Method and system for upgrading licenses to installed software

• US 8,224,750 B1
• Filed: 10/07/2003
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bennett, Jim, Oosterhof, Peter, Hughes, Aidan, Nishanova, Anzhelika
• Primary Examiner(s): Hewitt, II, Calvin L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Steven
• Application Number:
  US10/681,067
• Time in Patent Office: 3,206 Days
• Field of Search: 705 50- 79, 705/902, 705/908, 726/27, 717/168
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1075 Editing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management

Abstract

The invention may be considered a method and a system for changing license rights to a software product installed on a computer without reinstalling the software product. A first license and a second license to the software product are stored on the computer along with code for the software product. Subsequent to the installation, a change license module receives a command to change the license to the software product. In response to the command, the configuration data is changed to associate the software product with the second license and limit use of the software product to uses consistent with the second set of rights.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for upgrading a license for an installed software product from a first license to a second license, the method comprising:

storing, on the computer, a software product, the first license, the second license, and an associating file, the first license is a trial license and the second license is a full version license, wherein the associating file comprises for each license, a Channel ID, and information identifying limitations;

receiving, by the computer, a first product key from a user;

identifying, by the computer, the first license from the associating file using a portion of the first product key and the Channel ID for the first license;

generating, by the computer, configuration data and including, by the computer, the first license and limitations of the first license in the configuration data;

receiving, by the computer, a notification of a violation of terms of the first license;

in response to receiving the notification, requesting, by the computer, a second product key from the user;

receiving, by the computer, a second product key from the user;

identifying, by the computer, the second license from the associating file using a portion of the second product key and the Channel ID for the second license; and

replacing, by the computer, in the configuration data the first license and the limitations of the first license with a copy the second license and limitations of the second license, respectively.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first product key and the second product key includes a product identifier comprising Group ID.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the associating file contains an encoded version of the first license and the second license.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the associating file is a SKU file containing SKU table, a mapping table, a branding table, and a EULA table.

5. A computer readable storage memory comprising instructions for upgrading a license for an installed software product from a first license to a second license, the instructions, when executed by a processing device on the computer, cause the computer to perform steps comprising:

storing, on the computer, a software product, the first license, the second license, and an associating file, the first license is a trial license and the second license is a full version license, wherein the associating file comprises for each license, a Channel ID, and information identifying limitations;

receiving, by the computer, a first product key from a user;

identifying, by the computer, the first license from the associating file using a portion of the first product key and the Channel ID for the first license;

generating, by the computer, configuration data and including, by the computer, the first license and limitations of the first license in the configuration data;

receiving, by the computer, a notification of a violation of terms of the first license;

in response to receiving the notification, requesting, by the computer, a second product key from the user;

receiving, by the computer, a second product key from the user;

identifying, by the computer, the second license from the associating file using a portion of the second product key and the Channel ID for the second license; and

replacing, by the computer, in the configuration data the first license and the limitations of the first license with a copy the second license and limitations of the second license, respectively.

6. The computer readable storage memory of claim 5, wherein the first product key and the second product key includes a product identifier comprising Group ID.

7. The computer readable storage memory of claim 5, wherein the associating file contains an encoded version of the first license and the second license.

8. The computer readable storage memory of claim 7, wherein the associating file is a SKU file containing SKU table, a mapping table, a branding table, and a EULA table.