System for offering services using network of unowned computers
OwnerBlaine D. Gaitherinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system whereby vendors of computer systems may advantageously utilize the processing capability of the computers in these systems after the systems have been sold. The system provides computer services via a network of computers which have been sold with an agreement from the buyers thereof to permit the seller to conditionally utilize the computers subsequent to the sale thereof.
Claims25
A system for utilizing a collective processing capability of a plurality of computers after the computers have been sold to purchasers by a vendor, the system comprising the steps of:
- entering into a plurality of agreements, each of which is between the vendor and a different one of the purchasers, wherein, with respect to a specific one of the computers to be sold to said one of the purchasers, the vendor retains a right to use said specific one after the sale thereof;
- conveying, subject to said agreements, the plurality of the computers to said purchasers;
- interconnecting the computers via the Internet to create a network;
- and
- using the network to provide a service that provides the vendor with a commercial benefit.
A system for utilizing a collective processing capability of a plurality of devices containing embedded processors, after the devices have been sold to purchasers by a vendor, the system comprising the steps of:
- entering into an agreement between the vendor and one of the purchasers wherein, with respect to a specific one of the devices to be sold to said one of the purchasers, the vendor retains a right to use said specific one after the sale thereof;
- conveying at least one of the devices to a purchaser, after entering into said agreement;
- and
- repeating the previous two steps until a predetermined minimum number of said devices have been sold.
A system for utilizing a collective processing capability of a plurality of computers comprising the steps of:
- (a) entering into an agreement between a vendor of said computers and a purchaser of one of the computers, wherein the vendor retains a right to use the computer after the sale thereof;
- (b) conveying said one of the computers to said purchaser, after entering into said agreement;
- wherein steps (a) and (b) are repeated with a different said purchaser until a predetermined minimum number of the computers have been sold;
- and
- (c) interconnecting the devices via the Internet to create a network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.