Method and system for transmitting information over a communication network

• US 20030146930A1
• Filed: 01/30/2003
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV
• Inventors: De Jong, Bastiaan, Schelvis, Wilhelmus Adrianus Maria
• Granted Patent: US 7,565,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/738
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for transmitting information over a communication network comprising a user device and a server wherein the user device receives the information from or via this server. The method comprises the step triggering an interactive session between the server and the user device depending on at least one property of the requested information and evaluating the result of the interactive session. On the basis of the result of the interactive session it is determined whether and/or in what form the requested information is transmitted to the user device.

Claims

1. Method for transmitting information over a communication network comprising at least a first server and a user device the method comprising the steps of

receiving a request for the information from the user device at the first server;

triggering an interactive session between the first server and the user device depending on at least one property of the requested information;

evaluating the result of the interactive session on the basis of which it is determined whether and/or in what form the requested information is transmitted to the user device.

2. Method according to claim 1 wherein the information is retrieved from a second server and the first server evaluates the property of the information.

3. Method according to claim 2 wherein the information and/or the property of the information are/is stored at the first server.

4. Method according to claim 1 wherein the information and/or the property of the information are retrieved from a cache of the first server.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims wherein a user profile and/or user device profile is stored at or retrievable by the first server from a profile database.

6. Method according to claim 5 wherein the interactive session is triggered based on a comparisson of the property of the information with the user and/or user device profile.

7. Method according to claim 5 or 6 wherein the user and/or user device profile are set by the user via the user device and/or any other device connectable to the profile database.

8. Method according to one of the claims 5-7 wherein the user and/or user device profile involves the property of the information relating to the byte size of the information.

9. Method according to one of the claims 5-8 wherein the user and/or the user device profile involves the property of the information relating to the display measurements of the information.

10. Method according to one of the claims 5-9 wherein the user and/or the user device profile involves the property of the information relating to the technical ability requirements for the user device to properly display the information.

11. Method according to one of the preceding claims wherein the interactive session involves sending at least one query from the first server to the user device which query is presented to the user and at least one user response which is received at the first server.

12. Method according to claim 11 wherein the query relates to whether the requested information should be transmitted to the user device

13. Method according to claim 12 wherein the user response is confirmative and the result of the interactive session is transmitting of the requested information.

14. Method according to claim 12 wherein the user response is negative and the result of the interactive session is sending a further query from the first server to the user device followed by a further user response.

15. Method according to claim 14 wherein the further query from the first server involves offering a possibility of modifying the requested information and the result of the interactive session is transmitting of the modified requested information if the further user response is confirmative.

16. Method according to claim 15 wherein the modification of the requested information involves a modification of the byte size of the information and/or the display measurements of the information and/or the technical ability requirements for the user device.

17. Method according to claim 11 or claim 14 wherein the user response or the user response and the further user response is negative and the result of the interactive session is non-transmittal of the requested or modified requested information.

18. Method according to claim 11 wherein the query from the first server enables the user to choose various user responses other or next to a confirmative or negative response.

19. Method according to claim 18 wherein the request for the information involves an information page which is not suitable for the user device and the query from the first server enables the user to choose as a user response the transmittal of an information page which is suitable for the user device.

20. Method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the information comprises information parts and the at least one property relates to one or more of these information parts.

35. A computer program according to claim 34 at least including software code portions for transmitting information over a communication network as claimed in claims 2-17 when run on a computer system.

37. A datacarrier according to claim 36, said data representing a computer program as claimed in claim 35.

21. System for transmitting information over a communication network comprising at least:

a user device suited for requesting information;

a first server comprising;

means for receiving a request for the information;

means for setting up an interactive session with the user device depending on at least one property of the requested information;

evaluation means for evaluating the result of the interactive session as to whether and in what form the requested information is transmitted to the user device, and

means for transmitting information.

22. System according to claim 21 comprising a second server from which the requested information can be retrieved and the first server is suited to evaluate the at least one property of the requested information.

23. System according to claim 22 comprising means for storing the information and/or the property of the information at the first server.

24. System according to claim 21 wherein the first server comprises a cache from which the requested information and/or the property of the information can be retrieved.

25. System according to any of the claims 21-24 wherein the cache or the means for storing the information and/or at least one property of the information contain information parts and properties of this information belonging to one or more of these information parts.

26. System according to claim 25 wherein the information parts include text, images, movies, sounds and/or applets and the properties of this infomation include byte size, download costs, display size and/or technical ability requirements for the user device.

27. System according to any of the claims 21-24 comprising a profile database from which user and/or user device profiles are available.

28. System according to claim 27 comprising comparison means for comparing the property of the information and the user and/or user device profile triggering the means for setting up an interactive session.

29. System according to claim 27 or 28 comprising means for setting the user and/or user device profile via the user device or any other device connectable to the first server.

30. System according to any of the claims 27-29 wherein the user and/or user device profile involves the property of the information relating to the byte size of the information.

31. System according to any of the claims 27-30 wherein the user and/or user device profile involves the property of the information relating to the display measurements of the information.

32. System according to any of the claims 21-31 wherein the means for setting up an interactive session comprise means for sending at least one query to the user device and means for receiving at least one response from the user device and wherein the result of the interactive session depends on a received response.

33. System according to any of the claims 21-32 wherein the first server comprises means for modifying the requested information depending on the result of the interactive session and the means for transmitting information are suited to transmit the modified requested information.

34. A computer program for running on a computer system, at least including software code portions for transmitting information over a communication network comprising a user device and a first server comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for the information from the user device at the first server;

triggering an interactive session between the first server and the user device depending on at least one property of the requested information;

evaluating the result of the interactive session on the basis of which it is determined whether and in what form the requested information is transmitted to the user device.

36. A data carrier, stored with data loadable in a computer memory said data representing a computerprogram for running on a computer system, at least including software code portions for transmitting information over a communication network comprising a user device and a first server comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for the information from the user device to the first server;

triggering an interactive session between the first server and the user device depending on at least one property of the requested information;

evaluating the result of the interactive session on the basis of which it is determined whether and in what form the requested information is transmitted to the user device.

38. A communication network for carrying information comprising at least a user device and a first server, the communication network being suited for:

carrying a request for information from the user device to the first server;

setting up and maintaining an interactive session between the first server and the user device depending on at least one property of the requested information;

carrying information from the first server to the user device corresponding to the result of the interactive session.