Portal architecture for mobile platforms

• US 20030046118A1
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: OʼDonnell, Mary E.
• Application Number:
  US10/103,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20030046118A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A portal architecture system and method is provided that includes a central content management system that communicates destination driven and travel information for mobile clients (i.e., individuals) through a plurality of interfaces. The interfaces comprise an in-flight Internet portal where the mobile client can access information regarding his/her destination or a specified destination in addition to other more general information while in-transit; a customer interface where the mobile client can access airline specific travel information; and a ground Internet portal where the mobile client can perform extensive travel planning while in-transit. Further, the mobile client can customize the interfaces according to personal preferences, and the resulting personal profiles are coordinated across all interfaces by the content management system.

Claims

1. A portal architecture system that automatically provides specific Internet content to a mobile client, the system comprising:

a content management system comprising the specific Internet content;

a customer interface in communication with the content management system;

an in-transit interface in communication with the content management system and the customer interface; and

a ground-based interface in communication with the content management system and the in-transit interface,

wherein the content management system automatically sends the specific Internet content to the customer interface, the in-transit interface, and the ground-based interface according to a destination of the mobile client.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the content management system further comprises:

(a) at least one in-transit server; and

(b) at least one ground-based server,

wherein the in-transit server provides predetermined content to the content management system and the ground-based server provides Internet content on-demand to the content management system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the ground-based server further provides intranet content on-demand to the content management system.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the ground-based server communicates with the in-transit server using satellite data links.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the content management system further comprises a database that stores information communicated from the customer interface, the in-transit interface, and the ground-based interface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the content management system further comprises mobile client preferences.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the mobile client preferences are specified by the mobile client.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the content management system supplies the mobile client preferences to the in-transit interface and the ground-based interface.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the architecture system further comprises an in-transit logon such that the mobile client can access the portal from the customer interface.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the in-transit interface and the ground-based interface further comprise an agent bot that searches, identifies, and presents travel reservations to the mobile client.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile client is able to book the travel reservations presented by the agent bot via the in-transit interface.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile client is able to book the travel reservations presented by the agent bot via the ground-based interface.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication between the in-transit interface and the content management system is broadband.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the in-transit interface further comprises a logon for access to the specific Internet content by the mobile client.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein access to the in-transit interface by the mobile client is fee-based.

16. A portal architecture system that automatically provides specific Internet content to a mobile client, the system comprising:

a content management system comprising the specific Internet content; and

an in-transit interface in communication with the content management system,

wherein the content management system automatically sends the specific Internet content to the in-transit interface according to a destination of the mobile client.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the content management system further comprises:

(c) at least one in-transit server; and

(d) at least one ground-based server,

wherein the in-transit server provides predetermined content to the content management system and the ground-based server provides Internet content on-demand to the content management system.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the ground-based server further provides intranet content on-demand to the content management system.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the ground-based server communicates with the in-transit server using satellite data links.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the content management system further comprises a database that stores information communicated from the in-transit interface.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the content management system further comprises mobile client preferences.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the mobile client preferences are specified by the mobile client.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the in-transit interface further comprises an agent bot that searches, identifies, and presents travel reservations to the mobile client.

24. The architecture system of claim 23, wherein the mobile client is able to book the travel reservations presented by the agent bot via the in-transit interface.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the communication between the in-transit interface and the content management system is broadband.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the in-transit interface further comprises a logon for access to the specific Internet content by the mobile client.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein access to the in-transit interface by the mobile client is fee-based.

28. In a portal architecture system comprising a content management system in communication with mobile client interfaces, a method of automatically providing specific Internet content to a mobile client, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing the destination of the mobile client in the content management system;

(b) storing the specific Internet content in the content management system, the specific Internet content relating to information concerning the destination of the mobile client;

(c) receiving from one of the mobile client interfaces a logon to the content management system; and

(d) automatically sending the specific Internet content to the mobile client interface while the mobile client is in transit so that the specific Internet content can be accessed by the mobile client prior to arrival at the destination.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving from the mobile client a request for Internet information not contained within the content management system after step (b);

(b) sending the request to a ground-based server through satellite data links;

(c) receiving the requested Internet information from the ground-based server through satellite data links; and

(d) sending the requested Internet information to the mobile client.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving personal preference information from the mobile client after step (b);

(b) storing the personal preference information on the content management system; and

(c) providing the personal preference information to a plurality of mobile client interfaces.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a request for reservation information from the mobile client after step (b);

(b) sending a bot to access web sites and gather reservation information related to the request for reservation information; and

(c) presenting the requested reservation information to the mobile client via one of the mobile client interfaces.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the mobile client books reservations through the mobile client interface.