Method and device for installing allowed application program

Method and device for installing licensed application program

Technical field

The present invention relates to computer software, in particular to a method and system for installing licensed software to end user computers directly from a network computer via the Internet or other networks.

Background technique

Traditionally, new computer software, such as a program to be executed on an end users personal computer, has been installed on a physical medium such as a floppy disk or CD-ROM together with a license that is usually used to restrict the use of the software to one computer and then sent directly to End user. The installation program included on the physical media allows the end user to easily install the software on the personal computer. However, this easy-to-use approach allows the software to be installed on any number of additional computers regardless of any usage restrictions of the original license.

The updated software delivery system has been delivered using the web server. Even if many of these systems want to control access to software, some of these systems still have many flaws. These deficiencies include lack of control over the installation media, lack of control over the actual computer where the software is to be installed, and non-standardized installation operations between different end-user computers.

Summary of the invention

Considering these problems and deficiencies in the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for managing the distribution of licensed software.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for improving the control of the installation of licensed software on the end user's computer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for verifying the eligibility of sending licensed software to end user computers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for standardizing the installation operation of licensed software on end-user computers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for reducing the chance of improperly copying and sending certifiable software to unlicensed end user computers.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention are partly obvious and partly clear from the description.

It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the above and other purposes and advantages can be obtained in the present invention. In one aspect of the present invention, the method for installing licensed software on end-user computers includes providing a program storage An end user computer with a device and a unique computer identifier, where the unique computer identifier is used to distinguish the end users computer from other computers, and to provide a network computer that can access a program containing software for licensing to the end user Storage device and access to a program storage device that contains the identifier of the computer that lists the computers that are permitted to run the software. After that, the method includes using the network computer to contact the end user computer and determine its end user computer identifier, verifying the list of end user computer identifiers in the network computer database, downloading software from the network computer, and storing the end user computer program on the device Install the downloaded software on.

For installation on an end user's computer program storage device, the software includes a program for execution on the end user's computer. Preferably, a unique computer identifier is selected from the group containing the BIOS serial number and the network adapter address. The method can be implemented in such a way that the program storage device accessed by the network computer includes a plurality of different software and before downloading the software, it also includes the identification of the end user computer and the computer identifier of the end user computer is listed as a licensed network computer program storage device. All the software on the computer and the selection of the software to be downloaded from the end users computer to the network computer.

Preferably, the operation of identifying all the software on the network computer program storage device of the end user computer as a licensed network computer program storage device by the computer identifier of the end user computer is completed through an executable program on the program storage device of the network computer. In this case, before identifying the software on the network computer program storage device to the end user computer, the method further includes sending a command from the end user computer to the network computer for executing the terminal user computer identification by the end user computer The computer identifier of is listed as the licensed software program. The program used to identify the licensed software listed by the computer identifier to the end user computer does not have to be installed on the end user computer. This method is particularly useful when the end-user computer program storage device contains a damaged version of the software to be downloaded and the damaged version can be corrected through the installation of the software.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for installing licensed software on an end user computer, which includes providing a computer with a program storage device and a unique computer for distinguishing the end user computer from other computers Identifier of the end-user computer, such as the BIOS serial number or network adapter address, and provide a network computer that can access a program storage device containing a number of different executable software programs licensed for the end-user tool and access a list that contains A program storage device that is licensed to run the softwares database of computer identifiers. The method includes using a network computer to contact the end-user computer and determine its end-user computer identifier, verifying the list of end-user computer identifiers in the network computer database, and identifying the end-user computer that is listed by the end-user computers computer identifier. All software on the licensed network computer program storage device, send the selection of the software to be downloaded from the end user computer to the network computer, download the selected software from the network computer, and install the downloaded software on the program storage device of the end user computer.

The operation of the end user computer to identify all software on the network computer program storage device listed as licensed by the computer identifier of the end user computer can be executed by the executable program on the program storage device of the network computer. Before identifying the software on the network computer program storage device to the end user computer, the method also includes sending a command from the end user computer to the network computer for executing the computer identifier enumeration used to identify the end user computer by the end user computer It is a program of licensed software.

In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method for installing licensed software on an end user computer, which includes providing a computer with a program storage device and a unique computer for distinguishing the end user computer from other computers Identifier of the end-user computer, such as the BIOS serial number or network adapter address, the program storage device contains a corrupted executable software program, and a network computer that can access a computer that contains software for installing executable software programs A program storage device and a program storage device that accesses a database containing identifiers of computers that are permitted to run the software. The method also includes using a network computer to contact the end user computer and determine its end user computer identifier, verifying the list of end user computer identifiers in the network computer database, downloading the software from the network computer, and storing the end user computer program in the end user computer Install the downloaded software and correct the damaged executable software program. The program storage device accessed by the network computer may include a number of different software, and the method also includes identifying the end user computer before downloading the software. The computer identifier of the end user computer is listed as all of the licensed network computer program storage devices. The software and the selection of the software to be downloaded are sent from the end user computer to the network computer. Preferably, the operation of identifying all software on the network computer program storage device of the end user computer that is listed as licensed by the computer identifier of the end user computer is performed by an executable program on the program storage device of the network computer. Before identifying the software on the network computer program storage device to the end user computer, the method also includes sending a command from the end user computer to the network computer for executing the computer identifier enumeration used to identify the end user computer by the end user computer The licensed software program.

In a related aspect, the present invention provides a machine-readable program storage device in which a set of machine-executable program instructions is actually implemented to complete the installation of licensed software from a network computer on an end user computer. The method steps above. The network computer can access a program storage device containing software for license to end users and access a program storage device containing a database listing computer identifiers that are licensed to run the software, and the end user computer has a program storage device The device and the unique computer identifier used to distinguish the end user's computer from other computers. The method steps include using a network computer to contact the end user computer, determining the end user computer identifier, verifying the list of end user computer identifiers in the network computer database, downloading software from the network computer, and installing the download on the end user computer program storage device Software.

Another related aspect of the present invention provides a computer program product for a network computer and an end user's computer. The computer program product includes a computer usable medium with computer readable program code embedded in the medium for installing licensed software from a network computer on an end user computer. The network computer can access a program storage device containing software for license to end users and access a program storage device containing a database listing computer identifiers that are licensed to run the software, and the end user computer has a program storage device The device and a unique computer identifier used to distinguish the end user's computer from other computers. The computer program product has a computer-readable program code device that uses a network computer to contact a terminal user's computer, a computer-readable program code device that is used to determine the end-user computer identifier, and is used to verify the list of end-user computer identifiers in the network computer database The computer readable program code means for downloading software from a network computer, and the computer readable program code means for installing the downloaded software on the end user computer program storage device.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a manufactured product, including: a computer usable medium with computer readable program code embedded therein, for installing licensed software from a network computer on an end user computer. The network computer can access a program storage device containing software for license to end users and access a program storage device containing a database listing computer identifiers that are licensed to run the software, and the end user computer has a program storage device The device and a unique computer identifier used to distinguish the end user's computer from other computers. The computer-readable program code device in the manufactured product includes a computer-readable program code device that uses a network computer to contact an end-user computer, and a computer-readable program code device that is used to determine the end-user computer identifier, and is used to verify that the network computer database A computer-readable program code device for a list of end-user computer identifiers, a computer-readable program code device for downloading the software from a network computer, and a computer-readable program code device for installing the downloaded software on the end-user computer program storage device Read the program code device.

Description of the drawings

The characteristics of the invention are novel and the basic characteristics of the invention with particularity are set forth in the appended claims. The drawings are for illustration purposes only and are not drawn to scale. However, referring to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, you will be able to understand both the organization and operation method of the present invention itself. In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a network connected to multiple end-user personal computers by the Internet or a network. A schematic diagram of the overall system of the present invention running on a server.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the preferred network server of the present invention, including a program license management program, separate available software programs, and a database with the identifiers of licensed end-user computers.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a typical end user computer including a licensed software program and a computer identifier provided by the present invention.

Figure 4 is a screen display of the preferred program license management program running on the network server and seen on the end user's personal computer.

Figure 5 is a process flow diagram of the preferred method of implementing the present invention.

detailed description

When describing preferred embodiments of the present invention, reference will be made to FIGS. 1-5, in which the same numerals represent the same features of the present invention. The features of the present invention need not be shown to scale in the figures.

The present invention provides a method and system in the form of a computer program product with source code that can be stored on a program storage device for installing subprograms on a client or end user through a scripted network. Install the licensed software on your personal computer and verify that the end user has a legal license to install the software. The preferred method for determining the legal license is to uniquely identify the client personal computer used by the end user. A database maintained on a web server or computer is used to match the end user with a specific customer personal computer. A BIOS (Basic Input Output System) serial number, network adapter address, or other similar identifier provided by the manufacturer together with the personal computer adapter can be used to uniquely identify the personal computer. The central database on the network server (or accessed by it) all maintains the identification of the end user, that is, the uniquely identified personal computer and the licensed program or application that the end user has the right to legally install. The exact database structure can be selected according to system requirements. Relational databases are preferred, but simple ordinary files and any other known database structures can be used.

It is best to use a proxy application or installer "front end" as the interface between the network database and the end user. The front end queries the personal computer for its uniquely identifiable information, and then queries the database for the computer's application software license, thereby verifying the correct end user. The user in the front-end interface identifies the application software that is licensed and can be installed on the computer. The user can then select the application software and download the application software from the web server and install it. The use of manuscript network installation subroutines allows the installation operation to be standardized, thus requiring no input or intervention by the end user.

The present invention can be implemented as a computer program product stored on a program storage device. The program storage device of the present invention can be designed, manufactured and used as a part of a machine, using optical, magnetic and/or electronic circuits to complete the method steps of the present invention. Program storage devices include, but are not limited to, magnetic disks, tapes, optical disks, read-only memory (ROM), floppy disks, semiconductor chips, and so on. A computer-readable program code device in a known source code form can be used to convert the method described below to be used on a computer. The computer programs or software including process steps and instructions described further below may be stored in both one or more computers and network computers or servers of the end user or client.

Figure 1 illustrates the overall configuration of the method and system of the present invention. The network 20, which can be the Internet or a typical office intranet system, connects different network servers to different end-user personal computers. As shown in the figure, the network servers A, 31 and the network servers B, 32 are connected to the network 20 through standard lines or wireless connections 21 and 22, respectively. Similarly, personal end user computers (PCs) 1, 41, personal end user computers 2, 42, and personal end user computers 3, 43 are connected to the network 20 through wire or wireless connections 23, 24, and 25, respectively.

The network computer or server 31 (FIG. 2) includes or has access to one or more program storage devices 35. Installed on the program storage device are the program license management program 50, a database 50a, and a plurality of software AA, AB, AC, etc. for licensing and installation on the end user's computer, which will be discussed below. Although these software AA, AB, AC, etc. are preferably programs to be downloaded, installed and executed by the end user computer, they may also include other software such as database information.

The database 50a in the program storage device 35 accessible to the network server contains a unique identifier list for identifying end-user computers that are permitted to install and use software on the network computer. Matching each unique end-user identifier is a list of individual software that the end-users computer is permitted to use.

FIG. 3 shows a typical client end user personal computer 41, which contains a network adapter card 53 for connecting the personal computer to the network 20 via a line 23. The personal computer also contains a unique identifier in the BIOS, which contains information such as the type and serial number of the personal computer. This end-user computer identifier is unique to that computer and is used to distinguish it from all other end-user computers on the network. The personal computer 41 also includes a program storage device 55, which can receive and store different software such as executable programs AA, AB, etc., which can be used for viewing on the screen 62.

The end user's personal computer starts the process as follows: Send a command to the network computer to run the program license management program from the network computer and watch it on the screen of the personal computer. The preferred program license management program 50 runs on a web server and serves as an interface with the end user, and is viewed on the screen of the end user's personal computer. The program license management program preferably includes software for determining a unique end-user computer identifier on each personal computer that requests the software of the network computer to be installed. It is best to include a Microsoft Visual Basic application software to check the unique computer type and serial number in the vital product data (VPD) area of the personal computer system BIOS. Alternatively, the network adapter address can be used as the unique computer identifier. The program license management program then displays the unique end user computer identifier 58 on the end user computer screen. At the same time, the program license management program queries the database 50a on the network server for software licensed to the computer of a specific end user, and then lists all such software 60 on the screen of the end user. The end user then selects one or more specific software that the end user wishes to install on the end user's personal computer. This type of software may be installed on the end user's personal computer for the first time. Another solution is that if the software has been installed on the end user's personal computer but has been damaged, the end user can select the same software to reinstall it in order to correct the damaged software on the personal computer. After selecting the desired software or software, the user then uses a standard mouse-driven cursor interface to click the install button on the program license management program interface 50 on the personal computer screen 62. The network server then downloads the selected software to the program storage device 55 of the personal computer via the network 20. After installation, the selected software is physically stored in the personal computer storage device and is ready to run on the personal computer.

Figure 5 illustrates a process flow diagram of the preferred method of the present invention. After the start 100, the end user personal computer contacts the network computer and requests a program license management program (PLM) 110. The network computer then starts PLM, 120, and PLM determines the personal computer identifier, 130. The network computer then queries the network computer database 50a to determine whether the personal computer identifier is listed in the network computer database 140. If the personal computer identifier is listed in the network computer database and has a certain software license, the program license management program lists the software 150 that is licensed to the personal computer identifier. If the network computer database does not list any licensed software for the personal computer identifier, the program will exit, 180. Moving on, if PLM lists the licensed software, the personal computer then selects the licensed software, 160 that it wants to install. The PLM then downloads and installs the selected software into the program storage device 55, 170 of the personal computer.

The present invention provides advantages over other prior art solutions. The prior art system can be used for monitoring purposes but does not allow central control of the installation operation of the licensed software. Also, the method of the present invention does not require additional software to be installed and run on the end user's personal computer. The front-end program license management application can be driven from the network, and can also be shared with the end user's personal computer only when needed, and does not require installation on an individual personal computer. A particular advantage of the present invention is that the software to be installed on the end user's computer has a form that does not allow it to be transferred to and installed on another computer. On the contrary, the installation medium is under the control of the network computer, and the network computer directly installs the program on the end user's computer.

By only allowing end users to use the methods and systems described above to install licensed software, it is easier to manage licensed applications and to comply with the legality involving the use of licensed applications. The end user does not physically have the installation medium of the selected software; instead, it maintains it at a central location on the network server and installs the software over the network. The control of the installation media in the network server itself is easier to follow the license management system, because the end user cannot use the media without the proper license. In addition, standardized installation operations from the web server can reduce after-sales service problems and costs. In the case of restoration damage, the end user can reinstall the application program to reconfigure the system after this type of restoration of the system upgrade. This reduces the need for system support personnel who install licensed application software while still maintaining compliance with the license management system.

Although the present invention has been specifically described in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments, it is obvious that those skilled in the art can make many substitutions, modifications and changes in consideration of the above description. Therefore, it is envisaged that the appended claims will include any such substitutions, modifications and changes that fall within the true scope and essence of the present invention.