Method and system for enabling personalization of services

• US 20070130252A1
• Filed: 11/16/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boyle, Currie
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A method and system for enabling personalization of services for a user. A first and second computerized service system that includes a first and second server, respectively, is utilized. An information server of a computerized information system receives a different request from the first and second server for first and second personalization information of the user, respectively. The first and second personalization information enables a first and second entity that uses the first and second server to provide a service to the user in response to the user having previously requested the service from first and second entity, respectively. The information server determines that first and second criteria for the first and second entity to receive the first and second personalization information, respectively, have been satisfied, after which the information server sends the first and second personalization information to the first and second server, respectively.

Claims

1. A method for enabling personalization of services for a user, said method comprising:

receiving, by an information server of a computerized information system via a communication infrastructure, a first request from a first server of a first computerized service system for first personalization information of the user, said first personalization information enabling a first entity to use the first server to provide a first service to the user in response to the user having previously requested the first service from the first entity via the first computerized service system;

determining, by the information server, that first criteria for the first entity to receive the first personalization information has been satisfied;

sending, by the information server to the first server, the first personalization information after said determining has been performed;

receiving, by the information server via the communication infrastructure, a second request from a second server of a second computerized service system for second personalization information of the user, said second personalization information enabling a second entity to use the second server to provide a second service to the user in response to the user having previously requested the second service from the second entity via the second computerized service system;

ascertaining, by the information server, that second criteria for the second entity to receive the second personalization information has been satisfied; and

sending, by the information server to the second server, the second personalization information after said ascertaining has been performed,

wherein the second computerized service system, the second request, the second personalization information, the second entity, the second service, and the second criteria differ from the first computerized service system, the first request, the first personalization information, the first entity, the first service, and the first criteria, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises obtaining, by the information server from a repository comprised by the computerized information system, the first personalization information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining, by the information server from a repository comprised by the computerized information system, a first portion of the first personalization information; and

obtaining, by the information server from another computerized information system, a second portion of the first personalization information, wherein the second portion differs from the first portion, and wherein the repository does not comprise the second portion.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first personalization information comprises personal information selected from the group consisting of first human-machine interface (HMI) preferences of the user, first personal information pertaining to the user, first service-specific preferences of the user that are specific to the first service, and combinations thereof, and

wherein the second personalization information comprises personal information selected from the group consisting of second HMI preferences of the user, second personal information pertaining to the user, second service-specific preferences of the user that are specific to the second service, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein the personal information of the first personalization information includes said first HMI preferences, and

wherein the personal information of the second personalization information includes said second personal information pertaining to the user, said second service-specific preferences, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 4,

wherein the personal information of the first personalization information includes said first personal information pertaining to the user, and

wherein the personal information of the second personalization information includes said second HMI preferences, said second service-specific preferences, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 4,

wherein the personal information of the first personalization information includes said first service-specific preferences, and

wherein the personal information of the second personalization information includes said second HMI preferences, said second personal information pertaining to the user, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 4,

wherein the first criteria is a function of at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a first personal preference of the user, a first HMI preference of said first HMI preferences, said first service-specific preferences, an entity type of the first entity, a name of the first entity, a service type of the first service, and combinations thereof, and

wherein the second criteria is a function of at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a second personal preference of the user, a second HMI preference of said second HMI preferences, said second service-specific preferences, an entity type of the second entity, a name of the second entity, a service type of the second service, and combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the personal information of the first personalization information includes said first HMI preferences, and wherein the first criteria is a function of said first HMI preferences.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the personal information of the first personalization information includes said first service-specific preferences, and wherein the first criteria is a function of said first service-specific preferences.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the personal information of the first personalization information includes said entity type of the first entity.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the personal information of the first personalization information includes said name of the first entity.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the personal information of the first personalization information includes said service type of the first service.

14. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first criteria is a function of at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a first personal preference of the user, a first human-machine interface (HMI) preference of first HMI preferences of the user, first service-specific preferences pertaining to the user, an entity type of the first entity, a name of the first entity, a service type of the first service, and combinations thereof, and

wherein the second criteria is a functions of at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a second personal preference of the user, a second HMI preference of second HMI preferences of the user, second service-specific preferences pertaining to the user, an entity type of the second entity, a name of the second entity, a service type of the second service, and combinations thereof.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable server code embodied therein, wherein said server code when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the method of claim 1, and wherein the information server comprises the processor.

16. A computer system comprising a computerized information system, said computerized information system comprising a repository and an information server, said information server comprising a processor and a computer readable memory unit coupled to the processor, said memory unit containing server code that when executed by the processor implement a method for enabling personalization of services for a user, said method comprising:

receiving, by an information server of the computerized information system via a communication infrastructure, a first request from a first server of a first computerized service system for first personalization information of the user, said first personalization information enables a first entity to use the first server to provide a first service to the user in response to the user having previously requested the first service from the first entity via the first computerized service system;

determining, by the information server, that first criteria for the first entity to receive the first personalization information has been satisfied;

sending, by the information server to the first server, the first personalization information after said determining has been performed;

receiving, by the information server via the communication infrastructure, a second request from a second server of a second computerized service system for second personalization information of the user, said second personalization information enabling a second entity to use the second server to provide a second service to the user in response to the user having previously requested the second service from the second entity via the second computerized service system;

ascertaining, by the information server, that second criteria for the second entity to receive the second personalization information has been satisfied; and

sending, by the information server to the second server, the second personalization information after said ascertaining has been performed,

wherein the second computerized service system, the second request, the second personalization information, the second entity, the second service, and the second criteria differ from the first computerized service system, the first request, the first personalization information, the first entity, the first service, and the first criteria, respectively.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises obtaining, by the information server from the repository comprised by the computerized information system, the first personalization information.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining, by the information server from the repository comprised by the computerized information system, a first portion of the first personalization information; and

obtaining, by the information server from another computerized information system, a second portion of the first personalization information, wherein the second portion differs from the first portion, and wherein the repository does not comprise the second portion.

19. The computer system of claim 16,

wherein the first personalization information comprises personal information selected from the group consisting of first human-machine interface (HMI) preferences of the user, first personal information pertaining to the user, first service-specific preferences of the user that are specific to the first service, and combinations thereof, and

wherein the second personalization information comprises personal information selected from the group consisting of second HMI preferences of the user, second personal information pertaining to the user, second service-specific preferences of the user that are specific to the second service, and combinations thereof.

20. The computer system of claim 19,

wherein the first criteria is a function of at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a first personal preference of the user, a first HMI preference of said first HMI preferences, said first service-specific preferences, an entity type of the first entity, a name of the first entity, a second personal preference of the user, a service type of the first service, and combinations thereof, and

wherein the second criteria is a function of at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a second personal preference of the user, a second HMI preference of said second HMI preferences, said second service-specific preferences, an entity type of the second entity, a name of the second entity, a service type of the second service, and combinations thereof.