The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 06, 1996
Filed:
Mar. 09, 1995
John B Collins, Westport, CT (US);
Richard J Knapp, New Paltz, NY (US);
Kollmorgen Corporation, Waltham, MA (US);
Abstract
A system and a method for preventing use of unauthorized software contained at a remote location which is to be used with a device having stored information is disclosed. The device includes firmware having a hash code, and a hash function for operating on an initiation string. The device has a communication interface. A remote storage location has an initiation string. The communication interface of the device and the remote storage location are interconnected for transferring information such as the initiation string between the device and remote storage location. The result of the hash function operation on the initiation string is compared with the hash code. The communication interface is enabled when the result of the hash function operation on the initiation string and hash code contained in the firmware are the same. In the illustrated embodiment, the device is a color sensor having a sensor body. The sensor senses and stores information about the color of a selected object such as on an automobile. A serial port on the sensor body is operatively associated with the color sensor and allows interconnection to a serial port of a remote computer. The remote computer receives stored color information from the sensor. The remote computer generates the initiation string to the sensor. The serial port is enabled when the result of the hash function on the initiation string and hash code are the same.