Using receipts to control assignments of items of content to users

摘要

The described embodiments comprise an electronic device that executes an application, the electronic device including a processing subsystem. In these embodiments, the processing subsystem is configured to acquire a receipt associated with the application, wherein the application was purchased by a purchasing entity and installed on the electronic device after being assigned to a user of the electronic device by the purchasing entity. The processing subsystem is further configured to determine, using the receipt, if the application has expired. When the application has not expired, The processing subsystem is configured to execute the application with predetermined functions of the application enabled. When the application has expired, The processing subsystem is configured to execute the application with the predetermined functions of the application disabled.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
acquiring, by a user device, a receipt associated with an application on a user device, wherein the application was purchased by a purchasing entity from a content provider and installed on the user device after being assigned to a user of the user device by the purchasing entity, the assigning comprising a purchasing entity device indicating, to a content provider device, that the purchasing entity is providing the user the right to use the application with predetermined functions of the application enabled, where the user device, content provider device, and purchasing entity device are distinct devices from each other and where the user, content provider and purchasing entity are distinct entities from each other; determining, by the user device, using the receipt, that the application has expired, the determining comprising acquiring, from the receipt, both a value for a revocation reason and a value for an expiration date and determining, based on the value for the revocation reason and the value for the expiration date that the application has expired, where the value for the revocation reason indicates that the purchasing entity has revoked the assignment of the application to the user; and when the application has expired, executing, by the user device, the application on the user device with the predetermined functions of the application disabled.