Personal internet portal

• US 20020165846A1
• Filed: 10/11/2001
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Richer, Eric, Fournier, Nicolas, Maltais, Robert-Claude, Host, Gerald, Jodoin, Pierre-Luc
• Application Number:
  US09/682,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20020165846A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/50 for cross-charging network operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/52 for operator independent billing system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/53 using mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 : Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0112 : Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 : General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0156 : Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 : Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0172 : Mediation, i.e. device or program to reformat CDRS from one or more switches in order to adapt to one or more billing programs formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 : Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 : VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 : Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/52 : Interconnection, inter-exchange, reseller billing, billing agreements between different operators, e.g. billing identifier added on the CDR in order to cross charge the other operator, inter-operator accounting, reconciliation, bill directly resellers customers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 : Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7072 : Validate charges

Abstract

A personal portal in a data communications network that comprises a number of sites. The personal portal comprises a user profile applicable all over the network and a number of context profiles applicable within a certain site. The user profile comprises a private part accessible only by the user, and a public part accessible to the public. Each context profile may comprise personal information, personal settings, and access policies. As parts of the personal portal may be accessible and downloaded by other users, there is also provided a method and a system for keeping the downloaded profiles up to date. There is also provided a profile storage.

Claims

1. A personal portal in a data communications network that comprises network entities, the personal portal being associated with a user and comprising:

a user profile; and

at least one context profile.

2. The personal portal of claim 1, wherein the user profile comprises a private part that is accessible only to the user.

3. The personal portal of claim 1, wherein the user profile comprises a public part that is accessible by at least one other network entity.

4. The personal portal of claim 1, wherein the at least one context profile comprises personal information associated with the user.

5. The personal portal of claim 1, wherein the at least one context profile comprises personal settings.

6. The personal portal of claim 5, wherein the personal settings comprise information on how information is to be sent.

7. The personal portal of claim 5, wherein the personal settings comprise information on how information is to be displayed.

8. The personal portal of claim 1, wherein the at least one context profile comprises access policies associated with the user.

9. The personal portal of claim 1, wherein the data communications network further comprises at least one site, and each context profile is related to a site.

10. The personal portal of claim 9, wherein the context profile is stored within the site.

11. The personal portal of claim 9, wherein the site comprises an access network and the context profile is available only within that access network.

13. The method for updating profiles of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

sending from an entity that has gone on-line to the profile storage, a request for modifications done to profiles the entity stores; and

sending from the profile storage to the entity that has gone on-line the requested profiles.

15. The system for updating profiles of claim 14, the system further comprising an entity that has gone on-line that:

sends a request for modifications done to profiles the entity stores; and

stores received profiles; and

the profile storage further;

receives the request; and

sends to the entity that has gone on-line the requested profiles.

12. A method for updating profiles in a data communications network comprising a number of entities, among them a profile storage that stores profiles and for each profile a list of all on-line entities that store the profile, the method comprising the steps of:

updating the profile on an entity;

sending the updated profile from the entity to the profile storage;

storing the updated profile by the profile storage;

retrieving by the profile storage a list of all on-line entities that store the profile; and

sending the updated profile to each entity on the retrieved list.

14. A system for updating profiles in a data communications network comprising an entity that has updated a profile, the system comprising:

a profile storage and a number of on-line entities, wherein

the profile storage;

stores profiles and for each profile a list of all on-line entities that store the profile;

receives the updated profile from the entity;

stores the updated profile;

retrieves a list of all on-line entities that store the profile; and

sends the updated profile to each entity on the retrieved list; and

the on-line entities;

store the received profile.

16. A profile storage in a data communications network that further comprises a number of entities that store at least part of a profile, the profile storage comprising a number of profiles and, for each profile, a list of entities that store the profile.