System and a method for giving run authorization to a program installed on a computer

• US 7,225,336 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SFNT Germany GmbH (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Aladdin Europe GmbH (Magic Lamp Corp.)
• Inventors: Zunke, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Moazzami; Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parthasarathy; Pramila
• Application Number:
  US10/013,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,996 Days
• Field of Search: 713/173
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/123 by using dedicated hardware, e.g. dongles, smart cards, cryptographic processors, global positioning systems [GPS] devices

Abstract

A system for giving run authorization to a program installed on a computer, comprising a checking unit having a receiving device and, at least partially, forms part of the computer or is linked with the latter via a data link, and a device which is transportable separately from the computer and from the checking unit and connectable to the receiving device within a predetermined distance therefrom by a wireless link through which an identification code contained in said device is transmitted to the checking unit, said checking unit comparing the transmitted identification code with a reference code and giving the run authorization, if both codes are identical.

Claims

1. A system for selectively giving run authorization to one of a plurality of programs installed on a computer, comprising a checking unit having a receiver and, at least partially, forms part of the computer or is linked with the latter via a data link, and a device which is transportable separately from the computer and from the checking unit and connectable to the receiver within a predetermined distance therefrom by a wireless link through which an identification code contained in said device is transmitted to the checking unit to request the run authorization, said checking unit comparing the transmitted identification code with a tamper-resistant reference code to verify that the transmitted identification code represents a license to run the program and giving the run authorization, if both codes are identical, wherein, apart from said run authorization, running the one program on the computer is independent of said device, and wherein, apart from requiring the run authorization to run the one program, running the programs on the computer is independent of the device.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification code is a unique identifier of the device.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the checking unit contains a software module for comparing the identification code with the reference code.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification code of the device may be defined as the reference code when installing the program on the computer.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device comprises a non-volatile memory in which the identification code is stored.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is a mobile phone or a portable computer.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless link is a radio link, in particular a Bluetooth radio link.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device comprises an input unit through which an enabling code may be entered, the device enabling the transmission of the identification code only upon entering a predetermined enabling code.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the reference code is an encrypted reference code.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the reference code is decrypted for comparison with the identification code.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the identification code is encrypted for comparison with the reference code.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the reference code is a symmetrically encrypted reference code.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the reference code is an asymmetrically encrypted reference code.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the reference code is a digitally signed reference code.

15. A system for selectively giving run authorization to one of a plurality of programs installed on computer, comprising:

a remote, independent device with means for transmitting an identification code to request the run authorization; and

a checking unit with means for receiving said identification code, checking said code against a stored, tamper-resistant reference code to verify that the identification code represents a license to run the one program, and means for transmitting code verification for giving run authorization to said one program installed on said computer, wherein, apart from said run authorization, running the one program on the computer is independent of said device, and wherein, apart from requiring the run authorization to run the one program, running the programs on the computer is independent of the device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the reference code is an encrypted reference code.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the reference code is decrypted for comparison with the identification code.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the identification code is encrypted for comparison with the reference code.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the reference code is a symmetrically encrypted reference code.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the reference code is an asymmetrically encrypted reference code.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the reference code is a digitally signed reference code.

22. A method for selectively giving run authorization to one of a plurality of programs installed on a computer, which method comprises requesting an identification code contained in a device via a wireless link and comparing it with a tamper-resistant reference code to verify that the identification code represents a license to run the one program, and giving the run authorization, if both codes are identical, wherein, apart from said run authorization, running the one program on the computer is independent of said device, and wherein, apart from requiring the run authorization to run the one program, running the programs on the computer is independent of the device.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein a unique identifier of the device is read out as the identification code.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the identification code of the device is defined as the reference code when installing the program on the computer.

25. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein a license provider for the program, to whom the identification code of the device is transmitted, defines the transmitted identification code as the reference code.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the identification code is transmitted to the computer by a wireless link and is transmitted from the computer to the license provider via a data link, and the identification code is transmitted as the reference code from the license provider to the computer via said data link.

27. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the identification code is read out by a checking unit via a wireless link between the device and the checking unit, said wireless link being established automatically as soon as the distance between the device and a receiver of the checking unit is below a predetermined value.

28. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the identification code is read out by the checking unit after an enabling code has been entered into the device.

29. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein a radio link in the GHz range, in particular a Bluetooth radio link, is used as the wireless link.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the reference code is an encrypted reference code.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of decrypting the reference code before comparing the identification code therewith.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of encrypting the identification code before comparing the reference code therewith.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the reference code is a symmetrically encrypted reference code.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the reference code is an asymmetrically encrypted reference code.

35. The method of claim 22, wherein the reference code is a digitally signed reference code.

36. A method of selectively giving run authorization for running one of a plurality of programs on a computer, which method comprises requesting an identification code contained in a device via a wireless link and comparing it with a tamper-resistant reference code to verify that the identification code represents a license to run the program, and giving the run authorization, if both codes are identical;

wherein, apart from said run authorization, running the one program on the computer is independent of said device;

wherein a license provider for the program, to whom the identification code of the device is transmitted, defines the transmitted identification code as the reference code;

wherein the identification code is transmitted to the computer by a wireless link and is transmitted from the computer to the license provider via a data link, and the identification code is transmitted as the reference code from the license provider to the computer via said data link;

wherein the program is also transmitted from the license provider to the computer via said data link;

and wherein, apart from requiring the run authorization to run the one program, running the programs on the computer is independent of the device.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the reference code is an encrypted reference code.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising the step of decrypting the reference code before comparing the identification code therewith.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising the step of encrypting the identification code before comparing the reference code therewith.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the reference code is a symmetrically encrypted reference code.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the reference code is an asymmetrically encrypted reference code.

42. The method of claim 36, wherein the reference code is a digitally signed reference code.