Feature License Credit Pools for Flexible Device Upgrades
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing feature licensing systems lack efficient mechanisms for managing the distribution and modification of feature licenses, particularly in scenarios where customers need to add or delete functional features on electronic devices, without providing adequate flexibility or credit refunds.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for managing license distribution by pooling feature purchases into uniform or separate credit pools based on different temporal terms, allowing for upgrades, extensions, and downgrades while providing credit refunds in some cases, and ensuring cryptographic binding to device identification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If feature licenses are cryptographically bound to specific devices, then security and device-specific control are improved, but flexibility for license management and distribution is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments license management into two distinct components: cryptographic binding to device identification (ensuring security) and a separate credit pool management system (enabling flexibility). The license server maintains credit pools that are independently managed from the cryptographic binding, allowing flexible credit distribution while maintaining secure device-specific license enforcement.
2Productivity
If feature licenses control capacity levels, then resource allocation control is improved, but complexity of license management is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a license server as an intermediary that manages the complexity of capacity-level license control. The server maintains credit pools and automatically computes credit consumption based on license temporal terms and feature categories, eliminating the need for complex client-side license management while maintaining precise resource allocation control.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple feature purchases with different temporal terms are pooled, then flexibility for license upgrades and extensions is improved, but complexity of credit computation is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system manages multiple temporal terms by maintaining separate credit pools for different temporal term categories. When processing license requests, the system computes credit consumption by matching the requested temporal term with the appropriate credit pool, automatically handling the complexity of parameter variations without requiring complex conversion or calculation logic.
Data Source
AI summary
The systems and method disclosed herein provide two paradigms for managing distribution of at least one license to one or more features defined in feature categories. A first embodiment is one that uses mixed single unit monthly credits, while a second embodiment uses separate fixed term credits.