Application licensing using sync providers

• US 8,925,110 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• 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, Garg, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Darren B
• Application Number:
  US13/681,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20130198866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 713/150, 713164-167, 726 26- 30
• US Class Current: 726/29
• 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 licensing an application using sync providers are provided herein. The method includes receiving a request for a license for an application from a client sync provider at a licensing service and receiving information relating to the license from a commerce partner offering the application via a commerce partner sync provider. The method also includes returning the license for the application to a client computing device, receiving information relating to a state of the license from the client sync provider, and adjusting conditions of the license according to the state of the license.

Claims

1. A method for licensing an application using sync providers, comprising:

receiving a request for a license for an application from a client sync provider at a licensing service;

receiving information relating to the license from a commerce partner offering the application via a commerce partner sync provider, wherein the commerce partner sync provider is an abstraction layer that exposes an application programming interface (API) of the licensing service to a commerce partner without enabling the commerce partner direct access to a provisioning layer of the licensing service;

returning the license for the application to a client computing device;

receiving information relating to a state of the license from the client sync provider; and

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

2. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving information relating to the state of the license from the commerce partner sync provider.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising licensing an application using a system of pluggable sync providers comprising one or more client sync providers and a plurality of commerce partner sync providers.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising synchronizing the state of the license across a plurality of client computing devices corresponding to the client sync provider.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising directly monitoring the state of the license via the licensing service.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising deprovisioning the license if the state of the license comprises an expired state.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising reprovisioning the license if the state of the license comprises a renewed state.

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

9. A system for licensing an application using sync providers, comprising:

a client sync provider configured to;

receive a provisioning request from a commerce partner via a commerce partner sync provider, wherein the commerce partner sync provider is an abstraction layer that exposes an application programming interface (API) of the licensing service to a commerce partner without enabling the commerce partner direct access to a provisioning layer of the licensing service;

send a system call requesting a license for an application to a licensing service; and

periodically determine and update a state of the license; and

the licensing service configured to;

return the license for the application to a client computing device;

receive information relating to the state of the license from the client sync provider; and

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

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the client sync provider corresponds to a specified client computing device, and wherein the license permits use of the application on the specified client computing device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the license permits use of the application on the specified client computing device based on an input of client credentials.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the licensing service is configured to receive information relating to the state of the license from the commerce partner sync provider.

13. The system of claim 9, comprising a pluggable system of commerce partner sync providers and client sync providers, wherein each client sync provider is configured to receive a licensing request from one or more commerce partner sync providers.

14. The system of claim 9, comprising a system configured to synchronize the state of the license across a plurality of client computing devices corresponding to the client sync provider.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the licensing service comprises a plurality of provisioning application programming interfaces for communicating with the client sync provider and the commerce partner sync provider.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the application comprises a service provided by a specific commerce partner.

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

receive a request for a license for an application from a client sync provider;

receive information relating to the license from a commerce partner sync provider corresponding to a commerce partner offering the application, wherein the commerce partner sync provider is an abstraction layer that exposes an application programming interface (API) of the licensing service to a commerce partner without enabling the commerce partner direct access to a provisioning layer of the licensing service;

return the license for the application to a client computing device;

determine information relating to a state of the license; and

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

18. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 17, wherein the information relating to the state of the license is determined periodically.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 17, wherein adjusting the conditions of the license comprises deprovisioning the license.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 17, wherein adjusting the conditions of the license comprises reprovisioning the license.