User-based licensing system for IoT device rentals
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorsDavid Mowatt, Stephen O'Driscoll
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided are methods and systems for the licensing of services associated with IoT devices that are under rental by users and/or that are shared between users. A comprehensive user-based licensing system connects services, users, and IoT devices with respect to licensing based on the particular context in which a device is being rented, one or more capabilities of the device being rented, availability of services for the particular device, and/or one or more characteristics of the user who is renting the device. The licensing system enables a user who is renting an IoT device to purchase one or more services associated with the device in conjunction with the rental.
Claims8
A computer-implemented method for licensing services associated with a network-connectable device, the method comprising:
- receiving a request for rental of a network-connectable device for a user;
- receiving, from the user, a request to purchase one or more services associated with the device, wherein the request to purchase one or more services is received in conjunction with the request for rental of the device or separately from the request for rental of the device;
- storing, for the user, (i) data about the rental of the device, (ii) data about a license associated with each of the one or more services purchased by the user, and (iii) data about an identity of the user;
- determining an identity of the user based on data received from the device;
- determining at least one compatible service, of the one or more services purchased by the user, wherein the at least one compatible service is determined based on at least one characteristic of the device;
- and
- enabling the at least one compatible service on the device based on a state of the license associated with the at least one compatible service.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.