Abstract: Systems and methods for generating a-compact hardware identification (CHWID) for a given computer system are disclosed. The compact hardware identification (CHWID) may be used to control the use of software on the given computer system depending on the degree of hardware changes to the computer system. The compact hardware identification (CHWID) may be electronically transmitted over limited bandwidth media, such as a telephone.

Abstract: Systems and methods for implementing a hardware ID with time- and weight-based flexibility use a hardware ID (HWID) including identifying information about hardware components. When software is run, a current HWID is generated. When the current HWID is compared to a stored HWID to determine if the two HWIDs match, a time vector and a weight vector are used in the comparison. A running matching score is kept of matches. For each hardware component, the weight vector indicates the weight given to a correct match of the hashed value for the hardware component. For example, if the weight value for the hardware component is three and there is a match, then the running total is increased by three. For each hardware component, the time vector may indicate an expiration period after which a change in the component may be allowed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is a 64 bit hardware ID (H/W ID) for tying a software product to a particular computer to prevent software piracy. The 64 bit hardware ID represents ten different components of the user's computer: the CD-ROM device, the disk adapter, the disk device, the display adapter, the first drive serial number, the MAC address, the processor serial number, the processor type, the RAM size in Mb, and the SCSI adapter. Each time the software product is opened, the expanded H/W ID is compared to the hardware on the computer to determine whether a predetermined minimum number of components match. In one embodiment, the expanded H/W ID allows for expansion of the user's computer because so long as the component originally listed in the expanded H/W ID can be found on the computer, then that component matches the expanded H/W ID. Typically, seven out of ten components in the expanded HIW ID must match the computer before the software product will fully operate.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is a 64 bit hardware ID (H/W ID) for tying a software product to a particular computer to prevent software piracy. The 64 bit hardware ID represents ten different components of the user's computer: the CD-ROM device, the disk adapter, the disk device, the display adapter, the first drive serial number, the MAC address, the processor serial number, the processor type, the RAM size in Mb, and the SCSI adapter. Each time the software product is opened, the expanded H/W ID is compared to the hardware on the computer to determine whether a predetermined minimum number of components match. In one embodiment, the expanded H/W ID allows for expansion of the user's computer because so long as the component originally listed in the expanded H/W ID can be found on the computer, then that component matches the expanded H/W ID. Typically, seven out of ten components in the expanded H/W ID must match the computer before the software product will fully operate.