System, method and computer program product for initiating a software download

• US 20040083474A1
• Filed: 07/03/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Carhamm Limited LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Carhamm Limited LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Zeldin, Craig, Chambers, David Lawrence, Weisman, Mitchell T., Wesley, Christopher William, McKinlay, Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/613,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20040083474A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

In one embodiment, a software application is downloaded to a client computer by detecting a setting and, based on the setting, determining if a user will be alerted prior to the download. If the user will not be alerted prior to the download, the software application is not downloaded to the client computer without a specific authorization from the user. The user may specifically authorize the download by responding to a non-browser message such as a dialog box, for example. In one embodiment, the setting comprises a security setting of a web browser, and the download involves downloading the software application in chunks to the client computer over the Internet.

Claims

1. A method of performing a software download over a computer network, the method comprising:

detecting a setting of a browser;

based on the setting of the browser, determining if the browser will alert a user before a software download; and

if the browser will not alert the user, not performing the download unless the user specifically authorizes the download.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a non-browser message asking the user to specifically authorize the download; and

performing the download if the user specifically authorizes the download.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the non-browser message comprises a dialog box.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the download involves providing a piece of software in chunks to a client computer.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the software download involves providing a piece of software in chunks to a client computer over an Internet.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the download is not performed.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the setting comprises a security setting.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the setting comprises inspecting a registry of the browser.

9. A method of performing a software download over a computer network, the method comprising:

detecting a security setting of a browser;

based on the security setting, determining if a browser will display a security message before a software download; and

if the browser will not display the security message, displaying a non-browser message asking a user to authorize the download.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the security message comprises a VeriSign™

prompt.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the non-browser message comprises a dialog box.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

if the user authorizes the download, downloading a piece of software in chunks to a client computer.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

if the user authorizes the download, downloading a piece of software in chunks to a client computer over an Internet.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein detecting the security setting of the browser comprises inspecting a registry of the browser.

15. A method of downloading a piece of software to a client computer, the method comprising:

detecting a setting;

determining if according to the setting a user will not be alerted prior to a software download to a client computer operated by the user; and

if the user will not be alerted prior to the download, not downloading the software to the client computer without a specific authorization from the user.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the setting comprises browser security settings.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the client computer is coupled to an Internet.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein detecting the security setting comprises inspecting a registry of a browser.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

if the user will not be alerted prior to the download, displaying a non-browser message asking the user for authorization to perform the download.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the non-browser message comprises a dialog box.