Patents by Inventor B. Winston Hendrickson

B. Winston Hendrickson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Software manager for administration of a computer operating system
    Patent number: 5933646
    Abstract: A software manager enables a computer user to administer software elements within a computer operating system. The software manager comprises a configuration database storing information including a prevailing state and a dependency listing for each of the software components within the system. The software manager also comprises a user interface which allows the computer user to view the stored information and permits the user to specify changes to the prevailing states. Finally, the software manager comprises a software manager server which communicates with the user interface and the configuration database, effects the user specified changes, and updates the stored information to reflect those changes. A user of the software manager can readily obtain an overall "picture" of a prevailing system configuration, use that picture to make intelligent decisions with respect to system modification, and thereby administer the operating system environment in a seamless, efficient, and robust manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: B. Winston Hendrickson, Gregory Scown, James E. Palmer, Robert Bowers, Jeffrey R. Cobb