On-line software rental
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for providing on-line rental service for software, the method comprising:
- assigning a collection of virtual containers to a set of users including one or more users,wherein the collection is selected from a plurality of collections, each with a different quantity of virtual containers, andeach virtual container in the collection being configured to identify one or more software products that are rented by users in the set, andthe collection identifying a rental package of a predefined quantity of virtual containers at least one of which is configured to identify a plurality of the software products accessible to the set of users, andwherein at least one virtual container in the collection is assigned a virtual container priority level corresponding to a variable software product access level, andwherein at least one virtual container in the collection provides a different rental period duration from at least one other virtual container in the collection, andwherein at least one virtual container in the collection permits selectively removing a software product and adding a new software product before the end of a rental period associated with the at least one virtual container; and
authorizing a user in the set to access a software product through a computer network based on whether the software product is identified as a rented software product in one or more virtual containers of the collection assigned to the set of users.
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Abstract
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for a rental service through a computer network. A collection of virtual containers is assigned to a set of users including one or more users. Each virtual container in the collection is configured to identify one or more software products that are rented by users in the set. A user in the set is authorized to access a software product through the computer network based on whether the software product is identified as a rented software product in one or more virtual containers of the collection assigned to the set of users.
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Citations
84 Claims
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1. A method for providing on-line rental service for software, the method comprising:
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assigning a collection of virtual containers to a set of users including one or more users, wherein the collection is selected from a plurality of collections, each with a different quantity of virtual containers, and each virtual container in the collection being configured to identify one or more software products that are rented by users in the set, and the collection identifying a rental package of a predefined quantity of virtual containers at least one of which is configured to identify a plurality of the software products accessible to the set of users, and wherein at least one virtual container in the collection is assigned a virtual container priority level corresponding to a variable software product access level, and wherein at least one virtual container in the collection provides a different rental period duration from at least one other virtual container in the collection, and wherein at least one virtual container in the collection permits selectively removing a software product and adding a new software product before the end of a rental period associated with the at least one virtual container; and authorizing a user in the set to access a software product through a computer network based on whether the software product is identified as a rented software product in one or more virtual containers of the collection assigned to the set of users. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 81)
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33. A method for renting software on-line, the method comprising:
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selecting one or more software products that are available for rent from an on-line rental service through a computer network; subscribing to a package offered by the on-line rental service, the package assigning a collection of virtual containers to one or more users, wherein the package is selected from a plurality of packages, each assigning a different quantity of virtual containers, a virtual container in the collection being configured to identify a software product placed in the virtual container as being rented by the one or more users, wherein at least one virtual container in the collection is assigned a virtual container priority level corresponding to a variable software product access level; associating the selected software products with one or more virtual containers in the collection to identify the selected software products as software products rented by the assigned users; and allowing a user to access a software product if the software product is identified as a rented software product in a virtual container in the collection assigned to the user. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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36. A method for providing rental service through a computer network, the method comprising:
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receiving a subscription for a user; assigning a collection of virtual containers to the user according to the received subscription, wherein each virtual container in the collection is configured to identify one or more software products rented by the user; receiving user input selecting one or more software products to be identified as rented software products in one or more virtual containers in the collection assigned to the user; authorizing the user to access a first software product through the computer network if the first software product is identified as a rented software product in one or more virtual containers of the collection assigned to the user; and authorizing the user to access a second software product through the computer network for a different rental period duration from that of the first software product, if the second software product is identified as a rented software product in another one or more virtual containers of the collection assigned to the user.
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37. A server system for renting software products through a computer network, the server system comprising:
a rental manager configured to assign a collection of virtual containers to a set of users including one or more users, wherein the collection is selected from a plurality of collections, each with a different quantity of virtual containers, and wherein each virtual container in the collection is configured to identify one or more software products that are rented by users in the set, and the rental manager assigns to at least one virtual container in the collection a different virtual container priority level from that of another virtual container, wherein each virtual container priority level corresponds to a variable software product access level, the rental manager further configured to authorize users in the set to access a software product through the computer network based on whether the software product is identified as a rented software product in one or more virtual containers of the collection assigned to the set of users. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A software product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable medium, for providing rental service through a computer network, the software product comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
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assigning a collection of virtual containers to a set of users including one or more users, each virtual container in the collection being configured to identify one or more software products that are rented by users in the set, and the collection identifying a rental package of a predefined quantity of virtual containers each of which is configured to identify the one or more software products accessible to the set of users, wherein at least one virtual container in the collection provides a different rental period duration from at least one other virtual container in the collection, and wherein at least one virtual container in the collection permits selectively removing a software product and adding a new software product before the end of a rental period associated with the at least one virtual container; and authorizing a user in the set to access a software product through the computer network based on whether the software product is identified as a rented software product in one or more virtual containers of the collection assigned to the set of users. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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77. A software product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable medium, for renting software on-line, the software product comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
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selecting one or more software products that are available for rent from an on-line rental service through a computer network; subscribing to a package offered by the on-line rental service, the package assigning a collection of virtual containers to one or more users, wherein the package is selected from a plurality of packages, each assigning a different quantity of virtual containers, and wherein at least one virtual container in the collection provides a different rental period duration from at least one other virtual container in the collection; placing the selected software products in one or more virtual containers in the collection to identify the selected software products as software products rented by the assigned users; and allowing a user to access a software product if the software product is identified as a rented software product in a virtual container in the collection assigned to the user. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79)
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80. A software product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable medium, for providing rental service through a computer network, the software product comprising instructions operable to cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
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receiving a subscription for a user; assigning a collection of virtual containers to the user according to the received subscription, wherein each virtual container in the collection is configured to identify one or more software products rented by the user; receiving user input selecting one or more software products to be identified as rented software products in one or more virtual containers in the collection assigned to the user, wherein at least one of the selected software products is identified by a virtual container priority level corresponding to a variable software product access level,; and authorizing the user to access a software product through the computer network if the software product is identified as a rented software product in one or more virtual containers of the collection assigned to the user.
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82. A computer-implemented method for providing rental service, the method comprising:
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assigning, in accordance with a user'"'"'s subscription for rental service, one or more virtual containers to the user, a virtual container being configured to identify one of the following; a plurality of software products associated with the virtual container as being rented by a user to whom the virtual container is assigned; and a portion of a software product associated with the virtual container as being rented by a user to whom the virtual container is assigned; receiving from the user a selection of one or more software products and, in response, associating the selected one or more software products with at least one of the one or more virtual containers assigned to the user; and in response to receiving a request for the user to access, through a computer network, a requested software product, determining whether the requested software product is identified, as being rented by the user, by any of the one or more virtual containers assigned to the user; and when the requested software product is determined to be identified as being rented by the user, authorizing the user to access the rented software product.
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83. A computer-implemented method for providing a rental service, the method comprising:
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receiving a subscription authorization for a user to access a predefined number of software products from a plurality of the software products, wherein the subscription authorization is selected from a plurality of subscription authorizations, each providing access to a different quantity of software products, and wherein the subscription authorization permits selectively removing one of the predefined number of software products and adding a new one of the predefined number of software products before the end of a rental period associated with the removed one of the predefined number of software products; receiving a selection identifying a selected software product to be rented by a user; associating the selected software product with the subscription authorization; and enabling the user to access the selected software product over a network while the subscription authorization is valid.
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84. A computer-implemented method for providing a rental service, the method comprising:
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receiving an authorization for a user to access up to a predefined number of software products; associating a number of identifiers with the authorization, wherein the number of identifiers is equal to the predefined number, and wherein each of the number of identifiers selectably identifies one of a plurality of software products, and wherein at least one of the identifiers is limited to identifying a priority level for one of the plurality of software products that is different from a priority level for another one of the plurality of software products; receiving a selection identifying one of the plurality of software products; associating the selection with one of the number of identifiers, indicating that the identified one of the plurality of software products is rented by the user; and enabling access over a network to the identified one of the plurality of software products, the access being enabled for a predefined period associated with authorization.
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Specification