System and Method for Passive Detection and Context Sensitive Notification of Upgrade Availability for Computer Information

• US 20100242035A1
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Loofbourrow, Wayne, Meyer, Gordon R., Howard, Albert R. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 9,176,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that monitor upgrade availability for computer information on a user'"'"'s computer and allows the user to determine which of the available upgrades will be downloaded to the user'"'"'s computer and installed. The upgrade availability for computer information on the user'"'"'s computer is monitored in the background, without user-intervention when the user connects to a network, such as the Internet. If any such upgrades are available, a flag is set to notify the user of such upgrades. The user is notified of any available upgrades when computer information is accessed for which an upgrade is available, and given a choice of whether or not to download the available upgrade(s). The downloaded upgrade(s) may then be installed by an installation means. In this manner, the present invention allows for the user to download only those upgrades desired by the user.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a computer user of the availability of a software component upgrade on the computer, said method comprising:

checking by a processor, via an input/output device, a network resource to determine whether an upgrade for the software component is available, said network resource being identified to the processor by the software component;

recording by the processor, in a data storage device, an indicator indicating that the upgrade is available for the software component; and

displaying by the processor, on a display device, a notification that the upgrade is available for the software component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying the notification includes:

detecting by the processor access of the software component by a user via a user-input device; and

determining by the processor that said indicator is recorded in the data storage device.

3. The method of claim 1, including:

downloading, by the processor, via the input/output device, the available upgrade for the software component; and

replacing a resource identification recorded in the data storage device with an identification of a new resource at which a subsequent upgrade will be made available.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of software components are stored in the data storage device;

said checking the network resource includes, checking one or more network resources each of said plurality of software components;

said recording the indicator includes, recording a respective indicator for each of the plurality of software components for which an upgrade is available; and

said displaying the notification includes, displaying identifiers that identify each software component for which an indicator has been recorded when any one of said software components, for which an indicator has been recorded, is accessed by a user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said checking the network resource is a background process.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said checking the network resource takes place in the event that the computer connects to the network.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein said downloading the available upgrade includes, selectively downloading the available upgrade in response to a user command received from the user-input device.

8. A system for notifying a computer user of the availability of a software component upgrade on the computer, said system comprising:

a processor;

a user-input device;

and input/output device

a display; and

a information storage device having a software component and program instructions stored thereon, said program instruction, when executed by the processor, controlling the system to;

check, via the input/output device, a network resource to determine whether an upgrade for the software component is available, said network resource being identified by the software component;

record, in the data storage device, an indicator indicating that the upgrade is available for the software component; and

displaying, on a display device, a notification that the upgrade is available for the software component.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is controlled to:

detect access of the software component by the user via a user-input device; and

determine that said indicator is recorded in the data storage device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is controlled to:

download, via the input/output device, the available upgrade for the software component; and

replace a resource identification recorded in the data storage device with an identification of a new resource at which a subsequent upgrade will be made available.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein:

a plurality of software components are stored in the data storage device, and the system is controlled to;

said checking the network resource includes, checking one or more network resources each of said plurality of software components;

said recording the indicator includes, recording a respective indicator for each of the plurality of software components for which an upgrade is available; and

said displaying the notification includes, displaying identifiers that identify each software component for which an indicator has been recorded when any one of said software components, for which an indicator has been recorded, is accessed by the user.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said checking the network resource takes place as a background process.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said checking the network resource takes place in the event that the computer connects to the network.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor controls the system to selectively download the upgrade in response to a user command received from the user-input device.

15. A computer-readable information storage device having computer-readable program instructions and a software component recorded thereon, said program instructions, when executed by a processor, controlling a computer to:

check a network resource to determine whether an upgrade for the software component is available, said network resource being identified by the software component;

recording on the data storage device an indicator indicating that the upgrade is available for the software component; and

display on a display device a notification that the upgrade is available for the software component.

16. The computer-readable information storage device of claim 15, wherein said displaying the notification includes:

detecting access of the software component by a user via a user-input device; and

determining that said indicator is recorded in the data storage device.

17. The computer-readable information storage device of claim 15, including:

downloading, by the processor, via the input/output device and the network, the available upgrade for the software component; and

replacing a resource identification recorded in the data storage device with an identification of a new resource at which a subsequent upgrade will be made available.

18. The computer-readable information storage device of claim 15, wherein:

a plurality of software components are stored in the data storage device;

checking the network resource includes, checking one or more network resources each of said plurality of software components;

recording the indicator includes, recording respective indicator for each of the plurality of software components for which an upgrade is available; and

displaying the notification includes, displaying identifiers that identify each software component for which an indicator has been recorded when any one of said software components, for which an indicator has been recorded, is accessed by a user.

19. The computer-readable information storage device of claim 15, wherein said checking takes place as a background process.

20. The computer-readable information storage device of claim 15, wherein said checking takes place in the event that the computer connects to the network.

21. The computer-readable information storage device of claim 17, wherein downloading includes, selectively downloading the upgrade in response to a user command received from the user-input device.

22. A system for notifying a computer user of the availability of a software component upgrade on the computer, said system comprising:

means for checking a network resource to determine whether an upgrade for the software component is available, said network resource being identified by the software component;

means for recording an indicator indicating that the upgrade is available for the software component; and

means for displaying a notification that the upgrade is available for the software component.

23. The system of claim 22, comprising:

means for detecting access of the software component by a user; and

means for determining that said indicator is recorded in the data storage device.

24. The system of claim 22, including:

means for downloading the available upgrade for the software component; and

replacing a resource identification recorded in the data storage device with an identification of a new resource at which a subsequent upgrade will be made available.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein:

a plurality of software components are stored in the data storage device;

the means for checking the network resource comprises means for checking one or more network resources each of said plurality of software components;

the means for recording an indicator comprises means for recording respective indicator for each of the plurality of software components for which an upgrade is available; and

the means for displaying a notification comprises means for displaying identifiers that identify each software component for which an indicator has been recorded when any one of said software components, for which an indicator has been recorded, is accessed by a user.