Distributing computer programs to a customer's multiple client computers through a hypertext markup language document distributed to and stored on the customer's network server computer

• US 7,028,296 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2001
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Irfan, Syed Babar, Lee, William M., Miller, Dudley Burnham, Moras, Michael Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): INGBERG, TODD D
• Application Number:
  US10/015,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20030115287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 717/171, 717/178, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/250
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

the transmission to and the storage in a customer server computer connected to a network of a plurality of client computers, a Hypertext Markup Language document that includes an embedded program applet for selectively accessing each of the application programs being distributed, and an embedded installation applet for accessing a program for installing the application programs being distributed on said client computers. When a user at one oF the client computers wishes to have one of the application programs installed, the user requests the document, preferably a Web page (i.e. an HTML implemented document), to be displayed, the user selects one of the application programs for installation by clicking on the displayed Web page hyperlink. In response to such a selection, the installation applet is sent to and stored on the client computer that selected said application program.

Claims

1. A computer controlled object oriented programming network system for distributing selected application programs from a provider to a plurality of a customer'"'"'s client computers comprising:

a customer server computer connected to said plurality of client computers;

means associated with said server computer for storing a Hypertext Markup Language document including;

an embedded program applet for selectively accessing each of said application programs being distributed, and

an embedded installation applet for accessing a program for installing said application programs being distributed on said client computers;

means associated with at least one of said client computers for selecting one of said application programs for installation; and

means responsive to said selection of said application program for sending said installation program to the client computer that selected said application program.

2. The computer controlled network system of claim 1 wherein said Hypertext Markup Language document is a World Wide Web document.

3. The computer controlled network system of claim 2 further including means for transmitting said World Wide Web document to said customer server computer over the World Wide Web.

4. The computer controlled network system of claim 2 further including means for sending at least one selected application program to the client computer that selected said program.

5. The computer controlled network system of claim 4 further including:

means in said client computer for storing said installation applet; and

wherein said means for sending said at least one selected application program to said client computer sends said application program after said installation applet is stored in said client computer so that said installation applet may access said installation program.

6. In a computer controlled object oriented programming network system, a method for distributing selected application programs from a provider to a plurality of a customers'"'"' client computers comprising:

storing in a customer server computer connected to said plurality of client computers, a Hypertext Markup Language document including;

an embedded program applet for selectively accessing each of said application programs being distributed, and

an embedded installation applet for accessing a program for installing said programs being distributed of said client computers;

selecting at one of said client computers, one of said application programs for installation; and

responsive to said selection of said application program, sending said installation program to the client computer that selected said application program.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said Hypertext Markup Language document is a World Wide Web document.

8. The computer controlled network system of claim 7 further including the step of transmitting said World Wide Web document to said customer server computer over the World Wide Web.

9. The method of claim 7 further including the step of sending at least one selected application program to the client computer that selected said application program.

10. The method of claim 9 further including:

the step of storing said installation applet in said client computer; and

wherein said step of sending said at least one selected application program to said client computer sends said application program after said installation applet is stored in said client computer.

11. A computer program having code recorded on a computer readable medium for distributing selected application programs from a provider to a plurality of a customers'"'"' client computers in a computer controlled object oriented programming network system, said computer program comprising:

a customer server;

means associated with a server computer connected to a plurality of client computers for storing a Hypertext Markup Language document including;

an embedded program applet for selectively accessing each of the application programs being distributed, and

an embedded installation applet for accessing a program for installing said client computers;

and means for sending said selected application program to the client computer that selected said application program after said installation applet is stored in said client computer so that said installation applet may access said client computer so that said installation applet may access said installation program

means associated with at least one of said client computers for selecting one of said application programs for installation; and

means responsive to said selection of said application program for sending installation program to the client computer that selected said application program.

12. The computer program of claim 11 wherein said Hypertext Markup Language document is a World Wide Web document.

13. The computer program of claim 12 further including means for transmitting said World Wide Web document to said customer server computer over the World Wide Web.

14. The computer program of claim 12 further including means for sending at least one selected application program to the client computer that selected said application program.

15. The computer program of claim 14 further including:

means in said client computer for storing said installation applet; and

wherein said means for sending said at least one selected application program to said client computer sends said program after said installation applet is stored in said client computer so that said installation applet may access said installation program.

16. A Hypertext Markup Language document for distribution of computer application programs on a computer readable medium to client computers over the World Wide Web comprising;

an embedded object oriented program applet, each applet for selectively accessing application programs being distributed;

and means for sending said selected application program to the client computer that selected said application program after said installation applet is stored in said client computer so that said installation applet may access said client computer so that said installation applet may access said installation program,

an embedded installation applet for accessing a program for installing said application programs; and

user selectable hyperlinks to one of said embedded applets.

17. The Hypertext Markup Language document of claim 16 further includeing a user selectable install hyperlink to automatically install in client computers, the application programs accessed by said embedded program applets.

18. The Hypertext Markup Language document of claim 17 wherein said embedded object oriented program applets and installation applets are implemented in the Java object oriented programming language.

19. A computer controlled object oriented programming network system for distributing selected application programs from a provider to a plurality of a customer'"'"'s client computers comprising:

a customer server computer connected to said plurality of client computers;

means associated with said server computer for storing A World Wide Web document including;

an embedded program applet for selectively accessing each of said application programs being distributed, and

an embedded installation applet for accessing a program for installing said application programs being distributed on said client computers;

means associated with at least one of said client computers for selecting one of said application programs for installation;

means responsive to said selection of said application program for sending said installation program to the client computer that selected said application program;

means in said client computer for storing said installation applet only if said installation applet has not been previously stored in said client computer; and

means for sending said selected application program to the client computer that selected said application program after said installation applet is stored in said client computer so that said installation applet may access said installation program.

20. The computer controlled network system of claim 19 wherein said client computers further include a user interactive World Wide Web browser, said World Wide Web browser including:

said means associated with a client computer for selecting one of said application programs for installation; and

means controlling said storing of said installation applet only if said installation applet has not been previously stored in said client computer.

21. The computer controlled network system of claim 20 further including means associated with said World Wide Web browser for caching the stored installation applet.

22. In a computer controlled object oriented programming network system, a method for distributing selected application programs from a provider to a plurality of a customers'"'"' client computers comprising:

storing in a customer server computer connected to said plurality of client computers, a World Wide Web document including;

an embedded program applet for selectively accessing each of said application programs being distributed, and

an embedded installation applet for accessing a program for installing said programs being distributed on said client computers;

selecting at one of said client computers, one of said application programs for installation;

responsive to said selection of said application program, sending said installation program to the client computer that selected said application program;

storing said application applet in said client computer only if said installation applet has not been previously stored in said client computer; and

sending said selected application program to the client computer that selected said application program after said installation applet is stored in said client computer so that said installation applet may access said installation program.

23. The method of claim 22 further including user interactive World Wide Web browser programs, said World Wide Web browser programs including the steps of:

selecting at one of said client computers, one of said application programs for installation; and

controlling said storing of said installation applet only if said installation applet has not been previously stored in said client computer.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said World Wide Web browser includes the steps of caching the stored installation applet.

25. A computer program having code recorded on a computer readable medium for distributing selected application programs from a provider to a plurality of a customer'"'"'s client computers in a computer controlled object oriented programing network system, said computer program comprising:

a customer server computer;

means associated with a server computer connected to a plurality of client computers for storing a World Wide Web document including;

an embedded program applet for selectively accessing each of the application program being distributed, and

an embedded installation applet for accessing a program for installing said application programs being distributed on said client computers;

means associated with at least one of said client computers for selecting one of said application programs for installation;

means responsive to said selection of said application program for sending said installation program to the client computer that selected said application program;

means in said client computer for storing said installation applet only if said installation applet has not been previously stored in said client computer; and

means for sending said selected application program to the client computer that selected said application program after said installation applet is stored in said client computer so that said installation applet may access said installation program.

26. The computer program of claim 25 wherein said client computers further include a user interactive World Wide Web browser program, said World Wide Web browser program including:

said means associated with a client computer for selecting one of said application programs for installation; and

said means controlling said storing of said installation applet only if said installation applet has not been previously stored in said client computer.

27. The computer program of claim 26 further including means associated with said World Wide Web browser program for caching the stored installation applets.