Device for protecting against unauthorized use of software

• US 20050229259A1
• Filed: 03/13/2003
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: whiteCryption Corp.
• Original Assignee: whiteCryption Corp.
• Inventors: Peeters, Bernd, Harder, Wulf
• Granted Patent: US 7,913,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/123 by using dedicated hardware, e.g. dongles, smart cards, cryptographic processors, global positioning systems [GPS] devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45504 Abstract machines for programme code execution, e.g. Java virtual machine [JVM], interpreters, emulators

Abstract

A device for protecting against unauthorized use of software, characterized in that a first processor emulates a second processor (3), whereby the second processor executes program code and the second processor transmits data to a computing system running the software in a process, whereby the process enters an error condition if the data contain errors.

Claims

1. A device for protecting against unauthorized use of software, characterized in that a first processor emulates a second processor, whereby the second processor executes program code and the second processor transmits data to a computing system running the software in a process, whereby the process enters an error condition if the data contain errors.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first processor is a microcontroller, a smart card controller or a processor of the computing system.

3. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first or second processor receives the program code in encrypted form and decodes it.

4. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that the first or second processor also receives an encryption key for a symmetric encryption, said key being encrypted with a public key, whereby the program code has been encrypted with the key, and subsequently the key is decoded with a private key associated with the public key and thereafter the program code is decoded with the key.

5. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the instruction set of the second processor contains instructions that can read from and/or write to a persistent memory.

6. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the instruction set of the second processor contains cryptographic instructions.

7. A device according to claim 6, characterized in that the instruction set of the second processor contains instructions for executing public key encryption processes.

8. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first processor is located in a portable, wireless device.

9. A device according to claim 8, characterized in that the device is a mobile telephone, a PDA, a handheld computer or a combination thereof.

10. A device according to claim 9, characterized in that the device receives software license information by means of a telephone connection, said information able to be queried by program codes.

11. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first processor directly or indirectly receives or sends software license information via an Internet connection.