Technique for distributing software

• US 20040237084A1
• Filed: 06/08/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kurzweil Cyberart Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kurzweil Cyberart Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Keklak, John A., Kurzweil, Raymond C., Yasuna, Jules A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,849,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application

Abstract

A computer program product and method for installing downloaded software on a client system over a network is described. The product and method include generating an access key by receiving an installation key produced using a random number generated from a seed that is the value of a client system internal clock at the exact moment in time to the millisecond at which a software installation program was run on the client produce the access code by modulo combining the installation key and user name received by the client system.

Claims

1-7. -7. canceled.

8. A method comprises:

installing software by

generating an installation key using a random number generated from a seed that is a value derived from a client system at the moment at which the software is being installed on the client;

producing an access code by combining the installation key and user name and performing a modulo operation on the result.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein producing the access code comprises:

adding the installation key to the user name on a digit by digit basis.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the modulo operation is a “

modulo 48”

operation based on an ASCII code.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein generating an installation key comprises:

generating the seed from a value of a client system internal clock.

12. A method comprises:

installing software by generating an installation key using a random number generated from a seed that is a value derived from a client system at the moment at which the software is being installed on the client;

producing an access code by combining the installation key and user name and performing a modulo operation on the result to produce an access code;

executing the software by,

retrieving a name of a registered user and the generated installation code stored on the client system to generate the access code

comparing the generated access code to an access code entered by the user and if the access codes are the same allowing the software to execute.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein comparing occurs during an upgrade process to upgrade the software to a different version than was previously executed on the client.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein if the access codes do not match, the software does not execute

15. The method of claim 13 wherein if the access codes do not match, the software executes only in a basic mode without features provided during an upgrade of the software.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the stored installation code is stored in an operating system registry.

17. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for installing downloaded software on a client system over a network comprises instructions to cause a computer to:

generate an installation key using a random number generated from a seed that is a value derived from a client system at the moment at which the software is being installed on the client;

produce an access code by combining the installation key and user name and perform a modulo operation on the result to produce the access code.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein instructions to produce the access code comprises instructions to:

add the installation key to the user name on a digit by digit basis.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the modulo operation is a “

modulo 48”

operation based on an ASCII code.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising instructions to cause the computer to:

send the access code back to the client system.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein generating an installation key comprises:

generating the seed from a value of a client system internal clock.

22. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for installing software on a client system comprises instructions for causing a computer to:

generate an installation key using a random number generated from a seed that is a value derived from the client system at the moment at which the software is being installed on the client;

produce an access code by combining the installation key and user name and performing a modulo operation on the result to produce the access code;

store the installation key in the client system, execute the software by, retrieve a name of a registered user and the stored installation key from the client system to produce the access code;

compare the produced access code to an access code entered by the user, and if the access codes are the same, allowing the software to execute.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein instructions to comparing occur during an upgrade process to upgrade the software to a different version than was previously loaded on the client.

24. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein if the access codes do not match, the software does not execute

25. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein if the access codes do not match, the software executes only in a basic mode without features provided during an upgrade of the software.

26. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the stored installation code is stored in an operating system registry.