Retro-fitted network licensing system

• US 20060106730A1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• 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:
  US11/321,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20060106730A1
• 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 retro-fitted network licensing system is disclosed for monitoring the use of pre-existing software applications. A client licensing module is provided that is associated with each of the pre-existing client software applications to be monitored. A licensing module is provided that is in network communication with the client licensing modules. The licensing modules monitor the use the pre-existing client software applications and send a report to a license server over a public IP-compliant network.

Claims

1. A retro-fitted network licensing system comprising:

at least one machine having one or more pre-existing client software applications thereon;

a client licensing module associated with each of the one or more pre-existing client software applications;

at least one file server including a licensing module, the licensing module being in network communication with said client licensing module;

a license server in network communication with said at least one file server over a public IP-compliant network; and

the licensing module of said at least one file server configured to monitor the use of said one or more pre-existing client software applications on said plurality of desktop machines and send a report to said license server over the public IP-compliant network.

2. The retro-fitted licensing system of claim 1, wherein said client licensing module sends license inquiry information to said licensing module in said at least one file server.

3. The retro-fitted licensing system of claim 2, wherein said licensing module of said at least one file servers uses the license inquiry information to prepare a billing statement.

4. The retro-fitted licensing system of claim 1, wherein said one or more pre-existing software applications are from a single provider.

5. The retro-fitted licensing system of claim 1, wherein said one or more pre-existing software applications are from more than one provider.

6. A retro-fitted network licensing system comprising:

at least one machine having one or more pre-existing client software applications thereon;

a client licensing module associated with each of the one or more pre-existing client software applications;

a license server in network communication with said client licensing module over a public IP-compliant network; and

the licensing module of said at least one file server configured to monitor the use of said one or more pre-existing client software applications on said plurality of desktop machines and send a report to said license server over the public IP-compliant network.

7. The retro-fitted licensing system of claim 6, wherein said client licensing module sends license inquiry information to said licensing server.

8. The retro-fitted licensing system of claim 7, wherein said licensing server uses the license inquiry information to prepare a billing statement.

9. The retro-fitted licensing system of claim 6, wherein said one or more pre-existing software applications are from a single provider.

10. The retro-fitted licensing system of claim 6, wherein said one or more pre-existing software applications are from more than one provider.

11. A retro-fitted network licensing system comprising:

at least one machine having one or more pre-existing client software applications thereon;

client licensing module means associated with each of the one or more pre-existing client software applications;

at least one file server including licensing module means in network communication with said client licensing module;

license server means in network communication with said at least one file server over a public IP-compliant network; and

the licensing module means of said at least one file server including means for monitoring the use of said one or more pre-existing client software applications on said plurality of desktop machines and send a report to said license server means over the public IP-compliant network.

12. The retro-fitted licensing system of claim 11, wherein said client licensing module means further includes means for sending license inquiry information to said licensing module means in said at least one file server.

13. The retro-fitted licensing system of claim 12, wherein said licensing module means further includes means for utilizing the license inquiry information to prepare a billing statement.

14. The retro-fitted licensing system of claim 11, wherein said one or more pre-existing software applications are from a single provider.

15. The retro-fitted licensing system of claim 11, wherein said one or more pre-existing software applications are from more than one provider.