Brian J Richardson

US Patent:

7293169, Nov 6, 2007

Filed:

Feb 3, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/771016

Inventors:

Stefano Righi - Lawrenceville GA, US
Brian Richardson - Loganville GA, US
Jerry Petree - Alpharetta GA, US

Assignee:

American Megatrends, Inc. - Norcross GA

International Classification:

G06F 15/177

US Classification:

713 2, 709220, 717171

Abstract:

These systems and methods make use of operating system dependent applications that allow remote updates to firmware stored on network attached remote computers. Updates to the remote computers may occur on any computer in the network despite diverse hardware architectures and various operating systems executing between the computers. A command to update the firmware on the remote computers is initiated from a manager utility application operating on a network attached manager computer. The command is then received at an agent application operating on each remote computer. Each agent application monitors command activity via a communication port. Upon determining that the command is valid, each agent application receives an update application and a new firmware file from a network attached computer or data storage and utilizes the update application and the new firmware file to update the firmware of each network attached computer.

US Patent:

7421688, Sep 2, 2008

Filed:

Feb 3, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/770951

Inventors:

Stefano Righi - Lawrenceville GA, US
Brian Richardson - Loganville GA, US
Jerry Petree - Alpharetta GA, US

Assignee:

American Megatrends, Inc. - Norcross GA

International Classification:

G06F 9/44
G06F 15/16
G06F 15/177

US Classification:

717172, 709202, 709221, 713 2

Abstract:

Methods and systems are provided for updating firmware on a plurality of networked computing devices via a distributed network. An instruction to update the firmware on a plurality of networked computing devices, such as nodes in a computer cluster, is sent from a manager computer to the computing devices monitoring for instructions. When the instruction is received, the computing devices transition to an operating system independent recovery state, receive a new firmware image over the distributed network, and update the firmware with the new firmware image.

US Patent:

7673301, Mar 2, 2010

Filed:

Feb 3, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/771245

Inventors:

Stefano Righi - Lawrenceville GA, US
Brian Richardson - Loganville GA, US
Jerry Petree - Alpharetta GA, US

Assignee:

American Megatrends, Inc. - Norcross GA

International Classification:

G06F 9/44
G06F 15/16
G06F 15/177

US Classification:

717172, 709202, 709221, 713 2

Abstract:

Methods and systems are provided for updating and recovering firmware within computers over a distributed network. While a computer is in an operating system independent state, a determination is made as to whether the firmware within the computer is valid. The firmware may be the BIOS for the computer. If it is determined that the current firmware is invalid, a recovery request is sent to a manager computer monitoring for recovery requests. The manager computer sends a new firmware image over the network to the computer. The invalid firmware is then updated with the new firmware image. An instruction to update the firmware of the computer may also be sent from a manager computer to computers monitoring for instructions. When the instruction is received, the computer transitions to an operating system independent recovery state, receives a new firmware image over the network, and updates with the new firmware image.

US Patent:

8495626, Jul 23, 2013

Filed:

Oct 8, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/575825

Inventors:

Charles Patrick Hanes - Hoschton GA, US
Clas Gerhard Sivertsen - Lilburn GA, US
Brian Richardson - Loganville GA, US

Assignee:

American Megatrends, Inc. - Norcross GA

International Classification:

G06F 9/445

US Classification:

717178

Abstract:

Technologies are provided herein for automated operating system installation. Through the concepts and technologies presented herein, the process of installing multiple operating systems on a system under test (“SUT”) can be automated and monitored, thereby permitting the unattended installation of the operating systems. Multiple operating systems can be installed and errors detected during the installations can be logged in an automated fashion, thereby reducing the cost of such testing. Errors generated during the automated installation process can be analyzed and utilized to identify and correct errors in a computing system firmware. A device selector for facilitating the automated installation process is also provided.

US Patent:

20140263630, Sep 18, 2014

Filed:

Mar 17, 2014

Appl. No.:

14/215641

Inventors:

Brian Richardson - Loganville GA, US
Govind Kothandapani - Snellville GA, US

International Classification:

G06Q 20/32

US Classification:

235381

Abstract:

Systems and methods for processing a financial transaction are provided. A representative system of processing a financial transaction comprises a product dispensing device that encodes and outputs public transaction data related to a purchasable item. A portable computing device receives the public transaction data and encodes a payment data with the received public transaction data. A payment processing server receives and processes the encoded data, and determines whether a transaction can be completed based on the encoded data. Responsive to determining that the transaction is completed, the payment processing server generates and transmits an authentication data based on the encoded data. The portable computing device receives and outputs the authentication data. The product dispensing device receives the authentication data, verifies payment based on the received authentication data, and provides the purchasable item to a customer who is operating the portable computing device.