USING CONFIGURED APPLICATION INFORMATION TO CONTROL USE OF INVOCABLE SERVICES

• US 20150235191A1
• Filed: 04/30/2015
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sirota, Peter, Johnson, Don, Ghare, Gaurav D., Jain, Tushar, Geller, Alan S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,726,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 48/00 Medicinal preparations containing genetic material which is inserted into cells of the living body to treat genetic diseases; Gene therapy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

Techniques are described for facilitating use of invocable services by applications in a configurable manner. In at least some situations, the invocable services are Web services or other network-accessible services that are made available by providers of the services for use by others in exchange for fees defined by the service providers. The described techniques facilitate use of such invocable services by applications in a manner configured by the application providers and the service providers, including to track use of third-party invocable services by applications on behalf of end users and to allocate fees that are charged end users between the applications and the services as configured by the providers of the applications and services. In some situations, the configured pricing terms for a service specify fees for end users that differ in one or more ways from the defined fees charged by the provider of that service.

Claims

1-74. -74. (canceled)

75. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a configured computing device, configuration information for an application that includes terms to control use of an invocable service by an executing copy of the application on behalf of an end user who is using the executing copy, wherein the invocable service has one or more distinct specified terms for use of the invocable service;

determining, by the configured computing device and based at least in part on the terms included in the configuration information, that one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application on behalf of the end user are authorized, and tracking the one or more indicated uses; and

providing, by the configured computing device and based at least in part on the tracking of the one or more indicated uses, information about the one or more indicated uses, to enable further interactions with the end user related to the tracking.

76. The computer-implemented method of claim 75 wherein the specified terms for use of the invocable service include pricing terms for use of the invocable service, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining, by the configured computing device and based at least in part on the pricing terms for use of the invocable service, a fee to be paid to a provider of the invocable service based on the one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application; and

initiating, by the configured computing device, providing the determined fee to the provider of the invocable service.

77. The computer-implemented method of claim 75 wherein the terms included in the configuration information include pricing terms for use of the invocable service via the application, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining, by the configured computing device and based at least in part on the pricing terms included in the configuration information, a fee to be paid by the end user based on the one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application; and

performing the further interactions with the end user, the further interactions including obtaining the determined fee from the end user.

78. The computer-implemented method of claim 77 wherein the pricing terms are specified by a developer of the application, wherein the specified terms for use of the invocable service include distinct pricing terms for use of the invocable service that are specified by a provider of the invocable service who is distinct from the developer of the application, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining, by the configured computing device and based at least in part on the distinct pricing terms for use of the invocable service, a second fee to be paid to the provider of the invocable service based on the one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application; and

initiating, by the configured computing device, providing the determined second fee to the provider of the invocable service.

79. The computer-implemented method of claim 77 further comprising, before the determining that the one or more indicated uses are authorized:

receiving, by the configured computing device, information about a planned use of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application, wherein the planned use is one of the one or more indicated uses; and

identifying, by the configured computing device and based on the received information about the planned use, the application and the end user,

wherein the determining that the one or more indicated uses are authorized includes determining that payment for the planned use based on the pricing terms has been arranged for the identified end user or the identified application, and wherein the tracking of the one or more indicated uses includes storing identifying information for the application and the end user from the identifying of the application and the end user.

80. The computer-implemented method of claim 77 further comprising, before the determining that the one or more indicated uses are authorized:

receiving, by the configured computing device, information about a completed use of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application, wherein the completed use is one of the one or more indicated uses; and

identifying, by the configured computing device and based on the received information about the completed use, the application and the end user,

wherein the determining that the one or more indicated uses are authorized includes determining that payment for the completed use based on the pricing terms is available for the identified end user or the identified application, and wherein the tracking of the one or more indicated uses includes storing identifying information for the application and the end user from the identifying of the application and the end user.

81. The computer-implemented method of claim 75 wherein the one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application include the executing copy of the application supplying an application key that is associated with the application to the invocable service, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the configured computing device, information from the invocable service that includes the application key supplied to the invocable service; and

determining, by the configured computing device, the application whose executing copy used the invocable service based at least in part on the application key included in the received information from the invocable service,

and wherein the tracking of the one or more indicated uses includes storing identifying information for the application from the determining of the application.

82. The computer-implemented method of claim 75 wherein the one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application include the executing copy of the application supplying an application key that is associated with the application to the invocable service, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the configured computing device, a request from the executing copy of the application for access to the invocable service, the received request including the application key; and

determining, by the configured computing device, the application from which the request is received based at least in part on the application key included in the received request,

and wherein the tracking of the one or more indicated uses includes storing identifying information for the application from the determining of the application.

83. The computer-implemented method of claim 75 wherein the one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application include the executing copy of the application supplying a user token that is associated with the end user to the invocable service, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the configured computing device, information from the invocable service that includes the user token supplied to the invocable service; and

determining, by the configured computing device, the end user who is using the executing copy of the application based at least in part on the received information from the invocable service,

and wherein the tracking of the one or more indicated uses includes storing identifying information for the end user from the determining of the end user.

84. The computer-implemented method of claim 75 wherein the one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application include the executing copy of the application supplying a user token that is associated with the end user to the invocable service, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the configured computing device, a request from the executing copy of the application for access to the invocable service, the received request including the user token; and

determining, by the configured computing device, the end user who is using the executing copy of the application based at least in part on the user token included in the received request,

and wherein the tracking of the one or more indicated uses includes storing identifying information for the end user from the determining of the end user.

85. The computer-implemented method of claim 75 wherein the invocable service is a Web service, and wherein a first provider of the invocable service is distinct from a second provider of the application.

86. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored contents that cause a computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, by the configured computing device, configuration information for an application that includes terms to control use of an invocable service by an executing copy of the application on behalf of an end user who is using the executing copy;

receiving, by the configured computing device, information about one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application on behalf of the end user;

determining, by the configured computing device and based at least in part on the terms included in the configuration information, that the one or more indicated uses are authorized, and tracking the one or more indicated uses; and

providing, by the configured computing device and based at least in part on the tracking of the one or more indicated uses, information about the one or more indicated uses.

87. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 86 wherein the terms included in the configuration information include pricing terms for use of the invocable service via the application, and wherein the stored contents include software instructions that, when executed, further configure the computing device to:

determine, by the configured computing device and based at least in part on the pricing terms included in the configuration information, a fee to be paid by the end user based on the one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application; and

perform further interactions with the end user that include obtaining the determined fee from the end user.

88. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 87 wherein the pricing terms are specified by a provider of the application, wherein the invocable service has distinct associated terms for its use that include distinct pricing terms for use of the invocable service that are specified by a provider of the invocable service who is distinct from the provider of the application, and wherein the software instructions further configure the computing device to:

determine, by the configured computing device and based at least in part on the distinct pricing terms for use of the invocable service, a second fee to be paid to the provider of the invocable service based on the one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application; and

initiate, by the configured computing device, providing the determined second fee to the provider of the invocable service.

89. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 86 wherein the invocable service has associated terms for its use that include pricing terms for use of the invocable service, and wherein the software instructions further configure the computing device to:

determine, by the configured computing device and based at least in part on the pricing terms for use of the invocable service, a fee to be paid to a provider of the invocable service based on the one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application; and

initiate, by the configured computing device, providing the determined fee to the provider of the invocable service.

90. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 86 wherein the received information about the one or more indicated uses includes information about a planned use of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application, wherein the determining that the one or more indicated uses are authorized includes determining, by the configured computing device in response to the information about the planned use and before the planned use occurs, that the planned use is authorized, and wherein the method further comprises providing an indication of authorization of the planned use, to enable the planned use to occur.

91. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 86 wherein the received information about the one or more indicated uses includes information about a completed use of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application, wherein the determining that the one or more indicated uses are authorized includes determining, by the configured computing device in response to the information about the completed use, that the completed use was authorized, and wherein the tracking of the one or more indicated uses includes storing information indicating that the completed use was authorized.

92. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 86 wherein the one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application include the executing copy of the application supplying an application key that is associated with the application to the invocable service, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the configured computing device, information from the invocable service that includes the application key supplied to the invocable service; and

determining, by the configured computing device, the application whose executing copy used the invocable service based at least in part on the application key included in the received information from the invocable service,

and wherein the tracking of the one or more indicated uses includes storing identifying information for the application from the determining of the application.

93. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 86 wherein the one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application include the executing copy of the application supplying a user token that is associated with the end user to the invocable service, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the configured computing device, information from the invocable service that includes the user token supplied to the invocable service; and

determining, by the configured computing device, the end user who is using the executing copy of the application based at least in part on the received information from the invocable service,

and wherein the tracking of the one or more indicated uses includes storing identifying information for the end user from the determining of the end user.

94. A computing system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a module that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, causes the at least one processor to;

receive configuration information for an application that includes terms to control use of an invocable service by an executing copy of the application on behalf of an end user who is using the executing copy;

receive information from the invocable service about one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application on behalf of the end user, wherein the received information includes information that is supplied by the executing copy of the application to the invocable service and that is specific to the one or more indicated uses;

track, based at least in part on the information included in the received information that is specific to the one or more indicated uses, the one or more indicated uses;

determine, based at least in part on the terms included in the configuration information, information about authorization of the one or more indicated uses; and

provide an indication of the determined information about the authorization of the one or more indicated uses.

95. The computing system of claim 94 wherein the terms included in the configuration information include pricing terms for use of the invocable service via the application, wherein the determined information about the authorization of the one or more indicated uses includes a fee to be paid by the end user for the one or more indicated uses based at least in part on the pricing terms included in the configuration information, and wherein the module includes software instructions that, when executed, further configure the at least one processor to perform further interactions with the end user that include obtaining the fee from the end user.

96. The computing system of claim 95 wherein the pricing terms are specified by a provider of the application, wherein the invocable service has distinct associated terms for its use that include distinct pricing terms for use of the invocable service that are specified by a provider of the invocable service who is distinct from the provider of the application, and wherein the software instructions further configure the at least one processor to:

determine, based at least in part on the distinct pricing terms for use of the invocable service, a second fee to be paid to the provider of the invocable service based on the one or more indicated uses of the invocable service by the executing copy of the application; and

initiate providing the determined second fee to the provider of the invocable service.

97. The computing system of claim 94 wherein the information that is supplied by the executing copy of the application to the invocable service includes an application key that is associated with the application, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the application whose executing copy used the invocable service based at least in part on the application key included in the received information from the invocable service, and wherein the tracking of the one or more indicated uses includes storing identifying information for the application from the determining of the application.

98. The computing system of claim 94 wherein the information that is supplied by the executing copy of the application to the invocable service includes a user token that is associated with the end user, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the end user who is using the executing copy of the application based at least in part on the received information from the invocable service, and wherein the tracking of the one or more indicated uses includes storing identifying information for the end user from the determining of the end user.