Dynamic selection of authorization processes

• US 9,811,645 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2015
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Akselrod, Gregory, Xie, Tianyu, Kurtzebom, Scott, Hardy, Gordon, Garg, Sanjay, Shurtz, Chad, Li, Karvell, Donner, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Gergiso, Techane
• Application Number:
  US14/879,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20160034672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• 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 21/12 Protecting executable software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/128 involving web programs, i.e. using technology especially used in internet, generally interacting with a web browser, e.g. hypertext markup language [HTML], applets, java

Abstract

Technology is disclosed herein for licensing applications using a preferred authorization process dynamically identified based on conditions associated with an initiation of an application. Authorization is then attempted using the preferred authorization process. In some examples, the preferred authorization process is selected from at least a keyless authorization process and a key-based authorization process.

Claims

1. A method for licensing applications, the method comprising:

identifying conditions associated with an initiation of an application, the conditions comprising an installation status of a key-based authorization process;

selecting, based on the conditions, a preferred authorization process from at least the key-based authorization process and a keyless authorization process with which to authorize the application, wherein the keyless authorization process is selected as the preferred authorization process when the installation status is incomplete; and

attempting to authorize the application using the preferred authorization process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conditions further comprise a roaming status of the application and wherein the keyless authorization process is selected as the preferred authorization process when the roaming status is roaming.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the roaming status is roaming when the application is provided in a streaming form.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising performing the keyless authorization process during installation of the key-based authorization process.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising, to implement the keyless authorization process, transferring an authorization request with credentials for delivery to an authorization server and, in response, receiving an authorization response that provides temporary access to the application.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the credentials comprise at least one of an identity of a user and a token provided during installation of the application.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, upon selecting the preferred authorization process, monitoring for a change in the conditions associated with the application, and responsive to detecting the change in the conditions, attempting to authorize the application using another authorization process different from the preferred authorization process.

8. A computing apparatus comprising:

a processing system; and

a storage device having stored thereon program instructions for licensing applications that, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to at least;

identify conditions associated with an initiation of an application, the conditions comprising an installation status of the a key-based authorization process;

select, based on the conditions, a preferred authorization process from a plurality of authorization processes with which to authorize the application including a keyless authorization process and the key-based authorization process, wherein the keyless authorization process is selected as the preferred authorization process when the installation status is incomplete; and

initiate an attempt to authorize the application using the preferred authorization process.

9. The computing apparatus of claim 8 wherein the environment within which the application is executed is a roaming environment, wherein the conditions associated with the application comprise an environment within which the application is executed and a status of each of the plurality of authorization processes.

10. The computing apparatus of claim 8 wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system to implement the preferred authorization process, further direct the processing system to initiate a transfer of an authorization request with credentials for delivery to an authorization server requesting the authorization server to provide temporary access to the application.

11. The computing apparatus of claim 8 wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system upon selection of the preferred authorization process, further direct the processing system to monitor for a change in the conditions associated with the application and, responsive to detecting the change in the conditions, initiate an attempt to authorize the application using another authorization process different from the preferred authorization process.

12. A computing apparatus comprising:

a processing system; and

a storage device having stored thereon program instructions for licensing applications that, when executed by a processing system, direct the processing system to;

identify an environment within which an application is initiated;

when the environment is a roaming environment, initiate a roaming attempt to authorize the application based on an identity of a user associated with the application;

when the environment is not the roaming environment, initiate a key-based attempt to authorize the application based on a key associated with the application when a key-based authorization process that performs the key attempt is installed; and

when the key-based authorization process is still installing, initiate a keyless attempt to authorize the application based on the identity of the user associated with the application.

13. The computing apparatus of claim 12 wherein the environment is the roaming environment when the application is streamed from an application server.

14. The computing apparatus of claim 13 wherein the environment is not the roaming environment when the application is not streamed from an application server during installation of the application.

15. The computing apparatus of claim 14 wherein the application includes the key-based authorization process that performs the key-based attempt to authorize the application, and wherein the keyless attempt to authorize the application occurs prior to installation of the key-based authorization process.

16. The computing apparatus of claim 14 wherein the application includes a keyless authorization process that performs the keyless attempt to authorize the application and performs the roaming attempt to authorize the application.

17. The computing apparatus of claim 16 wherein the keyless authorization process uses the identity of the user and a token provided during the installation of the application to authorize the application and does not use the key.