US 2025/0029139 A1Published application

Industrial automation software utility crediting

AssigneeRockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.

InventorsLeo T. Kilfoy, Michael J. Tresh, Bruce T. McCleave, JR., Daniel C. Rischar, Oliver C. Haya, Stephen C. Briant, Ryan P. Dunn

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Abstract

An industrial software management system uses utility crediting to license industrial software to customers. According to an example licensing structure, a software customer can purchase utility credits that grant the customer use of a software product, limited by a usage metric defined by the utility credits. Depending on the type of software product, the usage metric may be a function of processing usage by the product, an amount of storage consumed by the product, a number of processing cores used, product utilization time, a number of times a specific feature of the product is used, or other such metrics. Utility credits can be as granular and scalable as necessary, and different usage drawdown rates can be defined depending on the type of software application, customer agreements, or other factors.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system, comprising:

a memory that stores executable components;
and
a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the executable components, the executable components comprising:
a credit tracking component configured to record an allocation of utility credits to an industrial customer in a customer record associated with the industrial customer, the utility credits granting usage of an industrial software product to the industrial customer;
and
a usage monitoring component configured to monitor usage events indicative of the industrial customer's usage of the industrial software product, wherein the usage events are units of a usage metric having a defined cost of utility credits,
wherein
the credit tracking component is further configured to record a deduction of the utility credits in the customer record in response to detection of each of the usage events by the usage monitoring component, and
the computer executable components further comprise a software enablement component configured to enable one or more features of the industrial software product in response to determining that a total number of the utility credits is equal to or greater than a defined number of credits, and to disable the one or more features in response to determining that the total number of the utility credits is less than the defined number.

6 more elements

A method, comprising:

allocating, by a system comprising a processor, utility credits to an industrial customer, wherein the utility credits grant usage of an industrial software product to the industrial customer;
monitoring, by the system, usage events indicative of the industrial customer's usage of the industrial software product, wherein the usage events are measures of a usage metric having a defined cost of utility credits;
and
in response to detecting a usage event of the usage events:
deducting, by the system, a number of the utility credits commensurate with the defined cost of utility credits;
in response to determining that a remaining number of the utility credits is equal to or greater than a defined number of utility credits, enabling, by the system, one or more features of the industrial software product;
and
in response to determining that the remaining number of the utility credits is less than the defined number of utility credits, disabling, by the system, the one or more features.

5 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor and executing on a cloud platform to perform operations, the operations comprising:

allocating utility credits to an industrial customer, wherein the utility credits grant permission to use an industrial software product to the industrial customer;
monitoring usage events indicative of the industrial customer's usage of the industrial software product, wherein the usage events are measures of a usage metric having a defined cost of utility credits;
and
in response to detecting a usage event of the usage events:
subtracting a number of the utility credits equal to the defined cost of utility credits;
in response to determining that a remaining number of the utility credits is equal to or greater than a defined number of utility credits, enabling one or more features of the industrial software product;
and
in response to determining that the remaining number of the utility credits is less than the defined number of utility credits, disabling the one or more features.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/355,581Filed 20 Jul 2023
Published: 23 Jan 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G06Q 30/0233
Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems: method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
G06Q 30/018
Commerce: certifying business or products
G06Q 30/0235
Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates: constrained by time limit or expiration date
G06Q
Information and communication technology [ict] specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial

Family

No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.

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