Method and apparatus for application costing based on client hardware

• US 9,501,381 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stoneware, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: German, Richard W., Thompson, Tony E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US13/540,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20130007129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221, 709/229, 709/224, 709/223, 707/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3031 where the computing system component is a motherboard or an expansion card
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3442 for planning or managing the needed capacity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data

Abstract

Various methods for application costing based on the hardware of a client device are provided. One example method may comprise receiving a message comprising an indication of one or more hardware requirements associated with a service. The method of this example embodiment may further comprise determine one or more hardware attributes related to the one or more hardware requirements. The method of this example embodiment may further comprise evaluating whether the one or more hardware attributes satisfy the one or more hardware requirements. Similar and related example methods, example apparatuses, and example computer program products are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for determining hardware requirements of one or more services for a terminal apparatus, which method is performed by at least one of a processor and a computer program product, which method comprises:

receiving a message at the terminal apparatus comprising an indication of one or more hardware requirements associated with one or more services;

determining one or more hardware attributes associated with the terminal apparatus related to the one or more hardware requirements;

evaluating whether the one or more hardware attributes satisfy the one or more hardware requirements and, if so, receiving one or more services at the terminal apparatus via a web based portal;

restricting access to one or more of the services upon a determination that the one or more hardware attributes do not satisfy the hardware requirements of the respective service; and

overriding the restriction of access to one or more of the services despite the determination that the one or more hardware attributes do not satisfy the hardware requirements of the respective service.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing for transmission of a report that comprises an indication of whether the one or more hardware attributes satisfy the one or more hardware requirements of one or more services.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of restricting access further comprises restricting access for those hardware attributes that are static throughout a session with the terminal apparatus.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step receiving the one or more services at a terminal apparatus via a web based portal further comprises receiving a warning notification to adjust a hardware attribute that is not static throughout a session to meet a corresponding hardware requirement.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving a message comprising an indication of one or more hardware requirements associated with one or more services occurs in response to a user of the terminal apparatus selecting one or more services via the web based portal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a message comprising an indication of one or more hardware requirements associated with one or more services occurs in response to a user of the terminal apparatus logging on to the web based portal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving one or more services at the terminal apparatus via a web based portal further comprises receiving an application in an executable file at the terminal apparatus.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving one or more services at the terminal apparatus via a web based portal further comprises receiving directions for executing an application stored at the terminal apparatus.

9. An apparatus for determining hardware requirements of one or more services, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory storing computer program code; and

wherein the at least one memory and at least stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to,

receive a message comprising an indication of one or more hardware requirements associated with one or more services,

 

determine one or more hardware attributes associated related to the one or more hardware requirements,

 

evaluate whether the one or more hardware attributes satisfy the one or more hardware requirements, and

receive one or more services via a web based portal;

 

restrict access to one or more of the services upon a determination that the one or more hardware attributes do not satisfy the hardware requirements of the respective service; and

 

override the restriction of access to one or more of the services despite the determination that the one or more hardware attributes do not satisfy the hardware requirements of the respective service.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least one memory and at least one stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to further cause the apparatus to provide for transmission of a report comprising an indication of whether the one or more hardware attributes satisfy the one or more hardware requirements of one or more services.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one memory and at least one stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to additionally cause the apparatus to provide access to one or more services upon a determination that the one or more hardware attributes satisfy the hardware requirements of one or more services.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and at least one stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to receive a message comprising an indication of one or more hardware requirements associated with one or more services in response to a user of the apparatus selecting one or more services via the web based portal.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least one memory and at least one stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to receive a message comprising an indication of one or more hardware requirements associated with one or more services in response to a user of the apparatus logging on to the web based portal.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising one or more of the hardware attributes of:

current central processing unit (CPU) utilization,

maximum average CPU utilization,

chipset,

chip support for one time password (OTP),

charging status,

power source,

battery charge percentage,

battery time remaining,

current memory usage,

current memory available,

total memory installed,

available hard drive space,

total hard drive space,

network bandwidth,

network connection type,

video card model,

current screen resolution,

maximum screen resolution,

supported screen resolutions,

mouse availability,

keyboard availability,

speaker availability, and

microphone availability.

15. A computer program product for determining hardware requirements of one or more services, the computer program product comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, the program instructions configured to,

receive a message comprising an indication of one or more hardware requirements associated with the one or more services,

determine one or more hardware attributes related to the one or more hardware requirements,

evaluate whether the one or more hardware attributes satisfy the one or more hardware requirements, and

receive one or more services via a web based portal;

restrict access to one or more of the services upon a determination that the one or more hardware attributes do not satisfy the hardware requirements of the respective service; and

override the restriction of access to one or more of the services despite the determination that the one or more hardware attributes do not satisfy the hardware requirements of the respective service.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the program instructions are further configured to provide for transmission of a report comprising an indication of whether the one or more hardware attributes satisfy the one or more hardware requirements of the one or more services.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the program instructions are further configured to provide access to one or more service upon a determination that the one or more hardware attributes satisfy the hardware requirements of the one or more services.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the program instructions are further configured to receive a message comprising an indication of one or more hardware requirements associated with one or more services in response to a user of the computer program product selecting one or more services via the web based portal.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the program instructions are further configured to receive a message comprising an indication of one or more hardware requirements associated with a service in response to a user of the computer program product logging on to the web based portal.