Automatic updating of diverse software products on multiple client computer systems

• US 20050273779A1
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Narasimhan, Balaji, Liu, Bing, Kannan, Ravi, Cheng, William, Katchapalayam, Babu, Ramanujam, Gopal, Hwang, Kenneth, Tran, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,703 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and method update client computers of various end users with software updates for software products installed on the client computers, the software products manufacturered by diverse, unrelated software vendors. The system includes a service provider computer system, a number of client computers and software vendor computer systems communicating on a common network. The service provider computer system stores in an update database information about the software updates of the diverse software vendors, identifying the software products for which software updates are available, their location on the network at the various software vendor computer systems, information for identifying in the client computers the software products stored thereon, and information for determining for such products, which have software updates available. Users of the client computers connect to the service provider computer and obtain a current version of portions of the database. The client computer determines that software products stored thereon, and using this information, determines from the database, which products have updates available, based on product name and release information for the installed products. The user selects updates for installation. The selected updates are downloaded from the software vendor computer systems and installed on the client computer. Payment for the software update and the service is mediated by the service provider computer. Authentication of the user ensures only registered users obtain software updates. Authentication of the software updates ensures that the software updates are virus free and uncorrupted. Changes to the client computer during installation are monitored and archived, allowing the updates to be subsequently removed by the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

establishing a communication link between a client computer and a service provider computer over a network;

displaying updates associated with software residing on the client computer;

receiving a selection of at least one of the updates from the client computer;

downloading the at least one update to the client computer from the service provider computer over the network; and

installing the at least one update on the client computer.

2. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein detailed information relating to the updates is displayed.

3. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the network includes the Internet.

4. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the updates are identified utilizing an application.

5. A computer-implemented method according to claim 4, wherein the application is downloaded to the client computer from the service provider computer over the network.

6. A computer-implemented method according to claim 4, wherein the updates are identified by scanning the client computer.

7. A computer-implemented method according to claim 4, wherein the updates are displayed in a list.

8. A computer-implemented method according to claim 4, wherein the updates update at least one software product residing on the client computer.

9. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the service provider computer includes a database, the database containing references to network locations where information relating to software from a plurality of software vendors can be obtained.

10. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the information includes the updates.

11. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the database further includes for each update a specification for an installation process for installing the at least one update on the client computer.

12. A computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein each installation process is specified in accordance with a file format of the associated update.

13. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the information includes promotional information.

14. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein a first button is utilized for establishing the communication link.

15. A computer-implemented method according to claim 14, wherein a first interface is utilized for displaying a list of the software residing on the client computer.

16. A computer-implemented method according to claim 15, wherein a second interface is utilized for displaying the updates associated with the list of the software residing on the client computer.

17. A computer-implemented method according to claim 16, wherein a second button is utilized for receiving the selection of the at least one update from the client computer.

18. A computer-implemented interface according to claim 16, wherein the first interface is displayed simultaneously with the second interface as components of a single interface.

19. A computer-implemented interface according to claim 16, wherein the first interface is displayed separate from the second interface to provide two separate interfaces.

20. A computer-implemented interface according to claim 17, wherein a third button is utilized for downloading the at least one update.

21. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium, comprising:

computer code for establishing a communication link between a client computer and a service provider computer over a network;

computer code for displaying updates associated with software residing on the client computer;

computer code for receiving a selection of at least one of the updates from the client computer;

computer code for downloading the at least one update to the client computer from the service provider computer over the network; and

computer code for installing the at least one update on the client computer.

22. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

establishing a communication link between a client computer and a service provider computer over a network;

identifying updates associated with software residing on the client computer;

downloading at least one of the updates to the client computer from the service provider computer over the network; and

installing the at least one update on the client computer.