Remote out-of-box experience

• US 20030115091A1
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sawyer, Michael
• Application Number:
  US09/991,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20030115091A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system, and method for remotely determining a user'"'"'s out-of-box experience with a information handling system or a software program. The present invention discloses providing an information handling system with the capability of detecting data relating to how the user interacts with the information handling system during initialization. User interaction data may include detecting occurrence of event, time intervals, installation of devices. Data may then be compiled and uploaded over a network, such as the Internet to a remote information handling system or web site.

Claims

1. A system for remotely determining a user'"'"'s out-of-box experience, comprising:

a user information handling system capable of detecting and uploading data related to the user'"'"'s out-of-box interaction with the user information handling system;

a network suitable for communicating uploaded data, wherein the network is connected to the user information handling system; and

a remote information handling system connected to the network, wherein the remote information handling system is suitable for receiving uploaded data from the user information handling system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user information handling system is capable of automatically uploading user interaction data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user information handling system is capable of offering an opportunity to upload user interaction data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote information handling system is capable of correlating the uploaded data with the user information handling system'"'"'s pre-loaded configuration.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein user interaction data is at least one of an occurrence of an event, a time interval between events, a user input, “

HELP”

button utilization, a time period to load a program, an accessed program'"'"'s name, an installation of a driver, a screen capture, a time period a dialog box is open.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user information handling system detects user interaction data as a background application.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s interactions are detected for at least one of an initial boot-up, a specific number of boot operations, a time period, and after a program has been started a specific number of times.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is the INTERNET.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the user information handling system is capable of surveying the user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is the INTERNET.

10. A system for remotely determining a user'"'"'s out-of-box experience, comprising:

a user information handling system capable of detecting and uploading data related to the user'"'"'s out-of-box interaction with the user information handling system during initialization;

a network suitable for communicating uploaded data, wherein the network is connected to the user information handling system; and

a remote information handling system connected to the network, wherein the remote information handling system is suitable for receiving the uploaded data from the information handling system.

12. A method for remotely determining a user'"'"'s out-of-box experience with a user information handling system, comprising:

providing the user information handling system with the capability of detecting data related to the user'"'"'s interactions with the user information handling system;

initializing the user information handling system including user interaction detecting capability, by the user;

detecting data related to the user'"'"'s interactions with the information handling system during initialization;

compiling the detected user interaction data;

uploading the user interaction data to a network;

communicating user interaction data to a remote information handling system.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising offering an incentive to upload user interaction data.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein uploading user interaction data is conducted automatically.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein uploading user interaction data is initiated by the user.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the user'"'"'s interactions with the information handling system is conducted as a background operation.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein uploading compiled user interaction data is conducted after at least one of an initial boot-up, after a specific number of boot operations, and a time period.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising surveying the user about information regarding at least one of demographic data and user opinion.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising correlating survey information with user interaction data.

20. A method, comprising:

detecting an initialization of a user when the user sets up a user information handling system;

saving the initialization activity detected in said detecting step to a file;

uploading the file to an originator of the user information handling system wherein the initialization activity of the user is correlated by the originator.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising the step of correlating the initialization activity of the user, determining whether a change in the initialization is needed, and, in the event a change is needed, modifying an initialization process for new information handling systems in response to the analyzed initialization activity of the user.

22. A software system for remotely detecting a user'"'"'s out-of-box experience, comprising:

a computer-readable medium containing;

a first software program capable of causing a user information handling system to perform a function; and

a second software program capable of causing the user information handling system to detect and compile the user'"'"'s initial interactions with the information handling system performing the first software program;

wherein the second software program is a background application; and

wherein the second software program is capable of causing the user information handling system to upload the compiled data to a remote information handling system.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

means for detecting an initialization activity of a user when the user initializes an information handling system;

means for saving the initialization activity detected by said monitoring means to a file; and

means for uploading the file to an originator of the user information handling system wherein the initialization activity of the user is correlated by the originator.

24. An apparatus as claimed in claim 23 wherein the originator correlates the initialization activity of the user so that a future system can be configured in response to the correlated initialization activity of the user.