APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SUBTRACTIVE INSTALLATION

• US 20070150886A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alan Shapiro
• Original Assignee: Alan Shapiro
• Inventors: Shapiro, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,398,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/162 Delete operations erasing in storage systems G06F3/0652
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99956 File allocation

Abstract

An apparatus and method for obtaining a storage medium with a deeply customizable set of installed content. Soft assets (e.g., programs, songs, videos, etc.) that form the content are selected from among a much larger set of preinstalled soft assets previously stored on storage media, such as disk drives. In some embodiments, based on a user'"'"'s selections, the non-selected assets are permanently erased from a storage medium, while the remaining assets are available as installed (wherein substantially no further processing is required to install them). In some embodiments, a new device uses the storage medium to provide its user with a fully functional device without the need to separately install the soft assets from a plurality of sources (e.g., from program-distribution CDROMS and the like). Some embodiments include the storage medium having the soft assets installed, and including a program that elicits selections from a user and erases non-selected assets.

Claims

1. A method for processing a first storage medium comprising:

writing on the first storage medium, before initial connection of the first storage medium to an end-user device, a plurality of installed soft assets in simplex form such that all of the plurality of soft assets are substantially ready-to-use with an operating system of the end-user device when the first storage medium is connected to the end-user device;

obtaining selection data to define any subset of the soft assets;

subsequent to said writing connecting the first storage medium to the end-user device; and

automatically modifying the first storage medium based on the selection data to uninstall ones of the plurality of installed soft assets not in the subset of the soft assets defined by the selection data such that usability with the operating system of the soft assets that are uninstalled is completely reversed and the assets which are uninstalled are erased, and in place of those assets not relevant to the selected assets, erased space becomes available for storage of other data, and selected assets specified by the selection data remain available as installed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the writing on the first storage medium of the plurality of installed soft assets occurs prior to receiving a customer'"'"'s specification for an apparatus associated with said storage medium.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the writing of the plurality of installed soft assets on the first storage medium includes:

providing a second storage medium;

installing a plurality of soft assets to the second storage medium;

providing the first storage medium; and

writing, to the first storage medium, data from the second storage medium that includes the plurality of installed soft assets.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising operatively coupling, subsequent to said modifying, the first storage medium to a device that has not been used by an end user in order that the device after the modifying operation and coupling is in an immediately useable state.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging a monetary amount to a predetermined account based on the selection data, wherein said selection data is provided after said first storage medium is assembled to a device to be used by an end user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying of the first storage medium further comprises:

reading directory information from an operating-system directory location;

modifying the directory information in a location other than a device with which the storage medium is associated; and

writing the modified directory information to the operating-system directory location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying of the first storage medium further comprises:

reading directory information from a location on the storage medium other than used by an operating-system as a default directory location;

modifying the directory information; and

writing the modified directory information to the operating-system directory location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying of the first storage medium further comprises:

reading directory information from a location other than the storage medium and other than a device with which the storage medium is associated;

modifying the directory information; and

writing the modified directory information to an operating-system directory location on the storage medium.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the first storage medium having the prewritten plurality of installed soft assets includes:

providing a second storage medium;

installing a plurality of soft assets to the second storage medium to create a master panoplex that includes the plurality of installed soft assets;

providing the first storage medium; and

copying the master panoplex to the first storage medium as part of a process of copying the master panoplex to a plurality of additional storage media before the respective storage media are connected to their respective end-user devices.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the prewritten plurality of installed soft assets configured on the storage medium as unavailable for use until the automatically modifying operation is performed.

36. The method of claim 1,

wherein the writing on the storage medium the plurality of installed soft assets in simplex form further comprises:

a) collecting a plurality of supplied digital assets;

b) installing the collected plurality of digital assets and creating a data structure on a master storage medium such that the data structure contains the installed digital assets;

c) intertwining the installed digital assets with an operating system such that the installed digital assets are functional with the operating system;

d) storing a copy of the data structure onto each one of the plurality of individual storage devices; and

wherein the automatically modifying of the first storage medium based on the selection data further comprises;

e) selecting one of the individual storage devices that contain the data structure;

f) subsequent to the storing of the copy of the data structure onto each one of a plurality of individual storage devices, obtaining selection data that distinguish the selected set of the installed digital assets, which are to be retained, from others of the installed digital assets, which are not to be retained;

g) removing from the selected individual storage device the others of the installed digital assets that are not to be retained based on the selection data such that the selected set of the installed digital assets that are to be retained are in the device substantially ready-to-use and functional; and

wherein the method further comprises;

h) delivering the selected storage device to the specific end-user.

6. (canceled)

12. An apparatus comprising a computer-readable first storage medium wherein the first storage medium, before an initial connection of the storage medium to an end-user device, includes a plurality of installed soft assets and instructions stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed information processor to execute a method comprising:

obtaining selection data; and

modifying the storage medium based on the selection data such that in place of the non-selected ones of the plurality of installed soft assets, erased space becomes available for storage of other data, and selected ones of the plurality of installed soft assets are available as installed,

wherein the plurality of installed soft assets are stored on said storage medium before the selection data is obtained and before the initial connection of the storage medium to the end-user device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the storage medium is configured to maintain the plurality of installed soft assets as unavailable for use until a further operation uninstalls a subset of the soft assets.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a computer-controlled device operatively coupled to the first storage medium and configured to execute instructions obtained from the first storage medium and to write, to the first storage medium, data that modifies the plurality of installed soft assets based on the selection data.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions stored on the first storage medium cause the method to further comprise charging a monetary amount based on the selected assets, wherein the monetary amount charged is based on the soft assets that are retained on the storage medium.

16. An apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to connect to a first storage medium wherein the storage medium, before an initial connection of the storage medium to an end-user device includes a plurality of installed soft assets stored thereon;

means for obtaining selection data; and

means, coupled to the interface, for modifying the storage medium based on the selection data such that, in place of non-selected assets, erased space becomes available for storage of other data, and selected assets are available as installed content;

said non-selected assets being fully uninstalled so that all indicia of integration of said assets with an operating system are fully removed, and instability of a device with which said first storage medium is to be associated does not occur due to said non-selected assets being uninstalled.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for installing a plurality of soft assets to a second storage medium; and

means for copying, to the first storage medium, data from the second storage medium that includes the plurality of installed soft assets, prior to obtaining said selection data.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a computer-controlled device that has not been used by an end user; and

means for operatively coupling the first storage medium to the device in order that the device, after operation of the means for modifying, is in a state immediately substantially useable by the end user.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for charging a monetary amount based on the selected assets, wherein only assets that are to be paid for are retained on the storage medium.

34. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the interface and the means for modifying are not in the end-user device and operate on the storage medium before the storage medium is connected to the end-user device.

35. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the interface and the means for modifying are in the end-user device and operate on the storage medium after the storage medium is connected to the end-user device.

17. (canceled)

21. An apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to connect to a storage medium, the storage medium having a prewritten first set of installed simplex soft assets stored thereon before initial connection to the storage medium'"'"'s end-user device;

an input device configured to receive selection data; and

a grypher coupled to the interface and the input device, wherein the grypher is configured to control the interface in order to modify the storage medium based on the selection data received after the installed soft assets are stored on the storage medium, such that non-selected assets are un-installed and in place of the non-selected assets, erased space becomes available for storage of other data, and selected assets are available as installed content.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a storage-medium writer having the first set of installed soft assets stored thereon and operable to write substantially concurrently to the first storage medium and to at least one other storage medium, prior to receiving said selection data and prior to coupling of said storage medium to an end user device, substantially identical data that includes the first set of installed soft assets.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a storage-medium writer having the first set of installed soft assets and a second set of installed soft assets stored thereon and operable to write substantially simultaneously to the first storage medium and to at least one other storage medium, substantially identical data that includes the first set of installed soft assets, and to write substantially simultaneously to a plurality of other storage medium, substantially identical data that includes the second set of installed soft assets.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a mechanism that operatively couples the first storage medium to a device that has not been used by an end user in order that the device when coupled to the storage medium after operation of the grypher is in an immediately useable state, wherein gryphing is accomplished prior to coupling to said device.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a billing mechanism that charges a monetary amount based on the selected assets, wherein only assets that are to be paid for are retained on the storage medium.

26. (canceled)

27. A method for distributing percepta comprising:

providing a storage medium for use in a percepter, said percepter being other than a personal computer and said percepter being an apparatus having fixed functionality that can not be altered by a user of said percepter, said storage medium having written thereon before being initially connected to the percepter, a panoplex that includes a universe of percepta that are configured to be not available for use by an end user of any percepter to which said storage medium is to be associated;

delivering the percepter and the storage medium to an end user;

obtaining selection data representing which, of an arbitrary subset of the percepta, are to be made available to the end user;

gryphing the panoplex upon first activation of the percepter with the storage medium associated therewith, wherein the gryphing includes;

removing percepta that are not in the arbitrary subset and thus are not to be made available to the end user and in place of those percepta that are not in the arbitrary subset, making erased space available for storage of other percepta, and

making available to the end user percepta of the arbitrary subset in accordance with said selection data when the end user uses the percepter.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising initially associating the storage medium with the percepter only after initial delivery of said percepter to said end user.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the storage medium includes an operating system stored thereon and after said gryphing, said percepta in the arbitrary subset are made available to said user by being accessible to said operating system.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said percepta are rendered not accessible unless and until said gryphing operation is performed by placing directory information for said universe of percepta in a location on said storage medium other than the location used by the operating system for directory information.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein said percepta that are not in said arbitrary subset are removed by overwriting directory information associated with said percepta.

29. (canceled)

33. An article of manufacture comprising:

a universe of preinstalled, simplex soft assets residing on a storage medium in the article of manufacture before initial connection to the storage medium'"'"'s end-user device wherein the soft assets are configured to be not available for use by an end user of any device to which said storage medium is configured to be connected, said article offering an arbitrary selection of an arbitrary subset of the soft assets, each such selection independent of other selections from the same universe of soft assets such that the said universe can be reduced to said arbitrary subset without regard to prior selections and without additional installation procedures, thereby allowing the article of manufacture to deliver to an end user, in a fully operational format, only those soft assets selected.

37. A method for distributing a selected set of installed digital assets to a specific end-user comprising:

a) collecting a plurality of supplied digital assets;

b) installing the collected plurality of digital assets and creating a data structure on a master storage medium such that the data structure contains the installed digital assets;

c) intertwining the installed digital assets with an operating system such that the installed digital assets are functional with the operating system;

d) storing a copy of the data structure onto each one of a plurality of individual storage devices;

e) selecting one of the individual storage devices that contain the data structure subsequent to the storing of the copy of the data structure onto each one of a plurality of individual storage devices;

f) obtaining selection data that distinguish the selected set of the installed digital assets, which are to be retained, from others of the installed digital assets, which are not to be retained;

g) removing from the selected individual storage device the others of the installed digital assets that are not to be retained based on the selection data such that the selected set of the installed digital assets that are to be retained are in the device substantially ready-to-use and functional; and

h) delivering the selected storage device to the specific end-user.