SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING AND ACTIVATING SOFTWARE LICENSES

• US 20090055320A1
• Filed: 08/22/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kuth, Rainer Alfred, Schmidt, Torsten Horst Ludwig, Goertler, Georg, Bengi, Ali-Nejat, Haeuser, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,098,840 B2
• 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: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]

Abstract

Methods and features for providing and activating a software license in a system, such as a magnetic resonance system, are disclosed. For example, a software license is stored in the system. The system with the stored software license is sold or rented to a client. The software license is operable to be activated by or at the client.

Claims

1. In a computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a processor of a medical system, the instructions comprising:

activating a software license in the medical system, the software license stored in the medical system prior to receiving the medical system by a client;

determining use of a software application associated with the software license; and

generating a bill based on the use.

2. The instructions of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the bill to a vendor accessible database.

3. The instructions of claim 1, wherein determining the use comprises determining a time period of use of the software application.

4. The instructions of claim 1, wherein determining the use comprises determining a number of patients, a number of examinations, a type of use, a number of analysis reports, or a number of software starts associated with using the software application.

5. The instructions of claim 1, wherein generating the bill comprises calculating a cost based on whether the software license is activated as a trial license, a service license, a license for lease, or a permanent license.

6. A method for providing a software license, the method comprising:

storing a software license in a medical system; and

selling or renting the medical system with the stored software license to a client, the software license operable to be activated by or at the client.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the medical system comprises a magnetic resonance system, a computed tomography scanner, or an ultrasound scanner.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the software license is a trial license.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein utilization of software as a function of the trial license is limited including a limited time of use, a limited number of patients, a limited number of examinations, a limited type of use, or a limited number of analysis reports.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the software license comprises a license for lease, a permanent license, or a service license.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the software license is a general license and is operable to be activated as a trial license or a permanent license.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the software license is operable to be activated by a training specialist or the client after receiving training for software corresponding to the software license.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the training comprises training from the training specialist or computer based training.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the software license is operable to be activated by the client, a vendor, the client and the vendor, or the medical system automatically.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein the software license is machine or system specific.

16. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

renting or selling a connectable part of the medical system to the client, wherein a special software application is associated with the connectable part.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a software license operable to execute the special software application is stored in the medical system.

18. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

logging the use of software associated with the software license; and

billing the client based on the logged information.

19. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving an initial activation indication from the client.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

activating the software license based on the initial activation indication from the client.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

providing computer based training or a training specialist to the client after receiving the initial activation indication.

22. A method for activating a software license in a system, the method comprising:

receiving a system, wherein the system includes a stored software license;

activating the software license stored in the system.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving the system comprises receiving the system based on purchasing or renting the system.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein activating the software license comprises activating a general license as a trial license, a permanent license, a license for lease, or a service license.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the software license comprises a plurality of stored software licenses, each of the software licenses is associated with a software application operable to be executed by the system.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein one of the software licenses is a license associated with a service or trouble shooting application, a trial license associated with an imaging application, or a permanent license associated with the imaging application.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein activating the software license comprises activating a trial license with a limited utilization of an associated software application including limiting a time of use, limiting a number of patients, limiting a number of examinations, limiting the type of use, limiting number of analysis reports, or limiting a number of software starts.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein activating the software license comprises the client, a vendor, or the client and the vendor activating the software license.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein activating the software license comprises a training specialist or the system automatically activating the software license.