Delayed uploading of user registration data

• US 6,775,828 B2
• Filed: 07/19/1999
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Moran, Brian K., Feinleib, David, Moss, Kenneth D., Neault, Autumn F. G., Gulledge, Carl L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/357,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20030172124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: 717/174, 717/173, 717/175, 717/176, 717/177, 717/178, 717/171-172, 710/36, 709/221, 709/224, 709/227, 709/229, 713/1, 713/201
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A client computer collects registration information regarding a user and/or the client computer and attempts to upload the collected information to a remote registration system. The client computer stores the registration information locally and delays uploading of the information to the registration system until a connection to the registration system is established. The connection to the registration system and the uploading of the registration information can be performed automatically and transparently to the user, eliminating the need for any further required actions on the part of the user once the registration information is collected.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a computer program that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform functions including:

collecting registration information using a registration wizard;

storing the registration information locally;

detecting when a connection is established to a network that a registration system is coupled to, the connection being initiated by a program other than the registration wizard; and

uploading the registration information to the registration system when the connection is detected.

2. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises detecting when a connection to the Internet is established.

3. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises receiving a request for the registration information from the registration system.

4. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises:

detecting that the connection to the network is established when a web browser accesses a predetermined web site on the network.

5. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 4, wherein the detecting further comprises:

checking whether predetermined data exists at a location of the web site; and

determining that the connection to the network is established if the predetermined data the exists at the location of the web site, otherwise determining that the connection to the network is not established.

6. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a password from the registration system;

checking whether the password is valid; and

uploading the registration information to the registration system only if the password is valid.

7. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 4, wherein the detecting distinguishes between a web site on an intranet and a web site on the Internet, and wherein the web site on the intranet and the web site on the Internet have the same name.

8. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises identifying when a connection to a web site not hosted by the registration system is requested, and wherein the uploading comprises:

accessing the registration system;

transferring the registration information to the registration system; and

then accessing the requested web site.

9. A method comprising:

executing a registration wizard, the registration wizard,

collecting registration information, and

storing the registration information locally;

letting the registration wizard terminate execution; and

uploading the registration information to a remote registration system, after execution of the registration wizard terminates, without requiring re-execution of the registration wizard.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the uploading comprises transferring the registration information to the remote registration system via the Internet.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

detecting when a connection to a network is made, wherein the remote registration system is coupled to the network; and

uploading the registration information to the remote registration system when the connection to the network is detected.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the detecting comprises detecting that the connection to the network is made when a browser accesses a predetermined web site on the network.

13. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the detecting comprises identifying when a connection to a web site that is on the network and is not hosted by the registration system is requested.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the uploading comprises:

accessing the registration system;

transferring the registration information to the registration system; and

then accessing the requested web site.

15. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the detecting comprises receiving a request, from the registration system, for the registration information.

16. One or more computer-readable memories containing a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform the method recited in claim 9.

17. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the uploading comprises uploading the registration information in response to detecting that a connection to a network is made, and wherein the detecting distinguishes between a server address on an intranet and a server address on the Internet.

18. A method comprising:

collecting registration information;

attempting to transmit the registration information to a registration system;

if the transmission attempt is not successful, then,

storing the registration information locally;

detecting when a connection is established to a network that the registration system is coupled to, the connection being initiated by a program other than a program that collected the registration information; and

uploading the registration information to the registration system when the connection is detected.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the uploading comprises uploading the registration information to the registration system in the absence of a user request to transmit the registration information.

20. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the uploading comprises uploading the registration information via the Internet.

21. One or more computer-readable memories containing a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform the method recited in claim 18.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a registration wizard to collect registration information;

a storage device to temporarily store the registration information; and

a delayed registration module, coupled to the registration wizard and the storage device, to upload the registration information to a remote registration system via a network when a connection to the network is initiated by a module other than the registration wizard.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein the delayed registration module is further to detect the connection to the network by identifying when a request to access a web site on the network not hosted by the remote registration system is received.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the delayed registration module is further to:

access the registration system in response to the request;

transfer the registration information to the registration system; and

then access the requested web site.

25. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein the delayed registration module is further to distinguish between a connection to a registration system on the Internet and a web site having a same name as the registration system on an intranet.

26. A system comprising:

a client computer to,

collect using a registration wizard, registration information,

store, for as long as necessary, the registration information until a connection to a network is established, and

detect when a connection to the network is established, the connection being initiated by a program other than the registration wizard running on the client computer; and

a registration system, coupled to the network, to,

receive the registration information from the client computer, and store the registration information in a registration database.

27. A system as recited in claim 26, wherein the registration system includes a server to issue a request to the client for the registration information.

28. A system as recited in claim 26, wherein the client computer further distinguishes, in detecting when the connection to the network is established, between a web site on an intranet and a web site on the Internet, and wherein the web site on the intranet and the web site on the Internet have the same name.