Method and system for transferring software and hardware feature licenses between devices

Abstract

A method and system for transferring licenses between electronic devices supporting licensable features. Specifically, in a method a request is generated for transferring a license between first and second electronic devices. The request includes first information unique to the first electronic device, second information unique to the second electronic device. The request is sent to a license distributor to generates a master key. The master key includes a removal key including the first information and an add key including the second information. The removal key is used to remove the license from the first electronic device when the first information matches official versions of the first information. The add key is revealed from the master key when the license is successfully removed. The add key is used to add the license to the second electronic device when the second information matches official versions of the second information.

1 - 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . A method comprising:
 receiving a request to transfer a license for a service feature from a first electronic device to a second electronic device, wherein the request is configured to identify the first electronic device, the second electronic device, and a description of the license to be transferred; and   generating a license transfer certificate in response to the request, wherein the license transfer certificate includes license removal information configured to remove the license from the first electronic device and includes license addition information configured to add the license to the second electronic device.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein generating the license transfer certificate comprises encrypting the license transfer certificate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the license addition information is configured to add the license to the second electronic device after the first electronic device removes the license in response to the license removal information. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein generating the license transfer certificate comprises:
 formatting the license removal information according to a first software version operating on the first electronic device; and   formatting the license addition information according to a second software version operating on the second electronic device.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the request is configured to identify the first software version operating on the first electronic device and the second software version operating on the second electronic device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprises transmitting the license transfer certificate towards a network device associated with the request. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the network device is configured to forward at least the license removal information from the license transfer certificate to the first electronic device, and forward the license addition information to the first electronic device. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus, comprising:
 one or more network interfaces to communicate in computer network using source routing;   a processor coupled to the network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes; and   a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to:
 receive a request to transfer a license for a service feature from a first electronic device to a second electronic device, wherein the request is configured to identify the first electronic device, the second electronic device, and a description of the license to be transferred; and 
 generate a license transfer certificate in response to the request, wherein the license transfer certificate includes license removal information configured to remove the license from the first electronic device and includes license addition information configured to add the license to the second electronic device. 
   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the generation of the license transfer certificate further includes the process being configured to encrypt the license transfer certificate. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the license addition information is configured to add the license to the second electronic device after the first electronic device removes the license in response to the license removal information. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the generation of the license transfer certificate includes the process being further configured to:
 format the license removal information according to a first software version operating on the first electronic device; and   format the license addition information according to a second software version operating on the second electronic device.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the request is configured to identify the first software version operating on the first electronic device and the second software version operating on the second electronic device. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more network interfaces transmit the license transfer certificate towards a network device associated with the request. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the network device is configured to forward at least the license removal information from the license transfer certificate to the first electronic device, and forward the license addition information to the first electronic device. 
     
     
         18 . A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software instructions thereon, the software instructions, when executed by a processor on a device in a computer network, operable to:
 receive a request to transfer a license for a service feature from a first electronic device to a second electronic device, wherein the request is configured to identify the first electronic device, the second electronic device, and a description of the license to be transferred; and   generate a license transfer certificate in response to the request, wherein the license transfer certificate includes license removal information configured to remove the license from the first electronic device and includes license addition information configured to add the license to the second electronic device.   
     
     
         19 . The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 18 , further operable to encrypt the license transfer certificate during generation of the license transfer certificate. 
     
     
         20 . The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 18 , wherein the license addition information is configured to add the license to the second electronic device after the first electronic device removes the license in response to the license removal information. 
     
     
         21 . The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 18 , wherein, during generation of the license transfer certificate, operable to:
 format the license removal information according to a first software version operating on the first electronic device; and   format the license addition information according to a second software version operating on the second electronic device.   
     
     
         22 . The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 21 , wherein the request is configured to identify the first software version operating on the first electronic device and the second software version operating on the second electronic device. 
     
     
         23 . The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more network interfaces transmit the license transfer certificate towards a network device associated with the request.