Apparatus and method of in-application licensing

• US 9,990,475 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2016
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Mahan, Michael P., Swinson, Kenneth S., Mandyam, Giridhar D.
• Primary Examiner(s): ABYANEH, ALI S
• Application Number:
  US15/379,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20170098064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 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 21/629 to features or functions of an application

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for licensing include executing a base application on a device, initiating a transaction with an application store to obtain access to a subordinate licensable item that is usable by the base application, receiving a transaction receipt corresponding to the transaction for the subordinate licensable item, and obtaining, from a license server, a subordinate license that corresponds to the subordinate licensable item. Additionally, the apparatus and methods may include storing a base license for a base application on a device, acquiring a subordinate license for a subordinate licensable item usable by the base application, receiving a request to execute the base application, enforcing, by a license agent service on the device, the base license with respect to executing the base application, and enforcing, by the base application, the subordinate license during execution of the base application.

Claims

1. A method for licensing on a device, comprising:

executing a base application on the device, the base application including one or more base features subject to a base application license;

initiating, by the base application, a transaction with an application store to obtain access to a subordinate licensable item that adds one or more additional features to the one or more base features of the base application;

obtaining, from a license server, a subordinate license that corresponds to the subordinate licensable item in response to sending a license request for the subordinate licensable item to the license server; and

receiving, by the base application, the subordinate license from a license agent service on the device in response to the base application sending a license status query to the license agent service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the subordinate license further comprises receiving the subordinate license at the license agent service on the device from the license server in response to a completion of the transaction with the application store.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a transaction receipt corresponding to the transaction for the subordinate licensable item,

wherein obtaining the subordinate license further comprises;

forwarding the transaction receipt from the base application to an in-application purchase service located on the device;

determining identifying information corresponding to the base application;

forwarding, from the in-application purchase service, the license request to the license server, the license request including the identifying information and the transaction receipt for the subordinate licensable item; and

receiving the subordinate license in response to sending the license request.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifying information of the base application enables validation of the base application on the device by a network boundary server, and wherein the transaction receipt enables authentication of the transaction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining access to the subordinate license further comprises receiving an unlocking code for the subordinate licensable item comprising a locked feature of the base application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the subordinate licensable item comprises a consumable item having a value corresponding to use.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining access to the subordinate licensable item further comprises obtaining an expansion item that is executable with the base application to provide the base application with additional functionality.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising provisioning the device with the subordinate license by validating the subordinate license received from the license server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the subordinate licensable item comprises a bundle of subordinate licensable items including at least one or more that provide additional functionality or a consumable item usable by the base application.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing, by the license agent service via a communication component, the base application and the subordinate license with the license server.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an identifier of the device or of a subscription associated with the device to the license server; and

receiving the base application license and the subordinate license transferred from another device being replaced or that corresponds to the subscription.

12. An apparatus for licensing on a device, comprising:

a communication component;

a base application configured to execute on the device, the base application including one or more base features subject to a base application license;

a memory configured to store the base application; and

a license agent service,

wherein the base application is further configured to initiate, via the communication component, a transaction with an application store to obtain access to a subordinate licensable item that adds one or more additional features to the one or more base features of the base application,

wherein the license agent service is configured to obtain, from a license server via the communication component, a subordinate license that corresponds to the subordinate licensable item in response to transmission of a license request for the subordinate licensable item to the license server, and

wherein the base application is further configured to receive the subordinate license from the license agent service in response to transmission, by the base application, of a license status query to the license agent service.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the license agent service is further configured to obtain the subordinate license by reception of the subordinate license at the license agent service on the device from the license server in response to a completion of the transaction with the application store.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the base application is further configured to receive a transaction receipt corresponding to the transaction for the subordinate licensable item, the apparatus further comprising an in-application purchase service on the device configured to receive the transaction receipt from the base application, to determine identifying information corresponding to the base application, to forward the license request to the license server, the license request including the identifying information and the transaction receipt for the subordinate licensable item to the license server, and to receive the subordinate license in response to transmission of the license request.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the identifying information of the base application enables validation of the base application on the device by a network boundary server, and wherein the transaction receipt enables authentication of the transaction.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the license agent service is further configured to provision the device with the subordinate license by validation of the subordinate licensable item received from the license server.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the license agent service is further configured to obtain the access to the subordinate license by reception of an unlocking code for the subordinate licensable item, the subordinate licensable item comprising a locked feature of the base application.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the subordinate licensable item comprises a consumable item having a value corresponding to use.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the license agent service is further configured to obtain the access to the subordinate licensable item by an expansion item that is executable with the base application to provide the base application with additional functionality being obtained.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the license agent service is further configured to provision the device with the subordinate license by validation of the subordinate licensable item received from the license server.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the subordinate licensable item comprises a bundle of subordinate licensable items including at least one or more that provide additional functionality or a consumable item usable by the base application.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the license agent service is further configured to synchronize, via the communication component, the base application and the subordinate license with the license server.

23. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the license agent service is further configured to:

send an identifier of the device or of a subscription associated with the device to the license server; and

receive the base application license and the subordinate license transferred from another device being replaced or that corresponds to the subscription.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for licensing on a device, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

at least one instruction instructing the device to execute a base application, the base application including one or more base features subject to a base application license;

at least one instruction instructing the base application to initiate a transaction with an application store to obtain access to a subordinate licensable item that adds one or more additional features to the one or more base features of the base application;

at least one instruction instructing a license agent service on the device to obtain, from a license server, a subordinate license that corresponds to the subordinate licensable item in response to transmission of a license request for the subordinate licensable item to the license server; and

at least one instruction instructing the base application to receive the subordinate license from the license agent service in response to transmission, by the base application, of a license status query to the license agent service.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising:

at least one instruction instructing the device to receive a transaction receipt corresponding to the transaction for the subordinate licensable item,

wherein the at least one instruction to cause the license agent service to obtain the subordinate license comprises;

at least one instruction instructing the device to forward the transaction receipt from the base application to an in-application purchase service located on the device;

at least one instruction instructing the device to determine identifying information corresponding to the base application;

at least one instruction instructing the device to forward, from the in-application purchase service, the license request to the license server, the license request including the identifying information and the transaction receipt for the subordinate licensable item; and

at least one instruction instructing the device to receive the subordinate license in response to sending the license request.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the at least one instruction instructing the license agent service to obtain the subordinate license further comprises at least one instruction instructing the license agent service to receive an unlocking code for the subordinate licensable item comprising a locked feature of the base application.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the subordinate licensable item comprises a consumable item having a value corresponding to use.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the subordinate licensable item comprises a bundle of subordinate licensable items including at least one or more that provide additional functionality or a consumable item usable by the base application.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising:

at least one instruction instructing the device to send an identifier of the device or of a subscription associated with the device to the license server; and

at least one instruction instructing the device to receive the base application license and the subordinate license transferred from another device being replaced or that corresponds to the subscription.

30. An apparatus for licensing on a device, comprising:

a communication means;

a base application configured to execute on the device, the base application including one or more base features subject to a base application license;

a storage means configured to store the base application; and

a licensing means,

wherein the base application is further configured to initiate, via the communication means, a transaction with an application store to obtain access to a subordinate licensable item that adds one or more additional features to the one or more base features of the base application,

wherein the licensing means is configured to obtain, from a license server via the communication means, a subordinate license that corresponds to the subordinate licensable item in response to transmission of a license request for the subordinate licensable item to the license server, and

wherein the base application is further configured to receive the subordinate license from the licensing means in response to transmission, by the base application, of a license status query to the licensing means.