Application licensing for devices

• US 9,594,884 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2012
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fenstermacher, Jason
• Application Number:
  US13/680,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20130198085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 for a device are provided herein. The method includes providing a license for an application from a licensing service to a number of computing devices associated with a user, wherein the license includes credentials. The method also includes associating the credentials with each computing device and periodically determining a state of a subscription corresponding to the license on each computing device. Each computing device is configured to call the licensing service at configurable time periods in order to determine the state of the subscription.

Claims

1. A method for licensing an application for devices, comprising:

providing, by one or more processors associated with a licensing service, a license for an application from the licensing service to a plurality of computing devices associated with a user, wherein the license comprises a keyless credential-based and processor-readable license;

associating, by the one or more processors associated with the licensing service, the credentials with each of the plurality of computing devices;

periodically determining, by the one or more processors associated with the licensing service, a state of a subscription corresponding to the license on each of the plurality of computing devices, wherein each of the plurality of computing devices is configured to call the licensing service at configurable time periods in order to determine the state of the subscription;

detecting, by the one or more processors associated with the licensing service, a scenario on at least one computing device;

identifying, by the one or more processors associated with the licensing service, an application programming interface (API) corresponding to the scenario of the at least one computing device, the API comprising a function corresponding to a variable license type, administrator, and license association to be used on the at least one computing device; and

building, by the one or more processors associated with the licensing service, a license for at least one other computing device based on the state of the subscription of the at least one computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configurable time periods are specified by conditions of the license.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising allowing the user to use the application for a specified period of time without connecting to the licensing service.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising adjusting conditions of the license based on the state of the subscription on each of the plurality of computing devices.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising deprovisioning the license on any of the plurality of computing devices if the state of the subscription on any of the plurality of computing devices is expired.

6. The method of claim 4, comprising reprovisioning the license on any of the plurality of computing devices if the state of the subscription on any of the plurality of computing devices is renewed.

7. The method of claim 4, comprising converting the license on any of the plurality of computing devices to a different license if the state of the subscription on any of the plurality of computing devices is converted.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the credentials with a computing device comprises associating the credentials with an identification of the computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein two or more of the plurality of computing devices are of a different type each having a different type of operating system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the credentials comprise a single set of credentials for the user to prove they are provisioned to use the application across the different types of the computing devices.

11. A system for licensing an application for devices, comprising:

a storage device to store instructions of a licensing service;

a server communicatively coupled to a computing device, the server comprising a processing device to carry out operations of licensing service configured to;

provide a license for an application to a computing device associated with a user, wherein the license comprises a keyless credential-based license;

associate the credentials with the computing device;

periodically determine a state of a subscription corresponding to the license on the computing device, wherein the computing device is configured to call the licensing service at configurable time periods in order to determine the state of the subscription;

detect a scenario on at least one computing device;

identify an application programming interface (API) corresponding to the scenario of the at least one computing device, the API comprising a function corresponding to a variable license type, administrator, and license association to be used on the at least one computing device; and

build a license for at least one other computing device based on the state of the subscription of the at least one computing device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the licensing service is configured to:

provide the license to a plurality of computing devices associated with the user;

associate the credentials with each of the plurality of computing devices;

periodically check a state of the subscription on each of the plurality of computing devices; and

adjust conditions of the license based on the state of the subscription on each of the plurality of computing devices.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the configurable time periods are specified by conditions of the license.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the licensing service is configured to allow the user to use the application for a specified period of time without connecting to the licensing service.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the licensing service comprises a service receiving updates from a commerce partner.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the licensing service is configured to deprovision the license on the computing device if the state of the subscription on the computing device is expired.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the licensing service is configured to reprovision the license on the computing device if the state of the subscription on the computing device is renewed.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the licensing service is configured to convert the license to a second license if the state of the subscription on the computing device is converted.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein associating the credentials with a computing device comprises associating the credentials with an identification of the computing device.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein two or more of the plurality of computing devices are of a different type each having a different type of operating system.