Dell USA L P

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Donald E Carroll

Robert G Bassman

Anil Venkatasubba Rao

Philip Dale Chidester

Herbert G Zinsmeyer

Method and computer for implementing a technique that disables all the software on a disk until the user agrees to a software contract. In a departure from the art, the present invention modifies a boot record of the disk which contains the software to be protected. The boot record, which contains a loader code and disk partition data, is modified to make the rest of the disk virtually unusable or unreadable and to prompt the user for acceptance of the contract terms. If the user does accept the contract terms, the boot record is re-modified to contain conventional loader code as well as correct partition data. The computer is then rebooted and operates in a normal, conventional, manner.

Disk boot sector for software contract enforcement

A communications system for multiple computer system management circuits to enable remote management of the computer systems via a remote management system. The management circuits are operably coupled to a remote connector circuit via a communications bus (e.g. a bus conforming to the RS-485 communications standard). The remote connector circuit can be implemented on a daughter card of one of the computer systems. The remote connector circuit includes modem circuitry for providing operating information on operating conditions of the computer systems to a remote management system and for receiving operating commands to be provided to the management circuits wherein the computer systems initiate operations (e.g. rebooting and power cycle) in response to receiving the commands. The RS-485 bus is configured in a daisy chain configuration to allow for a simplified addition of new computer systems to the bus.

Communications system for multiple computer system management circuits

A Microprocessor controlled timer particularly adapted for control of an animal feeder with a display of program items and with user settable feeding times and duration of such feeding times based upon the microprocessor calculated sunrise and sunset times with a selector switch and a change switch and display of program items allowing user reprogramming of the timer; the timer being broadly usable for activation of electrical equipment when desirable activation is at times relative to sunrise and sunset and also being usable for activation of electrical equipment according to normal clock time.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Donald E Carroll