US 12,079,313 B2
Software licensing management and authentication
Dustin Bingham, Santa Clara, CA (US); and Charles Manfredi, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/612,911
Filed by AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US)
PCT Filed May 21, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/034032
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 19, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/237070, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 26, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/850,974, filed on May 21, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0318345 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. G06F 21/10 (2013.01); H04L 67/141 (2022.01)
CPC G06F 21/105 (2013.01) [G06F 21/1077 (2023.08); H04L 67/141 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
receiving a request for an unlock code for a requested service using a first software from a user using a client device on which the first software is executed, wherein the request for the unlock code comprises:
a generated unique identifier associated with the requested service,
wherein the generated unique identifier comprises licensing information that includes at least one of data regarding the requested service using the first software, session data for session use of the requested service, data regarding type of system for providing the requested service, or information regarding type of license associated with at least one of the requested service or the first software;
in response to receiving the generated unique identifier, extracting the licensing information embedded in the unique identifier, and
determining whether the user should have access to the requested service using the first software based at least in part on the licensing information and stored information regarding at least one of the user, an entity with which the user is associated, the requested service, or the first software; and
based on a determination that the user should have access to the requested service using the first software, generating an unlock code associated with the requested service using the first software;
deducting cost associated with the licensing information;
sending the unlock code to the user, wherein the unlock code is a per-session code for unlocking a single session use of the requested service using the first software,
receiving, decrypting, and authenticating a refund code from the user; and
in response to receiving, decrypting, and authenticating the refund code, invalidating, a current single session use of the requested service using the first software, and incrementing a counter indicating a remaining number of credits by a predetermined number of credits per session use for the requested service.