US6332025B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Software distribution system and software utilization scheme for improving security and user convenience
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
•
Filing: 2000-12-18
•
Granted: 2001-12-18
•
Expires: 2020-12-18
Abstract
Abstract A software distribution system and a software utilization scheme for effectively preventing an illegal copy of a software is difficult while improving a convenience of a user. At a user side, a shared key to be shared between a software provider and a user is stored, where the shared key has a guaranteed correspondence with an ID information regarding a payment of a software fee by the user. Then, a desired software is requested to the software provider, and the desired software is received in an encrypted form from the software provider. The desired software received from the software provider is then decrypted by using the shared key stored at the user side, and the desired software in a decrypted form is utilized at the user side.
Inventors
- 👤 Toshinari Takahashi
- 👤 Hiroyasu Nogami
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 00:48
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F21/00; G06F21/10; G06F21/101; G06F21/1011; G06F2211/00; G06F2211/007; G06F2211/008
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
165 words
A client device for utilizing software, comprising: a user registration unit configured to carry out a user registration by generating a shared key at a user side and storing the shared key at the user side, the shared key is to be stored at both a software provider side and the user side before any request for a software is issued from a user to a software provider and having a guaranteed correspondence with an ID information regarding a payment of a software fee by the user; a software request unit configured to request a desired software from the user to the software provider by using the shared key, and to receive the desired software in an encrypted form using the shared key from the software provider; a decryption unit configured to decrypt the desired software received from the software provider by using the shared key stored at the user side; and a processing unit configured to utilize the desired software in a decrypted form.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
165 words
A client device for utilizing software, comprising: a user registration unit configured to carry out a user registration by generating a shared key at a user side and storing the shared key at the user side, the shared key is to be stored at both a software provider side and the user side before any request for a software is issued from a user to a software provider and having a guaranteed correspondence with an ID information regarding a payment of a software fee by the user; a software request unit configured to request a desired software from the user to the software provider by using the shared key, and to receive the desired software in an encrypted form using the shared key from the software provider; a decryption unit configured to decrypt the desired software received from the software provider by using the shared key stored at the user side; and a processing unit configured to utilize the desired software in a decrypted form.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
99 words
The client device of claim 1 , wherein the user registration unit establishes the guaranteed correspondence between the shared key and the ID information by encrypting the shared key at the user side by using a public key corresponding to a secret key of the software provider and sending the shared key in an encrypted form from the user side to the software provider, and the user registration unit encrypts the ID information at the user side by using the shared key and sends the ID information in an encrypted form from the user side to the software provider.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
72 words
The client device of claim 1 , wherein the user registration unit establishes the guaranteed correspondence between the shared key and the ID information by encrypting the shared key and the ID information at the user side by using a public key corresponding to a secret key of the software provider and sending the shared key and the ID information in an encrypted form from the user side to the software provider.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
87 words
The client device of claim 1 , wherein the user registration unit stores the shared key at the user side by obtaining an auxiliary information regarding a software utilization, encrypting the shared key by using the auxiliary information, and storing the shared key in an encrypted form, and the decryption unit decrypts the desired software by obtaining the auxiliary information, decrypting the shared key in an encrypted form by using the auxiliary information, and decrypting the desired software by using the shared key in a decrypted form.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The client device of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit utilizes the desired software in executing another already provided software.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
147 words
A client device for purchasing a software, comprising: a user registration unit configured to carry out a user registration by generating a shared key at a user side and storing the shared key at the user side, the shared key is to be stored at both a software provider side and the user side and guaranteed to correspond to an ID information or a user regarding a payment of a software fee; a software receiving unit configured to receive, in response to a request for a desired software by the user using the shared key, the desired software in a form encrypted using the shared key from a software provider, without requiring the user to give the ID information to the software provider; and a decryption unit configured to decrypt the desired software received from the software provider using the shared key stored at the user side.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
147 words
A client device for purchasing a software, comprising: a user registration unit configured to carry out a user registration by generating a shared key at a user side and storing the shared key at the user side, the shared key is to be stored at both a software provider side and the user side and guaranteed to correspond to an ID information or a user regarding a payment of a software fee; a software receiving unit configured to receive, in response to a request for a desired software by the user using the shared key, the desired software in a form encrypted using the shared key from a software provider, without requiring the user to give the ID information to the software provider; and a decryption unit configured to decrypt the desired software received from the software provider using the shared key stored at the user side.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The client device of claim 6 , wherein the software receiving unit also receives, in response to another request for another desired software by the user, the another desired software in a form encrypted using the shared key from the software provider.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
The client device of claim 6 , further comprising: a key storage unit configured to store another shared key shared between another software provider and the user, the another shared key being guaranteed to correspond to the ID information, without storing the ID information in the client device.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
112 words
A server device for selling a software, comprising: a registration unit configured to register a user at a software provider side by storing a shared key generated at a user side, the shared key being guaranteed to correspond to an ID information of the user regarding a payment of a software fee; a request receiving unit configured to receive a request of a desired software from the user using the shared key, where the request is not accompanied by the ID information; and a software transmission unit configured to transmit, in response to the request, the desired software in a form encrypted using the shared key stored at the software provider side.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
112 words
A server device for selling a software, comprising: a registration unit configured to register a user at a software provider side by storing a shared key generated at a user side, the shared key being guaranteed to correspond to an ID information of the user regarding a payment of a software fee; a request receiving unit configured to receive a request of a desired software from the user using the shared key, where the request is not accompanied by the ID information; and a software transmission unit configured to transmit, in response to the request, the desired software in a form encrypted using the shared key stored at the software provider side.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
122 words
A server device for providing a specific software to a client terminal through a network, comprising: an install list transmission unit configured to transmit an install list describing install information of a plurality of files corresponding to the specific software specified by a software request received from the client terminal, to the client terminal such that the client terminal can select necessary files among the plurality of files; and a download information transmission unit configured to receive a download request indicating the necessary files selected by the client terminal, and to transmit download information containing the necessary files indicated by the download request, to the client terminal such that the client terminal can install the necessary files according to the download information.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
122 words
A server device for providing a specific software to a client terminal through a network, comprising: an install list transmission unit configured to transmit an install list describing install information of a plurality of files corresponding to the specific software specified by a software request received from the client terminal, to the client terminal such that the client terminal can select necessary files among the plurality of files; and a download information transmission unit configured to receive a download request indicating the necessary files selected by the client terminal, and to transmit download information containing the necessary files indicated by the download request, to the client terminal such that the client terminal can install the necessary files according to the download information.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
68 words
The server device of claim 10 , wherein the client terminal transmits a user side environment judgement result related to an install of the necessary files at a time of transmitting the software request, and the server device further comprises an install information transmission unit configured to transmit a plurality of install information with different contents according to the user side environment judgement result, to the client terminal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
98 words
The server device of claim 10 , wherein the specific software provided by the server device comprises an active function portion which is independently operable and a passive function portion which becomes operable by being incorporated into the active function portion, and the server device further comprises a charging processing unit configured to charge the user for files corresponding to the passive function portion when the necessary files indicated by the download request from the client terminal contains the files corresponding to the passive function portion, and to provide files corresponding to the active function portion for free.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
The server device of claim 10 , wherein the install list transmission unit transmits the install list describing the install information of one file which is to be divided and provided as a plurality of download information, and information regarding a division of the one file.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
116 words
The server device of claim 10 , wherein the client terminal is provided with a program for carrying out a transmission of the download request and a program for carrying out an install of the necessary files according to the download information, at least one of which has an own version information, and the install list transmission unit transmits a plurality of the install information along with information on a recommended version of each program on the client terminal, such that the client terminal requests information necessary for version up of each program on the client terminal to the server device prior to the transmission of the download request or the install of the necessary files.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
135 words
A client device for utilizing a software provided from a server through a network, comprising: a software request transmission unit configured to transmit a software request for requesting the server to provide a specific software, to the server; a download request transmission unit configured to receive from the server an install list describing install information of a plurality of files corresponding to the specific software specified by the software request, to select necessary files to be requested by referring to the install list, and to transmit a download request for requesting the necessary files to the server; and a download information receiving unit configured to receive download information containing the necessary files indicated by the download request from the server, and to carry out an install of the necessary files according to the download information.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
135 words
A client device for utilizing a software provided from a server through a network, comprising: a software request transmission unit configured to transmit a software request for requesting the server to provide a specific software, to the server; a download request transmission unit configured to receive from the server an install list describing install information of a plurality of files corresponding to the specific software specified by the software request, to select necessary files to be requested by referring to the install list, and to transmit a download request for requesting the necessary files to the server; and a download information receiving unit configured to receive download information containing the necessary files indicated by the download request from the server, and to carry out an install of the necessary files according to the download information.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
62 words
The client device of claim 15 , wherein the software request transmission unit also transmits a user side environment judgement result related to an install of the necessary files at a time of transmitting the software request, such that the server transmits a plurality of install information with different contents according to the user side environment judgement result, to the client device.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
99 words
The client device of claim 15 , wherein the software request transmission unit transmits the software request for requesting the server to provide the specific software which comprises an active function portion which is independently operable and a passive function portion which becomes operable by being incorporated into the active function portion, where the server charges the user for files corresponding to the passive function portion when the necessary files indicated by the download request from the client device contains the files corresponding to the passive function portion, and provides files corresponding to the active function portion for free.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
46 words
The client device of claim 15 , wherein the download request transmission unit receives the install list describing the install information of one file which is to be divided and provided as a plurality of download information, and information regarding a division of the one file.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
129 words
The client device of claim 15 , wherein the download request transmission unit and the download information receiving unit are provided in forms of a program for carrying out a transmission of the download request and a program for carrying out an install of the necessary files according to the download information, at least one of which has an own version information, and when the server transmits a plurality of the install information along with information on a recommended version of each program on the client terminal, the download request transmission unit or the download information receiving unit requests information necessary for version up of each program on the client device to the server prior to the transmission of the download request or the install of the necessary files.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4200770A
Cited
US4405829A
Cited
US4817140A
Cited
USRE36310E
Cited
US5812666A
Cited
US5809145A
Cited
US5862223A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-12-17 | 2005-06-18 | 2005-12-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-12-17 | 2009-06-18 | 2009-12-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-12-17 | 2013-06-18 | 2013-12-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |