Delegated pre-configuration

• US 8,539,046 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gillett, Don M., Blinn, Arnold N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Survillo, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US11/763,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20080313447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,286 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 709220-222, 715/733, 715/735, 715744-745, 715/747, 717120-121, 717174-178, 713/1, 713/100, 726/4
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Computer-readable media, systems, and methods for delegated pre-configuration are described. In embodiments, an identification of a user is received. Further, in various embodiments, one or more pre-configuration instructions is received from a delegate. In various embodiments, one or more online service settings is processed in accordance with the one or more pre-configuration instructions. In various other embodiments an online service is presented in accordance with the processed one or more online service settings.

Claims

1. One or more computer storage media devices storing computer-usable instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform a method for delegated pre-configuration, the method comprising:

receiving an identification of a user of an online service of a plurality of online services from multiple different service providers, wherein the online service is a social networking service allowing one or more social network users to, via a network, post new messages and receive responses to posted messages in an online forum, and further wherein receiving the identification of the user comprises

receiving instructions from a delegate to create an account for the user of the online service;

receiving pre-configuration instructions from the delegate that is a second user different from the user, the delegate having received permission from the user to provide the pre-configuration instructions, wherein the pre-configuration instructions include specific settings that are applied to the social networking service of the user upon creation of the account and generic settings that are applied across the plurality of online services of the user;

processing online service settings in accordance with the pre-configuration instructions received from the delegate, wherein processing the online service settings in accordance with the pre-configuration instructions comprises;

creating a user profile associating the user with the pre-configuration instructions and storing the user profile, wherein the user profile includes a catalogue of the specific and the generic settings, and

pre-configuring the social networking service with the specific settings and the generic settings retrieved from the user profile, wherein the generic settings are pre-configured for each of the plurality of online services for which an account associated with the user is established; and

presenting the online service to the user according to the online service settings.

2. The one or more computer storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a delegate role from the user.

3. The one or more computer storage media of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

prompting the user to accept the pre-configuration instructions.

4. The one or more computer storage media of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises:

presenting the user with an opportunity to revoke or restrict the delegate'"'"'s authorization.

5. The one or more computer storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving one or more configurable settings from another online service of the plurality of online services;

providing the another online service with a relevant portion of the online service settings in correlation with the one or more configurable settings.

6. A computerized system for delegated pre-configuration, the system comprising:

a database that stores information associated with delegated pre-configuration; and

one or more computer processors programmed to execute;

an identification component programmed to receive an identification of a user of an online service of a plurality of online services from multiple different service providers, the identification includes instructions from a delegate to create an account for the user of the online service;

an instruction component programmed to receive pre-configuration instructions from the delegate that is a second user different from the user, the delegate having received permission from the user to provide the pre-configuration instructions, wherein the pre-configuration instructions include specific settings that are applied to the online service of the user upon creation of the account and generic settings that are applied across the plurality of online services of the user;

a processing component programmed to process online service settings in accordance with the pre-configuration instructions received from the delegate, wherein processing the online service settings in accordance with the pre-configuration instructions comprises creating a user profile associating the user with the pre-configuration instructions and storing the user profile, wherein the user profile includes a catalogue of the specific and the generic settings, and pre-configuring the online service with the specific settings and the generic settings retrieved from the user profile, wherein the generic settings are pre-configured for each of the plurality of online services for which an account associated with the user is established; and

a presentation component programmed to present the online service to the user according to the online service settings.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a prompting component programmed to prompt the user to accept the pre-configuration instructions.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a receiving component programmed to receive one or more configurable settings from another online service of the plurality of online services; and

a providing component programmed to provide the another online service with a relevant portion of the online service settings in correlation with the one or more configurable settings.

9. One or more computer storage media devices, having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform a method for delegated pre-configuration, the method comprising:

receiving identification of a user of a personal computer, the identification of the user occurring prior to a purchase of the personal computer, wherein the identification of the user prior to the purchase of the personal computer is received from a delegate that is a second user different from the user of the personal computer;

receiving one or more pre-configuration instructions from the delegate, the delegate having received permission from the user to provide the one or more pre-configuration instructions; and

processing one or more personal computer settings in accordance with the one or more pre-configuration instructions received from the delegate, the personal computer settings including at least one of an application setting, a service setting, and a user interface setting, wherein the one or more personal computer settings include one or more updateable personal computer settings, wherein the personal computer automatically accesses a server at a pre-configured interval to retrieve the one or more updateable personal computer settings, wherein processing the one or more personal computer settings in accordance with the one or more pre-configuration instructions comprises;

(1) storing the one or more personal computer settings on the personal computer; and

(2) configuring the personal computer in accordance with the one or more personal computer settings, wherein the pre-configuration instructions are accessed from a computer other than the personal computer, wherein the computer other than the personal computer is configured according to the pre-configuration instructions and in accordance with the one or more personal computer settings.

10. The computer storage media of claim 9, wherein the personal computer is configured by an original equipment manufacturer in accordance with the pre-configuration instructions.

11. The computer storage media of claim 10, wherein the one or more pre-configuration instructions are received from the delegate in integration with an order of the personal computer from the original equipment manufacturer.

12. The computer storage media of claim 9, wherein processing the one or more personal computer settings in accordance with the one or more pre-configuration instructions further comprises:

storing a retrieval instruction on the personal computer; and

upon initialization by the user, automatically accessing a server to retrieve the one or more personal computer settings.

13. The computer storage media of claim 9, wherein processing the one or more personal computer settings in accordance with the one or more pre-configuration instructions further comprises:

storing the one or more personal computer settings on a server; and

configuring the personal computer in accordance with the one or more personal computer settings each time the user logs onto the personal computer.