ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF PROTECTING SOFTWARE
First Claim
1. A computerized software protection method, comprising:
- (a) invoking a software program of an electronic device, wherein the software program includes media access control (MAC) addresses of electronic devices that are licensed to run the software program, and serial numbers of hard disk drives that are licensed to store the software program;
(b) searching for the MAC address of the electronic device;
(c) determining whether the MAC address of the electronic device matches one MAC address included in the software program;
(d) searching for a serial number of a hard disk drive that stores the software program in the electronic device upon the condition that the MAC address of the electronic device matches one MAC address included in the software program;
(e) determining whether the serial number of the hard disk drive matches one serial number included in the software program;
(f) obtaining usage logs of the software program from a file of the hard disk drive; and
(g) permitting the software program to run in the electronic device or denying usage of the software program in the electronic device according to the usage logs.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In an electronic device and method of protecting software, a software program of the electronic device is invoked. The media access control (MAC) address of the electronic device and a serial number of a hard disk drive that stores the software program in the electronic device are searched. The MAC address and the serial number are compared with MAC addresses and serial numbers included in the software program, to determinate whether it is licensed to run the software program in the electronic device. Usage logs of the software program are further obtained to determine whether running of the software program in the electronic device is expired.
18 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A computerized software protection method, comprising:
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(a) invoking a software program of an electronic device, wherein the software program includes media access control (MAC) addresses of electronic devices that are licensed to run the software program, and serial numbers of hard disk drives that are licensed to store the software program; (b) searching for the MAC address of the electronic device; (c) determining whether the MAC address of the electronic device matches one MAC address included in the software program; (d) searching for a serial number of a hard disk drive that stores the software program in the electronic device upon the condition that the MAC address of the electronic device matches one MAC address included in the software program; (e) determining whether the serial number of the hard disk drive matches one serial number included in the software program; (f) obtaining usage logs of the software program from a file of the hard disk drive; and (g) permitting the software program to run in the electronic device or denying usage of the software program in the electronic device according to the usage logs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform a method of protecting software, the method comprising:
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(a) invoking a software program installed in an electronic device, wherein the software program includes media access control (MAC) addresses of electronic devices that are licensed to run the software program, and serial numbers of hard disk drives that are licensed to store the software program; (b) searching for the MAC address of the electronic device; (c) determining whether the MAC address of the electronic device matches one MAC address included in the software program; (d) searching for a serial number of a hard disk drive that stores the software program in the electronic device upon the condition that the MAC address of the electronic device matches one MAC address included in the software program; (e) determining whether the serial number of the hard disk drive matches one serial number included in the software program; (f) obtaining usage logs of the software program from a file of the hard disk drive; and (g) permitting the software program to run in the electronic device or denying usage of the software program in the electronic device according to the usage logs. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An electronic device of protecting software, the electronic device installing at least one software program, wherein the software program includes information of media access control (MAC) addresses of electronic devices that are licensed to run the software program, and information of serial numbers of hard disk drives that are licensed to store the software program in the licensed electronic devices, the electronic device comprising:
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a search module operable to search for the MAC address of the electronic device, and further searches for a serial number of a hard disk drive that stores the software program in the electronic device; a comparison module operable to compare the MAC address of the electronic device and the serial number of the hard disk drive with the information included in the software program to determinate if it is licensed to run the software program in the electronic device; a log obtaining module operable to obtain usage logs of the software program from a file of the hard disk drive in the electronic device upon the condition that it is licensed to run the software program in the electronic device, wherein the usage logs comprise a last run time of the software program, a number of times the software program has been run in the electronic device, a licensed period and a maximum license usage of the software program; a determination module operable to determines if the last run time of the software program is earlier than the current system time of the electronic device, determines if the current system time of the electronic device is within the licensed period of the software program, and determines if the number of times the software program has been run is less than the maximum licensed usage of the software program; a management module operable to permit the software program to run in the electronic device, or deny usage of the software program in the electronic device according to the determination results; and a processor that executes the search module, the comparison module, the log obtaining module, the determination module, and the management module. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification