Issuing unlock codes from a server with third party billing

• US 20060064761A1
• Filed: 09/22/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Multerer, Boyd Cannon, Chen, Ling Tony
• Application Number:
  US10/947,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064761A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation

Abstract

The use of software is licensed on a particular central processing unit (CPU) residing on a computing device. A code is generated at a central service and provided to a third party publisher, such as a third party website, a vending machine, a retailer, or a phone service provider, for example. The third party publisher then provides the code to a user, who provides it to the computing device, which in turn, unlocks the appropriate software (or features of software) residing on, or being used in conjunction with, the computing device. The unlocking code may be provided to a storage device such as a memory unit that is plugged into or otherwise attached to the computing device running the software, or may be provided to the user who enters the code manually. The unlocking code may unlock the entire software application, or just particular features of the software, such as a higher level of a game or a working version of an application that was otherwise provided as a demo version.

Claims

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

determining an activation code at a central service, based on a unique identifier of a computing device on which the application is to be run and an application identifier associated with the application;

providing the activation code to a publisher entity that is remote from the central service; and

providing the activation code to a device associated with the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device associated with the computing device is one of a portable storage device, a memory unit, a mobile phone, and a personal digital assistant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the activation code to the device comprises preparing and sending an email containing the activation code to the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the publisher entity comprises one of a vending machine, a kiosk, a website, a mobile phone service provider, and a retailer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the publisher entity receiving a request for the activation code and transmitting the request to the central service.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the publisher entity providing a prompt for payment prior to providing the activation code to the device associated with the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the publisher entity receiving payment prior to providing the activation code to the device associated with the computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the publisher entity advising the central service that payment has been received prior to the central service providing the activation code to the publisher entity, and the publisher entity providing a portion of that payment to the central service.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the activation code to the computing device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the application has already been activated on the computing device prior to the computing device requesting the activation code, and only requesting the activation code in the absence of the application having already been activated on the computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the activation code comprises signing the unique identifier of the computing device and the application identifier with a private key.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising activating the application on the computing device responsive to the activation code.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein activating the application comprises using a public key to retrieve the unique computing device identifier and the application identifier and verifying that the retrieved unique computing device identifier and the retrieved application identifier match the unique identifier of the computing device and the application identifier associated with the application.

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

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining a hash based on the machine key and the application identifier.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising activating the application on the computing device responsive to the activation code.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein activating the application comprises receiving a portion of the hash, determining a locally computed hash, and verifying that the same portion of the locally computed hash matches the portion of the received hash.

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

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

20. An activation control system, comprising:

a central service comprising;

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

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

a publisher entity for generating and sending the request for the activation code to the central service, for receiving the activation code from the central service, and for providing the activation code to a device associated with the computing device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the publisher entity comprises a payment system for collecting payment for the application.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the device associated with the computing device is one of a portable storage device, a memory unit, a mobile phone, and a personal digital assistant.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein providing the activation code to the device comprises preparing and sending an email containing the activation code to the device.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the publisher entity comprises one of a vending machine, a kiosk, a website, a mobile phone service provider, and a retailer.

25. The system of claim 20, further comprising the publisher entity receiving an activation code request from the computing device, and then, responsive to the activation code request, generating and sending the request for the activation code to the central service.

26. The system of claim 20, further comprising the publisher entity advising the central service that payment has been received prior to the central service providing the activation code to the publisher entity, and the publisher entity providing a portion of that payment to the central service.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the activation code generator signs the unique identifier of the computing device and the application identifier with a private key.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein the activation code generator determines a machine key corresponding to the unique identifier of the computing device.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein the activation code generator determines a hash based on the machine key and the application identifier, and forwards the hash to the computing device.

30. A computing device, comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU) for launching an application on the computing device, requesting and receiving an activation code for the application from a publisher entity, and activating the application based on the activation code; and

a memory device for storing the activation code.

31. The computing device of claim 30, wherein the CPU is adapted to receive payment instructions from an input device, and provide payment to the publisher entity.

32. The computing device of claim 30, wherein the CPU is adapted to determine if the application has already been activated on the computing device prior to requesting the activation code, and only requesting the activation code in the absence of the application having already been activated on the computing device.

33. The computing device of claim 30, wherein the activation code is based on a unique identifier of the computing device and an application identifier associated with the application.

34. The computing device of claim 30, wherein the CPU is adapted to activate the application by using a public key to retrieve a unique identifier and an application identifier from a signed code and verifying that the retrieved unique identifier and the retrieved application identifier match a unique identifier of the computing device and an application identifier associated with the application.

35. The computing device of claim 30, wherein the CPU is adapted to activate the application by receiving a portion of a hash, determining a locally computed hash, and verifying that the same portion of the locally computed hash matches the portion of the received hash.

36. The computing device of claim 35, wherein the hash is based on machine key of the computing device and an application identifier associated with the application.