Patent ID: 8260708
Filing Date: 2012-09-04
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An apparatus arranged to meter usage of a software program, comprising: a signal generator configured to generate at least one signal, the at least one signal having a variable signal duration representative of at least a duration of one usage episode of the software program; an aging circuit, coupled to the signal generator, configured to receive the at least one signal and generate at least one age-affected signal based at least in part on the at least one signal, the aging circuit including at least one circuit path having at least one circuit component with a component parameter, wherein the component parameter is subjected to aging effects caused by the at least one signal, with the aging effects being irreversible; a metering circuit, coupled to the aging circuit, configured to receive the at least one age-affected signal, measure a signal characteristic of the at least one age-affected signal, and translate the measured signal characteristic into a generated quantity of accumulative usage of the aging circuit, to indicate a quantity of usage of the software program; and a control circuit, coupled to the metering circuit, configured to selectively disable the software program in response to the generated quantity of accumulative usage of the aging circuit indicating a preselected quantity of accumulative usage of the software program, wherein the control circuit comprises an Exclusive OR gate arranged to disable the software program by receiving instructions of the software program and generating a plurality of junk instructions to replace the instructions of the software program.