US 2025/0036723 A1Published application

Industrial automation software subscription tokening

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 subscription tokens to license industrial software to customers. According to an example licensing structure, a software customer can purchase subscription tokens that are shared among users within the customer's organization and that allow those users to check out and use industrial software products. The subscription tokens regulate the number of software product instances that may be used concurrently by the users. When a user checks out a software product for use, the customer's total number of available subscription tokens commensurate with a cost of the selected software product. When the user relinquishes use of the product, the subscription tokens are returned to the pool of available tokens. Users may only check out a software product for use is if a sufficient number of unused subscription tokens are available.

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 token tracking component configured to record an allocation of subscription tokens to an industrial customer, the subscription tokens granting use of one or more industrial software products to the industrial customer;
and
a software deployment component configured to, in response to receipt of a request, from a user associated with the industrial customer, to use an industrial software product, of the industrial software products, having an associated subscription token cost:
determine a current number of free subscription tokens, of the subscription tokens, that are available;
in response to determining that the current number of free subscription tokens is equal to or greater than the subscription token cost associated with the industrial software product, enable use of the industrial software product by the user;
and
in response to determining that the current number of free subscription tokens is less than the subscription token cost, prevent use of the industrial software product by the user,
wherein the token tracking component is further configured to deduct the subscription token cost from the current number of free subscription tokens in response to enablement of use of the industrial software product by the user, and to increment the current number of free subscription tokens by the subscription token cost in response to a determination that the user has relinquished use of the industrial software product.

8 more elements

A method, comprising:

recording, by a system comprising a processor, an allocation of subscription tokens to an industrial customer, wherein the subscription tokens grant use of one or more industrial software products to the industrial customer;
in response to receiving a request, from a user associated with the industrial customer, to use an industrial software product, of the industrial software products, that has an associated subscription token cost:
determining, by the system, a current number of free subscription tokens, of the subscription tokens, that are available;
in response to determining that the current number of free subscription tokens is less than the subscription token cost, preventing, by the system, use of the industrial software product by the user;
in response to determining that the current number of free subscription tokens is equal to or greater than the subscription token cost associated with the industrial software product:
enabling, by the system, use of the industrial software product by the user;
deducting, by the system, the subscription token cost from the current number of free subscription tokens;
and
in response to determining that the user has relinquished use of the industrial software product, incrementing, by the system, the current number of free subscription tokens by the subscription token cost.

6 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 subscription tokens to an industrial customer, wherein the subscription tokens license the industrial customer to use of one or more industrial software products;
in response to receiving a request, from a user associated with the industrial customer, to use an industrial software product, of the industrial software products, that has an associated subscription token cost:
determining a current number of free subscription tokens, of the subscription tokens, that are available;
in response to determining that the current number of free subscription tokens is less than the subscription token cost, preventing use of the industrial software product by the user;
in response to determining that the current number of free subscription tokens is equal to or greater than the subscription token cost associated with the industrial software product:
enabling use of the industrial software product by the user;
subtracting the subscription token cost from the current number of free subscription tokens;
and
in response to determining that the user has relinquished use of the industrial software product, adding the subscription token cost to the current number of free subscription tokens.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.