Patent ID: 7694153
Filing Date: 2010-04-06
Classification: G06F,G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method of setting a system configuration for a pay-per-use that uses consumable packets for adding value consumed in the metered use of an electronic device or a component of the electronic device and that uses a license mode packet for configuring hardware, software, and metering of the electronic device comprising: storing, in a tamper-resistant fashion, a hardware identifier associated with the electronic device; storing, in a tamper-resistant fashion, a public key; receiving a first provisioning packet; storing the first provisioning packet, the first provisioning packet digitally signed and including the hardware identifier; verifying the digitally signed first provisioning packet using the public key; determining that the first provisioning packet is a consumable packet; adding a value associated with the first provisioning packet to a stored value function; discarding the first provisioning packet after adding the value; consuming the value from the stored value function through use of the computer at a metered rate; receiving a second provisioning packet; storing the second provisioning packet, the second provisioning packet digitally signed and including the hardware identifier; verifying the digitally signed second provisioning packet using the public key; determining that the second provisioning packet is a license mode provisioning packet; permanently storing the license mode provisioning packet; evaluating the license mode provisioning packet upon booting the electronic device for system configuration information; and configuring the electronic device for operation in accordance with the system configuration information found in the license mode provisioning packet, wherein the system configuration information overrides a previous configuration of the electronic device.