Downloadable software package incorporating license management software

• US 20060085355A1
• Filed: 12/07/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GraphOn Corporation
• Original Assignee: GraphOn Corporation
• Inventors: Coley, Christopher D., Wesinger, Ralph E. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US11/297,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085355A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• 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 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/12 Transmitting and receiving encryption devices synchronised or initially set up in a particular manner
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

A downloadable software package incorporating license management software is disclosed. The software package may include a client software application and an associated licensing module for managing use of the client software application. In preferred embodiments, the licensing module is configured to detect the use of the client software application and automatically send a license validity inquiry request to a license server over a public network. The client software application is operated in accordance with the contents of a response message received from the license server. The downloadable software package may comprise a single compiled executable application downloaded by a user onto a computer over the public network.

Claims

1. A downloadable software package incorporating license management software comprising:

a downloadable software package including a client software application and an associated licensing module;

the licensing module being configured to;

detect the use of the client software application;

automatically send a license validity inquiry request regarding said client software application to a license server over a public network; and

operate said client software application in accordance with the contents of a response message received from the license server.

2. The downloadable software package of claim 1, wherein said downloadable software package comprises a single compiled executable application downloaded by a user onto a computer over the public network.

3. The downloadable software package of claim 2, wherein said licensing module comprises one of a selected object modules inserted into a pre-compiled version of said client software application.

4. The downloadable software package of claim 3, wherein validation check watchdog timers are inserted at pre-selected points in said client software application.

5. The downloadable software package of claim 4, wherein at least one of said pre-selected points corresponds to a software interrupt of said client software application.

6. The downloadable software package of claim 4, wherein at least one of said pre-selected points corresponds to a software procedure call of said client software application.

7. The downloadable software package of claim 6, wherein software procedure call comprises a print routine of said client software application.

8. The downloadable software package of claim 7, wherein software procedure call comprises a print routine of said client software application.

9. The downloadable software package of claim 7, wherein software procedure call comprises a save routine of said client software application.

10. The downloadable software package of claim 4, wherein at least one of said pre-selected points corresponds to an opening routine of said client software application.

11. The downloadable software package of claim 10, wherein opening routine of said client software application initiates an initial license validation check.

12. The downloadable software package of claim 10, wherein opening routine of said client software application initiates an enablement check.

13. A downloadable software package incorporating license management software comprising:

means for detecting the use of a client software application;

means for automatically sending a license validity inquiry request regarding said client software application to a license server over a public network; and

means for operating said client software application in accordance with the contents of a response message received from the license server.

14. The downloadable software package of claim 13, wherein said downloadable software package comprises a single compiled executable application downloaded by a user onto a computer over the public network.

15. The downloadable software package of claim 14, wherein said licensing module comprises one of a selected object modules inserted into a pre-compiled version of said client software application.

16. The downloadable software package of claim 14, wherein validation check watchdog timers are inserted at pre-selected points in said client software application.

17. The downloadable software package of claim 16, wherein at least one of said pre-selected points corresponds to a software interrupt of said client software application.

18. The downloadable software package of claim 16, wherein at least one of said pre-selected points corresponds to a software procedure call of said client software application.

19. The downloadable software package of claim 18, wherein software procedure call comprises a print routine of said client software application.

20. The downloadable software package of claim 19, wherein software procedure call comprises a print routine of said client software application.

21. The downloadable software package of claim 19, wherein software procedure call comprises a save routine of said client software application.

22. The downloadable software package of claim 16, wherein at least one of said pre-selected points corresponds to an opening routine of said client software application.

23. The downloadable software package of claim 22, wherein opening routine of said client software application initiates an initial license validation check.

24. The downloadable software package of claim 22, wherein opening routine of said client software application initiates an enablement check.

25. A downloadable software package incorporating license management software comprising:

a downloadable software package comprising a single compiled executable application configured to be downloaded onto a computer over a public network;

the software package including a licensing module associated with a client software application; and

responsive to the operation of said client software application, the licensing module being operable to automatically send a license validity inquiry request to a license server over a public network and operate said client software application in accordance with the contents of a response message received from the license server.

26. The downloadable software package of claim 25, wherein said licensing module is operable to automatically send a license validity inquiry request to a license server software responsive to activation of a print routine of said client software application.

27. The downloadable software package of claim 25, wherein said licensing module is operable to automatically send a license validity inquiry request to a license server software responsive to activation of a save routine of said client software application.