Abstract:
A method of improving a content download experience for an information handling system is disclosed. The method includes storing content locally onto the storage of an information handling system when the information handling system is manufactured and checking the locally stored content prior to attempting to download content when accessing the content.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to build to order systems, and more particularly, to improving the content download experience for build to order systems.  
         [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 provide a customer with an ability to configure and order an information handling system via an on-line store. The on-line store includes a configurator that allows the customer to customize and procure the system on-line. The configurator allows the customer to select a given system model and to customize the system according to the user selected options.  
         [0006]     After a system is configured, the customer may be provided the opportunity to order particular software, services or content. When the customer indicates a desire to order such software, services or content, the customer can order the software services content via the on-line store.  
         [0007]     Additionally, it is known to provide built to order information handling systems with links to online portals that enable customers to download content such as music, movies and additional software titles (such as for example game applications) to their systems.  
         [0008]     The compelling content that customers desire changes frequently and therefore is often stored and managed online to prevent inefficient changes to the software that is installed during the manufacture of the build to order system, via, e.g., a software stack. By providing this content online the first time that a customer attempts to purchase and consume the content via a manufacturer content channel, the customer must wait for the initial desired content to be downloaded. This can result in a relatively long download delay (e.g., up to 1 hour for 100 Mbytes of content for a dialup connection). Even with broadband connections, the time to download content can be a significant barrier to customer acceptance of the content channel.  
         [0009]     What is needed is a way to leverage a build to order environment to improve the initial experience of customers purchasing content.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     In accordance with the present invention, the invention relates to a method of improving a content download experience for an information handling system. The method includes storing content locally onto the storage of an information handling system when the information handling system is manufactured and checking the locally stored content prior to attempting to download content when accessing the content.  
         [0011]     In another embodiment, the invention relates to an apparatus of improving a content download experience for an information handling system which includes means for storing content locally onto the storage of an information handling system when the information handling system is manufactured and means for checking to locally stored content prior to attempting to download content when accessing the content.  
         [0012]     In another embodiment, the invention relates to a system of improving a content download experience for an information handling system. The system includes a content store module and a content portal application. The content store module stores content locally onto the storage of an information handling system when the information handling system is manufactured. Prior to attempting to download content when accessing the content, the content portal application checks the locally stored content. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     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.  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  shows an overview block diagram representation of an on-line store.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  shows an example of an automated build to order system for installing software on an information handling system.  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  shows access to the on-line store and a content channel via the Internet using a computer system.  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  shows a system block diagram of an information handling system.  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  shows a block diagram of a system for providing improved content download experience is shown.  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  shows a flow chart of the operation of a system for providing improved content download experience is shown. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an on-line store  110  for use in generating customer configured information handling systems, e.g., customer configured computer systems, is shown. The on-line store  110  includes a welcome or introductory module  112 , a commerce application module  114 , and a thank you module  116 . The on-line store  110  includes an on-line store user interface which enables the system configuration, pricing, and ordering of an information handling system via the Internet. The commerce application  114  includes a configurator  118 , shopping cart  120 , a checkout module  122 , a services activation module  123  and database  124 . The database  124  provides information to the configurator  118 , shopping cart  120 , checkout module  122  and content module  123 . The configurator  118  includes a pricing module  128 , a view module  130 , a lead time warning module  132 , a validation (or compatibility) warning module  134 , and a merchandising module  136 . The various modules of the configurator  118  are driven by data from the database  124 , and thus the configurator  118 , shopping cart  120 , checkout module  122  and content module  123  are all linked to the database  124 .  
         [0021]     In operation of the on-line store  110 , the welcome module  112  presents a welcome page  112 , the configurator I  18  presents a configurator page, the shopping cart  120  presents a shopping cart page, the checkout module  122  presents a checkout page, the content module  123  presents a content selection page, and the thank you module  116  presents a thank you page. The welcome page includes a static page and generally resides outside of the commerce application  114 . The configurator page, shopping cart page, checkout page and services activation page are within the commerce application and use information provided by the database. The checkout includes a payment feature, delivery feature, personal verses business feature, and instructional text features (i.e., how to fill out an on-line form.)  
         [0022]     The welcome page is typically an introductory page and includes a link into the on-line store  110 . The welcome page is typically a static welcome page. Upon completion of configuration of a system, a customer is transferred to a content page in which the customer is provided an opportunity to select various content such as music, video streaming, training or games to have installed onto the system. After completion of the content module  123 , the customer is transferred to a checkout page. After completion of the checkout, the customer is transferred to a static thank you page  116 . The thank you page  116  provides a message of gratitude to the customer for having placed the order or for visiting the on-line store.  
         [0023]     Aspects of the configurator  118  which interact with database  124  are shown in  FIG. 1 . In essence, the entire commerce application  114  interacts with the database. The configurator  118 , shopping cart  120 , checkout module  122  and content module  123  are each part of the commerce application  114  and interact with the database  124 . For example, with the shopping cart  120 , additional merchandising information associated with a particular system which has been configured and placed in the shopping cart by an on-line store customer can be provided.  
         [0024]     Also for example, various content may be provided for order by the customer by the content module  123  based upon the type of system ordered as well as components that are included within the system ordered. Additionally, by providing the content module within the commerce application  114 , the customer continues the experience a similar customer experience and the system provider is able to use the information from the database  124  and to maintain control over the customer contact. By maintaining control over the customer contact the system provider is able to determine what content is selected and to maintain accurate and up to date records of the selected content.  
         [0025]     Additionally, the content module  123  can provide a customer with an option of how much content to preload onto the information handling system during the manufacture of the information handling system.  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a schematic diagram of a software installation system  200  at an information handling system manufacturing site is shown. In operation, an order  210  is placed to purchase a target information handling system  220 . The target information handling system  220  to be manufactured contains a plurality of hardware and software components. For instance, target information handling system  220  might include a certain brand of hard drive, a particular type of monitor, a certain brand of processor, and software. The software includes a particular version of an operating system along with all appropriate driver software and other application software along with appropriate software bug fixes. The software also includes ordered content as well as any additional local content to be installed by the manufacturer.  
         [0027]     Before target information handling system  120  is shipped to the customer, the plurality of components are installed and tested from, for example, a fixed image of the software. Such software installation and testing advantageously ensures a reliable, working information handling system which is ready to operate when received by a customer.  
         [0028]     Because different families of information handling systems and different individual computer components require different software installation, it is necessary to determine which software to install on a target information handling system  220 . A descriptor file  230  is provided by converting an order  210 , which corresponds to a desired information handling system having desired components, into a computer readable format via conversion module  232 . The descriptor file  230  can also include which content to load on the system.  
         [0029]     Component descriptors are computer readable descriptions of the components of target information handling system  220  which components are defined by the order  210 . In a preferred embodiment, the component descriptors are included in a descriptor file called a system descriptor record which is a computer readable file containing a listing of the components, both hardware and software, to be installed onto target information handling system  220 . Having read the plurality of component descriptors, database server  240  provides a plurality of software components corresponding to the component descriptors to file server  242  over network connection  244 . Network connections  244  may be any network connection well-known in the art, such as a local area network, an intranet, or the internet. The information contained in database server  240  is often updated such that the database contains a new factory build environment. The software is then installed on the target information handling system  220 . The software installation is controlled by a software installation management server that is operable to control the installation of the operating system and other software packages specified by a customer.  
         [0030]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a customer can access the on-line store  110  using any suitable computer equipment  300 , via the Internet  302 . The computer equipment  140  may include a display  203 , computer  204 , keyboard  206 , and pointing device  208 . Display  203  is used for displaying the various pages of the on-line store while a customer is using the on-line store. Also, the computer equipment  300  can also access a content channel  320  such as a manufacturer content channel via the Internet  302 .  
         [0031]     Referring briefly to  FIG. 4 , a system block diagram of an information handling system  400  is shown having features thereof configured in accordance with the on-line store  110 . The information handling system  400  includes a processor  402 , input/output (I/O) devices  404 , such as a display, a keyboard, a mouse, and associated controllers, a hard disk and drive  406 , and other storage devices  408 , such as a floppy disk and drive and other memory devices, and various other subsystems  410 , all interconnected via one or more buses  412 . The information handling system  400  also includes local content  430  and a content portal application  440  that accesses the content  430  stored on the non-volatile memory 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.  
         [0032]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a block diagram of a system  500  for providing improved content download experience is shown. More specifically, the system  500  includes a content portal application  440  which interacts with a plurality of applications  512  that access content. The content portal application  440  accesses local content storage  520 . If the content is not present in the local content storage  520 , then the content portal seamlessly accesses on-line content  530  via the Internet  202 .  
         [0033]     The local content storage  520  is stored in a standard location within the hard driver  306  that contains optional content that can be included when new information handling systems are fabricated.  
         [0034]     The system also includes a storage management module  540 . The storage management module  540  interacts with the local content and monitors how much available storage space is left within the non-volatile storage (e.g., the hard drive). When the non-volatile storage starts running out of free hard drive space, the storage management module  540  starts removing or deleting some or all of the local content that is stored within the local content storage  520 .  
         [0035]     The storage management module  540  can also be set to remove certain types of content. For example, the storage management module  540  might be configured to only remove training content, while leaving locally stored movies.  
         [0036]     The content portal application  440  first checks the local content storage  520  before attempting to locate and download the same content over the Internet  202 .  
         [0037]     The content portal application  440  informs customers of expected download times for content such as movies, games and other software titles will modify the expected download times based on the availability of content in the local content storage  520 . For example, movies in the local content storage  520  might require a five second download while moves not in the cache might require a five hour download.  
         [0038]     The factory installed local content storage  520  can be updated regularly based on real world customer usage to better align with customer&#39;s content download tendencies.  
         [0039]     This system provides advantages of both local and online delivery methods. Because all content is available online, the available and promoted content can be frequently refreshed even as a large variety of content is made available. A build to order environment is then applied to improve the customer experience of promoted content which is cached locally on the information systems. An improved customer experience thus results in more customers trying and purchasing more content via the manufacturer channel. When content customers have been created via a positive experience of an initial trial or purchase of content, additional content can be downloaded which has industry standard download times.  
         [0040]     Thus, the system provides an optional content caching model that is enhanced by updating digital content within the factory and providing customers with a more cohesive experience when purchasing an information handling system. Because the customer has a positive experience during an initial number of content accesses, odds are increased that the customer will continue to access content via the manufacturer content channel. The information handling system thus becomes an entertainment hub within the customer&#39;s home.  
         [0041]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a flow chart of the operation of a system for providing improved content download experience is shown. More specifically, the system for providing improved content download experience  600  determines the content that is most often downloaded such as content that is downloaded from the manufacturer content channel  320  at step  610 . Thus, the determining might determine a top ten lost of the most frequently downloaded songs, games or movies. The applications  512  can be configured to display this list when the applications are first actuated.  
         [0042]     Next, the system  600  uses this information to generate a local content package at step  620 . Next, the system  600  stores the local content package into the local content storage  520  at step  630 . If the factory is running behind schedule when configuring information handling systems, then the local content may optionally not be stored onto local content storage  520 . Thus, the amount of content stored locally may be configurable based upon factory bandwidth. Thus the system fails gracefully because the content is still available online.  
         [0043]     Because the storing of the content is automated, the cost to the manufacturing to store the content is similar whether a small amount of content is stored locally (e.g., a few songs or a single movie), or a large amount of content is stored locally (e.g., 1000 songs or 100 movies).  
         [0044]     Next, the system  600  installs an application (e.g., the content portal application  440 ) for seamlessly accessing content which is either locally stored or accessible online at step  640 .  
         [0045]     After the information handling system is provided to the customer, as indicated by dashed line  650 , when the customer accesses an application  512  for which content is desired, the system  600  checks the local content before downloading specific content from an online content source. If the content is stored within the local content, then the application  512  uses the local content. Thus, the customer is provided with an improved content download experience as the access to the locally stored content is faster as compared to downloading the content from an online source. The application can be configured to highlight or otherwise note that the locally stored content to encourage the customer to access this content first.  
       Other Embodiments  
       [0046]     Other embodiments are within the following claims.  
         [0047]     For example, the configurator which interacts with the database  124  may be used by a telephone sales person when a system is being ordered via the telephone. By maintaining control over the customer contact the system provider is able to determine what content is ordered and to maintain accurate and up to date records of the service activation.  
         [0048]     Also for example, while specific types of content are identified, other content may also be selected by the content module.  
         [0049]     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.  
         [0050]     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.