System and method for automatically generating networked service installation based on subscription status

• US 20050278748A1
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Koh, Jerry K., Gentile, Elizabeth J., Hebenstreit, Eric, Miranda-Steiner, Emmanuel
• Granted Patent: US 7,660,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/61
• 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 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A system and related techniques prepare and condition the installation of new networked service or application components, such as Internet services, based on an individual subscriber'"'"'s subscribed-to services, features and other components. A subscriber to an Internet service may choose to add, for example, a componentized subscription to a music or video download service to their access plan. When the user inserts a CDROM or accesses a Web site for installation, the user may be prompted for a username or passport-type object to authenticate their account. The user may then be presented with a set of available service selections, extensions or enhancements to choose to add to their plan. Those available selections may be prefiltered or prequalified, for example, based on geographic location, account spending or access limits, language or other criteria. Because the installation engine delivers components which are intelligently filtered at time of installation, the service components or applications can be tailored to that specific user'"'"'s needs and options, instead of downloading or installing a monolithic package which may contain services not available or of interest to that user.

Claims

1. A system for generating a service installation, comprising:

an input interface to receive a service installation request;

an interface to a subscription database, the subscription database comprising subscriber status information; and

an installation engine, the installation engine communicating with the input interface and the interface to the subscription database, the installation engine receiving the service installation request and generating a service installation based on the installation request and the subscriber status information.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the service installation request comprises a request for at least one of network access, network services and media services.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the service installation request comprises at least network services and media services, the network services comprising at least one of email service, Web hosting service, antivirus service and firewall service, and the media services comprising at least one of network image exchange, music download service and video download service.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the service installation request is generated in an installation routine initiated via computer readable media.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the service installation request is generated in an installation routine initiated via a network download.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the subscriber status information comprises a set of available subscriber components.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the installation engine qualifies the set of available subscriber components against at least one of geographic criteria, marketing criteria and language criteria.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the installation engine communicates with an installation server to perform the service installation.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the service installation comprises an initiation of a new service installation.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the service installation comprises an update to an existing service installation.

11. A method for generating a service installation, comprising:

receiving a service installation request;

receiving subscriber status information from a subscriber database; and

generating a service installation based on the installation request and the subscriber status information.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the service installation request comprises a request for at least one of network access, network services and media services.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the service installation request comprises at least network services and media services, the network services comprising at least one of email service, Web hosting service, antivirus service and firewall service, and the media services comprising at least one of network image exchange, music download service and video download service.

14. A method according to claim 11, further comprising generating the service installation request in an installation routine initiated via computer readable media.

15. A method according to claim 11, further comprising generating the service installation request in an installation routine initiated via a network download.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein the subscriber status information comprises a set of available subscriber components.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the generating comprises qualifying the set of available subscriber components against at least one of geographic criteria, marketing criteria and language criteria.

18. A method according to claim 11, wherein the generating comprises communicating with an installation server to perform the service installation.

19. A method according to claim 11, wherein the service installation comprises an initiation of a new service installation.

20. A method according to claim 11, wherein the service installation comprises an update to an existing service installation.

21. A service installation, the service installation being generated by a method comprising:

receiving a service installation request;

receiving subscriber status information from a subscriber database; and

generating a service installation based on the installation request and the subscriber status information.

22. A service installation according to claim 21, wherein the service installation request comprises a request for at least one of network access, network services and media services.

23. A service installation according to claim 22, wherein the service installation request comprises at least network services and media services, the network services comprising at least one of email service, Web hosting service, antivirus service and firewall service, and the media services comprising at least one of network image exchange, music download service and video download service.

24. A service installation according to claim 21, wherein the method further comprises generating the service installation request in an installation routine initiated via computer readable media.

25. A service installation according to claim 21, wherein the method further comprises generating the service installation request in an installation routine initiated via a network download.

26. A service installation according to claim 21, wherein the subscriber status information comprises a set of available subscriber components.

27. A service installation according to claim 26, wherein the generating comprises qualifying the set of available subscriber components against at least one of geographic criteria, marketing criteria and language criteria.

28. A service installation according to claim 21, wherein the generating comprises communicating with an installation server to perform the service installation.

29. A service installation according to claim 21, wherein the service installation comprises an initiation of a new service installation.

30. A service installation according to claim 21, wherein the service installation comprises an update to an existing service installation.

31. A computer readable medium, the computer readable medium being readable to execute a method for generating a service installation, the method comprising:

receiving a service installation request;

receiving subscriber status information from a subscriber database; and

generating a service installation based on the installation request and the subscriber status information.

32. A computer readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the service installation request comprises a request for at least one of network access, network services and media services.

33. A computer readable medium according to claim 32, wherein the service installation request comprises at least network services and media services, the network services comprising at least one of email service, Web hosting service, antivirus service and firewall service, and the media services comprising at least one of network image exchange, music download service and video download service.

34. A computer readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the method further comprises generating the service installation request in an installation routine initiated via computer readable media.

35. A computer readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the method further comprises generating the service installation request in an installation routine initiated via a network download.

36. A computer readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the subscriber status information comprises a set of available subscriber components.

37. A computer readable medium according to claim 36, wherein the generating comprises qualifying the set of available subscriber components against at least one of geographic criteria, marketing criteria and language criteria.

38. A computer readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the generating comprises communicating with an installation server to perform the service installation.

39. A computer readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the service installation comprises an initiation of a new service installation.

40. A computer readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the service installation comprises an update to an existing service installation.

41. A system for generating a service installation, comprising:

input interface means to receive a service installation request;

interface means to subscription database means, the subscription database means comprising subscriber status information; and

installation means, the installation means communicating with the input interface means and the interface means to the subscription database, the installation means receiving the service installation request and generating a service installation based on the installation request and the subscriber status information.

42. A system according to claim 41, wherein the service installation request comprises a request for at least one of network access, network services and media services.

43. A system according to claim 42, wherein the service installation request comprises at least network services and media services, the network services comprising at least one of email service, Web hosting service, antivirus service and firewall service, and the media services comprising at least one of network image exchange, music download service and video download service.

44. A system according to claim 41, wherein the service installation request is generated in an installation routine initiated via computer readable media.

45. A system according to claim 41, wherein the service installation request is generated in an installation routine initiated via a network download.

46. A system according to claim 41, wherein the service installation comprises an initiation of a new service installation.

47. A system according to claim 41, wherein the service installation comprises an update to an existing service installation.