AUTOMATIC LICENSE KEY INJECTION

• US 20100251346A1
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: DUMAIS, Paul Mark Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,959,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• 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]

Abstract

A method, server and system for obtaining a licensed application is provided. In one example embodiment, the method comprises: receiving an application download request from a user of the electronic device by way of an input mechanism associated with the electronic; transmitting a download request from the electronic device to an application delivery server; receiving an application from the application delivery server at the electronic device; receiving a license key from the application delivery server; and automatically injecting the license key into the application.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a communication subsystem for communicating with an application delivery server;

a display;

an input mechanism for receiving a request to download an application;

a controller for controlling the operation of the mobile communication device; and

an application store client associated with the controller, the application store client being configured to;

receive the request to download the application;

transmit a download request to the application delivery server;

receive the application from the application delivery server;

receive a license key from the application delivery server; and

automatically inject the license key into the application.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the application includes one or more associated properties and wherein the application store client is configured to automatically inject the license key by modifying at least one of the properties associated with the application using the license key.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the license key is injected into the application after the application is installed to the mobile communication device.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the application contains an authentication algorithm for verifying that the application is authentic by examining the license key.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the application store client associated with the controller is configured to transmit a unique identification number associated with the mobile communication device to the application delivery server prior to receiving the license key.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 5, wherein the license key is generated based on the unique identification number.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the application store client is further configured to display the license key on the display.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein injecting the license key into the application is performed automatically in response to the license key being received at the mobile communication device.

9. A method of obtaining a licensed application on an electronic device comprising:

receiving an application download request from an input mechanism associated with the electronic device;

transmitting a download request from the electronic device to an application delivery server;

receiving an application from the application delivery server at the electronic device;

receiving a license key from the application delivery server; and

automatically injecting the license key into the application.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the method is performed by an application store client associated with the electronic device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the application includes one or more associated properties and wherein automatically injecting the license key involves modifying at least one of the properties associated with the application using the license key.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

installing the application and wherein the license key is injected into the application after the application is installed to the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the application contains an authentication algorithm for verifying that the application is authentic by examining the license key.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting a unique identification number associated with the electronic device to the application delivery server prior to receiving the license key.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the license key is generated based on the unique identification number.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

displaying the license key on a display.

17. An application delivery server comprising:

a communication subsystem for communicating with an electronic device;

a memory for storing applications; and

at least one controller for controlling the operation of the application delivery server, the at least one controller being configured to;

receive a download request from an electronic device to download an application;

retrieve the requested application;

transmit the requested application to the electronic device;

retrieve a license key for the application; and

transmit the license key to the electronic device for automatic injection into the application.

18. The application delivery server of claim 17 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to:

receive an identifier from the electronic device and to generate the license key from the identifier.

19. The application delivery server of claim 17, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to:

receive an identifier from the electronic device and to transmit the identifier to a licensing server and to receive the license key from the licensing server.

20. The application delivery server of claim 18 wherein the identifier is a unique identification number associated with the mobile communication device.