Message router

• US 20080162693A1
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navic Systems, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hall, Peter, Kanojia, Chaitanya, Kamenstky, Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

The present disclosed system is directed toward a communication and management system that dynamically targets network devices for content deployment, such as application programs, device drivers, configuration files, and registry subhives. Moreover, the present system targets users of network devices for promotions, such as advertisements offered by Internet e-commerce sites. Network devices and their users are targeted through user profiles. User profiles are created when network devices register with the system server and are continually updated with information provided by user activity and event logs that are periodically uploaded from each device. A scalable messaging system provides for data transmission between the system server and among the network devices such that it is neutral as to the specific hardware platforms on which it is implemented.

Claims

1. A method for collecting user profiles of user attributes and device attributes to target consumers with promotions comprising:

collecting device attributes describing a network device;

assigning a globally unique identifier (GUID) to the network device in response to the device attributes collected;

customizing a registration query for the network device based on device attributes and user attributes, in an event, the user attributes are available, the registration query requesting information about a user of the network device to be submitted;

generating a user profile of user attributes and device attributes from the information about the user of the network device submitted;

adding the user profile generated to one or more group profiles a targeting particular user attribute and device attribute by matching the user attribute and the device attributes of the user profile with the user attributes and the device attributes targeted by the group profile; and

targeting a consumer for a promotion using the one or more group profiles.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating the user profile of user attributes and device attributes with the network device using the GUID assigned.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating the user profile of user attributes and device attributes with the information about the user of the network device submitted.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting includes receiving from the network device a registration request message containing a number of device attributes describing the network device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning includes retrieving the GUID from a pool of available GUIDs stored in a data store.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning includes providing to the network device a registration response message containing the GUID assigned to the network device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein customizing includes retrieving the device attributes and the user attributes from a data store to generate the registration query, the device attributes and the user attributes retrieved using the GUID assigned to the network device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein customizing includes providing a registration page for a user of the network device to submit information about the user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein associating includes adding the user profile of the network device to the group profile of other network devices in an event the network device and the other network devices share the same model number attribute.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising a web browser adapted to:

i) transmit the HTTP request for the registration page to a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the management console, the HTTP request includes the GUID assigned to the network device, thereby identifying the network device;

ii) display the registration page requested to the user for the user of the network device to submit information about the user, the information submitted being used to create and to update the user profile of user attributes and device attributes associated with the network device; and

iii) transmit the information submitted to the management console.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the data store provides persistence to data stored such that the user profiles of user attributes and device attributes, the attributes of group profiles, the content and the promotions, and a pool of available global unique identifiers stored are not lost during a power outage.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the system agent is a C++ object.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the API of the system manager is a Microsoft®

COM interface.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the data store is a Microsoft®

SQL database.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the system manager adds the user profile of the network device to the group profile of other network devices in an event the network device and the other network devices share the same model number attribute.

17. The system of claim 9 wherein the information submitted by the user includes a name of the user, an address of the user, channels frequently watched by the user, one or more requests by the user for installation of optional value-add services and applications, a user'"'"'s demographic information, and a user'"'"'s personal information.

10. A system for collecting user profiles of user attributes and device attributes to target consumers with promotions comprising:

a data store adapted to store user profiles of user attributes and device attributes, attributes of group profiles, content, promotions, and a pool of available global unique identifiers;

a system agent of a network device adapted to generate and transmit a registration request message, the registration request containing a number of device attributes describing the network device;

a system manager having an Application Programming Interface (API) configured for inter-process communications, the system manger adapted to;

i) receive the registration request message from the system agent of the network device;

ii) assign a globally unique identifier (GUID) to the network device in response to the registration request message received, the GUID assigned from the pool of available GUIDs stored in the data store;

iii) generate and transmit a registration response message to the system agent of the network device, the registration response message containing the GUID assigned to the network device;

iv) create the user profile of user attributes and device attributes, the user profile being associated with the network device using the GUID assigned and being created in a data store;

v) retrieve from the data store the user profile of user attributes and device attributes associated with the GUID assigned to the network device and to update the user profile;

vi) add the user profile of user attributes and device attributes with a group profile whose attributes match the user attributes and the device attributes of the user profile;

vii) target consumers for promotions using the group profile;

a management console adapted to;

i) generate a registration page in response to an HTTP request for the registration page sent by the network device, the registration page being customized for the network device based on device attributes and user attributes, in an event, the user attributes are available, the registration page being provided to a user of the network device so that the user may submit information describing itself;

ii) interpret the information submitted by the user of the network device and make a call to the system manager to create the user profile of user attributes and device attributes with the information submitted, the user profile being associated with a GUID assigned to the network device and being created in a data store; and

iii) make a call to the system manager to retrieve from the data store the user profile of user attributes and device attributes associated with the GUID assigned to the network device and update the user profile with the information submitted.

18. A method for initially registering and generating a user profile for a network device comprising:

receiving device attributes describing a registering network device;

assigning in response to the device attributes received a globally unique identifier (GUID) identifying the registering network device;

requesting user attributes describing a user of the registering device identified by the GUID assigned; and

generating a user profile for the registering network device from the device attributes received and the user attributes requested, the user profile generated describing both the registering network device and the user of the registering network device.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein assigning includes retrieving the GUID assigned from a pool of available GUIDs stored in a data store.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein requesting includes customizing a registration query for the registering network device based on the device attributes received and the user attributes, in an event, the user attributes are available.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the registration query:

(i) requests user attributes which describe the user of the registering network device, and ii) is identified by the GUID of the registering network device.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising updating the user profile generated for the registering network device with the user attributes describing the user of the registering network device.

23. The method claim 18 further comprising

adding the user profile generated for the registering network device to one or more group profiles which target common user attributes or device attributes;

and

targeting consumers of particular market segments for various e-commerce promotions or application services using the one or more group profiles.