Computing device update control

• US 9,110,754 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Poonamalli, Rajiv N., Shaji, Ulattil, Goel, Sharad
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORTIZ, DERIC OMAR
• Application Number:
  US13/485,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20130326493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Techniques for computing device update configuration are described. In implementations, an update service is employed to manage update groups for various types and/or classifications of computing devices. An update group can specify particular update statuses for functionalities of a computing device, such as device driver updates, software updates, firmware updates, and so forth. In at least some implementations, a computing device can be assigned to an update group based on attributes of the computing device, such as an identifier of a manufacturer for the computing device, a make identifier for the computing device, a model identifier, and so forth. Update information associated with the update group can be synchronized with the computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving update information from a computing device manufacturer, the update information including an update configuration for a computing device; and

configuring, based on the update information, an update group that specifies particular update statuses for functionalities of the computing device and is associated with the computing device.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the update information comprises at least one of device driver information or software update information for the computing device.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the update information comprises one or more of an identifier of the computing device manufacturer, a make identifier for the computing device, or a model identifier for the computing device.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the update group comprises a pre-existing update group, and wherein said configuring comprises dynamically changing the update group based on the update information.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the update information comprises an indication of at least one update that is not to be propagated to the computing device.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the update information comprises an indication that a previous version of a device driver is to be utilized by the computing device, instead of an updated version.

7. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an update query from the computing device, the update query including profile information that identifies at least the computing device manufacturer; and

matching the computing device to the update group based on the profile information such that the computing device is configurable based on the update configuration.

8. A method as described in claim 7, wherein said matching comprises:

determining that the profile information matches multiple different update groups, including the update group; and

assigning the computing device to the update group based on ascertaining that, of the multiple update groups, the update group matches the profile information with the greatest amount of specificity.

9. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one memory storing computer readable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations including;

receiving update targeting information from a computing device authority, and configuring one or more update groups based on the update targeting information, individual of the update groups specifying one or more particular update statuses for functionalities of one or more computing devices;

receiving an update query that includes profile information for a different computing device, the profile information specifying at least a manufacturer of the different computing device; and

assigning the different computing device to at least one of the update groups based on matching the profile information to the at least one update group such that the update targeting information is applied to the different computing device.

10. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the update targeting information comprises a device driver profile for one or more types of computing devices associated with the computing device authority.

11. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the computing device authority comprises an original equipment manufacturer.

12. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the profile information includes a make identifier and a model identifier for the different computing device.

13. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise assigning the different computing device to the at least one of the update groups by:

determining that the profile information matches multiple of the update groups; and

assigning the different computing device to the at least one of the update groups in response to ascertaining that the at least one of the update groups matches the profile information with greater specificity than other of the update groups.

14. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise dynamically reconfiguring the one or more update groups based on additional update targeting information received from the computing device authority.

15. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise overriding at least one update setting for the different computing device such that one or more available updates are not propagated to the different computing device.

16. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise dynamically reassigning the different computing device to a different update group based on a change in at least one of the update targeting information, or the different computing device.

17. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

gathering profile information for a computing device, the profile information indicating at least a manufacturer and a model of the computing device;

querying, by the computing device, an update service with the profile information to ascertain whether an update is available for the computing device; and

receiving, responsive to said querying, one or more updates for one or more functionalities of the computing device.

18. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 17, wherein the profile information further includes one or more identifiers for component devices of the computing device.

19. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 17, wherein the profile information is gathered from a system management basic input/output (SMBIOS) of the computing device.

20. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 17, wherein the profile information further includes one or more identifiers for software installed on the computing device.