Licensing management system and method in which datagrams including an address of a licensee and indicative of use of a licensed product are sent from the licensee's site
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring the use of a licensed product at at least one licensee'"'"'s site, the method comprising the steps of:
- generating datagrams at regular time intervals from at least one licensee'"'"'s site with a device using said licensed product;
including in each of said datagrams an address of said licensee on a communications facility, said address being designated by said communications facility without any data being provided by said licensee;
sending said datagrams including said address from said licensee'"'"'s site over said communications facility to a licensor'"'"'s site at regular time intervals while said licensed product is in use;
receiving said datagrams at said licensor'"'"'s site using a license control system;
storing in said license control system an indication of receipt of each of said datagrams; and
counting said datagrams from each licensee, using said license control system, as an indication of the use by the licensee of said licensed product.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A license management system and method for recording the use of a licensed product, and for controlling its use in accordance with the terms of the license. A licensed product invokes a license check monitor at regular time intervals. The monitor generates request datagrams which identify the licensee and the product and sends the request datagrams over a communications facility to a license control system. The license control system maintains a record of the received datagrams, and compares the received datagrams to data stored in its licensee database. Consequently, the license control system transmits reply datagrams with either a denial or an approval message to the monitor. The monitor terminates further use of the product if it receives a denial message. The monitor generates its own denial message if its request datagrams are unanswered after a predetermined interval of time. The datagrams are counted at the control system to provide billing information.
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Citations
105 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring the use of a licensed product at at least one licensee'"'"'s site, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating datagrams at regular time intervals from at least one licensee'"'"'s site with a device using said licensed product; including in each of said datagrams an address of said licensee on a communications facility, said address being designated by said communications facility without any data being provided by said licensee; sending said datagrams including said address from said licensee'"'"'s site over said communications facility to a licensor'"'"'s site at regular time intervals while said licensed product is in use; receiving said datagrams at said licensor'"'"'s site using a license control system; storing in said license control system an indication of receipt of each of said datagrams; and counting said datagrams from each licensee, using said license control system, as an indication of the use by the licensee of said licensed product. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method for controlling use of a licensed product at at least one licensee'"'"'s site, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating a request datagram from at least one licensee'"'"'s site with a device using said licensed product, said request datagrams including an address of the licensee on a communications facility; first sending said request datagram including said address of said licensee from said licensee'"'"'s site over said communications facility to a licensor'"'"'s site while said licensed product is in use; first receiving said request datagram at said licensor'"'"'s site using a license control system; comparing said request datagram with rules and license data using said license control system at said licensor'"'"'s site to determine if use by said licensee of said licensed product is authorized, said license control system using said address in said request datagram to identify said licensee; second sending, via said communications facility, a reply authorizing datagram to said address specified in said request datagram using said license control system, if use of said licensed product is approved; and second receiving said reply authorizing datagram at said address and authorizing use of said licensed product for a predetermined period of time, and denying the use of said licensed product when no reply authorizing datagram is received. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system for controlling use of a licensed product comprising:
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a communications facility which delivers and receives datagrams, and to which at least one licensee having a license for operating a licensed product from a licensor is connected, said licensed product having an executable portion and a data portion; monitoring means, connected to said communications facility at a site of each licensee, for generating a request datagram including an address of said licensee on said communications facility, for transmitting said request datagram including said address over said communications facility to a site of said licensor, and for receiving and processing a reply datagram; controlling means, connected to said communications facility at said licensor'"'"'s site, for receiving said request datagram, comparing said request datagram with rules and license data to determine if use of said licensed product is authorized, said controlling means using said address included in said request datagram to identify said licensee, and sending, via said communications facility, a reply authorizing datagram to said address if use of said licensed product is approved; and means for controlling use of said data portion with said executable portion; wherein said monitoring means includes means for denying use of said licensed product when no reply authorizing datagram is received. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A system for monitoring a licensed product comprising:
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a communications facility which designates addresses to and from which said communications facility delivers and receives datagrams, and to which at least one licensee having a license for operating a licensed product from the licensor is connected, said licensee having an address designated by said communications facility; monitoring means, connected to said communications facility at a site of each licensee, for generating datagrams including said address of said licensee, and for transmitting said datagrams including said address at periodic intervals over said communications facility to a site of said licensor; and control means, connected to said communications facility at said licensor'"'"'s site, for receiving said request datagrams at regular time intervals, storing an indication of receipt of each of said request datagrams and counting said request datagrams from each licensee as an indication of the use by the licensee of said licensed product. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
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46. A method for notifying a licensor of the use of a licensed product at at least one licensee'"'"'s site, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating datagrams at regular time intervals from at least one licensee'"'"'s site with a device using said licensed product; including in each of said datagrams an address of said licensee on a communications facility, said address being designated by said communications facility without any data being provided by said licensee; and sending said datagrams including said address from said licensee'"'"'s site over said communications facility to a licensor'"'"'s site at regular time intervals while said licensed product is in use. - View Dependent Claims (47)
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48. A method for controlling use of a licensed product at at least one licensee'"'"'s site, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating a request datagram from at least one licensee'"'"'s site with a device using said licensed product, said request datagrams including an address of the licensee on a communications facility; sending said request datagram including said address of said licensee from said licensee'"'"'s site over said communications facility to a licensor'"'"'s site while said licensed product is in use; and receiving a reply datagram at said address and denying the use of said licensed product when no reply datagram is received. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A system for controlling use of a licensed product comprising:
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a communications facility which delivers and receives datagrams, and to which at least one licensee having a license for operating a licensed product from a licensor is connected, said licensed product including an executable portion and a data portion; monitoring means, connected to said communications facility at a site of each licensee, for generating a request datagram including an address of said licensee on said communications facility, for transmitting said request datagram including said address over said communications facility to a site of said licensor;
for receiving and processing a reply datagram; and
for denying use of said licensed product when no reply datagram is received; andmeans for controlling use of said data portion with said executable portion. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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71. A system for notifying a licensor of use of a licensed product comprising:
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a communications facility which designates addresses to and from which said communications facility delivers and receives datagrams, and to which at least one licensee having a license for operating a licensed product from the licensor is connected, said licensee having an address designated by said communications facility; and monitoring means, connected to said communications facility at a site of each licensee, for generating datagrams including said address of said licensee, and for transmitting said datagrams including said address at periodic intervals over said communications facility to a site of said licensor. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73)
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74. A method for monitoring the use of a licensed product at at least one licensee'"'"'s site, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving datagrams at regular time intervals at a licensor'"'"'s site using a license control system, said licensor'"'"'s site being connected to a communications facility having at least one licensee'"'"'s site connected thereto, said datagrams being generated at regular time intervals and including a facility address designated by the communications facility without any data being provided by said licensee which identifies a licensee connected to said communications facility; storing in said license control system an indication of receipt of each of said datagrams; and counting said datagrams from each licensee, using said licensee control system, as an indication of the use of said licensed product. - View Dependent Claims (75)
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76. A method for controlling use of a licensed product at at least one licensee'"'"'s site, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a request datagram at a licensor'"'"'s site using a license control system, said licensor'"'"'s site being connected to a communications facility having at least one licensee'"'"'s site connected thereto, said request datagram including an address of the licensee on the communications facility and being sent over said communications facility to said licensor'"'"'s site while said licensed product is in use; comparing said received request datagram with rules and license data using said license control system at said licensor'"'"'s site to determine if use by said licensee of said licensed product is authorized, said license control system using said address in said request datagram to identify said licensee; and sending, via said communications facility, a reply authorizing datagram to said address specified in said request datagram using said license control system if use of said licensed product is approved. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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89. A system for controlling use of a licensed product comprising:
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a communications facility which delivers and receives datagrams, and to which at least one licensee having a license for operating a licensed product from a licensor is connected, said licensed product including an executable portion and a data portion; controlling means, connected to said communications facility at said licensor'"'"'s site, for receiving a request datagram, said request datagram including an address of said licensee on said communications facility and being transmitted with said address over said communications facility to a site of said licensor;
comparing said request datagram with rules and license data to determine if use of said licensed product is authorized, said controlling means using said address included in said request datagram to identify said licensee; and
sending, via said communications facility, a reply authorizing datagram to said address if use of said licensed product is approved; andmeans for controlling use of said data portion with said executable portion. - View Dependent Claims (90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103)
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104. A system for monitoring a licensed product comprising:
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a communications facility which designates addresses to and from which said communications facility delivers and receives datagrams, and to which at least one licensee having a license for operating a licensed product from the licensor is connected, said licensee having an address designated by said communications facility; and control means, connected to said communications facility at a licensor'"'"'s site, for;
receiving request datagrams, said request datagrams including an address of said licensee on said communications facility and being transmitted at periodic intervals over said communications facility to said licensor'"'"'s site;
storing an indication of receipt of each of said request datagrams; and
counting said request datagrams from each licensee as an indication of the use by the licensee of said licensed product. - View Dependent Claims (105)
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Specification