Patents by Inventor Thomas J. Layson

Thomas J. Layson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9092598
    Abstract: A software license for a particular version of a software product on a computing device includes both a branding identifier that identifies the particular version of the software product and component dependency information that identifies one or more aspects of the particular version of the software product. To activate a software product on the computing device, the branding identifier is compared to a portion of the software product on the computing device. If the branding identifier matches the portion of the software product, then the component dependency information is compared to one or more aspects of the software product on the computing device. If the component dependency information matches the one or more aspects of the software product then the software product is activated. Otherwise, the a license state of the software product is kept unchanged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Wen-Pin Scott Hsu, Tarik Soulami, Richard S. Eizenhoefer, Ning Zhang, Anil Bazaz, Thomas J. Layson, Josue L Noriega de la Vega
  • Patent number: 8984293
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for generating and validating product keys. In some embodiments, a product key includes security information and identification information identifying at least one copy of a software product. The identifying information may be used to access validation information from at least one source other than the product key, and the validation information may be used to process the identification information and the security information to determine whether the product key is valid. In some further embodiments, the security information includes a first portion to be processed by a first validation authority using first validation information and a second portion to be processed by a second validation authority using second validation information, wherein the second validation information is stored separately from the first validation information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Layson, Caglar Gunyakti, Tarik Soulami, Kalin Georgiev Toshev, Jeffrey Paul Harker, Josh D. Benaloh
  • Patent number: 8775797
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for validating product keys. In some embodiments, a product key includes security information and identification information identifying at least one copy of a software product. The security information may include a first portion to be processed by a first validation authority using first validation information and a second portion to be processed by a second validation authority using second validation information. The second validation information may be stored separately from the first validation information and may not be accessible to the first validation authority. In some embodiments, the first validation authority randomly determines whether a product key is to be audited by the second validation authority. Alternatively, the first validation authority may determine whether to audit based on a type of the software product associated with the product key and/or a perceived level of security risk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Layson, Caglar Gunyakti, Tarik Soulami, Kalin Georgiev Toshev, Jeffrey Paul Harker, Josh D. Benaloh
  • Publication number: 20120131349
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for generating and validating product keys. In some embodiments, a product key includes security information and identification information identifying at least one copy of a software product. The identifying information may be used to access validation information from at least one source other than the product key, and the validation information may be used to process the identification information and the security information to determine whether the product key is valid. In some further embodiments, the security information includes a first portion to be processed by a first validation authority using first validation information and a second portion to be processed by a second validation authority using second validation information, wherein the second validation information is stored separately from the first validation information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Layson, Caglar Gunyakti, Tarik Soulami, Kalin Georgiev Toshev, Jeffrey Paul Harker, Josh D. Benaloh
  • Publication number: 20120131681
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for validating product keys. In some embodiments, a product key includes security information and identification information identifying at least one copy of a software product. The security information may include a first portion to be processed by a first validation authority using first validation information and a second portion to be processed by a second validation authority using second validation information. The second validation information may be stored separately from the first validation information and may not be accessible to the first validation authority. In some embodiments, the first validation authority randomly determines whether a product key is to be audited by the second validation authority. Alternatively, the first validation authority may determine whether to audit based on a type of the software product associated with the product key and/or a perceived level of security risk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Layson, Caglar Gunyakti, Tarik Soulami, Kalin Georgiev Toshev, Jeffrey Paul Harker, Josh D. Benaloh
  • Publication number: 20110030062
    Abstract: A software license for a particular version of a software product on a computing device includes both a branding identifier that identifies the particular version of the software product and component dependency information that identifies one or more aspects of the particular version of the software product. To activate a software product on the computing device, the branding identifier is compared to a portion of the software product on the computing device. If the branding identifier matches the portion of the software product, then the component dependency information is compared to one or more aspects of the software product on the computing device. If the component dependency information matches the one or more aspects of the software product then the software product is activated. Otherwise, the a license state of the software product is kept unchanged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Wen-Pin Scott Hsu, Tarik Soulami, Richard S. Eizenhoefer, Ning Zhang, Anil Bazaz, Thomas J. Layson, Josue L. Noriega de la Vega
  • Patent number: 7398472
    Abstract: Systems and methods for defining at least one visual-display characteristic of at least one user-interface control are disclosed. In accordance with various embodiments of the invention, a dialog template specifies at least one style selector for the at least one user-interface control. A transformation module extracts the at least one style selector from the dialog template. A style sheet defines at least one visual-display-characteristic value that is applicable to the at least one user-interface control and that is associated with the at least one style selector. A style sheet-parsing engine uses the at least one style selector to retrieve the at least one visual-display-characteristic value from the style sheet. And a user-interface-control-drawing module draws the at least one user-interface control in accordance with the at least one visual-display-characteristic value retrieved by the style sheet-parsing engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Robert E. Corrington, Song Zou, Kathryn G. Rasmussen, Thomas J. Layson, Gamage I. Viriththamulla, Derek R. Westcott, Diane Shambaugh, Jalayne Taber Boni, Seung M. Yang, Paul L. Cutsinger, Robert David Rugge, Douglas Koenig, Nathan William Bower, Mun (Scott) Ying Leong