Computer system warranty upgrade method and apparatus with configuration change detection feature
First Claim
1. A method of upgrading the warranty of a computer system including a plurality of components in a configuration, the method comprising:
- detecting, by the computer system, of a change in the configuration of the computer system; and
sending, by the computer system, of a warranty upgrade request to a remote warranty processor when a change in the configuration of the computer system is detected, the warranty upgrade request including configuration information for the computer system.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A computer system warranty upgrade method and apparatus are provided. The computer system is programmed to detect a change in its configuration such as when new components are installed. When such a configuration change is detected, the computer system sends a warranty upgrade request including configuration information to a remote warranty server computer. The warranty server prepares a warranty price quote specific to the particular configuration of the requesting computer. When the quoted price is paid, the warranty server digitally signs and transmits a warranty authorization to the requesting computer. The warranty authorization includes warranty type, duration, the specific configuration warranted and an identification number unique to the requesting computer. These data are authenticated and validated by a secure processor in the requesting computer. After validation, the verified data is stored in secure storage by the secure processor.
42 Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A method of upgrading the warranty of a computer system including a plurality of components in a configuration, the method comprising:
-
detecting, by the computer system, of a change in the configuration of the computer system; and
sending, by the computer system, of a warranty upgrade request to a remote warranty processor when a change in the configuration of the computer system is detected, the warranty upgrade request including configuration information for the computer system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of upgrading the warranty of a computer system including a plurality of components in a configuration, the method comprising:
-
receiving, by a warranty processor, of a warranty upgrade request from the computer system, the warranty upgrade request including configuration information for the computer system, the warranty request being generated by the computer system when the computer system detects a change it its configuration; and
determining, by the warranty processor, of a warranty upgrade price dependent on the configuration information in the warranty upgrade request. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A method of upgrading the warranty of a configurable electrical device including a plurality of components in a configuration, the method comprising:
-
detecting, by the configurable electrical device, a change in its configuration; and
sending, by the configurable electrical device, a warranty upgrade request subsequent to detection of a configuration change. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
-
-
29. A method of upgrading the warranty of a configurable electrical device including a plurality of components in a configuration, the method comprising:
-
receiving, by a warranty processor, of a warranty upgrade request from the configurable electrical device, the warranty upgrade request including configuration information for the configurable electrical device and being generated in response to a change in the configuration of the configurable electronic device; and
determining, by the warranty processor, of a warranty upgrade price dependent on the configuration information in the warranty upgrade request. - View Dependent Claims (31)
-
-
30. A computer system comprising:
-
a processor; and
a memory, coupled to the processor, the computer system being programmed to detect a change in computer system configuration and in response thereto transmit a warranty upgrade request.
-
Specification