Licensing the use of a particular feature of software

• US 20060048132A1
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Multerer, Boyd Cannon, Chen, Ling Tony
• Granted Patent: US 7,849,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• 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 2221/2109 Game systems

Abstract

Software is licensed for use on a particular computing device, such as a gaming console or a multimedia console. An unlocking code is provided from a distribution service to the computing device (either directly or via a user), which in turn, unlocks the appropriate software or portion of software for use with the associated computing device. The software may reside on a computer-readable medium, such as a CD-ROM or DVD disk, that is being used in conjunction with the computing device. The unlocking code may be provided directly to the user in private (e.g., via email or a mobile phone) or in public (e.g., published on a website). Portions of the software that may be unlocked include a particular level of a game or other features (such as additional characters or weapons), or a working or more advanced version of an application that was otherwise provided as a demo or older version. The unlocking code may be based on a unique identifier of the computing device and an identifier associated with the software seeking to be accessed. Thus, the code may only be used by the computing device having that unique identifier. This prevents unauthorized or unlicensed computing devices from using the software.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to a feature of an application, comprising:

determining an upgrade code based on a unique identifier of a computing device on which the feature of the application is to be run and a feature identifier associated with the feature; and

providing the upgrade code to the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the feature has already been activated on the computing device prior to determining the upgrade code, and only determining the upgrade code in the absence of the feature having already been activated on the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting payment for the feature prior to determining the upgrade code.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the upgrade code comprises signing the unique identifier of the computing device and the feature identifier with a private key.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising activating the feature on the computing device responsive to the upgrade code.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein activating the feature comprises using a public key to verify the unique identifier and the feature identifier and verifying that the retrieved unique identifier and the retrieved feature identifier match the unique identifier of the computing device and the feature identifier associated with the feature.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the upgrade code comprises determining a machine key corresponding to the unique identifier of the computing device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining a hash based on the machine key and the feature identifier.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising activating the feature on the computing device responsive to the upgrade code.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein activating the feature comprises receiving a fixed portion of the hash, determining a locally computed hash, and verifying that the same fixed portion of the locally computed hash matches the same portion of the received hash.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising launching the application on the computing device prior to determining the upgrade code.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting the upgrade code at the computing device prior to determining the upgrade code.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the upgrade code in a memory device associated with the computing device.

14. A method for providing access to an application, comprising:

launching an application having a locked feature on a computing device;

receiving an upgrade code for the application, the upgrade code being based on a unique identifier of the computing device and a feature identifier associated with the locked feature; and

activating the locked feature based on the upgrade code.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing payment for the upgrade code prior to receiving the upgrade code.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining if the locked feature has already been activated on the computing device prior to receiving the upgrade code, and only receiving the upgrade code in the absence of the locked feature having already been activated on the computing device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein activating the locked feature comprises using a public key to verify a unique identifier and a feature identifier from signed data and verifying that the retrieved unique identifier and the retrieved feature identifier match a unique identifier of the computing device and a feature identifier associated with the locked feature.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein activating the locked feature comprises receiving a fixed portion of a hash, determining a locally computed hash, and verifying that the same fixed portion of the locally computed hash matches the same portion of the received hash.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the hash is based on a machine key of the computing device and a feature identifier associated with the locked feature.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing the upgrade code in a memory device associated with the computing device.

21. An upgrade control system, comprising:

an activation handler for receiving a request for an upgrade code to unlock a feature of an application to run on a computing device; and

an upgrade code generator for determining the upgrade code based on a unique identifier of the computing device on which the feature is to be unlocked and a feature identifier associated with the feature.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the upgrade code generator provides the upgrade code to the computing device.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising a payment system for collecting payment for the feature.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the upgrade code generator signs the unique identifier of the computing device and the feature identifier with a private key.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the upgrade code generator determines a machine key corresponding to the unique identifier of the computing device.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the upgrade code generator determines a hash based on the machine key and the feature identifier, and forwards the hash to the computing device.

27. A computing device, comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU) for launching an application on the computing device, requesting and receiving an upgrade code to unlock a feature for the application, and activating the feature based on the upgrade code, the upgrade code being based on a unique identifier of the computing device and a feature identifier associated with the feature; and

a memory device for storing the upgrade code.

28. The computing device of claim 27, wherein the CPU is adapted to receive payment instructions from an input device, and provide payment to a remote payment system.

29. The computing device of claim 27, wherein the CPU is adapted to determine if the feature has already been activated on the computing device prior to requesting the upgrade code, and only requesting the upgrade code in the absence of the feature having already been activated on the computing device.

30. The computing device of claim 27, wherein the CPU is adapted to activate the feature by using a public key to verify a unique identifier and a feature identifier from signed data and verifying that the retrieved unique identifier and the retrieved feature identifier match a unique identifier of the computing device and a feature identifier associated with the feature.

31. The computing device of claim 27, wherein the CPU is adapted to activate the feature by receiving a hash, determining a locally computed hash, and verifying that at least a portion of the locally computed hash matches at least a portion of the received hash.

32. The computing device of claim 31, wherein the hash is based on a machine key of the computing device and a feature identifier associated with the feature.