Software platform for the delivery of services and personalized content

• US 20050071443A1
• Filed: 12/31/2001
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parsons, Chris, Littrell, Kim, Menon, Jai, Hodges, Donna
• Application Number:
  US10/036,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20050071443A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2885 Hierarchically arranged intermediate devices, e.g. for hierarchical caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A software platform that supports the delivery of services and personalized content is provided. The software platform interfaces with an edge network and a distribution platform. The edge network is a computer network that distributes servers, routers and storage throughout the network. The software platform augments that physical capabilities of the edge network and provides a number of platform services. The distribution platform is a software platform that provides an interface to the platform services and the edge network.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium having computer executable components, comprising:

an edge network services component that provides an interface to a network, the network including a central point of presence, a plurality of regional points of presence connected to the central point of presence and a plurality of edge points of presence, each edge point of presence connected to a regional point of presence and at least one user location;

an integration component that interfaces with the edge network services component and a plurality of platform components, the integration component including network management services for the central point of presence, the regional points of presence and the edge points of presence and including platform component support services for the plurality of platform components; and

the plurality of platform components, each platform component associated with a service.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein a first platform component associated with a first service and a second platform component associated with a second service are used in combination to provide the first service and the second service to an application program.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein one of the platform components is a voice component that provides a voice interface to voice device.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein one of the platform components is a wireless component that provides a wireless interface to a wireless device.

5. A computer readable medium having computer executable components, comprising:

an edge network services component that provides an interface to a network;

an integration component that interfaces with the edge network services component and a plurality of platform components, the integration component including network management services and platform component support services; and

the plurality of platform components, each platform component providing a service, wherein an application program utilizes a platform component to provide a user interface service.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein one of the platform components is a wireless component that provides a wireless user interface for the application program.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein one of the platform components is a voice component that provides a voice user interface for the application program.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein the application program utilizes a second platform component to provide a support service.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the second platform component is a security component that provides a secure interconnection for the application program.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the second platform component is a storage component that provides storage for the application program.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the second platform component is a bandwidth management component that provides dynamic bandwidth adjustment for the application program.

12. A platform for hosting an application program, comprising:

an edge network services layer that interfaces to a network, the edge network services layer operative to identify information that is relevant to a user and a device that the user is using to access the network;

an integration layer that includes a service management layer that interfaces with the edge network services layer and a network management layer that interfaces with a plurality of platform components; and

the plurality of platform components, wherein the application program utilizes a platform component to obtain a support service.

13. The platform of claim 12, wherein the edge network services layer monitors a user'"'"'s actions to identify information that is relevant to the user.

14. The platform of claim 12, wherein the platform hosts a plurality of application programs written for different platforms.

15. The platform of claim 12, wherein one of the platform components is a security component that provides secure interconnections for the application program.

16. The platform of claim 12, wherein the application program utilizes the platform components to provide a user interface service.

17. The platform of claim 16, wherein the edge network services layer identifies a wireless device as the device that the user is using to access the network and wherein one of the platform components is a wireless component that provides a wireless user interface for the application program.

18. The platform of claim 16, wherein the edge network services layer identifies a voice device as the device that the user is using to access the network and wherein one of the platform components is a voice component that provides a voice user interface for the application program.

19. The platform of claim 12, wherein the edge network services layer identifies selected information as the information that is selected to the user and wherein one of the platform components is a content distribution component that identifies the selected information to the application program.

20. The platform of claim 12, wherein a portion of the network includes a public switched telephone network.

21. The platform of claim 12, wherein the network includes:

a central point of presence, the central point of presence including a central server, a central router and central storage;

a plurality of regional points of presence connected to the central point of presence, each regional point of presence including a regional server, a regional router and regional storage; and

a plurality of edge points of presence, each edge point of presence including an edge server, an edge router and edge storage and each edge point of presence connected to one of the regional points of presence and at least one user location.