US 12,468,786 B2
Checking a license for the usage of at least one performance property in an internet-of-things (IoT) device
Martin Wimmer, Neubiberg (DE); Rainer Falk, Erding (DE); Stefan Seltzsam, Aying (DE); and Sebastian Ries, Aschheim (DE)
Assigned to SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, Munich (DE)
Appl. No. 18/573,476
Filed by Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich (DE)
PCT Filed Jun. 8, 2022, PCT No. PCT/EP2022/065541
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 22, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/274672, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 5, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 21182801 (EP), filed on Jun. 30, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0265069 A1, Aug. 8, 2024
Int. Cl. G06F 21/10 (2013.01)
CPC G06F 21/1077 (2023.08) [G06F 21/1011 (2023.08)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for checking a license for using at least one performance feature in an Internet-of-Things (IoT) device on the basis of a license identifier, comprising:
stipulating at least one license condition for using a performance feature of the IoT device by at least one attribute contained in the license identifier,
transmitting and storing the license identifier on the IoT device,
checking the license conditions by
a) generating pseudo-access assigned to the performance feature of the IoT device by a pseudo-holder unit formed on the IoT device, wherein the pseudo-holder unit combines Verifiable Credentials (VC) roles of verifier and holder and internally carries out pseudo-access for enabling performance features, and
b) checking an authorization for the pseudo-access by checking the attributes of the license identifier by a verification unit formed on the IoT device, and
activating the at least one performance feature if the pseudo-access is confirmed as permitted by a positive checking result for the license identifier,
wherein the performance feature includes at least one of: a support for at least one protocol, a higher or lower sampling rate, and an accuracy of sensor data,
wherein the license identifier, the pseudo-holder unit and the verification unit are configured on the basis of a specification for VC of a World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), and the license identifier is based on a structure of the VC, the verification unit corresponds to a modified verifier and the pseudo-holder unit corresponds to a modified holder which is configured as a local unit on the IoT device and provides the verification unit with the license identifier, and
wherein the pseudo-access is generated and checked when starting the IoT device or when starting the performance feature on the IoT device, and/or the pseudo-access is repeatedly generated and checked during operation wherein the pseudo-access operations are repeated during ongoing operation, and a performance feature is activated or enabled at a later time depending on a result or is deactivated or blocked in an event of a negative result during operation.