# US 8,474,057 B2 · License reconciliation for online services > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,474,057 B2 - Document ID: US8474057B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/022,531 - Filed: 2011-02-07 - Published: 2012-08-09 - Granted: 2013-06-25 - Earliest claimed: 2011-02-07 - Assignees: Microsoft Corporation - Applicants: Roderick Carlos Paulino; Vikas Ahuja; Jodene L. Eikenberry; Dawn Marie Kister; Alexander Semko - Inventors: Roderick Carlos Paulino; Vikas Ahuja; Jodene L. Eikenberry; Dawn Marie Kister; Alexander Semko - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8474057B2 ## CPC - G06F 21/105: {Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A user interface that allows for efficient resolution of license conflicts. The user interface includes a license conflict discovery mechanism that automatically discovers whether a license conflict exists for a license. Upon determining a subset of available resolution methods that are suitable for the administrator right corresponding to the user of the user interface, the user interface provides a resolution prompt. The resolution prompt prompts the user of the user interface to resolve the license conflict using any one of the available subset of resolution methods. The types of the offered resolution methods offered by the user interface differ according to the administration rights of the user. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer program product comprising one or more physical storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to formulate a user interface the computing system, the user interface comprising: a license conflict discovery mechanism configured to automatically discover when a license conflict exists for a license, and to discover a plurality of available resolution methods for resolving the license conflict; an administrator rights determination mechanism configured to discover a type of an administrative user that is associated with the user interface, and to determine one or more administrator rights of the administrative user of the user interface, the one or more administrator rights affecting which one or more of the plurality of available resolution methods are suitable for the administrative user for resolving the license conflict; a resolution method determination mechanism configured to determine the one or more of the plurality of available resolution methods that are suitable for the administrative user based on the one or more administrator rights determined by the administrator rights determination mechanism; and a resolution prompt configured to prompt the administrative user of the user interface to resolve the license conflict, wherein the resolution prompt includes only the one or more of the plurality of available resolution methods as determined by the resolution method determination, while excluding one or more other of the plurality of available resolution methods that are not suitable for the administrative user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer program product in accordance with claim 1, wherein the license conflict is that the licensee has exceeded the scope of the license. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The computer program product in accordance with claim 2, wherein the plurality of methods for resolving the license conflict comprises: a license purchase method that may be used to purchase additional users on the license; and a user removal method that may be used to remove users off the license. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The computer program product in accordance with claim 3, wherein the user interface facilitates the license purchase method using a license purchase interface, and facilitates the user removal method using a user removal interface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The computer program product in accordance with claim 3, wherein there are at least three possible administrator rights, and wherein a first administrator right allows both the license purchase method and the user removal method to be used to resolve the conflict. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The computer program product in accordance with claim 5, wherein a second administrator right allows the license purchase method to be used to resolve the conflict, but not the user removal method. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The computer program product in accordance with claim 6, wherein a third administrator right allows the user removal method to be used to resolve the conflict, but not the license purchase method. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The computer program product in accordance with claim 5, wherein a third administrator right allows the user removal method to be used to resolve the conflict, but not the license purchase method. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer program product in accordance with claim 1, wherein the license conflict discovery mechanism automatically discovers any one of a plurality of license conflict types. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The computer program product in accordance with claim 9, wherein one of the plurality of license conflict types is a license exceeded conflict in which the licensee has exceeded the scope of the license. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer program product in accordance with claim 10, wherein another of the plurality of license conflict types is a license underutilization conflict in which the licensee has not fully assigned all users available under the license. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer program product in accordance with claim 11, wherein one of the plurality of resolution methods includes a method for assigning users to the license in order to resolve an underutilization conflict. ### Claim 13 A computer-implemented method for operating a user interface that interfaces with an administrator, the method comprising: an act of automatically discovering when a license conflict exists for a license, and discovering a plurality of available resolution methods for resolving the license conflict; an act of discovering a type of an administrative user that is associated with the user interface, and determining one or more administrator rights of the administrative user of the user interface, the one or more administrator rights affecting which one or more of the plurality of available resolution methods are suitable for the administrative user for resolving the license conflict; an act of determining the one or more of the plurality of available resolution methods that are suitable for the administrative user based on the one or more administrator rights; and an act of the user interface prompting the administrative user of the user interface to resolve the license conflict, wherein the resolution prompt includes only the one or more of the plurality of available resolution methods as determined by the resolution method determination, while excluding one or more other of the plurality of available resolution methods that are not suitable for the administrative user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the license conflict is that the licensee has exceeded the scope of the license. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the plurality of methods for resolving the license conflict comprises: a license purchase method that may be used to purchase additional users on the license; and a user removal method that may be used to remove users off the license. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the user interface facilitates the license purchase method using a license purchase interface, and facilitates the user removal method using a user removal interface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein there are at least three possible administrator rights, wherein a first administrator right allows both the license purchase method and the user removal method to be used to resolve the conflict, wherein a second administrator right allows the license purchase method to be used to resolve the conflict, but not the user removal method, and wherein a third administrator right allows the user removal method to be used to resolve the conflict, but not the license purchase method. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the license conflict discovery mechanism automatically discovers any one of a plurality of license conflict types. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method in accordance with claim 18, wherein one of the plurality of license conflict types is a license exceeded conflict in which the licensee has exceeded the scope of the license, and wherein another of the plurality of license conflict types is a license underutilization conflict in which the licensee has not fully assigned all users available under the license. ### Claim 20 A computing system, comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to formulate a user interface the computing system, the user interface comprising: a license conflict discovery mechanism configured to automatically discover when a license conflict exists for a license in that the licensee has exceeded the scope of the license, and to discover a plurality of available resolution methods for resolving the license conflict, the plurality of available resolution methods including at least a license purchase method that may be used to purchase additional users on the license, and a user removal method that may be used to remove users off the license; an administrator rights determination mechanism configured to discover a type of an administrative user that is associated with the user interface, and to determine one or more administrator rights of the administrative user of the user interface, the one or more administrator rights affecting which one or more of the plurality of available resolution methods are suitable for the administrative user for resolving the license conflict; a resolution method determination mechanism configured to determine the one or more of the plurality of available resolution methods that are suitable for the administrative user based on the one or more administrator rights determined by the administrator rights determination mechanism, the subset including at least one of the license purchase method and the user removal method; and a resolution prompt configured to prompt the administrative user of the user interface to resolve the license conflict, wherein the resolution prompt includes only the one or more of the plurality of available resolution methods as determined by the resolution method determination, while excluding one or more other of the plurality of available resolution methods that are not suitable for the administrative user.