Licensing system using a firewall gateway for protecting and licensing computers

• US 20060122941A1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Christopher D. Coley, Ralph E. Wesinger Jr
• Original Assignee: Christopher D. Coley, Ralph E. Wesinger Jr
• Inventors: Coley, Christopher D., Wesinger, Ralph E. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US11/321,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20060122941A1
• 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 licensing system using a firewall gateway for protecting and licensing computers is disclosed. A firewall gateway for separating a protected computer on a private network from a public network is provided. The protected computer has a client software application residing thereon that is licensed. A client module is provided that is associated with the client software application. A proxy agent is provided that is maintained by the firewall gateway. The proxy agent is configured to validate a license for the client software application.

Claims

1. A licensing system using a firewall gateway for protecting and licensing computers comprising:

a firewall gateway separating a protected computer on a private network from a public network;

the protected computer having a client software application residing thereon and a client module associated with the client software application; and

a proxy agent maintained by the firewall gateway for validating a license for said client software application on said protected computer.

2. The licensing system of claim 1, wherein said proxy agent receives a license inquiry request from said protected computer, and forwards the request to a license server over an IP-compliant network.

3. The licensing system of claim 2, wherein said proxy agent receives a license inquiry response message from the license server, and forwards the response message to said protected computer.

4. The licensing system of claim 3, wherein said proxy agent periodically performs an audit of license information regarding said client application and stores said information in a cache.

5. The licensing system of claim 3, wherein said proxy agent is the only IP address visible outside of said firewall.

6. A licensing system using a firewall gateway for protecting and licensing computers comprising:

firewall gateway means separating a protected computer on a private network from a public network;

the protected computer having a client software application residing thereon and client module means associated with the client software application; and

the firewall gateway means further comprising proxy agent means for validating a license for said client software application on said protected computer.

7. The licensing system of claim 6, wherein said proxy agent means further comprises means for receiving a license inquiry request from said protected computer, and forwarding the request to a license server over an IP-compliant network.

8. The licensing system of claim 7, wherein said proxy agent means further comprises means for receiving a license inquiry response message from the license server, and forwarding the response message to said protected computer.

9. The licensing system of claim 8, wherein said proxy agent means further comprises means for periodically performing an audit of license information regarding said client application and storing said information in a cache.

10. The licensing system of claim 8, wherein said proxy agent means is the only IP address visible outside of said firewall.

11. A licensing system using a firewall gateway for protecting and licensing computers comprising:

a firewall gateway separating a protected computer on a private network from traffic on a public IP-compliant network;

the protected computer having a client software application residing thereon and a client module associated with the client software application; and

a proxy agent maintained by the firewall gateway for validating a license for said client software application on said protected computer.

12. The licensing system of claim 11, wherein said proxy agent receives a license inquiry request from said protected computer, and forwards the request to a license server over an IP-compliant network.

13. The licensing system of claim 12, wherein said proxy agent receives a license inquiry response message from the license server, and forwards the response message to said protected computer.

14. The licensing system of claim 13, wherein said proxy agent periodically performs an audit of license information regarding said client application and stores said information in a cache.

15. The licensing system of claim 13, wherein said proxy agent is the only IP address visible outside of said firewall.