Processor Age Determination via Property Hashing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computer processors do not provide essential information such as age or operating system compatibility, which is crucial for asset management, depreciation, support, and warranty purposes in enterprises.
Innovation Solution
Collecting and hashing ascertainable properties of a processor to access a lookup table for determining its age and other information, dynamically updating the table for new processors, and using APIs like WMI to gather data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If processor properties are collected and hashed to access lookup tables for determining age and compatibility information, then information completeness about processors is improved, but system complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-computes hash keys from processor properties and pre-populates lookup tables with corresponding age and compatibility information during system initialization or offline processing. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex real-time calculations when determining processor age, as the system simply performs a hash match and retrieves pre-stored results, thus maintaining information completeness while reducing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces hash keys as an intermediary mechanism between raw processor properties and the desired age/compatibility information. Instead of directly comparing processor properties against extensive databases, the hash function transforms properties into compact keys that efficiently index into lookup tables. This intermediary layer simplifies the information retrieval process while preserving complete processor characterization.
2Adaptability or versatility
If lookup tables are dynamically updated with new processor entries, then adaptability to new processors is improved, but data structure complexity and update overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic lookup tables that can be updated with new processor entries as they are encountered. When a new processor type is detected, the system computes its hash key, determines its age and compatibility characteristics, and inserts this information into the lookup table. This dynamic structure allows the system to adapt to new processors while maintaining efficient O(1) lookup performance through hash-based indexing, balancing adaptability with structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically detects new processor types, computes their hash keys, determines their properties, and updates the lookup table without requiring manual intervention. This self-service mechanism enables continuous adaptation to new processors while keeping the data structure management automated and streamlined, reducing the operational complexity associated with maintaining adaptability.
3Ease of operation
If processor properties are collected using APIs like WMI, then ease of data collection is improved, but information accuracy may be compromised for newer or less documented processors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system continuously monitors processor properties collected via APIs and compares them against known patterns in the lookup table. When discrepancies are detected or new processor types are encountered, the system flags these cases for further analysis and manual verification. This feedback loop allows the system to maintain ease of automated data collection while identifying and correcting potential accuracy issues through iterative refinement and expert validation.
Data Source
AI summary
Described is a technology by which directly ascertainable properties of a processor are collected, and used as a key to access other information about the processor, such as age-related information maintained in a separate lookup table. If a matching entry is not found, the property information may be added to an unknown list and/or used to dynamically update the lookup table. A data structure such as a record comprises a set of fields including fields containing data representative of properties of a processor, a key value determined from the data in at least some of the fields and an identifier that identifies the processor relative to other processors of other computing devices. The fields may include manufacturer data, brand identifier data, cache information, normalized processor speed data, mobile chip information and/or CPU model data.