Information stream management push-pull based server for gathering and distributing articles and messages specified by the user

• US 6,351,761 B1
• Filed: 12/18/1998
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cantone, Michael Robert, Jones, Mark Alan, O'Gorman, Lawrence Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prieto, Beatriz
• Application Number:
  US09/216,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20020026499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/102, 709/201, 709/203, 709/206, 709/217, 709/218, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/229, 709/219, 370/312, 370/901, 707/10, 707/522, 707/104.1, 707/501.1, 707/2
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

An information stream management network server is disclosed that enables distributing articles to a destination in the network at times and in forms that are specified by a user, while also enabling accessing and receiving the articles from sources in the network at times and in forms that are independent of the user. The network server handles both information pull articles and information push articles. The information push articles use declarative addressing to specified groups of users, thereby masking recipient endpoint identities and delivery preferences from sources and enabling broadcast communication to members of such a group.

Claims

1. An information stream management network server, comprising:

an information gathering server serving a plurality of users, the server having an input coupled to a network for simultaneously accessing articles from information pull sources in the network and for receiving articles from information push sources in the network in behalf of all users;

at least one pull event driver in said information gathering server, having a specified pull event start time for accessing articles from a specified information pull source in the network;

a supervisory input coupled to said information gathering server, for managing acquisition of all articles in behalf of all users and providing said specified pull event start time;

at least one push event driver in said information gathering server, for receiving articles from said information push sources in the network addressed to a declarative address specified by a user;

a user task record including parameters defined by the user'"'"'s definition of transformations and distribution events for retrieved pull and push articles;

an event driver queue processor performing customized transformations of the articles as summaries and compendiums;

a storage coupled to said information gathering server, for storing said articles accessed by said pull event driver and said articles received by said push event driver; and

an information distribution server coupled to said storage and to said network for downloading articles on behalf of all users, the distribution server having at east one user task record specified by said user, said record including a distribution start time specified by said user for retrieving said articles from said storage and a distribution format specified by said user for distributing said articles to a destination in the network said information distribution server distributing said articles to said destination in the network at times and in transformations that are specified by said user, while said information gathering server accesses and receives said articles from said sources in the network at times and in forms that are independent of said user.

2. The information stream management network server of claim 1, wherein said information gathering server further comprises:

an event driver queue processor including a scheduler to schedule pull source event drivers by their respective said specified pull event start times;

said event driver queue processor selecting a next scheduled pull event driver and running it at said specified pull event start time to access articles from a specified pull source;

said event driver queue processor outputting said accessed articles from said specified information pull source to said storage.

3. The information stream management network server of claim 2, wherein said information gathering server further comprises:

an information push input buffer for buffering any articles received from said information push sources;

said event driver queue processor determining whether any articles have been received from said information push sources addressed to a declarative address, immediately selecting and running a push event driver in said information gathering server for such information push articles;

said event driver queue processor providing said articles received from said information push sources to said destination in the network at times and in forms that are specified by said user.

4. The information stream management network server of claim 3, wherein said information distribution server further comprises:

a distribution event queue processor including a scheduler to schedule distribution event records by their respective said distribution event start times;

said distribution event queue processor selecting a next scheduled distribution event record and running it at said distribution event start time to retrieve said articles from said storage;

said distribution event queue processor outputting said retrieved articles to a destination specified in said user task record using a format specified in said user task record.

5. The information stream management network server of claim 4, which further comprises:

said at least one push event driver including declarative address information for storing in said storage said received articles from said information push sources addressed to said declarative address; and

said distribution server retrieving from said storage said received articles from said information push sources addressed to said declarative address.

6. The information stream management network server of claim 1, wherein said at least one pull event driver further comprises:

information for storing in said storage said accessed articles from said specified information pull source.

7. The information stream management network server of claim 6, wherein said distribution server further comprises:

information for retrieving from said storage said accessed articles from said specified information pull source.

8. The information stream management network server of claim 1, wherein said at least one push event driver further comprises:

a declarative address information for storing in said storage said received articles from said information push sources addressed to said declarative address.

9. The information stream management network server of claim 8, wherein said distribution server further comprises:

said declarative address information for retrieving from said storage said received articles from said information push sources addressed to said declarative address.

10. The information stream management network server of claim 1, wherein said supervisory input further comprises:

a supervisory server for defining pull event drivers with pull event start times and loading thereof into said information gathering server;

said supervisory server defining push event drivers with declarative address information and loading thereof into said information gathering server.

11. The information stream management network server of claim 10, wherein said supervisory server further comprises:

said supervisory server providing information to said storage for storing said push and pull articles.

12. The information stream management network server of claim 11, wherein said supervisory server further comprises:

said supervisory server sending information to said information distribution server for enabling retrieval of push and pull articles from said storage.

13. The information stream management network server of claim 1, wherein said information gathering server further comprises:

an information push input buffer for buffering any articles received from said information push sources addressed to a specified declarative address;

an event driver queue processor for determining whether any articles have been received from said information push sources addressed to a specified declarative address, selecting and running a push event driver in said information gathering server for such information push articles;

said event driver queue processor outputting said articles received from said information push sources to said storage.

14. The information stream management network server of claim 1, wherein said information gathering server further comprises:

an event driver queue processor including a scheduler to schedule pull source event drivers by their respective pull event start times;

said event driver queue processor selecting a next scheduled pull event driver and running it at a scheduled time to access articles from a specified pull source;

said event driver queue processor outputting said accessed articles from said specified information pull source to said storage.

15. The information stream management network server of claim 1, wherein said information distribution server further comprises:

an event queue processor including a scheduler to schedule distribution event records by their respective distribution event start times;

said event queue processor selecting a next scheduled distribution event record and running it at a specified time to retrieve articles from said storage;

said event queue processor outputting said retrieved articles to a destination specified in said user task record using a format specified in said user task record.

16. The information stream management network server of claim 15, wherein said retrieved articles are modified comprising the step of:

producing a notification to the user of the retrieved articles.

17. The information stream management network server of claim 15, wherein said retrieved articles are modified comprising the step of:

producing a summary of the retrieved articles.

18. The information stream management network server of claim 15, wherein said retrieved articles are modified comprising the step of:

producing a translation of the retrieved articles.

19. The information stream management network server of claim 15, wherein said retrieved articles are modified comprising the step of:

producing a compendium of the retrieved articles.

20. The information stream management network server of claim 15, wherein said retrieved articles are modified comprising the step of:

producing a format conversion of the retrieved articles.

21. The information stream management network server of claim 1, further comprising:

said information distribution server having an output coupled to said network for distributing E-mail articles.

22. The information stream management network server of claim 1, further comprising:

said information distribution server having an output coupled to said network for distributing facsimile articles.

23. The information stream management network server of claim 1, further comprising:

said information distribution server having an output coupled to said network for distributing Internet articles.

24. The information stream management network server of claim 1, further comprising:

said information distribution server having an output coupled to said network for distributing text-to-voice converted articles over telephone voice links.

25. The information stream management network server of claim 1, further comprising:

said information distribution server having an output coupled to said network for distributing articles over digital wide area networks.

26. The information stream management network server of claim 1, further comprising:

said information distribution server having an output coupled to said network for distributing articles in image data format.

27. The information stream management network server of claim 1, further comprising:

said information distribution server having an output coupled to said network for distributing articles in a graphical format.

28. The information stream management network server of claim 1, further comprising:

said information gathering server having said input coupled to said network for accessing articles from news sources.

29. The information stream management network server of claim 1, further comprising:

said information gathering server having said input coupled to said network for accessing articles from proprietary databases.

30. The information stream management network server of claim 1, further comprising:

said information gathering server having said input coupled to said network for receiving E-mail articles.

31. The information stream management network server of claim 1, further comprising:

said information gathering server having said input coupled to said network for receiving reminder articles.

32. The information stream management network server of claim 1, further comprising:

said information gathering server having said input coupled to a public switched telephone network.

33. The information stream management network server of claim 1, further comprising:

said information gathering server receiving articles in a first form and converting them to a second form as specified in said user task record.

34. The information stream management network server of claim 1, further comprising:

said information gathering server receiving articles in a first multimedia format and converting them to a second multimedia format as specified in said user task record.

35. The information stream management network server of claim 1, further comprising:

said information gathering server having said input coupled to an Internet network.

36. An information stream management network server, comprising:

an information gathering server serving a plurality of users, the gathering server having an input coupled to a network for simultaneously accessing articles from information pull sources in the network in behalf of all users according to a server determined schedule;

at least one pull event driver in said information gathering server, having a specified pull event start time for accessing articles from a specified information pull source in the network;

a supervisory input coupled to said information gathering server, for providing said specified pull event start time;

a user task record including parameters defined by the user'"'"'s definition of transformations and distribution events for retrieved pull articles;

an event driver queue processor performing customized transformations of the articles as summaries and compendiums;

a storage coupled to said information gathering server, for storing said articles accessed by said pull event driver; and

an information distribution server coupled to said storage and to said network downloading articles in behalf of all users, the distribution server having at least one user task record specified by said user, said record including a distribution start time specified by said user for retrieving said articles from said storage and a distribution format specified by said user for distributing said articles to a destination in the network specified by said user;

said information distribution server distributing said articles to said destination in the network at times and in transformations that are specified by said user, while said information gathering server accesses said articles from said sources in the network at times and in forms that are independent of said user.

37. The information stream management network server of claim 36, wherein said information gathering server further comprises:

an event driver queue processor including a scheduler to schedule pull source event drivers by their respective said specified pull event start times;

said event driver queue processor selecting a next scheduled pull event driver and running it at said specified pull event start time to access articles from a specified pull source;

said event driver queue processor outputting said accessed articles from said specified information pull source to said storage.

38. The information stream management network server of claim 37, wherein said information distribution server further comprises:

a distribution event queue processor including a scheduler to schedule distribution event records by their respective said distribution event start times;

said information gathering server selectively modifying said retrieved articles as specified in said user task record, forming objects which are stored in said storage;

said distribution event queue processor selecting a next scheduled distribution event record and running it at said distribution event start time to retrieve said objects from said storage;

said distribution event queue processor outputting said objects to a destination specified in said user task record using a format specified in said user task record.

39. The information stream management network server of claim 38, wherein said information gathering server further comprises:

an information push input buffer for buffering any articles received from information push sources in the network;

said event driver queue processor determining whether any articles have been received from said information push sources addressed to a declarative address, immediately selecting and running a push event driver in said information gathering server for such information push articles;

said event driver queue processor outputting said articles received from said information push sources to said storage.

40. The information stream management network server of claim 39, which further comprises:

said at least one push event driver including declarative address information for storing in said storage said received articles from said information push sources addressed to said declarative address; and

said storage including said declarative address information for retrieving from said storage said received articles from said information push sources addressed to said declarative address.

41. A process for an information stream management network service, comprising the steps of:

a user task record including parameters defined by the user'"'"'s definition of transformations and distribution events for retrieved pull articles;

scheduling each of a plurality of information pull event drivers in an information gathering server in a network, according to respective pull event start times defined by a supervisor for managing and controlling acquisition of all articles on behalf of all users;

an event driver queue processor performing customized transformations of the articles as summaries, compendiums;

simultaneously accessing articles from a plurality of information pull sources in the network using said pull event drivers at said respective pull event start times and storing said accessed articles in a storage, the sources being specified for respective ones of said drivers;

scheduling each of a plurality of information distribution event records in an information distribution server in the network, according to respective distribution event start times defined by the user; and

retrieving a subset of said articles from said storage on behalf of all users for distribution to a destination in the network using a respective one of said information distribution event records at said respective distribution event start time and sending said subset of articles to said destination in a transformation which is specified by said user in the user task record;

whereby said articles can be distributed to said destination at times and in forms that are customized by said user, while said accessing of said articles from said sources can remain independent of the user.

42. The process of claim 41, which further comprises:

receiving information push articles directed to declarative addresses, said articles having been sent from a plurality of information push sources in the network, and storing said articles in said storage using push event drivers, said declarative addresses being specified for respective ones of said push event drivers; and

retrieving a subset of said articles from said storage for distribution to a second destination in the network using a respective second one of said information distribution event records at a respective second distribution event start time and sending said subset of articles to said second destination in a form which is specified by said user.

43. An information stream management network server, comprising:

a multiple event queue server having an input coupled to a network for accessing articles from information pull sources in the network on behalf of a plurality of users;

a user task record including parameters defined by the user'"'"'s definition of transformations and distribution events for retrieved pull and push articles;

at least one pull event driver in said server, having a specified driver execution time for accessing articles from a specified information pull source in the network;

an event driver queue processor performing customized transformations of the articles as summaries and compendiums;

a supervisory input coupled to said server, for managing acquisition of all articles on behalf of all users and providing said specified driver execution time;

a storage coupled to said server, for storing said articles accessed by said pull event driver; and

said multiple event queue server coupled to said storage and to said network, having at least one user task record specified by said user, said record including a distribution execution time specified by said user for retrieving said articles from said storage and a distribution format specified by said user for distributing said articles to a destination in the network specified by said user in the user task record;

said multiple event queue server distributing said articles to said destination in the network at times and in transformations that are specified by said user in the user task record, while said server accesses said articles from said sources in the network at times and in forms that are independent of said user.

44. The information stream management network server of claim 43, wherein said multiple event queue server further comprises:

an event queue processor including a scheduler to schedule events by their respective execution times;

said event queue processor selecting a next scheduled event and running it at said specified execution time to process the scheduled event;

said events including command events, driver execution events, information creation events, and information distribution events.

45. The information stream management network server of claim 44, wherein said multiple event queue server further comprises:

said server selectively modifying said retrieved articles as specified in said user task record, forming objects which are stored in said storage;

said event queue processor selecting a next scheduled driver execution event record and running it at said execution time to retrieve said objects from said storage;

said event queue processor outputting said objects to a destination specified in said user task record using a format specified in said user task record.

46. The information stream management network server of claim 45, wherein said multiple event queue server further comprises:

an information push input buffer for buffering any articles received from information push sources in the network;

said event queue processor determining whether any articles have been received from said information push sources addressed to a declarative address, immediately selecting and running a push event driver server for such information push articles;

said event queue processor outputting said articles received from said information push sources to said storage.

47. The information stream management network server of claim 46, which further comprises:

at least one push event driver including declarative address information for storing in said storage said received articles from said information push sources addressed to said declarative address; and

said storage including said declarative address information for retrieving from said storage said received articles from said information push sources addressed to said declarative address.

48. A process for an information stream management network service, comprising the steps of:

a user task record including parameters defined by the user'"'"'s definition of transformations and distribution events for retrieved pull articles;

scheduling each of a plurality of information pull gathering events in a server in a network on behalf of a plurality of users, according to respective driver execution times defined by a supervisor;

an event driver queue processor performing customized transformations of the articles as summaries and compendiums;

accessing articles from a plurality of information pull sources in the network on behalf of all users under direction of the supervisor at said respective driver execution times and storing said accessed articles in a storage, the sources being specified for respective ones of said gathering events;

an event driver queue processor performing customized transformations of the articles as summaries and compendiums;

scheduling each of a plurality of information distribution events in the server according to respective distribution execution times defined by a user; and

retrieving a subset of said articles from said storage on behalf of all users for distribution to a destination in the network at said respective distribution execution times and sending said subset of articles to said destination in a form which is specified by said user in the user task record;

whereby said articles can be distributed to said destination at times and in transformations that are customized by said user according to the user task record, while said accessing of said articles from said sources can remain independent of the user.

49. The process of claim 48, which further comprises:

receiving information push articles directed to declarative addresses, said articles having been sent from a plurality of information push sources in the network, and storing said articles in said storage using push event drivers, said declarative addresses being specified for respective ones of said push event drivers; and

retrieving a subset of said articles from said storage for distribution to a second destination in the network at a respective second distribution execution time and sending said subset of articles to said second destination in a form which is specified by said user.

50. A process for an information stream management network service, comprising the steps of:

a user task record including parameters defined by the user'"'"'s definition of transformations and distribution events for retrieved pull articles;

scheduling each of a plurality of information gathering events in a server in a network on behalf of a plurality of users, according to respective driver execution times defined by a supervisor;

an event driver queue processor performing customized transformations of the articles as summaries and compendiums;

simultaneously accessing articles from a plurality of information sources in the network at said respective driver execution times and transforming the articles into a form which is specified by a user;

scheduling each of a plurality of information distribution events in the server on behalf of all users according to respective distribution execution times defined by said user; and

distributing a subset of said transformed articles to a destination in the network at said respective distribution execution times;

whereby said articles can be distributed to said destination at times and in forms that are customized by said user, while said accessing of said articles from said sources can remain independent of the user.

51. An information stream management network server, comprising:

a user task record including parameters defined by the user'"'"'s definition of transformations and distribution events for retrieved pull articles;

scheduling means for scheduling each of a plurality of information gathering events in a server in a network on behalf of a plurality of users according to respective driver execution times defined by a supervisor;

an event driver queue processor performing customized transformations of the articles as summaries and compendiums;

simultaneously accessing means for accessing articles from a plurality of information sources in the network under the direction of the supervisor at said respective driver execution times;

transforming means for transforming the articles into a form which is specified by a user;

said scheduling means scheduling each of a plurality of information distribution events in the server on behalf of all users according to respective distribution execution times defined by said user; and

distributing means for distributing a subset of said transformed articles to a destination in the network at said respective distribution execution times;

whereby said articles can be distributed to said destination at times and in forms that are customized by said user, while said accessing of said articles from said sources can remain independent of the user.

52. An information stream management network server, comprising:

a user task record including parameters defined by the user'"'"'s definition of transformations and distribution events for retrieved pull articles;

an information gathering server having an input coupled to a network for accessing articles from information pull sources in the network on behalf of a plurality of users;

an event driver queue processor performing customized transformations of the articles as summaries and compendiums;

at least one pull event driver in said information gathering server, having a specified pull event start time for accessing articles from a specified information pull source in the network;

a storage coupled to said information gathering server, for storing said articles accessed by said pull event driver; and

an information distribution server coupled to said storage and to said network for downloading articles on behalf of all users, the distribution server having a plurality of task records respectively specified by said plurality of users, said records including respective distribution start times specified by said plurality of users for respectively retrieving said articles from said storage and respective distribution formats specified by said plurality of users for distributing said articles to respective destinations in the network specified by said plurality of users;

said information distribution server distributing said articles to said destinations in the network at times and in forms that are specified by said users, while said information gathering server accesses said articles from said sources in the network on behalf of all of the plurality of users at times and in forms that are independent of said users.

53. A process for information stream management network service, comprising:

a user task record including parameters defined by the user'"'"'s definition of transformations and distribution events for retrieved pull articles;

scheduling at least one pull event driver in an information gathering server on behalf of a plurality of users, the gathering server having a specified pull event start time for accessing articles from a specified information pull source in the network and storing them in a storage;

an event driver queue processor performing customized transformations of the articles as summaries and compendiums;

scheduling a plurality of task records respectively specified by a plurality of users, in an information distribution server, said records including respective distribution start times specified by said plurality of users for respectively retrieving said articles from said storage and said records including respective distribution formats specified by said plurality of users for distributing said articles to respective destinations in the network specified by said plurality of users; and

distributing said articles to said destinations in the network on behalf of all users at times and in forms that are specified by said users, while said information gathering server accesses said articles from said sources in the network on behalf of all of the plurality of users at times and in forms that are independent of said users.