Software Support Contract Verification Using Device Identification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Companies face challenges in determining whether a support contract is in place for software without individual identification numbers, leading to potential misuse and inefficient support services, as existing technologies cannot accurately verify the contract status for each software instance.

Innovation Solution

A management device and system that records and manages support contracts by associating individual device information with support contracts, allowing for the determination of contract validity and preventing excessive support requests beyond contracted limits, using a storage unit and processing unit to store and manage support contract information and individual device information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If individual identification numbers are assigned to each software instance for contract verification, then support contract management accuracy is improved, but device complexity and implementation difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontract verification accuracyVSAvoidsystem implementation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses device information (such as device IDs or configuration data) as a substitute copy for individual software identification numbers. Instead of assigning unique IDs to each software instance, the system copies and utilizes existing device-level identification information to verify support contracts, thereby achieving accurate verification without the complexity of individual software ID management

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes device information serve multiple functions: it identifies the device, verifies support contract eligibility, and tracks software installation status. By making the device information universal across these functions, the system avoids the need for separate individual software identification mechanisms, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining verification accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If support contracts are verified for each software instance, then fraudulent support requests are prevented, but processing time and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesupport contract validityVSAvoidsupport request processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs support contract verification in advance by checking device information against registered support contracts before processing support requests. This preliminary verification ensures that only devices with valid support contracts can request support, preventing fraudulent requests while streamlining the actual support processing time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically verifies support contract validity by comparing device information with registered contract data without requiring manual intervention. This automated self-service verification process maintains high reliability in contract validation while minimizing processing time and operational complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If device information is stored and managed centrally, then contract management accuracy is improved, but information security risks and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontract management accuracyVSAvoidinformation security risks

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and stores only essential device information (such as device IDs or configuration hashes) required for contract verification, rather than storing complete device configurations or sensitive data. This extraction approach maintains contract management accuracy while minimizing security risks by reducing the amount of sensitive information stored centrally

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses device information as an intermediary element that links devices to support contracts without exposing sensitive device details. This intermediary approach allows accurate contract verification while protecting underlying device information from security risks, as the stored device information serves as a verification key rather than exposing actual device configurations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11256784B2Recording medium recording management program, method, and recording medium recording support request program

Publication Date: 2022.02.22 FUJITSU LTD

AI summary

A recording medium records a management program allowing a computer to execute a process of: obtaining a support request for first software including first individual information identifying a first device used by a user and a product name of the first software implemented in the first device; and referring to a storage storing second individual information identifying a second device in which second software in a support contract for the user is implemented; and in a case where the second individual information coincident with the first individual information in the support request is not stored in the storage and a number of pieces of the second individual information in the storage is smaller than a number of pieces of support indicating a number of pieces of software supportable based on the support contract, storing the first individual information in the support request to the storage as the second individual information.