Storage and delivery of device features

• US 7,493,375 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2002
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cornami, Inc.
• Original Assignee: QST Holding LLC
• Inventors: Watson, John, Master, Paul L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Thong H
• Application Number:
  US10/135,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20030204575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,486 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709220-227, 709/238, 709201-203, 709/236, 709/245, 709/230, 455 42- 45, 455/419, 455/503, 375/148, 375/285, 712/15, 712/43, 712/220, 370/466, 370/490, 711/141
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

A system for permitting new, or enhanced, functionality to be transferred to an adaptable device. In a preferred embodiment, the permitted functionality is determined according to an accounting method associated with a user'"'"'s account. This approach allows a user to contract for specific services, functionality, etc. regardless of changes over time such as changes to data formats, communication protocols, external devices or infrastructure, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the functionality is stored on a ubiquitous communications network such as the Internet. Functionality is transferred to different devices as digital information over the network. This allows hardware functionality to be licensed in many forms. For example, site licenses can be obtained for companies; hardware “trialware” can be provided to allow limited functionality for a limited time for lower-cost payments, etc.

Claims

1. A method for configuring an adaptable device, the adaptable device comprising a plurality of heterogeneous computational elements coupled to a configurable interconnection network, the method comprising:

accepting payment for configuring the adaptable device to perform a new functionality;

using a digital network, transferring adaptation information to the adaptable device;

configuring the adaptable device to perform the new functionality in response to the adaptation information by configuring the configurable interconnection network to provide corresponding data input and output interconnections between the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements for the new functionality; and

modifying data stored in the digital network to provide a record of the transfer of the adaptation information, to the adaptable device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital network comprises the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein another adaptable device is used to perform at least a part of the transfer of the adaptation information.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising providing the first adaption information on a trial basis.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising using viral network propagation to provide the first adaptation information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising permitting the configuration of the adaptable device for the new functionality after the payment is accepted.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment is accepted when a contract for services associated with the adaptable device is made, the services including use of the new functionality.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment is accepted when a request for the new functionality is made.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the adaptation information is transferred after the payment is accepted.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of computational elements are hardware computational elements.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising licensing the adaptation information in a site license.

12. A method for configuring an adaptable device, the adaptable device comprising a plurality of heterogeneous computational elements coupled to a configurable interconnection network, the method comprising:

defining permitted functionality for the adaptable device;

receiving a request to provide a functionality for the adaptive device;

accepting payment from a user associated with the adaptable device to perform the permitted functionality;

determining whether the permitted functionality of the adaptable device includes the requested functionality and subsequent to accepting payment, unlocking the permitted functionality in the adaptable device; and

when the permitted functionality includes the requested functionality, providing adaptation information to the adaptable device which corresponds to the requested functionality; and

configuring the adaptable device to perform the requested functionality by configuring the configurable interconnections between the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements through the interconnection network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of defining permitted functionality includes storing a list of permissible functions in a digital system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the list is stored in a server coupled to the Internet.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of defining permitted functionality further comprises:

defining the permitted functionality in accordance with payments made by the user associated with the given device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the method steps are performed by a digital processing system coupled to a network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the digital network is the Internet.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the payment is accepted when a contract for services associated with the adaptable device is made, the services including supply of the permitted functionality.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the payment is accepted when a request for the permitted functionality is made.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the adaptation information is transferred after the payment is accepted.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of computational elements are hardware computational elements.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising licensing the adaptation information in a site license.

23. A method of configuring an adaptable device, wherein the adaptable device comprises a configurable interconnection network coupled to plurality of heterogeneous computational elements, the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements, the method comprising:

defining a range of permissible functions for the adaptable device;

providing the adaptable device with adaptation information to configure the adaptable device to perform a function in the range of permissible functions by providing, through the interconnection network and in response to the first adaptation information, corresponding interconnections between the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements, the first adaptation information corresponding to a first geographic location;

accepting a request to enable the adaptable device to perform the function in a second geographic location;

24. The method of claim 23, comprising licensing the first or second adaptation information in a site license.

25. The method of claim 23, comprising unlocking the adaptable device to perform the function after the payment is accepted.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the payment is accepted when a contract for services associated with the adaptable device is made, the services including use of the function.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the payment is accepted when a request for the function is made.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the adaptation information is provided after the payment is accepted.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the plurality of computational elements are hardware computational elements.

30. A method for configuring an adaptable device, the adaptable device comprising a plurality of heterogeneous computational elements coupled to a configurable interconnection network the method comprising:

defining a range of permissible functions for the adaptable device;

at a first time, providing the adaptable device with first adaptation information to allow the adaptable device to perform a function in the range of permissible functions, by configuring, through the interconnection network and in response to the first adaptation information, corresponding interconnections between the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements;

accepting a request to enable the adaptable device to perform the function at a second time later than the first time, wherein the adaptable device functionality must be modified to achieve the flfst function at the second time;

accepting payment from a user associated with the adaptable device;

unlocking the adaptable device to perform the function at the second time later than the first time; and

providing the adaptable device with second adaptation information to allow the adaptable device to perform the first function subsequent to the second time, by configuring, through the interconnection network and in response to the second adaptation information, corresponding interconnections between the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising unlocking the adaptable device to perform the function after the payment is accepted.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the payment is accepted when a contract for services associated with the adaptable device is made, the services including supply of the function.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the payment is accepted when a request for the function is made.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the adaptation information is provided after the payment is accepted.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the plurality of computational elements are hardware computational elements.

36. The method of claim 30, comprising licensing the first or second adaptation information in a site license.

37. A method for configuring an adaptable device, the adaptable device comprising a plurality of heterogeneous computational elements coupled to a configurable interconnection network, the method comprising:

licensing adaptation information for configuring the adaptable device to perform new functionality;

transferring adaptation information to the adaptable device using a digital network;

configuring the adaptable device to perform the new functionality in response to the adaptation information by configuring the configurable interconnection network to provide corresponding interconnections between the plurality of heterogenous computational elements for the new functionality; and

modifying data stored in the digital network to provide a record of the transfer of the adaptation information to the adaptable device.