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:
Feb. 18, 2003
Filed:
Dec. 04, 1996
Dominique Vincent Pavlin, Montigny le Bretonneux, FR;
Mehdi Sotoodeh, Mission Viejo, CA (US);
Reed H. Tibbetts, Tustin, CA (US);
Patrick N. Godding, Lake Forest, CA (US);
Alain Raymond Spiewek, Courbevoie, FR;
Roger Graham Nixon, Farnham Common, GB;
Rainbow Technologies, Inc., Irvine, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for protecting computer software from unauthorized execution or duplication using a hardware key is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a means for communicating with the computer to receive command messages from the computer in the hardware key and to provide response messages to the computer, a memory for storing data for translating command messages into response messages enabling software execution, and a processor coupled to the interface port for translating command messages into response messages using the data stored in the memory. The processor further comprises a memory manager, for logically segmenting the memory storing the data into at least one protected segment, and for controlling access to the protected segment.