Remote computer capabilities querying and certification

• US 20020112052A1
• Filed: 02/13/2001
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Educational Testing Service
• Original Assignee: Educational Testing Service
• Inventors: Brittingham, Peter, Forer, Douglas, Bentley, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,092,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A remote client computer performance/compatibility querying and certification system allows a server to remotely query a client computer over a communication network to gather performance/capability information of the client computer, e.g., the processor class or family, the type and the version of the operating system, display resolution capability, installed software components, peripheral devices connected to the client computer and/or the like, and determines whether the client computer is capable of accessing and utilizing an on-line service available over the communication network. The performance/capability information is gathered by the use of a querying program downloaded from the server, and running on the client computer. The querying program may query, e.g., through one or more application program interface (API) function calls, the system/component registry of the operating system of the client computer. The gathered performance/capability information may be used, e.g., to pre-certify the client computer before the user attempts to utilize the on-line service, to determine whether the client computer is compatible with a software product, which the user of the client computer desires to purchase on-line over the communication network, and/or to provide an expert technician information regarding the installed software/hardware components of the client computer during an on-line technical support session.

Claims

1. A method of querying a client computer by a server over a communication network to determine whether said client computer has sufficient performance capability in order to utilize an on-line service, comprising:

allowing a query program to be downloaded to said client computer, said query program, upon execution, querying said client computer for at least one performance parameter;

transmitting said at least one performance parameter to said server; and

determining whether said client computer has a sufficient performance capability to utilize said on-line service based on said at least one performance parameter.

2. The method of querying a client computer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

storing a certification file in said client computer if said client computer is determined to have said sufficient performance capability, said certification file being accessible by said server.

3. The method of querying a client computer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether said client computer was previously certified, said client computer being previously certified if a certification file is stored in said client computer.

4. The method of querying a client computer in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said query program is configured to issue one or more application program interface function calls to an operating system of said client computer, said operating system returning said at least one performance parameter in response to said one or more application program interface function calls.

5. The method of querying a client computer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

storing a certification criteria in a storage of said server.

6. The method of querying a client computer in accordance with claim 1, wherein said step of determining whether said client computer has said sufficient performance capability comprises:

comparing said at least one performance parameter against said certification criteria.

7. The method of querying a client computer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

suggesting a remediation to a user of said client computer if it was determined that said client computer does not have said sufficient performance capability.

8. The method of querying a client computer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

storing a client computer database a storage of said server.

9. The method of querying a client computer in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:

updating said client computer database with said at least one performance parameter.

10. A computer readable storage medium on which is embedded one or more computer programs, said one or more computer programs implementing a method of querying a client computer by a server over a communication network to determine whether said client computer has sufficient performance capability in order to utilize an on-line service, said one or more computer programs comprising a set of instructions for:

allowing a query program to be downloaded to said client computer, said query program, upon execution, querying said client computer for at least one performance parameter;

transmitting said at least one performance parameter to said server; and

determining whether said client computer has a sufficient performance capability to utilize said on-line service based on said at least one performance parameter.

11. The computer readable storage medium in according to claim 10, wherein said one or more computer programs further comprising a set of instructions for:

storing a certification file in said client computer if said client computer is determined to have said sufficient performance capability, said certification file being accessible by said server.

12. The computer readable storage medium in according to claim 10, wherein said one or more computer programs further comprising a set of instructions for:

determining whether said client computer was previously certified, said client computer being previously certified if a certification file is stored in said client computer.

13. The computer readable storage medium in according to claim 10, wherein:

said query program is configured to issue one or more application program interface function calls to an operating system of said client computer, said operating system returning said at least one performance parameter in response to said one or more application program interface function calls.

14. The computer readable storage medium in according to claim 10, wherein said one or more computer programs further comprising a set of instructions for:

storing a certification criteria in a storage of said server.

15. The computer readable storage medium in according to claim 14, wherein said set of instructions for determining whether said client computer has said sufficient performance capability comprises a set of instructions for:

comparing said at least one performance parameter against said certification criteria.

16. The computer readable storage medium in according to claim 10, wherein said one or more computer programs further comprising a set of instructions for:

suggesting a remediation to a user of said client computer if it was determined that said client computer does not have said sufficient performance capability.

17. The computer readable storage medium in according to claim 10, wherein said one or more computer programs further comprising a set of instructions for:

storing a client computer database a storage of said server.

18. The computer readable storage medium in according to claim 17, wherein said one or more computer programs further comprising a set of instructions for:

updating said client computer database with said at least one performance parameter.

20. The system for remotely querying a client computer according to claim 19, wherein:

said server is configured to store a certification file in said client computer if said client computer is determined to have said sufficient performance capability, said certification file being accessible by said server.

21. The system for remotely querying a client computer according to claim 19, wherein:

said server is configured to determine whether said client computer was previously certified, said client computer being previously certified if a certification file is stored in said client computer.

22. The system for remotely querying a client computer according to claim 19, wherein:

said query program is configured to issue one or more application program interface function calls to an operating system of said client computer, said operating system returning said at least one performance parameter in response to said one or more application program interface function calls.

23. The system for remotely querying a client computer according to claim 19, wherein:

said server is configured to store a certification criteria in a storage of said server.

24. The system for remotely querying a client computer according to claim 23, wherein:

said server is configured to compare said at least one performance parameter against said certification criteria.

25. The system for remotely querying a client computer according to claim 19, wherein:

said server is configured to suggest a remediation to a user of said client computer if it was determined that said client computer does not have said sufficient performance capability.

26. The system for remotely querying a client computer according to claim 19, wherein:

said server is configured to store a client computer database a storage of said server.

27. The system for remotely querying a client computer according to claim 26, wherein:

said server is configured to update said client computer database with said at least one performance parameter.

29. The method of providing information in accordance with claim 28, wherein:

said query program is configured to issue one or more application program interface function calls to an operating system of said client computer, said operating system returning said information in response to said one or more application program interface function calls.

30. The method of providing information in accordance with claim 29, wherein:

said expert technician is prevented from having an access to said user computer.

19. A system for remotely querying a client computer by a server over a communication network, comprising:

a communication network; and

a server configured to allow a query program to be downloaded to said client computer, said query program, upon execution, querying said client computer for at least one performance parameter, said server further configured to receive said at least one performance parameter from said querying program, and to determine whether said client computer has a sufficient performance capability to utilize said on-line service based on said at least one performance parameter.

28. A method of providing information regarding one or more components installed on a user computer to an expert technician during an on-line technical support session with a sever over a communication network, comprising:

allowing a query program to be downloaded to said user computer, said query program, upon execution, querying said user computer for information regarding said one or more components installed on said user computer;

transmitting said information to said sever; and

displaying said information to said expert technician.