Metered Pay-As-You-Go Computing Experience

• US 20080319910A1
• Filed: 06/21/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Carpenter, Todd L., Tandog, Judy, Foster, David James, Lopez-Barquilla, Ricardo, Duffus, James S., Makoski, Daniel, Johnson, Krista L., Phillips, Thomas G., Steeb, Curt Andrew, Hall, Martin H., Aldrich, Katie Ann
• Application Number:
  US11/766,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319910A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/123 by using dedicated hardware, e.g. dongles, smart cards, cryptographic processors, global positioning systems [GPS] devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A computer with scalable performance level components and selectable software and service options has a user interface that allows individual performance levels to be selected. The scalable performance level components may include a processor, memory, graphics controller, etc. Software and services may include word processing, email, browsing, database access, etc. To support a pay-per-use business model, each selectable item may have a cost associated with it, allowing a user to pay for the services actually selected and that presumably correspond to the task or tasks being performed. An administrator may use a similar user interface to set performance levels for each computer in a network, allowing performance and cost to be set according to a user'"'"'s requirements.

Claims

1. A method of operating a computer with scalable performance comprising:

presenting a catalog of options related to scalable performance of the pay-per-use computer;

presenting a price associated with each of the options;

receiving a selection of an option from the catalog of options;

calculating a total price of operation of the computer corresponding to the selection of the option;

configuring the computer to operate in accordance with the selection of the option; and

accumulating charges for operation of the computer according to the total price.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the catalog comprises presenting a set of operating characteristics with a range of selectable performance settings for each element of the set of operating characteristics.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the catalog comprises presenting a preset package of scalable performance settings corresponding to a task or activity.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading the catalog to a secure memory in the computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein accumulating charges for operation comprises accumulating charges at one of a fixed rate per time period, a one time charge, and a rate corresponding to use of a scalable performance resource in the computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating a total price comprises:

presenting a price associated with each respective element of a set of scalable performance settings; and

adjusting the price associated with an element of the set of scalable performance levels when a setting is adjusted to a new performance level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the total price of operation of the computer comprises calculating a total price of operation of the computer based on a current usage level without regard to the selection of an option from the catalog of options.

8. A computer adapted for monitored operation comprising:

a user interface;

a plurality of components, each of the plurality of components capable of operating over a range of performance levels and each of the plurality of components comprising a metering agent; and

a security module coupled to the metering agent in each of the plurality of components, the security module comprising;

a secure memory storing the range of performance levels for each of the plurality of components; and

a processor for supplying a data corresponding to the range of performance levels and a current performance level for each of the plurality of components, the data for display on the user interface responsive to a request to reprogram the current performance level for one or more of the plurality of components to a different performance level.

9. The computer of claim 8, wherein the security module further comprises a cryptographic unit for creating and verifying digital signatures corresponding to setting the current performance level.

10. The computer of claim 8, wherein each metering agent comprises a cryptographic function and at least a public key for verifying digital signatures corresponding to setting a current performance level in one or more of the plurality of components.

11. The computer of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of components comprises a memory storing its respective range of performance capabilities.

12. The computer of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of components further comprises a communication capability between the memory, the metering agent, and the security module.

13. The computer of claim 8, further comprising a value manager for calculating a value corresponding to each currently selected performance capability for each of the plurality of components.

14. The computer of claim 8, further comprising a balance manager that reports a current stored value for display on the user interface.

15. The computer of claim 8, wherein the secure memory further stores a pre-determined setting defining a combination of performance levels corresponding to a task.

16. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method of receiving user input corresponding to selection of a performance level for an electronic device having a range of available performance levels, comprising:

a storage module for storing a range of available performance levels for one or more components capable of operation over a range of performance levels;

a display module for displaying the range of available performance levels for the one or more components;

a user interface module for receiving a selection of a performance level for at least one of the one or more components;

a management module for securely setting the performance level of the at least one of the one or more components; and

a metering module for monitoring and reporting operation of the at least one of the one or more components.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising a balance module for deducting value from a local stored value account corresponding to a usage report from the metering module.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising a balance module for reporting a usage value to a remote reconciliation service, the usage value corresponding to a usage report from the metering module.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the storage module polls the one or more components to determine the range of performance levels.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the storage module receives a message with the range of performance levels from a remote management service.