Propagation of user preferences to end devices

• US 20070130155A1
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cerami, Rich, Alperin, Jordan
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0889 Techniques to speed-up the configuration process

Abstract

Systems, methods, and machine-readable media are disclosed to provide propagation of user preferences to multiple end devices of potentially diverse types. In one embodiment, a method of providing propagation of user preferences to multiple end devices can comprise receiving a request for user preference information, the request originating from a requesting end device. One or more servers storing preference information for a user associated with the requesting end device can be identified. The preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device can be read from the one or more servers and a response message can be generated. The response message can include the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device from the one or more servers. The response message can be sent to one or more recipient end devices.

Claims

1. A method of propagating user preferences to one or more end devices, the method comprising:

receiving a request for user preference information, the request originating from a requesting end device;

identifying one or more servers storing preference information for a user associated with the requesting end device;

reading the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device from the one or more servers; and

generating a response message including the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device from the one or more servers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the response message to one or more recipient end devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more recipient end devices include the requesting end device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a response message comprises generating a common language message readable by a plurality of end devices of different types.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the common language message comprises an extensible Markup Language (XML) file.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a user associated with the requesting end device prior to identifying one or more servers storing preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein identifying one or more servers storing preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device is based on identifying the user associated with the requesting end device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device comprises general preference information applicable to multiple end devices associated with the user associated with the requesting end device and specific preference information applicable to the requesting end device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether there is specific preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device stored in the one or more servers and wherein generating the response message and sending the response message is performed in response to determining there is specific preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device stored in the one or more servers.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising updating user preference information on the one or more recipient end devices based on the response message.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising translating the common language message to a format specific to each of the one or more recipient end devices prior to updating the user preference information on the one or more recipient end devices.

12. A system for providing cross-platform message notification, the system comprising:

a communications bus;

a plurality of end devices of different types, each end device communicatively coupled with the communications bus and adapted to send and receive common language messages via the communications bus and to translate common language messages received from the communications bus to a format specific to the end device based on the type;

a plurality of servers adapted to provide services and information to the plurality of end devices and to store user preference information; and

one or more managers, each manager communicatively coupled with the communications bus and at least one of the plurality of servers, wherein each manager is adapted to receive via the communications bus a request for user preference information the request originating from a requesting end device of the plurality of end devices, identify one or more servers from the plurality of servers storing preference information for a user associated with the requesting end device, read the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device from the one or more servers, generate a response message including the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device from the one or more servers, and send the response message to one or more recipient end devices via the communications bus.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more recipient end devices include the requesting end device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein generating a response message comprises generating a common language message readable by a plurality of end devices of different types.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the common language message comprises an extensible Markup Language (XML) file.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein each manager is further adapted to identify a user associated with the requesting end device prior to identifying one or more servers storing preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein identifying one or more servers storing preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device is based on identifying the user associated with the requesting end device.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a user profile database adapted to store preference information, wherein the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device stored by the user profile database comprises general preference information applicable to multiple end devices associated with the user associated with the requesting end device and the preference information stored by the servers comprises specific preference information applicable to the requesting end device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein each manager is further adapted to determine whether there is specific preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device stored in one or more of the servers, wherein generating the response message and sending the response message is performed in response to determining there is specific preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device stored in the one or more servers.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the recipient end devices are adapted to update user preference information stored thereon based on the response message.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising a client controller communicatively coupled with the communications bus and one or more recipient end devices and adapted to translate the common language message to a format specific to each of the one or more recipient end devices prior to updating the user preference information on the one or more recipient end devices.

22. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a series of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to propagate user preferences to one or more end devices by:

receiving a request for user preference information, the request originating from a requesting end device;

identifying one or more servers storing preference information for a user associated with the requesting end device;

reading the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device from the one or more servers;

generating a response message including the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device from the one or more servers; and

sending the response message to one or more recipient end devices.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the one or more recipient end devices include the requesting end device.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein generating a response message comprises generating a common language message readable by a plurality of end devices of different types.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising identifying a user associated with the requesting end device prior to identifying one or more servers storing preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein identifying one or more servers storing preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device is based on identifying the user associated with the requesting end device.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device comprises general preference information applicable to multiple end devices associated with the user associated with the requesting end device and specific preference information applicable to the requesting end device.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, further comprising determining whether there is specific preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device stored in the one or more servers and wherein generating the response message and sending the response message is performed in response to determining there is specific preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device stored in the one or more servers.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising updating user preference information on the one or more recipient end devices based on the response message.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising translating the common language message to a format specific to each of the one or more recipient end devices prior to updating the user preference information on the one or more recipient end devices.