Method and system of enabling a software option on a remote machine

• US 7,761,921 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Vernon R., Gannon, Julie A., Scott, April D., Stratton, Kenneth L., O'Neal, Steven W.
• Primary Examiner(s): CERVETTI, DAVID GARCIA
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moazzmi; Nasser
• Application Number:
  US10/699,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20050107898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,454 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26, 726/33, 700/90
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data

Abstract

The present disclosure is associated with a user requesting access to the software option associated with a machine, a remote facility receiving the request, authorizing access to the software option, and sending an enabling signal to enable the software. The enabling signal (e.g., a software key) may then be used to access and use the software option. An intermediary may be used to authenticate the enabling signal.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a software option located on a remote machine having a machine function associated with the software option, comprising:

receiving a request, at a remote facility configured to authorize the request, to enable the software option associated with the machine function;

authorizing the request;

delivering a first enabling signal, from the remote facility, to an intermediary in response to the authorization; and

delivering a second enabling signal, from the intermediary, to the remote machine in response to the first enabling signal, the second enabling signal configured to enable the software option.

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the intermediary authenticates the first enabling signal.

3. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein delivering the second enabling signal further comprises delivering the second enabling signal in response to authenticating the first enabling signal.

4. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a machine specific configuration; and

generating the software option request in response to the machine specific configuration.

5. A method, as set forth in claim 4, further comprising delivering the second enabling signal to a controller located on the remote machine.

6. A method, as set forth in claim 4, wherein the request is generated by a software program needing the software option.

7. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein delivering the second signal further comprises delivering the second signal to a plurality of controllers located on the remote machine.

8. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a billing process in response to the authorization.

9. A method, as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

determining if one of an entitlement and a credit is available in response to the billing process initiation.

10. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein authorizing the enablement further comprises:

authorizing the enablement in response to an entitlement associated with the software option.

11. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the intermediary is a gateway network.

12. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising generating the request in response to a controller failing.

13. A method, as set forth in claim 12, wherein the request includes a failed controller characteristic and a replacement controller characteristic.

14. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein authorizing the enablement further includes authorizing the enablement for a time period.

15. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein receiving the request further comprises receiving the request from a dealer associated with the remote machine.

16. A method, as set forth in claim 15, wherein authorizing the enablement further includes authorizing the enablement by a manufacturer associated with the remote machine.

17. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising generating a request to enable the software option by the remote machine.

18. A method, as set forth in claim 17, further comprising disabling the software option on a second machine in response to the enablement authorization.

19. A method, as set forth in claim 18, wherein delivering the first enabling signal further comprises delivering the first enabling signal in response to the disabling of the software option.

20. A method, as set forth in claim 17, further comprising scheduling a delivery of the first enabling signal.

21. A method, as set forth in claim 20, wherein scheduling the delivery further comprises scheduling the delivery in response to a priority of the request.

22. A method, as set forth in claim 21, wherein scheduling the delivery further comprises scheduling the delivery in response to a priority of the request and a priority associated with a current use of the software option.

23. A method, as set forth in claim 17, further comprising delivering a notification to the remote machine, the notification including an indication of when the request may be fulfilled.

24. A method of enabling a software option located on a remote machine having a machine function associated with the software option, comprising:

receiving a request to enable the software option associated with the machine function;

authorizing the request;

delivering an enabling signal to the remote machine, the enabling signal configured to enable the software option; and

distributing at least a portion of the enabling signal to a plurality of controllers located on the remote machine.

25. A method, as set forth in claim 24, wherein the software option is associated with the plurality of controllers.

26. A method, as set forth in claim 25, wherein delivering an enabling signal to the remote machine further comprises delivering the enabling signal to a primary processor, and further wherein the primary processor delivers a second enabling signal to the at least one other processor.

27. A method of enabling a software option located on a replacement processor of a remote machine having a machine function associated with the software option, comprising:

identifying a failed processor associated with the replacement processor;

receiving a request to enable the software option associated with the machine function;

authorizing the request in response to said identifying of the failed processor; and

delivering an enabling signal to the replacement processor in response to the authorization, the enabling signal configured to enable the software option.

28. A method, as set forth in claim 27, wherein the request includes at least one of a failed controller identifier and a replacement controller identifier.

29. A method, as set forth in claim 28, wherein authorizing the request includes:

authenticating the failed controller identifier and the replacement controller identifier, and confirming the requested software option was enabled on the failed controller.

30. A method of providing an entitlement for an enabled software option located on a remote machine having a machine function associated with the software option, comprising:

receiving, at a remote facility, a request to disable the enabled software option on the remote machine, the software option associated with the machine function;

disabling the software option on the remote machine;

receiving a disabled characteristic associated with the software option; and

establishing an entitlement in response to the disabled characteristic.

31. A method, as set forth in claim 30, wherein the entitlement is associated with the disabled software option.

32. A method, as set forth in claim 30, further comprising authenticating the disabled characteristic.

33. A method, as set forth in claim 30, wherein establishing an entitlement further comprises establishing the entitlement in response to the authentication.

34. A method, as set forth in claim 30, further comprising:

receiving a request to enable a software option on a second machine; and

authorizing the request in response to the entitlement.

35. A method, as set forth in claim 30, further comprising:

authenticating the request in response to a controller characteristic and a software option status; and

generating a disable signal in response to the authentication.

36. A method, as set forth in claim 35, wherein disabling the software option further comprises disabling the software option in response to the disable signal and a machine status.

37. A method, as set forth in claim 36, wherein the machine status includes one of power up and power down.

38. A method, as set forth in claim 36, wherein the machine status includes an implement status.

39. A method of enabling a software option located on a remote machine having a machine function associated with the software option, comprising:

receiving a request to enable the software option associated with the machine function of the remote machine;

enabling the software option on the remote machine during a trial period;

notifying a user with respect to an expiration of the trial period;

receiving a second request to enable the software option on the remote machine in response to the notification;

authorizing the second request; and

delivering an enabling signal to the remote machine, the enabling signal configured to enable the software option.

40. A method, as set forth in claim 39, further comprising generating a disable signal in response to the trial period expiration.

41. A method, as set forth in claim 40, further comprising disabling the software option in response to the disable signal and a machine status.

42. A method, as set forth in claim 41, wherein the machine status includes one of power up and off.

43. A method of disabling a software option located on a remote machine having a machine function associated with the software option, comprising:

receiving a request, at a remote facility, to disable the software option associated with the machine function of the remote machine;

disabling the software option on the remote machine; and

receiving a disabled characteristic associated with the software option.

44. A method of enabling a software option located on a remote customer machine having a machine function associated with the software option, comprising:

receiving a request by a manufacturer from a dealer to enable the software option associated with the machine function of the remote customer machine;

authorizing the request in response to a dealer characteristic and a machine characteristic; and

delivering an enabling signal to the remote customer machine, the enabling signal configured to enable the software option.

45. A method, as set forth in claim 44, wherein delivering an enabling signal to the remote customer machine further comprises:

delivering the enabling signal to the dealer in response to the authorization; and

delivering the enabling signal to the remote customer machine in response to the dealer receipt.

46. A method as set forth in claim 44, wherein the dealer characteristic includes at least one of a service tool identifier, a service representative identifier, a dealer identifier, and a cross reference identifier of the dealer and the customer.

47. A method, as set forth in claim 46, wherein the machine characteristic includes at least one of a software option identifier, a processor identifier, and a configuration identifier.

48. A method, as set forth in claim 44, wherein the authorization further includes authorizing the request in response to a machine characteristic, a dealer characteristic, and a user characteristic.

49. A method of enabling a software option located on a remote machine, comprising:

establishing a machine specific configuration;

generating a request to enable the software option in response to the machine specific configuration, the request being authorized at a remote location;

delivering an enabling signal, from the remote location, to an intermediary in response to the authorization;

verifying the enabling signal by the intermediary; and

receiving the enabling signal, from the intermediary, at the remote machine in response to the verification.

50. A method of enabling a software option located on a first machine having a machine function associated with the software option, comprising:

establishing a need for the software option on the first machine, the software option associated with the machine function of the first machine;

delivering a request to enable the software option on the first machine to a second machine;

disabling the software option on the second machine in response to the request;

generating an enabling signal in response to the disablement; and

enabling the software option on the first machine in response to the enabling signal.

51. A system configured to enable a software option located on a remote machine having a machine function associated with the software option, comprising:

a controller located on the remote machine, the controller being configured to generate a request to enable the software option associated with the machine function of the remote machine;

a remote facility configured to receive the request, authorize the request and generate a first enabling signal; and

an intermediary configured to receive the first enabling signal from the remote facility, authenticate the first enabling signal, and responsively deliver a second enabling signal to the remote machine in response to the first enabling signal, the second enabling signal configured to enable the software option.