Commercial online software distribution systems and methods using encryption for security

• US 6,014,651 A
• Filed: 09/23/1998
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oasis Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Christopher M. Crawford
• Inventors: Crawford, Christopher M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US09/159,492
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/114, 395/200.47, 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 705/1, 705/30, 705/34, 705/400, 705/418, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/549 Remote execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5061 Partitioning or combining of resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A customer computer connects to an online service provider by phone, Internet, or other telecommunications link. The link gives the customer access to additional processing and storage resources such as virtual storage, processing power and/or additional software or data through interaction between the customer computer and an online service provider computer over the link. The additional resources made available to the customer computer enhance the customers'"'"' local needs through access to virtual storage, a more powerful processor of similar type for program execution, and/or online support services such as software rental, software sales, release update services, anti-viral services, data backup and recovery services, diagnostic services and/or repair services.

Claims

1. A method of distributing software updates via an on-line computer system that, in use, is connectable to a customer computer system located remotely to said on-line computer system, said method comprising:

(a) storing a first version of software on said remote computer system;

(b) establishing a virtual disk drive;

(c) storing a second version of said software on said virtual disk drive;

(d) establishing a real time telecommunications link between said on-line computer system and said remote computer system;

(e) copying, over said link, said second software version from said virtual disk drive to said remote computer system to update said stored first software version; and

(f) charging a fee for said updating.

6. A method as in any of claims 1, 2 or 4 further including protecting said telecommunications link with encryption.

7. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein each of the foregoing steps is performed for multiple customers, and the method further includes allowing multiple customers to substantially simultaneously access online information.

8. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including the step of requesting a payment.

9. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including denying said customer computer further access to receive distributed software updates if a payment is not received.

10. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including tracking at least one of:

(i) the customer computer system'"'"'s access to the on-line computer system, and (ii) the customer computer system'"'"'s receipt of software via the on-line computer system.

11. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including conditionally restricting at least a part of the customer computer'"'"'s access to the on-line computer system.

12. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said step of establishing a telecommunications link comprises establishing an Internet link between said on-line computer system and said customer computer system.

13. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said customer computer system is located geographically remotely to said on-line computer system.

14. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including requesting a payment, and conditionally allowing said customer computer system access to copy software based on whether said payment is received.

15. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said customer computer system is controlled by a customer of said on-line computer system, and said method further includes encrypting data associated with the identity of said customer and providing said encrypted data to said on-line computer system.

16. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said link establishing step comprises calling the on-line computer system over a telecommunications link that automatically results in a portion of software distribution charges being paid by a telecommunications provider.

17. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including compressing at least some of the data transported by the telecommunications link.

18. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including setting at least one service option that controls at least in part the way a request sent from the customer computer system to the on-line computer system is satisfied.

19. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including setting at least one default option for the way a request is satisfied.

20. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein the link establishing step is performed at least in part under control of software executing on the customer computer system, and the method further includes downloading the software from the on-line computer system to the customer computer system over the telecommunications link.

21. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said customer computer system includes a file system, and the link establishing step comprises allowing the customer computer system to access software provided by the on-line computer system by integrating at least a portion of the telecommunications link for access by the customer computer system'"'"'s file system.

22. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including providing a signup system allowing a customer of the customer computer system to subscribe to at least one software distribution service.

23. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including establishing logon information for use in accessing the software distribution service.

24. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said connection comprises a dialup Internet connection.

25. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including providing at least one anti-viral service that detects and disinfects computer viruses.

26. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 including charging a monthly fee.

27. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including conditionally sending a message to the customer computer system.

28. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein the link establishing step includes establishing said link at least in part under control of software executing on the customer computer system, and the method further includes the step of downloading the software from the on-line computer system to the customer computer system.

29. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including allowing a customer of said customer computer system to register for software distribution services with said on-line computer system interactively, including the step of establishing logon information comprising at least one of (a) customer identification information, (b) password information, and (c) customer name information.

30. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including executing scheduling software on the customer computer system that establishes a schedule for initiating access to the on-line computer system.

31. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including executing automation software in the customer computer system that enables the customer computer system to access the on-line computer system at least in part without user intervention.

32. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including accessing, at the on-line computer system, information specifying at least some configuration information about the customer computer system.

33. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including accessing, at the on-line computer system, information specifying at least one service option that cannot be changed by the customer of the customer computer system.

34. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including accessing, at the on-line computer system, information specifying at least one restriction for the customer of the customer computer system.

35. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including identifying a compression technique for compressing at least some of the data transmitted over the telecommunications link.

36. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said telecommunications link permits said customer computer system to access software from on-line computer system in a manner that simulates a mass storage device locally attached to said customer computer system.

37. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said above-mentioned steps are performed automatically.

38. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein at least some of said above-mentioned steps are automatically performed periodically.

39. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including performing at least some of said above-mentioned steps while the customer computer system is unattended.

40. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including logging at least some portion of the activity performed in one of said above-mentioned steps.

41. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including requesting a password from said customer computer system, and tracking invalid password attempts.

42. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including checking the authorization of a credit card account of said customer and charging a software license fee to the customer'"'"'s credit card account.

43. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein the customer computer comprises conventional hardware programmed with special purpose downloaded software.

44. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein the link establishing step is performed using a standard modem device.

45. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including collecting customer usage data from the customer computer in real time via said link.

46. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including performing said aforementioned steps without requiring expensive peripheral equipment to be locally connected to the customer computer.

47. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including performing said aforementioned steps without requiring substantial changes to said customer computer hardware in order to interface with the online computer system.

48. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including performing an online signup procedure that rapidly grants new customers access rights so that said new customers can substantially immediately begin using said online computer systems.

49. A method as in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 further including performing the aforementioned steps without requiring authentication hardware at the customer computer.

2. A method of distributing software for an on-line computer system to a customer computer system located remotely to said on-line computer system, said method comprising:

(a) establishing N virtual disk drives at the online computer system, N being an integer;

(b) storing N software programs, one on each of said N virtual disk drives;

(c) establishing a real time telecommunications link between said online computer system and [a] the remote computer system;

(d) selecting one of said N software programs; and

(e) attaching one of said N virtual disk drives to said remote computer system, including selecting said one virtual disk drive to attach based on the results of said selecting step (d).

3. An online computer system providing commercial software distribution services to remote customer computers without requiring an external special purpose remote control security hardware module at said customer computers in order to interface with said online computer system, said system performing the following steps:

(a) establishing a customer relationship between a customer and an online service provider providing a software rental service, said customer having a customer'"'"'s computer associated therewith;

(b) establishing a telecommunications link between the customer'"'"'s computer and the online computer system;

(c) validating a customer'"'"'s access to at least one software program for rental provided by the online service provider;

(d) allowing the customer to select the at least one software program for rental purposes from the online service provider;

(e) conditioned at least in part on validating step (c), allowing the customer to execute the software program selected in step (d) in the customer computer'"'"'s processor, including the steps of;

(1) encrypting at least a part of the online service provider software rental program selected in step (d),

(2) transmitting the encrypted software rental program to the customer computer,

(3) decrypting the software rental program transmitted in step (2), and

(4) loading the software rental program decrypted in step (3) into the customer computer processor for execution;

(f) restricting said customer from making a copy of at least said decrypted software rental program;

(g) conditioned at least in part on completion of software program execution in step (e), deactivating said software rental program by performing at least one of;

(1) deleting said software rental program from said customer computer, and

(2) disabling said software rental program from further execution, and

(h) assessing a charge to the customer.

4. An online computer system providing release update distribution services to remote customer computers without requiring an external special purpose remote control security hardware module at said customer computers in order to interface with said online computer system, said system performing the following steps:

(a) establishing a customer relationship between a customer and an online service provider providing a release update service, said customer having a customer'"'"'s computer associated therewith;

(b) establishing a telecommunications link between the customer'"'"'s computer and the online computer system;

(c) validating a customer'"'"'s authority;

(d) allowing a release update to be selected from the online service provider;

(e) determining the customer'"'"'s eligibility to receive the release update selected in step (d); and

(f) conditioned at least in part on validating step (c) and determining step (e), allowing the customer to receive the release update selected in step (d), including the steps of;

(1) determining if the online service provider release update selected in step (d) is to be provided with automated processing,

(2) transmitting the release update to the customer computer, and

(3) conditioned at least in part on determining step (1) applying the release update transmitted in step (2).

5. An online computer system providing commercial software distribution services to remote customer computers without requiring an external special purpose remote control security hardware module at said customer computers in order to interface with said online computer system, said system performing the following steps:

(a) establishing a customer relationship between a customer and an online service provider providing a software distribution service, said customer having a customer'"'"'s computer associated therewith;

(b) establishing a telecommunications link between the customer'"'"'s computer and the online computer system;

(c) validating a customer'"'"'s authority;

(d) allowing the customer to select a software program to purchase from the online service provider;

(e) conditioned at least in part on validating step (c), allowing the customer to receive the software program selected in step (d), including the steps of;

(1) encrypting the software program selected in step (d),

(2) transmitting the encrypted software program to the customer computer,

(3) decrypting the software program transmitted in step (2),

(4) storing the software program decrypted in step (3) on storage accessible by the customer computer; and

(f) assessing a charge.

50. A software distribution service for distributing software to a customer via a customer computer associated with at least one computer user, said software distribution service comprising:

a registration arrangement that establishes a customer relationship between the computer user and the software distribution service so that new customers can begin using said software distribution service;

an online connection arrangement that establishes a real time online connection with said customer computer for communicating digital information and securing at least a portion of the digital information communicated during the online connection, said online connection arrangement including at least one of an encryptor and a decryptor;

a validator that checks authorization of a credit card account of said customer and charges an associated license fee to the customer'"'"'s credit card account, said validator being coactive with said online connection arrangement, said validator conditioning the authority of said customer computer to receive distributed software;

a transfer device operatively coupled to said online connection arrangement and to said validator, said transfer device distributing software to said customer computer, said transfer device communicating the software at least in part over said online connection established by said online connection arrangement conditioned on validation by said validator that said customer computer is eligible to receive said distributed software; and

a charge calculator that assesses a charge for said customer.

51. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said registration arrangement establishes an identifier that is at least in part being capable of establishing said computer user as a customer of the software distribution service.

52. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said online connection arrangement includes a multitasking arrangement that allows multiple customer computers to access the software distribution service substantially simultaneously.

53. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including a payment collector that requests and receives a payment from said customer for the charge assessed by said charge calculator.

54. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including means for denying said customer further access rights to said software distribution service if a payment is not received for the charge calculated by said charge calculator.

55. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including a tracking arrangement that tracks at least one of said connection arrangement, said registration arrangement, said validator, and said transfer device.

56. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including restrictor that restricts said customer computer from receiving distributed software based at least in part on said validator.

57. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said connection arrangement establishes an Internet connection between said customer computer and said software distribution service.

58. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said customer computer system is geographically remotely located to said software distribution service.

59. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including payment processor that requests payment for said charge assessed by said charge calculator, and said payment processor denying said customer computer system from access to said transfer device if said payment is not received.

60. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said online connection arrangement includes a decryptor for decrypting customer computer encrypted data associated with the customer'"'"'s identity and provides the unencrypted data to said validator.

61. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said connection arrangement establishes said connection over a telecommunications path that automatically results in a portion of an associated customer'"'"'s telecommunications charge being paid by a telecommunications provider to the software distribution service.

62. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including a compressor that compresses at least some of the digital information transported by said connection.

63. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including means for setting at least one service option that controls at least in part the way a request sent from the customer'"'"'s computer to the software distribution service is satisfied.

64. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including a default setting arrangement for setting at least one default option for the way a request is satisfied.

65. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said transfer device operates at least in part under control of software executing on the customer computer, and the service further includes a downloader that downloads the software from the service to the customer computer over said online connection.

66. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said customer computer includes a file system, and said transfer device allows the customer computer to access the software for distribution by integrating at least a portion of the online connection established by said connection arrangement for access by the customer computer file system.

67. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said connection arrangement establishes a dialup Internet connection.

68. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further includes a protection arrangement that provides anti-viral services, said anti-viral services being capable of detecting and disinfecting computer viruses.

69. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said charge calculator charges a monthly fee.

70. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including means for conditionally sending a message to the customer computer system.

71. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said transfer device operates at least in part under control of software executing on the customer computer, and the apparatus further includes a downloader that downloads software from the online service provider to the customer computer.

72. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including a scheduler executing on the customer computer, the scheduler establishing a schedule for initiating access to the software distribution service.

73. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including automation software that enables the customer computer to access the software distribution service at least in part without user intervention.

74. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including means for accessing information specifying at least some configuration information about the customer computer system.

75. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including means for accessing information specifying at least one service option that cannot be changed by the customer of the customer computer.

76. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including means for accessing, at the online computer system, information specifying at least one restriction for the customer of the customer computer.

77. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including means for establishing a method of compression to be used to compress at least some of the data transmitted over the telecommunications connection.

78. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said connection arrangement permits said customer computer to access said software transferred from the service in a manner that simulates a mass storage device locally attached to said customer computer.

79. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said transfer device further allows the customer computer to execute said distributed software for at least one of (i) a temporary basis and (ii) a one time basis, and wherein said charge calculator assesses a free charge for temporary and one time use of said distributed software.

80. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including means for allowing said customer computer to temporarily demonstrate the software distributed by said transfer device prior to said charge calculator assessing a charge for software distribution.

81. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said charge calculator charges said customer based on at least one of (i) the duration of the connection established by said connection arrangement and (ii) the duration of said software distribution performed by said transfer device.

82. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein the transfer device allows the distributed software to be simultaneously available to at least one other customer computer connected to the software distribution service.

83. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said validator, said transfer device and said charge calculator operate automatically.

84. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said validator, said transfer device and said charge calculator operate automatically and periodically.

85. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said validator, said transfer device and said charge calculator operate while the customer computer is unattended.

86. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said transfer device includes means for allowing said customer computer to store said distributed software on auxiliary storage attached to said service.

87. A software distribution service as in claim 86 further including means for said customer computer to establish a subsequent connection to said service in order to access said software program stored on said online service provider auxiliary storage.

88. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including a recorder for writing a data log of a portion of the activity performed by at least one of said connection arrangement, said registration arrangement, said validator, and said transfer device.

89. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein said validator operates in response to at least one of (i) a user profile and (ii) the command authority.

90. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including a logger that requests a password from said customer computer and tracks the number of invalid password attempts.

91. A software distribution service as in claim 50 further including a tracking element used to determine the last time a customer has accessed the service.

92. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein the customer computer comprises conventional hardware programmed with special purpose software.

93. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein the registration arrangement allows new computer users to register for said software distribution service and then substantially immediately begin using said software distribution service.

94. A software distribution service as in claim 50 wherein the online computer system collects customer usage data from the customer computer in real time via said connection.