Method and apparatus for metering usage of software products using multiple signatures

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

United States of America Patent

PATENT NO 7860239
APP PUB NO 20060021061A1
SERIAL NO

11168693

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Abstract

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A method and a corresponding apparatus for metering usage of software products on a computer are proposed. The solution of the invention is based on the idea of associating each product with an installation signature (indicative of the installation of the product on the computer) and with a running signature (indicative of the running of the product on the computer). The products that are installed on the computer are asynchronously determined according to their installation signatures; in this way, any ambiguities (for example, caused by different versions and/or configurations of a product sharing the same executable modules) can be resolved in advance. Therefore, when at run-time the invocation of an executable module is detected it is possible to use only the running signatures to identify the corresponding product uniquely (without the need of additional information about the executable module, such as its size).

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddress
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONNEW ORCHARD ROAD ARMONK NY 10504

International Classification(s)

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Carbone, Giancarlo Rome, IT 13 372
Censi, Francesco Rome, IT 1 54
Cerri, Fabio Rome, IT 28 360
Marinella, Calogero Bufalino Grotte, IT 1 54
Pastorelli, Bernardo L'Aquila, IT 49 1000

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