Network-based system for selecting or purchasing software products

• US 20060031768A1
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Correll, Jeffrey N., Shah, Mohammed Kamran, Sierer, Brian H., Fuller, David W. III
• Granted Patent: US 7,827,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/735
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/28 adapted for measuring in circuits having distributed constants
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/02 CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/34 for reconfigurable circuits, e.g. field programmable gate arrays [FPGA] or programmable logic devices [PLD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

System and method for receiving purchase information for a client system, e.g., a measurement system. A configuration diagram visually representing a current configuration of the client system is displayed. Multiple product icons are displayed representing products (hardware and/or programs) available for use in the client system. User input is received graphically associating at least one first product icon with the configuration diagram, where the first product icon represents a first product, and the user input indicates a desire to purchase the first product. An updated configuration diagram is displayed representing the configuration of the client system after receiving the user input, including the first product icon. Pricing information for the first product is displayed in response to receiving the user input. User input initiating purchase of the first product may be received in response to displaying the pricing information, and the product may be provided to the user.

Claims

1. A memory medium that stores program instructions for configuring a measurement system, wherein the program instructions are executable to perform:

receiving information from a user regarding a measurement system over a wide area network (WAN), wherein the information indicates desired measurement functionality;

automatically determining at least one software product based on the received information specifying the desired measurement functionality.

providing the at least one software product to the measurement system over the wide area network in response to said receiving information.

2. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

receiving payment information from the user over the WAN for the at least one software product.

3. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein said receiving information from a user comprises:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) to the user; and

the GUI receiving the information.

4. The memory medium of claim 3, wherein said displaying a GUI comprises:

displaying a configuration diagram representing a current configuration of the measurement system; and

displaying a plurality of software product icons representing software products available for use in the measurement system;

wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform;

receiving user input graphically associating at least one first software product icon with the configuration diagram, wherein said first software product icon represents at least one first software product, and wherein said user input indicates a desire to purchase the at least one first software product; and

displaying an updated configuration diagram representing the configuration of the measurement system after said receiving user input graphically associating, wherein the updated configuration diagram includes the at least one first software product icon.

5. The memory medium of claim 4, wherein said receiving user input graphically associating at least one first software product icon with the configuration diagram comprises:

receiving user input graphically associating the at least one first software product icon with a first location in the configuration diagram.

6. The memory medium of claim 4,

wherein said receiving user input graphically associating at least one first software product icon with the configuration diagram comprises:

receiving user input graphically associating the at least one first software product icon proximate to a link icon in the configuration diagram; and

wherein said displaying an updated configuration diagram comprises;

displaying the at least one first software product icon connected to the link icon.

7. The memory medium of claim 4, wherein said receiving user input graphically associating at least one first software product icon with the configuration diagram comprises:

receiving user input graphically associating at least one first software product icon with a first location in the configuration diagram; and

receiving user input graphically coupling the at least one first software product icon with a second icon in the configuration diagram, wherein said graphically coupling indicates an intended relationship between the first software product and a component of the measurement system corresponding to the second icon.

8. The memory medium of claim 7, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

performing type checking regarding the intended relationship between the first software product and the component of the measurement system corresponding to the second icon.

9. The memory medium of claim 4, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

displaying pricing information for the first software product in response to said receiving user input.

10. The memory medium of claim 9, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

receiving user input initiating purchase of the first software product in response to said displaying pricing information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

displaying a virtual software product icon representing the purchased at least one software product.

12. The memory medium of claim 4, wherein said graphically associating at least one first software product icon with the configuration diagram comprises graphically associating a plurality of software product icons with the configuration diagram, wherein each of said plurality of software product icons represents a respective software product, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

displaying accumulated prices of said respective software products as each software product icon is graphical associated with the configuration diagram.

13. The memory medium of claim 4, wherein, after said graphically associating, the at least one first software product icon is modified to reflect said associating.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein said receiving user input graphically associating at least one first software product icon with the configuration diagram comprises receiving user input dragging and dropping the at least one first software product icon onto the configuration diagram.

15. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the measurement system includes a client system, wherein said receiving information from the user regarding the measurement system over the WAN comprises:

the client system receiving user input from the user;

the client system sending the user input to a server computer over the network; and

the server computer receiving the user input from the client system.

16. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein said automatically determining comprises:

receiving a configuration diagram, wherein at least a portion of the configuration diagram is specified by a user, and wherein the configuration diagram represents a desired configuration of the measurement system;

programmatically analyzing the configuration diagram to determine the at least one software product.

17. The memory medium of claim 16, wherein, prior to said receiving the configuration diagram, the program instructions are executable to perform:

determining a current configuration of the measurement system;

creating an initial configuration diagram representing the current configuration of the measurement system; and

the user modifying the initial configuration diagram to produce the configuration diagram representing the desired configuration of the measurement system.

18. The memory medium of claim 17, wherein said determining a current configuration of the measurement system comprises:

programmatically analyzing the measurement system to determine programs currently in the measurement system.

19. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein said providing the at least one software product comprises:

determining if the user does not have the at least one software product by;

determining installed software products in the measurement system over the wide area network;

comparing the determined installed software products to the at least one software product to determine if the at least one software product is not installed in the measurement system;

if the user does not have the at least one software product;

providing the at least one software product to the user.

20. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the measurement system includes a client computer system, wherein the at least one software product comprises one or more of:

configuration data and configuration software which is executable by the client computer system to configure one or more of the client computer system and one or more measurement programs with the configuration data;

application software which is executable by the client computer system to operate in conjunction with one or more measurement devices in the measurement system;

a graphical program which is executable by the client computer system to operate in conjunction with the one or more measurement devices in the measurement system;

machine executable code which is executable by the client computer system to operate in conjunction with the one or more measurement devices in the measurement system;

text based code which is compilable and executable, or interpretable, by the client computer system to operate in conjunction with the one or more measurement devices in the measurement system;

a self-executing program file which operates in conjunction with the one or more measurement devices in the measurement system; and

a self-executing program file which operates to configure the client computer system with configuration information.

21. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the measurement system includes a client computer system, wherein said providing the at least one software product to the user comprises providing the at least one software product to the client computer system over the WAN, wherein the at least one software product comprises a hardware configuration program, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

prior to said providing the at least one software product to the client computer system, providing a simulation program which simulates operation of the hardware configuration program to the client computer system;

wherein the simulation program is executable by the client computer system to perform at least a portion of the functionality of the hardware configuration program; and

wherein use of the software program is discontinued when the hardware configuration program is deployed in the measurement system.

22. The memory medium of claim 21, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

displaying a configuration diagram on a display of the client computer system which iconically illustrates the measurement system, wherein said displaying comprises displaying one or more device icons corresponding respectively to one or more measurement devices in the measurement system, and/or one or more software product icons corresponding respectively to one or more software products in the measurement system;

wherein said displaying further comprises one or more of;

displaying a software program icon representing the simulation program, wherein after the at least one measurement device is deployed in the measurement system, the software program icon is replaced with a device icon representing the at least one measurement device; and

displaying a device icon representing the simulation program, wherein the device icon is modified to indicate that functions of the at least one measurement device are performed by the simulation program, wherein after the at least one measurement device is deployed in the measurement system, the modified device icon is replaced with a device icon representing the at least one measurement device.

23. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one software product comprises one or more of:

a software program;

configuration information, wherein the configuration information is useable to configure at least a portion of the measurement system; and

a hardware configuration program, wherein the hardware configuration program is useable to configure a programmable hardware element in the measurement system.

24. The memory medium of claim 23, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

deploying the at least one software product to the measurement system; and

modifying the display of the configuration diagram to reflect said deploying.

25. The memory medium of claim 24, wherein said modifying the display of the configuration diagram comprises:

animating the configuration diagram to visually illustrate to the user the deployment of the at least one software product to the measurement system.

26. The memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the measurement system includes a client computer system;

wherein the client computer system is coupled to a server computer system over the WAN; and

wherein said providing the at least one software product to the measurement system comprises the server downloading the at least one software product to the client computer system over the WAN.

28. A system for configuring a measurement system, comprising:

a computer system, comprising

a processor; and

a memory, coupled to the processor;

wherein the computer system is coupled to a wide area network (WAN);

wherein the computer system is operable to;

receive information from a user regarding a measurement system over a wide area network (WAN), wherein the information indicates desired measurement functionality;

automatically determine at least one software product based on the received information specifying the desired measurement functionality.

provide the at least one software product to the measurement system over the WAN in response to said receiving information.

29. A system for configuring a measurement system, comprising:

means for receiving information from a user regarding a measurement system over a wide area network (WAN), wherein the information indicates desired measurement functionality;

means for automatically determining at least one software product based on the received information specifying the desired measurement functionality.

means for providing the at least one software product to the measurement system over the wide area network in response to said receiving information.

30. A memory medium that stores program instructions for configuring a measurement system, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to perform:

displaying a configuration diagram on a display that iconically represents a measurement system;

receiving user input selecting at least one program icon for inclusion in the configuration diagram, wherein the program icon corresponds to a measurement program;

providing information over a wide area network based on the user input selecting the at least one program icon;

providing the program over the wide area network to the user in response to said information.

31. The memory medium of claim 30, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

receiving payment information from the user for purchase of the measurement program.

32. A memory medium that stores program instructions for configuring a measurement system, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to perform:

displaying a plurality of program icons on a display, wherein each of the program icons represents a respective measurement program;

receiving user input selecting a first program icon, wherein the first program icon corresponds to a first measurement program;

providing information over a wide area network based on the user input selecting the first program icon;

providing the measurement program over the wide area network to the user in response to said information.

33. The memory medium of claim 32, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

receiving payment information from the user for purchase of the measurement program.