Providing a network communication status description based on user characteristics

• US 20020059421A1
• Filed: 01/15/2002
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hendren, C. Hudson III
• Granted Patent: US 6,947,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing a network communication status description based on user characteristics. The techniques receive a status indication from a first networked computer in response to a user'"'"'s request for information and determine one or more characteristics of the user who issued the request. The techniques provide a status description based on the status indication and the determined characteristics of the user (e.g., a preferred language).

Claims

1. A method of providing a network communication status description based on user characteristics, the method comprising:

receiving a status indication from a first networked computer in response to a user'"'"'s request for information;

determining one or more characteristics of the user who issued the request; and

providing a status description corresponding to the received status and the determined user characteristics.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the status description to a second networked computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the status indication comprises an indication of the success or failure of the user'"'"'s request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the status indication comprises a status code.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the status code comprises an HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) status code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics comprise technical proficiency.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining the one or more characteristics comprises inferring a level of technical proficiency.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein inferring a level of technical proficiency comprises inferring a level of technical proficiency based on a user'"'"'s previous request or requests for information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics comprise one or more preferred languages.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining the one or more characteristics of the user comprises inferring the preferred language.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein inferring a preferred language comprises determining a user'"'"'s address.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein inferring a preferred language comprises determining an access number used by the user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the status description comprises text.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the status description comprises speech.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the status description comprises at least one of the following:

graphics, video, animation, sound, and instructions.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s request comprises an HTTP request for a resource.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a status description comprises selecting a status description from a database of status descriptions.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more characteristics comprise user technical proficiency.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more characteristics comprise one or more preferred languages of the user.

18. A method of providing a network communication status description based on user characteristics, the method comprising:

receiving an HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) status code from a first networked computer in response to a user'"'"'s HTTP request for a URL (Universal Resource Locator) provided by the first networked computer;

determining one or more characteristics of the user who issued the request;

selecting a status description from a database of status descriptions based on the received HTTP status code and the determined user characteristics; and

transmitting the status description to a second networked computer.

21. A proxy for providing a network communication status description based on user characteristics, the proxy comprising:

means for receiving a status code from a first networked computer in response to a user'"'"'s request for information;

means for determining one or more characteristics of the user who issued the request;

means for selecting a status description from a database of status descriptions based on the received status code and the determined user characteristics; and

means for transmitting the status description to a second networked computer.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more characteristics comprise user technical proficiency.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more characteristics comprise one or more preferred languages of the user.