Flexible Token For Use In Content Delivery

• US 20110004929A1
• Filed: 07/01/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hopkins, Bill, Wang, Jin-Gen
• Granted Patent: US 8,886,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation

Abstract

An embodiment of a system for managing delivery of content to end users includes a semantics generator configured to generate name/value pair semantics for name/value pairs that can be included in flexible tokens, a semantics publisher configured to publish the name/value pair semantics in a menu, wherein the name/value pair semantics are selectable, a flexible token interpreter configured to interpret name/value pairs included in flexible tokens according to the name/value pair semantics, the flexible token interpreter further configured to determine responses to content requests based on the name/value pairs included in flexible tokens, and an edge server configured to generate token-dependent responses to content requests based on determined responses from the flexible token interpreter.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

generating a menu of token semantics, wherein the token semantics specify one or more parameter names available for inclusion in a flexible token, wherein the flexible token is configured to include one or more parameter name/value pairs, and wherein the one or more parameter name/value pairs can occur in any order;

receiving a selection of one or more of the token semantics;

receiving a tokenized content designator including a flexible token having one or more parameter name/value pairs formatted according to the selected one or more token semantics;

interpreting the one or more parameter name/value pairs according to the selected one or more token semantics; and

determining a response to the tokenized content designator based on the interpreted one or more parameter name/value pairs.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the parameter name/value pairs specify business logic.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameter name/value pairs comprise embedded parameter name/value pairs.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the response includes one or more of a message, content designated by the tokenized content designator, or alternative content.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the flexible token is generated by a content provider.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the content provider inserts the flexible token in the tokenized content designator and sends the tokenized content designator to an end user who requested the designated content.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises sending a token-dependent response to an end user.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameter name/value pairs comprises one or more geographic name/value pairs, one or more time name/value pairs, one or more encryption name/value pairs, and an alternative content name/value pair.

9. A system for managing delivery of content to end users, the system comprising:

a semantics generator configured to generate name/value pair semantics for name/value pairs that can be included in flexible tokens;

a semantics publisher configured to publish the name/value pair semantics in a menu, wherein the name/value pair semantics are selectable;

a flexible token interpreter configured to interpret name/value pairs included in flexible tokens according to the name/value pair semantics, the flexible token interpreter further configured to determine responses to content requests based on the name/value pairs included in flexible tokens; and

an edge server configured to generate token-dependent responses to content requests based on determined responses from the flexible token interpreter.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one flexible token includes embedded name/value pairs.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the name/value pairs include one or more location name/value pairs, one or more time name/value pairs, one or more encryption name/value pairs and an alternative content name/value pair.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein name/value pair semantics are selected by a semantics selector of a customer.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the name/value pair semantics are monetized.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the edge server receives the flexible tokens inserted in content designators and sends the flexible tokens to the flexible token interpreter.

15. A computer program product comprising computer-readable media that stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out a process, the process comprising:

receiving a tokenized content designator specifying requested content, wherein the tokenized content designator includes a flexible token indicating terms of responding to receipt of the content designator;

interpreting name/value pairs included in the flexible token, wherein the name/value pairs are order-independent;

generating a response to the content designator based on interpretation of the order-independent name/value pairs.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the process further comprises determining whether the requested content should be sent in response to receipt of the content designator.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the process further comprises generating a set of name/value pair semantics that are selectable by a content provider.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the process further comprises monetizing the name/value pair semantics.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the tokenized content designator is generated by the content provider.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising receiving selections from the set of name/value pair semantics from the content provider.