Systems and methods for licensing non-destructive testing content

• US 8,950,004 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Messinger, Jason Howard, Domke, Michael Christopher, Theurer, Charles Burton, Sbihli, Scott Leo, Ward, Robert Carroll, De Fromont, Francois Xavier
• Primary Examiner(s): Armouche, Hadi
• Assistant Examiner(s): SONG, HEE K
• Application Number:
  US13/732,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20140189876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 726 26- 29, 702 34- 36, 702184-188, 736/14, 701/24, 701/29, 700/103, 700/104, 700/106
• US Class Current: 726/28
• 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 21/1075 Editing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/12 Protecting executable software

Abstract

A non-transitory computer readable medium may include executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor provide for a repository of digital content and to create a first license based on the digital content. The instructions further cause the processor to transmit the first license and the digital content to a non-destructive testing (NDT) device, and wherein the digital content is configured to be executed by, used by, or displayed by the NDT device, or a combination thereof, based on the first license.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

provide for a cloud-based repository of digital content;

create a first license based on the digital content; and

transmit the first license and the digital content to a non-destructive testing (NDT) device, wherein the digital content is configured to be executed by, used by, or displayed by the NDT device, or a combination thereof, based on the first license, wherein the first license is configured to be transferred from the NDT device to a second NDT device, wherein the NDT device is configured to disallow execution, use, and display of the digital content based on the transfer of the first license to the second NDT device, and the second NDT device is configured to allow execution, use, and display of the digital content based on the transfer of the first license to the second NDT device, and wherein the cloud-based repository comprises a public store, a private store, and a semi-public store, wherein the public store is configured to provide a first content of the digital content to all entities communicatively coupled to the public store, the private store is configured to provide a second content of the digital content only to vetted entities communicatively coupled to the private store, and the semi-public store is configured to provide a third content of the digital content to all entities communicatively coupled to the semi-public store and to provide a fourth content of the digital content to only vetted entities communicatively coupled to the semi-public store.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first license enables an editing of the digital content.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the editing comprises a full editing, or a limited editing.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first license enables a distribution of the digital content.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein the distribution comprises a no copying distribution, a full copying distribution, or a combination thereof.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first license comprise a per use license, a perpetual license, a time-based license, a volume-based license, or a combination thereof.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to create a second license based on the digital content, and wherein the processor is configured to sell the first and the second license to a customer.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the second license is configured to be applied to a second NDT device.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to maintain a virtual software asset repository listing the digital content and a virtual hardware asset repository listing the first NDT device, and wherein a customer may update the virtual software asset repository, the virtual hardware asset repository, or the combination thereof, to assign the digital content to the first NDT device, to activate the NDT device, or a combination thereof.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the NDT device comprises a borescope, a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera, an ultrasonic inspection device, an eddy current inspection device, an X-ray inspection device, or a combination thereof.

11. A system comprising:

a non-destructive testing (NDT) device comprising a memory and a processor configured to download, from a cloud-based repository, executable digital content, non-executable digital content, or a combination thereof, and to use a license to manage rights of the executable digital content, the non-executable content, or a combination thereof, wherein the license is configured to be transferred from the NDT device to a second NDT device, wherein the NDT device is configured to disallow execution, use, and display of the digital content based on the transfer of the license to the second NDT device, and the second NDT device is configured to allow execution, use, and display of the digital content based on the transfer of the license to the second NDT device, and wherein the cloud-based repository comprises a public store, a private store, and a semi-public store, wherein the public store is configured to provide a first content of the digital content to all entities communicatively coupled to the public store, the private store is configured to provide a second content of the digital content only to vetted entities communicatively coupled to the private store, and the semi-public store is configured to provide a third content of the digital content to all entities communicatively coupled to the semi-public store and to provide a fourth content of the digital content to only vetted entities communicatively coupled to the semi-public store.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the usage of the license comprises querying a cloud computing system to derive the rights.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the NDT device is configured to use a digital rights management (DRM) system to manage the rights of the executable digital content, the non-executable content, or the combination thereof.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the usage of the license comprises storing the license in memory and the rights are derived from the license.

15. A method comprising:

providing for a cloud-based repository of digital content;

creating a license based on the digital content; and

transmitting the license and the digital content to a non-destructive testing (NDT) device, wherein the digital content is configured to be executed by, used by, or displayed by the NDT device, or a combination thereof, based on the license, wherein the license is configured to be transferred from the NDT device to a second NDT device, and wherein the NDT device is configured to disallow execution, use, and display of the digital content based on the transfer of the license to the second NDT device, and the second NDT device is configured to allow execution, use, and display of the digital content based on the transfer of the license to the second NDT device, and wherein the cloud-based repository comprises a public store, a private store, and a semi-public store, wherein the public store is configured to provide a first content of the digital content to all entities communicatively coupled to the public store, the private store is configured to provide a second content of the digital content only to vetted entities communicatively coupled to the private store, and the semi-public store is configured to provide a third content of the digital content to all entities communicatively coupled to the semi-public store and to provide a fourth content of the digital content to only vetted entities communicatively coupled to the semi-public store.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the license enables an editing of the digital content.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the license enables a distribution of the digital content.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the license comprises a per use license, a perpetual license, a time-based license, a volume-based license, or a combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 15, comprising reassigning the license from the NDT device to a second NDT device, disallowing execution, use, and display of the digital content by the NDT device and allowing execution, use, and display of the digital content on the second NDT device based on the reassignment.