License Management Server for Software Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current license management systems for fee-charging software face challenges in efficiently managing license distribution and collection, leading to excessive costs, complicated processes, and increased load on both users and software distribution sources, without effectively reducing the burden on users or ensuring secure charge management.
Innovation Solution
A license managing method that includes a license storage device storing license information and a license managing process controlling the storage and execution of software based on this information, ensuring that fee-charging software is only executed when sufficient licenses are available, thereby reducing the load on both users and software distribution sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the number of installable licenses corresponds to pieces of fee-charging software, then the license management becomes flexible, but it becomes difficult to manage how many pieces are installed in each device and collect license fees
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a license management server as an intermediary between the software distribution source and user devices. This server centrally tracks license issuance, installation status, and fee collection, eliminating the need for complex distributed tracking across multiple devices while maintaining flexible license management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the license management server continuously monitors and receives status information from user devices about installed software pieces. This feedback loop enables automatic tracking of license usage and simplifies fee collection by providing real-time data on actual installations.
2Reliability
If a user purchases a large number of licenses or pays license fee corresponding to the number of device products, then the license coverage is sufficient, but wasteful costs occur if the number of licenses is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The license management system enables users to self-manage their license allocations through the centralized server. Users can request licenses as needed, and the system automatically tracks and manages the correspondence between paid licenses and actual installations, preventing waste by ensuring licenses are only allocated for confirmed needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts license allocation based on actual installation data feedback from user devices. Rather than requiring users to purchase fixed large numbers of licenses in advance, the system allows flexible, demand-driven license management that adapts to actual usage patterns.
3Measurement precision
If the user introduces a license managing device to manage the number of installations, then the license tracking becomes accurate, but the load of the license managing device becomes large and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent shifts the license management burden from user-side devices to a centralized license management server. The server acts as an intermediary that handles all tracking and management operations, while user devices only need to report basic installation status, dramatically reducing the load on individual devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the license management functionality: the centralized server handles complex tracking, fee collection, and license issuance, while user devices only perform simple status reporting. This segmentation allows accurate tracking without burdening individual devices with heavy management loads.
4Ease of operation
If the software distribution source collects a fixed amount of money as license fee regardless of the number of licenses, then the collection process is simple, but the fee is expensive for users who install a small number of pieces
Solution Approach 1:
The license fee structure transitions from fixed to dynamic based on actual installation numbers. The centralized management system automatically calculates fees based on the feedback data received from user devices, allowing the fee amount to adapt to the actual number of installed pieces while maintaining simple automated collection processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from user devices about actual installation counts to dynamically determine the appropriate license fee. This feedback mechanism enables the distribution source to collect fees that accurately reflect actual usage, simplifying the justification for charges while maintaining collection simplicity through automated processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A license managing method including an execution device that executes software and a software storage device coupled to the execution device further includes a license storage device that stores license information indicating the number of licenses for permitting a license of the software, and the license managing method includes the step of license-managing of controlling storage of the software to be downloaded into the software storage device or execution of the software by the execution device based on the license information stored in the license storage device when the software whose license permission is required is downloaded.