Abstract:
A software protecting system existing as an independent program in an electronic device protects against misuse of new software to be installed. The protecting system includes an invoking module and an input/output setting module. The invoking module invokes the genuine software in response to user input but the input/output setting module sets input/output functions of the genuine software when the genuine software is run to prevent complete of peripheral functionality during any trial period of use. An electronic device with the software protecting system is also provided.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to software protection, and particularly to an electronic device and a software protecting system applied in the electronic device for protecting genuine software installed in the electronic device. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Trial software may be provided to users to give potential users the opportunity to try the program for a limited time and usage. However, if the trial software is fully functional, users may think that there is no need to buy a genuine software, and if the trial software is too limited in function, users cannot fully appreciate and recognize the software. 
         [0005]    Therefore, what is needed is a software protecting system to make users fully aware of all the functions of genuine software and protect the genuine software being actually used by the user when the genuine software is in a trial period, to solve the above-mentioned problem. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Many aspects of the present disclosure should be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present device. Moreover, in the drawing, like reference numerals designate corresponding components throughout the views. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an electronic device, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a software protecting system applied in the electronic device shown in  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]    Embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of an electronic device  100  which installs and runs a software protecting system  300  and a genuine software  400 . In this embodiment, the genuine software  400  is in a trial period, that is, a user has not paid for the genuine software  400  to get a registration number, and the genuine software  400  can only be invoked by the software protecting system  300  if the user wants to investigate the genuine software  400 . The software protecting system  300  is used to invoke and present the genuine software  400  in the trial period, for example, to set certain input and output functions for the genuine software  400 , such as disabling a function of any printout of data generated by the genuine software  400  when the genuine software  400  is on trial. Thus, the genuine software  400  can be fully operational for the user, but the input/output function of the genuine software  400  can be limited, so the genuine software  400  cannot be fully used or realized by the user. In this embodiment, the electronic device  100  can be, but is not limited to being, a portable computer, a tablet computer, or a desktop computer. 
         [0011]    In this embodiment, the electronic device  100  includes a storage unit  10  and a processing unit  20 . The storage unit  10  can be a smart media card, a secure digital card, or a flash card. The processing unit  20  can be, but is not limited to being, a central processing unit, a single chip, or a digital signal processor. 
         [0012]    The storage unit  10  stores the genuine software  400 . The software protecting system  300  includes a number of modules, which are a collection of software instructions executed by the processing unit  20 . 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, the software protecting system  300  includes an invoking module  31 , an application environment setting module  32 , an input/output setting module  33 , and a control module  34 . 
         [0014]    The invoking module  31  invokes the genuine software  400  according to a preset invoking request, in response to user input. In this embodiment, the invoked genuine software  400  is within a trial period and cannot be directly run by the electronic device  100 . 
         [0015]    The application environment setting module  32  sets environment parameters, which support the running of the genuine software  400 , according to a hardware configuration of the electronic device  100 . In this embodiment, the environment parameters include memory size, operation frequency of the central processing unit, driver size, and the like. For example, if the supporting memory to support the running of genuine software  400  to run is required to be 2 gigabytes (GB), but the actual memory size of the electronic device  100  is 1GB, the application environment setting module  32  sets a virtual memory of 2GB as the environment parameter to support the running of genuine software  400 . 
         [0016]    The input/output setting module  33  sets input/output functions of the genuine software  400  when the genuine software  400  is in a running state. In detail, the input/output setting module  33  set the input/output functions as preventing users from inputting parameters to a parameter input area of the genuine software  400 , the parameters being inputted to the parameter input area are only the default parameters set by the input/output setting module  33  itself, and a printing and saving functions of the genuine software  400  may be set as enabled or disabled. The input/output setting module  33  may also set the input/output function as allowing users to input some parameters to the parameter input area but, for example, preventing the printing and saving functions when the genuine software  400  is in a running state. In this embodiment, the input/output setting module  33  inputs default parameters to the parameter input area by setting the parameter input area as a non-editable area, and when the input/output setting module  33  determines that the non-editable area has been clicked by the user, the input/output setting module  33  automatically loads the default parameters into the parameter input area. 
         [0017]    When the genuine software  400  is run by the software protecting system  300 , the user either cannot input any parameters at all to the parameter input area, or the user cannot input parameters to parameter input area and cannot print and save any result of data processing which is generated from the default parameters set by the input/output setting module  33 . or the user can input certain parameters to the parameter input area, but cannot print and save any result of data processing which is generated from the user input parameters. 
         [0018]    The control module  34  detects whether a software crack exists on the computer or not, and deletes one or more installation files of the genuine software  400  to prevent the running of the genuine software  400  if a software crack is detected by the control module  34 . In this embodiment, the control module  34  may also determine that a software crack exists if the software protecting system  300  is frequently started and closed down by the user. 
         [0019]    The control module  34  further deletes one or more installation files of the genuine software  400  to prevent the running of the genuine software  400  if the number of times that the genuine software  400  has been invoked by the software protecting system  300  reaches a predetermined value, or the time period for starting and running the genuine software  400  expires. 
         [0020]    The control module  34  prompts the user to input registration information of the genuine software  400  when the genuine software  400  is invoked by the invoking module  31 , and if the user inputs the registration information of the genuine software  400 , the control module  34  adds the inputted registration information to the genuine software  400 . The use-limitations of the input/output function are then removed, and the user can directly use the genuine software  400  in full and the software protecting system  300  is not required. 
         [0021]    The software protecting system  300  in the present disclosure makes the user fully appreciate all the functions of genuine software  400  and protects the genuine software  400  from being misused when the genuine software  400  is in the trial period. 
         [0022]    Although the present disclosure has been specifically described on the basis of exemplary embodiments thereof, the disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure.