System and method for providing guaranteed delivery of messages to embedded devices over a data network

• US 7,392,281 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2000
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navic Systems, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hall, Peter, Kanojia, Chaitanya, Kamenstky, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): NEURAUTER, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US09/519,221
• Time in Patent Office: 3,032 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 709/106, 709213-216, 709217-219, 709/202, 709/224, 709/245, 725105-153
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

The present disclosed system is directed toward a communication and management system that dynamically targets network devices for content deployment, such as application programs, device drivers, configuration files, and registry subhives. Moreover, the present system targets users of network devices for promotions, such as advertisements offered by Internet e-commerce sites. Promotions are generally icons or graphic images with links to host web servers overlaying a video display, but also includes audio and video clips or data streams. Network devices and their users are targeted through user profiles. User profiles are created when network devices register with the system server and are continually updated with information provided by user activity and event logs that are periodically uploaded from each device. A scalable messaging system provides for data transmission between the system server and among the network devices such that it is neutral as to the specific hardware platforms on which it is implemented.

Claims

1. A message router system for a server system that communicates with embedded devices over a data network, the router system comprising:

a router coupled to a data store;

a queue manager queuing messages from one or more server processes that are destined for a plurality of embedded devices, each of the messages being addressed to one of the embedded devices in the plurality of embedded devices with a unique identifier, the unique identifier being independent of any communication protocol;

the queue manager establishing a connection with the router and transferring the queued messages to the router;

for each message, the router determining a destination address according to a communication protocol by looking up the destination address stored in the data store using the unique identifier of the embedded device;

for each message, the router transmitting the message directly to the destination address of the embedded device over the data network regardless of whether the embedded device is active on the data network;

the router storing messages unacknowledged by the embedded devices in the data store where upon being notified that the activity status of corresponding ones of the plurality of embedded devices are active, the router transmits the stored messages to the corresponding embedded devices;

for each message, the router determining a message type, the message type indicating a quality of service the router provides for delivery of the message;

for each message, the router not waiting for an acknowledgment of receipt of the message if the determined message type indicates non-guaranteed delivery; and

for each message, the router waiting for an acknowledgment of receipt of the message from the embedded device if the determined message type indicates guaranteed delivery.

2. A message router system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a system manager that tracks activity states of embedded devices on the data network to determine whether the embedded devices are able to receive messages.

3. A message router system as recited in claim 2, wherein the router retrieves one or more of the unacknowledged messages from the message store when the system manager indicates that an embedded device to which the one or more unacknowledged messages are addressed is able to accept the one or more unacknowledged messages.

4. A message router system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a bulk data transfer manager for transferring bulk data between the server system and the embedded devices.

5. A message router system as recited in claim 4, wherein the bulk data are transferred to the embedded devices by the router sending the embedded devices a message to download a file and a location of the file, the embedded devices contacting the bulk data transfer manager to obtain the file.

6. A message router system as recited in claim 5, wherein the embedded devices directly contact the bulk data transfer manager to obtain the file without sending a message via the router.

7. The message router system as recited in claim 1, wherein the messages are control messages directing the embedded devices to download, install, or activate content.

8. A method for routing messages from a server system to embedded devices over a data network, the method comprising:

queuing messages from one or more server processes that are destined for a plurality of embedded devices, each of the messages being addressed to one of the embedded devices in the plurality of embedded devices with a unique identifier, the unique identifier being independent of any communication protocol;

for each message, determining a destination address according to a communication protocol by looking up the destination address using the unique identifier of the embedded device;

for each message, transmitting the message directly to the destination address of the embedded device over the data network regardless of whether the embedded device is active on the data network;

storing messages unacknowledged by the embedded devices where upon being notified that the activity status of corresponding ones of the plurality of embedded devices are active, the router transmits the stored messages to the embedded devices;

for each message, determining a message type, the message type indicating a quality of service the router provides for delivery of the message;

for each message, not waiting for an acknowledgment of receipt the message if the determined message type indicates non-guaranteed delivery; and

for each message, waiting for an acknowledgment of receipt of the message from the embedded device if the determined message type indicates guaranteed delivery.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising tracking activity states of embedded devices on the data network to determine whether the embedded devices are able to receive messages.

10. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

detecting whether a previously unavailable embedded device is available to receive messages; and

retrieving stored messages for the embedded device and transferring the messages to the embedded device.

11. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising transferring bulk data from the server system to the embedded devices.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the step of transferring the bulk data comprises:

sending the embedded devices a message to download a file and a location of the file; and

the embedded devices contacting a bulk data transfer manager to obtain the file.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the embedded devices directly contacting the bulk data transfer manager to obtain the file.

14. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the messages are control messages directing the embedded devices to download, install, or activate content.