Method and apparatus for protection of voice over internet protocol software
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- executing an application on a computer system to perform voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) telephony;
requesting a hardware key stored in and for a line interface device including a subscriber line interface circuit of the computer system;
comparing the hardware key to a software key that associates an instance of the application with the computer system with which it was initially associated;
enabling the VoIP telephony if the hardware key and the software key match; and
associating a second hardware key of the line interface device with upgrade software, wherein the second hardware key is unallocated after initial configuration of the computer system and not associated with any software after the initial configuration; and
enabling upgraded VoIP telephony if the second hardware key and the upgrade software are associated.
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Abstract
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for executing an application to perform voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) telephony, requesting a hardware key from a line interface device, comparing the hardware key to a software key associated with the application, and enabling the VoIP telephony if the keys match.
26 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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executing an application on a computer system to perform voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) telephony; requesting a hardware key stored in and for a line interface device including a subscriber line interface circuit of the computer system; comparing the hardware key to a software key that associates an instance of the application with the computer system with which it was initially associated; enabling the VoIP telephony if the hardware key and the software key match; and associating a second hardware key of the line interface device with upgrade software, wherein the second hardware key is unallocated after initial configuration of the computer system and not associated with any software after the initial configuration; and enabling upgraded VoIP telephony if the second hardware key and the upgrade software are associated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC) comprising:
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a codec to code and decode voice data for voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) telephony; a line interface to interface the SLIC to a connection for the VoIP telephony; and a non-volatile storage to store at least one hardware identifier for the SLIC and to provide the at least one hardware identifier upon a request from a VoIP application program of a computer system, wherein the SLIC is adapted within the computer system, and the non-volatile storage includes a first hardware identifier associated with the VoIP application program and a second hardware identifier that is unallocated after initial system configuration and not associated with any software after the initial system configuration. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. An article comprising a non-transitory machine-accessible medium including instructions that when executed cause a system to:
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request a first hardware identifier from a first component, the first component including subscriber line interface circuitry (SLIC), the first hardware identifier stored in a non-volatile memory of the first component; compare the first hardware identifier to a first soft identifier that associates an instance of a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) application program with the system with which it was initially associated; provide a first level of VoIP telephony if the first hardware identifier and the first soft identifier correspond and a second level of the VoIP telephony if the first hardware identifier and the first soft identifier do not correspond; and associate a second soft identifier for an upgrade program with a second hardware identifier stored in the non-volatile memory of the first component, wherein the second hardware identifier was unallocated after initial configuration of the system and was not associated with any software. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification