Quote-Generated Software Contracts for Automated Usage Compliance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vendors face challenges in optimizing revenue and monitoring software usage conditions efficiently, leading to profit loss and resource consumption due to manual and error-prone processes in adding subscription line items and detecting improper usage.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for generating contracts based on quotes, which include software item information and usage conditions, allowing for automated monitoring and compliance checking, with features like smart contracts on blockchain for enhanced security and efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual processes are used to add subscription line items and monitor usage conditions, then vendors can maintain simple systems, but revenue optimization is reduced and errors increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverevenue optimizationVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automated self-service through smart contracts that automatically monitor software usage conditions and enforce compliance without manual intervention. The contract generation module creates self-executing contracts that automatically track usage metrics, detect violations, and trigger appropriate actions, eliminating the need for manual monitoring while maintaining system simplicity through automation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Usage conditions are predetermined and embedded in smart contracts before software deployment. The system pre-configures monitoring parameters, compliance rules, and enforcement mechanisms in advance, allowing automated tracking and detection of usage violations without requiring complex real-time decision-making processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If automated monitoring of usage conditions is implemented, then compliance detection is improved, but processing and memory resources are consumed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompliance detection accuracyVSAvoidprocessing resources

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and monitors only the specific usage conditions defined in the smart contracts, rather than tracking all possible software parameters. By focusing monitoring efforts on predetermined compliance criteria such as usage duration, geographic restrictions, and user permissions, the system achieves reliable compliance detection while minimizing processing overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The monitoring system implements partial monitoring by selectively tracking only the usage conditions specified in each contract rather than comprehensively monitoring all software operations. This approach provides sufficient compliance detection accuracy for business needs while significantly reducing the processing and memory resources required compared to full-system monitoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If comprehensive monitoring of all software usage parameters is performed, then usage condition compliance is ensured, but a significant amount of processing and memory resources are consumed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveusage condition complianceVSAvoidmemory resources

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Productivity

If manual task processing is used for adding subscription line items, then system complexity is kept low, but time consumption and errors increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction processing speedVSAvoidautomation system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces manual mechanical processes with automated computational processes. The contract generation module automatically creates smart contracts from subscription data, and the monitoring system automatically tracks usage conditions and enforces compliance, eliminating manual data entry and monitoring tasks while reducing errors and increasing processing speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12353522B2Systems and methods for monitoring software items based on generated contracts

Publication Date: 2025.07.08 ACRONIS INT

AI summary

Disclosed herein are systems and method for monitoring software items using a generated contract, the method including: transmitting a quote for viewing on a computing device associated with a first person, wherein the quote includes a list of software items included in a transaction; in response to receiving an approval of the quote by the first person, generating a contract governing the transaction by: extracting the list of software items from the quote; retrieving software item information for each of the list of software items; determining, based on the software item information and for inclusion in the contract, usage conditions that the first person has to comply with to access software items in the list of software items; and monitoring compliance with the usage conditions using the contract; and in response to detecting non-compliance, blocking access to a corresponding software item in the list of software items.