Billing system for computing software

I claim:

1. A security system for deciphering information in the form of programs or data for a personal computer including a central microprocessor and a bus for communication with other devices and components comprising:

security circuit means connected into the personal computer bus for controlling data access and telecommunications capability of the personal computer;

a security module electrically inserted into the security circuit, the security module including thereon a non-volatile, alterable code memory module containing a computer unique external code;

permuter circuit means located in the security circuit for performing permutation and exclusive-or operation on blocks of data presented to it;

memory means of the personal computer for containing therein information in the form of both data and programs, both enciphered and unenciphered; and

a storage medium for the computer carrying security program means for causing the central microprocessor to read the external code from the memory module on the security module an to use that code and their permuter circuit means in the security circuit to decipher enciphered information received from the memory means in a fashion that is dependent on both the permuter circuit means and on the external code so that unenciphered information may be returned to the memory means.

2. A security system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the security circuit further includes a fixed memory means carrying therein a fixed computer unique internal code, both the internal and external codes being necessary to properly decipher the information.

3. A security system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the security module further includes a memory portion into which usage information may be written so that a user can be billed for use of the information.

4. A security system as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is a microcomputer in the security circuit for controlling access to the security module and the permuter circuit.

5. A security system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the security circuit means is in the form of an expansion card which may be added to the expansion bus of the personal computer.

6. A security system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the security module is physically removable from the security circuit.

7. A security system for deciphering information for a personal computer including a central microprocessor and a bus through which other devices may be connected to it comprising:

security circuit means connected to the bus of the personal computer for controlling data access and telecommunications capability of the personal computer;

a fixed unalterable memory circuit in the security circuit containing therein a computer unique internal code;

an alterable memory module electrically inserted into the security circuit means including thereon a computer unique external code;

microcomputer means in the security circuit means for controlling access to the memory module;

memory means of the computer for containing therein information in the form of both data and programs, both enciphered and unenciphered; and

a storage medium for the computer carrying at least one code thereon and security program means for causing the central microprocessor to read the code from the storage medium and present that code to the microcomputer means in the security circuit means;

the microcomputer means using the code presented to it from the central microprocessor, the internal code obtained from the fixed memory circuit, and the external code obtained from the memory module to generate a decipher code to be used by the security program means to decipher the enciphered information from the memory means and return the unenciphered information to the memory means.

8. A security system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the memory module also includes a portion into which usage information is written by the security program means so that the user can be billed on a usage bases.

9. A security system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the alterable memory module is physically removable from the security circuit.

10. A security circuit for a personal computer having a processor to control access to enciphered information in the from of a program or data comprising:

interface circuit means for connecting the security circuit to the bus of the personal computer;

permuter circuit means for rearranging and logically altering the information in a determinable and reversible method;

a security module containing an electrically alterable memory portion which carries therein an alterable user unique external code; and

microcomputer means in the security circuit programmed to recognizes codes transferred to it from the processor of the personal computer and upon recognition of appropriate codes to access the external code so that that external code can be passed to the processor of the personal computer to decipher the information and further programmed to pass the information through the permuter circuit to further decipher that information so that multiple redundant levels of security are provided before a user can access the information which has been enciphered so that the information is only accessible to a user having the security module with the proper external code.

11. A security system as claimed in claim 10 further including a fixed memory portion carrying a computer unique internal code which must be combined with the external code for the processor of the personal computer to decipher the information.

12. A security system as claimed in claim 10 wherein the circuit is contained on an expansion card insertable into the expansion bus of the personal computer.

13. A method of operating a computer data and access security system for transferring data and allowing access to information in the form of data or programs to users who have installed on their computers a hardware security circuit including a microcomputer and into which a security module is removably received, the security circuit including a fixed memory portion thereon which carries an enciphered internal code and the security module including an electrically alterable memory which carries an enciphered external code, the computer of the user also being provided with a security program, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) commencing operation of the security program by the computer by means of access codes supplied to the computer with the information to be deciphered, the access codes being provided to the microcomputer in the hardware security circuit;

(b) the microcomputer in the hardware security circuit accessing the internal and the external codes and deciphering these codes with the codes passed to it by the computer and then combining the deciphered external and internal codes to device a decipher code which it passes back to the counter; and

(c) the computer using the decipher code passed to it by the microcomputer in the hardware security circuit to decipher the information to which access is sought.

14. A security system for a personal computer including a central microprocessor and a bus to which other peripherals may be connected comprising:

security circuit means connected to the personal computer for controlling data access and telecommunications capability of the personal computer;

a fixed unalterable memory circuit on the security circuit means containing therein a computer unique internal code;

a security module electrically inserted into the security circuit means, the security module including thereon (1) a non-volatile, alterable code memory module containing a fixed computer unique external code, and (2) microcomputer means for controlling access to the memory module;

a hardware key module connectable to the personal computer and carrying a user unique hardware key code therein; and

a storage medium for the computer carrying security program means for causing the central microprocessor to read the code from the hardware key and present that code to the microcomputer means on the security module;

the microcomputer means using the code presented to it from the central microprocessor, the internal code obtained from the fixed memory circuit, and the external code obtained from the security module to generate decipher codes to be used by the security program means to decipher data.

15. A security system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the memory module is easily removable so that it may be periodically replaced.

16. A security system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the memory module also includes a portion into which billing information can be written so that users may be billed on a usage basis from information in the memory module.

17. A security system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the security circuit means is on a card which may be inserted into the expansion bus of the personal computer.

18. A security system for a personal computer including a central microprocessor and a bus to which other peripherals may be connected comprising:

security circuit means connected to the bus of the personal computer for controlling data access and telecommunications capability of the personal computer;

a fixed unalterable memory circuit on the security circuit means containing therein a computer unique internal code;

a security module electrically inserted into the security circuit means, the security module including thereon (1) a non-volatile, alterable code memory module containing a fixed computer unique external code, and (2) microcomputer means for controlling access to the memory module;

a biometric identification module connected to the computer for identifying a particular user of the computer; and

a storage medium for the computer carrying security program means for causing the central microprocessor to identify the user with the biometric module, and if the identification is correct, then to present a code corresponding to the user to the microcomputer means on the security module;

the microcomputer means using the code presented to it from the central microprocessor, the internal code obtained from the fixed memory circuit, and the external code obtained from the alterable memory of the removable module to generate a decipher code to be used by the security program means to decipher data.

19. A security system as claimed in claim 18 wherein the memory module is easily removable so that it may be periodically replaced.

20. A security system as claimed in claim 18 wherein the memory module also includes a portion into which billing information can be written so that users may be billed on a usage basis from information in the memory module.

21. A security system as claimed in claim 18 wherein the security circuit means is on a card which may be inserted into the expansion bus of the personal computer.

Description Submit all comments and votes

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of the marketing of computer software in general, and relates, in particular, to a system for securing and/or encoding personal computer software so that it can be marketed to the ultimate user on a pay-per-usage arrangement rather than on a fixed fee purchase price.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The personal computer industry has grown enormously in the past decade and has created a large market in software suitable for operation of personal computers. Many companies are in the business of creating and publishing computer software packages which are then marketed to personal computer owners for use in their machines. Typically such computer software packages are marketed on a fixed fee basis in which a user purchases a copy of the software, usually under terms of a written license, for a fixed price thereby granting to the user perpetual use of the software. It has been a characteristic of this industry that in order for the publishers of the software to recover the often quite large investment in research and development of the software, and also the costs of manufacture and marketing, that the purchase price of many such software items has been relatively high, particularly for limited distribution or special-purpose software. This high purchase price has been a barrier, in some circumstances, to the widespread sale of some software and has limited the penetration of software publishers in some markets. In addition, some users are reluctant to incur such a purchase price without first operating the software, since the suitability of software is very difficult to judge without actually using it.

The relatively high purchase price of software has lead to another phenomenon perceived as a problem by many software publishers. It is often relatively easy for a personal computer owner to make duplicate copies of any software which the owner has purchased unless the software is in some fashion protected from such copying. It has become quite common for some personal computer owners to make and disseminate such copies to their friends and acquaintances. This often widespread unauthorized copying dilutes the market for the software product and may cause the publisher to ask even a higher price for each legitimate copy of the product in order to ensure a reasonable amount of return.

One solution to this dilemma has been for manufacturers to institute copy protection schemes which are intended to allow media carrying personal computer software to be sold with the media containing technical devices intended to ensure that unauthorized copies cannot be made on personal computers. Copy protection schemes were put into place by a variety of companies using various techniques. One technique was to use a non-standard format for the magnetic disk on which the program was stored, with the non-standard format not being copyable given the operating system for the personal computer for which the program was intended A second technique which was used was to introduce limited format error or an altered physical characteristic into the disk which the computer is unable to duplicate when copying the disk. Special commands in the program would then check for that identifying information before allowing operation of any programs on the disk and thus to ensure that the disk was not a copy. It has been a more recent trend that a third category of software protection schemes have been proposed which involve physical protection either by making physical variances in the disk which must be checked by the program before it can operate or by requiring hardware devices, known as "locks," which must be purchased along with the software in order to operate it. All such copy protection schemes have suffered from some disadvantages in that the technique of protection of many of the schemes have been deduced by individual computer owners who then widely publish how the copying protection scheme may be avoided. Certain programs are also sold commercially which enable the copying of certain disks which are otherwise intended to be copy protected. Hardware based systems can also be avoided by the custom creation of hardware devices which can emulate the lock intended to be sold with the system.

It is also generally known in the prior art that computer programs can be encrypted or encoded so that they must be used with a special microprocessor or other unique hardware having the capacity to decrypt or decode the program. Such systems are limited to the particular encryption/decryption system hard-wired into the computer and thus are vulnerable to unauthorized use once the methodology of the system is deduced once by a user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is summarized in that a billing system for the distribution of personal computer software includes a security module which may be installed in the personal computer of the user; a billing module which may be installed and removed from the expansion module contained in the computer and which contains therein suitable memory location for the writing and reading of billing information; and at least two programs on a memory media deliverable to the user, one program being a security program and the other program being an enciphered application program, the security program serving to interrogate the security module and the billing module to determine the codes therefrom, using that information to generate a decipher algorithm and using that decipher algorithm to decipher the application program which may then be operated by the personal computer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a security and billing system for personal computers which allows users to make an unlimited number of copies of the program without endangering the overall program security or the appropriate return of income to the software publisher.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a software dissemination and billing system which allows for users to obtain access to personal computer software on a pay-per-usage basis so that software can be evaluated, tested, and used without a large initial investment in the software package while still ensuring a return of income to the software creators for actual use of the software.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a security system for software distributed in such a billing system such that the billing system is extremely difficult to evade.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a personal computer including a security module constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustration of the method of operation of the security system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of the security system connected to a computer and constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of the permuter circuit details contained within the circuitry of the embodiment of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention disclosed herein can be conceptualized as having a minimum basic system for software security and billing and a series of additional options or features which may be added thereto. The additional options and features on this system may either increase the desirability of the system from a commercial viewpoint or enhance the security of the system, and may be added individually or in groups to the basic system. Some of the options and enhancements are likely to be used in an actual commercial embodiment of this invention. However, in order to understand the concept of the present invention most fully, it is first necessary to understand what the basic core concept contained herein is. Accordingly, it is first necessary to examine the simplest possible system constructed in accordance with the present invention.

A basic computer software security and billing system according to the present invention is illustrated by the block diagram of FIG. 1 as used in a personal computer. A personal computer, having a central processing unit (CPU), resident memory, input/output interfaces, and other related circuitry, is generally indicated at 10 and is otherwise conventional and well-known in the art. The computer CPU and memory unit would normally include one or more media on which computer software programs can be stored, typically a disk drive, such as that generally indicated at 12 in FIG. 1. While the present invention is particularly described with regard to a conventional magnetic disk media currently as is used in personal computers, it is to be understood that it is equally applicable to other permanent memory media such as magnetic cartridge, optical disk, rom chip. etc. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the conventional disk drive 12 may be loaded with an appropriately formatted magnetic diskette 14 containing thereon programs to be utilized by the user. The diskette 14 is a conventional diskette in its physical make-up, although the programs carried on it will be somewhat unique as will be discussed below. The unique hardware required by the present system is a security module generally indicated at 16. The security module 16 is a hard-wired logic circuit electronically attached to the personal computer 10. The security module 16 may be constructed as an expansion card which can be inserted into the chassis of a personal computer having a so-called "open" architecture. The security module may also be a stand-alone accessory to the main computer which is attached to the computer by an appropriate serial or parallel port. The method of communication, i.e., whether it is parallel or serial, between the main computer and the security module 16 is unimportant as long as there are address and bi-directional data paths for information to be transferred between the security module 16 and the personal computer 10.

Within the security module 16 is located at least one 15 fixed memory device 18, preferably a PROM or programmable read-only memory. Other fixed memory devices than a PROM may also be used within the scope of the present invention as long as the device used is capable of holding fixed numerical information of the type required here. The PROM 18 in the security module carries thereon a fixed pre-selected numerical code, referred to here as an internal code. The internal code is unique to each individual security module 16. The security module 16 also may carry elsewhere there on it a serial number also unique to the security module 16. The serial number on the security module 16, which is usually not the same in numerical value as the internal code carried in the PROM, is preferably fixed in both electrical form (such as in a PROM or switch settings) and in human readable form so that security modules 16 can be matched with appropriate internal codes.

Also carried on the security module 16, when it is in use, is a billing module 20. The billing module 20 is a removable memory device which can be inserted into a previously provided access interface on the security module 16. In other words, the billing module 20 is a removable memory module which can be easily removed from and inserted into the security module 16. The billing module 16 must have a memory portion which can be read by the computer 10 through the security module and written thereon. Accordingly, the exact media of the billing module can be varied within the scope of the present invention. Many media can be used for the billing module 20 based on magnetic, electronic, optical or even physical data storage technologies. A suitable medium might include a paper card having a magnetic memory portion thereon which can be inserted in a read/write interface provided on the security module 16. For example, the security module 16 could be a stand-alone accessory to a personal computer and could have a simple card slot into which a paper card carrying a magnetic strip thereon is inserted with the magnetic strip serving as the billing module 20. It is the preferred embodiment of the billing module in the present invention, however, that the billing module 20 consist of an EEPROM. An EEPROM is an electrically alterable and erasable programmable read-only 20 memory. Preferably the EEPROM billing module 20 is encapsulized in such a fashion that it is easy to handle by a user and is designed to interface with a simple mechanical and electrical interface provided on the security module 16 into which the billing module 20 can be inserted.

While the billing module may often be removable, it is also envisioned that in some variations, the billing module might not be removable. In one such variation, the billing module could be connected through a modem to be updated and read for billing purposes by telephone Another possibility is that the billing module could be connected to appropriate circuitry to be updated by fixed wire or by radio signal. It is also possible for the billing module to be located some distance from the computer, for example at a different station in a local area network where it could be polled and updated as needed and could be used by a number of personal computers.

The billing module 20, of whatever media it is constructed, has at least two portions of memory thereon. The first memory portion carries a numerical value referred to here as an external code. The second portion of the billing module memory consists of billing memory. The external code is a number designed by the computer to be read from the billing module 20. There may be more than one external code and the external code may consist of more than one portion or part. The billing memory is intended to store billing information which may be data previously loaded onto the billing module 20 or may be a blank area on the billing module 20 onto which information may be written. In either event, it is critical to the present invention that the billing memory portion of the billing module 20 be alterable by the computer 10 in accordance with information received and processed by it. It is therefore also possible that the billing module itself could be embodied in a removable magnetic storage media, such as a floppy diskette, which could have an area onto which the external code was pre-recorded and a separate portion into which billing information is loaded.

The application diskette 14 for use within the present invention carries thereon at least one computer program which the user desires to operate. This is referred to herein as the "application" program. In accordance with the present invention, the application program is enciphered in accordance with an algorithm driven by a numerical key, as will be discussed in more detail. The diskette 14 therefore carries the application program in its enciphered form. The diskette 14 also carries unenciphered start program. In addition, the diskette 14 also carries a security program which may or may not be enciphered depending on the level of redundant security desired in the embodiment of the present invention. If the security program is not enciphered, then the start program may merely be a portion of the security program.

In its operation, the basic system illustrated in FIG. 1 is intended to operate as follows. The computer 10 is operated in a normal fashion and the diskette 14 carrying the enciphered application program which the user desires to operate is loaded into the computer disk drive 12. As is conventional, the computer CPU loads the program from a previously designated portion of the diskette 14. Carried on that previously designated portion of the diskette 14 is the unenciphered start program which is thus loaded into the resident memory in the computer 10. The start program then operates. In its most basic embodiment, the first thing that the start program does is verify the presence of the security module carrying an active billing module in it. The start program also verifies from the billing module that the user still has billing credit to operate the program before it will proceed. Assuming that the billing module is present, and billing credit is available to the user, the security program is run. The security program reads the external code from the billing module 20. This code serves as a "key" to a previously selected algorithm utilized by the security program. No single particular algorithm is to be used for the enciphering and deciphering of all application programs. In fact, it is intended that different algorithms be used on different diskettes 14, as long as the security program on any diskette corresponds to the algorithm used to encipher the application program on the diskette. Each algorithm so used is preferably based on a numeric key so that the same key must be available to decipher the program as was used to encipher it, although it would also be possible to use a two key system in which the encoding key is different from the decoding key. Thus, the algorithm used by the security program is the inverse of the algorithm used to encipher the application program. The security program uses the key from the external code to operate a deciphering algorithm to decipher the enciphered application program. The security program may decipher the entire application program, or may only decipher one or more modules of the application program which are to be used by the user at one time, or may decipher only a small number of very important program instructions, addresses or locations. The security program may also shift a small number of mislocated instructions. The security program then turns over execution to the application program which thereby proceeds to execute for the user.

As the application program executes, the security program periodically monitors application program execution. This can be done by formatting the application program as a routine called by the security program with program execution periodically returned to the security program or alternatively may be accomplished through one or more interrupts by which the security program interrupts operation of the application program. In any event, during this periodic process, the security program verifies continued use of the application program within the computer, and assuming