Patent · US Expired

Authenticating software licenses

US7085742B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by

2References

14Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Xybo Systems, Inc. · CA

Inventors

Raymond Ho · San Jose, US
Edward Fung · North York, CA

Key dates

Filing date	Oct 30, 2001
Grant date	Aug 1, 2006
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Mar 17, 2023

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG06F21/10
WIPO fieldComputer technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for using an encrypted unique digital signature (“engraved signature”) as a uniquely definable signature to control the use or execution of software in a computer system. The computer system has a Network Interface Card (“NIC”) with a Media Access Control (“MAC”) address. On start up, the engraved signature is retrieved from the persistent storage medium of the computer system and the MAC address is retrieved from the NIC. A computed encrypted signature is generated using the MAC address. Where the computed encrypted signature does not match the engraved signature, the execution of the software is halted.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.