Apparatus for managing software using quantity

• US 5,848,154 A
• Filed: 07/14/1995
• Issued: 12/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Gotou, Muneharu, Iijima, Kiyokatsu, Tanizawa, Tetsu, Nishio, Nobuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US08/502,354
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 380/4, 380/23, 380/24, 380/25, 380/49, 380/50, 380/29, 380/9, 380/10, 380/20
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• 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 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals

Abstract

A DES decrypting unit decrypts video data frames encrypted and compressed based on MPEG standards, when receiving them. The decrypted video data frames are expanded one by one in a MPEG expansion circuit. Each time the single frame is expanded, the MPEG expansion circuit outputs a completion-of-frame-expansion signal to a host control CPU. The host control CPU counts the completion-of-frame-expansion signals and reduces an accounting count value in an accounting data memory in accordance with this count value. The host control CPU output character pattern image data from a pattern generator when the accounting count value becomes 0. The character pattern image data is superimposed on a video signal in an adder circuit.

Claims

1. A software usage management apparatus comprising:

a detector to detect a usage of software and output a value indicating the usage of the software;

a determining block to determine when the usage of the software, detected by said detector, has reached a predetermined value; and

a hindering block to stop the useful output of the software by outputting a signal produced by the software in a different form when said determining block determines that the usage of the software reaches the predetermined value.

2. A software usage management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said hindering block outputs a signal in an incomplete form when said determining block determines that the usage of the software has reached the predetermined value.

3. A software usage management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the signal is a video signal.

4. A software usage management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said hindering block superimposes a second signal on the video signal and then outputs the superimposed signal when said determining block determines that the usage of the software has reached the predetermined value.

5. A software usage management apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second signal is a character data signal for displaying a character.

6. A software usage management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said hindering block inverts a polarity of the video signal and outputs the polarity-inverted signal when said determining block determines that the usage of the software has reached the predetermined value.

7. A software usage management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein dummy data is superimposed on the software, and

said hindering block eliminates the dummy data from the software only when said determining block determines that the usage of the software is within the predetermined value and when the usage exceed the predetermined value leaves the dummy data superimposed thereby rendering the output unusable.

8. A software usage management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the signal comprises a plurality of signals outputted in synchronism with each other, and

said hindering block inhibits at least one of the plurality of signals from being outputted when said determining block determines that the usage of the software has reached the predetermined value.

9. A software usage management apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of signals include a video signal and an audio signal, and

said hindering block inhibits the output of the audio signal while outputting the video signal when said determining block determines that the usage of the software has reached the predetermined value.

10. A software usage management apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of signals include a video signal and an audio signal, and

said hindering block inhibits the output of the video signal while outputting the audio signal when said determining block determines that the usage of the software has reached the predetermined value.

11. A software usage management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the signal includes an audio signal, and

said hindering block stops the output of the audio signal and outputs an alarming sound signal when said determining block determines that the usage of the software has reached the predetermined value.

12. A software usage management apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said hindering means has a timer for controlling a period during which the alarming sound signal is outputted and alternately repeatedly outputs the audio signal and the alarming sound signal in accordance with said timer.

13. A software usage management apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said hindering block further comprises a counter for counting the number of operations of outputting the alarming sound signal and inhibits the outputs of the audio signal and the alarming sound signal when a count value of said counter reaches a predetermined value.

14. A software usage management apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a timer to restrict a duration during which the alarming sound signal is outputted, whereby after the duration no sound and no audio signal is outputted.

15. A software usage management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the signals comprise a computer program, and

said hindering block outputs an image signal program which runs when starting up a computer, connected to said software using quantity managing apparatus, so as to display an alarm, when said determining block determines that the usage of the software has reached a predetermined value.

16. A software usage management apparatus, comprising:

software having dummy data rendering the software invaluable unless the dummy data is stripped;

a detector to detect a usage of software and outputting a value indicating the usage of the software;

a determining block to determine when the usage of the software detected by said detector has reached a predetermined value; and

a hindering block to strip the dummy data superimposed on the software from the software only when said determining block determines that the software using quantity is within the predetermined value.

17. A software usage management apparatus comprising:

a detector to detect usage of the software and outputting a value indicating a usage of the software;

a determining block to determine when the usage of the software detected by said detector has reached a predetermined value; and

means for outputting an image signal program when starting up a computer, connected to said software use management apparatus, so as to display an alarm sentence on the computer when said determining block determines that the usage of the software has reached a predetermined value.