Dynamic content customization in a client-server environment

• US 6,832,241 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2002
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Tracton, Kenneth, Jaff, Kosar, Shands, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US10/206,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20030050973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/235, 709/227, 709/228, 709/230, 709/231, 709/233, 707/6, 707/10, 345/740, 345/744, 345/745, 345/746
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The invention provides for servicing a client. A request is received from a client having certain capabilities. This request is automatically satisfied in a manner tailored to the capabilities of the client.

Claims

1. A method for a client to communicate with a server configured to forward a client identifier to a central registry storing characteristic profiles for plural clients, the method comprising:

transmitting the identifier to the server; and

receiving content from the server scaled according to a characteristic profile stored by the central registry and including a processing potential for the client.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic profile includes selected ones of processor configuration, available memory, available disk space, and network connection speed.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a supplementary profile with the client.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

sending the supplementary profile to the server comprising.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

authorizing the server to send the supplementary profile to the central registry.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

sending the supplementary profile to the central registry.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the server directing the client to authorize the central registry to send the characteristic profile to the server.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the server for a particular characteristic of the client; and

determining whether a supplementary profile stored by the client contains the requested particular characteristic.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the central registry characteristic profiles contain default values for clients, and wherein the supplementary profile contains differences over the default values.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the client and the server communicate over a first communication link, and the server and the central registry communicate over a second communication link that is faster than the first communication link.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the server an interpretable code sequence executable by the client upon receipt thereof.

12. A method comprising:

transmitting to a server a request comprising an identifier of the client, the server being configured to transmit the identifier to a central registry containing characteristic profiles for plural clients, and the server being configured to receive a characteristic profile from the central registry including a processing potential for the client; and

receiving content scaled according to the characteristic profile.

13. The method of claim 12, in which characteristic profiles have two portions, a first portion including the processing potential for the client, and a second portion including identity information for the client, and wherein the central registry is configured to only provide the first portion of the characteristic profile to the server.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the identifier comprises an encrypted identifier for the client.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

authorizing the central registry to provide the second portion of the characteristic profile for the client to the server.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a identifier for a source from which unscaled content may be retrieved.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

contacting the server at a first network address; and

receiving a redirection command directing the client to receive the content scaled according to the characteristic profile from a second network address.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

dynamically tracking a client processing potential.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein scaling unscaled source content is performed in advance of the client contacting the server.

20. An article, comprising a machine-accessible media having associated data for a machine to communicate with a server configured to forward a machine identifier to a central registry storing characteristic profiles for plural machines, wherein the data, when accessed, results in the machine performing:

transmitting the identifier to the server; and

receiving content from the server scaled according to a characteristic profile stored by the central registry and including a processing potential for the client.

21. The article of claim 20 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

storing a supplementary profile with the machine.

22. The article of claim 21 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

sending the supplementary profile to the server.

23. The article of claim 22 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

authorizing the server to send the supplementary profile to the central registry.

24. The article of claim 21 wherein the machine-accessable media further includes data, when accessed by the machine-accessible performing:

sending the supplementary profile to the central registry.

25. The article of claim 20 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

receiving a request from the server directing the machine to authorize the central registry to send the characteristic profile to the server.

26. The article of claim 20 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

receiving a request from the server for a particular characteristic of the machine; and

determining whether a supplementary profile stored by the machine contains the requested particular characteristic.

27. The article of claim 20 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

receiving from the server a code sequence executable by the machine upon receipt thereof.

28. An article, comprising a machine-accessible media having associated data, wherein the data, when accessed, results in a machine performing:

transmitting to a server a request comprising an identifier of the machine, the server being configured to transmit the identifier to a central registry containing characteristic profiles for plural machines, and the server being configured to receive a characteristic profile from the central registry including a processing potential for the machine; and

receiving content scaled according to the characteristic profile.

29. The article of claim 28, wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

authorizing the central registry to provide an identity of the machine to server.

30. The article of claim 28 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

receiving a identifier for source form which unscaled content may be retrieved.

31. The article of claim 28 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

contacting the server at a first network address; and

receiving a redirection command direction the machine to receive the content scaled according to the characteristic profile from a second network address.

32. The article of claim 28 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

dynamically tracking a client processing potential.

33. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a process-accessible media having associated data for enabling the apparatus to communicate with a server configured to forward an apparatus identifier to a central registry storing characteristic profiles for plural apparatuses, wherein the data, when accessed by the processor, results in the apparatus performing;

transmitting the identifier to the server; and

receiving content from the server scaled according to a characteristic profile stored by the central registry and including a processing potential for the apparatus.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the processor-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the processor, results in the apparatus performing:

storing a supplementary profile with the apparatus.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the processor-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the processor, results in the apparatus performing:

sending the supplementary profile to the server.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the processor-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the processor, results in the apparatus performing:

authorizing the server to send the supplementary profile to the central registry.

37. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the processor-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the processor, results in the apparatus performing:

sending the supplementary profile to the central registry.

38. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the processor-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the processor, results in the apparatus performing:

receiving a request from the server for a particular characteristic of the apparatus; and

determining whether a supplementary profile stored by the apparatus contains the requested particular characteristic.

39. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the processor-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the processor, results in the apparatus performing:

receiving from the server a code sequence executable by the apparatus upon receipt thereof.

40. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor, and

a process-accessible media having associated data, wherein the data, when accessed by the processor, results in the apparatus performing;

transmitting to a server a request comprising an identifier of the apparatus, the server being configured to transmit the identifier to a central registry containing characteristic profiles for plural apparatuses, and the server being configured to receive a characteristic profile from the central registry including a processing potential for the apparatus; and

receiving content scaled according to the characteristic profile.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the processor-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the processor, results in the apparatus performing:

authorizing the central registry to provide an identity of the machine to server.

42. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the processor-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the processor, results in the apparatus performing:

receiving a identifier for a source from which unscaled content may be retrieved.

43. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the processor-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the processor, results in the apparatus performing:

contacting the server at a first network address; and

receiving a redirection command directing the machine to receive the content scaled according to the characteristic profile from a second network address.

44. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the processor-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the processor, results in the apparatus performing:

dynamically tracking a client processing potential.

45. A system for a mobile device to receive scaled content according to characteristics of the mobile device, the system comprising:

a central registry storing characteristic profiles for plural devices; and

a server configured to receive a request from the mobile device comprising an identifier of the mobile device, transmit the identifier to the central registry, receive a characteristic profile from the central registry including a processing potential for the mobile device, and scale content for the mobile device according to the characteristic profile.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the server is further configured to receive a supplementary profile for the mobile device.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the central registry is configured to receive a supplementary profile for the mobile device.