Abstract:
A system for upgrading and authorizing a third party component loaded onto an information handling system which includes an upgrade and authorization module which enables a customer to indicate a desire to upgrade at least one upgradeable component wherein the upgrade and authorization module is executed by a system supplier, and a database which receives information from and supplies information to the upgrade and authorization module is disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to information handling systems, and more particularly, upgrading and authorizing third party software and services on the information handling system.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.  
         [0005]     It is known to order information handling systems either via the telephone or over the internet. It is also known to custom configure systems that are ordered via either method.  
         [0006]     One issue relating to information handling systems that are custom configured relates to providing software or services with the custom configured information handling system. The software or services may be provided when software or services are ordered when the information handling system is ordered or via an additional opportunity to order the software or services after the system is received by a customer.  
         [0007]     More specifically, when a custom configured information handling system is ordered, a customer is provided with an opportunity to order additional software or some form of a subscription service at the time of ordering the custom configured information handling system. Additionally, the custom configured information handling system is provided to the customer with an additional opportunity to order additional software or some form of subscription service. Certain software or subscription services may have limited time licenses (i.e., the software or subscription services are renewable components of the information handling system).  
         [0008]     It is known to provide trial offers for software or services when an information handling system is shipped to a customer. For example, an information handling system might include a trial offer for one week of artist on demand radio from a MusicMatch music service, six free months of internet access from an internet service provider such as America Online (AOL) or 20 free photos from a photo printing service such as the Ofoto printing service.  
         [0009]     Because many customers never use these trial offers, the trial offers may be provided to the information handling system provider at little or no cost. Customers who do not want to try the trial offer are not burdened with unwanted software royalties. Customers who do try services and decide to upgrade their trial offers are then required to arrange a billing relationship with the third party supplier of the software or service. In some cases, suppliers may require that the customer arrange a billing relationship prior to enabling the trial offer to reduce the likelihood of fraud or customers mistakenly signing up for multiple trial offers.  
         [0010]     However, known methods of upgrading or authorizing trial offers can present challenges to the information handling system provider. For example, a customer&#39;s desire to upgrade to a new service may require multiple billing relationships to be established with different third party suppliers to enable the purchase or additional features and capability. This upgrade or authorization often occurs after the point of sale of the information handling system. In some cases simply enabling the trial offers that are preloaded on the new information handling system may require multiple billing relationships to be established. These challenges are amplified when the number of trial offers that are preloaded onto the information handling system increases.  
         [0011]     Because the manufacturer often receives revenue for the transition from a trial offer to an upgrade, it is desirable for the manufacturer to be able to provide the opportunity for the customer upgrade or authorize the transition without the need for the customer to access multiple third party suppliers.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     In accordance with the present invention, a process for centralizing the upgrading and authorization of third party software and services by an information handling system supplier is described. The process funnels after point of sale billing relationships through an information handling system supplier.  
         [0013]     The process provides an enhanced customer experience as customers are able to purchase additional services much faster after an initial purchase from the supplier. The process also increases after point of sale up-sells to customers that are more comfortable providing sensitive information to an information handling system provider than a number of third party suppliers.  
         [0014]     More specifically, the process includes providing a process that allows customers to upgrade or authorize third party software or services via a configurator. The configurator provides a selection next to appropriate software and service categories that grants the manufacturer permission to recharge an account such as a credit card account than a predefined term commitment expires. The manufacturer then communicates the renewal to the customer and updates appropriate internal systems and partner systems to reflect the changed status. The system can also include an option for renewal when an original account is no longer valid.  
         [0015]     In one embodiment, the invention relates to a system for upgrading and authorizing a third party component loaded onto an information handling system which includes an upgrade and authorization module which enables a customer to indicate a desire to upgrade at least one upgradeable component wherein the upgrade and authorization module is executed by a system supplier, and a database which receives information from and supplies information to the upgrade and authorization module.  
         [0016]     In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method for upgrading and authorizing a third party component loaded onto an information handling system which includes enabling a customer to indicate a desire to upgrade at least one upgradeable component via a system supplier, receiving an indication from the customer regarding the desire to upgrade the at least one upgradeable component, and supplying information to a supplier of the third party component to indicate the desire to upgrade the at least one upgradeable component.  
         [0017]     In another embodiment, the invention relates to an apparatus for upgrading and authorizing a third party component loaded onto an information handling system which includes means for enabling a customer to indicate a desire to upgrade at least one upgradeable component via a system supplier, means for receiving an indication from the customer regarding the desire to upgrade the at least one upgradeable component, and means for supplying information to a supplier of the third party component to indicate the desire to upgrade the at least one upgradeable component.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference number throughout the several figures designates a like or similar element.  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of access to a system configuration store.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  shows a system block diagram of an information handling system.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows a schematic block diagram of the operation of the system configuration store  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  shows a schematic block diagram of the system configuration store.  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  shows a flow diagram of operation of a system for centralized third party software and services upgrading and authorization.  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  shows an example screen presentation of a upgrading and authorization module. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0025]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a customer can access a system configuration store  110  using any suitable computer equipment  120 , via the Internet  122 . The computer equipment  120  may include a display  130 , computer  132 , keyboard  134 , and pointing device  136 . Display  130  is used for displaying the various pages of the online store while a customer is using the online store. Alternately, a customer can access the system configuration store  110  via a telephone  140  which is coupled to the system configuration store via a telephone network  142 . In the case of a telephone access to the system configuration store, the customer speaks with a sales representative who obtains the configuration information from the customer and in turn enters the information into the system configuration store  110  to configure a system. The system configuration store  110  provides a central location for upgrading and authorizing third party software and services.  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a system block diagram of an information handling system  200  is shown having features thereof configured in accordance with the system configuration store  110  as discussed herein. The information handling system  200  includes a processor  202 , input/output (I/O) devices, such as a display, a keyboard, a mouse, and associated controllers, collectively designed by a reference numeral  204 , a non-volatile memory  206  such as a hard disk and drive, and other storage devices, such as a floppy disk and drive and other memory devices  208 , and various other subsystems  210 , all interconnected via one or more buses  212 .  
         [0027]     The information handling system  200  also includes an upgrade and authorization module  230  stored on the non-volatile memory.  
         [0028]     For purposes of this invention, an information handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include random access memory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of the information handling system may include one or more disk drives, one or more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components.  
         [0029]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , an online store is a component of an Internet website to which a customer may go to configure a particular information handling system, for example, according to desired options of the customer as well as to upgrade or authorize software or services for an information handling system. An online store is one example of a system configuration store  110 . The online store is typically a subset of a larger Internet website. At the online store, a customer can select one or more products in which the customer is interested. Upon selection of a particular product, the online store presents the customer with the ability to go to the product information for the particular product, customize the product, price the customized product, purchase the product, and other actions as discussed. While shopping happens in the website (i.e., selection of a particular kind of system by a customer), when the customer is ready to purchase a customized system, the customer is then directed to that part of the website which the online store application controls.  
         [0030]     An online store  310  for use in generating customer configured information handling systems, e.g., customer configured computer systems, is shown. The online store  310  includes a welcome or introductory module  312 , a commerce application module  314 , and a thank you module  316 . The online store  310  includes an online store user interface which enables the system configuration, pricing, and ordering of an information handling system via the Internet. The commerce application  314  includes a configurator  318 , shopping cart  320 , a checkout module  322 , and a services activation module  324 , an upgrade and authorization module  326  and database  328 . The database  328  provides information to the configurator  318 , shopping cart  320 , checkout module  322 , services activation module  324  and upgrade and authorization module  326 . The configurator  318  includes a pricing module  328 , a view module  330 , a lead time warning module  332 , a validation (or compatibility) warning module  334 , and a merchandising module  336 . The various modules of the configurator  318  are driven by data from the database  328 , and thus the configurator  318 , shopping cart  320 , checkout module  322 , services activation module  324  and upgrade and authorization module  326  are all linked to the database  328 .  
         [0031]     In operation of the online store  310 , the welcome module  312  presents a welcome page  312 , the configurator  318  presents a configurator page, the shopping cart  320  presents a shopping cart page, the checkout module  322  presents a checkout page, the services activation module  324  presents a services activation page, the upgrade and authorization module  326  provides an upgrade and authorization page and the thank you module  316  presents a thank you page. The welcome page includes a static page and generally resides outside of the commerce application  314 . The configurator page, shopping cart page, checkout page, services activation page and upgrade and authorization page are within the commerce application and use information provided by the database. The checkout includes a payment feature, delivery feature, personal versus business feature, and instructional text features (i.e., how to fill out an online form.)  
         [0032]     The welcome page is typically an introductory page and includes a link into the online store  310 . The welcome page is typically a static welcome page. Upon completion of configuration of a system, is transferred to a services activation page in which the customer is provided an opportunity to activate various services such as internet service or content services such as music services. After completion of the services activation, the customer is transferred to the upgrade and authorization page. Alternately, if a customer is returning to the online store after receiving a configured information handling system, the customer may be transferred directly to the upgrade and authorization page. After completion of the upgrade and authorization, the customer is transferred to a checkout page. After completion of the checkout, the customer is transferred to a static thank you page. The thank you page provides a message of gratitude to the customer for having placed the order or for visiting the online store.  
         [0033]     Aspects of the configurator  318  which interact with database  328  are shown in  FIG. 3 . In essence, the entire commerce application  314  interacts with the database. The configurator  318 , shopping cart  320 , checkout module  322 , services activation module  324  and upgrade and authorization module  326  are each part of the commerce application  314  and interact with the database  328 . For example, with the shopping cart  320 , additional merchandising information associated with a particular system which has been configured and placed in the shopping cart by an online store customer can be provided.  
         [0034]     Also, various services may be provided for order by the customer by the services activation module  324  based upon the type of system ordered as well as components that are included within the system ordered. Additionally, by providing the services activation module  326  and the upgrade and authorization module  236  within the commerce application  314 , the customer continues the experience a similar customer experience and the system provider is able to use the information from the database  328  and to maintain control over the customer contact. By maintaining control over the customer contact the system provider is able to determine what services are activated and upgraded and to maintain accurate and up to date records of the service activation and upgrades.  
         [0035]     When a purchase is processed via the telephone, then the customer representative interacts with a system similar to configurator  318 .  
         [0036]     The upgrade and authorization module  326  mitigates the need for customers to sign up with multiple suppliers when upgrading or ordering services. The upgrade and authorization module  326  enables a system supplier to funnel after point of sale billing relationships through the supplier. Rather than a customer being directed to each individual supplier billing site, customers are directed to the system supplier&#39;s online store site where the customers are provided with the option of adding to a new purchase to their existing supplier account, paying for the purchase with a supplier credit card or setting up a billing relationship with the supplier when upgrading or authorizing services. Thus, the process used, encourages fewer billing relationships for the customers who upgrade multiple products and services after point of sale. The process also provides an enhanced customer experience as customers are able to purchase additional services much faster after an initial purchase request is directed through the supplier. The process also increases after point of sale up-sells to customers that are more comfortable giving their billing information to the system supplier than to lesser known suppliers.  
         [0037]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , when upgrade or authorization information is obtained either via online sales  410  or via off-line (e.g., telephone) sales  412 , the information is provided to an order management system  420  which interacts with the factory in which the system is manufactured. The order management system  420  stores this information to a database  430  as well as to a Bill of Materials (BOM)  432  which is associated with a particular system being manufactured. It will be appreciated that one or both the database  430  or the BOM  432  may be used to associate the information from the customer order to a particular information handling system. The information is then stored in a system descriptor record (SDR) which is stored on the memory of the information handling system  442  either when the system is manufactured or after the upgrade and authorization information is obtained. Accordingly, the upgrade and authorization information that is obtained from the customer is stored on the system that is manufactured for that customer.  
         [0038]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a flow diagram of the operation of a system  500  for centralized third party software and services upgrading and authorization is shown. The system  500  includes a manufacturer portion  506  and a customer portion  508 . More specifically, the order portion  506  of the system  500  starts when a customer starts configuring an information handling system either via the system configuration store  110  at step  510 . Next, the customer selects particular software or service subscriptions at step  512  (e.g., via services activation module  324 ). The particular software or service subscriptions may be multiple software or service subscriptions from multiple vendors.  
         [0039]     The customer then enters the relevant account information at step  520 . For example, the account information can include a credit card number, name associated with the credit card and expiration date of the credit card. The credit card may be a system supplier credit card, in which case, the system supplier also derives revenue from the financing of either the system itself or any upgrades or authorizations that are purchased by the customer. The relevant information is then provided to the order management system  420  and the system is purchased at step  522 . Relevant information is also provided to the online store database  328 . This relevant information can include the credit card information as well as a service tag for the ordered information handling system.  
         [0040]     When a customer receives the system and executes a particular software or service at step  540 , then the upgrade and authorization module  230  stored on the system  200  determines whether an introductory subscription period has expired or whether the customer desires to upgrade the software or service at step  542 . When the customer indicates a desire to upgrade or obtain authorization for a particular software or service, then an after point of sale up-sell occurs at step  544  and the upgrade and authorization module  230  automatically causes the customer to access the online store at step  546 .  
         [0041]     When the online store is accessed, then the database of the store  328  determines the service tag of the customer system and obtains customer information from the order management system  420  at step  550 . The online store then validates the customer system based upon the system service tag at step  552 . Next, at step  554 , the system  500  provides customer and billing information to the third party software supplier or service provider  554  and requests any required upgrade keys to upgrade or authorize the software or service. The third party supplier then provides the upgrade key to the system supplier at step  560 . The system supplier then updates the customer system with the key at step  562 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 6  shows an example screen presentation of an upgrade and authorization page  600 . More specifically, when the upgrade and authorization page is accessed within the online store, the online store determines which upgrade or authorization information to present based upon the software and services that are associated with the particular information handling system. For example, if the information handling system has an associated internet service provider offer and a music service, then the upgrade and authorization page  600  presents the customer with the option of paying for an internet service provider  610  as well as renewing a music service  612 .  
       Other Embodiments  
       [0043]     Other embodiments are within the following claims.  
         [0044]     For example, it will be appreciated that the order in which the customer is presented with the services activation page, the upgrade and authorization page and check out page may vary. E.g., the customer may checkout before accessing the services activation page. Alternately, the services activation module and the upgrade and authorization page may be presented as a combined page.  
         [0045]     Also for example, it will be appreciated that the upgrade and authorization module may be provided as a subset of another module&#39;s functions, such as the merchandizing module  336 . Thus customers can select which software for upgrade and authorization as they are selecting individual software applications or upon checkout after an information handling system has been configured including all software that is to be loaded onto the information handling system.  
         [0046]     Also for example, the above-discussed embodiments include software modules that perform certain tasks. The software modules discussed herein may include script, batch, or other executable files. The software modules may be stored on a machine-readable or computer-readable storage medium such as a disk drive. Storage devices used for storing software modules in accordance with an embodiment of the invention may be magnetic floppy disks, hard disks, or optical discs such as CD-ROMs or CD-Rs, for example. A storage device used for storing firmware or hardware modules in accordance with an embodiment of the invention may also include a semiconductor-based memory, which may be permanently, removably or remotely coupled to a microprocessor/memory system. Thus, the modules may be stored within a computer system memory to configure the computer system to perform the functions of the module. Other new and various types of computer-readable storage media may be used to store the modules discussed herein. Additionally, those skilled in the art will recognize that the separation of functionality into modules is for illustrative purposes. Alternative embodiments may merge the functionality of multiple modules into a single module or may impose an alternate decomposition of functionality of modules. For example, a software module for calling sub-modules may be decomposed so that each sub-module performs its function and passes control directly to another sub-module.  
         [0047]     Consequently, the invention is intended to be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims, giving full cognizance to equivalents in all respects.