Systems, methods and computer program products for dynamic placement of web content tailoring

• US 6,654,814 B1
• Filed: 01/26/1999
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Floyd, Richard A., Kessler, Carl S., Choi, Owen H., Hayes, Kent F. Jr., Britton, Kathryn H., Miller, Brent A., Topol, Brad B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLYNN, KIMBERLY D
• Application Number:
  US09/237,544
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/206, 709/203, 709/201, 709/218, 709/246, 709/223, 709/226, 709/225, 709/228, 707/10, 707/103
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for tailoring content for a session of a first data processing system communicating with a second data processing system by obtaining session specific information from the first data processing system and distributing tailoring functions between the first data processing system and the second data processing systems based upon the obtained session specific information. In particular, policies which control the distribution of tailoring functions between data processing systems based on session specific information may be obtained from a repository and tailoring functions distributed between the first data processing system and the second data processing system according to the obtained policies and the session specific information.

Claims

1. A method of tailoring content for a session of a first data processing system communicating with a second data processing system, comprising the steps of:

obtaining session specific information from the first data processing system; and

distributing tailoring functions between the first data processing system and the second data processing systems based upon the obtained session specific information, wherein the distributing step comprises the steps of;

obtaining policies which control the distribution of tailoring functions between data processing systems based on session specific information;

distributing tailoring functions between the first data processing system and the second data processing system according to the obtained policies and the session specific information.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

defining the policies which control the distribution of tailoring functions between data processing systems;

storing the defined policies in a policy repository accessible to the second data processing system; and

wherein the step of obtaining policies comprises the step of obtaining policies from the policy repository.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

storing user preferences associated with the distribution of content tailoring functions between the first data processing system and data processing systems other than the first data processing system in a preferences repository accessible to the second data processing system;

obtaining the stored user preferences associated with a user of the first data processing system from the preferences repository;

coalescing the session information, the obtained policies and the obtained user preferences so as to define a content tailoring distribution for the session; and

wherein the step of distributing tailoring functions between the first data processing system and the second data processing system according to the obtained policies and the session specific information comprises distributing tailoring functions between the first data processing system and the second data processing system according to the defined content tailoring distribution for the session.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the session specific information comprises information associated with a preference of the first data processing system as to the allocation of content tailoring functions between the first data processing system and data processing systems other than the first data processing system.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein the session specific information comprises at least one of an identification associated with a user of the first data processing system, hardware configuration information associated with the first data processing system, application information associated with an application executing on the first data processing system and operating system information associated with an operating system executing on the first data processing system.

6. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

tailoring content to be provided to the first data processing system, at the second data processing system according to a first content tailoring function specified by the obtained policies and the session specific information so as to provide first tailored content; and

providing the first tailored content to the first data processing system.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of tailoring the first tailored content provided to the first data processing system, at the first data processing system, according to a second content tailoring function specified by the obtained policies and the session specific information so as to provide final tailored content.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

tailoring content to be provided to the first data processing system, at the second data processing system according to a first content tailoring function specified by the obtained session specific information so as to provide first tailored content; and

providing the first tailored content to the first data processing system.

9. A method of tailoring content provided to a first data processing system communicating with a second data processing system, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a request for content from the first data processing system to the second data processing system, wherein the request for content provides information associated with the tailoring of content to be provided to the first data processing system;

obtaining, in response to receiving the request from the first data processing system at the second data processing system, policies associated with the tailoring of content provided to the first data processing system, wherein the policies are further associated with defining the distribution of functions for tailoring content to be provided to the first data processing system between the first data processing system and at least one data processing system other than the first data processing system;

obtaining the content requested by the received request;

tailoring the obtained content utilizing a first tailoring operation, at the at least one data processing system other than the first data processing system, wherein the first tailoring operation is based on the obtained policies and the information provided by the request;

providing the tailored content to the first data processing system; and

tailoring the content provided to the first data processing system at the first data processing system based on the obtained policies and the information provided in the request.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the information associated with the tailoring of content includes a user identification associated with a user or the first data processing system, the method further comprising the steps of:

storing user preferences associated with the distribution of content tailoring functions between the first data processing system and data processing systems other than the first data processing system in a preferences repository accessible to the second data processing system;

obtaining the stored user preferences associated with the user of the first data processing system from the preferences repository; and

wherein the step of tailoring the obtained content utilizing a first tailoring operation, comprises the step of tailoring the obtained content utilizing a first tailoring operation, wherein the first tailoring operation is based on the obtained policies, the obtained stored user preferences and the information provided by the request.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of coalescing user preferences received from the first data processing system with at least one of the obtained policies and the obtained user preferences so as to define a content tailoring distribution for the first data processing system.

12. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

incorporating client content tailoring information into the tailored content to be provided to the first data processing system;

wherein the step of providing the tailored content to the first data processing system, comprises the step of providing the tailored content with the incorporated client content tailoring information to the first data processing system; and

wherein the step of tailoring the content provided to the first data processing system at the first data processing system based on the obtained policies and the information provided in the request, comprises the step of tailoring the content provided to the first data processing system at the first data processing system based on the client content tailoring information.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the client content tailoring information specifies a software program associated with the tailoring of content by the first data processing system, the method further comprising the steps of:

obtaining at the first data processing system the software program specified by the client content tailoring information; and

executing the software program at the first data processing system.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein the first data processing system is a pervasive computing device.

15. A method according to claim 9, wherein the first data processing system is selected from the group comprising portable computers and desktop computers.

16. A method according to claim 9, wherein the information associated with the tailoring of content comprises at least one of an identification associated with a user of the first data processing system, hardware configuration information associated with the first data processing system, application information associated with an application executing on the first data processing system and operating system information associated with an operating system executing on the first data processing system.

17. A system for tailoring content for a session of a first data processing system communicating with a second data processing system, comprising:

means for obtaining session specific information from the first data processing system; and

means for distributing tailoring functions between the first data processing system and the second data processing systems based upon the obtained session specific information, wherein the means for distributing comprises;

means for obtaining policies which control the distribution of tailoring functions between data processing systems based on session specific information;

means for distributing tailoring functions between the first data processing system and the second data processing system according to the obtained policies and the session specific information.

18. A system according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for defining the policies which control the distribution of tailoring functions between data processing systems;

means for storing the defined policies in a policy repository accessible to the second data processing system; and

wherein the means for obtaining policies comprises means for obtaining policies from the policy repository.

19. A system according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for storing user preferences associated with the distribution of content tailoring functions between the first data processing system and data processing systems other than the first data processing system in a preferences repository accessible to the second data processing system;

means for obtaining the stored user preferences associated with a user of the first data processing system from the preferences repository;

means for coalescing the session information, the obtained policies and the obtained user preferences so as to define a content tailoring distribution for the session; and

wherein the means for distributing tailoring functions between the first data processing system and the second data processing system according to the obtained policies and the session specific information comprises means for distributing tailoring functions between the first data processing system and the second data processing system according to the defined content tailoring distribution for the session.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein the session specific information comprises information associated with a preference of the first data processing system as to the allocation of content tailoring functions between the first data processing system and data processing systems other than the first data processing system.

21. A system according to claim 18, wherein the session specific information comprises at least one of an identification associated with a user of the first data processing system, hardware configuration information associated with the first data processing system, application information associated with an application executing on the first data processing system and operating system information associated with an operating system executing on the first data processing system.

22. A system according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for tailoring content to be provided to the first data processing system, at the second data processing system according to a first content tailoring function specified by the obtained policies and the session specific information so as to provide first tailored content; and

means for providing the first tailored content to the first data processing system.

23. A system according to claim 22, further comprising means for tailoring the first tailored content provided to the first data processing system, at the first data processing system, according to a second content tailoring function specified by the obtained policies and the session specific information so as to provide final tailored content.

24. A system according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for tailoring content to be provided to the first data processing system, at the second data processing system according to a first content tailoring function specified by the obtained session specific information so as to provide first tailored content; and

means for providing the first tailored content to the first data processing system.

25. A system for tailoring content provided to a first data processing system communicating with a second data processing system, comprising:

means for transmitting a request for content from the first data processing system to the second data processing system, wherein the request for content provides information associated with the tailoring of content to be provided to the first data processing system;

means for obtaining, in response to receiving the request from the first data processing system at the second data processing system, policies associated with the tailoring of content provided to the first data processing system, wherein the policies are further associated with defining the distribution of functions for tailoring content to be provided to the first data processing system between the first data processing system and at least one data processing system other than the first data processing system;

means for obtaining the content requested by the received request;

means for tailoring the obtained content utilizing a first tailoring operation, at the at least one data processing system other than the first data processing system, wherein the first tailoring operation is based on the obtained policies and the information provided by the request;

means for providing the tailored content to the first data processing system; and

means for tailoring the content provided to the first data processing system at the first data processing system based on the obtained policies and the information provided in the request.

26. A system according to claim 25, wherein the information associated with the tailoring of content includes a user identification associated with a user or the first data processing system, the system further comprising:

means for storing user preferences associated with the distribution of content tailoring functions between the first data processing system and data processing systems other than the first data processing system in a preferences repository accessible to the second data processing system;

means for obtaining the stored user preferences associated with the user of the first data processing system from the preferences repository; and

wherein the means for tailoring the obtained content utilizing a first tailoring operation, comprises means for tailoring the obtained content utilizing a first tailoring operation, wherein the first tailoring operation is based on the obtained policies, the obtained stored user preferences and the information provided by the request.

27. The system according to claim 26, further comprising means for coalescing user preferences received from the first data processing system with at least one of the obtained policies and the obtained user preferences so as to define a content tailoring distribution for the first data processing system.

28. A system according to claim 25, further comprising:

means for incorporating client content tailoring information into the tailored content to be provided to the first data processing system;

wherein the means for providing the tailored content to the first data processing system, comprises means for providing the tailored content with the incorporated client content tailoring information to the first data processing system; and

wherein the means for tailoring the content provided to the first data processing system at the first data processing system based on the obtained policies and the information provided in the request, comprises means for tailoring the content provided to the first data processing system at the first data processing system based on the client content tailoring information.

29. A system according to claim 28, wherein the client content tailoring information specifies a software program associated with the tailoring of content by the first data processing system, the system further comprising:

means for obtaining at the first data processing system the software program specified by the client content tailoring information; and

means for executing the software program at the first data processing system.

30. A system according to claim 25, wherein the first data processing system is a pervasive computing device.

31. A system according to claim 25, wherein the first data processing system is selected from the group comprising portable computers and desktop computers.

32. A system according to claim 25, wherein the information associated with the tailoring of content comprises at least one of an identification associated with a user of the first data processing system, hardware configuration information associated with the first data processing system, application information associated with an application executing on the first data processing system and operating system information associated with an operating system executing on the first data processing system.

33. A computer program product for tailoring content for a session of a first data processing system communicating with a second data processing system, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer readable program code means comprising;

computer-readable program code means for obtaining session specific information from the first data processing system; and

computer-readable program code means for distributing tailoring functions between the first data processing system and the second data processing systems based upon the obtained session specific information, wherein the computer-readable program code means for distributing comprises;

computer-readable program code means for obtaining policies which control the distribution of tailoring functions between data processing systems based on session specific information;

computer-readable program code means for distributing tailoring functions between the first data processing system and the second data processing system according to the obtained policies and the session specific information.

34. A computer program product according to claim 33, further comprising:

computer-readable program code means for defining the policies which control the distribution of tailoring functions between data processing systems;

computer-readable program code means for storing the defined policies in a policy repository accessible to the second data processing system; and

wherein the computer-readable program code means for obtaining policies comprises computer-readable program code means for obtaining policies from the policy repository.

35. A computer program product according to claim 34, further comprising:

computer-readable program code means for storing user preferences associated with the distribution of content tailoring functions between the first data processing system and data processing systems other than the first data processing system in a preferences repository accessible to the second data processing system;

computer-readable program code means for obtaining the stored user preferences associated with a user of the first data processing system from the preferences repository;

computer-readable program code means for coalescing the session information, the obtained policies and the obtained user preferences so as to define a content tailoring distribution for the session; and

wherein the computer-readable program code means for distributing tailoring functions between the first data processing system and the second data processing system according to the obtained policies and the session specific information comprises computer-readable program code means for distributing tailoring functions between the first data processing system and the second data processing system according to the defined content tailoring distribution for the session.

36. A computer program product according to claim 34, wherein the session specific information comprises information associated with a preference of the first data processing system as to the allocation of content tailoring functions between the first data processing system and data processing systems other than the first data processing system.

37. A computer program product according to claim 34, wherein the session specific information comprises at least one of an identification associated with a user of the first data processing system, hardware configuration information associated with the first data processing system, application information associated with an application executing on the first data processing system and operating system information associated with an operating system executing on the first data processing system.

38. A computer program product according to claim 34, further comprising:

computer-readable program code means for tailoring content to be provided to the first data processing system, at the second data processing system according to a first content tailoring function specified by the obtained policies and the session specific information so as to provide first tailored content; and

computer-readable program code means for providing the first tailored content to the first data processing system.

39. A computer program product according to claim 38, further comprising computer-readable program code means for tailoring the first tailored content provided to the first data processing system, at the first data processing system, according to a second content tailoring function specified by the obtained policies and the session specific information so as to provide final tailored content.

40. A computer program product according to claim 33, further comprising:

computer-readable program code means for tailoring content to be provided to the first data processing system, at the second data processing system according to a first content tailoring function specified by the obtained session specific information so as to provide first tailored content; and

computer-readable program code means for providing the first tailored content to the first data processing system.

41. A computer program product for tailoring content provided to a first data processing system communicating with a second data processing system, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer readable program code means comprising;

computer-readable program code means for transmitting a request for content from the first data processing system to the second data processing system, wherein the request for content provides information associated with the tailoring of content to be provided to the first data processing system;

computer-readable program code means for obtaining, in response to receiving the request from the first data processing system at the second data processing system, policies associated with the tailoring of content provided to the first data processing system, wherein the policies are further associated with defining the distribution of functions for tailoring content to be provided to the first data processing system between the first data processing system and at least one data processing system other than the first data processing system;

computer-readable program code means for obtaining the content requested by the received request;

computer-readable program code means for tailoring the obtained content utilizing a first tailoring operation, at the at least one data processing system other than the first data processing system, wherein the first tailoring operation is based on the obtained policies and the information provided by the request;

computer-readable program code means for providing the tailored content to the first data processing system; and

computer-readable program code means for tailoring the content provided to the first data processing system at the first data processing system based on the obtained policies and the information provided in the request.

42. A computer program product according to claim 41, wherein the information associated with the tailoring of content includes a user identification associated with a user or the first data processing system, the computer program product further comprising:

computer-readable program code means for storing user preferences associated with the distribution of content tailoring functions between the first data processing system and data processing systems other than the first data processing system in a preferences repository accessible to the second data processing system;

computer-readable program code means for obtaining the stored user preferences associated with the user of the first data processing system from the preferences repository; and

wherein the computer-readable program code means for tailoring the obtained content utilizing a first tailoring operation, comprises computer-readable program code means for tailoring the obtained content utilizing a first tailoring operation, wherein the first tailoring operation is based on the obtained policies, the obtained stored user preferences and the information provided by the request.

43. The computer program product according to claim 42, further comprising computer-readable program code means for coalescing user preferences received from the first data processing system with at least one of the obtained policies and the obtained user preferences so as to define a content tailoring distribution for the first data processing system.

44. A computer program product according to claim 41, further comprising:

computer-readable program code means for incorporating client content tailoring information into the tailored content to be provided to the first data processing system;

wherein the computer-readable program code means for providing the tailored content to the first data processing system, comprises computer-readable program code means for providing the tailored content with the incorporated client content tailoring information to the first data processing system; and

wherein the computer-readable program code means for tailoring the content provided to the first data processing system at the first data processing system based on the obtained policies and the information provided in the request, comprises computer-readable program code means for tailoring the content provided to the first data processing system at the first data processing system based on the client content tailoring information.

45. A computer program product according to claim 44, wherein the client content tailoring information specifies a software program associated with the tailoring of content by the first data processing system, the computer program product further comprising:

computer-readable program code means for obtaining at the first data processing system the software program specified by the client content tailoring information; and

computer-readable program code means for executing the software program at the first data processing system.

46. A computer program product according to claim 41, wherein the information associated with the tailoring of content comprises at least one of an identification associated with a user of the first data processing system, hardware configuration information associated with the first data processing system, application information associated with an application executing on the first data processing system and operating system information associated with an operating system executing on the first data processing system.