Activation system architecture

• US 20080319779A1
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kenworthy, Mark, Hughes, Aidan T., Szimmetat, Oliver, Frank, Alexander, Baxter, Alexander V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,620,818 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/18 Licensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Techniques are described for generating a license for software installed on a device. An entitlement certificate is generated including one or more entitlements describing license characteristics of the software. The one or more entitlements are determined in accordance with first information about the software. The first information includes at least one of a purchase token and package information. A binding certificate in accordance with a binding type for the software is generated. A license in accordance with said binding certificate and said entitlement certificate is generated. The binding certificate identifies an entity to which the license is bound.

Claims

1. A method for generating a license for software installed on a device, the method comprising:

generating an entitlement certificate, said entitlement certificate including one or more entitlements describing license characteristics of said software, said one or more entitlements being determined in accordance with first information about the software, the first information including at least one of a purchase token and package information, said purchase token being associated with a copy of the software installed on the device, said package information being an identifier of said software;

generating a binding certificate in accordance with a binding type for the software included in said one or more entitlements; and

generating a license in accordance with said binding certificate and said entitlement certificate, said binding certificate identifying an entity to which said license is bound.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said entitlement certificate is generated by an entitlement service on a server having connectivity to the device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing the purchase token and the package information to the entitlement service from the device; and

determining, by said entitlement service, said one or more entitlements using an entitlements database.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said purchase token and package information are obtained during installation of the software.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said binding type is one of:

a hardware identifier binding, a trusted platform module binding, a portable secure identification device identifier binding, and a user authentication binding.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

generating, by the device, the binding certificate if the binding type is the hardware identifier binding.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein if the binding type is a type other than the hardware identifier binding, the method further comprising:

sending binding data to a binding service on a server having connectivity to said device; and

generating, by said binding service, said binding certificate.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting said license to said device; and

storing said license on said device for use in connection with subsequent launches of said software.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the license to an offline activation service;

generating, by the offline activation service, a confirmation identifier, the confirmation identifier including a data portion with said one or more entitlements encoded therein; and

storing said confirmation identifier on said device for use in connection with subsequent launches of said software.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing an installation identifier to the offline activation service, said installation identifier including a hardware identifier for said device, said purchase token, and said package information.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

extracting, by said offline activation service, the purchase token and the package information from the installation identifier;

sending, by said offline activation service, the purchase token and the package information to an entitlement service; and

generating, by said entitlement service, said entitlement certificate.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting said entitlement certificate from said entitlement service to said offline activation service;

generating, by said offline activation service, said binding certificate;

sending said binding certificate and said entitlement certificate to a license service; and

generating, by said license service, said license.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing said license in a license database; and

querying said license database in connection with processing to generate another license for the copy of the software.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said offline activation mode is selected, the method further comprising:

storing the confirmation identifier on the device for use in connection with launching the software on the device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said online activation mode is selected, the method further comprising:

storing the license on the device for use in connection with launching software on the device.

14. A method for performing activation processing for software installed on a device, the method comprising:

selecting an activation mode from a plurality of activation modes, said activation modes including an online activation mode and an offline activation mode, said online activation mode providing activation of the software when the device has connectivity to an entitlement service and a licensing service used in connection with said activation, said offline activation being used for activation of the software when the device does not have said connectivity;

in response to selecting said online activation mode, performing processing including;

communicating with an entitlement service to generate an entitlement certificate including one or more entitlements describing license characteristics of said software in accordance with first information describing the software installed on the device;

generating a binding certificate in accordance with a binding type for the software; and

communicating with a license service to generate a license in accordance with said binding certificate and said entitlement certificate, said binding certificate identifying an entity to which said license is bound; and

in response to selecting said offline activation mode, communicating with an offline activation service which performs said communicating with an entitlement service, said generating a binding certificate, said communicating with a license service, said offline activation service receiving said license and generating a confirmation identifier with said one or more entitlements encoded therein.

17. A system for performing activation processing for software installed on a device, the system comprising:

an entitlement service that generates an entitlement certificate including one or more entitlements describing license characteristics of said software in accordance with first information describing the software installed on the device;

executable code stored on a computer readable medium for generating a binding certificate in accordance with a binding type for the software; and

a license service that generates a license in accordance with said binding certificate and said entitlement certificate, said binding certificate identifying an entity to which said license is bound.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

executable code stored on a computer readable medium of the device for selecting an online activation mode or an offline activation mode, said executable code performing a first set of processing operations if said online activation mode is selected and as second set of processing operations if said offline activation mode is selected;

an offline activation service, said offline activation service including executable code stored on a computer readable medium comprising;

executable code for generating a binding certificate including a hardware identifier for said device;

executable code for communicating with said entitlement service, said license service, and a system used in connection with user communications for said activation processing; and

executable code that generates a confirmation identifier with said one or more entitlements encoded therein.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said offline activation service further includes executable code stored on a computer readable medium that:

receives an installation identifier including said hardware identifier, a purchase token and package information, said first information including said purchase token and said package information associated with the software, said purchase token being associated with a copy of the software installed on the device, said package information being an identifier of said software;

extracts said purchase token and said package information from said installation identifier; and

sends said purchase token and said package information to said entitlement service.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said offline activation service further includes executable code stored on a computer readable medium that:

sends said binding certificate and said entitlement certificate to said license service; and

receives said license from said license service.