Dynamic software update

• US 7,581,217 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2005
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yaryan, Tom, Harikrishnan, Seetharaman, Temereanca, Ovidiu G., Jhanwar, Raj, Hennessey, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Chavis; John
• Application Number:
  US11/031,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20060010435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 717/168
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A system and method for dynamically updating software on one or more installation media for installation on at least one destination machine. The invention obtains update content from one or more update media and merges the update content with the software on the installation media prior to installing the software on the destination machine. The software to be installed includes application programs and operating system software.

Claims

1. A system for dynamically updating software with update content, said system comprising:

an update site for delivering the update content relating to the software to a destination machine having access to at least one installation medium storing installation data of the software to be updated by the update content, said destination machine not having the software installed; and

an installation application program operating on the destination machine to receive the update content from the update site and to merge the received update content with the installation data on the installation medium, said installation application program further automatically creates an updated installation data on the destination machine from the merged installation data without user input to select which of the update content to use before installing the updated installation data as one unit on the destination machine prior to installing the installation data on the destination machine.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the installation application program installs updated installation data on the destination machine.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the update content comprises one or more files.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the update content includes information identifying whether each of the one or more files has been verified to execute with the installation application program.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the update site is accessible via a telecommunications medium.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the telecommunications medium is a medium selected from a group consisting of the Internet, a telephone network, and a local area network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the update content comprises at least one replacement file.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the replacement file comprises an update to the installation data or to the installation application program or both.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the update content comprises at least one driver.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising memory for storing state information for the installation application program, said state information gathered by the installation application program if an interruption occurs during execution of the installation application program, said state information used by the installation application program to resume execution.