Silicon Feature Usage Metering for Pay-As-You-Go Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor devices are shipped with fixed hardware and firmware features, limiting the ability to activate additional features post-sale, leading to inefficient inventory management and reduced revenue opportunities for manufacturers, and increased costs for customers.
Innovation Solution
Implementing Software Defined Silicon (SDSi) systems that enable activation, deactivation, and management of silicon product features after sale, allowing for on-demand feature activation and subscription models, reducing the need for multiple SKUs and enabling pay-as-you-go billing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If semiconductor devices are shipped with fixed hardware and firmware features, then manufacturing and inventory management are simplified, but the ability to activate additional features post-sale is limited, reducing revenue opportunities and increasing customer costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic feature activation through Software Defined Silicon (SDSi) technology, allowing hardware features to be dynamically enabled or disabled post-sale through software control. This transforms fixed semiconductor devices into adaptable platforms where features can be activated based on customer needs and payment, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity by using software-based control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of semiconductor devices by introducing configurable feature states that can be modified through software licenses and subscriptions. This allows the same physical device to operate in multiple configurations, enabling post-sale feature activation without requiring physical hardware changes, thus improving adaptability while maintaining manageable system complexity through standardized software interfaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple SKUs are created to offer different feature sets, then customer needs can be met, but inventory costs and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal semiconductor device platform that can serve multiple customer needs through software-defined feature activation. Instead of manufacturing separate devices for different feature sets, a single device design can be configured to provide various feature combinations through SDSi technology. This reduces inventory variety while maintaining the ability to meet diverse customer requirements, as the same physical device can be licensed to provide different feature sets.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the feature set into independently controllable modules that can be selectively activated through software licenses. This allows the manufacturer to offer customized feature combinations without creating separate physical SKUs for each configuration. The segmentation is logical rather than physical, reducing inventory complexity while maintaining feature configuration flexibility through software-based feature gates and entitlement management.
3Productivity
If features are activated on-demand through subscription models, then revenue opportunities increase, but billing and feature usage tracking complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated feedback loops between feature usage monitoring and billing systems. The SDSi platform continuously tracks feature activation states and usage metrics, automatically generating billing information and managing subscription entitlements. This feedback mechanism enables on-demand revenue capture without manual intervention, improving productivity while managing complexity through automated reconciliation between feature usage and billing records.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service feature activation and billing management through automated entitlement verification and license distribution. The SDSi platform automatically verifies customer entitlements, activates appropriate features, and manages subscription billing without requiring complex manual billing processes. This self-service approach improves revenue capture efficiency while reducing billing system complexity through automated entitlement management and integrated licensing workflows.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media) to implement software defined silicon feature configuration pay-as-you-go licensing are disclosed. A disclosed silicon semiconductor device includes a first counter that increments a first count when a timer expires and, responsive to expiration of the timer, a feature configuration sampler to sample a state of a configuration of a feature of the silicon semiconductor device. In addition, the silicon semiconductor device includes a second counter that increments a second count when the sampled state of the configuration of the feature indicates the feature is active. A feature up-time tracker is also included outputs a value representative of an amount of time the configuration has been active, where the amount of time is based on the first count and the second count.