Permanently activating resources based on previous temporary resource usage

• US 20060174007A1
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Birkestrand, Daniel Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,074,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that, in an embodiment, determine whether an amount of usage of a resource, which is used under a temporary usage plan, exceeds a threshold. If that determination is true, a quantity of the resource is calculated and that quantity is converted from the temporary usage plan to a permanent usage plan, without further charge to the customer. In another embodiment, a different resource may be converted to the permanent usage plan than the resource that was temporarily used. In various embodiments, the calculation of the quantity is made based on an attribute of the computer that uses the resource or based on an activation code received from the provider of the resource. In various embodiments, the amount of the usage is either a time amount of use or a monetary amount charged for the resource under the temporary usage plan. In various embodiments, the quantity of the resource converted is based on a ratio of a number of permanent resources in use to a total number of resources, based on an attribute of the computer, based on the cost of the computer, based on the age of the computer, based on a speed of the resource, or based on the amount of resources in the computer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining whether an amount of usage of a resource under a temporary usage plan exceeds a threshold; and

if the determining is true, calculating a quantity of the resource and converting the quantity of the resource from the temporary usage plan to a permanent usage plan.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating the quantity is based on an attribute of the computer that uses the resource.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating the quantity is based on an activation code received from a provider of the resource.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of the usage comprises a time amount that a computer used the resource under the temporary usage plan.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of the usage comprises a time amount that the resource was available for use by a computer under the temporary usage plan.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of the usage comprises a monetary amount charged for the resource under the temporary usage plan.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting the resource comprises making the resource available for use by a computer without further charge.

8. A signal-bearing medium encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions when executed comprise:

determining whether an amount of usage of a first resource under a temporary usage plan exceeds a threshold; and

if the determining is true, calculating a quantity of a second resource and converting the quantity of the second resource from the temporary usage plan to a permanent usage plan without charge to a customer associated with the second resource.

9. The signal-bearing medium of claim 8, wherein the calculating the quantity is based on an attribute of the computer that uses the resource.

10. The signal-bearing medium of claim 8, wherein the calculating the quantity is based on an activation code received from a provider of the resource.

11. The signal-bearing medium of claim 8, wherein the first resource and the second resource are identical resources.

12. The signal-bearing medium of claim 8, wherein the first resource and the second resources are different resources.

13. The signal-bearing medium of claim 8, wherein the amount of the usage comprises a monetary amount charged for the resource under the temporary usage plan.

14. The signal-bearing medium of claim 8, wherein the calculating the quantity further comprises:

calculating a ratio of a number of permanent resources in use to a total number of resources.

15. A method for configuring a computer, comprising:

configuring the computer to determine whether an amount of usage of a resource under a temporary usage plan at the computer exceeds a threshold; and

configuring the computer to calculate a quantity of the resource and convert the quantity of the resource from the temporary usage plan to a permanent usage plan without charge to a customer associated with the resource if the amount of usage exceeds the threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the configuring the computer to calculate the quantity is based on an attribute of the computer.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the configuring the computer to calculate the quantity is based on a cost of the computer.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the configuring the computer to calculate the quantity is based on an age of the computer.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the configuring the computer to calculate the quantity is based on a speed of the resource.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the configuring the computer to calculate the quantity is based on an amount of the resource in the computer.