System and a method for giving run authorization to a program installed on a computer

• US 20020087873A1
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SFNT Germany GmbH (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Aladdin Europe GmbH (Magic Lamp Corp.)
• Inventors: Zunke, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,225,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/123 by using dedicated hardware, e.g. dongles, smart cards, cryptographic processors, global positioning systems [GPS] devices

Abstract

A system for giving run authorization to a program installed on a computer, comprising a checking unit having a receiving device and, at least partially, forms part of the computer or is linked with the latter via a data link, and a device which is transportable separately from the computer and from the checking unit and connectable to the receiving device within a predetermined distance therefrom by a wireless link through which an identification code contained in said device is transmitted to the checking unit, said checking unit comparing the transmitted identification code with a reference code and giving the run authorization, if both codes are identical.

Claims

1. A system for giving run authorization to a program installed on a computer, comprising a checking unit having a receiving device and, at least partially, forms part of the computer or is linked with the latter via a data link, and a device which is transportable separately from the computer and from the checking unit and connectable to the receiving device within a predetermined distance therefrom by a wireless link through which an identification code contained in said device is transmitted to the checking unit, said checking unit comparing the transmitted identification code with a reference code and giving the run authorization, if both codes are identical.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification code is a unique identifier of the device.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the checking unit contains a software module for comparing the identification code with the reference code.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification code of the device may be defined as the reference code when installing the program on the computer.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device comprises a non-volatile memory in which the identification code is stored.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is a mobile phone or a portable computer.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless link is a radio link, in particular a Bluetooth radio link.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device comprises an input unit through which an enabling code may be entered, the device enabling the transmission of the identification code only upon entering a predetermined enabling code.

9. A system giving run authorization to a program installed on computer, comprising:

a remote, independent device with means for transmitting an identification code; and

a checking unit with means for receiving said identification code, checking said code against stored reference code, and means for transmitting code verification for giving run authorization to said program installed on said computer.

10. A method for giving run authorization to a program installed on a computer, which method comprises requesting an identification code contained in a device via a wireless link and comparing it with a reference code, and giving the run authorization, if both codes are identical.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein a unique identifier of the device is read out as the identification code.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the identification code of the device is defined as the reference code when installing the program on the computer.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein a licence provider for the program, to whom the identification code of the device is transmitted, defines the transmitted identification code as the reference code.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the identification code is transmitted to the computer by a wireless link and is transmitted from the computer to the licence provider via a data link, and the identification code is transmitted as the reference code from the licence provider to the computer via said data link.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the program is also transmitted from the licence provider to the computer via said data link.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the identification code is read out by a checking unit via a wireless link between the device and the checking unit, said wireless link being established automatically as soon as the distance between the device and a receiving device of the checking unit is below a predetermined value.

17. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the identification code is read out by the checking unit after an enabling code has been entered into the device.

18. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein a radio link in the GHz range, in particular a Bluetooth radio link, is used as the wireless link.