Using power state to enforce software metering state
First Claim
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1. A method of enforcing a metering policy defining rules for metering in a pay-per-use computer comprising:
- a power source and a hardware module that includes a power monitoring circuit, a timer, and a tamper-resistant memory, the method comprising;
storing in the tamper-resistant memory a metering account, a metering function, and a metering policy;
monitoring the power source by the power monitoring circuit and debiting, by the metering function, the metering account based on the monitoring and the metering policy;
determining at the hardware module that the computer is in a standby state or an off state and, based on the metering policy, sending a signal to the metering function to cease debiting the metering account;
in response to the signal, stopping the metering function and the monitoring by the power monitoring circuit and starting an interval using the timer in accordance with the metering policy;
determining at the hardware module, in accordance with the metering policy, that the interval has ended and re-monitoring the power source by the power monitoring circuit; and
based on the re-monitoring, debiting the account by the metering function.
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Abstract
A pay-per-use or metered-use computer uses directives from an operating system or other software component to determine whether to meter or not. Because such directives may not be trustworthy, a metering system may determine a state of the computer to verify that the metering state complies with a policy. If the metering system determines that the power state is not in keeping with the metering state, the metering system may invoke a sanction, such as restarting metering or placing some or all of the computer in a standby power mode.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. A method of enforcing a metering policy defining rules for metering in a pay-per-use computer comprising:
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a power source and a hardware module that includes a power monitoring circuit, a timer, and a tamper-resistant memory, the method comprising; storing in the tamper-resistant memory a metering account, a metering function, and a metering policy; monitoring the power source by the power monitoring circuit and debiting, by the metering function, the metering account based on the monitoring and the metering policy; determining at the hardware module that the computer is in a standby state or an off state and, based on the metering policy, sending a signal to the metering function to cease debiting the metering account; in response to the signal, stopping the metering function and the monitoring by the power monitoring circuit and starting an interval using the timer in accordance with the metering policy; determining at the hardware module, in accordance with the metering policy, that the interval has ended and re-monitoring the power source by the power monitoring circuit; and based on the re-monitoring, debiting the account by the metering function. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification