System and related methods for automatically configuring a computing system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- maintaining, on a server for each of a plurality of computing systems, data specifying which resources are authorized for the computing system;
receiving, by a configuration agent at the server, an identifier associated with a computing system and a computing system user, wherein the identifier associated with the computing system and computing system user comprises a telephone number associated with a first communications device associated with the computing system and is received from the first communications device associated with the computing system, wherein the first communications device is not coupled directly to the computing system, and wherein the first communications device is selected from the group consisting of;
a wireless telephony unit,a cellular telephone,a personal digital assistant,a personal computer,a KIOSK terminal,an automated teller machine,a wireline telephony unit,a facsimile machine,a video media player,an audio system, anda software defined radio unit;
obtaining, by the configuration agent, from the server, data that specifies authorized resources corresponding to the received identifier;
interrogating, by the configuration agent, the computing system to produce an assessment indicating existing hardware and/or software resources available on the computing system, wherein software resources include one or more of an operating system, application(s), and personalized configuration setting information;
comparing, by the configuration agent, the authorized resources with the assessment to identify one or more resources authorized but not installed on the computing system, wherein one or more resources authorized but not installed does not include updates of currently installed resources; and
automatically modifying by the configuration agent the computing system resources by installing the one or more identified resources.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and related methods for automatically configuring a computing system includes receiving an identifier associated with a computing system, identifying the authorized and available resources for the computing system, assessing the current resources of the computing system, and downloading, installing and configuring zero or more needed resources on the computing system based, at least in part, on the assessment.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
maintaining, on a server for each of a plurality of computing systems, data specifying which resources are authorized for the computing system; receiving, by a configuration agent at the server, an identifier associated with a computing system and a computing system user, wherein the identifier associated with the computing system and computing system user comprises a telephone number associated with a first communications device associated with the computing system and is received from the first communications device associated with the computing system, wherein the first communications device is not coupled directly to the computing system, and wherein the first communications device is selected from the group consisting of; a wireless telephony unit, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, a KIOSK terminal, an automated teller machine, a wireline telephony unit, a facsimile machine, a video media player, an audio system, and a software defined radio unit; obtaining, by the configuration agent, from the server, data that specifies authorized resources corresponding to the received identifier; interrogating, by the configuration agent, the computing system to produce an assessment indicating existing hardware and/or software resources available on the computing system, wherein software resources include one or more of an operating system, application(s), and personalized configuration setting information; comparing, by the configuration agent, the authorized resources with the assessment to identify one or more resources authorized but not installed on the computing system, wherein one or more resources authorized but not installed does not include updates of currently installed resources; and automatically modifying by the configuration agent the computing system resources by installing the one or more identified resources. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A server comprising:
-
a storage device to maintain a profile of personal resources specifying, for each of a plurality of computing systems, resources that are authorized for each of the plurality of computing systems; and a configuration agent, coupled to the storage device, to perform a method comprising; receiving, from a communications device associated with a computing system, an identifier associated with the communications device, wherein the identifier comprises a telephone number and the communications device is not coupled directly to the computing system; involving an identification function to correlate the identifier to a corresponding computing system; generating an assessment of current resources of the corresponding computing system; identifying, by comparing the assessment with the resources that are authorized, one or more of the resources that are authorized and that are missing from the corresponding computing system, wherein one or more of the resources that are authorized and missing does not include updates of a currently installed-resource; and automatically configuring resources of the corresponding computing system to include the identified resources that are authorized and that are missing. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A storage medium comprising a plurality of executable instructions including at least a subset of which that, when executed, implement a configuration agent at a server to perform a method comprising:
-
maintaining, for each of a plurality of computing systems, data specifying resources that are authorized for the computing system; conducting an assessment of computing system resources upon receipt of an identifier associated with the computing system wherein the identifier comprises a telephone number and is received from a communications device remote from the computing system; identifying, by comparing the assessment with corresponding data specifying resources that are authorized, one or more of the resources that are authorized which are missing from the computing system, wherein one or more missing resources that are authorized does not include updates of currently installed resources; and automatically downloading and installing on the computing system the missing resources that are authorized. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification