Method and apparatus for metering usage of software products using multiple signatures
US7860239B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 28, 2005 |
| Grant date | Dec 28, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 16, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2221/2137
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and a corresponding apparatus for metering usage of software products on a computer are proposed. The solution of the invention is based on the idea of associating each product with an installation signature (indicative of the installation of the product on the computer) and with a running signature (indicative of the running of the product on the computer). The products that are installed on the computer are asynchronously determined according to their installation signatures; in this way, any ambiguities (for example, caused by different versions and/or configurations of a product sharing the same executable modules) can be resolved in advance. Therefore, when at run-time the invocation of an executable module is detected it is possible to use only the running signatures to identify the corresponding product uniquely (without the need of additional information about the executable module, such as its size).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.