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:
Jan. 09, 2001
Filed:
Feb. 02, 1999
Rashid N. Khan, Cary, NC (US);
Michael J. Andrade, Raleigh, NC (US);
Ultimus, Inc., Cary, NC (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for monitoring software usage on a network having a network of computers capable of running at least portions of a computer program. One of the computers in the network acts as a node that monitors the usage by users on the network. The monitoring node is programmed to determine active usage of the computer program by the users on various incidents involving the software, ascertain the total number of unique users using the software at a given time, compare the ascertained total number with an authorized number and issue a signal if the ascertained total number exceeds the authorized number. The present invention further includes a method of determining software license fees for software used intermittently by a plurality of users using the software on a network. The method includes determining active usage of the software by users on the network on various incidents involving the software, ascertaining the total number of unique users using the software at a given time, comparing the ascertained total number with an authorized number, and issuing a signal if the ascertained total number exceeds the authorized number.