Method and apparatus for providing content on a computer system based on usage profile

• US 6,473,855 B1
• Filed: 06/18/1999
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kinglite Holdings Inc.
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Technologies Limited (Pharaoh Acquisition LLC)
• Inventors: Welder, W. Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): PERVEEN, REHANA
• Application Number:
  US09/336,111
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 710/33, 710/29, 710/34, 713/2, 713/502
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining a computer system usage profile, and transmitting the computer system usage profile to a server which targets content to the computer system in response to the usage profile is described. A basic input output system (BIOS) module and/or an operating system module obtain computer system usage profile information by tracking events such as the frequency of re-boots, the time required to boot-up and shut-down the operating system on the computer system, the amount of time the computer system is “used”, and the frequency and amount of time the computer system is connected to the Internet. This data is collected and communicated to a profile server. The profile server targets content such as messages with graphics or informational material, etc. to the computer system based upon the computer system usage profile. In one embodiment, the content is displayed during boot-up and shut-down of the operating system.

Claims

1. A method of determining boot-up time of a computer system, comprising:

retrieving a first time on the computer system;

loading an operating system;

retrieving a second time on the computer system when the operating system has loaded;

determining a boot time in response to the first and second times; and

determining an amount of content to transfer to the computer system based on the boot time.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising transferring the boot time to a server.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising transferring an amount of content responsive to the boot time.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising adjusting the periodicity of the content to be transferred responsive to the boot time.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising transferring the content from the server to the computer system.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing each boot time as a record.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving a first time comprises retrieving the first time from the system timer of the computer system using a BIOS profile module.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving a second time comprises e second time from the system timer on the computer system once the operating oaded using an OS profile module, said OS profile module to be loaded once the stem has been loaded.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining a boot the computer system, said boot frequency to be used in said adjusting the periodicity of the content to be transferred responsive to the boot time.

10. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer program code embodied therein to retrieve a first time on the computer system;

computer readable program code to cause an operating system to load;

computer readable program code to retrieve a second time on the computer system when the operating system has loaded;

computer readable program code to determine a boot time in response to the first and second times; and

computer readable program code to determine an amount of content to transfer to the computer system based on the boot time.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising computer readable program code to transfer the boot time to a server.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising computer readable program code to transfer an amount of content responsive to the boot time.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising computer readable program code to adjust the periodicity of the content to be transferred responsive to the boot time.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer readable program code to transfer the content from the server to the computer system.

15. A system, comprising:

a computer including,

a memory element having one or more instructions, and

a processor coupled to the memory element, the processor, in response to the one or more instructions to,

retrieve a first time on the computer,

load an operating system,

retrieve a second time on the computer when the operating system has loaded,

determine a boot time in response to the first and second times; and

transmit the boot time when a network connection is detected; and

a server to receive the boot time, determine an amount of content to transfer to the computer based on the boot time, transmit said amount of content to the computer, and charge said amount from a source of the content responsive to the boot time.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the server to adjust an amount of content to transfer responsive to the boot time.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the processor to transmit a frequency of boots of the computer to the server such that the server adjusts a periodicity of the content that is transferred to the computer.