Systems and methods for providing time-and weight-based flexibly tolerant hardware ID

• US 7,302,590 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2003
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hughes, Aidan T., Gunyakti, Caglar, Dublish, Pratul
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wyszynski; Aubrey H
• Application Number:
  US10/337,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20040133792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,786 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data

Abstract

Systems and methods for implementing a hardware ID with time- and weight-based flexibility use a hardware ID (HWID) including identifying information about hardware components. When software is run, a current HWID is generated. When the current HWID is compared to a stored HWID to determine if the two HWIDs match, a time vector and a weight vector are used in the comparison. A running matching score is kept of matches. For each hardware component, the weight vector indicates the weight given to a correct match of the hashed value for the hardware component. For example, if the weight value for the hardware component is three and there is a match, then the running total is increased by three. For each hardware component, the time vector may indicate an expiration period after which a change in the component may be allowed. For example, if the expiration period for the component is one year, and one year has passed since activation, the running total may be increased even though the component'"'"'s information in the verification HWID does not match the current component information.

Claims

1. A method for enabling enforcement of software licensing terms for a software product for use with a computer system comprising one or more components, each component having a component identity obtainable from the computer system and identifying the component, and a component type from among a set of component types, the method comprising:

retrieving license data corresponding to the licensing terms;

for each component type from among said set of component types, obtaining an associated current component identity of a corresponding component from said computer system;

for each component type from among said set of component types, comparing said obtained associated current component identity to an associated stored component identity from the retrieved license data;

calculating a matching score for each component type from among said set of component types, if the result of said comparison is positive as a match, by incrementing the matching score by adding a stored associated component type weight corresponding to each component type from among said set of component types from the retrieved license data to said matching score;

comparing said matching score to a threshold matching score from the retrieved license data; and

honoring a right granted by the licensing terms with respect to the software product if the matching score exceeds the threshold matching score.

2. The method of claim 1, where said step of, for each component type from among said set of component types, obtaining an associated current component identity comprises:

obtaining an associated individual current component identity for every component of that component type.

3. The method of claim 2, where for at least one component type from among said set of hardware component types, said associated stored component identity comprises one or more associated individual stored component identities, and where said step of, for each hardware component type from among said set of hardware component types, comparing said associated existing component identity to an associated stored component identity comprises:

returning a positive result if any of said associated individual stored component identities matches any of said associated individual current component identities.

4. The method of claim 2, where for at least one component type from among said set of hardware component types, said associated stored component identity comprises one or more associated individual stored component identities, and where said step of, for each hardware component type from among said set of hardware component types, comparing said associated existing component identity to an associated stored component identity comprises:

returning a positive result if all of said associated individual stored component identities matches any of said associated individual current component identities.

5. The method of claim 1, where said step of, for each hardware component type from among a set of hardware component types, obtaining an associated existing component identity comprises:

querying a hardware component of the hardware component type for a query result; and

hashing the query result.

6. The method of claim 1, where said step of calculating a matching score by, for each component type from among said set of component types, if the result of said comparison is positive, incrementing a matching score by adding a stored associated component type weight comprises:

for each component type, determining if an associated expiration period has passed; and

for each component type, if said expiration period has passed, adding said stored associated component type weight.

7. The method of claim 1, where said step of calculating a matching score by, for each component type from among said set of component types, adding a stored associated component type weight comprises:

for each component type, determining if an associated expiration period has passed; and

for each component type, if said expiration period has passed, adding a prespecified expired-period increment.

8. The method of claim 1, where said set of component types comprises one or more selected from among the following:

soundcard, network card, BIOS, CDROM drive, display adapter, disk device, SCSI adapter, disk adapter, processor, and RAM.

9. A method for enabling enforcement of software licensing terms for a software product for use with a computer system comprising one or more components, each component having a component identity obtainable from the computer system and identifying the component, and a component type from among a set of component types, the method comprising:

retrieving license data corresponding to the licensing terms;

for each component type from among said set of component types, obtaining an associated current component identity of a corresponding component from said computer system;

for each component type from among said set of component types, comparing said obtained associated current component identity to an associated stored component identity from the retrieved license data;

calculating a matching score for each component type from among said set of component types, if the result of said comparison is positive as a match or if an associated expiration period corresponding to at least one component type from among said set of component types from the retrieved license data has passed, by incrementing said matching score;

comparing said matching score to a threshold matching score from the retrieved license data; and

honoring a right granted by the licensing terms with respect to the software product if the matching score exceeds the threshold matching score.

10. The method of claim 9, where said step of, for each component type from among said set of component types, obtaining an associated current component identity comprises:

obtaining an associated individual current component identity for every component of that component type.

11. The method of claim 10, where for at least one component type from among said set of hardware component types, said associated stored component identity comprises one or more associated individual stored component identities, and where said step of, for each hardware component type from among said set of hardware component types, comparing said associated existing component identity to an associated stored component identity comprises:

returning a positive result if any of said associated individual stored component identities matches any of said associated individual current component identities.

12. The method of claim 10, where for at least one component type from among said set of hardware component types, said associated stored component identity comprises one or more associated individual stored component identities, and where said step of, for each hardware component type from among said set of hardware component types, comparing said associated existing component identity to an associated stored component identity comprises:

returning a positive result if all of said associated individual stored component identities matches any of said associated individual current component identities.

13. The method of claim 9, where said step of, for each hardware component type from among a set of hardware component types, obtaining an associated existing component identity comprises:

querying a hardware component of the hardware component type for a query result; and

hashing the query result.

14. The method of claim 9, where said set of component types comprises one or more selected from among the following:

soundcard, network card, BIOS, CDROM drive, display adapter, disk device, SCSI adapter, disk adapter, processor, and RAM.

15. A computer-readable medium for enabling enforcement of software licensing terms for a software product for use with a computer system comprising one or more components, each component having a component identity obtainable from the computer system and identifying the component, and a component type from among a set of component types, the medium having stored thereon at least one computer-executable module comprising computer executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

retrieving license data corresponding to the licensing terms;

for each component type from among said set of component types, obtaining an associated current component identity of a corresponding component from said computer system;

for each component type from among said set of component types, comparing said obtained associated current component identity to an associated stored component identity from the retrieved license data;

calculating a matching score for each component type from among said set of component types, if the result of said comparison is positive as a match, by incrementing the matching score by adding a stored associated component type weight corresponding to each component type from among said set of component types from the retrieved license data to said matching score;

comparing said matching score to a threshold matching score from the retrieved license data; and

honoring a right granted by the licensing terms with respect to the software product if the matching score exceeds the threshold matching score.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where said step of, for each component type from among said set of component types, obtaining an associated current component identity comprises:

obtaining an associated individual current component identity for every component of that component type.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, where for at least one component type from among said set of hardware component types, said associated stored component identity comprises one or more associated individual stored component identities, and where said step of, for each hardware component type from among said set of hardware component types, comparing said associated existing component identity to an associated stored component identity comprises:

returning a positive result if any of said associated individual stored component identities matches any of said associated individual current component identities.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, where for at least one component type from among said set of hardware component types, said associated stored component identity comprises one or more associated individual stored component identities, and where said step of, for each hardware component type from among said set of hardware component types, comparing said associated existing component identity to an associated stored component identity comprises:

returning a positive result if all of said associated individual stored component identities matches any of said associated individual current component identities.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where said step of, for each hardware component type from among a set of hardware component types, obtaining an associated existing component identity comprises:

querying a hardware component of the hardware component type for a query result; and

hashing the query result.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where said step of calculating a matching score by, for each component type from among said set of component types, if the result of said comparison is positive, incrementing a matching score by adding a stored associated component type weight comprises:

for each component type, determining if an associated expiration period has passed; and

for each component type, if said expiration period has passed, adding said stored associated component type weight.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where said step of calculating a matching score by, for each component type from among said set of component types, if the result of said comparison is positive, incrementing a matching score by adding a stored associated component type weight comprises:

for each component type, determining if an associated expiration period has passed; and

for each component type, if said expiration period has passed, adding a prespecified expired-period increment.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where said set of component types comprises one or more selected from among the following:

soundcard;

network card, BIOS, CDROM drive, display adapter, disk device, SCSI adapter, disk adapter, processor, and RAM.

23. A computer-readable medium for enabling enforcement of software licensing terms for a software product for use with a computer system comprising one or more components, each component having a component identity obtainable from the computer system and identifying the component, and a component type from among a set of component types, the medium having stored thereon at least one computer-executable module comprising computer executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

retrieving license data corresponding to the licensing terms;

for each component type from among said set of component types, obtaining an associated current component identity of a corresponding component from said computer system;

for each component type from among said set of component types, comparing said obtained associated current component identity to an associated stored component identity from the retrieved license data;

calculating a matching score for each component type from among said set of component types, if the result of said comparison is positive as a match or if an associated expiration period corresponding to at least one component type from among said set of component types from the retrieved license data has passed, by incrementing said matching score;

comparing said matching score to a threshold matching score from the retrieved license data; and

honoring a right granted by the licensing terms with respect to the software product if the matching score exceeds the threshold matching score.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, where said step of, for each component type from among said set of component types, obtaining an associated current component identity comprises:

obtaining an associated individual current component identity for every component of that component type.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, where for at least one component type from among said set of hardware component types, said associated stored component identity comprises one or more associated individual stored component identities, and where said step of, for each hardware component type from among said set of hardware component types, comparing said associated existing component identity to an associated stored component identity comprises:

returning a positive result if any of said associated individual stored component identities matches any of said associated individual current component identities.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, where for at least one component type from among said set of hardware component types, said associated stored component identity comprises one or more associated individual stored component identities, and where said step of, for each hardware component type from among said set of hardware component types, comparing said associated existing component identity to an associated stored component identity comprises:

returning a positive result if all of said associated individual stored component identities matches any of said associated individual current component identities.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, where said step of, for each hardware component type from among a set of hardware component types, obtaining an associated existing component identity comprises:

querying a hardware component of the hardware component type for a query result; and

hashing the query result.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, where said set of component types comprises one or more selected from among the following:

soundcard;

network card, BIOS, CDROM drive, display adapter, disk device, SCSI adapter, disk adapter, processor, and RAM.