Personalized network-based services

• US 7,072,932 B1
• Filed: 08/26/1999
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia of America Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Stahl, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US09/383,857
• Time in Patent Office: 2,504 Days
• Field of Search: 707/217, 707/218, 707/236, 707/245, 707/219, 707/231, 707/207, 707/206, 707/240, 707/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User 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 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

A network-based service where different sets of customized information are delivered to a user at different times to different destinations (i.e., different user devices) selected by the user. More particularly, a user accesses a network-based server, generally owned by a network service provider and defines a user profile which specifies the information or other content to be made available. The user may request that the information be delivered later automatically or be made available on demand. The user has flexibility in requesting a particular format to receive the information on demand. In case of the later delivery, the user requests specified times in a form of a schedule and specified destinations (i.e., user devices) for the delivery of the information. The user also has flexibility in selecting the format for the delivery of information. Sometimes, the format is dictated by the selection of a user device, e.g., the selection of a radio implies audio format, and the selection of a television implies video format. However, some user devices are capable of receiving information in more than one format, e.g., a computer may have the capability to receive information in audio, video, or text format. Depending on the implementation, one or more customized sets of information are delivered to one or more user devices as a function of the specified format or the specified time or both.

Claims

1. A method for providing information over a computer network, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing for a user profile, wherein the user profile defines a schedule of two or more information requests, each information request having a corresponding destination, including a first information request having a corresponding first destination and a second information request having a corresponding second destination different from the first destination;

(b) preparing a set of information corresponding to each information request; and

(c) automatically delivering each set of information to the corresponding destination at a time based on the schedule.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the corresponding destination for a particular information request is an Internet radio and the corresponding set of information has an audio format for rendering on the Internet radio.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein the corresponding destination for a particular information request is an Internet television and the corresponding set of information has an audio/video format for rendering on the Internet television.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein the corresponding destination for a particular information request is a personal computer and the corresponding set of information has at least one of an audio, a video, and a text format for rendering on the personal computer.

5. The invention of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises the step of presenting a computer-based interface for a user to define the user profile.

6. The invention of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises the step of initiating a connection to the corresponding destination over the computer network at the time based on the schedule.

7. The invention of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second destinations is an Internet radio, an Internet television, or a personal computer.

8. The invention of claim 1, wherein the sets of information for the first and second information requests are automatically delivered to the corresponding first and second destinations at different times based on the schedule.

9. The invention of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises the step of converting format of the set of information based on the corresponding destination.

10. The invention of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises the step of gathering the set of information from two or more different network-based sources of information.

11. The invention of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a user with flexibility to modify the information requests or the corresponding destination or the schedule.

12. A server for providing information over a computer network, comprising:

(a) an input port configured to receive a user profile, wherein the user profile defines a schedule of two or more information requests, each information request having a corresponding destination, including a first information request having a corresponding first destination and a second information request having a corresponding second destination different from the first destination;

(b) a processor configured to prepare a set of information corresponding to each information request; and

(c) an output port configured to automatically deliver each set of information to the corresponding destination at a time based on the schedule.

13. The invention of claim 12, wherein the corresponding destination for a particular information request is an Internet radio and the corresponding set of information has an audio format for rendering on the Internet radio.

14. The invention of claim 12, wherein the corresponding destination for a particular information request is an Internet television and the corresponding set of information has an audio/video format for rendering on the Internet television.

15. The invention of claim 12, wherein the corresponding destination for a particular information request is a personal computer and the corresponding set of information has at least one of an audio, a video, and a text format for rendering on the personal computer.

16. The invention of claim 12, wherein the input port is configured to present a computer-based interface for a user to define the user profile.

17. The invention of claim 12, wherein the output port is configured to initiate a connection to the corresponding destination over the computer network at the time based on the schedule.

18. The invention of claim 12, wherein each of the first and second destinations is an Internet radio, an Internet television, or a personal computer.

19. The invention of claim 18, wherein the sets of information for the first and second information requests are automatically delivered to the corresponding first and second destinations at different times based on the schedule.

20. The invention of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to convert format of the set of information based on the corresponding destination.

21. The invention of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to gather the set of information from two or more different network-based sources of information.

22. The invention of claim 12, the server is configured to provide user flexibility to modify the information requests or the corresponding destination or the schedule.