Software pay per use licensing system
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a) a storage medium having stored therein a first and a second plurality of instructions; and
b) an execution unit coupled to the storage medium to execute the first plurality of instructions to locally grant pay-per-use licenses for a plurality of locally executed software applications, including local data collection on amount of usage licenses granted, and to execute the second plurality of instructions to locally monitor operational states of the local pay-per-use license granting and data collection operations, including periodic reporting of locally observed/gathered state and usage license granted data to a remote licensor pay-per-use license management system.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A software pay-per-use (PPU) licensing system is disclosed. The PPU licensing system includes one or more licensor license management system (LMS) and one or more licensee LMS. Each licensee LMS includes one or more components that operate to grant pay-per-use licenses for software applications, including data collection on amount of usage licenses granted, and to monitor operational states of the pay-per-use license granting and data collection operations, including periodic reporting of state and usage license granted data to a licensor LMS. Each licensor LMS includes components that operate to receive, store and process state and usage license granted data for the software applications from the licensee systems, including verification of timely periodic reporting from the licensee LMS.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a) a storage medium having stored therein a first and a second plurality of instructions; and b) an execution unit coupled to the storage medium to execute the first plurality of instructions to locally grant pay-per-use licenses for a plurality of locally executed software applications, including local data collection on amount of usage licenses granted, and to execute the second plurality of instructions to locally monitor operational states of the local pay-per-use license granting and data collection operations, including periodic reporting of locally observed/gathered state and usage license granted data to a remote licensor pay-per-use license management system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus comprising:
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a) a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of instructions; and b) an execution unit coupled to the storage medium to execute the instructions to receive, store and process remotely observed/gathered state and usage license granted data for a plurality of remotely executed software applications from a plurality of remote licensee pay-per-use license management systems that locally grant pay-per-use licenses for the remotely executed software applications, including verification of timely periodic reporting from the remote licensee pay-per-use license management systems. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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- 13. A storage medium having stored therein a first and a second plurality of instructions to be executed by a host processor, wherein when executed by the host processor, the first plurality of instructions locally grant pay-per-use licenses for a plurality of locally executed software applications, including data collection on amount of usage licenses locally granted, and the second plurality of instructions locally monitor operational states of the local pay-per-use license granting and data collection operations, including periodic reporting of locally observed/collected state and usage license granted data to a remote licensor pay-per-use license management system.
- 18. A storage medium having stored therein a plurality of instructions to be executed by a host processor, wherein when executed, the instructions receive, store and process remotely observed/gathered state and usage license granted data for a plurality of remotely executed software applications from a plurality of remote licensee pay-per-use license management systems that locally grants pay-per-use licenses for the remotely executed software applications, including verification of timely periodic reporting from the remote licensee pay-per-use license management systems.
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25. In a system, a method of operation, comprising:
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(a) locally granting pay-per-use licenses for a plurality of software applications, including locally collecting data on amount of usage licenses granted; and (b) locally monitoring operational states of the local pay-per-use license granting and data collection operations, including periodic reporting of locally observed/gathered state and usage license granted data to a remote licensor pay-per-use license management system.
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26. In a system, a method of operation, comprising:
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(a) receiving, storing and processing remotely observed/gathered state and usage license granted data for a plurality of remotely executed software applications from a plurality of remote co-resident licensee pay-per-use license management systems that locally grant pay-per-use licenses for the remotely executed software application; and (b) periodically verifying timely reporting by the remote licensee pay-per-use license management systems. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification