System, apparatus and method for personalising web content

• US 7,249,197 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2000
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Bragg, Nigel L, MacGillivray, Ross M, Davies, Philip V, Hayball, Clive C, Roestenburg, Adnanus Henricus Nicolaas
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US09/693,132
• Time in Patent Office: 2,468 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-226, 709/232, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Previous systems and methods for personalizing web content presented to a user has been achieved in a decentralized manner by storing personal data relating to the user repeatedly by different content providing servers. Consequently, the consistency of the data stored can be inconsistent and, in some cases, incomplete. Additionally, the user does not have any control over the dissemination of the content. The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method whereby web related data is modified in communications between user equipment units and content providing servers. The modification to the web related data is carried out by a proxy server (20) having access to centrally stored personal data in a data store (22). Consequently, data provided to content providing servers is consistent, complete and the information provided by the content providing servers to the user has a higher degree of relevance to the user.

Claims

1. A web content personalisation system for a communications network comprising:

a client equipment unit capable of communicating a request message from a user to a content providing server to request content from said content providing server;

a data manipulation server disposed in-line between the client equipment unit and the content providing server, the data manipulation server being remote from the client equipment unit, the data manipulation server being coupled to a data store arranged to store personal data relating to a user of the client equipment unit;

wherein

the data manipulation server is adapted to intercept said request message for obtaining the content, retrieve personal data relating to the user from the data store and to use the retrieved personal data to modify the request message prior to forwarding said request message to the content providing server; and

the content providing server is adapted to store a number of versions of said content relating to attribute variables/parameters of the personal data relating to the user, to retrieve, in response to receiving the request message, an appropriate version of the content in dependence on the personal data of the user used to modify the request message, and to send said retrieved version of the content to the client equipment unit.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the request message is a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request message.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the personal data relating to the user is static data.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the static data is obtained from the user.

5. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the static data is obtained from a content provider associated with the content.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the personal data relating to the user is dynamic data.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the dynamic data is obtained from an access or service provider associated with supporting communications between the client equipment unit and the content providing server.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data manipulation server is a proxy server.

24. A content personalisation system according to claim 1, wherein the data manipulation server is arranged to modify the request message in dependence on a selected subset of the personal data relating to a user stored in the data store.

25. A content personalisation system according to claim 24, wherein the data manipulation server is arranged to request the user of the client equipment unit to select the subset in response to intercepting the request message.

26. A content personalisation system according to claim 24, wherein the data manipulation server is arranged to determine the subset in dependence on at least one rule of a user defined rule set, the at least one rule applying to the content providing server.

27. A content personalisation system according to claim 1, wherein the data manipulation server is arranged selectively to modify the request message in dependence on the data manipulation server detecting that the content providing server has a subscription with the data manipulation server.

28. A content personalisation system according to claim 1, wherein the data manipulation server is operated by an access or service provider associated with supporting communications between the client equipment unit and the content providing server.

9. A content providing server apparatus comprising:

a transceiver and a processor coupled to a data store arranged to store content data, the transceiver and the processor being arranged to retrieve content data from the data store and transmit the content data to a client equipment unit in response to the client equipment unit transmitting to the content providing server a request message for obtaining the content;

wherein

the content providing server apparatus is adapted to receive a request message from the client equipment unit wherein said request message has been modified with personal data relating to a user of the client equipment unit, to store a number of versions of said content relating to attribute variables/parameters of the personal data relating to the user, to retrieve, in response to receiving the request message, an appropriate version of the content in dependence on the personal data of the user used to modify the request message, and to send said retrieved version of the content to the client equipment unit.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the content data is Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML) data.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the personal data relating to the user is static data.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the static data is obtained from the user.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the static data is obtained from a content provider associated with the content.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the personal data relating to the user is dynamic data.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the dynamic data is obtained from an access or service provider associated with supporting communications between the client equipment unit and the content providing server.

16. A method of personalising content communicated to a client equipment unit by a content providing server, the method comprising the steps of:

intercepting at a data manipulation server remote from the client equipment unit and disposed in-line between the content providing server and the client equipment unit, a request message for obtaining the content, the request message being transmitted from the client equipment unit and addressed to the content providing server;

in response to the interception, retrieving from a data store personal data relating to a user of the client equipment unit; and

modifying the request message prior to forwarding said request message to the content providing server; and

storing at the content providing server a number of versions of said content relating to attribute variables/parameters of the personal data relating to the user, retrieving, in response to receiving the request message, an appropriate version of the content in dependence on the personal data of the user used to modify the request message, and sending said retrieved version of the content to the client equipment unit.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the request message is a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request message.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the personal data relating to the user is static data.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising the step of:

obtaining the static data from the user.

20. A method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising the step of:

obtaining the static data is from a content provider associated with the content.

21. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the personal data relating to the user is dynamic data.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising the step of:

obtaining the dynamic data from an access or service provider associated with supporting communications between the client equipment unit and the content providing server.

29. A method of personalising content according to claim 16, wherein the retrieved personal data relating to the user is a selected subset of personal data relating to the user stored in the data store.

30. A method of personalising content according to claim 29, comprising the step of:

requesting the user of the client equipment unit to select the subset in response to the interception.

31. A method of personalising content according to claim 29, comprising the step of:

determining the subset in dependence on at least one rule of a user defined rule set, the at least one rule applying to the content providing server.

32. A method of personalising content according to claim 16, comprising the step of:

selectively modifying the request message in dependence on detecting that the content providing server has a subscription.

33. A method of personalising content according to claim 16, wherein the method is performed by an access or service provider associated with supporting communications between the client equipment unit and the content providing server.

23. A programmed computer for personalising content communicated to a client equipment unit from a content providing server, the computer comprising:

a memory having at least one region for storing computer executable program code, and

a processor for executing the program code stored in the memory, wherein the program code comprises;

code to intercept at a data manipulation server, disposed in-line between the client equipment unit and content providing server and remote from the client equipment unit, a request message for obtaining the content, the request message being transmitted from the client equipment unit and addressed to the content providing server;

code to retrieve personal data relating to a user of the client equipment unit in response to the interception;

code to modify the request message prior to forwarding said request message to the content providing server; and

code for storing at the content providing server a number of versions of said content relating to attribute variables/parameters of the personal data relating to the user, retrieving, in response to receiving the request message, an appropriate version of the content in dependence on the personal data of the user used to modify the request message, and sending said retrieved version of the content to the client equipment unit.

34. A content personalisation system for a communications network comprising:

a client equipment unit capable of communicating with a content providing server for providing content;

a data manipulation server disposed in-line between the client equipment unit and the content providing server and remote from the client equipment unit, the data manipulation server being coupled to a data store arranged to store personal data relating to a user of the client equipment unit;

wherein

the data manipulation server is adapted to intercept said request message for obtaining the content, to retrieve personal data relating to the user from the data store and to use the retrieved personal data to modify the request message prior to forwarding said request message to the content providing server; and

the content providing server is adapted to store a number of versions of said content relating to attribute variables/parameters of the personal data relating to the user, to retrieve, in response to receiving the request message, an appropriate version of the content in dependence on the personal data of the user used to modify the request message, and to send said retrieved version of the content to the client equipment unit.

35. A method of personalising content communicated to a client equipment unit by a content providing server, the method comprising the steps of:

intercepting at a data manipulation server, disposed in-line between the client equipment unit and content providing server and remote from the client equipment unit, a request message being transmitted from the client equipment unit to the content providing server for obtaining the content;

in response to the interception, retrieving personal data relating to a user of the client equipment unit;

modifying the request message in dependence on the retrieved personal data relating to the user;

forwarding the modified request message to the content providing server; and

storing at the content providing server a number of versions of said content relating to attribute variables/parameters of the personal data relating to the user, retrieving, in response to receiving the request message, an appropriate version of the content in dependence on the personal data of the user used to modify the request message, and sending said retrieved version of the content to the client equipment unit.