FR2697358A1 - Billing remote network users according to programs run - debiting credit at each user location and preventing usage if credit has expired - Google Patents

Abstract

A data network (1) links a distribution unit (2) with three user locations (3,4,5). Each user location has receivers (6,7,8). A program may be sent (9) from the distributor (2) to a user location (4) using an address and a unique code. For each program (9), an initial credit is dispatched from the distribution unit (2) and this is debited according to type of use. The debiting is performed by an electronic unit at each location or of instructions in the program used. ADVANTAGE - Data network users may be billed according to their use and type of use of particular programs, so that overall system efficiency is improved, and costs of distribution are reduced.

Description

 The subject of the present invention is a method for invoicing the use of software distributed through a computer network.

 The distribution of software is aimed at a growing number of customers.

 It is faced with increasing difficulties which result, on the one hand, from the generalization of the pirating phenomenon which consists in duplicating software without having received the express authorization of the distributor or publisher, on the other hand of the need to update software already on the market that has received improvements in later versions.

 To cope with these problems, software distributors must use increasingly significant logistical resources.

 To update software, for example, it is necessary to send a new version to each client. In general, a mass memory such as a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk, or even an optical disk is used as support, which results in significant distribution costs.

 Delivery times are also sometimes too long to meet customer requirements.

 In addition, the price of a software takes into account all the available functionalities, whereas very often these are only used by 11 users in a small proportion.

 This may result in an overestimation of the price of the software.

 To overcome this drawback, we have imagined the remote use of some very expensive software.

 In this case, the software does not pass over the communication network, but only the data entered by the users to the remote computer, and the results from the computer are transmitted.

 The billing for the use of the software is then proportional to the communication time between the user and the remote computer.

 However, in this solution, the operator of the communication network enters the billing mechanism as an intermediary between the distributor and the end customer. It applies special pricing, which corresponds to the software's available functionalities, and transfers the amounts received from the user to the software distributor.

 This mechanism does not make it possible to precisely adjust the pricing to the use made of the software, since a particular treatment can justify higher prices, regardless of the time of connection to the computer.

 Other billing mechanisms are known in which the services of a remote computing computer are billed at a flat rate to the customer.

 However, such methods involve significant billing times and operating costs.

 The present invention aims to avoid the drawbacks mentioned above by proposing a method of invoicing distributed software which makes it possible to precisely adjust the cost paid by a user for the use he makes of software, without any communication between the user and the distributor is not necessary during the use of the software.

 The method according to the invention allows a substantial reduction in distribution costs, as well as pricing of the software personalized to each user. These improvements may result in an overall decrease in the price of software and therefore a regression of the piracy phenomenon mentioned above.

The subject of the present invention is a method for billing the use by users connected to a computer network, of software distributed by downloading through the network, characterized in that each user is given a counting module for units of use, this module being intended, during subsequent uses of the software made by each user, and independently of any connection to the computer network, to debit a credit for units of use of the software and to prohibit the use of this last if this credit is used up, said credit for use units is preferably capable of being recharged remotely by transmission of use units through the computer network
Thus, according to the invention, the use of software can be counted by the counting module of use units without any communication between the distributor and the user, who is free to use the software as it pleases within the limit of its credit for units of use.

 The downcount module can be produced in the form of an electronic unit connected to the computer on which the software is downloaded.

 It can also be replaced by computer program elements inserted in the downloaded software, so that it is also implemented by using the software.

 According to the invention, the expression "use of software" must be understood in the broad sense, that is to say as any manipulation involving this software, either by execution of the program which it contains, or by duplication or use on other workstations connected to the computer on which the software was downloaded.

 In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the decrement values used for the countdown vary according to the type of use chosen.

 Thus, for example, for low cost software but used in multiple copies, it is possible to limit the counting of usage units to duplication, while for very advanced software, specific functions of the software program can have their pricing vary according to their own complexity.

 Advantageously, different specific programs can be delivered to users connected to the computer network. They allow in particular to manage the user units received through the computer network which are likely to be redistributed locally to different workstations connected to the computer which received the downloaded software.

In order to better understand the invention we will now describe an embodiment given by way of example and without any limiting character with reference to the accompanying schematic drawing in which
FIG. 1 schematically represents a computer network, and
- Figure 2 is a flowchart of operation of the countdown module according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

 In the embodiment described, the counting modules, normally constituted by electronic boxes, have been replaced by program elements inserted in each downloaded software.

 In FIG. 1, a computer network 1 links different sites together. We distinguish: a distributor site 2 and three user sites 3, 4 and 5.

 Each site 3, 4, 5 is equipped with a reception station 6, 7, 8.

 In FIG. 1, arrows 9 schematically indicate how software passes from the distributor site 2 to the user site 4.

 In the known manner, the distributor site 2 assigns to the data transmitted over the network 1 a destination address which corresponds to the reception station 7.

 According to a preferred variant, a hidden code is used which makes it possible to limit access to the reception station 7, a hidden code of which only the distributor site 2 is aware.

 The user site 4 is itself composed of a reception station 7 and four work stations 10 interconnected and connected to the reception station 7 via a local network 11.

 Thus, each work station 10 can use, via the network 11, the software downloaded according to the invention in the reception station 7.

 To this end, specific software, provided with the reception station 7, makes it possible to debit the credits for units of use of the various software downloaded in the event that one of the work stations 10 makes use of it through of the local network 11.

 In the same way, other specific programs associated with the reception station 7 make it possible, for example, to copy onto one of the workstations 10 software previously downloaded to one of the workstations 10 and to transfer units of use from reception station 7 to the workstation which received the copy of the software.

 The specific duplication program performs the almost complete copying of the software files and sets the amount of credit for units of use of the copy to zero.

 Thus, the software is duplicated, but its credit for usage units is set to zero.

 Thereafter, this credit can be increased by execution of a specific program which debits the credit of a first software and feeds the credit of the copied software.

 The workstation receiving the copy is of course also equipped with a countdown module.

 Here, this module is automatically transferred by copying the software as a program element inserted in the latter.

 In the case of a module produced in the form of an electronic box, the workstation must be equipped with its own box.

 In the diagram, arrows 12 represent a data transmission authorizing the credit of a quantity of usage units between the distributor site 2 and the user site 3.

 This renewal of user units is also carried out through the computer network 1 which has previously been used to download software.

 The data stream 12 comprises, in known manner, the address of the receiving station 6, supplemented by an identification reference of the software for which the amount of usage units is to be credited.

 In practice, such renewal of units of use follows an order from the user 3 who will also have paid the distributor the amount of units loaded.

 The down-counting module incorporated into the program of a software distributed according to the invention is executed on each request for use on the part of the user as shown in FIG. 2.

 On this Organization chart, a user wishing to use software downloaded according to the invention is at the start of use (box 13).

 The request for use shown diagrammatically by the frame 14 corresponds to an order given by the user to execute one of the functionalities of the software program or the copying thereof or any computer manipulation involving the software.

 To facilitate understanding, it can be assumed, for example, that the use request is a request to execute a particular calculation process.

 Following this request, the actual counting module is executed.

 The first step of this execution consists in reading the credit of usage units which is stored in the software code. Indeed, as explained above, each copy of software has its own amount of usage credit.

 Two cases are then possible as indicated on the flowchart by the diamond 16.

 In the event that the usage credit allocated to this software is insufficient having regard to the quantity necessary to execute the particular calculation processing requested by the user, the program warns the user of the impossibility of carrying out this execution. , except reloading of units of use which may be available on a neighboring work station or which can be ordered from the distributor if necessary.

 In the embodiment shown, the processing stops at 18 and the reloading of new units of uses must be carried out later.

 According to another embodiment, the warning to the user can be linked to a unit reloading program without the current program being interrupted.

 In the event that the credit for usage units is sufficient, the discount module proceeds in 19 to deduct the quantity of usage units corresponding to the processing requested and in 20 to re-register the new credit for units of use.

 The actual counting module ends its execution here and the program continues at 21 by executing the request sent at 14.

 The user can then make a new request at 14 or end the execution of the program as represented by box 22.

 It is understood that the embodiment which has just been described has no limiting character and that it can receive any modification without thereby setting the scope of the invention.

 In particular, the network architecture schematically represented here can be enriched by the number of connected sites. Likewise, the ring structure of such a computer network is not limiting.

 The downcounting process described here can advantageously be replaced by a more complex algorithm, in particular to solve problems of interruption between the verification of a credit and its re-registration after counting down.

 Finally, the counting module of the embodiment described is produced in the form of program elements, it could be constituted by an electronic unit connected to each computer.

Claims (3)

 1 - Method for invoicing the use by users connected to a computer network, of software distributed by downloading through the network, characterized by the fact that each user (3,4,5) is given a counting module of use units (12), this module being intended, during subsequent uses of the software (9) made by each user (4) and independently of any connection to the computer network (1) to debit a credit of units of 'use (12) of the software (9) and to prohibit the use of the latter if this credit is used up.  2 - Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the credit of use units is capable of being recharged remotely by transmission of use units (12) through the computer network (1).  3 - Method according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the decrement values used for the countdown vary according to the type of use chosen.