Dedicated applications for user stations and methods for downloading dedicated applications to user stations
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of downloading copy protected dedicated applications to a user station from an application source comprising the steps of:
- a) sending an order from a user station for an application to an application source, the order comprising at least a unique identification information in the form of an identification code of the user station equipment which identifies the particular user station equipment which the copy protected dedicated application is to be downloaded to and which identifies the user of the user station to the application source;
b) upon identification of the particular user station equipment by the application source, preparing a dedicated executable application that can only run on the particular user station identified by configuring a general application accessible to the application source to include the unique identification information specific to the particular user station equipment identification code; and
c) downloading the dedicated executable application from the application source directly to the particular user station identified wherein the downloaded dedicated executable application is copy protected by virtue of being configured by the application source to have the equipment identification code of the particular ordering user station to run only on the particular ordering user station and no other user station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a copy-protected dedicated software application and methods for downloading copy-protected dedicated applications to user stations so that the unique dedicated applications are executable upon downloading to the user station and so that the unique dedicated applications will only run on that particular authorized user station. A method of downloading the unique dedicated applications directly from a distributor to the user station is also included which eliminates the need for contact between the original manufacturer of an application and the user station.
144 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of downloading copy protected dedicated applications to a user station from an application source comprising the steps of:
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a) sending an order from a user station for an application to an application source, the order comprising at least a unique identification information in the form of an identification code of the user station equipment which identifies the particular user station equipment which the copy protected dedicated application is to be downloaded to and which identifies the user of the user station to the application source; b) upon identification of the particular user station equipment by the application source, preparing a dedicated executable application that can only run on the particular user station identified by configuring a general application accessible to the application source to include the unique identification information specific to the particular user station equipment identification code; and c) downloading the dedicated executable application from the application source directly to the particular user station identified wherein the downloaded dedicated executable application is copy protected by virtue of being configured by the application source to have the equipment identification code of the particular ordering user station to run only on the particular ordering user station and no other user station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of directly automatically downloading copy protected applications from a distributor to a user station from an application source without requiring contact between a user of the user station and a manufacturer of the application comprising the steps of:
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a) the manufacturer sending a template version of an application from a manufacturer to a distributor, the template version including a variable of known value; b) ordering an application from the distributor including automatically identifying the user station to which the copy protected application is to be downloaded to via an information code specific to the identified user station equipment identification code; c) upon placing the order, automatically replacing the variable with the information code specific to the identified user station equipment identification code to make the application a dedicated executable application which is copy protected, and which dedicated executable application will only run on the a user station with a matching equipment information code; and d) automatically downloading the dedicated executable application to the user station having said matching equipment information code wherein the downloaded dedicated executable application is copy protected by virtue of the template version being configured by the distributor to have the equipment identification code of the identified user station to run only on the identified user station and no other user station. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for ordering and downloading copy protected dedicated applications to a user station from an application source, the system comprising:
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a) a user station that signals at least one unique identification code when placing an order wherein said unique identification code identifies the particular user station equipment to which the copy protected dedicated application is to be downloaded to; b) an application source responsive to the user station signaling the at least one unique identification code for receiving and checking the user station equipment identification code for authentication purposes; c) an application including a variable set by a manufacturer of the application, said application responsive to;
(a) a command for substituting the particular user station equipment identification code for the variable to create a dedicated executable application that will only run on a user station having the matching equipment information code, (b) to a command for sending the dedicated executable application to the particular user station identified, (c) to a command for executing the dedicated application at the particular user station identified, and (d) to a command for comparing and matching the user station equipment identification code of the dedicated application to the particular user station equipment identification code of the user station to run the downloaded dedicated executable application wherein the downloaded dedicated executable application is copy protected by virtue of the manufacturer'"'"'s application being configured to have the equipment identification code of the particular user station equipment to run only on the particular user station and no other user station. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification