System and method for providing computer upgrade information

• US 6,711,676 B1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Zomaya Group Inc.
• Inventors: Zomaya, Christ J., Berry, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, DENNIS
• Application Number:
  US10/271,101
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100
• US Class Current: 713/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed which provide upgrade information for a client computer. Detection of a current hardware configuration of the client computer is facilitated by: 1) reading serial presence detect (SPD) data from the client computer; 2) reading motherboard parameters from the client computer such as a manufacturer ID and product ID of the motherboard; and/or 3) identifying the SPD write-protect status of the SPD chip on the client computer. Additionally or alternatively, detection of the current hardware configuration may be facilitated by: 4) reading other OS data such as system name and/or operating system version, and/or 5) performing tests to determine certain computer characteristics such as memory utilization and/or CPU speed. In most cases, the information gathered is cross-referenced with a proprietary database of product specifications, to confirm the current hardware configuration of the client computer within specified parameters. The current hardware configuration of the client computer is then compared to a target hardware configuration to identify an upgrade package for upgrading the client computer to the target hardware configuration, and a recommendation is provided to use the upgrade package for upgrading the client computer. Identification of the upgrade package is based at least partially upon the information gathered.

Claims

1. A method of providing upgrade information for a client computer having a motherboard, a memory, and a serial presence detect chip, comprising the steps:

detecting a current hardware configuration of the client computer;

establishing a target hardware configuration for the client computer;

comparing the current hardware configuration to the target hardware configuration to identify an upgrade package for upgrading the client computer to the target hardware configuration; and

recommending use of the upgrade package for upgrading the client computer;

wherein the detection of the current hardware configuration of the client computer includes performing at least one task from the group of tasks consisting of (a, b, c) to gather information associated with the client computer, in which;

task “

a”

is accessing serial presence detect data from a serial presence detect chip of the client computer;

task “

b”

is accessing motherboard parameters from the memory of the client computer, said parameters comprising a manufacturer ID and a product ID of the motherboard; and

task “

c”

is determining a write-protect status of the serial presence detect chip of the client computer; and

cross-referencing the information gathered with product specifications in a database;

wherein the identification of the upgrade package is based at least partially upon the information gathered.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein task “

a”

is performed, and wherein the serial presence detect data is cross-referenced with the product specifications in the database.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein task “

b”

is performed, and wherein the motherboard parameters are cross-referenced with the product specifications in the database.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein task “

c”

is performed.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein task “

c”

is performed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein task “

b”

is performed, and wherein the motherboard parameters are cross-referenced with the product specifications in the database.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the cross-referencing step comprises determining a memory expansion slot capability of the motherboard.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein task “

c”

is performed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein task “

c”

is performed.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the write-protect status of the serial presence detect chip is “

read/write”

, and wherein the upgrade package includes a memory module comprising a serial presence detect chip having a write-protect status of “

read only”

.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the target hardware configuration is based upon industry standards.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

reestablishing the target hardware configuration, after establishing the target hardware configuration;

comparing the current hardware configuration to the reestablished target hardware configuration to identify a reestablished upgrade package for upgrading the client computer to the reestablished target hardware configuration; and

recommending use of the reestablished upgrade package for upgrading the client computer;

wherein the identification of the reestablished upgrade package is based at least partially upon the information gathered.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting, comparing, and recommending steps are performed by detect, compare, and recommend modules respectively, automatically in response to a single user request.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the single user request is received at a computer server over a computer network, and wherein the detect, compare, and recommend modules are embodied in an executable computer program.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the client computer is part of a network comprising additional client computers, and further comprising the steps of:

detecting current hardware configurations of each of the additional client computers;

establishing corresponding target hardware configurations for each of the additional client computers;

comparing the current hardware configurations of each of the additional client computers to the corresponding target hardware configurations of each of the additional client computers to identify corresponding upgrade packages for upgrading each of the additional client computers to the corresponding target hardware configurations; and

recommending use of the corresponding upgrade packages for upgrading each of the additional client computers.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the product specifications comprise specifications associated with a specific hardware component of the client computer, and wherein the detecting step comprises detecting a presence of the specific hardware component of the client computer, and wherein the cross-referencing step comprises cross-referencing the information gathered with the specifications associated with the specific hardware component of the client computer.

17. A method of providing upgrade information for a client computer having a motherboard, a memory, and a serial presence detect chip, comprising the steps:

detecting a current hardware configuration of the client computer;

comparing the current hardware configuration to a target hardware configuration to identify an upgrade package for upgrading the client computer to the target hardware configuration; and

recommending use of the upgrade package for upgrading the client computer;

wherein the detection of the current hardware configuration of the client computer includes performing at least one task from the group of tasks consisting of (a, b, c, d, e) to gather information associated with the client computer, in which;

task “

a”

is accessing serial presence detect data from a serial presence detect chip of the client computer;

task “

b”

is accessing motherboard parameters from the memory of the client computer, said parameters comprising a manufacturer ID and a product ID of the motherboard;

task “

c”

is determining a write-protect status of the serial presence detect chip of the client computer;

task “

d”

is accessing OS data from a group of data consisting of a system name and an operating system version; and

task “

e”

is performing a test from the group of tests consisting of a memory utilization test and a CPU speed test; and

cross-referencing the information gathered with product specifications in a database;

wherein the identification of the upgrade package is based at least partially upon the information gathered.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the detection of the current hardware configuration is performed by a server computer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the database is coupled to the server computer, and wherein the information gathered is cross-referenced by the server computer with the database.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the comparing step is performed by the server computer.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the recommending step comprises the server computer sending the client computer an upgrade recommendation.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising downloading software from the server computer, the software being configured to perform at least one of the detecting, comparing, and recommending steps.

23. A system for providing upgrade information for a client computer having a motherboard, a memory, and a serial presence detect chip, comprising:

a detect module for detecting a current hardware configuration of the client computer by performing at least one task from the group of tasks consisting of (a, b, c) to gather information associated with the client computer, wherein “

a”

is accessing serial presence detect data from a serial presence detect chip of the client computer, “

b”

is accessing motherboard parameters from the memory of the client computer, said parameters comprising a manufacturer ID and a product ID of the motherboard, and “

c”

is determining a write-protect status of the serial presence detect chip;

a compare module for comparing the current hardware configuration to a target hardware configuration to identify an upgrade package for upgrading the client computer to the target hardware configuration, said identification being based at least partially upon the information;

a recommend module for recommending use of the upgrade package for upgrading the client computer; and

a cross-reference module for cross-referencing the information gathered with product specifications in a database.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the detect, compare, recommend, and cross-reference modules are embodied in an executable computer program.

25. A system of providing upgrade information for a client computer having a motherboard, a memory, and a serial presence detect chip, comprising:

a detect module for detecting a current hardware configuration of the client computer by performing at least one task from the group of tasks consisting of (a, b, c, d, e) to gather information associated with the client computer, wherein “

a”

is accessing serial presence detect data from a serial presence detect chip of the client computer, “

b”

is accessing motherboard parameters from the memory of the client computer, said parameters comprising a manufacturer ID and a product ID of the motherboard, “

c”

is determining a write-protect status of the serial presence detect chip, “

d”

is accessing OS data from a group of data consisting of a system name and an operating system version, and “

e”

is performing a test from the group of tests consisting of a memory utilization test and a CPU speed test;

a compare module for comparing the current hardware configuration to a target hardware configuration to identify an upgrade package for upgrading the client computer to the target hardware configuration, said identification being based at least partially upon the information;

a cross-reference module for cross-referencing the information fathered with product specifications in a database; and

a recommend module for recommending use of the upgrade package for upgrading the client computer;

wherein the identification of the upgrade package is based at least partially upon the information gathered.