Computer system warranty upgrade method and apparatus

• US 20030074294A1
• Filed: 10/15/2001
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Stubbs, Steven, Merkin, Cynthia M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,373,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A computer system warranty upgrade method and apparatus are provided. When a warranty upgrade is desired, the computer requesting a warranty upgrade sends its configuration information to a remote warranty server computer. The warranty server prepares a warranty price quote specific to the particular configuration of the requesting computer. When the price quote is paid, the warranty server encrypts and transmits a warranty authorization to the requesting computer. The warranty authorization includes warranty type, duration, the specific configuration warranted and an identification number unique to the requesting computer. These data are authenticated and validated by a secure processor in the requesting computer. After validation, the validated data is stored in secure storage by the secure processor.

Claims

1. A method of upgrading the warranty of a computer system including a plurality of components in a configuration, the method comprising:

receiving, by a warranty processor, a warranty upgrade request from the computer system, the warranty upgrade request including configuration information for the computer system; and

determining, by the warranty processor, a warranty upgrade price dependent on the configuration information in the warranty upgrade request.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the warranty upgrade request includes a unique identification number corresponding to the computer system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the warranty upgrade request is user-initiated.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting, by the warranty processor, a warranty upgrade price to the computer system.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising receiving payment, by the warranty processor, of the warranty upgrade price.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating, by the warranty processor, a warranty authorization including a warranted configuration.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising transmitting, by the warranty processor, the warranty authorization to the computer system.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising digitally signing, by the warranty processor, the warranty authorization to provide a digitally signed warranty authorization.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the warranty authorization includes warranty type information.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the warranty authorization includes warranty duration information.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the warranty authorization includes a unique identification number of the computer system.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising the computer system receiving the warranty authorization.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the computer system storing in secure storage information contained in the warranty authorization.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising the computer system authenticating the digitally signed warranty authorization.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising the computer system storing the warranted configuration in secure storage if the warranted configuration matches the actual configuration, and otherwise rejecting the warranty authorization.

16. The method of claim 6 further comprising the computer system comparing the warranted configuration in the warranty authorization with the actual configuration of the computer system, and storing the warranty authorization in secure storage if the warranted configuration matches the actual configuration, and otherwise rejecting the warranty authorization.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein a secure processor in the computer system performs the comparing and storing step.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the secure processor stores warranty type information from the warranty authorization in the secure storage.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the secure processor stores warranty duration information from the warranty authorization in the secure storage.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the secure processor stores the unique identification number from the warranty authorization in the secure storage.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the warranty upgrade price is determined using the replacement cost of a component in the configuration as a factor.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the warranty upgrade price is determined using a remaining amount of warranty time for a component in the configuration as a factor.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the warranty upgrade price is determined using age of a component in the configuration as a factor.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the warranty upgrade price is determined using reliability data of a component in the configuration as a factor.

25. A method of upgrading the warranty of a computer system including a plurality of components in a configuration, the method comprising:

sending, by the computer system, of a warranty upgrade request to a remote warranty processor, the warranty upgrade request including configuration information for the computer system; and

receiving, by the computer system, of a warranty upgrade price determined by the warranty processor dependent on the configuration information in the warranty upgrade request.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising the computer system sending payment of the warranty upgrade price to the warranty processor.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising receiving, by the computer system, from the warranty server a warranty authorization including a warranted configuration describing the configuration to be warranted.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising receiving by the computer system of a digitally signed warranty authorization from the warranty server, the digitally signed warranty authorization including a warranted configuration describing the configuration to be warranted.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the warranty authorization includes warranty type information.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein the warranty authorization includes warranty duration information

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the warranty authorization includes the unique serial number of the computer system.

32. The method of claim 28 further comprising the computer system authenticating the digitally signed warranty authorization.

33. The method of claim 27 further comprising the computer system comparing the warranted configuration in the warranty authorization with the actual configuration of the computer system, and storing the warranty authorization in secure storage if the warranted configuration matches the actual configuration, and otherwise rejecting the warranty authorization.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein a secure processor in the computer system performs the comparing and storing step.

35. A method of upgrading the warranty of a configurable electrical device including a plurality of components in a configuration, the method comprising:

receiving by a warranty processor of a warranty upgrade request from the configurable electrical device, the warranty upgrade request including configuration information for the configurable electrical device, and

determining by the warranty processor of a warranty upgrade price dependent on the configuration information in the warranty upgrade request.

36. A method of upgrading the warranty of a configurable electrical device including a plurality of components in a configuration, the method comprising:

sending by the configurable electrical device of a warranty upgrade request to a remote warranty processor, the warranty upgrade request including configuration information for the configurable electrical device; and

receiving by the configurable electrical device of a warranty upgrade price determined by the warranty processor dependent on the configuration information in the warranty upgrade request.

37. A warranty processing system comprising:

a processor, for receiving a warranty upgrade request from a remote configurable electrical device, the warranty upgrade request including configuration information for the remote configurable electrical device; and

a database, coupled to the processor, for storing warranty cost information for components included in the configuration information, the database providing the warranty cost information to the processor to enable the processor to determine a warranty upgrade price dependent on the configuration information in the warranty upgrade request.

38. A warranty processing system comprising:

a processor, for receiving a warranty upgrade request from a remote computer system, the warranty upgrade request including configuration information for the remote computer system; and

a database, coupled to the processor, for storing warranty cost information for components included in the configuration information, the database providing the warranty cost information to the processor to enable the processor to determine a warranty upgrade price dependent on the configuration information in the warranty upgrade request.

39. An electrical device comprising:

a configurable electrical portion;

a secure processor, coupled to the configurable electrical portion, for sending a warranty request including configuration information for the configurable electrical portion, and for receiving a warranty authorization including a warranted configuration; and

a storage device, coupled to the secure processor, for storing the warranty authorization.

40. A computer system comprising:

a secure processor for sending a warranty request including configuration information for the system, and for receiving a warranty authorization including a warranted configuration; and

a storage device coupled to the secure processor for storing the warranty authorization.

41. A method of registering the warranty of a computer system including a plurality of components in a configuration, the method comprising:

monitoring, by the computer system, for a use of the computer system prior to warranty registration;

sending, by the computer system, of a warranty registration request to a remote warranty processor when a use of the computer system prior to warranty registration is detected, the warranty registration request including configuration information for the computer system; and

receiving, by the computer system, of a warranty authorization from the warranty processor, the warranty authorization including a warranted configuration describing the configuration to be warranted.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the warranty authorization is digitally signed.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein the warranty authorization includes warranty type information.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein the warranty authorization includes warranty duration information

45. The method of claim 42 wherein the digitally signed warranty authorization includes a unique identification number of the computer system.

46. The method of claim 42 further comprising the computer system authenticating the digitally signed warranty authorization to provide an authenticated warranty authorization.

47. The method of claim 41 further comprising the computer system comparing the warranted configuration in the warranty authorization with the actual configuration of the computer system, and storing the warranty authorization in secure storage if the warranted configuration matches the actual configuration, and otherwise rejecting the warranty authorization.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein a secure processor in the computer system performs the comparing and storing step.

49. A method of registering the warranty of a computer system including a plurality of components in a configuration, the method comprising:

receiving, by a warranty processor, of a warranty registration request from the computer system, the warranty registration request including configuration information for the computer system, the warranty registration request being generated by the computer system when the computer system determines that a warranty has not yet been registered for the computer system; and

sending, by the warranty processor, of a warranty authorization to the computer system, the warranty authorization including a warranted configuration describing the configuration to be warranted.

50. The method of claim 49 further comprising digitally signing, by the warranty processor, of the warranty authorization to provide a digitally signed warranty authorization.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein the warranty upgrade request includes a unique identification number corresponding to the computer system.

52. The method of claim 50 wherein the warranty authorization includes warranty type information.

53. The method of claim 50 wherein the warranty authorization includes warranty duration information.

54. The method of claim 50 wherein the warranty authorization includes a unique identification number of the computer system.

55. A method of registering the warranty of a configurable electrical device including a plurality of components in a configuration, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring, by the configurable electrical device for a use of the configurable electrical device prior to warranty registration;

sending by the configurable electrical device of a warranty registration request to a remote warranty processor when a use of the configurable electrical device prior to warranty registration is detected, the warranty registration request including configuration information for the configurable electrical device; and

receiving by the configurable electrical device of a warranty authorization from the warranty processor, the warranty authorization including a warranted configuration describing the configuration to be warranted.

56. The method of claim 55 further comprising storing, by the configurable electrical device, of the warranty authorization in secure storage.

57. A method of registering the warranty of a configurable electrical device including a plurality of components in a configuration, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a warranty processor, of a warranty registration request from the configurable electrical device, the warranty upgrade request including configuration information for the configurable electrical device and being generated in response to a to determination by the configurable electrical device that its warranty has not yet been registered; and

sending, by the warranty processor, of a warranty authorization to the configurable electrical device, the warranty authorization including a warranted configuration describing the configuration to be warranted.