Non-resident metering and billing system for applications and devices

• US 9,779,430 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Flowcharge Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flowcharge Inc.
• Inventors: Green, Heidi A., Green, M. David, Corison, Norman D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Glass, Shay S
• Application Number:
  US13/355,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• 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 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A licensing envelope provides use of an application or device on a metered basis. The licensing envelope can be used with or without a connection to a computer network. In one embodiment, an application is provided with a dynamically linked library for the licensing envelope. The dynamically linked library verifies that access is enabled and calls a local licensing server when the application is opened. The local licensing server connects to and transfers data to a remote licensing server on a periodic basis. The remote licensing server can provide authorization codes for additional use of the application, bill the user, and forward payment to the application vendor.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for application licensing, the method comprising:

providing, by a server, a first authorization code to a first licensing module of a user computer to allow a user to access a first application for running on the user computer, wherein the first authorization code activates a first meter value that tracks an amount of time that the user uses the first application and/or bytes of data accessed by the user computer in relation to the first application, wherein the first meter value changes based on the time and/or the bytes of data;

providing, by the server, a second authorization code to a second licensing module of the user computer to allow the user to access a second application for running on the user computer, wherein the second authorization code activates a second meter value that tracks an amount of time that the user uses the second application or bytes of data accessed by the user computer in relation to the second application, wherein the second meter value changes based on the time or the bytes of data;

receiving, at the server from the user computer, the first meter value;

receiving, at the server from the user computer, the second meter value;

comparing, with the server, the first meter value with a first authorization value, wherein the first authorization value specifies an authorized amount of time to use the first application and/or amount of bytes of data accessed by the user computer in relation to the first application;

comparing, with the server, the second meter value with a second authorization value, wherein the second authorization value specifies an authorized amount of time to use the second application and/or amount of bytes of data accessed by the user computer in relation to the second application;

identifying a payment associated with an account of the user; and

in response to the payment by the user, changing, at the server, the first authorization value, the second authorization value, the first meter value, or the second meter value to increase access to the first or second applications by the user, wherein the increased access to the first or second applications provides the user with more time and/or data.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein changing the first authorization value, the second authorization value, the first meter value, or the second meter value includes decrementing the first or second meter values.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein decrementing the first or second meter values is accomplished by sending, to the user computer, a value to be subtracted from the first or second meter values.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein allowing access to the first application at the user computer includes:

comparing the first meter value with a maximum count; and

in response to the first meter value exceeding the maximum count, sending a request to update authorized usage of the first application on the user computer.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the first authorization value is a hard-limit count, and wherein allowing access to the first application at the user computer includes:

comparing the first meter value with the hard-limit count; and

disabling the access by the user computer to the first application when the first meter value equals or exceeds the hard-limit count until communication to the server is established.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the payment is requested when the first meter value equals or exceeds a counter limit that is below an authorization limit.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 further wherein the first meter value changes when a database is accessed.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first meter value is a counter of an amount of data usage, a number of events, or a timer.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the server from the user computer, other meter values of a use of other applications; and

comparing, with the server, the other meter value with other authorization values.

10. A method for application licensing, the method comprising:

providing, by a server, a first authorization code to a first licensing module of a user computer to allow a user to access a first application for running on the user computer, wherein the first authorization code activates a first meter value that tracks an amount of time that the user uses the first application and/or bytes of data accessed by the user computer in relation to the first application, wherein the first meter value changes based on the time and/or the bytes of data;

providing, by the server, a second authorization code to a second licensing module of the user computer to allow the user to access a second application for running on the user computer, wherein the second authorization code activates a second meter value that tracks an amount of time that the user uses the second application or bytes of data accessed by the user computer in relation to the second application, wherein the second meter value changes based on the time or the bytes of data;

receiving, at the server from the user computer, the first meter value;

receiving, at the server from the user computer, the second meter value;

comparing, with the server, the first meter value with a first authorization value, wherein the first authorization value specifies an authorized amount of time to use the first application and/or amount of bytes of data accessed by the user computer in relation to the first application;

comparing, with the server, the second meter value with a second authorization value, wherein the second authorization value specifies an authorized amount of time to use the second application and/or amount of bytes of data accessed by the user computer in relation to the second application;

identifying a payment associated with an account of the user; and

in response to the payment by the user, changing, at the server, the first authorization value, the second authorization value, the first meter value, or the second meter value to increase access to the first or second applications by the user, wherein the increased access to the first or second applications provides the user with more time and/or data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein changing the authorization value or the first meter value includes decrementing the first meter value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein decrementing the first meter value is accomplished by sending, to the user computer, a value to be subtracted from the first meter value.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein allowing access to the first application at the user computer includes:

comparing the first meter value with a maximum count; and

in response to the first meter value exceeding the maximum count, sending a request to update authorized usage of the first application on the user computer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the authorization value is a hard-limit count, and wherein allowing access to the first application at the user computer includes:

comparing the first meter value with the hard-limit count; and

disabling the access by the user computer to the first application when the first meter value equals or exceeds the hard-limit count until communication to the server is established.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the payment is requested when the first meter value equals or exceeds a counter limit that is below an authorization limit.

16. The method of claim 10 further wherein the first meter value changes when a database is accessed.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the payment is associated with the first application for running on the user computer, the method further comprising:

changing, at the server, the first authorization value or the first meter value to increase access to the first application by the user.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the payment is a first payment, and the method further comprising:

receiving a second payment associated with the account of the user; and

changing, at the server, the second authorization value or the second meter value to increase access to the second application by the user.

20. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

in response to comparing and identifying that the first meter value exceeds the first authorization value, generating a request for the payment; and

receiving the payment associated with the account of the user.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

sending the request for the payment to a payment facilitator.

17. A system for application licensing, the system comprising:

a server, configured to

provide, by the server, a first authorization code to a first licensing module of a user computer to allow a user to access a first application for running on the user computer, wherein the first authorization code activates a first meter value that tracks an amount of time that the user uses the first application and/or bytes of data accessed by the user computer in relation to the first application, wherein the first meter value changes based on the time and/or the bytes of data;

provide, by the server, a second authorization code to a second licensing module of the user computer to allow the user to access a second application for running on the user computer, wherein the second authorization code activates a second meter value that tracks an amount of time that the user uses the second application or bytes of data accessed by the user computer in relation to the second application, wherein the second meter value changes based on the time or the bytes of data;

receive, at the server from the user computer, the first meter value;

receive, at the server from the user computer, the second meter value;

compare, with the server, the first meter value with a first authorization value, wherein the first authorization value specifies an authorized amount of time to use the first application and/or amount of bytes of data accessed by the user computer in relation to the first application;

compare, with the server, the second meter value with a second authorization value, wherein the second authorization value specifies an authorized amount of time to use the second application and/or amount of bytes of data accessed by the user computer in relation to the second application;

identify a payment associated with an account of the user; and

in response to the payment by the user, change, at the server, the first authorization value, the second authorization value, the first meter value, or the second meter value to increase access to the first or second applications by the user, wherein the increased access to the first or second applications provides the user with more time and/or data.