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US5628015A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method for unlocking software files locked to a specific storage device

Assignee: HP Inc
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Filing: 1995-10-24
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Granted: 1997-05-06
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Expires: 2015-10-24
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Abstract

Abstract The present invention provides a method for unlocking software programs which have been locked to a particular disk by the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,563. This unlocking method determines if a software program has been moved to a new location since it was originally written to a magnetic disk. In addition this method determines if the program has been executed more than a preset number of times and deciphers the software program if deciphering is authorized.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jitendra K. Singh

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 04:52
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F21/00; G06F21/70; G06F21/78; G06F21/80; G06F21/10; G06F21/106; G06F21/1063; G06F21/12; G06F21/121; G06F2211/00; G06F2211/007; G06F2221/00; G06F2221/21; G06F2221/2135; G06F2221/2137

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 233 words
A computer implemented method to unlock a software program, the software program having a known original sector location and a current sector location on a hard disk having sectors, comprising the steps of: causing the software program to execute if a verification process determines that all of the following conditions are true: 1. the current sector location of the software program on the hard disk is the same as the known original sector location on the hard disk where the computer retrieves the known original sector location on the hard disk; and 2. the computer determines that the software program has been executed less than a trial count number by retrieving from either a first file or a second randomly-generated and randomly-stored file the number of times the program has been executed and determining that the number of times the program has been executed does not exceed the trial count number; and 3. the computer determines that the current sector location on the hard disk of the first file, is the same location as the sector location on the hard disk at which said first file was originally stored by retrieving from said first file or a third randomly-generated and randomly-stored file the original sector location on the hard disk of the first file and comparing the original sector location on the hard disk to the current sector location on the hard disk.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 233 words
A computer implemented method to unlock a software program, the software program having a known original sector location and a current sector location on a hard disk having sectors, comprising the steps of: causing the software program to execute if a verification process determines that all of the following conditions are true: 1. the current sector location of the software program on the hard disk is the same as the known original sector location on the hard disk where the computer retrieves the known original sector location on the hard disk; and 2. the computer determines that the software program has been executed less than a trial count number by retrieving from either a first file or a second randomly-generated and randomly-stored file the number of times the program has been executed and determining that the number of times the program has been executed does not exceed the trial count number; and 3. the computer determines that the current sector location on the hard disk of the first file, is the same location as the sector location on the hard disk at which said first file was originally stored by retrieving from said first file or a third randomly-generated and randomly-stored file the original sector location on the hard disk of the first file and comparing the original sector location on the hard disk to the current sector location on the hard disk.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 59 words
A method as in claim 1 further comprising the steps of: a) retriving, from a file, a decipher key; and b) utilizing the decipher key to decipher the software program as the computer retrieves the software program from the hard disk and stores the program in a computer memory while keeping the software program on the hard disk encrypted.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 70 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the verification process executes the software program only if the current sector location of the software program on the hard disk is the same as the known original sector location on the hard disk where the computer retrieves the known original sector location on the hard disk from a fourth computer file previously stored at an original sector location on the hard disk.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2000-05-05 2000-11-04 2001-05-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2004-05-05 2004-11-04 2005-05-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2008-05-05 2008-11-04 2009-05-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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