US 12,346,415 B2
Method and apparatus for license credit management
Cheng Li, San Diego, CA (US); Jinsong Zheng, San Diego, CA (US); Eric Brunnett-Lazarte, La Mesa, CA (US); Patrick Dizon, San Diego, CA (US); and Fredelyn A. Benavidez, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to ARRIS Enterprises LLC, Suwanee, GA (US)
Filed by ARRIS Enterprises LLC, Suwanee, GA (US)
Filed on Nov. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/981,267.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/275,800, filed on Nov. 4, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0132958 A1, May 4, 2023
Int. Cl. G06F 21/10 (2013.01)
CPC G06F 21/105 (2013.01) 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of managing distribution of at least one license to one or more features defined in feature categories using a computing device that includes a processor, comprising:
accepting a purchase request, the purchase request specifying a plurality of feature purchases which are included in a plurality of different said feature categories, each feature purchase defining a respective number of purchase feature units and a purchase temporal term for each of said plurality of said feature categories, where a plurality of features units for different features are included within the same feature category, where each of said plurality of different features included within the same feature category share said respective number of purchase features units and said purchase temporal time, and each feature belonging to only one of the feature categories;
pooling the feature purchases within each feature category to a number of purchase feature credits of a uniform credit temporal term, where said respective number of purchase feature units for a first plurality of different said features correspond to a first said feature category, where said respective number of purchase feature units for a second plurality of different said features correspond to a second said feature category, where said first feature category corresponds to a first set of features not included in said second feature category which corresponds to a second set of features;
accepting a request for a license, the request specifying a license temporal term of temporal duration, and the request for the license comprising, for each license request feature category:
the feature category from among a plurality different said feature categories;
a number of license feature units within the respective feature category where a first set of license feature units for a respective first said feature category is attributed against a first pool of license feature units for said first feature category and where a second set of license feature units for a respective second said feature category is attributed against a second pool of license feature units for said first feature category, where said first pool of license feature units is separate from said second pool of license feature units;
computing, for each license request feature category, a number of license feature credits consumed by the respective request for the license, according to a start date and the license temporal term of said temporal duration separately for each said feature category;
decrementing the number of purchase feature credits in each feature category from a respective pool of feature license units for a particular feature category according to the number of license feature credits consumed in the respective feature category; and
selectively providing the requested license for a respective pool of feature license units for a particular feature category based upon where a sufficient number of license feature credits are available in each feature category such that a corresponding computing device uses the requested license to active corresponding features.