System and method for handling software activation in entitlement

• US 9,922,312 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2010
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Airapetian, Mila
• Application Number:
  US14/105,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20140180928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08

Abstract

A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for separating the purchase of digital assets from their fulfillment and activation. Digital assets purchase information comprising digital assets identifier information and activation key data, and system identifier information comprising system identifier data, is received. The purchase information and the system identifier information are processed to generate digital assets activation request data, which is then processed by the provider of the digital assets to generate digital assets activation data. Associated digital assets data is provided with the digital assets activation data and then processed with the purchase transaction data to generate digital assets entitlement data. A personalization agent associated with a target system automatically downloads the purchased digital assets and associated digital assets entitlement data, which is used to install the digital assets, thereby entitling the system to process the installed digital assets.

Claims

1. A system for managing entitlement of digital assets within a digital assets entitlement environment the digital assets entitlement environment comprising a digital assets entitlement system executing on a digital assets entitlement server, a target system and a point of sale system having an associated scanner, comprising:

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

a processor, the processor being operable to;

receive purchase transaction data comprising digital assets identifier data and digital assets activation key data associated with a purchase of digital assets, the digital assets identifier data being obtained via the associated scanner of the point of sale system, the digital assets identifier data corresponding to a digital asset the digital asset being represented but not contained in a card or package;

receive system identifier data associated with a target system;

process the purchase transaction data and the system identifier data to generate digital assets activation request data, wherein the digital assets activation request data is provided to the provider of the digital assets;

receive digital assets data and digital assets activation data from the provider of the digital assets; and

process the purchase transaction data and the digital assets activation data to generate digital assets entitlement data; and

wherein

the digital assets entitlement data is associated with the target system identified by the system identifier data and with digital assets identified by the digital assets identifier data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the purchase transaction data comprises a plurality of digital assets identifier data and a plurality of digital assets activation key data associated with a corresponding plurality of digital assets providers;

the purchase transaction data and the system identifier data are processed to generate individual sets of digital assets activation request data corresponding to individual digital assets identifier data;

the individual sets of digital assets activation request data are provided to corresponding individual digital assets providers of the plurality of digital assets providers; and

the digital assets data and digital assets activation data corresponding to individual digital assets identifier data is received from the corresponding individual digital assets providers of the corresponding plurality of digital assets providers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the process of the purchase transaction data further comprises changing an indication of the digital assets entitlement data from inactive to active.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the digital assets activation data is provided to the purchaser of the digital assets;

a personalization agent associated with the target system receives the digital assets activation data as user input data from the purchaser;

a digital assets entitlement request message is received from the personalization agent, wherein the digital assets entitlement request message comprises the digital assets activation data; and

the digital assets entitlement request message is processed to provide the digital assets data and the digital assets entitlement data associated with the digital assets activation data to the personalization agent.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

a digital assets entitlement request message is received from a personalization agent associated with the target system, wherein the digital assets entitlement request message comprises the system identifier data; and

the digital assets entitlement request message is processed to provide the digital assets entitlement data and the digital assets data associated with the system identifier data to the personalization agent.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the process of the purchase transaction data further comprises disabling access to the digital assets data.

7. The system of claim 1, the processor is further operable to:

present an option of upgrading access to enhanced digital assets data.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the processing the purchase transaction data further comprises changing an indication of the digital assets entitlement data from inactive to active.

8. A computer-implemented method for managing entitlement of digital assets within a digital assets entitlement environment, the digital assets entitlement environment comprising a digital assets entitlement system executing on a digital assets entitlement server, a target system and a point of sale system having an associated scanner, comprising:

receiving purchase transaction data comprising digital assets identifier data and digital assets activation key data associated with the purchase of digital assets;

receiving system identifier data associated with a target system;

processing the purchase transaction data and the system identifier data to generate digital assets activation request data, wherein the digital assets activation request data is provided to the provider of the digital assets, the digital assets identifier data being obtained via the associated scanner of the point of sale system, the digital assets identifier data corresponding to a digital asset, the digital asset

being represented but not contained in a card or package;

receiving digital assets data and digital assets activation data from the provider of the digital assets; and

processing the purchase transaction data and the digital assets activation data to generate digital assets entitlement data; and

wherein the digital assets entitlement data is associated with the target system identified by the system identifier data and with digital assets identified by the digital assets identifier data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the purchase transaction data comprises a plurality of digital assets identifier data and a plurality of digital assets activation key data associated with a corresponding plurality of digital assets providers;

the purchase transaction data and the system identifier data are processed to generate individual sets of digital assets activation request data corresponding to individual digital assets identifier data;

the individual sets of digital assets activation request data are provided to corresponding individual digital assets providers of the plurality of digital assets providers; and

the digital assets data and digital assets activation data corresponding to individual digital assets identifier data is received from the corresponding individual digital assets providers of the corresponding plurality of digital assets providers.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the digital assets activation data is provided to the purchaser of the digital assets;

a personalization agent associated with the target system receives the digital assets activation data as user input data from the purchaser;

a digital assets entitlement request message is received from the personalization agent, wherein the digital assets entitlement request message comprises the digital assets activation data; and

the digital assets entitlement request message is processed to provide the digital assets data and the digital assets entitlement data associated with the digital assets activation data to the personalization agent.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein:

a digital assets entitlement request message is received from a personalization agent associated with the target system, wherein the digital assets entitlement request message comprises the system identifier data; and

the digital assets entitlement request message is processed to provide the digital assets entitlement data and the digital assets data associated with the system identifier data to the personalization agent.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the processing the purchase transaction data further comprises disabling access to the digital assets data.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

presenting an option of upgrading access to enhanced digital assets data.

15. A non-transitory computer-usable medium embodying computer program code for managing entitlement of digital assets within a digital assets entitlement environment the digital assets entitlement environment comprising a digital assets entitlement system executing on a digital assets entitlement server, a target system and a point of sale system having an associated scanner, 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;

receive purchase transaction data comprising digital assets identifier data and digital assets activation key data associated with the purchase of digital assets, the digital assets identifier data being obtained via by the associated scanner of the point of sale system, the digital assets identifier data corresponding to a digital asset the digital asset being represented but not contained in a card or package;

receive system identifier data associated with a target system;

process the purchase transaction data and the system identifier data to generate digital assets activation request data, wherein the digital assets activation request data is provided to the provider of the digital assets;

receive digital assets data and digital assets activation data from the provider of the digital assets; and

process the purchase transaction data and the digital assets activation data to generate digital assets entitlement data; and

wherein

the digital assets entitlement data is associated with the target system identified by the system identifier data and with digital assets identified by the digital assets identifier data.

16. The computer usable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the purchase transaction data comprises a plurality of digital assets identifier data and a plurality of digital assets activation key data associated with a corresponding plurality of digital assets providers;

the purchase transaction data and the system identifier data are processed to generate individual sets of digital assets activation request data corresponding to individual digital assets identifier data;

the individual sets of digital assets activation request data are provided to corresponding individual digital assets providers of the plurality of digital assets providers; and

the digital assets data and digital assets activation data corresponding to individual digital assets identifier data is received from the corresponding individual digital assets providers of the corresponding plurality of digital assets providers.

17. The computer usable medium of claim 15, wherein

the process of the purchase transaction data further comprises changing an indication of the digital assets entitlement data from inactive to active.

18. The computer usable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the digital assets activation data is provided to the purchaser of the digital assets;

a personalization agent associated with the target system receives the digital assets activation data as user input data from the purchaser;

a digital assets entitlement request message is received from the personalization agent, wherein the digital assets entitlement request message comprises the digital assets activation data; and

the digital assets entitlement request message is processed to provide the digital assets data and the digital assets entitlement data associated with the digital assets activation data to the personalization agent.

19. The computer usable medium of claim 15, wherein:

a digital assets entitlement request message is received from a personalization agent associated with the target system, wherein the digital assets entitlement request message comprises the system identifier data; and

the digital assets entitlement request message is processed to provide the digital assets entitlement data and the digital assets data associated with the system identifier data to the personalization agent.

20. The computer usable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer executable instructions are deployable to a client computer from a server at a remote location.

21. The computer usable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer executable instructions are provided by a service provider to a customer on an on-demand basis.

22. The computer usable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the process of the purchase transaction data further comprises disabling access to the digital assets data.

23. The computer usable medium of claim 15, the processing logic is further operable to:

present an option of upgrading access to enhanced digital assets data.