System and method for passive detection and context sensitive notification of upgrade availability for computer information

A method for notification and download of computer information upgrades to a user's computer, comprising the steps of:

• automatically checking a predetermined location for availability of computer information upgrades in response to a predefined event;
• determining if any available computer information upgrades exist;
• automatically notifying a user, in response to user access of computer information for which a determination has been made that an upgrade exists, of available computer information upgrades for the accessed computer information and for any other computer information upgrades that have been determined to exist;
• and
• selectively downloading said available computer information upgrade.

A computer-readable medium containing a program that performs the following steps on a local computer:

• automatically checking for availability, on a remote computer connected via a computer network, of computer information upgrades to information on the local computer;
• determining if any available computer information upgrades exist on said remote computer;
• automatically notifying a user, in response to access by a user of computer information for which an upgrade has been determined to be available, of available computer information upgrades for the accessed computer information and for any other computer information upgrades that have been determined to exist;
• and
• downloading said available computer information upgrades in response to user selection of said upgrades.

A method for notification and download of computer information upgrades to a user's computer from a computer network, comprising the steps of:

• monitoring a predetermined location for availability of computer information upgrades;
• determining is any available computer information upgrades exist;
• automatically notifying a user of available computer information upgrades that have been determined to exist;
• selectively downloading said available computer information upgrade;
• and
• setting a user-controlled wait period if the user declines downloading an upgrade of which the user has been notified, for further notifying the user of the availability of said upgrade.

A method for providing a computer user with notification of the availability of an upgrade for a software component on the user's computer, comprising the steps of:

• retrieving from said software component the identification of a resource on a network at which an upgrade is made available;
• checking said resource to determine whether an upgrade is available,
• recording an indicator at the user's computer to indicate that an upgrade is available for the software component;
• and
• upon detecting access of the software component by a user, determining whether said indicator is present and, if so, displaying a notification that an upgrade is available for the software component.