INDUSTRIAL PROCESS VISUALIZATION APPLICATION HAVING AN OPERATING SYSTEM LOCALE-BASED REGIONALLY LIMITED LICENSE

• US 20100088768A1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC)
• Original Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC)
• Inventors: Jones, Keith N., Nelson, Gary W., Hunter, Robert B., Mody, Rashesh
• Application Number:
  US12/245,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20100088768A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1013 to locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices

Abstract

A computer system and method are described for enforcing a locale-based license restriction by a process visualization application program. A locale-based license configuration is read from a license file associated with the process visualization application program. An operating system application program interface is called to identify a current locale of the operating system. The current locale affects a language utilized to present text via a graphical user interface display. Thereafter, a locale specified by the locale-based license configuration is compared to the current locale of the operating system. Thereafter, a licensing result is generated representing success or failure based upon whether the locale specified by the locale-based license configuration matches the current locale of the operating system. The aforementioned steps are carried out in a computer system including a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for carrying out the above-described steps.

Claims

1. A method for enforcing a locale-based license restriction by a process visualization application program, the method comprising the steps of:

reading a locale-based license configuration from a license file associated with the process visualization application program;

calling an operating system application program interface to identify a current locale of an operating system, the current locale affecting a language utilized to present text via a graphical user interface display;

comparing a locale specified by the locale-based license configuration to the current locale of the operating system; and

generating a licensing result representing success or failure based upon whether the locale specified by the locale-based license configuration matches the current locale of the operating system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

running the process visualization application program in a fully functional mode in response to a license success result rendered during the generating step.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

running the process visualization application program in a demonstration mode in response to a license failure result rendered during the generating step.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the calling step comprises calling an operating system application program interface function that provides a current language mode utilized by the operating system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the application program interface function identifies a user-configurable current language of the operating system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the locale of interest is Chinese.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the locale-based license configuration is specified by a locale configuration bit contained within a bit string defining license parameters.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the license file is maintained separately from the process visualization application program.

9. A computer readable-medium including a process visualization application program comprising computer-executable instructions for enforcing a locale-based license restriction method comprising the steps of:

reading a locale-based license configuration from a license file associated with the process visualization application program;

calling an operating system application program interface to identify a current locale of an operating system, the current locale affecting a language utilized to present text via a graphical user interface display;

comparing a locale specified by the locale-based license configuration to the current locale of the operating system; and

generating a licensing result representing success or failure based upon whether the locale specified by the locale-based license configuration matches the current locale of the operating system.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 further comprising the step of:

running the process visualization application program in a fully functional mode in response to a license success result rendered during the generating step.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the calling step comprises calling an operating system application program interface function that provides a current language mode utilized by the operating system.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the application program interface function identifies a user-configurable current language of the operating system.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the locale of interest is Chinese.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the locale-based license configuration is specified by a locale configuration bit contained within a bit string defining license parameters.

15. A computer system including:

a processor;

a graphical user interface display; and

a computer readable-medium including;

an operating system including an application program interface exposing a function for identifying a current locale of the operating system, the current locale affecting a language utilized to present text via the graphical user interface display, and

a process visualization application program comprising computer-executable instructions for enforcing a locale-based license restriction method comprising the steps of;

reading a locale-based license configuration from a license file associated with the process visualization application program;

calling an operating system application program interface to identify a current locale of the operating system, the current locale affecting a language utilized to present text via the graphical user interface display;

comparing a locale specified by the locale-based license configuration to the current locale of the operating system; and

generating a licensing result representing success or failure based upon whether the locale specified by the locale-based license configuration matches the current locale of the operating system.

16. The computer system of claim 15 further comprising the step of:

running the process visualization application program in a fully functional mode in response to a license success result rendered during the generating step.

17. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the calling step comprises calling an operating system application program interface function that provides a current language mode utilized by the operating system.

18. The computer system of claim 17 wherein the application program interface function identifies a user-configurable current language of the operating system.

19. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the locale of interest is Chinese.

20. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the locale-based license configuration is specified by a locale configuration bit contained within a bit string defining license parameters.