Electronic device and method of protecting software

• US 8,375,460 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2010
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Liang, Hsien-Chuan, Li, Shen-Chun, Hsu, Shou-Kuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAKHIA, VIRAL S
• Application Number:
  US12/854,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20110247085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 726 16- 19, 726/26, 726 27- 30, 726/4, 713/161, 713/194
• US Class Current: 726/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs

Abstract

In an electronic device and method of protecting software, a software program of the electronic device is invoked. The media access control (MAC) address of the electronic device and a serial number of a hard disk drive that stores the software program in the electronic device are searched. The MAC address and the serial number are compared with MAC addresses and serial numbers included in the software program, to determinate whether it is licensed to run the software program in the electronic device. Usage logs of the software program are further obtained to determine whether running of the software program in the electronic device is expired.

Claims

1. A computerized software protection method, the method being performed in an electronic device and comprising:

(a) invoking a software program of the electronic device, wherein the software program includes information of one or more media access control (MAC) addresses of electronic devices, and one or more serial numbers of hard disk drives;

(b) searching for a MAC address of the electronic device;

(c) determining whether the MAC address of the electronic device matches one of the MAC addresses that are included in the software program;

(d) searching for a serial number of a hard disk drive that stores the software program in the electronic device upon the condition that the MAC address of the electronic device matches one of the MAC addresses included in the software program;

(e) determining whether the serial number of the hard disk drive matches one of the serial numbers that are included in the software program;

(f) obtaining usage logs of the software program from a file of the hard disk drive upon the condition that the serial number of the hard disk drive matches one of the serial numbers included in the software program, wherein the usage logs comprise a last run time of the software program; and

(g) permitting the software program to run in the electronic device or denying usage of the software program in the electronic device according to a comparison of the last run time and a current system time of the electronic device.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the usage logs of the software program further comprise a number of times the software program has been run in the electronic device, a licensed period and a maximum license usage of the software program.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein step (g) comprises:

permitting the software program to run in the electronic device further according to determinations that the current system time of the electronic device is within the licensed period of the software program and the number of times the software program has been run is less than the maximum licensed usage of the software program; and

denying usage of the software program in the electronic device further according to a determination that the MAC address of the electronic device does not match one of the MAC addresses that are included in the software program, or the serial number of the hard disk drive does not match one of the serial numbers that are included in the software program, or the current system time of the electronic device is past the licensed period of the software program, or the number of times the software program has been run exceeds the maximum licensed usage of the software program.

4. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

creating the usage logs of the software program upon the condition that there are none in the file of the hard disk drive, and recording the usage logs in the file.

5. The method as described in claim 4, wherein the file is a hidden file in the hard disk drive.

6. The method as described in claim 2, after step (g) the method further comprising:

updating the last run time of the software program and the number of times the software program has been run in the usage logs.

7. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform a method of protecting software, the method being performed in the electronic device and comprising:

(a) invoking a software program installed in the electronic device, wherein the software program includes information of one or more media access control (MAC) addresses of electronic devices and one or more serial numbers of hard disk drives;

(b) searching for a MAC address of the electronic device;

(c) determining whether the MAC address of the electronic device matches one of the MAC addresses that are included in the software program;

(d) searching for a serial number of a hard disk drive that stores the software program in the electronic device upon the condition that the MAC address of the electronic device matches one of the MAC addresses included in the software program;

(e) determining whether the serial number of the hard disk drive matches one of the serial numbers that are included in the software program;

(f) obtaining usage logs of the software program from a file of the hard disk drive upon the condition that the serial number of the hard disk drive matches one of the serial numbers included in the software program, wherein the usage logs comprise a last run time of the software program; and

(g) permitting the software program to run in the electronic device or denying usage of the software program in the electronic device according to a comparison of the last run time and a current system time of the electronic device.

8. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 7, wherein the usage logs of the software program further comprise a number of times the software program has been run in the electronic device, a licensed period and a maximum license usage of the software program.

9. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 8, wherein step (g) comprises:

permitting the software program to run in the electronic device further according to determinations that the current system time of the electronic device is within the licensed period of the software program and the number of times the software program has been run is less than the maximum licensed usage of the software program; and

denying usage of the software program in the electronic device further according to a determination that the MAC address of the electronic device does not match one of the MAC addresses that are included in the software program, or the serial number of the hard disk drive does not match one of the serial numbers that are included in the software program, or the current system time of the electronic device is past the licensed period of the software program, or the number of times the software program has been run exceeds the maximum licensed usage of the software program.

10. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 7, further comprising:

creating the usage logs of the software program upon the condition that there are none in the file of the hard disk drive, and recording the usage logs in the file.

11. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 10, wherein the file is a hidden file in the hard disk drive.

12. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 8, after step (g) the method further comprising:

updating the last run time of the software program and the number of times the software program has been run in the usage logs.

13. An electronic device of protecting software, the electronic device installed with at least one software program, wherein the software program includes information of one or more media access control (MAC) addresses and information of one or more serial numbers, the electronic device internally comprising:

a search module operable to search for a MAC address of the electronic device, and further searches for a serial number of a hard disk drive that stores the software program in the electronic device;

a comparison module operable to compare the MAC address of the electronic device and the serial number of the hard disk drive with the information included in the software program to determinate if it is licensed to run the software program in the electronic device;

a log obtaining module operable to obtain usage logs of the software program from a file of the hard disk drive in the electronic device upon the condition that it is licensed to run the software program in the electronic device, wherein the usage logs comprise a last run time of the software program, a number of times the software program has been run in the electronic device, a licensed period and a maximum license usage of the software program;

a determination module operable to determine if the last run time of the software program is earlier than the current system time of the electronic device, determines if the current system time of the electronic device is within the licensed period of the software program, and determines if the number of times the software program has been run is less than the maximum licensed usage of the software program;

a management module operable to permit the software program to run in the electronic device, or deny usage of the software program in the electronic device according to the determination results; and

a processor that executes the search module, the comparison module, the log obtaining module, the determination module, and the management module.

14. The electronic device as described in claim 13, wherein:

the management module permits the software program to run in the electronic device upon the condition that the last run time of the software program is earlier than the current system time of the electronic device, the current system time of the electronic device is within the licensed period of the software program, and the number of times the software program has been run is less than the maximum licensed usage of the software program; and

the management module denies usage of the software program in the electronic device upon the condition that running the software program in the electronic device is unlicensed, or the last run time of the software program is later than the current system time of the electronic device, or the current system time of the electronic device is past the licensed period of the software program, or the number of times the software program has been run exceeds the maximum licensed usage of the software program.

15. The electronic device as described in claim 13, wherein the electronic device is a computer or an application server.

16. The electronic device as described in claim 13, further comprising:

a log creation module operable to create the usage logs of the software program upon the condition that there are none in the file of the hard disk drive, and recording the usage logs in the file.

17. The electronic device as described in claim 16, wherein the log creation module further operable to update the last run time of the software program and the number of times the software program has been run in the usage logs after permitting the software program to run in the electronic device.

18. The electronic device as described in claim 13, wherein the file is a hidden file in the hard disk drive.

19. The electronic device as described in claim 13, wherein:

the comparison module determines that it is licensed to run the software program in the electronic device upon the condition that the MAC address of the electronic device matches one of the MAC addresses included in the software program, and the serial number of the hard disk drive matches one of the serial numbers included in the software program; and

the comparison module determines that it is unlicensed to run the software program in the electronic device upon the condition that the MAC address of the electronic device does not match one of the MAC addresses included in the software program, or the serial number of the hard disk drive does not match one of the serial numbers included in the software program.