2752 results about "Upgrade" patented technology

A computer gaming system and method of operation thereof are provided that both drastically reduce the cost of gaming stations and allow contemporaneous access to multiple game programs from a single gaming station. The computer gaming system of the present invention allows for transparent modifications and upgrades to the gaming programs by executing gaming programs on a server/host computer connected to a plurality of client/terminal computers via communication pathways. Each client/terminal computer comprises a client/terminal program that allows input and output streams of the gaming program executed on the server/host computer to be separated and redirected to the client/terminal computers. Since the gaming programs are executed entirely on the server/host computer, with only wagering input and display output operations being executed on the client/terminal computers, the cost of the hardware and software required for each client/terminal computer is greatly reduced. A patron of a client/terminal computer can access any of the gaming programs executed on the server/host computer. Modifications and upgrades of the gaming programs only need to be performed on the server/host computer. By using a stereo head-mounted display together with a joystick input device and wireless communication pathways, the present invention allows a patron to participate in a mobile gaming environment.

A security architecture has been developed in which a single sign-on is provided for multiple information resources. Rather than specifying a single authentication scheme for all information resources, the security architecture associates trust-level requirements with information resources. Authentication schemes (e.g., those based on passwords, certificates, biometric techniques, smart cards, etc.) are employed depending on the trust-level requirement(s) of an information resource (or information resources) to be accessed. Once credentials have been obtained for an entity and the entity has been authenticated to a given trust level, access is granted, without the need for further credentials and authentication, to information resources for which the authenticated trust level is sufficient. The security architecture allows upgrade of credentials for a given session. This capability is particularly advantageous in the context of a single, enterprise-wide log-on. An entity (e.g., a user or an application) may initially log-on with a credential suitable for one or more resources in an initial resource set, but then require access to resource requiring authentication at higher trust level. In such case, the log-on service allows additional credentials to be provided to authenticate at the higher trust level. The log-on service allows upgrading and/or downgrading without loss of session continuity (i.e., without loss of identity mappings, authorizations, permissions, and environmental variables, etc.).

A system and method are provided for improving an existing application infrastructure of an application service provider. First, a user is prompted to identify at least one aspect of an existing application infrastructure of an application service provider utilizing a network. Next, the identification of the aspect of the existing application infrastructure is received utilizing the network, and the aspect is translated into a common structure such that the structure is stored in a knowledge base. Such common structure is subsequently analyzed using a spreadsheet stored in a database, and the spreadsheet includes predefined rules that are used to identify upgrades to the existing applications infrastructure. Further, upgrades the existing application infrastructure are suggested and displayed based on the analysis utilizing the network.

A method, system, server architecture and/or tangible medium upgrade and award admittance of events to an event customer, preferably via a data communication network. The method includes, for example, receiving a communication from the event customer, the communication including a request to obtain admittance to at least one event, the communication also including an identifier associated with the event customer, admitting the event customer at the point of sale system after verification of the request, and updating a database indicating that the request was processed. The method also includes determining first predetermined criteria associated with the event indicative of at least one other event customer not attending the event, releasing an allocation associated with the at least one other event customer, and notifying at least another of the event customers to perform the upgrade and/or reallocation.

A system and a method that uses a software application operable under a current firmware/operating system configuration to install a new firmware version without “compromising” the operating system are presented. The software application may configure a computer system to install a plurality of software fixes configured to enhance functionality under a new firmware/operating system environment after the firmware has been successfully upgraded. Such functionality enhancements may be associated with external peripherals, as well as, input/output circuit cards, processors, and the like. In addition, the software application may configure the computing device to “boot” under the new firmware/operating system environment upon subsequent system initializations. Furthermore, the software application permits the distribution of firmware upgrades via a network. The capability to install firmware remotely permits a system administrator to “push” the new firmware to a plurality of network coupled computing devices, thus avoiding manual intervention at each device.

The present invention enables a cell phone or PDA user to purchase a full version of an application with a single key stroke, without switching back and forth between the application and a browser. A one click upgrade is made available which is intuitive and quicker than prior methods known in the art. Trial versions in the present invention are full versions with most of the game disabled. Upgrades to the full version are enabled by setting a flag once the customer has paid for the upgrade. The customer is able to play one level or track for a game or to play the,game for limited period of time. Once the trial limit is reached, the content or game provider offers details on how to purchase the full version.

An client-side performance optimization system for streamed applications provides several approaches for fulfilling client-side application code and data file requests for streamed applications. A streaming file system or file driver is installed on the client system that receives and fulfills application code and data requests from a persistent cache or the streaming application server. The client or the server can initiate the prefetching of application code and data to improve interactive application performance. A client-to-client communication mechanism allows local application customization to travel from one client machine to another without involving server communication. Applications are patched or upgraded via a change in the root directory for that application. The client can be notified of application upgrades by the server which can be marked as mandatory, in which case the client will force the application to be upgraded. The server broadcasts an application program's code and data and any client that is interested in that particular application program stores the broadcasted code and data for later use.

Methods and systems for hitless switch management module failover and upgrade are disclosed. According to one method, a master switch management module participates in network protocols and performs packet forwarding operations. The master switch management module distributes protocol state and packet forwarding information to the slave switch management module. The slave switch management module continuously monitors the operational state of the master switch management module. In response to detecting failure of the master switch management module or a forced failover initiated by the user interface on the master switch management module, the slave switch management module begins network protocol operation in the master mode in a state where the master switch management module last operated correctly.

A method, system, server architecture and/or tangible medium upgrade and award admittance of events to an event customer, preferably via a data communication network. The method includes, for example, receiving a communication from the event customer, the communication including a request to obtain admittance to at least one event, the communication also including an identifier associated with the event customer, admitting the event customer at the point of sale system after verification of the request, and updating a database indicating that the request was processed. The method also includes determining first predetermined criteria associated with the event indicative of at least one other event customer not attending the event, releasing an allocation associated with the at least one other event customer, and notifying at least another of the event customers to perform the upgrade and/or reallocation. Various optional embodiments are disclosed.

The present disclosure is related to separately upgrading or modifying a remote software in a machine to machine (M2M) communication. Particularly, in the case of upgrading or modifying firmware of an M2M device or an M2M gateway, the present disclosure relates to separating an M2M service provider domain and a manufacturer domain, and independently upgrading or modifying each of the separated domains.

A system and method providing home and small business owners to monitor and manage one or more appliances. This enables a use to understand in detail their electrical consumption, to make informed decisions based on factual data about energy-saving upgrades to their current systems/appliances, and to provide Internet-based surveillance and control of systems for prevention of freezing, breakdown, or possible fire-related losses, including possible loss-of-life. The system and method includes through the use of Internet based computer software and databases, a hardware interface with electrical circuit panel(s) or fuse boxes in communication with the software and databases and optional wireless outlet monitoring units in communication with the software and databases. The databases being formed and created by the system and method for determining performance of appliances.

A method of notifying a mobile station regarding data usage with a plan limit includes tracking an amount of data usage consumed by the mobile station. A first data usage limit and a first data usage time frame are determined from a user account. A comparison is made of the data usage to the first data usage limit and a present time to the first data usage time frame. From this comparison, a projected data usage amount is determined and whether the projected data usage exceeds the first data usage limit. If exceeded, the system analyzes a second data usage limit to determine if it is greater than the projected data usage amount. If greater, the server provides a message to the mobile station notifying the user of the projected overage and suggestions to change to a new plan offering the second data usage limit.

A process that assists a computer programmer to perform an upgrade to a computer program while that program continues to operate and provide service. The upgrade process includes three phases: (1) the preparation by a computer programmer of a new computer program P'' that is to replace an existing computer program P, (2) an offline preparation of the upgrade from P to P'' with the assistance of the computer programmer, and (3) an online, fully automatic, live upgrade from P to P''.

A cloud platform for managing Software as a Service (SaaS) resources is provided herein. The platform includes: a mediator server connected to computing resources, arranged to provide software developers a platform to develop SaaS applications, operable on the computing resources, wherein the SaaS applications and customer data are stored logically and physically independent of the computing resources, and data of SaaS application and the customer data are logically and physically separated. SaaS platform allows developers to provide software solutions via the mediator server directly to customers, and ensures data availability and data security. Access policy of users and developers to SaaS applications is centrally supervised and capable of integrating with other applications on the site of the customer. Upgrades to SaaS applications are performed in a predefined order of customers. Further, the SaaS platform facilitates selection and replacement of data storage provider.

An acoustic channel is used for fault diagnosis, repair, and upgrades. Remote diagnosis uses self-test data encoded into sound waves. Repair data and upgrades are also encoded and transmitted as sound waves.

A sensor incentive method provides a sensor adapted to function with an installed base of conventional physiological instruments. An incentive is associated with the sensor in connection with a sensor purchase. The incentive is applied to a qualified physiological instrument purchase so as to motivate or otherwise enable the upgrade or replacement of the installed base with advanced physiological instruments. The accumulation of multiple incentives may also apply to the purchase. In one embodiment, a coupon is associated with the sensor purchase, the coupon having a monetary value applicable to the purchase of advanced physiological instruments. The coupon is redeemed for the monetary value during the qualified purchase. Multiple coupons may be accumulated and redeemed for the monetary value times the number of coupons.

Methods, systems, and computer program products for improving network operations by dynamically deploying services (such as web services or other network-accessible services) in a computing network. A process is defined whereby conditions such as usage metrics for incoming client requests (or other network conditions such as load balancing considerations) are monitored, and used to trigger dynamic deployment of web services to locations in the network in order to improve efficiency (e.g. by reducing response time to the client and/or reducing the burden on the back-end computing system resources). Service requests are dynamically routed to the destination where the service resides, in a manner which is transparent to the client. In an optional aspect, programmatic replication of system upgrades may be implemented by redeploying services using this same dynamic deployment approach, enabling the complexity of upgrading previously-deployed software to be reduced significantly. As another optional aspect, previously-deployed software may also be automatically and programmatically undeployed using disclosed techniques.

A method and apparatus enabling migration of clients to a specific version of a server-hosted application, where multiple software versions of the server-hosted application are installed on the network, such that clients using the application experience minimal downtime related to upgrades and revisions of the application. When a new version of the application is to be deployed, a selected small portion of the clients is directed to the new version, to verify the functionality of that version, while the remaining clients use the previous version. If problems are discovered in the new version, the upgrade is terminated without impacting all of the clients. A register retains the identity of the clients and the version of the software with which each client is associated. The direction of the selected portion of clients to the new version of the software is done in a manner that can be completely transparent to the clients.

The present invention includes a system and a method for updating components in a client computer. The invention includes a method for upgrading software for various users, each of the users having diverse hardware and software configurations. The invention includes a method for automatically determining the hardware and software configuration of the client computer without user intervention. To begin the upgrade, the client computer reads a configuration file that identifies the components for downloading. Upon receipt of the configuration file, the client computer determines the hardware and software configuration of the client computer. The client computer automatically communicates with a component server via a network and requests one or more components for downloading to the client computer based upon the configuration file and the hardware and software conditions of the client computer.

A method and system for managing differing software configurations of Consumer Electronic (CE) devices (10) having a unique identifier (18) and network communication means (30) is described. Software options (60, 78) for types of CE device are stored in a software configuration database (46) comprising individual configuration records (70) for each identified CE device (10). The identifier (18) enables a configuration server (40) to look up that devices associated configuration record (70) and installable software options, and provide such options for download to a user's device. The server maintains the record according to user choices, and furthermore upgrades, restores or rolls back software configurations for the CE device(s) according to error detection and/or user preference.

In a multi-node computer system, a software version management system is described having a version manager for ensuring that cluster nodes running completely incompatible software are unable to communicate with each other. The version manager provides a mechanism for determining when nodes in the cluster are running incompatible software and providing a way for determining the exact version of software that each node must run. The version manager provides support for rolling upgrades to enable the version management software to ensure the chosen version of software that runs the cluster stays constant even though the software installed on individual nodes is changing.

To greatly simplify the developer's task, an application function server or application logic controller (“ALC”) server runs on a digital electronic device with a common set of tools and methods to deliver high-value capabilities to applications developed in different application languages and running in various different application environments. The applications and the application function server have a local client-server relationship. The functions themselves are provided by various plug-ins. The interface of a plug-in illustratively is a discrete set of functions, common to the command plug-ins. The ALC Server accepts simplified commands directly from the applications, applies the appropriate policy, and interacts with the plug-ins to perform the requested functions on behalf of the applications. The result is that applications can use various capabilities without dealing with the complex methods, standards, and system interoperability required to make the technologies work, and technology additions and upgrades can be performed independently from the applications that use them.

The present invention provides methods and a computer-readable program for providing autonomic, event driven upgrade maintenance of one or more software modules residing on a computer system. In a preferred embodiment, a method begins by detecting a predefined triggering event on the computer system indicative of a potential maintenance issue. Next the computer system connects to an upgrade management server, where the upgrade maintenance server creates a list of recommended upgrade modules to download to the computer system, the list based upon the triggering event and a set of selection policies. The method then downloads the list of recommended upgrade modules from the upgrade management server to the computer system, and selectively installs upgrade modules chosen from the list of recommended upgrade modules on the computer system. The user is then notified of the status of the upgrade maintenance operation.

A disclosed gaming machine is coupled to a plurality of “USB gaming peripherals.” The USB gaming peripherals, which may include one or more peripheral devices, communicate with a master gaming controller using a USB communication architecture. The USB gaming peripherals may include USB DFU (Device Firmware Upgrade)-compatible peripheral devices. One or more host processes, such as a USB device class manager or a DFU driver, may be capable of downloading firmware to the USB DFU-compatible peripheral device. The host processes may receive a firmware identifier from the USB DFU-compatible peripheral device where the firmware identifier allows for two USB DFU-compatible peripheral devices with identical product identification information to be downloaded different firmware.

The present invention facilitates customizing software installation such as software updates for a user interface (UI) of a mobile communication device. The systems and methods of the present invention utilize a component that receives software updates (e.g., releases, releases, patches, upgrades, etc.) and presents various installation options to an installer through an interface. The installer can interact with the interface to select one or more components (e.g., controls, menus, menu items, etc) to install and define how such components are installed. For example, the installer can determine a control's location with respect to other controls within a user interface. This can be achieved by moving graphical components within the user interface and/or by providing parameters, setting flags, and/or including suitable arguments. In addition, the installer can add components to an installation. For example, the installer can add proprietary and/or third party applications, features, brands, logos and aesthetics to the installation.

The disclosed system for upgrading remote software comprises: a remote management server sending objective software message to the gateway, a transmission network gateway upgrading local client device software according to received message and sending objective software message to local client device, and at least one local client device completing upgrade. This invention is very flexible for remote upgrade.

System and methodology for automatic tuning of database query optimizer is described. In one embodiment, in a database system having an optimizer for selecting a query plan for executing a database query, a method of the present invention is described for automatically tuning query performance to prevent query performance regression that may occur during upgrade of the database system from a prior version to a new version, the method comprises steps of: in response to receiving a given database query for execution, specifying a query plan generated by the prior version's optimizer as a baseline best plan for executing the given database query; generating at least one new query plan using the new version's optimizer; learning performance for each new query plan generated by recording corresponding query execution metrics; if a given new query plan is observed to have better performance than the best plan previously specified, specifying that given new query plan to be the best plan for executing the given database query; if a given new query plan is observed to have worse performance than the best plan previously specified, specifying that given new query plan to be a bad plan to be avoided in the future; and automatically tuning future execution of the given database query by using the query plan that the system learned was the best plan.

The invention addresses the needs associated with the entire data center power distribution lifecycle—design, build, operation and upgrades. The design and construction is facilitated by a system for prefabricating power whips that accommodate changing data center needs. The invention also allows for upgrading power supply components without powering down critical equipment. Improved power and network strips and associated logic further facilitate data center operation.

Upgraded firmware for a microcontroller is created and encrypted to construct a file (116) that can be distributed and installed by technicians in the field. The encryption includes character encryption (210) of the data as well as a second level of block encryption (216). Within the encrypted file (116), information about the firmware and the target microcontroller (104) is included. The distributed firmware file (116) is stored on a portable device, such as a PDA, that can communicate with the target microcontroller (104) to effect a firmware transfer from the PDA (112) to the microcontroller (104). The microcontroller (104) includes a programming routine that receives the encrypted data stream from the PDA and decrypts the data before storing the new firmware image. The programming routine also identifies when updating the firmware has left the firmware in an unusable condition and prevents operation of the microcontroller until the firmware is restored. Accordingly, the security of the firmware is maintained throughout the distribution and upgrade process and the integrity of the upgrade process is maintained as well.

A key code generating engine strips extenders and other unwanted characters from a file or product name, truncates the remainder to a set maximum, appends the result to an identifier and provides a version suffix. The key code then is associated with other information about the file or product, such as a description, version, size, and a location identifier such as an address, telephone number or Internet web site URL. The resulting record is collated into a plurality of databases accessible through the Internet and searchable by key code or boolean keyword strings to locate files for downloading or vendors' web pages for ordering or learning more about a product. Multiple database systems segregated by subject matter can provide users a virtual card catalog of products and their respective upgrades, patches and add-ons. The key code, when applied to physical products instead of files, also can provide means for researching availability and ordering such physical products and accessories through alternative supplier inventory schemes.