Method and system for information distribution

• US 7,580,969 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2001
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Bjorkner, Jorgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Philip B
• Application Number:
  US10/380,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20040049584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,916 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709217-219, 709227-228, 705/26
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system and a method for distributing information from at least one Information Provider to at least one Customer device. According to the invention, the method comprises the steps of: sending information from at least one of the Information Providers to an Information Publisher; comparing the content of the information with information about the customers stored in customer profiles in the Information Publisher; distributing the information to all the customers corresponding to a certain feature described in the customer profile; receiving and processing the information in at least one Information Receiver in each concerned Customer device; and notifying the customer by displaying at least a part of the information on the Customer device.

Claims

1. A method for distributing information from at least one Information Provider to at least one Customer device comprising the steps of:

sending information from at least one of the Information Providers to an Information Publisher;

comparing the content of the information with information about the customers stored in customer profiles in the Information Publisher;

establishing a connection between a Customer device and a network through a first interface of the Customer device;

informing the Information Publisher through a second interface of the Customer device that is separated from the first interface of the Customer device that this specific Customer device is connected to the network;

distributing the information to all the customers corresponding to a certain feature described in the customer profile, including the Customer device that is connected to the network;

receiving and processing the information in at least one Information Receiver in each concerned Customer device;

notifying the customer by displaying at least a part of the information on the Customer device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the distribution of information to the customers is done through the second interface.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the distribution of information is dependent on the customers'"'"' desires and/or location.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising placing at least one address of each Customer device in at least one specific list depending on what kind of information the customer should be notified with.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising notifying the customer by only displaying a notice telling that information has been received.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying the information to the customer for a predetermined time period or until the customer confirms the receiving by for example clicking on the information.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising queuing the information that should be distributed to a certain customer in the Information Publisher if the customer is not currently logged on and distributing the information to the customer as soon as he logs on.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising checking from the Information Receiver if the information is correctly displayed in the Customer device and sending a fault message to the Information Publisher if the information was incorrectly displayed and/or a success message if the information was correctly displayed.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising instructing a Network Access Server from the Information Publisher to disconnect the Customer device if a fault message was received in the Information Publisher and/or rewarding the customer if a success message was received.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

sending instructions to the Information Publisher from a Customer device telling that a specific information should be distributed to for example the customer'"'"'s friends or colleagues;

distributing this information to other Customer devices according to the instructions from the customer, this distribution of information being done in the same way as the distribution of information from the Information Providers.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein Session Initiation Protocol is used as the transport protocol.

12. A system for distributing information from at least one Information Provider to at least one Customer device, comprising:

an Information Publisher connected to the at least one Information Provider and adapted to distribute information received from the Information Providers according to information about the customers stored in customer profiles in the Information Publisher;

a Communication Stack in each Customer device that is connectable to a Network Access Server through a first interface of the Customer device;

an Information Receiver located in each Customer device adapted to receive and process the information received from the Information Publisher and adapted to inform the Information Publisher through a second interface of the Customer device that this customer device is connected to the network;

an Information Presenter connected to the Information Receiver in each Customer device adapted to notify the customer by displaying at least a part of the information on the Customer device.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the Information Publisher is adapted to distribute the information to the customers through the second interface that is separated from the first interface.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the Information Publisher is adapted to distribute the information to the customers depending on the customers'"'"' desires and/or location.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein said second interface is a higher level of the first interface.

16. The system according to claim 12, further comprising lists placed in the Information Publisher, each list comprising addresses to customers wanting the same type of information.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the Information Presenter is adapted to only display a notice telling that information has been received when the customer is notified.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the Information Presenter is adapted to display the information to the customer for a predetermined time period or until the customer confirms the receiving by for example clicking on the information.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the Information Publisher is adapted to queue the information that should be distributed to a certain customer if the customer is not currently logged on and distribute the information to the customer as soon as he logs on.

20. The system according to claim 12, wherein the Information Receiver is adapted to check if the information is correctly displayed in the Customer device and send a fault message to the Information Publisher if the information was incorrectly displayed and/or a success message if the information was correctly displayed.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the Information Publisher is adapted to instruct the Network Access Server to disconnect the Customer device if a fault message was received and/or to reward the customer if a success message was received.

22. The system according to claim 12, wherein the Information Receiver is adapted to send instructions to the Information Publisher telling that a specific information should be distributed to for example the customer'"'"'s friends or colleagues and in that the Information Publisher is adapted to distribute this information to other Customer devices according to the instructions from the customer, this distribution of information being done in the same way as the distribution of information from the Information Providers.

23. The system according to claim 12, wherein the Session Initiation Protocol is used as the transport protocol.

24. A Customer device, comprising an Information Receiver and an Information Presenter according to claim 12.

25. An Access Service Provider, comprising an Information Publisher according to claim 12.