License tracking and management

• US 7,865,444 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Singh, Ravi Prakash, Biswas, Sanjeev Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca; Pierre E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kamal; Shahid
• Application Number:
  US11/761,532
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 705 51- 79, 726/2, 726/20, 713/150, 713/176
• US Class Current: 705/59
• 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 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction

Abstract

Example embodiments herein include a license manager process that receives a license query from a server device. The license query requests usage data associated with a permanent license on a client device. In response to receiving the license query, the license manager procures the usage data associated with the permanent license on the client device. The license manager then transmits the usage data associated with the permanent license to the server device. Furthermore, the license manager receives a revocation request from the server device. In this manner, the revocation request is received in response to transmitting the usage data associated with the permanent license to the server device. In turn, the license manager revokes the permanent license that was indicated in the revocation request to disable use of the respective application on the client device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a license query from a server device, the license query requesting usage data associated with a permanent license on a client device, wherein the permanent license enables use of a respective application on the client device;

in response to receiving the license query, procuring the usage data associated with the permanent license on the client device;

transmitting the usage data associated with the permanent license to the server device;

receiving a revocation request from the server device, the revocation request received in response to transmitting the usage data associated with the permanent license to the server device, the revocation request further indicating to the client device which permanent license to revoke;

revoking the permanent license that was indicated in the revocation request to disable use of the respective application on the client device; and

wherein revoking the permanent license comprises;

releasing the permanent license associated with the respective application from the client device, wherein releasing the permanent license from the client device allows reacquisition of the permanent license by the server device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

wherein procuring the usage data associated with the permanent license on the client device comprises at least one of;

identifying a license type associated with the permanent license;

identifying an identification number associated with the permanent license;

identifying an expiration time associated with the permanent license, the expiration time indicating a time when the permanent license will expire for the respective application on the client device; and

identifying a last use value associated with the permanent license, the last use value indicating a time at which the respective application was last used on the client device;

for each use of the application on the client machine, incrementing a usage counter that indicates the number of uses of the application on the client device; and

identifying the value of the usage counter to include in the usage data associated with the permanent license.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

wherein procuring the usage data associated with the permanent license on the client device comprises;

querying a database on the client device in order to procure the usage data associated with the permanent license;

detecting an inconsistency in the database associated with the usage data; and

in response to detecting the inconsistency, transmitting an error report to the server device that identifies the inconsistency in the database associated with the usage data;

wherein detecting an inconsistency in the database associated with the usage data comprises at least one of;

detecting that at least a portion of the usage data in the database was corrupted;

detecting that at least a portion of the usage data in the database was deleted; and

detecting that at least a portion of the usage data is inaccessible.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

wherein transmitting the usage data associated with the permanent license to the server device comprises;

identifying an occurrence of a threshold event on the client device;

in response to identifying the occurrence of the threshold event, transmitting the usage data associated with the permanent license to the server device; and

further comprising at least one of;

establishing the threshold event to occur at a predetermined frequency;

establishing the threshold event to occur upon each use of the application on the client device;

establishing the threshold event to occur upon each powering on of the client device; and

establishing the threshold event to occur prior to each powering off of the client device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein procuring the usage data associated with the permanent license on the client device comprises;

identifying a license type associated with the permanent license;

identifying an identification number associated with the permanent license;

identifying an expiration time associated with the permanent license, the expiration time indicating a time when the permanent license will expire for the respective application on the client device; and

identifying a last use value associated with the permanent license, the last use value indicating a time at which the respective application was last used on the client device;

for each use of the application on the client machine, incrementing a usage counter that indicates the number of uses of the application on the client device; and

identifying the value of the usage counter to include in the usage data associated with the permanent license.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

wherein transmitting the usage data associated with the permanent license to the server device comprises;

identifying an occurrence of a threshold event on the client device; and

in response to identifying the occurrence of the threshold event, transmitting the usage data associated with the permanent license to the server device;

further comprising at least one of;

establishing the threshold event to occur at a predetermined frequency;

establishing the threshold event to occur upon each use of the application on the client device;

establishing the threshold event to occur upon each powering on of the client device;

or

establishing the threshold event to occur prior to each powering off of the client device.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

wherein procuring the usage data associated with the permanent license on the client device comprises;

querying a database on the client device in order to procure the usage data associated with the permanent license;

detecting an inconsistency in the database associated with the usage data; and

in response to detecting the inconsistency, transmitting an error report to the server device that identifies the inconsistency in the database associated with the usage data;

wherein detecting an inconsistency in the database associated with the usage data comprises at least one of;

detecting that at least a portion of the usage data in the database was corrupted;

detecting that at least a portion of the usage data in the database was deleted;

or

detecting that at least a portion of the usage data is inaccessible.

5. A method comprising:

transmitting a license query from a server device to a client device, the license query requesting usage data associated with a permanent license on the client device, wherein the permanent license enables use of a respective application on the client device;

receiving usage data associated with the permanent license from the client device, the usage data associated with the permanent license having been procured on the client device;

processing the usage data to determine whether to revoke the permanent license on the client device;

in response to determining that the permanent license is to be revoked for the respective application on the client device, revoking the permanent license on the client device;

revoking the permanent license comprising;

transmitting a revocation request from the server device to the client device, the revocation request transmitted in response to receiving the usage data associated with the permanent license to the server device, the revocation request further indicating to the client device which permanent license to revoke, the revocation request further instructing the client device to revoke the permanent license that was indicated in the revocation request to disable use of the respective application on the client device, the revocation request further instructing the client device to release the permanent license associated with the respective application from the client device, wherein releasing the permanent license from the client device allows reacquisition of the permanent license by the server device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining to revoke the permanent license on the client device comprises:

determining that usage of the application on the client device does not justify maintaining the permanent license on the client device for the respective application.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein determining that usage of the application on the client device does not justify maintaining the permanent license on the client device for the respective application comprises at least one of:

determining that the application associated with the permanent license has not been used within a specified time; and

determining that the frequency of use of the application associated with the permanent license is below a specified frequency of use threshold value.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein processing the usage data to provide information for determining whether to revoke the permanent license comprises:

presenting the usage data associated with the permanent license to a user in a graphical user interface;

receiving a revocation instruction from the user to initiate revocation of the permanent license on the client device; and

in response to receiving the revocation instruction from the user, transmitting a revocation request to the client device, the revocation request instructing the client device to revoke the permanent license associated with the respective application.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

upon revocation of the permanent license on the client device, reacquiring the permanent license at the server device to make the permanent license available to other client devices associated with the server device that have the respective application.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein revoking the permanent license on the client device comprises:

transmitting a revocation request to the client device, the revocation request instructing the client device to revoke the permanent license associated with the respective application.

11. A computer system comprising:

a server device comprising;

a server memory;

a server processor;

a server communications interface;

a server interconnection mechanism coupling the server memory, the server processor and the server communications interface; and

a client device comprising;

a client memory;

a client processor;

a client communications interface;

a client interconnection mechanism coupling the client memory, the client processor and the client communications interface; and

wherein the server memory and client memory are encoded with a license manager application that when executed on the server processor and client processor provide a license manager process causing the server device and client device to be capable of performing the operations of;

transmitting, from the server device, a license query to the client device, the license query requesting usage data associated with a permanent license on the client device;

receiving, at the client device, the license query from the server device, the permanent license enabling use of a respective application on the client device;

in response to receiving the license query, procuring the usage data associated with the permanent license on the client device;

transmitting, from the client device, the usage data associated with the permanent license to the serve device;

receiving, at the server device, the usage data associated with the permanent license from the client device;

processing the usage data at the server to determine whether to revoke the permanent license on the client device;

in response to determining that the permanent license is to be revoke for the respective application on the client device, transmitting a revocation request to the client device, the revocation request instructing the client device to revoke the permanent license associated with the respective application;

receiving, at the client device, the revocation request from the server device, the revocation request received in response to transmitting the usage data associated with the permanent license to the server device, the revocation request further indicating to the client device which permanent license to revoke;

revoking the permanent license that was indicated in the revocation request to disable use of the respective application on the client device; and

wherein revoking the permanent license comprises;

releasing the permanent license associated with the respective application from the client device, wherein releasing the permanent license from the client device allows reacquisition of the permanent license by the server device.

17. The computer system of claim 11, further encoded for performing the operations comprising:

wherein processing the usage data at the server device to determine whether to revoke the permanent license on the client device comprises;

based on the processing of the usage data, determining to revoke the permanent license on the client device;

automatically transmitting a revocation request to the client device, the revocation request instructing the client device to revoke the permanent license associated with the respective application;

wherein determining to revoke the permanent license on the client device comprises;

determining that usage of the application on the client device does not justify maintaining the permanent license on the client device for the respective application;

wherein determining that usage of the application on the client device does not justify maintaining the permanent license on the client device for the respective application comprises at least one of;

determining that the application associated with the permanent license has not been used within a specified time;

or

determining that the frequency of use of the application associated with the permanent license is below a specified frequency of use threshold value.

18. The computer system of claim 11, further encoded for performing the operations comprising:

wherein processing the usage data to provide information for determining whether to revoke the permanent license comprises;

presenting the usage data associated with the permanent license in a graphical user interface;

receiving a revocation instruction, via the graphical user interface, to initiate revocation of the permanent license on the client device; and

in response to receiving the revocation instruction via the graphical user interface, transmitting a revocation request to the client device, the revocation request instructing the client device to revoke the permanent license associated with the respective application.

12. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium, when executed by a computer operable to store computer program logic embodied in computer program code encoded thereon as an encoded set of processor based instructions for license management comprising:

computer program code for receiving a license query from a server device, the license query requesting usage data associated with a permanent license on a client device, wherein the permanent license enables use of a respective application on the client device;

in response to receiving the license query, computer program code for procuring the usage data associated with the permanent license on the client device;

computer program code for transmitting the usage data associated with the permanent license to the server device;

computer program code for receiving a revocation request from the server device, the revocation request received in response to transmitting the usage data associated with the permanent license to the server device the revocation request further indicating to the client device which permanent license to revoke;

computer program code for revoking the permanent license that was indicated in the revocation request to disable use of the respective application on the client device; and

wherein computer program code for revoking the permanent license comprises;

computer program code for releasing the permanent license associated with the respective application from the client device, wherein releasing the permanent license from the client device allows reacquisition of the permanent license by the server device.

13. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium, when executed by a computer operable to store computer program logic embodied in computer program code encoded thereon as an encoded set of processor based instructions for license management comprising:

computer program code for transmitting a license query from a server device to a client device, the license query requesting usage data associated with a permanent license on the client device, wherein the permanent license enables use of a respective application on the client device;

computer program code for receiving usage data associated with the permanent license from the client device, the usage data associated with the permanent license having been procured on the client device;

computer program code for processing the usage data to determine whether to revoke the permanent license on the client device;

in response to determining that the permanent license is to be revoked for the respective application on the client device, computer program code for revoking the permanent license on the client device;

computer program code for revoking the permanent license comprising;

computer program code for transmitting a revocation request from the server device to the client device, the revocation request transmitted in response to receiving the usage data associated with the permanent license to the server device, the revocation request further indicating to the client device which permanent license to revoke, the revocation request further instructing the client device to revoke the permanent license that was indicated in the revocation request to disable use of the respective application on the client device, the revocation request further instructing the client device to release the permanent license associated with the respective application from the client device, wherein releasing the permanent license from the client device allows reacquisition of the permanent license by the server device.