System and method for identifying systems and replacing components

• US 9,100,396 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Connor, Clint H., Huber, Gary D., Haze, Michael, Curtis, William A., Decker, Brian, Molsberry, Frank, Ganesan, Subramanian
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shepperd, Eric W
• Application Number:
  US12/697,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: 726 16- 17, 726/21, 726 26- 27, 726/29, 726 2- 3, 726/31, 726/33, 707/705, 705/51, 705/56, 705/59, 705/26.1, 705/26.5, 705/305, 713 1- 2, 713/100, 714/6.32
• 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: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint

Abstract

A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for managing a system'"'"'s entitlement to digital assets when the system'"'"'s components are replaced. A unique system identifier, comprising the unique identifiers of predetermined system components, is associated with digital assets data to generate digital assets entitlement data, which in turn entitles the system to process the digital assets data. The digital assets entitlement is perpetuated when a first unique system component identifier is replaced with a second unique system component identifier.

Claims

1. A system for managing the entitlement of digital assets, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a repository of system identifier data, digital assets data, and digital assets entitlement data; and

a central processing unit, the central processing unit being operable to;

generate a first unique system identifier associated with a target system comprising a first plurality of system components, wherein the first unique system identifier comprises a first set of unique system component identifiers corresponding to the first plurality of system components;

process the first unique system identifier and digital assets identifier data to generate digital assets entitlement data entitling the target system to process digital assets data corresponding to the digital assets identifier data, wherein the first unique system identifier is associated with the digital assets entitlement data;

perpetuate the entitlement of the target system if a first unique system component identifier is changed to a second unique system component identifier, the perpetuate the entitlement data comprising managing an integrity of a relationship between the first unique system identifier and the first set of unique system component identifiers, the managing the integrity of the relationship comprising maintaining at least a portion of the first unique system identifier even though the portion has been deactivated as the system identifier; and

,

generate a request for the target system to respond with a second unique system identifier comprising a second set of system component identifiers corresponding to a second plurality of system components; and

wherein

a second unique system identifier is generated if a first unique system component identifier is changed to a second unique system component identifier;

the first unique system identifier is disassociated with the digital assets entitlement data; and

the second unique system identifier is associated with the digital assets entitlement data, the second unique system identifier being associated with the digital assets entitlement data via a personalization agent.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first unique system component identifier is changed to a second unique system component identifier when a first system component is replaced by a second system component, wherein the first and second unique system component identifiers respectively correspond to the first and second system component.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first unique system component identifier is invalidated when the first system component is replaced by the second system component.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first unique system identifier further comprises at least one of a time variance value and a system type identifier.

5. A computer-implemented method for managing the entitlement of digital assets, comprising:

providing a repository of system identifier data,

generating a first unique system identifier associated with a target system comprising a first plurality of system components, wherein the first unique system identifier comprises a first set of unique system component identifiers corresponding to the first plurality of system components;

processing the first unique system identifier and digital assets identifier data to generate digital assets entitlement data entitling the target system to process digital assets data corresponding to the digital assets identifier data, wherein the first unique system identifier is associated with the digital assets entitlement data;

perpetuating the entitlement of the target system if a first unique system component identifier is changed to a second unique system component identifier, the perpetuating the entitlement data comprising managing an integrity of a relationship between the first unique system identifier and the first set of unique system component identifiers, the managing the integrity of the relationship comprising maintaining at least a portion of the first unique system identifier even though the portion has been deactivated as the system identifier; and

,

generating a request for the target system to respond with a second unique system identifier comprising a second set of system component identifiers corresponding to a second plurality of system components; and

wherein

a second unique system identifier is generated if a first unique system component identifier is changed to a second unique system component identifier;

the first unique system identifier is disassociated with the digital assets entitlement data; and

the second unique system identifier is associated with the digital assets entitlement data, the second unique system identifier being associated with the digital assets entitlement data via a personalization agent.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first unique system component identifier is changed to a second unique system component identifier when a first system component is replaced by a second system component, wherein the first and second unique system component identifiers respectively correspond to the first and second system component.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first unique system component identifier is invalidated when the first system component is replaced by the second system component.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first unique system identifier further comprises at least one of a time variance value and a system type identifier.

9. A non-transitory computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

using a storage medium comprising a repository of system identifier data, digital assets data, and digital assets entitlement data; and

using processing logic to;

generate a first unique system identifier associated with a target system comprising a first plurality of system components, wherein the first unique system identifier comprises a first set of unique system component identifiers corresponding to the first plurality of system components;

process the first unique system identifier and digital assets identifier data to generate digital assets entitlement data entitling the target system to process digital assets data corresponding to the digital assets identifier data, wherein the first unique system identifier is associated with the digital assets entitlement data; and

perpetuate the entitlement of the target system if a first unique system component identifier is changed to a second unique system component identifier, the perpetuate the entitlement data comprising managing an integrity of a relationship between the first unique system identifier and the first set of unique system component identifiers, the managing the integrity of the relationship comprising maintaining at least a portion of the first unique system identifier even though the portion has been deactivated as the system identifier; and

,

generate a request for the target system to respond with a second unique system identifier comprising a second set of system component identifiers corresponding to a second plurality of system components; and

wherein

a second unique system identifier is generated if a first unique system component identifier is changed to a second unique system component identifier;

the first unique system identifier is disassociated with the digital assets entitlement data; and

the second unique system identifier is associated with the digital assets entitlement data, the second unique system identifier being associated with the digital assets entitlement data via a personalization agent.

10. The computer usable medium of claim 9, wherein the first unique system component identifier is changed to a second unique system component identifier when a first system component is replaced by a second system component, wherein the first and second unique system component identifiers respectively correspond to the first and second system component.

11. The computer usable medium of claim 10, wherein the first unique system component identifier is invalidated when the first system component is replaced by the second system component.

12. The computer usable medium of claim 9, wherein the first unique system identifier further comprises at least one of a time variance value and a system type identifier.