Delayed uploading of user registration data

• US 7,426,727 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Issued: 09/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Moran, Brian K., Feinleib, David, Moss, Kenneth D., Gulledge, Carl L., Neault, Autumn F. G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Zarni
• Application Number:
  US10/861,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709/221, 709/224, 709/227, 717171-178, 713/1, 713/201
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A client computer collects registration information regarding a user and/or the client computer and attempts to upload the collected information to a remote registration system. The client computer stores the registration information locally and delays uploading of the information to the registration system until a connection to the registration system is established. The connection to the registration system and the uploading of the registration information can be performed automatically and transparently to the user, eliminating the need for any further required actions on the part of the user once the registration information is collected.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

collecting registration information;

attempting to transmit the registration information to a registration system;

if the transmission attempt is not successful, then,

storing the registration infonnation locally; and

automatically attempting to transmit the registration information to the registration system at a subsequent time, wherein the automatically attempting comprises attempting to transmit the registration information when a connection to a network is available, and wherein the registration information is transmitted in an absence of a user request.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the registration information, via the network, to the registration system.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

4. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

collect registration information;

attempt to transmit the registration information to a registration system;

if the transmission attempt is not successful, then,

store the registration information locally; and

automatically attempt to transmit the registration information to the registration system at a subsequent time, wherein the automatically attempting comprises attempting to transmit the registration infonnation when a connection to a network is available, and wherein the registration information is transmitted in an absence of a user request.

5. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 4, wherein to transmit the registration information to the registration system is to transmit the registration information, via the network, to the registration system.

6. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 5, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

7. A system comprising:

a client computer to,

collect registration information, and

store, for as long as necessary, the registration information until a connection to a network is established;

transmit the registration information when the connection to the network is established; and

a registration system, coupled to the network, to,

receive the registration information from the client computer, and

store the registration infonnation in a registration database.

8. A system as recited in claim 7, wherein the registration system includes a server to issue a request to the client for the registration information.

9. A system as recited in claim 7, wherein the client computer further distinguishes, in detecting when the connection to the network is established, between a web site on an intranet and a web site on the Internet, and wherein the web site on the intranet and the web site on the Internet have the same name.

10. A system comprising:

means for collecting registration information;

means for attempting to transmit the registration information to a registration system; and

means for storing, if the transmission attempt is not successful, the registration information locally and automatically attempting to transmit the registration information to the registration system at a subsequent time, wherein the automatically attempting comprises attempting to transmit the registration information when a connection to a network is available, and wherein the registration information is transmitted in an absence of a user request.

11. A system as recited in claim 10, wherein the means for storing and automatically attempting and the means for attempting are both to transmit the registration information, via the Internet, to the registration system.