Patents by Inventor R. David Chicks

R. David Chicks 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: 7921059
    Abstract: A licensing system provides for various versions of an application within a software product. A license type is identified from a product key that is associated with the software product. The license type may correspond to a hybrid license. When the license type is a hybrid license, an application state is determined for any applications included in the software product. A use experience for the applications is provided according to the application state when the application state is determined. For applications that are provided as upgradeable versions, an upgrade may be obtained by simply obtaining a new product key that is associated with the upgraded versions of the applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: R. David Chicks, Aidan T. Hughes, Michael P. Jorden
  • Patent number: 7308542
    Abstract: The present invention leverages selections of data locations and comparative analysis of data values stored in these locations to provide a secure means of maintaining data integrity with minimal computational burdens. This provides, in one instance of the present invention, a tamper-resistant process to ensure that software application usage data is protected from malicious attacks. By storing and recalling data in an untraceable fashion, the present invention substantially increases the effort required to spoof the stored data. Additionally, comparative analysis is utilized with the randomized approach to facilitate in maintaining consistency of the stored data both in retrieval of information and when storing new data values. This allows checking of the data prior to overwriting sensitive data, thwarting malicious attacks that spoof new data as a means to alter the stored data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: R. David Chicks, Aidan T. Hughes, Jay Ferdinand N. Alabraba, Jr.