Method and system for dynamically varying intermediation functions in a communication path between a content server and a client station

• US 7,360,210 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2002
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Anderson, David J., Vacanti, Daniel S., Geddes, Martin, Conley, Todd M., Lowrey, Neil E.
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Al T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Francis; Mark P.
• Application Number:
  US10/189,720
• Time in Patent Office: 2,113 Days
• Field of Search: 7155011-513, 707/513, 713/201, 709207-245, 709/203, 709/246, 709/247, 717/176, 717/168, 717/171, 705 26- 27
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata

Abstract

A method and system for dynamically varying intermediation functions in a communication path between a content server and a client station. An intermediation system within the communication path receives an HTTP message and detects an intermediation-variance instruction within the message. In response, the intermediation system varies a default set of intermediation logic, such as by removing, changing or adding one or more intermediation triggers and/or intermediation actions. In turn, the intermediation system applies the variant intermediation logic in response to the HTTP message and/or in response to subsequent HTTP messages.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

operating an intermediation system within an HTTP communication path between a content server and a client station;

maintaining at the intermediation system default intermediation logic that defines intermediation triggers and intermediation actions;

receiving into the intermediation system an HTTP message that is passing along the HTTP communication path; and

carrying out at the intermediation system the functions of;

(i) detecting an intermediation-variance instruction within the HTTP message, (ii) in response to the intermediation-variance instruction, varying the default intermediation logic so as to establish variant intermediation logic, wherein varying the default intermediation logic comprises adding at least one intermediation action to the intermediation actions and wherein the at least one intermediation action comprises embellishing web content that is being sent from the content server to the client station, to insert into the web content an indication of a price for hyperlinked content, (iii) applying the variant intermediation logic to at least the HTTP message, and (iv) stripping the intermediation-variance instruction from the HTTP message before sending the HTTP message along the HTTP communication path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein varying the intermediation logic comprises adding at least one intermediation trigger to the intermediation triggers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein varying the intermediation logic comprises removing at least one of the intermediation triggers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein varying the intermediation logic comprises changing at least one of the intermediation triggers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein varying the intermediation logic comprises removing at least one of the intermediation actions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein varying the intermediation logic comprises changing at least one of the intermediation actions.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the at least one of the intermediation actions comprises embellishing web content that is being sent from the content server to the client station, to insert into the web content an indication of a price for hyperlinked content; and

changing the at least one of the intermediation actions comprises changing the price to insert into the web content for the hyperlinked content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the HTTP communication path extends via an access channel to the client station, and wherein operating the intermediation system within the HTTP communication path comprises:

operating the intermediation system within the access channel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the access channel comprises an air interface link to the client station, and a radio access network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the HTTP message is a response message provided by the content server and destined for the client station, and wherein the content server includes the intermediation-variance instruction in the HTTP message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the HTTP message includes a message header and a message body, the message body carrying a set of markup language defining web content for display by a browser on the client station, and wherein the intermediation-variance instruction is included as markup language within the set of markup language.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the intermediation-variance instruction is included as interpretable markup language within the set of markup language.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the intermediation-variance instruction is included as non-interpretable markup language within the set of markup language.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the HTTP message is a request message provided by the client station and destined for the content server, and wherein the client station includes the intermediation-variance instruction in the HTTP message.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the request message defines a request-URI, and wherein the intermediation-variance instruction is included in the request-URI as one or more query parameters.

16. An intermediation system disposed within an HTTP communication path between a content server and a client station, the intermediation system comprising:

a network interface for receiving and sending HTTP messages along the HTTP communication path;

default intermediation logic that defines intermediation triggers and intermediation actions; and

intermediation-variance logic for detecting an intermediation-variance instruction in a given one of the HTTP messages and for responsively varying the default intermediation logic so as to establish variant intermediation logic, wherein varying the default intermediation logic comprises adding at least one intermediation action to the intermediation actions and wherein the at least one intermediation action comprises embellishing web content that is being sent from the content server to the client station, to insert into the web content an indication of a price for hyperlinked content,

wherein the variant intermediation logic is applied to at least the given HTTP message, and

wherein the intermediation-variance instruction is stripped from the given HTTP message before the network interface sends the given HTTP message along the HTTP communication path.

17. The intermediation system of claim 16, wherein the intermediation-variance logic comprises machine language instructions executable by a processor.

18. The intermediation system of claim 16, wherein varying the intermediation logic comprises adding at least one intermediation trigger to the intermediation triggers.

19. The intermediation system of claim 16, wherein varying the intermediation logic comprises removing at least one of the intermediation triggers.

20. The intermediation system of claim 16, wherein varying the intermediation logic comprises changing at least one of the intermediation triggers.

21. The intermediation system of claim 16, wherein varying the intermediation logic comprises adding at least one intermediation action to the intermediation actions.

22. The intermediation system of claim 16, wherein varying the intermediation logic comprises removing at least one of the intermediation actions.

23. The intermediation system of claim 16, wherein varying the intermediation logic comprises changing at least one of the intermediation actions.

24. The intermediation system of claim 16, wherein the HTTP communication path extends via an access channel to the client station, and wherein the intermediation system is disposed within the access channel.

25. The intermediation system of claim 24, wherein the access channel comprises an air interface link to the client station, and a radio access network.