System for and method for dispatching service messages over a multicast network

• US 20030143982A1
• Filed: 01/31/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: McEachern, Marc, Wolters, Hans J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,133,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of targeting a multi-cast message, comprising the steps of gathering user information related to one or more users, categorizing the user information into one or more interest categories, associating respective ones of the users with ones of the interest categories, receiving service information from a service provider, determining an association between the received service information and ones of the interest categories to determine at least one associated interest category, selecting users using the at least one associated interest category to determine selected users and communicating the received service information to the selected users using the multi-cast message.

Claims

1. A method of targeting a multi-cast message, comprising the steps of:

gathering user information related to one or more users;

categorizing user information into one or more interest categories;

associating respective ones of said users with ones of said interest categories;

receiving service information from a service provider;

determining an association between the received service information and ones of said interest categories to determine at least one associated interest category;

selecting users using said at least one associated interest category to determine selected users; and

communicating said received service information to said selected users using said multi-cast message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of gathering user information includes gathering information provided directly by said users.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of gathering user information includes gathering information from transactions performed by said user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of associating includes a step of accessing stored information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving service information from said service provider includes receiving said service information via an internet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining an association includes a step of selecting interest groups associated with respective ones of said service provider.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of selecting users includes applying a personalized filter.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

protecting an identity of said one or more users by indirectly associating said user information with said one or more users.

9. A system for multi-casting service information to selected users comprising:

a profile router including a storage device; and

a communications network connected to said profile router;

wherein said profile router receives service information from a service provider via said communications network, identifies recipients for said service information and transmits said service information to said identified recipients via multi-cast.

10. The system of claim 9 further including:

a base station connected to said communications network for communicating with a mobile device receiving said multicast of said service information.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said storage device includes a database.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said profile router further includes:

a memory storing an association between ones of said users and interest categories.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said interest categories are identified based on information directly received from said users.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said interest categories are dynamically identified based on transactions performed by said users.

15. The system of claim 9 further including:

a memory storing an association between said service information and one or more interest categories.

16. The system of claim 9 including a memory association said interest categories with one or more of said users.

17. Computer readable code stored on computer-readable media for selecting recipients and sending multi-cast messages, comprising:

a first subprocess for gathering user information related to one or more users;

a second subprocess for categorizing user information into one or more interest categories;

a third subprocess for associating respective ones of said users with ones of said interest categories;

a fourth subprocess for receiving service information from a service provider;

a fifth subprocess for determining an association between the received service information and ones of said interest categories to determine at least one associated interest category;

a sixth subprocess for selecting users using said at least one associated interest category to determine selected users; and

a seventh subprocess for communicating said received service information to said selected users using said multi-cast message.

18. The computer readable code stored on computer readable media of claim 17, wherein said first subprocess includes information provided directly by said users.

19. The computer readable code stored on computer readable media of claim 17, wherein said first subprocess includes information derived from transactions performed by said user.

20. The computer readable code stored on computer readable media of claim 17, wherein said third subprocess includes accessing information stored in a table.