Object Structure-Based System and Method for Managing Information

• US 20100049774A1
• Filed: 08/21/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ip Ot Sub Ulc
• Original Assignee: Vignette Corporation (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Irey, Philip M. IV, Pathak, Heeren
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a software product comprising a set of computer instructions stored on a computer readable medium. The computer instructions can be executable by a computer processor to maintain a profile object representing profile data, the profile object comprising, receive a first command based on the profile object to access an attribute value access the attribute value. The profile object can include at least one profile section that acts as a container for attributes and at least one attribute for each profile section. The attributes can essentially be variables having a name and a value.

Claims

1. An object-based profile management system, comprising:

a network interface for connecting to and interfacing with a first network where one or more servers reside, where at least one web site is hosted by one of said servers, and wherein said at least one web site is accessible by users via user computers over a second network;

a central processing unit coupled to said network interface; and

a computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions executable by said central processing unit to;

define and manage a profile object to represent profile data related to a user'"'"'s activity on said web site, wherein said profile object has a uniform addressing syntax, wherein said uniform addressing syntax has one or more profile sections, each of which defines one or more attributes and storage semantic specifying where and how attribute values corresponding to said one or more attributes are stored, wherein each attribute is assigned a name that is unique within a profile section and wherein each profile section is designated as persistent or non-persistent and is assigned a name that is unique among all profile sections defined by said profile object;

receive a profile management command based on said uniform addressing syntax to retrieve information provided by said one or more profile sections and said one or more attributes of said profile object referencing said profile data related to said user'"'"'s activity on said web site, wherein said profile management command contains an identification of said user and at least one profile section or attribute defined in said profile object;

create a new entry for said user in response to said profile management command; and

retrieve or modify said profile data referenced by said identification of said user and said at least one profile section or attribute, wherein said uniform addressing syntax enables said profile data to be stored across multiple data storage locations, wherein said multiple data storage locations store data in different formats, and wherein said multiple data storage locations include one or more non-relational data storage locations.