Computer software and services license processing method and system

• US 7,346,585 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pearson, Matthew William, Alabraba, Ferdinand Jay, Hughes, Aidan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Worjloh; Jalatee
• Application Number:
  US10/376,742
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 705 50- 79, 726 26- 33, 380200-203
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Integrated computer services and software licensing processing methods and systems are provided. A license processing service (LPS) receives a services or software license request from a user via a client computer. The LPS communicates the request to a billing system for the services or software provider to obtain an expiration date for use of a desired service or software product. The LPS receives and forwards the expiration date from the billing system to a licensing clearinghouse operated by the provider of the desired service or software product. The clearinghouse, in turn, provides a use license for the desired service or software application to the client computer via the LPS.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining a computer services license, comprising:

sending a services subscription license request to a client services sector of a license processing service (LPS), wherein sending the services subscription license request to a license processing service (LPS), comprises;

sending a hardware identification for the client computer, wherein sending the hardware identification for the client computer comprises the hardware identification being provided by the client computer, and the hardware identification being calculated by a software program module operated on the client computer, and

sending along with the services subscription license request a product identification number (PID) associated with the services subscription;

sending the request from the client services sector to an LPS core component;

scheduling, at the LPS core component, a transmission of the request to the billing system;

formatting the request for consumption by a billing sector of the LPS;

sending, via the billing sector of the LPS, the request from the LPS core component to a billing system associated with a provider of the services;

at the billing system, determining an expiration date for the services subscription;

sending the expiration date from the billing system to the LPS;

sending the request and the expiration date from the LPS to a licensing clearinghouse associated with the provider of the services;

at the licensing clearinghouse, granting a license for the services subscription;

sending the license from the licensing clearinghouse to the LPS;

scheduling, at the LPS core component, a transmission of the request to the licensing clearinghouse;

scheduling, at the LPS core component, a transmission of the license to the client computer, wherein the transmission being scheduled to occur at a predetermined time;

formatting the request and the expiration date for consumption by a clearing house sector of the LPS;

sending the request and the expiration date to the licensing clearinghouse via the clearinghouse sector of the LPS; and

sending the license from the LPS core component to the client computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the expiration date from the billing system to the LPS via the billing sector of the LPS; and

sending the expiration date from the billing sector to the LPS core component.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the license from the licensing clearinghouse at the clearinghouse sector of the LPS; and

sending the license from the clearinghouse sector to the LPS core component.

4. The method of claim 1, prior to sending the request from a client services sector to an LPS core component, further comprising:

receiving the request at an authentication module;

authenticating a source of the request as a trusted source from which the request may be received; and

establishing an authentication user identification number (AUID) for the source.

5. The method of claim 4, whereby the step receiving the request at an authentication module includes receiving the request at an authentication module of the client services sector.

6. The method of claim 4, whereby the step receiving the request at an authentication module includes receiving the request at an authentication module of a remote authentication service.

7. The method of claim 1, whereby the step of sending the request to the billing system from the LPS core via a billing sector of the LPS includes:

sending the hardware identification (HWID) to the billing system;

sending the product identification number (PID) to the billing system; and

sending the (AUID) to the billing system.

8. The method of claim 1, whereby the step of sending the request and the expiration date to the licensing clearinghouse via a clearinghouse sector of the LPS includes sending the expiration date, the HWID, the PID, and the AUID to the licensing clearinghouse.

9. The method of claim 8, after the step of sending the license from the client services sector to the client computer, including:

receiving the license at the client computer; and

activating the license at the client computer.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing an extended expiration date at the billing system via a direct communication between a user of the license and the billing system;

upon expiration of the expiration date, notifying the user at the client computer to update the license;

sending a license update request to the LPS;

sending the update request from the LPS to the billing system;

at the billing system, finding the extended expiration date for the services subscription;

sending the extended expiration date from the billing system to the LPS;

sending the update request and the extended expiration date from the LPS to the licensing clearinghouse;

at the licensing clearinghouse, granting an updated license for the services subscription based on the extended expiration date;

sending the updated license from the licensing clearinghouse to the LPS; and

sending the updated license from the LPS to the client computer.

11. The method of claim 10, whereby the step of notifying the user at the client computer to update the license includes providing a graphical user interface via the client computer for notifying the user to update the license and for receiving input from the user.

12. The method of claim 1, whereby the services subscription includes use of a computer software application.

13. The method of claim 1, whereby the services subscription includes use of Internet-based web services.

14. A system for obtaining a computer services license, comprising:

a license processing service (LPS) comprising an LPS core component, a client services sector, a billing sector, and a clearinghouse sector, the LPS client services sector being operative to receive a services subscription license request from a client computer, wherein receiving the services subscription license request comprises receiving a hardware identification for the client computer, the hardware identification for the client computer comprises the hardware identification being provided by the client computer, and the hardware identification being calculated by a software program module, the LPS core component being operative to communicate with the client computer via the client services sector and operative to send the request, via the billing sector, to a billing system associated with a provider of the services;

the billing system operative

to determine an expiration date for the services subscription and

to send the expiration date to the LPS;

the LPS core component being operative to send, via the clearinghouse sector, the request and the expiration date to a licensing clearinghouse associated with the provider of the services;

the licensing clearinghouse operative

to grant a license for the services subscription and

to send the license to the LPS; and

the LPS further operative to send the license to the client computer and

the LPS core component being further operative to

receive communications from each of the client services sector, the billing sector, and the clearinghouse sector,

schedule and transmit the license to the client computer, wherein the transmission being scheduled to occur at a predetermined time,

schedule communications from the LPS core component to each of the client services sector, the billing sector, and the clearinghouse sector, and

conduct communications from the LPS core component to each of the client services sector, the billing sector, and the clearinghouse sector.

15. The system of claim 14, whereby the LPS core component is further operative to format data for consumption by each of the client services sector, the billing sector, and the clearinghouse sector.

16. The system of claim 15, whereby the client services sector comprises an authentication module operative

to authenticate a source of the request as a trusted source from which the request may be received;

and

to establish an authentication user identification number (AUID) for the source.

17. The system of claim 16, whereby the client services sector is further operative to communicate from the client computer to the LPS core component for transmission to the billing system via the billing sector a hardware identification (HWID) for the client computer, a product identification number (PID) associated with the services subscription, and the AUID.

18. The system of claim 17, whereby the LPS core component is further operative

to communicate the expiration date, the HWID, the PID, and the AUID to the licensing clearinghouse via the clearinghouse sector;

and

to communicate the license from the licensing clearinghouse to the client computer via the clearinghouse sector and client services sector.

19. The system of claim 18, whereby the services subscription includes use of a computer software application.

20. The system of claim 18, whereby the services subscription includes use of Internet-based web services.

21. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer, perform the method comprising:

receiving a services subscription license request at a license processing service (LPS) wherein receiving the services subscription license request at the license processing service comprises receiving the services subscription license request via a client services sector of the LPS;

sending the request from the client services sector to an LPS core component, wherein sending the request to the LPS core component, comprises;

sending along with the request a hardware identification for the client computer, wherein sending along with the request the hardware identification for the client computer comprises the hardware identification being provided by the client computer, and the hardware identification being calculated by a software program module operated on the client computer, and

sending along with the request a product identification number (PID) associated with the services subscription;

scheduling a transmission of the request to the billing system at the LPS core component;

formatting the request for consumption a billing sector of the LPS;

sending, via a billing sector of the LPS, the request from the LPS core component to a billing system associated with a provider of the services;

in response to the request, receiving an expiration date from the billing system at the LPS;

sending the request and the expiration date from the LPS to a licensing clearinghouse associated with the provider of the services;

receiving a license for the services subscription from the licensing clearinghouse to the LPS;

scheduling, at the LPS core component, a transmission of the license to a client computer, wherein the transmission being scheduled to occur at a predetermined time; and

sending the license from the LPS core component to the client computer.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising:

sending the expiration date from the billing system to the LPS via the billing sector of the LPS; and

sending the expiration date from the billing sector to the LPS core component.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, further comprising:

at the LPS core component, scheduling a transmission of the request to the licensing clearinghouse;

formatting the request and the expiration date for consumption by a clearing house sector of the LPS; and

sending the request and the expiration date to the licensing clearinghouse via the clearinghouse sector of the LPS.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving the license from the licensing clearinghouse at the clearinghouse sector of the LPS; and

sending the license from the clearinghouse sector to the LPS core component.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24, prior to sending the request from the client services sector to an LPS core component, further comprising:

receiving the request at the authentication module;

authenticating a source of the request as a trusted source from which the request may be received; and

establishing an authentication user identification number (AUID) for the source.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, whereby the step receiving the request at an authentication module includes receiving the request at an authentication module of the client services sector.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 25, whereby the step receiving the request at an authentication module includes receiving the request at an authentication module of a remote authentication service.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 25, whereby the step of receiving a services subscription license request to a license processing service (LPS), further comprises:

receiving the request from a client computer;

receiving along with the request a hardware identification (HWID) for the client computer; and

receiving along with the request a product identification number (PID) associated with the services subscription.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28, whereby the step of sending the request to the billing system from the LPS core via a billing sector of the LPS includes:

sending the hardware identification (HWID) to the billing system;

sending the product identification number (PID) to the billing system; and

sending the (AUID) to the billing system.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, whereby the step of sending the request and the expiration date to the licensing clearinghouse via a clearinghouse sector of the LPS includes sending the expiration date, the HWID, the PID, and the AUID to the licensing clearinghouse.