Seat-Based Resource Tracking for User-Level Authorization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional resource-based consumption models lack affinity between resource usage and users, failing to provide effective mechanisms for adding, modifying, or removing authorization on a user- or device-specific level, especially in organizational structures with frequent turnover.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a seat-assignment based tracking model that assigns users or devices to allotments within an account, allowing for precise management and tracking of resource usage by monitoring authorized services under these allotments, enabling efficient addition, modification, or deletion of user permissions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If consumption-based resource tracking is used, then resource usage can be monitored, but affinity between resource usage and users is lost, making authorization management inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource tracking accuracyVSAvoidauthorization management efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments resource tracking into two distinct layers: seat-level assignment (user/device identification) and resource-level consumption tracking. This segmentation allows precise measurement of resource usage while maintaining clear affinity between users and resources through the seat assignment mechanism, resolving the contradiction between tracking accuracy and authorization management efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Quantity of substance

If traditional consumption-based modeling is applied to all resources, then resource usage is tracked, but organizational structures with frequent turnover face challenges in managing authorizations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource usage trackingVSAvoidorganizational flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements dynamic seat assignment where users or devices can be assigned to seats and automatically authorized for resources. When organizational structures change or turnover occurs, the system dynamically updates authorizations by adding or removing seat assignments, maintaining adaptability while continuing to track resource consumption accurately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If seat assignment is implemented, then user-specific authorization management is enabled, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser permission managementVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces seats as intermediary entities between users/devices and resources. Instead of directly managing complex user-resource authorization relationships, the system uses seats as mediators that simplify the authorization model. Users are assigned to seats, and seats are authorized for resources, creating a manageable intermediate layer that reduces overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12437245B2Seat-assignment based resource tracking

Publication Date: 2025.10.07 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Seat-assignment based resource tracking is used to track usage, or consumption, of resources under a license. An account includes a license for a plurality of resources. An allotment is generated under the account and populated with a plurality of seats. Populating the allotment with the plurality of seats automatically authorizes the populated plurality of seats for access to a portion of the plurality of resources. When the plurality of resources are accessed by a device associated with a seat of the authorized plurality of seats, the usage of the plurality of resources by the device is tracked.