Network monitoring system for tracking, billing and recovering licenses

• US 5,717,604 A
• Filed: 05/25/1995
• Issued: 02/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Christopher Wiggins
• Original Assignee: Christopher Wiggins
• Inventors: Wiggins, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEESO, THOMAS R
• Application Number:
  US08/450,618
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 364/514 C, 364/464.01, 380/4, 380/30, 380/49, 395/187.01, 395/200.11, 395/326, 395/340, 395/680, 395/682, 395/838
• US Class Current: 709/229
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A network monitoring system operates on a computer including processor for running a multi-tasking operating system capable of having active and inactive windows. The computer is connected to a server or a service which provides access to a user application subject to a license restriction. When the user application is associated with the active window, the user application is executed by the processor. A license recovering system includes a display coupled to the processor for displaying a user interface of the operating system. A user prompting device, run by the processor, the display and associated with an inactive window, prompts a user when the the inactive window has been inactive for a period greater than a first predetermined period. A closing device closes the user application when the inactive window has been inactive for a period greater than a second predetermined period. The network monitoring system also includes a real-time billing system for billing the computer user for access time to the user application subject to the license restriction to alleviate problems occurring in shared license pools on a network. The network monitoring system also includes a user priority system which defines user priorities for the application shared on the network. The priority system closes a current user accessing the user application if the priority of a new user requesting access is greater than the priority of the current user or if the application of the current user is idle.

Claims

1. A network monitoring system comprising:

a computer including processing means for executing a multi-tasking operating system which is capable of running a plurality of user applications each of which being associated with an active or an inactive window, wherein one of said user applications is provided by at least one of a server and a service and is subject to a license restriction,

wherein when said one of said user applications is associated with said active window, said user application is executed by said processing means;

display means, coupled to said processing means, for displaying a user interface of said operating system; and

user prompting means, run by said processing means and said display means and associated with said one of said user applications, for prompting a user when said one of said user applications has been associated with an inactive window for a period greater than a first predetermined period.

2. The network monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said user prompting means includes a first timer.

3. The network monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said user interface is a graphical user interface.

4. The network monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising:

closing means, run by said processing means and associated with said one of said user applications, for closing said one of said user applications when said one of said user applications has been associated with said inactive window for a period greater than a second predetermined period.

5. The network monitoring system of claim 4 wherein said closing means includes a second timer.

6. The network monitoring system of claim 4 further comprising:

check means, associated with said processing means, said user prompting means, and said closing means, for periodically enabling said user prompting means and said closing means based on a third predetermined period shorter than said first and second predetermined periods.

7. The network monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising:

identification (ID) means, associated with said computer, for generating an access request including a computer ID to access said one of said user applications and a termination request to terminate said one of said user applications;

application usage storing means, coupled to said ID means, for storing said computer ID and user startup and termination data based on said access and termination requests for said computer;

billing means, associated with said application usage storing means, for generating billing for said computer for use of said one of said user applications based upon said user startup and termination data.

8. The network monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of computers each including a processing means for executing a multi-tasking operating system which is capable of running multiple user applications each of which being associated with an active or an inactive window, wherein said plurality of computers are connected to at least one of a server and a service which provides access to said one of said user applications;

network monitor means, coupled to said plurality of computers, for providing a first predetermined number of users access to said one of said user applications;

storing means, associated with said network monitor means, for storing a user identity and a user priority for each of said first predetermined number of users; and

comparing means, associated with said network monitor means and said storing means, for comparing a user priority of a new user requesting access to said one of said user applications to said user priorities stored in said storing means when said first predetermined number of users are currently accessing said one of said user applications.

9. The network monitoring system of claim 8 further comprising:

closing means, coupled to said comparing means, for closing said one of said user applications for one of said first predetermined number of users if said user priority of said new user is higher than the user priority of said one of said first predetermined number of users.

10. The network monitoring system of claim 9 further comprising:

access granting means, coupled to said comparing means, for granting said new user access to said one of said user applications.

11. The network monitoring system of claim 8 further comprising:

closing means, coupled to said comparing means, for closing said one of said user applications for one of said first predetermined number of users if said user priority of said new user is the same as said user priority of said one of said first predetermined number of users and if said one of said user applications of said one of said predetermined number of users is associated with an inactive window.

12. A priority system for granting and denying access to a user application subject to a license restriction comprising:

a plurality of computers each including a processing means for executing a multi-tasking operating system capable of having active and inactive windows, said computer being connected to at least one of a server and a service which provides access to a user application subject to a license restriction,

wherein said user application is associated with one of said active and inactive windows, and

wherein when said user application is associated with said active window, said user application is executed by said processing means;

network monitor means, coupled to said plurality of computers, for providing a first predetermined number of users access to said user application;

storing means, associated with said network monitor means, for storing a user identity and user priority for each of said first predetermined number of users; and

comparing means, associated with said network monitor means and said storing means, for comparing a user priority of a new user requesting access to said user application to said user priorities stored in said storing means when said first predetermined number of users are currently accessing said user application.

13. The priority system of claim 12 further comprising:

closing means, coupled to said comparing means, for closing said user application for one of said first predetermined number of users if said user priority of said new user is higher than said user priority of said one of said first predetermined number of users.

14. The priority system of claim 13 further comprising:

closing means, coupled to said comparing means, for closing said user application for one of said first predetermined number of users if said user priority of said new user is the same as said user priority of said one of said first predetermined number of users and if said user application of said one of said predetermined number of users is associated with an inactive window.

15. The priority system of claim 13 further comprising:

access granting means, coupled to said comparing means, for granting said new user access to said user application.

16. A license monitoring and recovering system comprising:

a computer including processing means for executing a multi-tasking operating system which is capable of running a plurality of user applications each of which being associated with an active or an inactive window, wherein one of said user applications is provided by at least one of a server and a service and is subject to a license restriction, and

wherein when said one of said user applications is associated with said active window, said one of said user applications is executed by said processing means;

display means, coupled to said processing means, for displaying a user interface of said operating system; and

closing means, run by said processing means and associated with said user application, for closing said one of said user application when said one of said user applications has been associated with an inactive window for a period greater than a first predetermined period.

17. The monitoring device of claim 16 further comprising:

user prompting means, associated with said processing means, said display means and said one of said user applications, for prompting a user when said one of said user applications has been associated with said inactive window for a period greater than a second predetermined period, wherein said first predetermined period exceeds said second predetermined period.

18. A method of monitoring and recovering licenses comprising the steps of:

executing a multi-tasking operating system on a computer which is capable of running a plurality of user applications each of which being associated with an active or an inactive window;

providing one of said user applications using at least one of a server and a service, wherein said one of said user applications is subject to a license restriction;

executing said one of said user applications with a processor associated with said computer when said user application is associated with said active window;

displaying a user interface of said operating system; and

prompting a user when said one of user applications has been associated with an inactive window for a period greater than a first predetermined period.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

closing said one of said user applications when said one of said user applications has been associated with said inactive window for a period greater than a second predetermined period.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of:

periodically enabling said user prompting means and said closing means based on a third predetermined period shorter than said first and second predetermined periods.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

generating an access request including a computer ID to access said one of said user applications and a user termination request to terminate said one of said user applications;

storing said computer ID and user startup and termination time data based on said access and termination requests for said computers;

generating billing for said computer for use of said one of said user applications based upon said startup and termination time.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

providing a first predetermined number of users access to said one of said user applications subject to said license restriction;

storing a user identity and user priority for said first predetermined number of users; and

comparing a user priority of a new user requesting access to said one of said user applications to said user priorities stored in said storing means when said first predetermined number of users are currently accessing said one of said user applications.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of:

closing said one of said user applications for one of said first predetermined number of users if said user priority of said current user is higher than said user priority of said one of said first predetermined number of users.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of:

granting said new user access to said one of said user applications.

25. In a computer including a processing means for running a multi-tasking operating system capable of having active and inactive windows, said computer being connected to at least one of a server and a service which provides access to a user application subject to a license restriction, wherein said user application is associated with one of said active and inactive windows, and wherein when said user application is associated with said active window, said user application is executed by said processing means, a method of granting and denying access to said user application based upon user priority comprising the steps of:

providing a first predetermined number of users access to said user application subject to said license restriction;

storing a user identity and a user priority for each of said first predetermined number of users; and

comparing a user priority of a new user requesting access to said user application to said user priorities stored in said storing means when said first predetermined number of users are currently accessing said user application.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising the steps of:

closing said user application for one of said first predetermined number of users if said user priority of said new user is higher than said user priority of one of said first predetermined number of users.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the steps of:

granting said new user access to said user application.

28. A method of monitoring and recovering licenses comprising the steps of:

executing a multi-tasking operating system on a computer which is capable of running a plurality of user applications each of which being associated with an active or an inactive window;

providing one of said user applications using at least one of a server and a service, wherein said one of said user applications is subject to a license restriction;

executing said one of said user applications with a processor associated with said computer when said user application is associated with said active window;

displaying a user interface of said operating system; and

closing said one of said user applications when said one of said user applications has been associated with an inactive window for a period greater than a first predetermined period.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising the steps of:

prompting a user when said one of said user applications has been associated with said inactive window for a period greater than a second predetermined period shorter than said first predetermined period.