Propagation of user preferences to end devices

• US 7,676,473 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alperin, Jordan, Cerami, Rich
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin; Jean B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kerzhner; Aleksandr
• Application Number:
  US11/293,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0889 Techniques to speed-up the configuration process

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method of providing propagation of user preferences to multiple end devices can comprise receiving a request for user preference information, the request originating from a requesting end device. One or more sewers storing preference information for a user associated with the requesting end device can be identified. The preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device can be read from the one or more servers and a response message can be generated. The response message can include the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device from the one or more servers. The response message can be sent to one or more recipient end devices.

Claims

1. A method of propagating user preferences to a plurality of end devices, the method comprising:

receiving a request for user preference information, the request originating from a requesting end device of the plurality of end devices;

identifying one or more servers storing preference information for a user associated with the requesting end device;

reading the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device from the one or more servers;

generating a response message including the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device from the one or more servers, wherein the response message comprises a common language message readable by each of the plurality of end devices and wherein each of the plurality of end devices are of different types and wherein generating the response message including the preference information comprises instantiating an object having properties representing one or more preference settings;

sending the response message to each of the plurality of end devices;

updating user preference settings on each of the plurality of end devices based on values of the properties of the response message;

wherein the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device comprises general preference information and specific preference information wherein the general preference information is stored in a central user profile database and comprises one or more settings applicable to a plurality of services or devices and the specific preference information is stored in the one or more servers and comprises one or more settings applicable only to a service provided by each of the one or more servers; and

determining whether there is specific preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device stored in the one or more servers and wherein generating the response message and sending the response message is performed in response to determining there is specific preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device stored in the one or more servers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the common language message comprises an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a user associated with the requesting end device prior to identifying one or more servers storing preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying one or more servers storing preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device is based on identifying the user associated with the requesting end device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising translating the common language message to a format specific to each of the end devices prior to updating the user preference settings on the end devices.

6. A system for propagating user preferences to end devices, the system comprising:

a communications bus;

a plurality of end devices of different types, each end device communicatively coupled with the communications bus and configured to send and receive common language messages via the communications bus and to translate common language messages received from the communications bus to a format specific to the end device based on the type;

a plurality of servers configured to provide services and information to the plurality of end devices and to store user preference information;

one or more managers, each manager communicatively coupled with the communications bus and at least one of the plurality of servers, wherein each manager is configured to receive via the communications bus a request for user preference information the request originating from a requesting end device of the plurality of end devices, identify one or more servers from the plurality of servers storing preference information for a user associated with the requesting end device, read the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device from the one or more servers, generate a response message including the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device from the one or more servers, wherein the response message comprises a common language message readable by each of the plurality of end devices and wherein each of the plurality of end devices are of different types and wherein generating the response message including the preference information comprises instantiating an object having properties representing one or more preference settings, and send the response message to each of the plurality of end devices via the communications bus, wherein each of the plurality of end devices are configured to update user preference settings stored thereon based on values of the properties of the response message;

a user profile database configured to store preference information, wherein the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device stored by the user profile database comprises general preference information applicable to a plurality of services or devices, wherein the user preference information stored by the plurality of servers comprises specific preference information applicable only to a service provided by each of the servers, and wherein the response message includes both general preference information and specific preference information; and

wherein each manager is further configured to determine whether there is specific preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device stored in one or more of the servers, wherein generating the response message and sending the response message is performed in response to determining there is specific preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device stored in the one or more servers.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the common language message comprises an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) file.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein each manager is further configured to identify a user associated with the requesting end device prior to identifying one or more servers storing preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein identifying one or more servers storing preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device is based on identifying the user associated with the requesting end device.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising a client controller communicatively coupled with the communications bus and one or more of the plurality of end devices and configured to translate the common language message to a format specific to each of the one or more recipient end devices prior to updating the user preference settings on the one or more recipient end devices.

11. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a series of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to propagate user preferences to a plurality of end devices by:

receiving a request for user preference information, the request originating from a requesting end device of the plurality of end devices;

identifying one or more servers storing preference information for a user associated with the requesting end device;

reading the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device from the one or more servers;

generating a response message including the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device from the one or more servers, wherein the response message comprises a common language message readable by each of the plurality of end devices and wherein each of the plurality of end devices are of different types and wherein generating the response message including the preference information comprises instantiating an object having properties representing one or more preference settings;

sending the response message to each of the plurality of end devices;

updating user preference settings on each of the plurality of end devices based on values of the properties of the response message;

wherein the preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device comprises general preference information and specific preference information wherein the general preference information is stored in a central user profile database and comprises one or more settings applicable to a plurality of services or devices and the specific preference information is stored in the one or more servers and comprises one or more settings applicable only to a service provided by each of the one or more servers; and

determining whether there is specific preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device stored in the one or more servers and wherein generating the response message and sending the response message is performed in response to determining there is specific preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device stored in the one or more servers.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising identifying a user associated with the requesting end device prior to identifying one or more servers storing preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein identifying one or more servers storing preference information for the user associated with the requesting end device is based on identifying the user associated with the requesting end device.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising translating the common language message to a format specific to each of the end devices prior to updating the user preference settings on the end devices.