Location sensitive software download

• US 20050086391A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chu, Simon, Dayan, Richard Alan, Rhoades, David B., Jennings, Jeffery Bart
• Application Number:
  US10/674,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20050086391A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS

Abstract

A method and system for managing a download of software from an application server to a client computer depending on a physical location of the client computer. The client computer transmits a real-time Global Position System (GPS) coordinate to the application server. This location is then compared to a list of authorized location ranges associated with the requested application. If the client computer is located within an authorized location range, the application server then downloads the application to the client computer. If the client computer is not within an authorized area, then the application is not allowed be downloaded.

Claims

1. A method for regulating a download of a software from a server to a client computer on a network, the regulating being determined by a physical location of the client computer on which the software is to be downloaded, the method comprising:

storing a first list of authorized location ranges where a client computer is authorized to receive a download of a software from a server;

determining a physical location of the client computer;

comparing the physical location of the client computer with the first list of authorized location ranges; and

downloading the first software only if the physical location of the client computer is within the range of one of the authorized location ranges from the first list of authorized location ranges.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon determining that the physical location of the client computer is not within the first list of authorized location ranges, requesting a download of a second software, the second software having a second list of authorized location ranges;

comparing the physical location of the client computer with the second list of authorized location ranges, and

downloading the second software only if the physical location of the client computer is within the range of one of the authorized location ranges from the second list of authorized location ranges.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon determining that the client computer is not located within an authorized area for the requested software download, generating an alert to a software administrator server of the unauthorized area in which the client computer is located while attempting to download a restricted application.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second lists of authorized location ranges are stored in the server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical location of the computer is determined from a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical location of the computer is determined from a local enterprise generated signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the local enterprise generated signal is confined to a single room.

8. A system for regulating a download of a software from a server to a client computer on a network, the regulating being determined by a physical location of the client computer on which the software is to be downloaded, the system comprising:

means for storing a first list of authorized location ranges where a client computer is authorized to receive a download of a software from a server;

means for determining a physical location of the client computer;

means for comparing the physical location of the client computer with the first list of authorized location ranges; and

means for downloading the first software only if the physical location of the client computer is within the range of one of the authorized location ranges from the first list of authorized location ranges.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for, upon determining that the physical location of the client computer is not within the first list of authorized location ranges, requesting a download of a second software, the second software having a second list of authorized location ranges;

means for comparing the physical location of the client computer with the second list of authorized location ranges, and

means for downloading the second software only if the physical location of the client computer is within the range of one of the authorized location ranges from the second list of authorized location ranges.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for, upon determining that the client computer is not located within an authorized area for the requested software download, generating an alert to a software administrator server of the unauthorized area in which the client computer is located while attempting to download a restricted application.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for storing the first and second lists of authorized location ranges are in the server.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the physical location of the computer is determined from a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the physical location of the computer is determined from a local enterprise generated signal.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the local enterprise generated signal is confined to a single room.

15. A computer program product, residing on a computer usable medium, for regulating a download of a software from a server to a client computer on a network, the regulating being determined by a physical location of the client computer on which the software is to be downloaded, the computer program product comprising:

program code for storing a first list of authorized location ranges where a client computer is authorized to receive a download of a software from a server;

program code for determining a physical location of the client computer;

program code for comparing the physical location of the client computer with the first list of authorized location ranges; and

program code for downloading the first software only if the physical location of the client computer is within the range of one of the authorized location ranges from the first list of authorized location ranges.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

program code for, upon determining that the physical location of the client computer is not within the first list of authorized location ranges, requesting a download of a second software, the second software having a second list of authorized location ranges;

program code for comparing the physical location of the client computer with the second list of authorized location ranges, and

program code for downloading the second software only if the physical location of the client computer is within the range of one of the authorized location ranges from the second list of authorized location ranges.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first and second lists of authorized location ranges are stored in the server.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the physical location of the computer is determined from a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal.