Method and apparatus to secure proprietary operation of computer equipment
First Claim
1. In electronic apparatus which includes:
- digital computer means which functions to produce a sequence of two or more output signal states which are at least partially determined by stored program instructions;
connecting means attached to the computer means which functions to receive stored program instructions from a source which is physically separable from the computer means and to supply the received instructions to the computer means; and
display means which functions to produce an audible and/or visual message and/or display in response to one or more distinct output signal states of the computer means, which states are at least partially determined by the received program instructions;
the improvement comprising comparison means attached to the computer means, which includes recorded reference information, which functions to detect congruence between said one or more distinct output signal states of the computer means and the reference information, and which inhibits the computer means from producing at least one output signal state in the absence of said congruence.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus which discourages the use of unauthorized program software with proprietory computer hardware. The computer hardware reads a DATA TABLE from a specified location in separable software and displays the content of that table in human recognizable form. The displayed data is then compared with reference data which is stored in the proprietory hardware. The hardware blocks further execution of programs contained in the separable software if the displayed data and reference data are not congruent. In a preferred embodiment the display is material which can only be legally used with the permission of the manufacturer or proprietory of the hardware; for example; a registered trademark or copyrighted material.
425 Citations
33 Claims
-
1. In electronic apparatus which includes:
-
digital computer means which functions to produce a sequence of two or more output signal states which are at least partially determined by stored program instructions; connecting means attached to the computer means which functions to receive stored program instructions from a source which is physically separable from the computer means and to supply the received instructions to the computer means; and display means which functions to produce an audible and/or visual message and/or display in response to one or more distinct output signal states of the computer means, which states are at least partially determined by the received program instructions; the improvement comprising comparison means attached to the computer means, which includes recorded reference information, which functions to detect congruence between said one or more distinct output signal states of the computer means and the reference information, and which inhibits the computer means from producing at least one output signal state in the absence of said congruence. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. Apparatus including:
-
computer equipment; program material including a plurality of instructions and being removably connectable to said computer equipment; said computer equipment when connected to said program material operating to produce signals in accordance with said instructions; a display device responsive to said signals and producing a display thereof; said instructions containing a code causing said computer equipment to produce signals which if received by said display device would produce a particular display; and said computer equipment including means preventing said equipment from operating with program material not containing said code.
-
-
23. A method for operating electronic apparatus comprising:
-
operating a digital computer to produce a sequence of two or more output signal states which are at least partially determined by stored program instructions which are received from a source which is physically separable from the digital computer; producing a humanly recognizable audio message and/or visual display in response to one or more distinct output states of the computer which are at least partially determined by program material received from the separable source; and detecting congruence between said program instructions received from the separable source and reference information which is stored in the digital computer and inhibiting the computer from producing at least one output signal state in the absence of said congruence. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. The method of preventing wrongful use of separable software to operate or control a computer comprising the steps of including in the software instructions or data which cause the computer to produce a humanly recognizable sequence of characters which are only legally useable with the permission of the computer manufacturer or proprietor;
- causing the computer to display said characters as an audible and/or visual message and/or display;
comparing said instructions or data with reference data which is permanently stored in the computer and inhibiting further execution, compilation, or interpretation of at least selected instructions by the computer in the absence of a predetermined relationship therebetween.
- causing the computer to display said characters as an audible and/or visual message and/or display;
-
33. Programming means for use with apparatus including computer equipment and a display device;
- said programming means including a plurality of instructions, part of which is a code;
said programming means being removably connectable to said computer equipment;
said computer equipment when connected to receive said instructions operating to produce signals in accordance therewith;
said display device being responsive to said signals and producing displays;
said code causing said computer equipment to produce signals which if received by said display device would cause it to produce a particular display; and
said computer equipment including means preventing said equipment from operating with programming means not containing said code.
- said programming means including a plurality of instructions, part of which is a code;
Specification