Systems and methods of modifying system resources

• US 8,438,624 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2009
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Broyles, Paul J, Desselle, Bernard D
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAHI, SHAN E
• Application Number:
  US12/397,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20100229233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 726/10, 726 2- 9, 726 11- 21, 713156-158, 713/175
• US Class Current: 726/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263

Abstract

A method for modifying one or more system resources is provided. One or more licenses for modifying one or more system resources on a client device can be acquired. An authenticator can be generated and stored on a remote server. The authenticator can be transferred to the client device. The client device can be connected to the remote server and the remote server can authenticate the client device via the authenticator. The remote server can confirm the availability of one or more licenses, and based on the availability of one or more licenses, modify one or more system resources disposed in, on, or about the client device. After modifying the one or more system resources the remote server can decrement the remaining license count.

Claims

1. A method performed by a processor of modifying one or more system resources at least partially disposed within a client device, the method comprising:

setting a license count;

generating an authenticator on a remote server;

transferring the authenticator to the client device;

connecting the client device to the remote server;

authenticating the client device to the remote server to establish the eligibility of the client device to control the one or more system resources at least partially disposed within the client device based on the authenticator and one or more system records, the one or more system records including modification eligibility of the one or more system resources;

confirming the license count is greater than zero;

modifying the one or more system resources at least partially disposed within the client device; and

decrementing the license count.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the authenticator to the client device comprises transferring the authenticator from the remote server to the client device via an interposing client server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote server comprises a vendor enterprise server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting one the one or more system resource capability records from the client device to the remote server.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein connecting the client device to the remote server comprises executing, at the direction of the client server, at least one script disposed at least partially within the client device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more system resources disposed in, on, or about the client device are selected from the group of system resources consisting of:

software, firmware, and hardware.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticator comprises a digital certificate;

and, wherein all or a portion of the digital certificate comprises a customer identifier, a client device identifier, or a client server identifier.

8. A method, performed by a processor, of modifying one or more system resources at least partially disposed within a client device, the method comprising:

acquiring one or more licenses for controlling one or more system resources disposed at least partially within the client device, wherein the one or more system resources are selected from a group of system resources including software, firmware, and hardware;

storing the one or more licenses on a network-accessible remote server;

generating an authenticator;

storing the authenticator on a remote server;

transferring at least a portion of the authenticator from the remote server to a client server;

transferring at least a portion of the authenticator from the client server to a client device;

executing one or more scripts at least partially disposed within the client device;

wherein the one or more scripts operably connect the client device to the remote server;

wherein the one or more scripts authenticate the client device based upon the presence of the authenticator at least partially disposed within the client device and based upon the presence of one or more system records including modification eligibility of the one or more system resources; and

wherein the one or more scripts establish the eligibility of the client device to control one or more system resources at least partially disposed within the client device;

confirming at least one of the one or more licenses remain available on the remote server;

modifying one or more system resources at least partially disposed within the client device; and

decrementing the one or more licenses on the remote server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein modifying one or more system resources comprises enabling one or more disabled system resources disposed at least partially within the client device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein modifying one or more system resources comprises disabling one or more enabled system resources disposed at least partially within the client device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the authenticator comprises a digital certificate;

and wherein at least a portion of the digital certificate includes a digital identifier, the digital identifier uniquely identifiable to a particular client.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the remote server comprises a vendor enterprise server.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the network is selected from a group of networks consisting of:

the world-wide web (“

internet”

);

a local area network (“

LAN”

);

a wide area network (“

WAN”

);

a cellular network;

a wireless distributed network;

or a wireless local area network (“

WLAN”

).

14. A system for modifying, by a processor, one or more system resources at least partially disposed within one or more client devices comprising:

a means for storing a license count;

a means for generating an authenticator at a remote server;

a means for storing the authenticator at the remote server;

a means for transmitting the authenticator to the one or more client devices;

a means for connecting the one or more client devices to the remote server;

a means for authenticating the one or more client devices using the authenticator and one or more system records including modification eligibility of the one or more system resources;

a means for determining the eligibility of the one or more client devices to modify the one or more system resources disposed in, on, or about the one or more client devices wherein the one or more system resources are selected from a group including software, firmware, and hardware;

a means for modifying the one or more system resources disposed in, on, or about the one or more client devices; and

a means for decrementing the license count.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for authenticating the one or more client devices using the authenticator comprises comparing the authenticator provided by the client device with the authenticator stored on the remote server.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for transmitting the authenticator to the one or more client devices comprises a vendor enterprise server operably connected to one or more client devices via one or more client servers.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the authenticator comprises a digital certificate;

and wherein at least a portion of the digital certificate includes a digital identifier uniquely identifiable to a particular client.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for determining the eligibility of the one or more client devices to modify the one or more system resources comprises a means for determining whether the license count is greater than zero.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein modifying the one or more system resources comprises enabling one or more disabled system resources disposed at least partially within the client device.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein modifying the one or more system resources comprises disabling one or more enabled system resources disposed at least partially within the client device.