LICENSE AUTHENTICATION SYSTEM AND AUTHENTICATION METHOD

• US 20110055904A1
• Filed: 01/20/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tsutsumi, Toshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,613,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• 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 license authentication system and method enabling authentication of an application to be installed in a client PC which is being incapable of communicating with the server which authenticates the application. A portable terminal performs license authentication of an application to be installed in a client PC in place of the server and gives the client PC a temporary right of use (step 1101 to step 1108). During the temporary use, the portable terminal performs regular license authentication in place of the client PC to obtain the regular right of use and gives the information relating to the right of use to the client PC (step 1109 to step 1116).

Claims

1. A license authentication system suitable for use when installing an application in a client PC, comprising:

a portable terminal capable of communicating with the client PC by connecting thereto and communicating with a server by connecting thereto via a wireless link,

wherein the server comprises temporary right-of-use issuing means for issuing a temporary right of use to the application installed in the client PC, and regular right-of-use issuing means for issuing a regular right of use,

wherein the portable terminal comprises means for acquiring the temporary right of use and the regular right of use issued by the server from the server and retaining the same therein, and means for giving the temporary right of use and the regular right of use acquired from the server to the client PC,

wherein the client PC comprises license authenticating means for limiting use of each application according to the kind of a right of use, and means for requesting the regular right of use in a state in which the application is being authenticated by the temporary right of use,

wherein when each application to be installed in the client PC is acquired, the portable terminal acquires and retains the temporary right of use issued by the server, and when the client PC installs the application therein, the portable terminal performs temporary license authentication by the retained temporary right of use to thereby enable use of the application at the client PC, and

wherein the portable terminal thereafter moves to an area capable of communicating with the server and acquires a regular right of use from the server and retains the same therein, and the portable terminal performs regular license authentication by the retained regular right of use when a license authentication request based on the regular right of use is made from the client PC.

2. The license authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the portable terminal performs regular license authentication according to the regular right of use to thereby acquire and retain a continuous right of use relating to regularly-conducted authentication of continuous use for an application when use of the application is continued, from the server in the area capable of communicating with the server, and the portable terminal performs license authentication according to the retained continuous right of use when a license authentication request based on the continuous right of use is made from the client PC.

3. A license authentication method suitable for use when installing an application in a client PC, said license authentication method including:

a portable terminal capable of communicating with the client PC by connecting thereto and communicating with a server by connecting thereto via a wireless link,

wherein the server comprises temporary right-of-use issuing means for issuing a temporary right of use to the application installed in the client PC, and regular right-of-use issuing means for issuing a regular right of use,

wherein the portable terminal comprises means for acquiring the temporary right of use and the regular right of use issued by the server from the server and retaining the same therein, and means for giving the temporary right of use and the regular right of use acquired from the server to the client PC,

wherein the client PC comprises license authenticating means for limiting use of each application according to the kind of a right of use, and means for requesting the regular right of use in a state in which the application is being authenticated by the temporary right of use,

wherein when each application to be installed in the client PC is acquired, the portable terminal acquires and retains the temporary right of use issued by the server, and when the client PC installs the application therein, the portable terminal performs temporary license authentication by the retained temporary right of use to thereby enable use of the application at the client PC, and

wherein the portable terminal thereafter moves to an area capable of communicating with the server and acquires a regular right of use from the server and retains the same therein, and the portable terminal performs regular license authentication by the retained regular right of use when a license authentication request based on the regular right of use is made from the client PC.