License management system and method for commuter licensing
First Claim
1. A system for managing licenses for protected software on a communication network, the system comprising:
- at least one client computer capable of being coupled to the communication network for requesting a commuter authorization to use the protected software and for storing a commuter authorization lifetime representing a time period for which the commuter authorization is valid; and
at least one license server coupled to the communication network, each license server programmed for managing a distribution of allocations to use the protected software and at least one license server programmed for granting a commuter authorization in response to a request for a commuter authorization,wherein the at least one client computer is configured with the protected software, the protected software being independent of the at least one license server,wherein after a commuter authorization is communicated from a granting license server to a requesting client computer, the requesting client computer may use the protected software while coupled to or decoupled from the communication network until the commuter authorization lifetime expires, the requesting client computer utilizing the commuter authorization independently of the at least one license server, andwherein the requesting client computer is further programmed for detecting attempts to tamper with its internal clock and invalidating the commuter authorization if tampering is detected.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for managing licenses for protected software on a communication network is disclosed. The system includes at least one client computer that is capable of being coupled to or decoupled from the communication network. While coupled to the communication network, a user of the client computer may request a commuter authorization to use the protected software. At least one license server is also coupled to the communication network. Each license server is programmed for managing a distribution of allocations to use the protected software. In addition, at least one of the license servers is programmed for granting a commuter authorization in response to a request for a commuter authorization from a client computer if there is an available authorization. After a commuter authorization is received by a client computer, the client computer stores a commuter authorization lifetime representing a time period for which the commuter authorization is valid. The client computer may then use the protected software while coupled to or decoupled from the communication network until the commuter authorization lifetime expires.
87 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A system for managing licenses for protected software on a communication network, the system comprising:
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at least one client computer capable of being coupled to the communication network for requesting a commuter authorization to use the protected software and for storing a commuter authorization lifetime representing a time period for which the commuter authorization is valid; and at least one license server coupled to the communication network, each license server programmed for managing a distribution of allocations to use the protected software and at least one license server programmed for granting a commuter authorization in response to a request for a commuter authorization, wherein the at least one client computer is configured with the protected software, the protected software being independent of the at least one license server, wherein after a commuter authorization is communicated from a granting license server to a requesting client computer, the requesting client computer may use the protected software while coupled to or decoupled from the communication network until the commuter authorization lifetime expires, the requesting client computer utilizing the commuter authorization independently of the at least one license server, and wherein the requesting client computer is further programmed for detecting attempts to tamper with its internal clock and invalidating the commuter authorization if tampering is detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for managing licenses for protected software on a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:
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coupling at least one client computer and at least one license server to the communication network; configuring the at least one client computer with the protected software, the protected software being independent of the at least one license server; communicating a request for a commuter authorization to use the protected software from the at least one client computer to the at least one license server over the communication network; granting a commuter authorization to the at least one client computer from the at least one license server and decrementing a count of available allocations within the at least one license server only if there is an available allocation in the at least one license server; storing a commuter authorization lifetime representing a time period for which the commuter authorization is valid within the at least one client computer, wherein after a commuter authorization is communicated from a granting license server to a requesting client computer, the requesting client computer may use the protected software while coupled to or decoupled from the communication network until the commuter authorization lifetime expires, the requesting client computer utilizing the commuter authorization independently of the at least one license server; and detecting attempts to tamper with an internal clock of the requesting client computer and invalidating the commuter authorization if tampering is detected. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification