Software distribution and maintenance system and method
First Claim
1. A software distribution/maintenance system having a plurality of user computers and a vendor computer connected to the user computers via a network to manage and automatically update over the network a set of object software sent and stored in the user computers from the vendor computer via the network, comprising:
- an object software library in the vendor computers;
first process means in the user computers for sending an inquiry with current configuration information of the object software stored in the user computers to the vendor computer via the network to inquire about a latest configuration, for receiving an answer from the vendor computer, and for updating the object software stored in the user computers according to an instruction in the answer; and
second process means in the vendor computer for receiving the inquiry from said first process means in the user computers, for generating update instruction information for the object software to match the current configuration of the object software in the user computers with the latest configuration of an updated version in said object software library stored in the vendor computer, and for returning via the network to said first process means the answer with the update instruction information and the updated version of the object software.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A number of sets of software may be systematically distributed and maintained via a network connecting many vendors and users of client/server software. A client program in a user computer detects when software subject to maintenance is activated and transmits an inquiry over the network to the software vendor'"'"'s computer for information on the current version of the software. The server program compares data in the inquiry with data relating to the latest version of the software and returns update instruction information and updated software if appropriate. The client program automatically updates the software to the latest version according to the update instruction information when it is received. The client program can also send inquires at predetermined times, or in response to a user command. The inquiry can include a request for purchase information in which case the server checks qualifications of the user, processes the inquiry according to vendor management data and returns the requested software, if appropriate. Other inquiries can also be made in response to user commands or automatically, e.g., to obtain information on the most recent version and transmission of data from client to server in response to an abnormal termination of client software.
731 Citations
94 Claims
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1. A software distribution/maintenance system having a plurality of user computers and a vendor computer connected to the user computers via a network to manage and automatically update over the network a set of object software sent and stored in the user computers from the vendor computer via the network, comprising:
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an object software library in the vendor computers; first process means in the user computers for sending an inquiry with current configuration information of the object software stored in the user computers to the vendor computer via the network to inquire about a latest configuration, for receiving an answer from the vendor computer, and for updating the object software stored in the user computers according to an instruction in the answer; and second process means in the vendor computer for receiving the inquiry from said first process means in the user computers, for generating update instruction information for the object software to match the current configuration of the object software in the user computers with the latest configuration of an updated version in said object software library stored in the vendor computer, and for returning via the network to said first process means the answer with the update instruction information and the updated version of the object software. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A software distribution/maintenance method for managing and automatically updating a set of object software stored in user computers from a vendor computer via a network, comprising:
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sending, by a first process in the user computers, current configuration information of the object software to a second process in the vendor computer via the network with an inquiry for a latest configuration of the object software; receiving by said second process in the vendor computer the inquiry from said first process; generating update instruction information for the object software to update a configuration of the object software in the user computers with the latest configuration of an updated version of the object software in an object software library stored in the vendor computers; returning via the network to said first process an answer with the update instruction information and the updated version of the object software; and processing by said first process stored in the user computers the answer from said second process to update the object software according to the update instruction information in the answer, including preparing for compiling and linking of programs if necessary. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A software distribution/maintenance system for managing distribution of object software via a network by users who use one or more sets of the object software to be distributed, managed, and maintained and by software vendors who supply the users with the object software, comprising:
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first process means for managing plural sets of the object software in each user computer; vendor software libraries in at least one vendor computer; second process means for providing services relating to said vendor software libraries in the at least one vendor computer; and a network for connecting each user computer and the at least one vendor computer, said first process means sending via the network an object software distribution/maintenance request message according to an instruction of the users or an instruction of a user-written program to said second process means of the at least one vendor computer containing desired object software, receiving an answer message from the second process means, and distributing or maintaining the object software; and said second process means receiving the message from said first process means, referring to said vendor software libraries managed by the software vendors according to the message and settings made by the software vendors, generating an answer message in response to the object software distribution/maintenance request message, and sending the answer message to said first process means of a message sender. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A software distribution/maintenance method for managing distribution of object software via a network by users who use one or more sets of object software to be distributed, managed, and maintained and by software vendors who supply the users with the object software using, in user computers, the object software to be used by the users and a first process for managing one or more sets of object software;
- in each vendor computer, vendor software libraries and a second process for providing services relating to the vendor software libraries; and
the network connecting each user computer to at least one vendor computer, comprising;activating by a sending user the first process through a command input by the sending user in one of the user computers or through a command from a user program; sending by the sending user from the first process in the one of the user computers via the network, an object software distribution/maintenance request message to the second process of the at least one vendor computer from which the object software is provided; receiving by the second process in the at least one vendor computer, from which the object software is provided, the object software distribution/maintenance request message from the first process; referring by the second process to the vendor software libraries managed by the software vendors according to the object software distribution/maintenance request message and settings made by the software vendors; generating an answer message in response to the object software distribution/maintenance request message; sending the answer message to the first process of the sending user; receiving by the first process in the one of the user computers of the sending user the answer message from the second process; and performing processes for distributing or maintaining the object software according to the answer message and settings made by the users. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
- in each vendor computer, vendor software libraries and a second process for providing services relating to the vendor software libraries; and
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50. A software distribution/maintenance system having a plurality of user computers and a vendor computer to manage and automatically update object software provided for the plurality of user computers from the vendor computer, comprising:
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network means for connecting the user computers to the vendor computer; and process means in each of the user computers, for sending current configuration information of the object software stored in the user computers to the vendor computer via said network means to inquire about a latest configuration, for receiving an answer from the vendor computer, and for updating the object software stored in the user computers according to an instruction in a received answer. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53)
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54. A software distribution/maintenance system having a plurality of user computers and a vendor computer to manage and automatically update object software provided for the plurality of user computers from the vendor computer, comprising:
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network means for connecting the user computers to the vendor computers; and process means in the vendor computer for receiving an inquiry from the user computer, for generating update instruction information for the object software to match a configuration of the object software in the user computer with the configuration of an updated version in an object software library stored in the vendor computer, and for returning via said network means to the user computer the update instruction information and the updated version of the object software.
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55. A software distribution/maintenance method for managing and automatically updating a set of object software stored in user computers from a vendor computer via a network, comprising:
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sending by a process in the user computers current configuration information of the object software to the vendor computer via the network to inquire about a latest configuration; receiving by the process an answer with update instruction information from the vendor computer; and updating the object software according to the update instruction information about the object software to match a configuration of the object software with the latest configuration stored in an object software library in the vendor computer, including preparing for compiling and linking of programs if necessary. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A software distribution/maintenance method for managing and automatically updating a set of object software stored in user computers from a vendor computer via a network, comprising:
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receiving by a process stored in the vendor computer an inquiry from an inquiring user computer about current configuration information of the object software, in the user computer; generating update instruction information about the object software to update the current configuration of the object software in the user computer with a latest configuration version in an object software library in the vendor computer; and returning the update instruction information and an updated version of the object software to the inquiring user computer via the network.
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61. A software distribution/maintenance system for managing distribution of object software via a network accessed by users of user computers who use sets of the object software distributed, managed, and maintained by software vendors who supply the users with the object software from at least one vendor computer, comprising:
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a network for connecting each user computer and the at least one vendor computer; and process means in each user computer for executing the object software to be used by the users, for managing the sets of object software in each user computer, for sending via the network an object software distribution/maintenance request message according to an instruction of the users or an instruction of a user-written program to the at least one vendor computer which has a software library containing the object software, for receiving an answer message from the at least one vendor computer, and for distributing or maintaining the object software. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A software distribution/maintenance system for managing distribution of object software via a communications network accessed by users of user computers use sets of the object software distributed, managed, and maintained by software vendors who supply the users with the object software from at least one vendor computer, comprising:
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network means for connecting each user computer and the at least one vendor computer; vendor software libraries; and process means for providing services relating to said vendor software libraries, for receiving an object software distribution/maintenance request message from an inquiring user computer via said network means, for referring to one of said vendor software libraries, managed by a vendors according to contents of the object software distribution/maintenance request message and settings of the vendor, for generating an answer message in response to the object software distribution/maintenance request message, and for sending the answer message to the inquiring user computer via said network means. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A software distribution/maintenance method for managing distribution of object software via a network accessed by users of user computers who use sets of the object software distributed, managed, and maintained by software vendors who supply the users with the object software from at least one vendor computer using, in each user computer, the object software to be used by the users and a process managing the sets of the object software, and the network connecting each user computer and the at least one vendor computer, comprising:
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activating by the users the process through a command input by the users or through a command from a user-written program; sending by the process via the network an object software distribution/maintenance request message to the at least one vendor computer from which the object software is provided; receiving by the process the answer message from the at least one vendor computer; and performing processes for at least one of distributing and maintaining the object software according to the answer message and settings made by the users.
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74. A software distribution/maintenance method for managing distribution of object software via a network accessed by users of user computers who use sets of the object software distributed, managed, and maintained by software vendors who supply the users with the object software using, in each vendor computer, vendor software libraries and a vendor process providing services relating to the vendor software libraries, the network connecting each user computer and each vendor computer, said software distribution/maintenance method comprising:
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receiving by the vendor process an object software distribution/maintenance request message from one of the user computers via the network; referring by the vendor process to the vendor software libraries managed by one of the vendors according to the object software distribution/maintenance request message and settings made by the one of the vendors; generating an answer message in response to the object software distribution/maintenance request message; and sending the answer message to the one of the user computers which issued the object software distribution/maintenance request message.
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75. A software distribution and maintenance system using a network in which a plurality of users using a number of types of object software to be distributed, managed, and maintained, and a plurality of software vendors supplying the object software manage the distribution and maintenance of the object software over a computer network, comprising:
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one or more first process means CP installed in each of user computers, that manage a plurality of object software groups to be used by one or more users individually for every object software and for every user; one or more second process means installed in one or more software vendor computers, that each providing services to a Plurality of vendor software libraries for each of the software libraries; and a network that connects the first process means installed in the user computer to the second process means, based on standardized communications protocols, said first process means having a capability to perform distribution or maintenance of the object software by sending a message a request of distribution or maintenance of the object software for one piece of object software over the network, according to instructions given by one or more of the users or a user defined program, receiving an answer message from the second process means SP, and processing based on contents of the answer message and settings made by the users, and said second process means having a capability to receive the message from each first process means to reference one or more of the software libraries managed by one or more of the vendors depending on the contents of the message and settings made by the vendors for the object software specified with the message, to generate the answer message to answer the request of distribution or maintenance of the object software, and to send the answer message to said first process means that generated the message. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78)
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79. User computers used in a software distribution and maintenance system using a network in which a plurality of users using a plurality of types of object software to be distributed, managed, and maintained, and a plurality of software vendors supplying the object software manage the distribution and maintenance of the object software over said network, comprising:
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one or more process means that manage a plurality of object software groups to be used by the users individually for every object software and for every user using the object software; and storage means for storing management data for user set for every user for every object software and user process procedures which are process procedures for said process means to distribute and maintain the object software, set for every object software and for every user, said process means calling said user process procedures to reference the management data for user, send a message to request distribution and maintenance of the object software to the vendor of the object software over said network according to standardized protocols in the system, and perform distribution and maintenance of the target software. - View Dependent Claims (80, 81, 82, 83)
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84. A vendor computer in a software distribution and maintenance system using a network in which a plurality of users using a plurality of types of object software to be distributed, managed, and maintained, and a plurality of software vendors supplying the object software manage the object software distribution for distributing the object software over said network, comprising:
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at least one process means for providing services of each of the software libraries and each of the vendor software libraries; and storage means for storing management data for vendor set for every vendor and for every software library, and vendor process procedures which are process procedures for said process means to distribute and maintain the object software on the user computers, set for every vendor and for every software library, said process means performing a corresponding process for a message of the object software from the user, set for every vendor and for every object software library. - View Dependent Claims (85, 86, 87)
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88. A software distribution and maintenance method in which a plurality of users using a plurality of types of object software to be distributed, managed, and maintained, and a plurality of software vendors supplying the object software, manage distribution and maintenance of the object software, said method utilizing at least one first process in each of a plurality of user computers, that manage object software groups to be used by the users individually for every object software and for every user using the object software, at least one second process in vendor computers, that provide services to vendor software libraries for each of the vendor software libraries, and a network that connects the user computers to the vendor computers standardized communication protocols, said method comprising:
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invoking a first process with a command entered by one of the users on one of the user computers or with a command invoked from a user-defined program; sending a request message from the first process to request distribution or maintenance of at least one piece of the object software to a second process managing at least one of the vendor software libraries of the object software; receiving the request message by the second process in one of the vendor computers; generating an answer message to answer the request message by referencing at least one of the vendor software libraries managed by at least one of the software vendors for the at least one piece of the object software specified by the request message; returning the answer message to the first process; receiving the answer message by the first process; and processing the answer message depending on contents of the answer message and settings made by the one of the users for the distribution or maintenance of the at least one piece of the object software. - View Dependent Claims (89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
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94. A method for purchasing new software in a software distribution and maintenance system using a network, in which a plurality of users using a plurality of types of object software to be distributed, managed, and maintained, and a number of software vendors supplying the object software manage the distribution and maintenance of the object software over a network, comprising:
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one of the users sending a message to request summary information of the object software from first process means in the user computers to second process means over said network by use of any of the first process means which simply has the capability to request summary information and of receiving an answer message to the request of summary information; the second process means providing basic components of the first process means and user process procedures sufficient for a new purchase of the object software as part of the answer message in response to the summary inquiry to the user computers over the network; the user sending a message to request a new purchase to the second process means over the network using the basic components of the first process means and the user process procedures; the second process means providing the whole set of said first process means and user process procedures appropriate for the distribution and maintenance of the object software to the user'"'"'s first process means over the network; the user computers thereafter distributing and maintaining the object software using the first process means and the user process procedures.
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Specification