Software protection device and method

A method of securing software executable on a computer, comprising the steps of:

• (a) segmenting the software into a first and a second software segment;
• (b) transmitting the first software segment to a first hardware key communicatively coupled to a developer computer, the first hardware key comprising a first hardware key processor and a first hardware key memory, the first hardware key memory having a secure segment with the first encryption key stored therein;
• (c) encrypting the first software segment using the first encryption key and the first hardware key processor;
• and
• (d) receiving an encrypted first software segment from the first hardware key.

A method of protecting software executable by a computer from unauthorized access by a client, comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving an access request message in a hardware key communicatively coupled to the computer, the hardware key comprising a processor and a memory comprising a protected memory segment for storing license data therein, the license data comprising the number of clients permitted to use the software;
• (b) determining the number of clients using the software;
• (c) computing the difference between the number of clients currently using the software and the number of clients permitted to use the software using the processor;
• and
• (d) transmitting an access granted message to the computer when the number of clients currently using the software is less than the number of clients permitted to use the software.

A method of protecting software executable on a computer, comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving a command message generated by the executable software in the computer in a hardware key, the hardware key comprising
• (i) communicating means coupled to the computer for receiving command messages and providing response messages to the host computer;
• (ii) a memory for storing data used in translating command messages into response messages enabling execution of the software on the host computer the memory comprising a plurality of storage locations;
• (iii) a processor coupled to the communicating means and the memory, the processor comprising means for interpreting command messages to generate processor command functions;
• a translator for generating response messages from processor commands;
• and a memory manager comprising means for logically segmenting the memory into at least one protected segment and for controlling access to the protected segment, the controlling means comprising an instruction mapper for selectively mapping processor command functions to the memory storage locations external to the protected segment;
• (b) generating a response message from the command message and the data stored in the hardware key;
• and
• (c) transmitting a response message from the hardware key to the computer

The method of claim 23 wherein the software comprises an encrypted segment and a plaintext segment and the step of generating a response message from the command message and the data stored in the hardware key comprises the steps of:

• (a) receiving the encrypted segment in the hardware key;
• (b) decrypting the encrypted segment with a software key stored in the protected segment to produce plaintext instructions;
• (c) performing the plaintext instructions to generate response messages;
• and
• (d) transmitting the response messages to the host computer.