User based licensing for applications

• US 8,832,851 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2012
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Karvell, Donner, Robert, Wadhwa, Amit, Amirault, Danny R., Garg, Sanjay, Akselrod, Gregory, Kurtzeborn, Scott, Hardy, Donald Gordon, Xie, Tianyu, Shurtz, Chad
• Primary Examiner(s): Homayounmehr, Farid
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHOLEMAN, ABU S
• Application Number:
  US13/680,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20130198856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 726 26- 28, 726/7, 726/35, 713/158, 713/167, 380/201
• US Class Current: 726/27
• 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 21/1073 Conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1075 Editing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1076 Revocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1077 Recurrent authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/18 Licensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

A method, system, and computer-readable storage media for providing user based licensing of an application are provided herein. The method includes receiving user log-in information from a computing device at a licensing service in response to an input by a user and providing a license for an application to the computing device, wherein the license includes device specific information associated with the user. The method also includes activating the application on the computing device using the device specific information.

Claims

1. A method for providing user based licensing of an application, comprising:

receiving user log-in information from a computing device at a licensing service in response to an input by a user;

providing a license for an application to the computing device, wherein the license comprises device specific information associated with the user;

activating the application on the computing device using the device specific information;

periodically determine a state of the license in response to an input from the computing device, wherein the input comprises a license state check performed by the computing device at configurable time periods specified by the conditions of the license; and

adjust conditions of the license according to the state of the license.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising deprovisioning the license if the state of the license is expired.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising reprovisioning the license if the state of the license is renewed.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising converting the license to a second license if the state of the license is converted.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising roaming the license for the application across a plurality of computing devices that are used by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising allowing the user to use the application on the computing device for a specified period of time without connecting the computing device to the licensing service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user log-in information comprises user log-in information for the licensing service.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein periodic state determination enables the application to be used offline at the computing device wherein the adjustment comprises disabling a license when the user is offline based on the state determination.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the configurable time periods are provided to the computing device from the licensing service.

8. A system for providing user based licensing of an application, comprising:

a storage device to store instructions of a licensing service;

a server communicatively coupled to a computing device, the server comprising a processing device to carry out operations of the licensing service configured to;

receive user log-in information from the computing device in response to an input by a user;

provide a license for an application to the computing device, wherein the license comprises device specific information associated with the user; and

activate the application on the computing device using the device specific information;

periodically determine a state of the license in response to an input from the computing device, wherein the input comprises a license state check performed by the computing device at configurable time periods specified by the conditions of the license; and

adjust conditions of the license according to the state of the license.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the device specific information comprises a total number of computing devices on which the user is allowed to be provisioned to use the application according to the license.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the device specific information comprises information relating to a plurality of computing devices on which the user is provisioned to use the application according to the license.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the licensing service is configured to allow for roaming of the license for the application across a plurality of computing devices that are used by the user.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the licensing service is configured to allow the user to use the application on the computing device for a specified period of time without connecting the computing device to the licensing service.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein periodic state determination enables the application to be used offline at the computing device wherein the adjustment comprises disabling a license when the user is offline based on the state determination.

19. The system of claim 8, wherein the configurable time periods are provided to the computing device from the licensing service.

13. One or more computer-readable storage media device comprising a plurality of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive user log-in information from a computing device;

provide a license for an application to the computing device, wherein the license comprises device specific information associated with a user;

activate the application on the computing device using the device specific information;

periodically determine a state of the license in response to an input from the computing device, wherein the input comprises a license state check performed by the computing device at configurable time periods specified by the conditions of the license; and

adjust conditions of the license according to the state of the license.

14. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the processor to allow the user to use the application on the computing device in response to an input of the user log-in information.

15. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the device specific information comprises information relating to computing devices on which the user is provisioned to use the application.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein:

periodic state determination enables the application to be used offline at the computing device wherein the adjustment comprises disabling a license when the user is offline based on the state determination; and

the configurable time periods are provided to the computing device from the licensing service.