System with location-sensitive software installation method

• US 20060031830A1
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chu, Simon, Dayan, Richard Alan, Rhoades, David B., Jennings, Jeffery Bart
• Application Number:
  US10/910,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031830A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS

Abstract

A method, system, and operating system (OS) software utility that prevents installation of a software product in a computer system in an un-approved location. The OS of the computer system (or the application itself) is coded to require a check of geographical restrictions prior to installing certain software products. The computer system is provided with a GPS receiver, which provides current geographic or spatial location of the computer system. When application installation is requested, the current location is compared against a list of approved locations for installing software on the computer system. No software installation is allowed on the computer system unless the current location is an approved location for the software and/or the computer system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a current location of a computer system;

determining when said current location is one of a pre-approved location in which a software application is authorized to be installed on said computer system; and

when said current location is not a pre-approved location, preventing said software application from being installed on said computer system, wherein the software application is allowed to be installed only when said computer system is located in a pre-approved location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting initiation of an installation process for said software application;

checking a pre-designated location field to determine whether the installation of the software application has location restrictions, prior to completing said determining.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said location restrictions are computer system restrictions, and said determining comprises:

retrieving data indicating a current location of the computer system;

accessing a location approval list with a list of each location in which the installation of software on the computer system is approved; and

comparing the current location with the approved locations to find a match; and

enabling the installation to proceed when there is a match; and

when no match is found, blocking any further installation of the software application on said computer system within the current location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein when said location restrictions are computer system restrictions for specific software applications, said blocking includes blocking installation of said specific software applications on said computer system within the current location.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said location restrictions are software application restrictions, and said determining comprises:

retrieving data indicating a current location of the computer system;

accessing a location approval list, having a list of each location in which the installation of the software on the computer system is approved;

comparing the current location with the approved locations to find a match;

signaling when there is a match that installation may proceed; and

when no match is found, blocking installation of the software application within that current location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the accessing includes:

retrieving the list from a medium on which the software application code is stored, when said list is stored on the medium; and

retrieving the list from a source that is external to the medium, wherein an address of the source is provided within the installation sequence.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein when said software application includes a first component that is location restricted and second component, operationally independent of the first component and not location restricted, said preventing prevents only the location-restrictive component from being installed on the computer system, wherein only the second component is installed on the computer system.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein said retrieving comprises:

obtaining a GPS coordinate from a GPS receiver as said current location;

wherein said determining compares said GPS coordinate with a zone within which the installation maybe completed, such that said comparison results in a match when said GPS coordinate falls within the zone.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said list of approved locations is stored on a network server, said determining further comprising:

generating a request for a comparison of the current location to the approved location list stored on the server, wherein the server address is provided within the installation sequence; and

accessing the network server to complete said comparing.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

dynamically detecting a connection of said computer system to the Internet;

autonomically issuing the request to the server whenever the current location changes, wherein said software installation is scheduled and occurs at the time the computer system enters a zone within which the installation is approved; and

signaling that the installation has been successful.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein when said computer system with installed software application that is subject to location restrictions exits an approved zone, said method comprises:

initiating one or more protection mechanisms from among;

disabling the software application from being operational within the computer system;

automatically removing/deleting said software application from said computing device;

prompting for specific security parameters to enable access to the software application, wherein said access is provided only after verification of an entered authorization code; and

hiding the executables and signatures of the software application from a user of the computer system until said computer system reenters an approved location.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a security level within installation parameters that control a type of installation permitted for the software application within the approved locations, wherein said security level indicates what additional security features, if any, are required for the particular software application in the particular approved location, wherein a first level indicates that no additional security measures are required for installation and a second level indicates that pre-specified security measures are required for installation.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

program code on said computer readable medium for controlling installation of software application on the computer system, said program code comprising code for;

receiving from a location detecting mechanism data on a current location of a computer system within which said program code is being executed;

determining when said current location is one of a pre-approved location in which a software application is authorized to be installed on said computer system; and

when said current location is not a pre-approved location, preventing said software application from being installed on said computer system, wherein the software application is allowed to be installed only when said computer system is located in a pre-approved location.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising code for:

detecting initiation of an installation process for said software application;

checking a pre-designated location field to determine whether the installation of the software application has location restrictions, prior to completing said determining.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said location restrictions are computer system restrictions, and said code for determining comprises code for:

retrieving data indicating a current location of the computer system;

accessing a location approval list with a list of each location in which the installation of software on the computer system is approved; and

comparing the current location with the approved locations to find a match; and

enabling the installation to proceed when there is a match; and

when no match is found, blocking any further installation of the software application on said computer system within the current location.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein when said location restrictions are computer system restrictions for specific software applications, said code for blocking includes code for blocking installation of said specific software applications on said computer system within the current location.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said location restrictions are software application restrictions, and said code for determining comprises code for:

retrieving data indicating a current location of the computer system;

accessing a location approval list, having a list of each location in which the installation of the software on the computer system is approved;

comparing the current location with the approved locations to find a match;

signaling when there is a match that installation may proceed; and

when no match is found, blocking installation of the software application within that current location.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the code for accessing includes code for:

retrieving the list from a medium on which the software application code is stored, when said list is stored on the medium; and

retrieving the list from a source that is external to the medium, wherein an address of the source is provided within the installation sequence.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein when said software application includes a first component that is location restricted and second component, operationally independent of the first component and not location restricted, said code for preventing prevents only the location-restrictive component from being installed on the computer system, wherein only the second component is installed on the computer system.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said code for retrieving comprises code for:

obtaining a GPS coordinate from a GPS receiver as said current location;

wherein said code for determining compares said GPS coordinate with a zone within which the installation maybe completed, such that said comparison results in a match when said GPS coordinate falls within the zone.

21. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said list of approved locations is stored on a network server, said code for determining further comprising code for:

generating a request for a comparison of the current location to the approved location list stored on the server, wherein the server address is provided within the installation sequence; and

accessing the network server to complete said comparing.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising code for:

dynamically detecting a connection of said computer system to the Internet;

autonomically issuing the request to the server whenever the current location changes, wherein said software installation is scheduled and occurs at the time the computer system enters a zone within which the installation is approved; and

signaling that the installation has been successful.

23. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein, when said computer system with installed software application that is subject to location restrictions exits an approved zone, said computer program product comprises code for:

initiating one or more protection mechanisms from among;

disabling the software application from being operational within the computer system;

automatically removing/deleting said software application from said computing device;

prompting for specific security parameters to enable access to the software application, wherein said access is provided only after verification of an entered authorization code; and

hiding the executables and signatures of the software application from a user of the computer system until said computer system reenters an approved location.

24. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising code for:

providing a security level within installation parameters that control a type of installation permitted for the software application within the approved locations, wherein said security level indicates what additional security features, if any, are required for the particular software application in the particular approved location, wherein a first level indicates that no additional security measures are required for installation and a second level indicates that pre-specified security measures are required for installation.

25. A system for comprising:

a location detecting mechanism that identifies a current location of a computer system; and

a location approval utility that includes software means for;

identifying a current location of the computer system;

determining when said current location is one of a pre-approved location in which a software application is authorized to be installed on said computer system; and

when said current location is not a pre-approved location, preventing said software application from being installed on said computer system, wherein the software application is allowed to be installed only when said computer system is located in a pre-approved location.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said location detection mechanism includes:

a GPS receiver that receives GPS coordinates of the current location of the computer system; and

a register for recording the current location of the computer system.

27. The system of claim 25, further comprising means for:

detecting initiation of an installation process for said software application;

checking a pre-designated location field to determine whether the installation of the software application has location restrictions, prior to completing said determining.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said location restrictions are computer system restrictions, and said determining means comprises means for:

retrieving data indicating a current location of the computer system;

accessing a location approval list with a list of each location in which the installation of software on the computer system is approved; and

comparing the current location with the approved locations to find a match; and

enabling the installation to proceed when there is a match; and

when no match is found, blocking any further installation of the software application on said computer system within the current location.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein when said location restrictions are computer system restrictions for specific software applications, said means for blocking includes blocking installation of said specific software applications on said computer system within the current location.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein said location restrictions are software application restrictions, and said means for determining comprises means for:

retrieving data indicating a current location of the computer system;

accessing a location approval list, having a list of each location in which the installation of the software on the computer system is approved; and

comparing the current location with the approved locations to find a match; and

signaling when there is a match that installation may proceed; and

when no match is found, blocking installation of the software application within that current location.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the means for accessing includes means for:

retrieving the list from a medium on which the software application code is stored, when said list is stored on the medium; and

retrieving the list from a source that is external to the medium, wherein an address of the source is provided within the installation sequence.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein when said software application includes a first component that is location restricted and second component, operationally independent of the first component and not location restricted, said means for preventing prevents only the location-restrictive component from being installed on the computer system, wherein only the second component is installed on the computer system.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein said means for retrieving comprises means for:

obtaining a GPS coordinate from a GPS receiver as said current location;

wherein said determining step compares said GPS coordinate with a zone within which the installation maybe completed, such that said comparison results in a match when said GPS coordinate falls within the zone.

34. The system of claim 25, wherein said list of approved locations is stored on a network server, said means for determining further comprising means for:

generating a request for a comparison of the current location to the approved location list stored on the server, wherein the server address is provided within the installation sequence; and

accessing the network server to complete said comparing.

35. The system of claim 34, further comprising means for:

dynamically detecting a connection of said computer system to the Internet;

autonomically issuing the request to the server whenever the current location changes, wherein said software installation is scheduled and occurs at the time the computer system enters a zone within which the installation is approved; and

signaling that the installation has been successful.

36. The system of claim 25, wherein when said computer system with installed software application that is subject to location restrictions exits an approved zone, said system comprises means for:

initiating one or more protection mechanisms from among;

disabling the software application from being operational within the computer system;

automatically removing/deleting said software application from said computing device;

prompting for specific security parameters to enable access to the software application, wherein said access is provided only after verification of an entered authorization code; and

hiding the executables and signatures of the software application from a user of the computer system until said computer system reenters an approved location.

37. The system of claim 25, further comprising means for:

providing a security level within installation parameters that control a type of installation permitted for the software application within the approved locations, wherein said security level indicates what additional security features, if any, are required for the particular software application in the particular approved location, wherein a first level indicates that no additional security measures are required for installation and a second level indicates that pre-specified security measures are required for installation.

38. A network system for preventing installation of software applications on computer systems outside of pre-specified approved locations, said network system comprising:

a computer system that includes a location device and a network connection device that enables the computer system to connect to a network;

a server that is accessible via the network and which maintains a list of approved locations within which software may be installed on the computer system;

a software utility executing on the computer system that provides software code for completing the following functions;

identifying a current location of the computer system from data received from said location device;

determining when said current location is one of a pre-approved location in which said software application is authorized to be installed on said computer system; and

when said current location is not a pre-approved location, preventing said software application from being installed on said computer system, wherein the software application is allowed to be installed only when said computer system is located in a pre-approved location; and

a response utility executing on the server that provides software code for completing the following functions;

receiving a request from the computer system to confirm whether a current location of the computer system is approved for installing software on the computer system;

comparing the current location from the request with approved locations within the list of approved locations; and

signaling the computer system a result of the comparison, wherein when the current location matches one of the approved locations, said computer system is sent an approval for installation of the software and when the current location does not match one of the approved locations, said computer system is sent a denial for installation of the software.

39. The network system of claim 38, wherein said location approval utility further comprises software code for:

detecting initiation of an installation process for said software application;

checking a pre-designated location field to determine whether the installation of the software application has location restrictions, prior to completing said determining;

retrieving data indicating a current location of the computer system;

generating a request for a comparison of the current location to the approved location list stored on the server, wherein the server address is provided within the installation sequence; and

accessing the network server to complete said comparing within the list of approved locations; and

receiving a result from the server indicating whether said location is an approved location;

enabling the installation to proceed when said location is an approved location; and

blocking any further installation of software application on said computer system within the current location when the current location is not an approved location.

40. The network system of claim 38, wherein:

said code for retrieving comprises code for obtaining a GPS coordinate from a GPS receiver as said current location; and

said code for determining initiates a comparison of said GPS coordinate with a zone within which the installation maybe completed, such that said comparison results in a match when said GPS coordinate falls within the zone.

41. The network system of claim 39, wherein said location approval utility further comprises code for:

dynamically detecting a connection of said computer system to the Internet; and

autonomically issuing the request to the server whenever the current location changes, wherein said software installation is scheduled and occurs at the time the computer system enters a zone within which the installation is approved.

42. The network system of claim 38, wherein the server further comprises code for responding to receipt of security level found within installation parameters that control a type of installation permitted for the software application within the approved locations, wherein said security level indicates what additional security features, if any, are required for the particular software application in the particular approved location, wherein a first level indicates that no additional security measures are required for installation and a second level indicates that pre-specified security measures are required for installation.