Method for software distribution

• US 20070100907A1
• Filed: 10/20/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Bayer, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method for software distribution is provided. The method is for software distribution from a central provider server of a software provider to a customer system with at least one technical device, on which at least one application program managed by the software provider is installed. The method includes storing information about a customer version of the application program used by the customer system and a current version in a database on the central provider server, and making a program packet, which corresponds to the current version of the application program, available to the customer system by way of a data line when the present customer version does not correspond to the current version.

Claims

1. A method for software distribution from a central provider server of a software provider to a customer system with at least one technical device, on which at least one application program managed by the software provider is installed, the method comprising:

storing information about a customer version of the application program used by the customer system and a current version in a database on the central provider server, and

making a program packet, which corresponds to the current version of the application program, available to the customer system by way of a data line when the customer version does not correspond to the current version.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

storing a device address of one of the at least one technical device on the provider server, and

making the program packet available to the customer system with details of the device address.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

managing a number of customer systems by way of the central provider server, and

storing information about the customer versions of the application programs used, the assignment of the customer versions to the respective technical devices, and the addresses of the customer systems for every customer system.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, comprising:

transmitting the respective program packets to the customer systems.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, comprising:

installing the respective program packets from the central provider server on the technical devices.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, comprising:

making the program packet available to a central customer server, and

installing the program packet in a decentralized manner from the central customer server.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, comprising:

transferring the program packet to the customer server;

providing the transferred program packet for a number of devices of the customer system;

wherein the transferred program packet contains additional information about the devices on which it is to be installed.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

combining a number of the at least one technical devices of a customer system into different groups, and

supplying group-specific program packet bundles by the provider server.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8,

wherein different access rights are granted for the different group-specific program packet bundles.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

transferring a confirmation of successful installation of a respective program packet to the central provider server, and

updating the database.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8,

wherein the at least one technical devices is a medical diagnosis or treatment unit or associated data processing units.

12. The method as claimed in claim 2, comprising:

managing a number of customer systems by way of the central provider server, and

storing information about the customer versions of the application programs used, the assignment of the customer versions to the respective technical devices, and the addresses of the customer systems for every customer system.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

transmitting the program packet to the customer system.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

installing the program packet from the central provider server on the technical device.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

making the program packet available to a central customer server, and

installing the program packet in a decentralized manner from the central customer server.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12, comprising:

combining a number of the at least one technical devices of a customer system into different groups, and

supplying group-specific program packet bundles by the provider server.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, comprising:

transferring a confirmation of successful installation of a respective program packet to the central provider server, and

updating the database.