Computer patch management in “road warrior” contexts

• US 8,065,428 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Locker, Howard, Cheston, Richard W., Springfield, Randall S., Cromer, Daryl
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park; Jeong S
• Application Number:
  US11/694,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/232, 717168-173
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/482 Application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

Methods and arrangements for facilitating and streamlining patch management in “road warrior” and analogous contexts. Particularly, there are broadly contemplated herein, in accordance with at least one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, methods and arrangements for facilitating determinations of suitable times for enabling system updates and/or downloads.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a predetermined time frame during which to permit downloads at a computer;

establishing at least one current use related condition for permitting downloads during the predetermined time frame;

utilizing a processor to query a status of the at least one current use related condition during the predetermined time frame; and

responsive to said querying, rendering the computer receptive to downloads;

wherein said at least one current use related condition is selected from the group consisting of a physical orientation of the computer during the predetermined time frame as detected by at least one accelerometer, and whether the computer is in translational motion during the predetermined time frame as detected by the at least one accelerometer;

wherein the computer is rendered receptive to downloads during the predetermined time frame responsive to the computer experiencing no translational motion for a predetermined no-motion time interval.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said establishing of a predetermined time frame is established based on one or more of a size of download, a connection type of the computer, a manual setting, and an expected non-use time of the computer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said establishing of at least one current use related condition comprises employing an APS to establish at least one current use related condition for permitting downloads during the predetermined time frame.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of monitoring a status of the at least one current use related condition.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said monitoring comprises employing an APS to monitor a status of the at least one current use related condition.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said rendering comprises waking the computer.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein waking the computer further comprises determining whether the computer'"'"'s antenna is disabled.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein waking the computer further comprises determining whether the computer is connected to a network.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising initiating or resuming downloading of a predetermined sequence of one or more files responsive to waking the computer.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising prompting a boot of the computer responsive to waking the computer.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one current use related condition includes whether the computer is in actual use during the predetermined time frame.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein querying a status of the at least one current use related condition during the predetermined time frame occurs at one or more of:

the computer, a server, and a third party over the Internet.

13. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more modules executable by the processors, the one or more modules comprising;

a module for establishing a predetermined time frame during which to permit downloads at a computer;

a module for establishing at least one current use related condition for permitting downloads during the predetermined time frame;

a querying module which queries a status of the at least one current use related condition during the predetermined time frame; and

an activation module which, responsive to said querying, renders the computer receptive to downloads;

wherein said at least one current use related condition is selected from the group consisting of a physical orientation of the computer during the predetermined time frame as detected by at least one accelerometer, and

whether the computer is in translational motion during the predetermined time frame as detected by the at least one accelerometer;

wherein the computer is rendered receptive to downloads during the predetermined time frame responsive to the computer experiencing no translational motion for a predetermined no-motion time interval.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said predetermined time frame is established based on one or more of a size of download, a connection type of the computer, a manual setting, and an expected non-use time of the computer.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein said module for establishing at least one current use related condition acts to employ an APS to establish at least one condition for permitting downloads during the predetermined time frame.

16. The system according to claim 13, further comprising a monitoring module which monitors a status of the at least one current use related condition.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said monitoring module acts to employ an APS to monitor a status of the at least one condition.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein said activation module acts to wake the computer.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one current use related condition includes whether the computer is in actual use during the predetermined time frame.

20. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform steps comprising:

establishing a predetermined time frame during which to permit downloads at a computer;

establishing at least one current use related condition for permitting downloads during the predetermined time frame;

querying a status of the at least one current use related condition during the predetermined time frame; and

responsive to said querying, rendering the computer receptive to downloads;

wherein said at least one current use related condition is selected from the group consisting of a physical orientation of the computer during the predetermined time frame as detected by at least one accelerometer, and

whether the computer is in translational motion during the predetermined time frame as detected by the at least one accelerometer;

wherein the computer is rendered receptive to downloads during the predetermined time frame responsive to the computer experiencing no translational motion for a predetermined no-motion time interval.