Apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture for data transmission

• US 20020170052A1
• Filed: 03/06/2001
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cybersoft, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cybersoft, Inc.
• Inventors: Radatti, Peter V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,373,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2255 Hash tables
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/564 by virus signature recognition

Abstract

The present invention comprises apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture for transferring data, comprising one or more update files made available upon distribution media, such as a server, a hash of the update files made available upon the server, as well as versions of the update and hash files upon a target or client. The distribution media then transmits the hash to the target or client, the hashes are compared, and, if they do not match, the update files are downloaded for further review and updating, if desired. If updating is desired, an update mechanism will then edit and/or replace files, modules, data and/or byte sequences on the target, according to the preferred embodiments. Embodiments for various platforms, including Unix® and Windows® NT are disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transmitting data to a target comprising:

a means for updating, present on a distribution media, and further comprising data and data information;

a means for transmission between said distribution media and said target, and,

a means for processing said data information;

whereby said data information is transmitted through said means for transmission to said means for processing, which upon receipt of said data information compares said data information with said target in order to determine if said data should be transmitted to said target.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the means for updating on the distribution media further comprises a distribution hash means.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the means for transmission of data at least partially comprises a network.

4. An apparatus for transmitting data to a target comprising:

a means for updating, present on a distribution media, and further comprising data, data information and a hash of said data information;

a means for transmission between said distribution media and said target,

a means for obtaining data information from said distribution media; and

,

a means for processing said hash of said data information;

whereby said means for obtaining data information from said distribution media obtains said hash from said means for updating present on said distribution media, which hash is transmitted through said means for transmission to said means for processing, and which upon receipt of said hash of said data information compares said hash with said target in order to determine if said data should be transmitted to said target.

5. A method for transmitting data to a target comprising the steps of:

transmitting data information between a distribution media and said target; and

,

comparing said data information in order to determine if said data should be transmitted to said target.

6. A method as in claim 5 further comprising the step of obtaining data information from said server.

7. A method as in claim 6 wherein the step of obtaining data information from said server further comprises the step of using an http address to obtain data information.

8. A method for transmitting data to a target comprising the steps of:

transmitting a hash of data information from a first distribution media to said target;

comparing said hash in order to determine if data information should be transmitted to said target;

transmitting said data information from a second distribution media, if necessary, to said target;

comparing said data information with said target in order to determine if said data should be transmitted to said target.

9. A method as in claim 8 further comprising the step of obtaining data information from said server.

10. A method as in claim 9 wherein the step of obtaining data information from said server further comprises the step of using an http address to obtain data information.

11. A method for transmitting data as in claim 8, wherein the first and second distribution media are the same.

12. A method for transmitting data as in claim 8, wherein either the first and second distribution media at least partially comprises a network.

13. A method as in claim 8 further comprising the step of preparing said data information from attributes of said data.

14. A method as in claim 13 wherein said data comprises one or more software product files.

15. A method as in claim 13 further comprising the step of preparing said hash from said data information.

16. Data information prepared by the method of claim 13.

17. A hash prepared by the method of claim 15.

18. A method as in claim 8 further comprising the steps of transmitting said data from a third distribution media to said target.

19. A method as in claim 18 wherein the third distribution media at least partially comprises a network.

20. A method as in claim 19 further comprising the step of editing data on said target in order to update data on said target.

21. A method for transmitting data to a target comprising the steps of:

providing a software product;

preparing data information about said software product;

preparing a hash of data information about said software product;

storing said software product on a first distribution media;

storing said data information on a second distribution media;

storing said hash of data information on a third distribution media;

obtaining data information about said software product;

transmitting said hash of data information to said target;

comparing said hash in order to determine if data information should be transmitted to said target;

transmitting said data information, if necessary, to said target;

comparing said data information with said target in order to determine if said data should be transmitted to said target;

transmitting said data, if necessary, to said target; and

,

editing said data on said target in order to update data on said target.