System and method for providing and activating software licenses

• US 9,098,840 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2007
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Goertler, Georg, Haeuser, Peter, Bengi, Ali-Nejat, Schmidt, Torsten Horst Ludwig, Kuth, Rainer Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Qayyum, Zeshan
• Application Number:
  US11/843,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,904 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/59, 705/51
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]

Abstract

Methods and features for providing and activating a software license in a system, such as a magnetic resonance system, are disclosed. For example, a software license is stored in the system. The system with the stored software license is sold or rented to a client. The software license is operable to be activated by or at the client.

Claims

1. In a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a processor of a medical system, the instructions comprising:

storing a software license in the medical system prior to a client receiving the medical system, wherein the software license governs the utilization of an associated software application stored in the medical system;

receiving, by the processor, information;

determining, by the processor, that the received information is patient information;

activating the software license in the medical system based on the determination that the information is patient information;

determining, by the processor, use of the associated software application stored in the medical system;

calculating, by the processor, a cost based on the use of the associated software application stored in the medical system; and

generating a bill based on the calculated cost.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise:

sending the bill to a vendor accessible database.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the use comprises determining a time period of use of the software application.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the use comprises determining a number of patients, a number of examinations, a type of use, a number of analysis reports, or a number of software starts associated with using the software application.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein generating the bill comprises calculating a cost based on whether the software license is activated as a trial license, a service license, a license for lease, or a permanent license.

6. A method for providing a software license, the method comprising:

storing a software license in a medical system, wherein the software license governs the utilization of an associated software application stored in the medical system;

selling or renting the medical system with the stored software license to a client, the software license operable to be activated by or at the client;

receiving, by the medical system, information;

determining, by the medical system, that the received information is patient information;

logging, by the medical system, the use of the associated software application stored in the medical system;

calculating, by the medical system, a cost based on the logged use of the associated software application stored in the medical system; and

billing the client based on the calculated cost,

wherein activating the software license comprises activating the software license in the medical system based on the determination that the information is patient information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the medical system comprises a magnetic resonance system, a computed tomography scanner, or an ultrasound scanner.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the software license is a trial license.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein utilization of software as a function of the trial license is limited including a limited time of use, a limited number of patients, a limited number of examinations, a limited type of use, or a limited number of analysis reports.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the software license comprises a license for lease, a permanent license, or a service license.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the software license is a general license and is operable to be activated as a trial license or a permanent license.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the software license is operable to be activated by a training specialist or the client after receiving training for software corresponding to the software license.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the training comprises training from the training specialist or computer based training.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the software license is operable to be activated by the client, a vendor, the client and the vendor, or the medical system automatically.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein the software license is machine or system specific.

16. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

renting or selling a connectable part of the medical system to the client, wherein a special software application is associated with the connectable part.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a software license operable to execute the special software application is stored in the medical system.

18. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing computer based training or a training specialist to the client after receiving the initial activation indication.

19. A method for activating a software license in a system, the method comprising:

receiving a system, wherein the system includes a stored software license;

receiving, by a processor of the system, information;

determining, by the processor, that the received information is patient information; and

activating, by the processor, the software license stored in the system based on the determination that the information is patient information,

wherein activating the software license comprises activating a trial license with a limited utilization of an associated software application including limiting a number of patients, limiting a number of examinations, limiting the type of use, or limiting a number of analysis reports.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein receiving the system comprises receiving the system based on purchasing or renting the system.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein activating the software license comprises activating a general license as a trial license, a permanent license, a license for lease, or a service license.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the software license comprises a plurality of stored software licenses, each of the software licenses is associated with a software application operable to be executed by the system.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein one of the software licenses is a license associated with a service or trouble shooting application, a trial license associated with an imaging application, or a permanent license associated with the imaging application.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein activating the software license comprises the client, a vendor, or the client and the vendor activating the software license.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein activating the software license comprises a training specialist or the system automatically activating the software license.