Method and apparatus for controlling access to a product

• US 6,314,408 B1
• Filed: 07/15/1998
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Open Text Corporation
• Original Assignee: eRoom Technology, Inc. (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Kleppner, Paul, Salas, Pito, Leffler, Melissa, Beir, Jeffrey, Morrissey, Craig, Tonra, James E. Jr., Glenn, McDonald
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US09/116,558
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 705/54, 713/165, 713/200, 713/201, 713/202
• US Class Current: 705/54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A method for controlling access to a product includes receiving a request for a product, generating a license string for the product, and transmitting that license string to a user of the product. The license string is generated substantially at the time a request is received. A corresponding system is also described. In some embodiments the product functions for a trial period before requiring input of the license string. License strings may be generated that extend the trial period.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access to a product, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a request for a product;

(b) generating, substantially at the time the request is received, a license string that controls access to the product, the license string being formed using a cryptographic process to encode a date of creation of the license string, a number of users enabled by the license string, and a type associated with the license string; and

(c) transmitting the license string to a requestor of the product.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises receiving the request via a distributed communications network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises receiving payment information from the requestor.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of verifying the received payment information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the cryptographic process encodes a character text string and wherein the license string controls access to the product when supplied by the requestor.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the cryptographic process encodes the license string as an upper case alphanumeric string, the alphanumeric string excluding capital O, capital I, and numbers 0 and 1, and wherein the license string controls access to the product when supplied by the requestor.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises including validation information in the generated license string.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the license string controls access to a single facility.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the license string controls access to multiple facilities.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises transmitting the license string to the requestor via a distributed communications network.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the product functions for only a predetermined period of time if the license string is not entered into the product.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the license string enables the product to function beyond a predetermined period of time.

13. A system for controlling access to a product, the system comprising:

an input unit receiving a request for a product;

a license string generator in electrical communication with said input unit, said license string generator producing, substantially at the time a request is received, a license string that controls access to said product, said license string being formed using a cryptographic process to encode a date of creation of said license string, a number of users enabled by said license string, and a type associated with said license string; and

an output unit transmitting said license string to a requestor of said product.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said input unit is in electrical communication with a network and said input unit receives said request for said product via said network.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said license string controls access to a single facility.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein said license string controls access to multiple facilities.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein said output unit is in electrical communication with a network and said output unit transmits said product and said license string to said requestor via said network.

18. An article of manufacture having computer-readable program means embodied thereon, the computer-readable program means comprising the system of claim 13.

19. An article of manufacture having computer-readable program means for electronically distributing a product, the computer-readable program means comprising:

computer-readable program means for receiving a request for a product;

computer-readable program means for generating a license string that enables the product, the license string being formed using a cryptographic process to encode a date of creation of the license string, a number of users enabled by the license string, and a type associated with the license string;

computer-readable program means for associating the license string with the product; and

computer-readable program means for transmitting the product and the associated license string to a requestor of the product.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19 further comprising computer-readable program means for receiving payment information from the requestor.