Application licensing using multiple forms of licensing

• US 9,165,332 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2012
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Karvell, Donner, Robert, Wadhwa, Amit, Amirault, Danny R., Garg, Sanjay, Akselrod, Gregory, Miah, Abu
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Darren B
• Application Number:
  US13/680,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20130198852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,066 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 multiple forms of licensing are provided herein. The method includes providing a first form of a license to a first computing device via a licensing service and providing a second form of the license to a second computing device via the licensing service. The method also includes determining a first state of the first form of the license and a second state of the second form of the license, synchronizing the first state and the second state to form a combined license state, and adjusting conditions of the license based on the combined license state.

Claims

1. A method for licensing an application using multiple forms of licensing, comprising:

providing a first form of a license for the application to a first computing device from a licensing service via a network in response to a first input detected from a user;

providing a second form of the license for the application to a second computing device from the licensing service via the network in response to a second input detected from the user, the license being based on the first form and the second form;

determining, via the licensing service, a first state of the first form of the license and a second state of the second form of the license;

synchronizing, via the licensing service, the first state and the second state to form a combined license state, the combined license state synchronized between the first computing device and the second computing device;

monitoring the combined license state to detect a number of times the application is accessed within a time period, the combined license state controlling access to the application by the first computing device and the second computing device;

adjusting conditions of the first form of the license and the second form of the license based on the combined license state and whether the first form or the second form is to remain provisioned; and

deprovisioning the first form or the second form if the number of times the application is accessed within the time period exceeds a threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first form of the license or the second form of the license comprises a product key based license.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first form of the license or the second form of the license comprises a user based license.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first form of the license or the second form of the license comprises a device based license.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first form of the license or the second form of the license comprises a token based license.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the conditions of the license comprises deprovisioning the license if the combined license state is an expired license state.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the conditions of the license comprises reprovisioning the license if the combined license state is a renewed license state.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the conditions of the license are not adjusted if the combined license state comprises an effective license state.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the license is converted to a second license if the combined license state comprises a converted license state.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising detecting a fraudulent activity based on the combined license state, wherein the fraudulent activity comprises an activity that is not authorized by the conditions of the license.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold value corresponds to a fraud counter.

12. A system for licensing an application using multiple forms of licensing, comprising:

a processing unit to;

provide a first form of a license for the application to a first computing device in response to a first input detected from a user;

provide a second form of the license for the application to a second computing device in response to a second input detected from the user, the license being based on the first form and the second form;

determine a first state of the first form of the license and a second state of the second form of the license;

synchronize the first state and the second state to form a combined license state, the combined license state being synchronized across at least two client computing devices;

monitor the combined license state to detect a number of times the application is accessed within a time period to prevent fraud, the combined license state to control access to the application by the first computing device and the second computing device; and

adjust conditions of the license of the first form of the license and the second form of the license based on the combined license state and whether the first form or the second form is to remain provisioned, the first form or the second form to be deprovisioned if the number of times the application is accessed within the time period exceeds a threshold value.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first form of the license or the second form of the license comprises a product key based license.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first form of the license or the second form of the license comprises a user based license.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the first form of the license or the second form of the license comprises a device based license.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the first form of the license or the second form of the license comprises a token based license.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein license is reprovisioned if the combined license state is a renewed license state.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the license is deprovisioned if the combined license state is an expired license state.

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

provide each of a plurality of computing devices with a specified form of a license for an application in response to a first input and a second input detected from a user, the license being based on the specified form;

determine a state of each of the specified forms of the license for the application;

synchronize the states of the specified forms of the license for the application to generate a synchronized license state, the synchronized license state being synchronized between at least two client computing devices corresponding to a pluggable sync provider;

monitor the combined license state to detect a number of times the application is accessed within a time period to prevent fraud, the combined license state to control access to the application by the plurality of computing devices; and

adjust conditions of the license of each of the specified forms of the license based on the synchronized license state and whether each of the specified forms of the license is to remain provisioned, wherein each of the specified forms is to be deprovisioned if the number of times the application is accessed within the time period exceeds a threshold value.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 19, wherein the instructions cause the processor to detect a fraudulent activity based on the synchronized license state, and wherein the fraudulent activity comprises an activity that is not authorized by the conditions of the license.

21. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to update the license according to a ForcedUpdate process.

22. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to generate a keyless authorization value to enable temporary access to the application.