Abstract:
The present invention contemplates a system whereby a service provider can service a large number of customers (millions) and connect them to their rented PC from millions of locations around the world. Many customers (10 to 100 thousand) can be connected simultaneously. The service provider is responsible for maintaining the latest PC Hardware and Software configurations available on the market instead of the customer. The rented PC operates in essentially the same manner as if one purchased and maintained their PC at home or office. Access to the individuals rented PC can be obtained from any existing PC, office network computer, a Web TV computer or other customer interface computer which has been authorized by the service provider. The current invention will greatly improve existing Client/Server systems being used to service large global offices. However The greatest improvement, is to make the PC much more convenient and easier for the individual to use in the future and shift the PC hardware and software update burden to the service provider.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present patent application is a continuation in part of U.S. Ser. No. 09/014,859, filed on Jan. 29, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,743. The present patent application also claims priority to the provisional patent application identified by U.S. Ser. No. 60/102,618, which was filed on Oct. 1, 1998, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Currently, and in the past, an individual&#39;s personal computer (PC) could only be accessed via a network using specialized software such as PC Anywhere, Windows dial up networking, or a client server system which has a limited number of station locations. This requires very specialized software at both locations along with periodic maintenance at both locations. The worst part of this situation is that each individual is responsible for upgrading, both his hardware and software. The PC obsolescence rate is approximately every eighteen months and is not expected to change in the next twenty years. Both of these problems make using a personal computer very time consuming (low productivity) and location restrictive (inconvenient) at best. 
     The two current basic solutions to these PC problems revolve around (a) the portable computer and (b) the attempt to expand and simplify client/server systems. 
     The portable computer industry has grown rapidly to try and eliminate the location restrictions, but portable PC machines suffer from the same obsolescence problems along with another major inconvenience. That of having to carry a computer when traveling and batteries etc. 
     The solution by the so called “thin client” PC networks is to connect inexpensive PC&#39;s (referred to as thin clients) to a company network so employees do not have to maintain as many files at their locations. Such approaches are practical for the work place where many files are shared, but not for the individual&#39;s Personal Computer where no files are shared. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a multi-customer computer service system that solves the existing obsolescence and inconvenience problems in a different manner. The present invention relates generally to a system designed to provide an unlimited number of individuals to be connected to a PC computer service provider simultaneously using a variety of existing predetermined customer interface units such as existing PC&#39;s running on DOS, OS2, Win95/98, MacOS, NT OS, and the new “Multi-Mode Multifunction Information Management Systems” as they incorporate the PC into single housings being shared by many multiple machines. The individual can be connected from any location (office, home, a friends house, a hotel and from any foreign country), and have their PC GUI (Graphical User Interface) down loaded and appear just as it was, the last time the individual signed off on that particular type of machine. In addition all of the individuals&#39; database and files are decoded and made available just as if they were stored on a PC located at the individual&#39;s current log in location. In essence, the current invention combines server methods in use today with advances in microprocessor technology to design a server system that can provide the individual their own PC upon demand from virtually any location without the maintenance and update headaches of today&#39;s PC&#39;s. 
     The present invention is a multi-customer computer system, which can be implemented by a service provider such as AOL, MSN, or even a communications company such as World Comm, Inc. A system, such as the one described in this invention would shift the awful burden of keeping ones PC current in both software and hardware (2 year upgrades) to a service provider, and at the same time, free the customer from location restrictions. Also, the service provider can inform the computer user of software updates and new applications, which can be provided as part of the service for a small fee. Even more important the individual does not have to take the new software updates unless they wish (not the case with existing network systems that supply software upgrades). The service provider can maintain many versions of the same software because of the huge economy of scale involved. To see the economic impact of the present invention the following examples are provided. 
     Current average customer cost to keep hardware updated is $750.00 per year (not including printers and storage devices), but including customers&#39; time to update. Current average customer cost to keep software updated is $250.00 per year counting new applications and customers&#39; time. Thus, the average computer user will spend $1,000.00 per year to keep updated (Worldwide, this represents $800 billion dollars per year in just hardware, software, maintenance and upgrade sales for the personal computer industry in today&#39;s market.) 
     In the system described, a service provider such as AOL, could charge $20.00 a month (they currently charge $20 a month for e-mail and Internet services) for PC service, and pay for the system described in three years plus pay for operational costs and make a profit. This would amount to an annual saving of 75% to the individual. In addition, the number of computer users would quickly rise and offset, to a large degree, the drop in industry hardware and software manufacturing requirements. The requirements are much lower because the current invention allows the service provider to only pay royalty fees when the software is in use (Shannon&#39;s Law). The hardware sales requirements would also be reduced because of the same Shannon&#39;s law. The service provider for example, can share PC engines (CPU&#39;s), software (both operating system and application), fast memory (RAM), permanent memory (Hard Drives) with a number of customers and move permanent storage to Tape/CD units until a customer logs back onto the system and needs their personal database on line. These types of tremendous Shannon Law savings in resource cost, including the sharing of technicians and PC real estate will yield a much more orderly expansion of the PC industry in the future. 
     Thus, the system described in this invention provides the means to bring both the convenience and affordability to all persons wanting the advantage of personal computers and would shift the present customer burden of PC upgrades to the service industry. At present, the computer companies such as Compaq, Intel, Microsoft, Sun Micro Systems and Cisco are addressing the obsolescence, convenience and cost problems mentioned above, by lowering the hardware cost through continued developments and using the emerging Web/TV system to eliminate the need for displays at home. However, these are variations on the same old industry approach to progress in which the customer still is left with the annual obsolescence and daily location convenience problems of his personal computer. Until eliminated or substantially reduced, the problems mentioned will keep many people from ever trying to become computer literate than otherwise might be the case. 
     The invention described in this Patent, really opens up the possibility for major changes in education, and would allow every child with a TV (Web/TV) to have a computer. This could be at school, at home, or any place else (friend&#39;s house, hotel, foreign country, etc.) the child happened to need access. Once the “Rent a PC” system described in this invention is implemented it will allow the Internet service providers to expand and provide personal computers to their customers along with the many other services they are providing today. The companies that are successful in implementing the system described in this invention will probably end up giving each customer their home customer interface unit as a part of the monthly service charge, just as cable companies do now to connect their customers to selected cable TV channels. A candidate for such a home/office machine is the Multi-mode Multifunction Information Management System (MIMS) described in a co-pending patent application submitted by the author. The system described in this invention is only practical because of the recent technical advances listed below, or the small number of operating systems and application programs required and most of all because the service provider industry wants customers.
     1) CPU speeds rapidly approaching 1 GHZ   2) Solid State memory size and cost reductions near $0.1/MB   3) Hard Drive capacity, speed and size reduction near $0.01/MB   4) The Internet &amp; communication/software infrastructure   5) Modem speed, number of lines, and line bandwidth increases   6) Less than ten PC OS used in roughly 95% of PC&#39;s   7) Less than 50 PC application programs service 90% of the users   8) The new Service Provider industry needs customers and new services   

     That is, it would not have been practical to consider a true PC worldwide server system in the past because the technological infrastructure was not available, the delivery of information was very expensive, and the computer Service Provider Industry never developed beyond small niche database or accounting services. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view of the multi-customer computer service system of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a view of two basic sub elements, which would typically be associated with the customer interface units shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a view of the Computer Service Control Unit, shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a view of the Computer Service Provider multiple computer sub system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a function diagram for software required of the system in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a typical start up computer interface menu. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The term “multi customer” as used herein means that a large but unspecified number of customers are serviced by the multi customer computer service system described herein. An example of the preferred embodiment would be an Internet service provider operating much like a phone or cable company, in which a large number of customers can be connected from a large number of different locations to a large number of PC&#39;s, at a specific location. 
     Shown in  FIG. 1  is a multi customer computer service system (MCCSS)  5  which is constructed in accordance with the present invention. In general, the MCCSS  5  of  FIG. 1  has at least one (1) computer service control unit CSCU  20 , connected to at least two (2) customer interface units (CIU  10  and  10   n ) via at least one (1) modem connection  31 , and possibly two modem connections  31 ,  32  depending on the speed (bandwidth) of the individual modems. In general, the CSCU  20  is constructed to interrogate each new CIU  10  connection via a browser for example and receive a request for service from the customer interface unit (CIU)  10  via line  31  in which the interrogation response contains information about the customers Interface Unit CIU  10 . The CSCU  20  could be a stand_alone PC Service provider with connections to the Internet, company intranets, the regular phone system and maintain it&#39;s own Multiple Computer Systems (“MCS”) unit  30  or have connections to other service provider systems that have been approved by the owner of the MCS  30  such as AOL that has multiple tier connections around the world to be the customer service control unit CSCU  20 . The preferred embodiment is for many Internet service providers and large companies to maintain their own CSCU  20  along with their own MCS  30  in order to simplify having to hand off the actual PC service once the customer has logged onto the service. 
     Once the customer CIU  10  is connected to the CSCU  20 , the customer information is either a new customer service information, or is simply an old customer already assigned a personal identification number (PIN) asking to be connected to their personal computer located within the service centers multiple computer systems (MCS)  30 , via line  35 , or to one of the customer&#39;s computers located at another location via line  39  (see  FIG. 2 ). In response to the CIU  10  requesting the multiple computer systems (MCS)  30  computer service, the CSCU  20  either establishes a new customer account, or connects the CIU  10  to the MCS  30  via line  36  when an encrypted valid PIN is received. The MCS  30  first downloads a program to the CIU  10  to determine the CIU  10  configuration and possibly, a more sophisticated browser, for example, than that used in the original automatic interrogation when the CIU  10  was first connected to the CSCU  20 . The down loaded program evaluates the CIU  10  in a manner similar to that used by software installation programs such as that used by PC anywhere to determine the computer system configuration or most any new software program that needs to know all of the basic information about the CIU  10  regarding modem type and speed, printer type, browser type and version. The preferred embodiment of this downloaded program is that used by all operating systems set up programs used to determine the target computer configuration modified to determine additional factors such as modem speed, and display capability in order to determine if the existing CIU  10  connection is one of the predetermined configurations acceptable by the MCS  30  unit. This is required since the customer is free to use any predetermined CIU  10  configuration located any place in the world at anytime. The only requirements for a CIU  10  unit is to be recognized by the MCS  30  is that it have a predetermined number of communication, customer interface elements to be discussed in more detail in connection with  FIG. 2 . Once the MCS  30  establishes the configuration of the CIU  10 , the MCS  30  down loads the customer&#39;s personal computer information file (PCIF) to the CIU  10 , which causes the CIU  10  display to appear as the last time the customer used their computer before being stored in the MCS  30  at shut down. The CIU  10  display is modified only by changes caused by the difference in the last CIU  10  unit used by the customer, and the one currently being used to access their PC. 
     This feature, of being able to call up one&#39;s own personal computer (just like a person left it the last time used) from anywhere in the world, using any PC or Web/TV is what makes the system so significant. In fact, once the Personal Computer Industry is converted to a service industry, individuals will be able to use their computers almost any time or any place. Public CIU  10  terminals in airports, malls, and hotels will be as common as public phone booths are today, and at about the same cost (i.e. CIU  10 &#39;s will be the phones of tomorrow). 
     If the customer requested the CSCU  20  to connect them to their (or anybody else in which they had the phone number or authorization code if required) computer at home, office, etc., the connection would be made via line  39  and in these cases the initial information displayed at the CIU  10  would be that provided by the “special” computer requested by the customer. This would, in essence, bypass the use of the customer&#39;s PC stored in the MCS  30  unit. For many years this will certainly happen often, since many customers will still want their own “personal” system at home and/or office in addition to a service provider PC. That is, it is anticipated that the PC service computer described herein will initially be used in addition to the customer&#39;s home or office PC and will be used to extend the obsolescence period of existing PC systems. As customers convert over to the advanced computers and software available with service center PC&#39;s, to maintain anything other than displays, keyboards, mouse, printer and fax at home will more than likely decrease. To connect the customer to special PC&#39;s at locations other than that of the MCS  30 , the CSCU  20  would either, provide the software to connect the CIU  10  with the required special computer via line  39 , or just allow the modem connection  39  connected to  32  to be made and allow the CIU  10  to perform the required communication without intervention from the CSCU  20  (e.g. operate just like PC anywhere software was loaded on both the CIU  10  machine and the special PC machine). 
     The CIU  10  is further described in connection with  FIG. 2  where unit  10  and unit  10 - n  are shown to depict that the MCSS  5  can work with multiple type CIU  10  units, for the sake of clarity only the more complicated CIU  10  unit  10  will be described. Whenever the customer has a display unit  115  such as a Packard Bell model 1412 SL connected via line  114  to a Computer Service Center Interface, and local control unit  105 , (which could be a PC unit such as a Packard Bell platinum pro 650), which has an internal modem connected to line  31  and keyboard  110  connected via line  108  and mouse unit  130  connected via line  128 , connected to a printer unit  120  such as an HP model 820c via line  118  then such a configuration is for example qualified and an appropriate CIU  10  predetermined CIU file is placed in the configuration files of the MCS  30  memory unit and the MCS  30  matches this file with the information provided to the MCS  30  when the customer logs into the service provider to use their PC from that same location or same type configuration at a different location. The CIU  10  just described could be located at the customer&#39;s home, office, friend&#39;s house, hotel, mall, or airport in any city or country. The customer for example could log onto an internet service provider and could click the mouse arrow on the computer service icon (not shown in  FIG. 2 ) for example and the computer service icon screen would appear and give the customer several options to select from. As a minimum the options available to the customer are a) new customer, b) service computer and c) other computers. If the new customer (option a) is selected the next menu collects the necessary information to identify the new customer (name, address, phone, etc.) plus payment information. Upon completing the new customer form the data is submitted to the CSCU  20  via line  31  and upon acceptance by the CSCU  20  a personal Identification Number (PIN) is given to the new customer to use in the future. In addition, new customers are asked what personal computer application software they would like to have available (e.g., Word Perfect, D base IV, Lotus, Excel, etc.) and if they would like to up load any of their specialized programs and data bases into their new MCS  30  PC systems memory. This would allow them to have access to their existing PC data and programs plus software they do not have loaded on their own computer. If the service computer (b) option is selected the menu which appears, asks for the customer pin. Upon providing the PIN a connection by the CSCU  20  unit is made to the MCS  30  via line  35 . A disconnection is made, if a valid pin number can not be established between the CIU  10  and CSCU  20 , after a certain number of attempts. 
     In connection with  FIG. 3 , the CSCU  20  is further described to have a modem interface unit (MIU)  230  which controls all of the modems of the CSCU  20  (this might be 10 to 200 thousand) which, connects to line  31  connected to the CIU  10 . The MIU  230  is connected to the service center control unit (SCCU)  205  via line  210 , which has all of the controls and software required to maintain the customer data base with PIN numbers and is responsible for monitoring the payments of each customer to keep their PIN valid or make invalid if payments are not received. This would also be the unit that maintained administrative and the account close out software and would be the way customers were notified that payments were not received, or when new software was available, and other such information and promotional messages could be provided by the service provider. Such messages would be given each time the customer was connected with a valid PIN or the customer could choose to not have any promotional materials provided such as done automatically by most ISP&#39;s today. The SCCU  205 , also activates the customers service center PC by giving the MCS  30  via line  35  the customers pin. At this point, the MCS  30  takes over and the MIU  230  connection is transferred to the customer computer connection (CCC)  220  if required by the SCCU  205  via line  218 . This transfer between the MIU  230  to the CCC  220  is done in the software in order to hand off administration tasks to the MSC  30  controller unit  370  and unload the SCCU  205  unit. The time of connection is noted by a multi shared computer connection unit MSCCU  305  shown in  FIG. 4  which is an element of the MCS  30  unit and which is comprised of a shared CPU control unit (SCPUCU)  320  which controls the sharing of the available shared central processor units SCPUS  330  connected via  328 . 
     The SCPU  330  are in turn connected to the mass storage sharing control computer (MSSCC)  315  via line  316  and to the random storage sharing control computer (RSSCC)  310  via line  318 . The MSCCU  305  is also connected to the shared high speed modem connection unit  370  via line  368 , which in turn is connected back to the CIU  10  via line  36  to unit customer computer connection  220  and line  32 . Note that in the cases where line  31  has all of the required band width, there is no requirement for lines  32  and  36  or shared high-speed modem connection unit  370  and customer computer connection (CCC)  220 . However, they are included in the preferred embodiment because at the present time PC modems are running between 28 KBS and 10 MBS. As a practical matter, the modem speed needs to be greater than 128 KBS for good performance. By the time service centers are in operation the average modem speed probably will be greater than the 128 KBS. Also, when cable modems are used in downloading (Web/TV systems) line  32  can represent the high-speed cable modem and the line  31  can represent the slower speed up link or phone modem connection. Consequently, for clarity purposes, the up link will refer to modem connection  31  and the down-link to lines  36  and modem connection  32  to denote that plenty of band width is available to communicate between the customers CIU  10  and service centers multi shared computer connection unit MSCCU  305 . Communication switches such as the Cisco series IGX 8400 or more advanced BPX 8600 series switches will handle the required speeds for both the IP connected service providers and the company intranets plus the legacy phone connections. 
     The MSSCC  315  is connected to an on line shared hard drive unit (SHDU)  350  such as a raid  1  system from Adaptec to insure reliable backed up on line operation via line  348  and an off line shared Tape/CD ROM unit (STU)  340  via line  338  such as an Alpha Systems model 2000 or Brothers International unit with back up for each customer set of files. The backed up offline customer data system is maintained as if the system was storing a hard drive for each customer and the data is secured using a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) type system such as those available from IBM, Cybertrust or GTE. It is assumed through out this description that the data integrity is maintained from input to the CSCU  20  unit to the output back to the CIU  10  unit via PKI system that is incorporated into and made a part of the customers PIN, or other suitable encryption system. When a customer first logs on to the CSCU  20  the MCS  30  transfers the customers data base from the STU  340  to the SHDU  350  via lines  338  and  348 , controlled by the MSSCC  315 . Also the MSCCU  305  via the SCPUCU  320  selects one of the SCPUs  330  to serve this request (note that depending on the speed of the SCPUs  330  up to 10 customers might be serviced (time shared) by the same SCPU  330 ). Also, the SCPU  330  selected for the customer asks an RSSCC  310  memory computer for the customer requested computing tasks in the shared high speed random access memory unit (RAMU)  360 , via line  358 . After selection of the SCPU  330  and transferring the customers data base and programs menu from the off line shared tape/CD ROM unit  340  to the on line shared hard drive unit  350  and after allocating enough RAM in the high speed random access memory unit  360  the required elements of the customer&#39;s PC is in essence, assembled. 
     This assembled group of elements will then operate the customers dedicated PC, and be connected directly to the customer&#39;s CIU  10  via modem connections  31  and  32  until all of the customers screen requests are completed. This completion indication can be caused by a) inactivity for a pre-selected number of minutes, b) the CIU  10  unit is turned off or c) the customer indicates completion by shutting down the computer, for example, with a click of the “finished” icon. Once the customer&#39;s CIU  10  is disconnected the SCPU  330  selected, causes the last know configuration information regarding all of the PC files to be stored in the off line storage system  340  in a manner for example similar to that commonly done by two major PC operating systems (Microsoft windows and the Apple computer operating systems) modified to treat the customer data in and encrypted manner. Thus, the customer&#39;s last known PC configuration is ready to be reloaded the next time the CSCU  20  is contacted. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the functional steps that are required by the invention&#39;s software is depicted. Except for the MSCCU  305  each of the software functions described in  FIG. 5 , can be accomplished by using visual basic  5  development software by persons skilled in the art or any of the other server software consistent with the controllers being used in RSSCC  310 , SCPUCU  320 , and MSSCC  315 . These functions would preferably be done in such a manner that a menu  600  presented to the customer when first making a connection would look something like that shown in  FIG. 6 . For example, the menu  600  may be provided with a heading  605 , and choices for the customer to select, such as an existing customer choice  610 , a new customer choice  620 , a connect to other location choice  630 , a cancel choice  640  or an exit choice  650 . Once the customer makes a selection then the software provided to perform the remaining functions controls the CIU  10  screen. 
     The most sophisticated piece of software is that associated with managing the MCS  30  units, and MSCCU unit  305 . The software associated with this part of the system is available from Client/server developers, such as Sun Micro Systems, Microsoft, Cisco and IBM. These software systems manage large number of enterprise computer networks to connect computers (up to 20,000) located through out the world for large corporations to inter company resources referred to as INTRANETS. With small modifications, known to those skilled in the art, this multi services management software can be used for managing up to several million PC customer hard drives PC configurations and several thousand sets of PC hardware subsystem elements along with PC customer private databases from one location. In fact, the problem becomes easier at one location because communication delays associated with large INTRANETS which span the globe connecting PC&#39;s have the individual communication delays which must be considered. These delays are virtually eliminated with the service provider approach because the PC&#39;s (i.e. the SCPUs  330 ) are all at one location. Only the “finished” information needs to be sent to the Customer after the computational or data lookup process is completed by the PC (SCPU  330 ) at the service center (i.e. MCS  30 ). The system message server and modem server software can easily handle this part of the overall service task. The process is similar in concept to the old (and current) mainframe computers that could be accessed from Dumb Terminals and their processor and memory shared with several individuals simultaneously. However those systems never even attempted to maintain specialized, terminal, database, and application configurations for separate customers in order to be able to reproduce an individuals computer in the configuration it was last used. Client/Server systems such as Microsoft&#39;s NT5 latest version try to provide all of the services that they envision (i.e. remote access servers, databases servers, E-mail servers, modem servers, printer servers, application servers, Internet servers, etc) the individual might need except for the individuals PC itself. The current invention does not preclude the individual from using these other type client/server systems. In fact, it makes it much easier to access shared database and E-mail services located at the same location as the PC rather than a company trying to build their own global network for such services. That is, homes and companies would only need a single Multi-Mode Multifunction Information Management System(MIMS) machine (i.e. CIU  10  units that have phone, E-mail, paging, fax, copy, printing, typing, scanning, display, keyboard, mouse, disk storage, USB ports for other digital machines such as cameras, in a single housing unit), having essentially the same footprint as workstation computers have today. Such a MIMS CIU  10  is described in a co-pending application submitted by the author of this invention. 
     Also, worry about data security, would be much less of a problem in the current invention for the following reasons. (a) The number of individuals with physical access to the individuals databases would be greatly reduced. (b) The encryption power would be significantly greater than today because the speed of the PC CPU would be 2 to 3 times faster and password codes could be much longer such as data, finger and voice prints all being required to generate an access password. 
     In summary the PC hardware/software server system described to build a service provider PC rental system or to replace an existing client/server and/or mainframe server networks is much more efficient. By way of example, a one gigabyte 64 bit bus system could allow one PC CPU to service 1000 PC customers on line simultaneously if PC/Server resource management software were adapted to manage the PC subsystem elements from the existing client/server software as suggested above. Thus 1000 PC CPU&#39;s, RAM&#39;s, and HARD DISKS configured in the hardware server manner described in this invention could service 100,000 to 1,000,000 customers simultaneously. Also, the real estate for each of the 1000 PC hardware subsystem elements (CPU&#39;s, RAM, etc) would be about 1/1000 of a normal PC unit housing all the required subsystem elements. For example the PC CPU server would probably contain 100 1 Ghz advanced Pentium class CPU&#39;s per 8″ by 19″ by 24″ housing. Similar economies of scale would readily be achieved with RAM/Servers and Hard Drive/Server designs. 
     The achievable worldwide savings in storage requirements alone is astounding. Consider that current PC storage usage is typically 1000 parts for operating system/application programs for every 1 part of useful customer data storage (a conservative estimate), and that a Shannon Law gain of one thousand is achieved with the Hard Disk PC/Server system described in this invention. Then only one millionth of the number of hard drives in existence would be needed to service the current number of PC customers. Such changes in the PC industry future are of great benefit to the individual when both PC cost and personal time are considered. 
     Changes may be made in the construction and operation of the various elements described herein or in the steps or sequence of steps of the methods described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.