Importance

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Abstract

A device such as for example a electronic medical device has a memory that has prestored therein a number of programs or routines for performing various functions. Some of those functions are optional functions that were not enabled when the equipment was put into service. If the user of the equipment desires thereafter to activate any one of those optional functions, an options card that has a number of memory blocks each specifically configured to enable one of the prestored optional functions is sent to the user. The user can then insert the options card into a receptacle integrated into the device and, upon power up of the device, elect a menu for enabling the desired optional function(s) prestored in the device. The options card may be configured to have a count number that indicates the number of devices the card may be used for enabling a particular optional function. The options card may further be configured to include data that may be used to enable or disable multiple optional functions prestored in the device. When returned to the manufacturer, given that the serial numbers of the machines to which the options card was inserted are recorded therein, the manufacturer can easily keep tab of the status of those machines in the field that had had optional functions enabled/disabled.

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First Claim