Method and system for enforcing floating licenses

• US 6,502,079 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1997
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aprisma Management Technologies Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Bob, Greenwald, Joseph H., Ball, Scott Richard, Pause, Kyle
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US08/986,947
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: 705/400, 705/410, 705/59, 705/51, 705/52, 377/13, 377/14, 377/15, 377/16, 380/3, 380/4, 968/605, 713/200
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A floating license enforcement method and system which enables an authorized user to accumulate time-based usage credit while a software application is in use under a valid license. In the event of a license system fault, the application remains accessible to the user, while consuming the usage credit which was previously accumulated. This allows the user access to the application while the license system fault is being corrected. If the license system fault is corrected before all of the accumulated usage credit is consumed, the application remains accessible to the user under the valid license and resumes accumulating usage credit. Therefore, the invention allows the authorized user to consume its accrued usage credit to bridge the time between when a license system fault occurs and when the fault is corrected, thereby protecting the rights of the user. At the same time, the invention prevents excessive unauthorized use of the application, thereby protecting the rights of the software vendor.

Claims

1. A method of enforcing a floating license of a software application executing on a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

accumulating credit during a first period wherein said application is being used under a first condition;

consuming said accumulated credit while using said application under a second condition different than said first condition;

prohibiting the execution of the software application when the accumulated credit is exhausted; and

accumulating additional usage credit during a second period following the consuming operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first condition comprises use of said application when said license is valid.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said second condition comprises use of said application when said license is invalid.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein during said accumulating step, credit is accumulated at a predetermined accumulation rate.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, during said consuming step, said accumulated credit is consumed at a predetermined consumption rate.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said consumption rate is adjustable within a first range when said application is in use and said consumption rate is adjustable within a second range when said application is not in use.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said consumption rate within said first range is greater than said consumption rate within said second range.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said credit comprises units of time.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said consumption rate is constant over time.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein said consumption rate increases over time.

11. A method for enforcing a floating license of a computer application executing on a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

accumulating usage credit during a first period wherein said application is being used and while said floating license is valid;

consuming said usage credit while said application is being used and while said floating license is invalid;

prohibiting the execution of the computer application when the accumulated usage credit is exhausted; and

accumulating additional usage credit during a second period following the consuming operation.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said usage credit is consumed at a first rate while said floating license is invalid and said usage credit is consumed at a second rate while said application is not in use.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said usage credit is time-based.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said first rate is different than said second rate.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said first rate is greater than said second rate.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said accumulating step is subject to an upper limit, wherein once a level of said accumulated usage credit reaches said upper limit, said accumulation step is suspended.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein when said usage credit falls below said upper limit, said accumulating step is resumed when said application is being used while said floating license is valid.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said consuming is performed at a rate which is constant over time.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said consuming is performed at a rate which increases over time.

20. A system for managing a floating license for a computer application executing on a computer system, the system comprising:

means for accumulating usage credit during a first period wherein said application is being used while said floating license is valid;

means for consuming said usage credit while said application is used and while said floating license is invalid;

means for prohibiting the execution of the application when the accumulated credit is exhausted; and

means for accumulating usage credit during a second period following consuming said usage credit.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said consuming means consumes said usage credit at a first rate while said application is being used while said floating license is invalid and at a second rate while said application is not in use.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said usage credit is time-based.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said first rate is different than said second rate.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said first rate is greater than said second rate.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein said means for accumulating is subject to an upper limit, wherein once a level of said accumulated usage credit reaches said upper limit, the operation of said accumulation means is suspended.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein when said usage credit falls below said upper limit, operation of said accumulating means is resumed when said application is used while said floating license is valid.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein said consuming means consumes said usage credit at a rate which is constant over time.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein said consuming means consumes said usage credit at a rate which increases over time.

29. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having computer program logic thereon for enabling a processor in a computer system to manage a license of a software application, the product comprising:

means for determining a finite grace period that is proportional to a length of operation of said software application while said license is valid; and

means for allowing operation of said software application for said finite grace period when said license is invalid.

30. The product of claim 29, further comprising means for terminating said software application when said finite grace period expires.

31. A system for managing a floating license for a computer application executing on a computer system, the system comprising:

an accumulating device which accumulates usage credit during a first period wherein said application is being used and while said floating license is valid;

a consumption device which consumes said usage credit while said application is used and while said floating license is invalid, wherein the accumulating device accumulates additional usage credit during a second period following the consumption of at least some of the usage credit; and

a controller which controls operation of said accumulation device and said consumption device.

32. A method for managing a floating license of a computer application executing on a computer system, the method comprising steps of:

determining a finite grace period that is proportional to a length of operation of said software application while said license is valid; and

allowing operation of said software application for said finite grace period when said license is invalid.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of terminating said software application when said finite grace period expires.