Software delivery system

• US 7,188,255 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2000
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lance, John W., Poon, Chee Seng, Lim, Lay Sie, DeBacker, Dwight Allan, Toh, Ker Sze
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr.; Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dinh; Minh
• Application Number:
  US09/483,063
• Time in Patent Office: 2,608 Days
• Field of Search: 703 51- 59, 713/2, 713200-201, 713/189, 713/191, 713/193, 717/169, 717/172, 717/175, 717/177, 705 51- 59
• US Class Current: 713/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user

Abstract

The present software delivery system includes a computer system and a CD-ROM. The computer system includes a central processing unit communicably coupled to a CD-ROM drive, a hard drive, and a non-volatile memory. The CD-ROM contains a control module and a plurality of software modules. Each of the software modules contains one or more software products which are the software to be delivered to the user of the computer system. Each of the software modules is assigned a unique identifier (ID) such as an identification number or code. In the non-volatile memory, addresses have been designated to contain an encrypted code key which comprises a list of identification numbers corresponding to the identification numbers of the software modules.

Claims

1. A process for facilitating a delivery of custom-ordered software products to a computer system, said computer system having a processor, a digital storage drive, a hard disk, and a non-volatile memory, said process comprising:

receiving, by a manufacturer of the computer system, an order for the computer system from one of a customer and a vendor;

writing a set of software products onto a digital storage device, said set of software products containing at least one custom-ordered software product and other software products;

assigning a unique identifier for each software product in said digital storage device;

writing, by the manufacturer of the computer system, only the identifiers of said custom-ordered software products into the non-volatile memory of said computer system;

shipping together, by the manufacturer of the computer system, the computer system and the digital storage device to the customer or vendor;

inserting said digital storage device into said digital storage drive;

reading said identifiers in said non-volatile memory of said computer system;

comparing said identifiers in said non-volatile memory with said identifiers of the software products stored on the digital storage device; and

installing the custom-ordered software products having identifiers that match the identifiers in said non-volatile memory but not installing the other software products.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said set of software products is written onto said digital storage device before said custom-ordered software is ordered by a customer.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising testing the set of software products before it is written onto said digital storage device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said identifier in said non-volatile memory is encrypted.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising checking a serial number of said computer system before writing the identifier of said custom-ordered software products into the non-volatile memory of said computer system.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computer manufacturer, an order for a computer system from one of a customer and a vendor;

preparing a digital storage media, by a computer manufacturer, the digital storage media storing software products that are compatible with the computer system, at least one of the software products being requested and at least one of the software products being unrequested by the customer or vendor;

obtaining, by the computer manufacturer, unique identifiers for each of the requested software products;

storing, by the computer manufacturer, the unique identifiers of the requested software products in a non-volatile memory of the computer system, but not storing unique identifiers of the unrequested software products in the non-volatile memory;

shipping simultaneously, by the computer manufacturer, the computer system along with the digital storage media to the customer or vendor;

if the computer system crashes or loses data, performing a software recovery of the requested software products by comparing the unique identifiers stored in the non-volatile memory with unique identifiers of the requested software stored by the digital storage media; and

if a customer makes a predetermined purchase, installing a previously unrequested software product stored on the digital storage media by adding the previously unrequested software product'"'"'s unique identifier into the non-volatile memory after said shipping.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising comparing a serial number of the computer system with a serial number provided by a user and only adding said unrequested software product'"'"'s unique identifier into the non-volatile memory if the serial numbers match.

8. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a computer manufacturer, unique identifiers for each of a plurality of software products;

encoding, by the computer manufacturer, the unique identifiers into a non-volatile memory of a computer system;

shipping simultaneously, by the computer manufacturer, the computer system along with a digital storage media to one of a customer and a vendor, the digital storage media storing a backup copy of the plurality of software products,

wherein the software products are installable by accessing the unique identifiers in the non-volatile memory;

storing on the digital storage media additional software products that are compatible with the computer system;

receiving, by the computer manufacturer a request by a customer to purchase at least one of the additional software products after said shipping; and

delivering, by the computer manufacturer, a software upgrade module to the owner of the computer system after said shipping, the software upgrade module being configured to store unique identifiers corresponding to the purchased additional software products in the non-volatile memory.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising installing, by the computer manufacturer, the plurality of software products on the computer system before said shipping.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising testing, by the computer manufacturer, a compatibility of the plurality of software products with the computer system before said shipping.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising customizing a hardware configuration of the computer system, by the computer manufacturer, based on an order received from one of a customer and a vendor.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving an order, by the computer manufacturer, from one of a customer and a vendor for the plurality of software products before the products are installed on the computer system.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein said delivering comprises transmitting the software upgrade module via a network to the computer system.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving, by the computer manufacturer, a serial number from a customer after said shipping, wherein the software upgrade module is configured to compare the serial number from the customer with the computer system'"'"'s serial number before storing unique identifiers corresponding to the purchased additional software products in the non-volatile memory.

15. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving, by the computer manufacturer, a serial number from a customer after said shipping, wherein the computer manufacturer verifies that the serial number from the customer matches a purchased computer system'"'"'s serial number before said delivering.

16. The method of claim 8 further comprising installing, by the customer, the purchased additional software products using the digital storage media and the unique identifiers that are stored in the non-volatile memory as a result of delivering the software upgrade module.

17. The method of claim 8 further comprising organizing, by the computer manufacturer, the plurality of software products into modules having unique identifiers.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said organizing the plurality of software products into modules comprises bundling, by the computer manufacturer, software products that are determined to be complementary.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said organizing the plurality of software products into modules comprises bundling, by the computer manufacturer, software products based on special promotions.