Proxy server collection of data for module incorporation into a container document

• US 7,725,530 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rohrs, Christopher H., Parker, Dylan, Sah, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Neurauter, Jr.; George C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sikri; Anish
• Application Number:
  US11/298,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/205, 715/207, 725/127, 705/14, 707/513
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata

Abstract

A proxy server system comprising a request input unit that receives a request to collect data from a target server, a target server collection unit that collects data from the target server and an output unit that transmits the data for use by a module to generate data for a container document.

Claims

1. A content presentation system comprising a processor and a storage device, wherein the storage device includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive, at a proxy server, a first request associated with a module to obtain target data for use in presenting content data according to a module specification for the module, wherein the module is one of plurality of modules selectively designated for inclusion in a personalized container document, each module adapted to generate content data for presentation in the container document;

transmit, from the proxy server, a second request for the target data to a remote target server, wherein the proxy server has a trusted relationship with the remote target server;

collect the target data from the remote target server in response to the second request; and

transmit the target data for use by the particular module to generate content data for the personalized container document based at least in part on the target data.

2. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein the trusted relationship is based on an association between the proxy server and a container document server adapted to serve the personalized container document.

3. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein the request is received from a module server remote from the proxy server.

4. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein the proxy server is a trawler.

5. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein the proxy server connects to the target server over the Internet.

6. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein the output unit provides the data to a container server.

7. The content presentation system of claim 6 wherein the container server provides the data to a user system.

8. The content presentation system of claim 2 wherein the container server and proxy server have related IP addresses.

9. The content presentation system of claim 2 wherein the container server and proxy server utilize a common domain name element.

10. The content presentation system of claim 2 wherein the container server and proxy server use the same high level domain name.

11. The content presentation system of claim 2 wherein the container server is trusted by the target server.

12. The content presentation system of claim 11 wherein the proxy server proxies the trust of the container server.

13. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein the module is served to the container server by a module server.

14. The content presentation system of claim 13 wherein the module server is remote from the proxy server.

15. The content presentation system of claim 13 wherein the module server and container server are remote from one another.

16. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein data from a plurality of target servers is collected.

17. The content presentation system of claim 16 wherein the data from a plurality of target servers is used by a module to generate data for a container document.

18. The content presentation system of claim 16 wherein the data from a plurality of target servers is blended to form content for a container document.

19. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein the target server comprises an RSS feed.

20. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein the target server comprises a website.

21. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein the target server comprises a blog.

22. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein the target server comprises an ATOM feed.

23. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein the target server comprises an XML syndication feed.

24. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein the target server comprises a data feed.

25. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein data from the target server is modified prior to presentation in a container document.

26. The content presentation system of claim 25 wherein an appearance attribute of data from the target server is modified.

27. The content presentation system of claim 25 wherein at least a portion of the data from the target server is replaced with other data.

28. The content presentation system of claim 25 wherein data is added to the data from the target server.

29. The content presentation system of claim 25 wherein at least a portion of the data from the target server is deleted.

30. The content presentation system of claim 1 further comprising an analysis unit to analyze the first request for target content.

31. The content presentation system of claim 30 wherein the analysis unit analyzes the first request based on the target data location.

32. The content presentation system of claim 30 wherein the analysis unit analyzes the type of request.

33. The content presentation system of claim 30 wherein the analysis unit analyzes the first request based on predetermined values.

34. The content presentation system of claim 33 wherein the predetermined values indicate disapproved requests.

35. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein the first request is received from a server based on a module specification.

36. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein the first request contains one or more instructions to the proxy server regarding how to collect the data.

37. The content presentation system of claim 36 wherein the one or more instructions indicate that the content should not be retrieved from a cache.

38. The content presentation system of claim 36 wherein the one or more instructions indicate to control a cache associated with the target site.

39. The content presentation system of claim 36 wherein the one or more instructions indicate that the cache should be cleared.

40. The content presentation system of claim 1 wherein the proxy server comprises a target site collection unit operable to identify data at the target site that controls the target site collection unit.

41. The content presentation system of claim 40 wherein the data comprises a robot exclusion instruction.

42. The content presentation system of claim 40 wherein the data comprises a mega tag.

43. The content presentation system of claim 40 wherein the data controls a rate at which the data is to be refreshed rather than retrieved from cache.

44. The content presentation system of claim 40 wherein the data indicates information regarding users or systems that may access content from the target site.

45. The content presentation system of claim 40 wherein the data indicates information regarding which module specifications may access the content.

46. The content presentation system of claim 45 wherein the module specifications that may access the content are identified based on a location reference.

47. A system comprising:

a container server, including a processor and storage device, operable to serve a personalized container document to a user computing device, the personalized container document including a plurality of selectively designated, associated modules, each module operable to generate content data for presentation in the container document based at least in part on a corresponding module specification; and

a proxy server system, including a processor and storage device, operable to receive a first request to collect target data from a target server for use in presenting content data according to a module specification of a particular one of the plurality of modules, transmit a second request for the target data to a remote target server in response to the received first request, collect target data from the target server in response to the transmitted second request, and transmit the target data for use by the particular module to generate content data for presentation in the personalized container document based at least in part on the target data, wherein the proxy server has a trusted relationship with the remote target server.

48. A method for serving content comprising:

receiving, at a proxy server system including a processor and storage device, a first request associated with a module to obtain target data for use in presenting content data according to a module specification for the module, wherein the module is one of plurality of modules selectively designated for inclusion in a personalized container document, each module adapted to generate content data for presentation in the container document;

transmitting, from the proxy server system, a second request for the target data to a remote target server, wherein the proxy server has a trusted relationship with the remote target server, using an originating address accepted by the target server;

collecting target data from the target server through the proxy server system, in response to the second request; and

transmitting the target data from the target server to a server for use by the module to generate content data for the personalized container document based at least in part on the target data.

49. A computer-implemented method for delivering content comprising:

identifying a proxy server having a trusted relationship with a remote target server hosting target data, the proxy server and target server each having a processor and tangible storage device;

transmitting a request, associated with a module, to the proxy server for the target data from the target server, wherein the request is based on a specification of the module, wherein the module is a particular one of a plurality of selectively designated modules incorporated in a personalized container document, each module operable to generate content data for presentation in the container document; and

receiving over a network, from the proxy server, the target data, obtained from the target server by the proxy server in response to the request, for use in connection with content data generated by the particular module.

50. A proxy server system comprising:

a processor;

non-transitory computer readable medium;

input means for receiving a first request associated with a module to obtain target data from a target server for use in presenting content data according to a module specification for the module, wherein the module is one of plurality of modules selectively designated for inclusion in a personalized container document, each module adapted to generate content data for presentation in the container document, wherein the module generate content data based at least in part on the target data;

collection means for transmitting a request for the target data to the target server, the request for target data including data identifying a trusted relationship between the proxy server system and the target server, and collecting target data from the target server; and

an output unit that transmits the target data for use by the module to generate content data for a personalized container document based at least in part on the target data.

51. A proxy server system comprising:

a processor;

non-transitory computer readable medium;

a request input unit that receives a first request over a network, associated with a module, and originating from a user browser upon opening the content of the module, wherein the module is one of a plurality of modules included in a personalized container document the browser is displaying, wherein the module is included in the container document according to a request from a user and is operable to generate content data for the container document, the request specifying a remote target server from which to collect data;

a target server collection unit that transmits a request for target data over a network to the remote target server, the request for target data including data identifying a trusted relationship between the proxy server system and the target server, and collects target data from the target server; and

an output unit that transmits the target data for use by the module to generate content data for the container document based at least in part on collected target data.