Processing of network content and services for mobile or fixed devices

• US 20090150400A1
• Filed: 12/06/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genasys, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kenneth E. Grigg, Suhayya Abu-Hakima
• Inventors: Grigg, Kenneth E., Abu-Hakima, Suhayya
• Granted Patent: US 8,051,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia

Abstract

A system for supplying network content to a device. The system includes a first interface for communicating with a network content source for retrieving the network content. The system also includes a second interface for communicating with the device for delivering processed network content to the device. The system includes an agent framework operatively connected to the first interface and the second interface and which operates a plurality of autonomous agents including a content retrieval agent, a content personalization agent, and a content delivery agent. The content retrieval agent is for retrieving the network content from the network content source via the first interface. The content personalization agent is for processing the network content thereby producing the processed network content. The content delivery agent is for delivering the processed network content to the device via the second interface.

Claims

1. A system for supplying network content to a device, the system comprising:

a first interface for communicating with a network content source for retrieving the network content;

a second interface for communicating with the device for delivering processed network content to the device; and

an agent framework operatively connected to the first interface and the second interface, the agent framework operating a plurality of autonomous agents including;

a content retrieval agent for retrieving the network content from the network content source via the first interface;

a content personalization agent for processing the network content thereby producing the processed network content; and

a content delivery agent for delivering the processed network content to the device via the second interface.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the agent framework includes a whiteboard messaging service for providing messaging between the plurality of agents.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the content retrieval agent, the content personalization agent, and the content delivery agent comprises:

a pool manager, and a plurality of pooled agents, wherein the pooled agents collaboratively perform the retrieving, the processing, or the delivering, respectively, of that agent.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein processing the network content comprises:

extracting passive or active text from the network content;

summarizing text in the network content;

translating text in the network content;

listing attachments in the network content;

specifying a URL pointing to a server that provides rendering of attachments in the network content;

rendering a lower definition version of an image in the network content;

extracting a portion of the network content;

or

filtering all or a part of the network content.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the agent framework is extensible for operating a further content retrieval agent for retrieving further network content from a further network content source, wherein the further network content source is inaccessible by the content retrieval agent, and wherein the further network content is processed by the content personalization agent thereby producing further processed network content for delivery to the device by the content delivery agent.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the agent framework is extensible for operating a further content personalization agent for processing further network content thereby producing further processed network content, wherein:

a type of the further network content is identical to a type of the network content, and the processing of the further network content by the further content personalization agent is different from the processing of the network content by the content personalization agent;

or

the type of the further network content is different from the type of the network content

wherein the content retrieval agent is further for retrieving the further network content from a further network content source, and the content delivery agent is further for delivering the further processed network content to the device.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the agent framework is extensible for operating a further content delivery agent for delivering further processed network content to a further device, wherein the further device is inaccessible by the content delivery agent, and wherein the content retrieval agent is further for retrieving further network content from a further network content source, and wherein the content personalization agent is further for processing the further network content thereby producing the further processed network content.

8. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a third interface operatively connected to a user database containing user data corresponding to a plurality of users, the user data specifying a service level for each user, wherein the agent framework further operates a class of service agent for scheduling, based on the service levels:

the retrieval of the network content by the content retrieval agent;

the processing of the network content by the content personalization agent; and

the delivery of the processed network content by the content delivery agent.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein the network content source includes a message store of one of the users, and wherein the scheduling performed by the class of service agent includes determining, based on the service levels, a frequency at which the content retrieval agent polls the message store.

10. The system according to claim 8 wherein the network content includes an electronic message, the processed network content includes an SMS or MMS message corresponding to the electronic message, whereby the SMS or MMS message is forwarded to the device by the content delivery agent, and wherein the class of service agent is further for accessing an SMS/MMS reply message store for receiving a reply from the device sent to the SMS/MMS reply message store, and further wherein the reply is relayed to the content delivery agent for delivery to a sender of the electronic message.

11. The system according to claim 8 wherein the class of service agent is further for accessing a remote control message store for receiving an electronic message from the device sent to the remote control message store, the electronic message containing an identifier of the device and a command for causing the system:

to delete from a user message store another electronic message corresponding to the processed network content delivered to the device;

to deliver to the device a full version of the network content wherein the processed network content delivered to the device includes a summarized version of the network content;

to specify at least one other device for receiving the processed network content;

or

to turn a notification or alert on or off.

12. The system according to claim 8 further comprising a self-administration portal operatively connected to the user database for use by each user:

for specifying the network content source for retrieval of the network content;

for selecting a personalization option, wherein the processing of the network content by the content personalization agent is based on the personalization option;

or

for specifying the device for delivery of the processed network content.

13. A computer program product for enabling a computer to supply network content to a device, the computer program product comprising:

software instructions providing an agent framework, a content retrieval agent, a content personalization agent, and a content delivery agent, the software instructions enabling the computer to perform predetermined operations; and

a computer-readable medium bearing the software instructions;

the predetermined operations including;

retrieving the network content from the network content source by the content retrieval agent via a first interface;

processing the network content by the content personalization agent thereby producing the processed network content; and

delivering the processed network content to the device by the content delivery agent via a second interface.

wherein the content retrieval agent, the content personalization agent, and the content delivery agent all operate within the agent framework and communicate via a whiteboard messaging service of the agent framework.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13 wherein the agent framework is operatively connected to a user database containing user data corresponding to a plurality of users, the user data specifying a service level for each user, and wherein the software instructions further provide a class of service agent operating within the agent framework and communicating via the whiteboard messaging service, the predetermined operations further including scheduling, based on the service levels:

the retrieval of the network content by the content retrieval agent;

the processing of the network content by the content personalization agent; and

the delivering of the processed network content by the content delivery agent, wherein the scheduling is performed by the class of service agent.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14 further comprising providing a self-administration portal operatively connected to the user database for use by each user:

for specifying the network content source for retrieval of the network content;

for selecting a personalization option, wherein the processing of the network content by the content personalization agent is based on the personalization option;

or

for specifying the device for delivery of the processed network content.

16. A system for providing network content to a plurality of devices, the system comprising:

a first interface for communicating with a plurality of sources of the network content for retrieving the network content;

a second interface for communicating with the devices for delivering processed network content to the devices; and

an agent framework operatively connected to the first interface and the second interface, the agent framework operating a plurality of autonomous agents including;

a plurality of content retrieval agents for retrieving the network content from the network content sources via the first interface;

a plurality of content personalization agents for processing the network content thereby producing the processed network content; and

a plurality of content delivery agents for delivering the processed network content to the devices via the second interface.

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein each of the plurality of content retrieval agents is for retrieving network content from a particular one of the plurality of sources of the network content.

18. The system according to claim 16 wherein each of the plurality of content personalization agents is for processing one of a plurality of types of network content.

19. The system according to claim 16 wherein each of the plurality of content delivery agents is for delivering processed network content to a particular one of the plurality of devices.