Remote computer capabilities querying and certification

• US 7,092,987 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2001
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Educational Testing Service
• Original Assignee: Educational Testing Service
• Inventors: Brittingham, Peter, Forer, Douglas, Bentley, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHILLIPS, HASSAN A
• Application Number:
  US09/781,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20020112052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/229, 717/171, 717/177, 717/178
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A remote client computer performance/compatibility querying and certification system allows a server to remotely gather performance/capability information from a client computer, such as its processor class or family, display resolution capability, installed software components, peripheral devices, or the type and version of its operating system, and determine whether it is capable of accessing and utilizing an on-line service via a communication network. The performance/capability information is gathered using a querying program downloaded from the server and running on the client computer. The querying program queries the system/component registry of the client computer'"'"'s operating system using, e.g., one or more application program interface function calls. The gathered performance/capability information is used to, e.g., pre-certify the client computer before utilizing the on-line service, determine whether the user desires to purchase software on-line, and/or provide an expert technician information regarding the client computer'"'"'s installed software/hardware components during an on-line technical support session.

Claims

1. A method of querying a client computer by a server over a communication network to determine whether said client computer has sufficient performance capability in order to utilize an on-line service, comprising:

allowing a query program to be downloaded to said client computer, said query program, upon execution, querying said client computer for at least one performance parameter;

transmitting said at least one performance parameter to said server;

determining whether said client computer has a sufficient performance capability to utilize said on-line service based on said at least one performance parameter; and

storing a certification file in said client computer only if said client computer is determined to have said sufficient performance capability, said certification file being accessible by said server.

2. The method of querying a client computer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether said client computer was previously certified, said client computer being previously certified if a certification file is stored in said client computer.

3. The method of querying a client computer in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said query program is configured to issue one or more application program interface function calls to an operating system of said client computer, said operating system returning said at least one performance parameter in response to said one or more application program interface function calls.

4. The method of querying a client computer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

storing a certification criteria in a storage of said server.

5. The method of querying a client computer in accordance with claim 4, wherein said step of determining whether said client computer has said sufficient performance capability comprises:

comparing said at least one performance parameter against said certification criteria.

6. The meted of querying a client computer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

suggesting a remediation to a user of said client computer if it was determined that said client computer does not have said sufficient performance capability.

7. The method of querying a client computer in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

storing a client computer database in a storage of said server.

8. The method of querying a client computer in accordance with claim 7, further comprising:

updating said client computer database with said at least one performance parameter.

9. A computer readable storage medium on which is embedded one or more computer programs, said one or more computer programs implementing a method of querying a client computer by a server over a communication network to determine whether said client computer has sufficient performance capability in order to utilize an on-line service, said one or more computer programs comprising a set of instructions for:

allowing a query program to be downloaded to said client computer, said query program, upon execution, querying said client computer for at least one performance parameter;

transmitting said at least one performance parameter to said server;

determining whether said client computer has a sufficient performance capability to utilize said on-line service based on said at least one performance parameter; and

storing a certification file in said client computer only if said client computer is determined to have said sufficient performance capability, said certification file being accessible by said server.

10. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein said one or more computer programs further comprise a set of instructions for:

determining whether said client computer was previously certified, said client computer being previously certified if a certification file is stored in said client computer.

11. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein:

said query program is configured to issue one or more application program interface function calls to an operating system of said client computer, said operating system returning said at least one performance parameter in response to said one or more application program interface function calls.

12. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein said one or more computer programs further comprise a set of instructions for:

storing a certification criteria in a storage of said server.

13. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 12, wherein said one or more computer programs further comprise a set of instructions for:

comparing said at least one performance parameter against said certification criteria.

14. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein said one or more computer programs further comprise a set of instructions for:

suggesting a remediation to a user of said client computer if it was determined that said client computer does not have said sufficient performance capability.

15. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein said one or more computer programs further comprise a set of instructions for:

storing a client computer database in a storage of said server.

16. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein said one or more computer programs further comprise a set of instructions for:

updating said client computer database with said at least one performance parameter.

17. A system for remotely querying a client computer by a server over a communication network, comprising:

a communication network; and

a server configured to allow a query program to be downloaded to said client computer, said query program, upon execution, querying said client computer for at least one performance parameter, said server further configured to receive said at least one performance parameter from said querying program, to determine whether said client computer has a sufficient performance capability to utilize an on-line service based on said at least one performance parameter, and to store a certification file in said client computer only if said client computer is determined to have said sufficient performance capability, said certification file being accessible by said server.

18. The system for remotely querying a client computer according to claim 17, wherein:

said server is configured to determine whether said client computer was previously certified, said client computer being previously certified if a certification file is stored in said client computer.

19. The system for remotely querying a client computer according to claim 17, wherein:

said query program is configured to issue one or more application program interface function calls to an operating system of said client computer, said operating system returning said at least one performance parameter in response to said one or more application program interface function calls.

20. The system for remotely querying a client computer according to claim 17, wherein:

said server is configured to store a certification criteria in a storage of said server.

21. The system for remotely querying a client computer according to claim 20, wherein:

said server is configured to compare said at least one performance parameter against said certification criteria.

22. The system for remotely querying a client computer according to claim 17, wherein:

said server is configured to suggest a remediation to a user of said client computer if it was determined that said client computer does not have said sufficient performance capability.

23. The system for remotely querying a client computer according to claim 17, wherein:

said server is configured to store a client computer database in a storage of said server.

24. The system for remotely querying a client computer according to claim 23, wherein:

said server is configured to update said client computer database with said at least one performance parameter.