US6345386B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and system for advertising applications
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
•
Filing: 1998-09-21
•
Granted: 2002-02-05
•
Expires: 2018-09-21
Abstract
Abstract A method and system for advertising software applications by placing application shortcuts on a start menu or desktop and writing entries to the system registry enabling file extension-based activation and Class ID-based activation of those applications, thereby advertising the applications as available even if not installed. In network settings, advertised applications may be assigned to a user via a policy. To this end, an advertising script is stored with a policy associated with computer or user policy recipients, and the advertising script includes assigned application identifier information. One or more scripts are applied, such as to a user at logon or a machine at re-boot. The scripts are processed by an installer mechanism to advertise the application. Applications advertised as available to the user prior to any installation thereof are installed by an installer as needed upon user activation. Other applications may be published, whereby they do not appear to be available, but the installer mechanism looks for them in a centralized network store when indirectly activated such as via file extension-based activation and Class ID-based activation. If found, the installer mechanism installs the published application and essentially changes it to an assigned application.
Inventors
- 👤 John C. Delo
- 👤 Malcolm S. Haar
- 👤 Chetan A. Parulekar
- 👤 Tracy D. Ferrier
- 👤 Benjamin Chamberlain
- 👤 David E. Gonzalez
- 👤 David R. Mckinnis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 13:41
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F8/00; G06F8/60; G06F8/61
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 38
Claim 1
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of providing an application to a computer system, comprising: receiving information at the computer system corresponding to an application from a first set of data external to the computer system; processing the information to advertise the application as available for execution prior to installation of application code used to execute the application; and in response to a request to execute the application installing the application, code at the computer system from a second set of data and executing the application code.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of providing an application to a computer system, comprising: receiving information at the computer system corresponding to an application from a first set of data external to the computer system; processing the information to advertise the application as available for execution prior to installation of application code used to execute the application; and in response to a request to execute the application installing the application, code at the computer system from a second set of data and executing the application code.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the computer system is in a network of computers, wherein receiving information corresponding to the application comprises receiving from the network a logon script comprising executable code, and wherein processing the information includes executing the logon script.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein processing the information comprises writing information to a data store having information about the computer system maintained therein.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein processing the information comprises writing information to a user profile.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein processing the information comprises writing an application shortcut to a start menu.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein processing the information comprises writing an application shortcut to a desktop.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein processing the information comprises writing information corresponding to the application to a system registry.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 7 wherein writing information corresponding to the application to a system registry comprises writing an association between a file extension and the application to the system registry.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 7 wherein writing information corresponding to the application to a system registry comprises writing class information to the system registry.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein processing the information comprises displaying an icon corresponding to the application on a display of the computer system.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the request to execute the application corresponds to a user inputting data corresponding to the application into the computer system.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
88 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the information corresponding to the application includes file extension information, wherein processing the information to advertise the application as available for execution includes writing the file extension information into a registry of the computer system in association with the application, and further comprising: receiving file extension information corresponding to a user activation request; and in response to the user activation request, accessing the registry to locate an association between the file extension information corresponding to the user activation request and the application.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 12 further comprising: opening a file corresponding to the file extension information.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
90 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the information corresponding to the application includes object identification information, wherein processing the information to advertise the application as available for execution includes writing the object identification information into a registry of the computer system in association with the application, and further comprising: receiving object identification information corresponding to a Component Object Model (COM) activation request; and in response to the activation request, accessing the registry to locate an association between the object identification information corresponding to the COM activation request and the application.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
132 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the computer system is connected to a network, wherein the information corresponding to the application includes file extension information, wherein processing the information to advertise the application as available for execution includes writing the file extension information into a registry of the computer system in association with the application, and further comprising: receiving file extension information corresponding to a user activation request; in response to the user activation request, accessing the registry to attempt to locate an association between the file extension information corresponding to the user activation request and the application; and if an association is not found, accessing a centralized store on the network to attempt to locate an association between the file extension information corresponding to the user activation request and the application.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 15 wherein automatically installing the application includes installing the application from the network.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 16 further comprising: opening a file corresponding to the file extension information.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the first set of data and the second set of data are maintained at a common source.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
87 words
A system for providing an application to a computer system, comprising: a mechanism configured to write information received from an external source and corresponding to the application into a storage accessible by the computer system; an installer mechanism at the computer system configured to receive and process the information to advertise the application as available for execution on the computer system prior to installation thereof; and the installer mechanism invoked upon a request to execute the application and in response, initially installing application code for execution thereof.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
87 words
A system for providing an application to a computer system, comprising: a mechanism configured to write information received from an external source and corresponding to the application into a storage accessible by the computer system; an installer mechanism at the computer system configured to receive and process the information to advertise the application as available for execution on the computer system prior to installation thereof; and the installer mechanism invoked upon a request to execute the application and in response, initially installing application code for execution thereof.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system of claim 19 wherein the computer system is in a network of computers, and further comprising a logon process, wherein the installer mechanism receives the information corresponding to the application via the logon process.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
65 words
The system of claim 19 wherein the computer system is in a network of computers and wherein the storage is a centralized store of information on the network, and wherein the mechanism configured to write the information corresponding to an application into a storage writes the information in a script and stores the script in association with policy information in the centralized store of information.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 19 wherein the installer mechanism advertises the application as available for execution by writing information to a data store having information about the computer system maintained therein.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 19 wherein the installer mechanism advertises the application as available for execution by writing information to a user profile.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 19 wherein the installer mechanism advertises the application as available for execution by writing information to a system registry.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 24 wherein the information written to the system registry includes an association between at least one file extension and the application.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 24 wherein the information written to the system registry includes type information.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 24 wherein the information written to the system registry includes object identifier information.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 27 wherein the identifier information comprises a GUID.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 19 wherein the installer mechanism is invoked by an operating system.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 19 wherein the installer mechanism installs the application code from at least one network server.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 19 wherein the request includes file extension information, and wherein the installer mechanism accesses a registry to locate an association between the file extension information and the application.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 19 wherein the request includes object identifier information, and wherein the installer mechanism accesses the registry to locate an association between the object identifier information and the application.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 19 wherein the installer mechanism is invoked by an operating system, and accesses a centralized store on a network to attempt to locate the application.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
14 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1 .
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
95 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, comprising: receiving information at the computer system corresponding to an application from a data source external to the computer system; processing the information to advertise the application as available for execution prior to initial installation of application code used to execute the application; detecting a request to execute the application; and determining whether code needed to execute the application is installed in the computer system, and if so, executing the application, and if not, automatically installing the application code at the computer system and thereafter executing the application code.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
95 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, comprising: receiving information at the computer system corresponding to an application from a data source external to the computer system; processing the information to advertise the application as available for execution prior to initial installation of application code used to execute the application; detecting a request to execute the application; and determining whether code needed to execute the application is installed in the computer system, and if so, executing the application, and if not, automatically installing the application code at the computer system and thereafter executing the application code.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5796967A
Cited
US5473772A
Cited
US5778234A
Cited
US5805897A
Cited
US5535326A
Cited
US5659547A
Cited
US5555416A
Cited
US5421009A
Cited
US5835911A
Cited
US5644766A
Cited
US5625823A
Cited
US5930514A
Cited
US5897640A
Cited
US5732266A
Cited
US5586304A
Cited
US5978590A
Cited
US5859969A
Cited
US5655081A
Cited
US5742829A
Cited
US5867713A
Cited
US5784612A
Cited
US5630076A
Cited
US5790856A
Cited
US5764992A
Cited
US5859978A
Cited
US5692129B1
Cited
US5692129A
Cited
US5732275A
Cited
US6161218A
Cited
US5790664A
Cited
US5768566A
Cited
US6029147A
Cited
US5930513A
Cited
US6151643A
Cited
US5752042A
Cited
US6067582A
Cited
US6006034A
Cited
US5870762A
Cited
US5960204A
Cited
US5867714A
Cited
US5999740A
Cited
US6009274A
Cited
US5954827A
Cited
US5987504A
Cited
US5933647A
Cited
US5966540A
Cited
US5925127A
Cited
US6021438A
Cited
US6041333A
Cited
US6151708A
Cited
US6006035A
Cited
US6023586A
Cited
US6205527B1
Cited
US6009401A
Cited
US6131192A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-02-04 | 2005-08-06 | 2006-02-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-02-04 | 2009-08-06 | 2010-02-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-02-04 | 2013-08-06 | 2014-02-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |