
First Claim
1. A method for authorizing operation of an application on a terminal in a network, comprising:
- initiating the application on the terminal of a requesting user;
searching a local user data segment for an application identifier of the initiated application, wherein the local user data segment is unique to a requesting user and locally available at the terminal;
searching for the application identifier on a remotely stored user data segment available on the network external to the terminal, if the application identifier is not located in the local user data segment; and
if the application identifier is located in the remotely stored user data segment, updating the local user data segment on the terminal with the application identifier, and enabling execution of the application by the requesting user.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for authorizing operation of an application on a terminal in a network. An application is initiated on the terminal by a requesting user. A user data segment locally available at the terminal includes data that is unique to the requesting user, and is searched for an application identifier corresponding to the application initiated by the user. If the application identifier is found not to be associated with the local user data segment, a remotely stored user data segment available on the network is searched to determine if it includes the application identifier. If the application identifier is located in the remotely stored user data segment, the local user data segment on the terminal is updated with the application identifier, and execution of the application is enabled for use by the requesting user. Otherwise, execution of the application is prohibited until the user complies with access rules, such as providing payment for permission to execute the application.
-
Citations
39 Claims
-
1. A method for authorizing operation of an application on a terminal in a network, comprising:
-
initiating the application on the terminal of a requesting user;
searching a local user data segment for an application identifier of the initiated application, wherein the local user data segment is unique to a requesting user and locally available at the terminal;
searching for the application identifier on a remotely stored user data segment available on the network external to the terminal, if the application identifier is not located in the local user data segment; and
if the application identifier is located in the remotely stored user data segment, updating the local user data segment on the terminal with the application identifier, and enabling execution of the application by the requesting user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21)
-
-
19. A method for charging for an application operable on a terminal within a network, where the application was not obtained from the application supplier where application charging generally occurs, comprising:
-
attempting to execute the application by a user on the terminal;
examining a locally stored user data segment for an application identifier of the application, and enabling execution of the application if the application identifier is found in the locally stored user data segment;
examining a remotely stored user data segment for the application identifier if the application identifier is not found in the locally stored user data segment, and enabling execution of the application if the application identifier is found in the remotely stored user data segment;
prohibiting the user from executing the application if the application identifier is not found in either the locally or remotely stored user data segment, and requiring payment for the application as a condition for thereafter enabling execution of the application.
-
-
22. A system for allowing a network service provider to control use of an application having an associated application identifier, comprising:
-
a transferable user data module including local user profile information unique to a user requesting access to the application;
a profile directory maintained on a network, wherein the profile directory includes remote user profile information for at least one user;
a user terminal having the application available therein, wherein the user terminal is coupled to the transferable user data module, the user terminal comprising;
(a) a compare module coupled to receive the application identifier of the application to determine whether the application identifier matches any authorized application identifiers associated with the local user profile information; and
(b) an application execution module to permit user execution of the application if the application identifier matches one of the authorized application identifiers associated with the local user profile information, and to request permission to execute the application from the service provider by searching the remote user profile information for the application identifier if the application identifier fails to match one of the authorized application identifiers associated with the local user profile information. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
26. A method for enabling operation of an application on a terminal in a network, comprising:
-
linking an application identifier with user profile information unique to each user authorized to execute the application;
determining whether the application identifier has been linked with the user profile information of a requesting user attempting to execute the application from the terminal;
denying execution of the application to the requesting user if the application identifier has not been linked with the user profile information; and
enabling execution of the application to the requesting user if the application identifier has been linked with the user profile information.
-
-
32. A method for charging for an application operable on a terminal within a network, where the application was not obtained from the application supplier where application charging generally occurs, comprising:
-
attempting to execute the application by a user on the terminal;
examining a locally stored user data segment for an application identifier of the application, and enabling execution of the application if the application identifier is found in the locally stored user data segment;
examining a remotely stored user data segment for the application identifier if the application identifier is not found in the locally stored user data segment, and enabling execution of the application if the application identifier is found in the remotely stored user data segment; and
prohibiting the user from executing the application if the application identifier is not found in either the locally or remotely stored user data segment.
-
-
33. A method for authorizing execution of an application available on a terminal in a network, comprising:
-
storing an application identifier as at least a portion of a user data segment unique to each user authorized to execute the application, wherein the user data segments corresponding to each user are remotely stored on the network external to the terminal;
initiating the application on the terminal of a requesting user;
transmitting a request to the network to ascertain whether the requesting user is authorized to execute the application;
determining whether the application identifier is remotely stored in the requesting user'"'"'s user data segment on the network, thereby determining whether the requesting user is authorized to execute the application;
prohibiting execution of the application to the requesting user if not authorized to execute the application; and
enabling execution of the application to the requesting user if authorized to execute the application. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
-
-
38. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for authorizing execution of an application operable on a terminal within a network, the computer-executable instructions performing steps comprising:
-
attempting to execute the application by a user on the terminal;
examining a locally stored user data segment for an application identifier of the application, and enabling execution of the application if the application identifier is found in the locally stored user data segment;
examining a remotely stored user data segment for the application identifier if the application identifier is not found in the locally stored user data segment, and enabling execution of the application if the application identifier is found in the remotely stored user data segment; and
prohibiting the user from executing the application if the application identifier is not found in either the locally or remotely stored user data segment.
-
-
39. A system for enabling operation of an application on a terminal in a network, comprising:
-
means for linking an application identifier with user profile information unique to each user authorized to execute the application;
means for determining whether the application identifier has been linked with the user profile information of a requesting user attempting to execute the application from the terminal;
means for denying execution of the application to the requesting user if the application identifier has not been linked with the user profile information; and
means for enabling execution of the application to the requesting user if the application identifier has been linked with the user profile information.
-
Specification