Patent Application
20050193213
The present disclosure generally relates to the metered execution of code.
Digital rights management has focused extensively on protection of “content,” such as music, motion pictures and other copyrighted data-based material. In particular, research has been made into various encryption strategies which could be employed to protect such material from copying and other uses which violate licensing agreements between content-providers and content-consumers.
Executable software code has traditionally followed a different model, wherein a consumer makes a software purchase (either “shrink-wrapped” or down-loaded), installs the software on a computer system and consents to a licensing agreement. At this point, conventional systems and methods allow the consumer to execute any part of the code contained within the software purchase to any degree desired (consistent with the licensing agreement, which typically prescribes the number of machines on which the software may be installed).
The current licensing model for executable software described above provides the consumer with an “all or nothing” choice when making a software purchasing decision—i.e. to incur the full cost and benefit, or to entirely forego the cost and the benefit. Thus, the purchasing analysis typically involves a decision as to whether the consumer anticipates exceeding a threshold level of use. If so, a purchase is made; if not, no purchase is made. In some situations, this model can be unsatisfactory for software producers, since sales are lost where consumers decline to make purchases when they anticipate that their use of a software product will be low. This model is similarly unsatisfactory for consumers, since they may inaccurately estimate need for a software product. Such a miscalculation may result in either a little-used purchase or unfilled needs which were greater than anticipated. Moreover, even where the consumer correctly estimates that use will be small and forgoes the purchase, there is dissatisfaction because consumers have unmet needs for software products.
Accordingly, a need exists for alternative techniques to license operation of software code.
Systems and methods for metering execution of code at runtime are described. According to one implementation, a call is received requesting execution of a protected service. In response, permission is requested for the execution. The request for permission is analyzed. A grant of permission is based on the analysis.
The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similar or identical items.
Overview
The following discussion is directed to systems and methods that meter execution of code. Such systems and methods are adaptable to any code-executing device, such as computer systems, cellular telephones and many others. According to one implementation, an application—or plurality of applications organized as a library—is configured to make calls to invoke operation of one or more protected services, which may also be configured as a library. The protected services can represent executable code whose operation and functionality is desired to be controlled, such as for reasons related to billing, software licensing, security, child-protection, or other purposes. Because execution of each protected service may be separately controlled, licensing of executable code may be made “granular,” i.e. small functional blocks of executable code may be licensed, thereby providing an alternative to licensing larger blocks of code. This can provide a valuable sales tool for utilization by vendors, since such a tool will allow consumers to license only the code that they wish to execute.
Upon being called by an application, a protected service calls upon a metering engine to perform an analysis determining whether the application which called the protected service has permission to do so. Permission is typically governed by a service contract, evaluated in view of meter data. For example, the service contract may allow a certain number of calls by the application to the protected service, perhaps as a function of time. In this case, a history of prior calls to the protected service, and perhaps times of the prior calls, would be contained in the meter data. The analysis of the service contract and meter data by the metering engine results in a determination of allowance or rejection of the application's request for execution of the protected service. The protected service then executes if allowed, and returns a result to the application.
Exemplary Apparatus
The application(s) 102 are configured to make calls to one or more protected services 106(1) through 106(J). The protected services are “protected” in that they are subject to metered code execution, as will be developed more fully, below. The protected services are executable software routines, which may be configured for almost any purpose. For example, where the code-executing device 100 is a cellular telephone, the protected services may support features whose operation is to be metered. In such an environment, the protected services may support features such as sending a text message, facilitating call-forwarding set-up or other functionality for which metered execution is desired. In an alternative example, where the code-executing device 100 is a workstation, the protected services may support enhanced features of an office productivity suite whose operation is to be metered. In such an environment, the protected services may support features which may or may not be frequently used. For example, protected services may support features such as the creation of pdf files, the operation of a foreign spell-checker or other functionality for which metered execution is desired.
Each protected service 106 is configured, upon being called by an application 102, to call a metering engine 108. The metering engine 108 makes a determination if the application 102 or immediate caller (which may be located, for example, in a stack) has permission to execute the protected service 106. The call from the protected service 106 to the metering engine 108 is typically made using a secure transmission layer 110. The secure transmission layer may utilize strong cryptography, a secure socket or any conventional or newly-developed strategy for secure communication.
Note that in one implementation, the applications 102 and protected services 106 may be located in a single runtime area. Alternatively, the applications 102 and protected services 106 may be run in separate runtime areas 103, 105, respectively, wherein memory located in each runtime area is bounded at 104. Similarly, while the metering engine 108 can be run in a separate runtime area 107 within memory bounded at 112 or in a separate machine or device, the metering engine 108 can in some implementations be run in the same runtime area as the application(s) 102 and/or protected service(s) 106.
Structures within a typical metering engine 108 are seen in
The secure store of meter data 116 is configured to contain data relevant to the use of one or more protected services. For example, the meter data 116 may include information on total number of times that any protected service has been called, the applications making each call, and the times of the call. Such data would be useful, for example, where the code-executing device 100 is a cellular telephone, and where the protected service 106 at issue may be configured for providing text-messaging services. In this example, the meter data 116 might include information on the number and times of past text-messages. This information would be useful in many circumstances in determining if additional executions of a protected service 106 are allowable.
One or more service contracts 118(1)-118(K) can be included within the metering engine 108. A service contract 118 includes rules governing the use of one or more protected services 106. For example, rules within the service contract 118 may indicate a maximum number of times a protected service 106 may be executed, or a maximum number of times such a service may be executed within a period of time. Alternatively, rules within the service contract 118 may impose a date after which execution of the protected service is no longer allowed. As will be easily understood by the reader, rules of any number and type may be contained within the service contract.
There may be one or multiple service contracts 118 depending upon the implementation. In an implementation where the metering engine 108 is configured within a cellular telephone, there might be a single service contract 118 to govern one or more protected services. In another implementation where the metering engine 108 is configured for use with a computer, there may be multiple service contracts 118(1)-118(K) to provide rules governing execution of a more complex set of protected services 106(1)-106(J).
The code-executing device 100 of
Exemplary Methods
A “processor-readable medium,” as used herein, can be any means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport instructions for use by or execution by a processor. A processor-readable medium can be, without limitation, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific examples of a processor-readable medium include, among others, an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable-read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a rewritable compact disc (CD-RW), and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM).
Referring again to
At block 304, a secure connection or communication channel is typically opened between the protected service 106 and the metering engine 108. As discussed, the metering engine 108 may be contained on the same code-executing device 100 as the protected service 106. Alternatively, the metering engine may be remotely located. If this is the case, the secure communication channel may be made over the Internet or other network.
At block 306, a message is sent from the protected service to the metering engine. Where a secure connection or channel was opened at block 304, encryption is typically not required. However, where a secure connection or channel was not available, the message is typically encrypted, such as by application of the Pretty Good Privacy® encryption method or other encryption methods. At block 308, the message requesting permission to execute a protected service is received by the metering engine.
At block 310, permission to use the protected service is determined by a metering engine 108 based on an analysis of a service contract 118 and data obtained from a secure store of meter data 116. The service contract contains one or more rules governing the operation of the protected service 106. Examples of rules include restrictions on use of the protected service more than a set number of times, or use of the protected service past a certain date. A wide variety of rules could similarly be envisioned.
In making the decision to allow or reject use of the protected service, the metering engine 108 typically accesses the secure store of meter data 116, which provides information to which the rules contained within the service contract 118 may be applied. At block 312, the meter data 116 is updated to reflect the call made by the protected service. For example, where the rules within the service contract 118 specify an allowable number of executions of the protected service, the meter data 116 is updated to reflect an addition execution of the protected service.
At block 314, where the analysis by the metering engine indicates that permission to execute the protected service is appropriately granted, an allowance code is issued by the metering engine; alternatively, a rejection code may be issued. Accordingly, the protected service 106 is executed (block 316). At block 318, the protected service is then able to return results of its operation to the calling application 102.
Alternatively, where the analysis by the metering engine results in rejection of use of the protected service, the protected service directed to return notice of failure to execute to the calling application 102 (block 320).
While one or more methods have been disclosed by means of flow diagrams and text associated with the blocks of the flow diagrams, it is to be understood that the blocks do not necessarily have to be performed in the order in which they were presented, and that an alternative order may result in similar advantages. Furthermore, the methods are not exclusive and can be performed alone or in combination with one another.
Exemplary Code-Executing Device
The code-executing system 100 includes a general-purpose computing system in the form of a computer 402. The components of computer 402 can include, but are not limited to, one or more processors or processing units 404, a system memory 406, and a system bus 408 that couples various system components including the processor 404 to the system memory 406. The system bus 408 represents one or more of any of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures.
Computer 402 typically includes a variety of computer readable media. Such media can be any available media that is accessible by computer 402 and includes both volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. The system memory 406 includes computer readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 410, and/or non-volatile memory, such as read only memory (ROM) 412. A basic input/output system (BIOS) 414, containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within computer 402, such as during start-up, is stored in ROM 412. RAM 410 typically contains data and/or program modules that are immediately accessible to and/or presently operated on by the processing unit 404.
Computer 402 can also include other removable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer storage media. By way of example,
The disk drives and their associated computer-readable media provide non-volatile storage of computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for computer 402. Although the example illustrates a hard disk 416, a removable magnetic disk 420, and a removable optical disk 424, it is to be appreciated that other types of computer readable media which can store data that is accessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes or other magnetic storage devices, flash memory cards, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, random access memories (RAM), read only memories (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and the like, can also be utilized to implement the exemplary computing system and environment.
Any number of program modules can be stored on the hard disk 416, magnetic disk 420, optical disk 424, ROM 412, and/or RAM 410, including by way of example, an operating system 426, one or more application programs 428, other program modules 430, and program data 432. Each of such operating system 426, one or more application programs 428, other program modules 430, and program data 432 (or some combination thereof) may include an embodiment of a caching scheme for user network access information.
Computer 402 can include a variety of computer/processor readable media identified as communication media. Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above are also included within the scope of computer readable media.
A user can enter commands and information into computer system 402 via input devices such as a keyboard 434 and a pointing device 436 (e.g., a “mouse”). Other input devices 438 (not shown specifically) may include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, serial port, scanner, and/or the like. These and other input devices are connected to the processing unit 404 via input/output interfaces 440 that are coupled to the system bus 408, but may be connected by other interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game port, or a universal serial bus (USB).
A monitor 442 or other type of display device can also be connected to the system bus 408 via an interface, such as a video adapter 444. In addition to the monitor 442, other output peripheral devices can include components such as speakers (not shown) and a printer 446 which can be connected to computer 402 via the input/output interfaces 440.
Computer 402 can operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computing device 448. By way of example, the remote computing device 448 can be a personal computer, portable computer, a server, a router, a network computer, a peer device or other common network node, and the like. The remote computing device 448 is illustrated as a portable computer that can include many or all of the elements and features described herein relative to computer system 402.
Logical connections between computer 402 and the remote computer 448 are depicted as a local area network (LAN) 450 and a general wide area network (WAN) 452. Such networking environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets, and the Internet. When implemented in a LAN networking environment, the computer 402 is connected to a local network 450 via a network interface or adapter 454. When implemented in a WAN networking environment, the computer 402 typically includes a modem 456 or other means for establishing communications over the wide network 452. The modem 456, which can be internal or external to computer 402, can be connected to the system bus 408 via the input/output interfaces 440 or other appropriate mechanisms. It is to be appreciated that the illustrated network connections are exemplary and that other means of establishing communication link(s) between the computers 402 and 448 can be employed.
In a networked environment, such as that illustrated with computing environment 400, program modules depicted relative to the computer 402, or portions thereof, may be stored in a remote memory storage device. By way of example, remote application programs 458 reside on a memory device of remote computer 448. For purposes of illustration, application programs and other executable program components, such as the operating system, are illustrated herein as discrete blocks, although it is recognized that such programs and components reside at various times in different storage components of the computer system 402, and are executed by the data processor(s) of the computer.
Conclusion
Although the invention has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claimed invention.
