AUTHORISING USE OF A COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20100275268A1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flexera Software LLC
• Original Assignee: Optimiser Pty, Ltd.
• Inventors: MULLINS, Leo
• Granted Patent: US 8,365,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1015 to users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists

Abstract

A method of authorising use of a computer program only able to be used when an authorised message is received from an authorising system includes providing an authorisation system, making a request to use a computer program, signalling the request to the authorisation system, the authorisation system recording the use of the computer program and providing the authorisation message to the computer program upon receipt of the authorisation message the computer program may be used.

Claims

1. A method of authorising use of a computer program with an authorisation system, said method comprising:

recording an identifier of a computer program to be authorised for use on the authorisation system;

registering a user with the authorisation system including sending a user identification to the user from the authorisation system, wherein the user is a person seeking use of a computer program;

recording an agreement that relates to the manner of authorised use of the computer program by the user on the authorisation system;

receiving at the authorisation system a request from the user to use the computer program;

receiving at the authorisation system a computer program identifier and a user identification in a login request message;

verifying at the authorisation system the identity of the user from the user identification and checking the agreement to determine whether the user is authorised to use the computer program identified by the computer program identifier;

recording on the authorisation system the information sent with the request message;

indicating to the computer program whether the user is authorised to use the computer program, where if the user is verified and authorised to use the computer program, then an authorisation message is sent from the authorisation system to the computer program, otherwise an authorisation denied message is sent from the authorisation system to the computer program; and

allowing use of the computer program by the user.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the computer program is a sub-component of the software application.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the login request message is sent to the authorisation system when the user requests to use the sub-component of the software application.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a use message from the computer program indicating that the computer program is being used after use of the computer program is allowed; and

recording the use message against the identified user.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to incur a charge for the use of the computer program after use of the computer program is allowed.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the authorisation denied message includes information relating to the reason for denying use of the computer program.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the agreement permits use of computer program by a class of user.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the agreement specifies whether the user is charged for use of the computer program.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the charge for use of the computer program is determined by terms of the agreement for use of the computer program by the use.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein an interface program signals the login request to the authorisation system.

13. A method according to claim 6, wherein the charge is recorded in program use units that operate as a currency for payment for the use of one or more computer programs.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the rate at which program use units are charged for the use of the particular program is recorded in the authorisation system.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the program use units are charged by the authorisation system upon receipt of the request to charge for use at the recorded rate.

16. A method according to claim 6, wherein the request to the authorisation system to charge the user is sent once per use of the computer program.

17. A method according to claim 6, wherein the request to the authorisation system to charge the user is sent once per specified period during the use of the computer program.

18. A method according to claim 12, wherein the communication between the interface program and the authorisation system is encrypted.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein messages sent between the interface program and the authorisation system includes a unique component that is only valid for a single use.

20. A method according to claim 1, wherein the user identification is obtained from the user by providing the user with a login prompt, the user entering the login identification provided by the authorisation system and the entered user identification being included in the login request.

21. A method according to claim 12, wherein the interface program is a separate program called by the computer program being authorised as part of the initialisation of the computer program.

22. A method according to claim 12, wherein the interface program forms part of the computer program and is started when a user attempts to use the computer program.

23. A method according to claim 12, wherein the interface program is part of an operating system and is started when a user attempts to use the computer program.

24. A method according to claim 12, wherein the authorisation system is at a location remote from a computer running the activated computer program.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the computer running the activated computer program also runs the interface program, the interface program communicates with the authorisation system over a computer network.

26. A method according to claim 1, wherein the authorisation system is configured to authorise and record use of a plurality of computer programs.

27. A method according to claim 1, wherein the authorisation system is configured to authorise and record use of a plurality of users of the same computer program.

28. A method according to claim 1, wherein the authorisation of use of the computer program ends when the computer program is terminated.

29. A method according to claim 1, wherein a message is periodically sent to the authorisation system, and a reply sent from the authorisation system, whereby if a reply is not received, authorisation of use of the computer program ends.

44. A method according to claim 6, further comprising recording a charge against the identified user for the use of the computer program.

45. A method according to claim 3, wherein the agreement permits use of the sub-component of the software application.

46. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein communication between the authorisation system and a computer loaded with the computer program to be authorised, occurs between geographically separated locations over a global communication network.

47. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the login request message is sent from a remote site to the authorisation system.

48. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

registering a second distinct user including sending a second user identification to the second user;

recording a second agreement that relates to the manner of authorised use of the computer program by the second user;

receiving a second request for the second user to use the computer program in a second request message;

receiving a computer program identifier and a second user identification in a second login request message;

verifying the identity of the second user from the second user identification and checking the second agreement to determine whether the second user is authorised to use the computer program identified by the computer program identifier;

recording information sent in the second request message;

indicating to the computer program whether the second user is authorised to use the computer program, where if the second user is verified and authorised to use the computer program, then an authorisation message is sent to the computer program, otherwise an authorisation denied message is sent to the computer program; and

allowing use of the computer program by the second user.

2. A method of authorising use of a computer program using an authorisation system and an interface configured to pass messages between the computer program and the authorisation system, said method comprising:

recording at the authorisation system an identifier of the computer program to be authorised for use;

registering a user on the authorisation system including sending a user identification from the authorisation system to the user, wherein the user is a person seeking use of a computer program;

recording an agreement on the authorisation system that relates to the manner of authorised use of the computer program by the user;

receiving at the authorisation system a request from the user to use the computer program, the request activating the interface;

receiving at the authorisation system the user identification from the interface in a login request message, the interface having received the user identification from the user;

verifying the identity of the user from the user identification, and if the identity of the user is verified, then sending a login successful message from the authorisation system to the interface;

receiving the computer program identifier at the authorisation system from the interface in a computer program user request message if a login successful message is received at the computer program by the interface;

recording at the authorisation system the information sent in the user request message;

checking the agreement on the authorisation system to determine whether the user is authorised to use the computer program identified by the computer program identifier;

sending an authorisation message from the authorisation system to the interface if the user is authorised to use the computer program, otherwise sending an authorisation denied message from the authorisation system to the interface; and

allowing use of the computer program by the user.

8. A method according to claim 2, wherein if an authorisation denied message is sent to the computer program, then the interface determines how to proceed based on information relating to the reason for denying use of the computer program.

43. A method according to claim 2, wherein the computer program is a software application.

30. A distributed system for authorising use of a computer program, said system comprising:

an authorisation system, the authorisation system including a storage means for recording an identifier of a computer program to be authorised for use, a user identification and an agreement that relates to the authorised use of the computer program by a user, wherein the user is a person seeking use of a computer program; and

a computer for running the computer program;

the computer being configured to send the identifier of the computer program and the user identification to the authorisation system in a login request message when the user makes a request to use the computer program;

the authorisation system being configured to verify the identity of the user from the recorded user identification and to check the agreement to determine whether the user is authorised to use the computer program identified by the computer program identifier;

the authorisation system being configured to record the information sent with the login request message;

the authorisation system being configured to send an authorisation message to the computer if the user is verified and authorised to use the computer program and otherwise to send an authorisation denied message to the computer; and

the computer being configured to continue use of the computer program upon receipt of the authorisation message but otherwise to terminate the use of the computer program.

31. A system according to claim 30, wherein the computer is configured to send a request to the authorisation system to record a charge or the use of the computer program against the identified user for use of the computer program.

32. A system according to claim 31, wherein the authorisation system is configured to record the rate of charge for the use of the computer program.

33. A system according to claim 30, wherein the authorisation system is configured to record a charge against the user upon receipt of the request to charge for use of the computer program.

34. A system according to claim 33, wherein the computer is configured to send a request to the authorisation system to charge the user once per use of the computer program.

35. A system according to claim 33, wherein the computer is configured to send a request to the authorisation system to charge the user is sent once per specified period during the use of the computer program.

36. A system according to claim 30, wherein the communication between the computer program and the authorisation system is encrypted.

37. A system according to claim 30, wherein the computer and the authorisation system are configured to include a unique component in the encrypted messages communicated therebetween.

38. A system according to claim 30, wherein the authorisation system is at a location remote from a computer running the activated computer program.

39. A system according to claim 30, wherein the computer running the activated computer program also runs an interface program, that configures the computer to send the login request message to the authorisation system and also configures the computer to receive the authorisation message from the authorisation system and to allow continued use of the computer program upon receipt of the authorisation message.

40. A system according to claim 30, wherein the authorisation system is configured to authorise and record use of a plurality of computer programs.

41. A system according to claim 30, wherein the authorisation system is configured to end the authorised use of the computer program when the computer program is terminated.

42. A system according to claim 30, wherein the computer is configured to periodically send a message to the authorisation system, and to receive a reply sent from the authorisation system, whereby if a reply is not received, then the computer is configured to end authorised use of the computer program.

49. An authorisation system for authorising use of a computer program, the authorisation system comprising:

a storage of agreements, each agreement comprising data representing a manner of authorised use of a computer program by a user, wherein the user is a person seeking use of a computer program;

a server configured to lookup and retrieve agreements, wherein each agreement retrieved is based on a received computer program identifier and a received user identifier;

an interface module associated with an installation of a computer program which is activated upon a user seeking to use at least part of the installation of the computer program, the interface module being configured to login a user for identifying the user, and send a user identifier and an identifier of the associated computer program to the server, the interface module being further configured to allow use of the installation of the computer program by the user according to the details in a received authorisation message; and

an authorisation module configured to access the retrieved agreement to determine whether the identified user is permitted to use the at least part of the computer program and in the event that the user is permitted the authorisation module is configured to send an authorisation message to the interface module, the authorisation message comprising details of the manner of use authorised according to the retrieved agreement.

50. A method of authorising use of a computer program, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of agreements, each agreement comprising data representing a manner of authorised use of a computer program by a user, wherein the user is a person seeking use of a computer program;

activating an interface module associated with an installation of a computer program when a user seeks to use at least a part of the installation of the computer program;

identifying a user using a login;

sending a user identifier and an identifier of the computer program to a server;

looking-up and retrieving by the server one of the agreements based on the received identifier of the computer program and the received user identifier;

accessing the retrieved agreement to determine whether the identified user is permitted to use at least part of the computer program, and in the event that the user is permitted, sending an authorisation message to the interface module, the authorisation message comprising details of the manner of use authorised according to the retrieved agreement; and

allowing use of the installation of the computer program by the user according to the details in the authorisation message.

51. A method of authorising use of a computer program, with an authorisation system, said method comprising:

recording on the authorisation system an identifier of each of a plurality of computer programs to be authorised for use;

registering a plurality of users with the authorisation system including sending a respective user identification to each user from the authorisation system, wherein each user is a person seeking to use a computer program;

recording on the authorisation system an agreement that relates to the manner of permitted use of one or more of the computer programs for each user and a rate at which each user is charged for use of the one or more computer programs, wherein the agreement covers whether the requesting user is permitted to use one or more sub-components of the one or more computer programs;

receiving at the authorisation system a request for one of the users to use an instance of one of the computer programs;

receiving at the authorisation system a computer program identifier corresponding to the requested computer program and a respective user identification provided by the requesting user in a login request message;

verifying at the authorisation system the identity of the requesting user from the received user identification and checking the respective agreement to determine whether the requesting user is permitted to use the requested computer program identified by the received computer program identifier;

recording on the authorisation system information sent with the request;

indicating to the instance of the requested computer program whether the requesting user is permitted to use the requested computer program by sending either an authorisation message or an authorisation denied message, where if the requesting user is verified and permitted to use the requested computer program, an authorisation message is sent from the authorisation system to the instance of the requested computer program, otherwise an authorisation denied message is sent from the authorisation system to the instance of the requested computer program, wherein the authorisation message is configured to allow use of one or more of the permitted sub-components of the instance of the requested computer program according to the agreement for the use of the requested computer program by the requesting user;

receiving one or more requests to incur a charge for use of the requested computer program after use of the instance of the requested computer program is allowed;

recording a charge on the authorisation system for use of the requested computer program upon receipt of the or each request to incur a charge, wherein the charge is recorded according to the rate in the agreement for use of the requested computer program by the requesting user;

receiving a message periodically sent to the authorisation system by the authorised instance of the requested computer program; and

sending a reply from the authorisation system to the authorised instance of the requested computer program, wherein the reply is configured such that if the reply is not received, authorisation of use of the instance of the requested computer program ends,

wherein each periodic message sent between the instance of the requested computer program and the authorisation system includes a unique component that is only valid for a single use.