Applications and services as a bundle

• US 9,893,961 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2014
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Keith, Jr., Robert O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman, Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US14/521,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20150046522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers

Abstract

A system and method are provided for managing bundles of applications and services over a network between a server system and client computers. Related applications and services are bundled together in one package so that a user is able to quickly and easily configure a computer to perform a specified task. By combining both the applications and the services in one bundle, users no longer have to search the Internet for necessary components. Furthermore, additional features that allow portability of the bundled applications and services in addition to diagnostic monitoring are included.

Claims

1. A system for managing one or more bundles of applications and services over a network, the system comprising:

a server system including a database, wherein the server system is configured to;

store a user profile including a user environment configuration,

store one or more bundles, each bundle comprising one or more applications and one or more services,

connect to a client computer including a client environment via the network, and

synchronize the client environment on the client computer with the user environment configuration in the user profile stored on the server system, the synchronization including accessing the user environment configuration, stored on the server, of hardware and an operating system of the client computer, configuring the hardware and operating system of the client computer based on the accessed user environment configuration, causing applications and services in at least one bundle to which the user is subscribed and authorized to be made available for use within the client environment of the client computer, and setting user'"'"'s preferences for each application and service within the client environment on the client computer.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user profile is portable to other client computers.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a diagnostic system for checking the client computer for compatibility errors before the one or more bundles are installed.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a diagnostic system for monitoring the client computer for errors after the one or more bundles are installed.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the one or more bundles further comprise one or more objects.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the one or more objects are selected from the group consisting of music, video and game files.

7. The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the one or more objects include data.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a licensing scheme for limiting the duration of use of the applications and services within the one or more bundles.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the services provided within the one or more bundles are paid for by an intermediary who is then paid by a user.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the one or more bundles do not comprise selectable components.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the one or more bundles comprise selectable components.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 further comprising an interface implemented for selecting the components within the one or more bundles.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a double-click ads the one or more bundles to the user profile.

14. A method for managing one or more bundles of applications and services over a network, wherein the network is configured to be connected to a server system and to a client computer, the method comprising:

receiving user login information;

accessing a user profile associated with the login information, wherein the user profile is stored on the server system and includes a user environment configuration; and

synchronizing the user environment configuration in the user profile stored on the server system with a client environment configuration on the client computer, the synchronization including accessing the user environment configuration, stored on the server, of hardware and an operating system of the client computer, configuring the hardware and operating system of the client computer based on the accessed user environment configuration, causing applications and services to which the user is subscribed and authorized to be available for use within the client environment and setting user'"'"'s preferences for each application and service within the client environment on the client computer.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the user profile is portable to other client computers.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14 further comprising checking the client computer for compatibility errors before the one or more bundles are installed.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14 further comprising monitoring the client computer for errors after the one or more bundles are installed.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14 further comprising gathering one or more objects to be included within the one or more bundles.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the one or more objects are selected from the group consisting of music, video and game files.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising implementing an interface for selecting the components within the one or more bundles.

21. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the one or more objects include data.

22. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the one or more bundles are provided based on a licensing scheme.

23. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the services provided within the one or more bundles are paid for by an intermediary who is then paid by a user.

24. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the one or more bundles do not comprise selectable components.

25. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the one or more bundles comprise selectable components.

26. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein a double-click adds the one or more bundles to the user profile.