Online computer services including help desk, anti-virus and/or application service features

• US 6,327,579 B1
• Filed: 10/14/1999
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• 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:
  US09/417,896
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.02, 379/111, 379/114, 705/30, 705/34, 705/400, 709/209, 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 data processing method comprising:

(a) connecting a remote computer to a host computer over a telecommunications link;

(b) attaching, to said remote computer, at least one storage resource provided by said host computer;

(c) allowing said remote computer to access said storage resource as of it were a physical storage device physically attached to said remote computer;

(d) providing executable anti-viral software from said host computer to said remote computer via said storage resource;

(e) executing said anti-viral software at said remote computer; and

(f) charging a fee for said step (e).

2. A data processing method as in claim 1 including the step of performing said steps (a)-(d) concurrently for a plurality of remote computers.

3. A method of providing on-line help desk services to multiple geographically remotely located customers registered to receive help desk services, said services including an on-line help desk service system capable of at least partially establishing remote control of customer'"'"'s computers, said method comprising:

(a) establishing an on-line link between an on-line help desk service system and a customer computer;

(b) making available, to said on-line help desk service system, at least some of the resources of said customer computer;

(c) permitting said on-line help desk service system to remotely control the resources made available in step (b) by performing the following;

(1) redirecting at least some input originating from said help desk service system to said customer computer;

(2) redirecting at least some output originating from said customer computer to said help desk service system; and

(d) charging said customer a fee.

4. A method of providing on-line diagnostic and repair services to remote customer computers over the Internet by performing the following steps:

(a) establishing a customer relationship between an on-line service provider providing diagnostic and repair services and a customer, said customer having a computer associated therewith;

(b) establishing an on-line Internet link between said on-line service provider and said customer computer;

(c) allowing said on-line service provider to access storage and processor resources of said customer computer; and

(d) charging a fee for use of said service.

5. A method of providing software rental services to remote computer users over the Internet, comprising:

(a) establishing a customer relationship between a customer and an application service provider providing a software rental service;

(b) storing in a data format, remotely from said customer, at least one of the following associated with said customer;

(1) a user identifier,

(2) a password, and

(3) a credit card identifier;

(c) establishing an Internet connection with at least one computer associated with said customer;

(d) validating the customer'"'"'s authority to access application services based at least in part on the data format;

(e) allowing the customer to select a software application for rental;

(f) executing at least one software component of said software application selected in step (e) on a computer remote to said customer'"'"'s computer;

(g) redirecting at least one resource from the customer'"'"'s computer to the remote computer; and

(h) charging said customer a fee for software application rental.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the resource comprises a user interface resource.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the resource comprises a device input.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the resource comprises a device output.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the resource comprises file system input/output.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein the resource comprises at least some input and at least some output.

11. A method of providing Internet software application rental services to customer computer users comprising:

(a) establishing a customer relationship between a customer and an application service provider providing a software rental service,

(b) storing in a data format at said software rental service at least one of the following items associated with the customer;

(1) a user identifier,

(2) a password, and

(3) a credit card identifier;

(c) establishing an Internet connection between at least one computer associated with the customer and the application service provider;

(d) validating the customer'"'"'s authority to access application services provided by said software rental service;

(e) selecting a software application for rental from said software rental service;

(f) determining if a software component of said software application selected in step (d) should be executed in the customer'"'"'s computer processor;

(g) executing at least one software component of said software application selected in step (e) on a computer of said software rental service, said execution conditioned at least in part by said determining step (f); and

(h) transmitting for execution, in the customer'"'"'s computer, at least one software component of said software application selected in step (e) from said software rental service'"'"'s computer to said customer'"'"'s computer, said transmitting conditioned at least in part by said determining step (f).

12. In a system for providing software rental services to remote computer users over the Internet, an application service provider computer arrangement comprising:

a storage device that stores at least one of the following associated with a customer;

(1) a user identifier,

(2) a password, and

(3) a credit card identifier;

a communication handler that estabishes an Internet connection with at least one computer associated with said customer;

a validator that validates the customer'"'"'s authority to access application services based at least in part on the stored data format;

a processor remote to said customer'"'"'s computer that executes at least one selected software component; and

a redirector that redirects at least one resource from the customer'"'"'s computer to the remote computer.

13. In a system for providing Internet software application rental services to customer computer users, a software rental service provider comprising:

a storage device that stores in a data format at least one of the following items associated with a customer;

(1) a user identifier,

(2) a password,

(3) a name, and

(4) a credit card number;

a communications facility that establishes an Internet connection between at least one computer associated with the customer and the software rental service provider;

a validator that validates the customer'"'"'s authority to access application services provided by said software rental service;

a selector that allows the customer to select a software application for rental from said software rental service;

an execution determiner that determines if a software component of said selected software application should be executed at the customer'"'"'s computer or remotely thereto;

a processor coupled to the execution determiner that conditionally executes at least one software component of said selected software application;

the communications facility including a component transmitter that conditionally transmits at least one software component of said selected software application to said customer'"'"'s computer for execution.