Traffic control software lock and method

• US 20070028233A1
• Filed: 07/25/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Miller, David
• Application Number:
  US11/492,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20070028233A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/174
• 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 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/125 by manipulating the program code, e.g. source code, compiled code, interpreted code, machine code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content

Abstract

A method and system deploys software modules for on-street traffic control computers by selectively unlocking preloaded modules of the software. A host firm builds or acquires the on-street traffic control computers and preloads locked versions of software modules provided by a software partner firm. When a customer wishes to purchase a license to run a particular module, the customer provides the host firm with identifiers for the particular computer and the particular software module, and the host firm responds with a license number that is useable to unlock the module. The customer makes a payment to the host firm, and the host firm makes a slightly smaller payment to the software partner. The host firm is thereby motivated to accommodate the customer and the software partner.

Claims

1. A method for deploying software in a traffic control computer for use by a customer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a software partner firm at least one software module;

preloading a locked instance of the at least one software module in the traffic control computer;

receiving from the customer a purchase order including a traffic control computer identifier and a software module identifier identifying a selected module of the at least one software modules;

receiving from the customer a customer software license payment;

generating a license number using the traffic control computer identifier and the software module identifier, the license number being useable to unlock the selected software module;

transmitting the license number to the customer; and

transmitting to the software partner firm a partner firm software license payment, the partner firm software license payment being less than the customer software license payment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a difference between the partner firm software license payment and the customer software license payment is less than 10% of the partner firm software license payment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a difference between the partner firm software license payment and the customer software license payment is less than 5% of the partner firm software license payment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic control computer identifier is a media access control (MAC) address of the traffic control computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the software module identifier is a part number of the selected software module.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the software module identifier is a serial number of the particular instance of the selected software module preloaded on the traffic control computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating a license number using the traffic control computer identifier and the software module identifier, further comprises:

using the traffic control computer identifier and the software module identifier as computational seeds.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the license number to the customer, further comprises:

emailing the license number to the customer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one software module performs at least one traffic control function.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one software module performs at least one function other than a traffic control function.

11. A host firm system for unlocking preloaded software modules in a traffic control computer under control of a customer, the system comprising:

a software partner firm interface for receiving software modules from a software partner firm;

a customer interface for receiving a purchase order including an identifier of the traffic control computer and a software module identifier identifying a selected module of software modules preloaded on the traffic control computer;

a funds receiving utility for receiving a customer software license payment from the customer;

a license number generator for generating a software license number using the traffic control computer identifier and the software module identifier, the license number being useable to unlock the selected software module; and

a funds transmitting utility for transmitting to the software partner firm a partner firm software license payment, the partner firm software license payment being less than the customer software license payment.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein a difference between the partner firm software license payment and the customer software license payment is less than 10% of the partner firm software license payment.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein a difference between the partner firm software license payment and the customer software license payment is less than 5% of the partner firm software license payment.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the traffic control computer identifier is a media access control (MAC) address of the traffic control computer.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the software module identifier is a part number of the selected software module.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the software module identifier is a serial number of the particular instance of the selected software module preloaded on the traffic control computer.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the customer interface is further configured for transmitting the license number to the customer.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the customer interface includes an email interface for transmitting the license number.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the software modules perform at least one traffic control function.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the software modules perform at least one function other than a traffic control function.

21. A method for deploying software in a computer for use by a customer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a software partner firm at least one software module;

preloading a locked instance of the at least one software module in the computer;

receiving from the customer a purchase order including a computer identifier and a software module identifier identifying a selected module of the at least one software modules;

receiving from the customer a customer software license payment;

generating a license number using the computer identifier and the software module identifier, the license number being useable to unlock the selected software module;

transmitting the license number to the customer; and

transmitting to the software partner firm a partner firm software license payment.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the partner firm software license payment is less than the customer software license payment.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein a difference between the partner firm software license payment and the customer software license payment is less than 10% of the partner firm software license payment.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein a difference between the partner firm software license payment and the customer software license payment is less than 5% of the partner firm software license payment.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the computer is an on-street traffic control computer.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one software module performs at least one traffic control function.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one software module performs at least one function other than a traffic control function.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the computer identifier is a media access control (MAC) address of the computer.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the software module identifier is a part number of the selected software module.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the software module identifier is a serial number of the particular instance of the selected software module preloaded on the traffic control computer.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of generating a license number using the computer identifier and the software module identifier, further comprises:

using the computer identifier and the software module identifier as computational seeds.