Device-Specific Feature Licensing Keys for Printer Software Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for controlling software features in electronic devices, such as printers, are ineffective in preventing feature piracy and do not maximize licensing revenue due to the ease of copying and reusing feature-enabling compact flash cards across multiple devices, leading to potential revenue loss for manufacturers.
Innovation Solution
A method where a portable storage device, like a compact flash card, is customized with a device-specific key that is hashed with the printer's serial number, preventing the key from being used across multiple printers, thereby securely enabling licensed features only on the intended device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a physical compact flash card is used for feature control, then feature enabling is simple and cost-effective, but the system is vulnerable to piracy as users can copy and reuse cards across multiple devices
Solution Approach 1:
The licensing system is segmented into two parts: a portable storage device containing a generic key template, and device-specific information stored in the printer's memory. The key is split between these components, so the full key cannot be extracted or copied from the portable device alone. This segmentation prevents piracy while maintaining ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable storage device acts as an intermediary that delivers a key template to the printer, where it is combined with device-specific information to generate the final licensed key. This intermediary approach allows secure licensing without requiring pre-personalized cards for each device, resolving the contradiction between security and manufacturing ease.
2Reliability
If compact flash cards are personalized with unique contents for each printer, then licensing security is improved, but manufacturing time delays and costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by storing a generic key template on the portable storage device before it reaches the customer. The actual key generation is deferred until the device-specific information is available in the printer, eliminating the need for time-consuming pre-personalization while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The printer automatically generates the licensed key by combining the received key template with its own device-specific information stored in memory. This self-service approach eliminates the need for manual personalization of each card during manufacturing, significantly improving productivity while maintaining licensing security.
3Productivity
If a generic compact flash card is used without personalization, then manufacturing is fast and cost-effective, but the card can be copied and reused in multiple printers causing revenue loss
Solution Approach 1:
The licensing system implements local quality by making the key device-specific through combination with printer-unique information stored in the printer's memory. The same generic key template can be used across multiple printers, but each printer generates a unique licensed key locally, preventing copying while maintaining fast manufacturing.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for controlling access to features on an electronic device, such as a printer, is disclosed. The electronic device is shipped with multiple software features, but one or more of the features may be disabled. According to aspects of the present invention, when a customer subsequently licenses or purchases one of the disabled features, the feature is enabled as follows. A key corresponding to the disabled feature is stored on a portable storage device. When the portable storage device is inserted into the electronic device, the key is customized based on device-specific information of the electronic device, thereby reducing a possibility that the key can be copied and used for enabling the feature on more than one device. The customized key is then used to enable the feature in the electronic device.