Patent · US Expired

Software-generated machine identifier

US7117535B1 · kind B1 · utility

26Cited by
10References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 14, 2001
Grant dateOct 3, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 11, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99953
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A technique for creating a tamper-resistant machine identifier is disclosed. A file is created with a set of file blocks having random locations. Each block is identified by an object identifier that represents the block's location. A machine identifier is created based on the object identifiers of the file blocks. Machine-identifier-dependent software (i.e., software that is designed to perform its function only in the presence of a particular machine identifier) is created and loaded into the file. The software has the machine identifier embedded within itself, and checks the object identifiers of the file in which it is stored against the embedded machine identifier prior to performing its functions. The software may, in one example, be rights-management software that is adapted to allow commercially valuable content to be rendered only on a particular device having a particular machine identifier.

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