Mobile token driven software licensing
View Patent ↗A token contains licensing information for software stored on another computer. The token connects to the computer wirelessly, and transmits the licensing information, preferably automatically. While the token is connected to the computer, at least one factor in a multi-factor authentication scheme is satisfied for licensed use of the software. When the token disconnects from the computer either at will, or by exceeding the range of the wireless connection, the software on the computer becomes unlicensed and then can no longer execute.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a token comprising a wireless transceiver that establishes a periodically validated session with one or more devices using a network protocol adapted to communicatively connect the token to a number of devices simultaneously, said devices executing licensed software under predetermined terms and conditions and with predetermined personal rights while said token is proximate to said device maintaining said periodically validated session, and wherein proximate is defined by a communications range of the wireless transceiver; and
said token further comprising a license ID stored therein, said token, during said periodically validated session, communicating said license ID to said device to at least partially enable execution of said licensed software in accordance with said predetermined terms and conditions and personal predetermined rights on said devices while said token is proximate to said devices;
wherein said devices have instructions to communicate said license ID to a web server, and said web server includes instructions to authenticate said license ID and issue response instructions to at least a first device of said devices to enable the licensed software on said first device; and
wherein both said periodically validated session and execution of said licensed software are terminated when said token is no longer proximate to each of said devices.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , said wireless transceiver further comprising:
a wireless network connector that establishes connectivity between all devices that have periodically validated sessions with the token and the Internet.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , said token further comprises: licensed software, during said periodically validated session, said token providing said licensed software to said device to execute in accordance with said predetermined terms and conditions and predetermined personal rights on said device;
wherein said licensed software is disabled from said device when said token is no longer proximate to said device.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , said license ID comprising a device ID unique to said token.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , said license ID comprising a software license that fully enables said licensed software in accordance with said predetermined terms and conditions and predetermined personal rights.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , said token establishes a periodically validated session with a plurality of devices proximate to said token and communicates said license ID to each of the plurality of devices with an established periodically validated session and the web server issues response instructions to all of the plurality of devices to enable the licensed software on all of the plurality of devices.
7. A method, comprising:
establishing a periodically validated session between a token including a license ID and one or more devices that is configured to execute licensed software under predetermined terms and conditions and with personal predetermined rights while said token is proximate to said devices using a network protocol adapted to communicatively connect the token to a number of devices simultaneously, and where proximate is defined by a wireless communications range of said token;
communicating said license ID to said devices to at least partially enable execution of said licensed software in accordance with said predetermined terms and conditions and predetermined personal rights on said device while said token is proximate to said device;
communicating said license ID to a licensing web server from said device;
authenticating the license ID by a licensing web server; and
enabling for execution, by the licensing web server, the licensed software on said device; and
revoking said license ID when said token is no longer proximate to said device, wherein revoking said license ID disables the execution of said licensed software.
8. The method of claim 7 , said communicating said license ID to a licensing web server occurs multiple times from different devices, and said enabling for execution occurs a single time for a single device.
9. The method of claim 7 , said predetermined personal rights comprising enabling specific features of the licensed software.
10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
accepting additional user identification information to at least partially enable execution of said licensed software in accordance with said predetermined terms and conditions and personal predetermined rights on said device.
11. The method of claim 7 , said license ID comprising a device ID unique to said token.
12. The method of claim 7 , said license ID comprising a software license configured to fully enable said licensed software in accordance with said predetermined terms and conditions and personal predetermined rights.
13. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor having software instructions including:
license enforcement instructions regulating the execution of licensable software stored on a computer, when the license enforcement instructions has a license ID then at least partially enabling the licensable software to execute under predetermined terms and conditions and with personal predetermined rights;
license retrieval instructions detecting that a device having a license ID for said license enforcement instructions has enabled a local periodically validated session with the computer using a network protocol adapted to communicatively connect the computer as one of multiple clients of the token, the license retrieval instructions further for retrieving said license ID from the device and supplying the license ID to the licensable software;
session tracker instructions for monitoring said local periodically validated session between the computer and the device and revoking the license ID from the licensable software and directing the license enforcement instructions to disable execution of the licensable software when the local periodically validated session terminates; and
a licensing web server, the licensing web server communicatively coupled to the licensable software through the Internet and for verifying said license ID; and
wherein, the licensable software communicates at least the license ID to the licensing web server for verification, verification by the licensing web server fully enables the licensable software to execute under predetermined terms and conditions and with personal predetermined rights.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , said license enforcement module requiring additional input in order to enable execution of said licensable software.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 , said predetermined personal rights comprising enabling specific features of the licensable software.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , said additional input comprises establishing physical contact between said device and said computer, wherein severing said physical contact additionally disables execution of said licensable software.
17. The apparatus of claim 13 , said license ID is a device ID unique to the token.
18. The apparatus of claim 13 , said license ID is a software license configured to fully enable said licensable software in accordance with said predetermined terms and conditions and predetermined personal rights.
19. An apparatus, comprising:
a token comprising a wireless transceiver that establishes a paired, periodically validated session with a device using a network protocol adapted to communicatively pair the token to a number of devices simultaneously, said device executes licensed software under predetermined terms and conditions and with predetermined personal rights only when said token is proximate to said device, and where proximate is defined by a communications range of the wireless transceiver; and
said token further comprising a license ID stored therein, during said periodically validated session, said token communicating said license ID to said device to at least partially enable execution of said licensed software in accordance with said predetermined terms and conditions and predetermined personal rights on said device;
wherein said device has instructions to communicate said license ID to a web server, and said web server includes instructions to authenticate said license ID and issue response instructions to said device to enable the licensed software on said first device;
wherein both said paired session and execution of said licensed software are terminated when said token is no longer proximate to said device and said license ID is directed toward planned obsolescence or self-deletion when said paired session is terminated.