Method and system for data collection for alert delivery

• US 7,765,228 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Matzanas, Sotiris, Menon, Jayachandran Ravichandran, Ramakrishnan, Thyagarajapuram S., Eichstaedt, Matthias, Loo, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu; Kuen S
• Application Number:
  US11/961,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20080098014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

Managing data collection for one or more scheduled alert messages. A primary or backup poller manager coordinates any number of poller services to access content and generate the alert messages. At a predefined period the poller manager is informed that an existing or new poller service is available for work. The poller manager provides a query to the poller service to access content in which one or more users have expressed an interest. Querying for a large number of users can be subdivided among the poller services. The poller service can also automatically expand the query if it yields insufficient content. The poller service generates the alert messages for the interested users and informs the poller manager when done. A change in content can be used to generate or update alert messages before their scheduled delivery. The poller manager prioritizes processing with a quality of service level.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for data collection, comprising:

automatically determining at a predefined period, and based at least in part on a wakeup signal from one of a plurality of poller services, that the one of the plurality of poller services is available to perform work, wherein each poller service manages requests for content for one of a plurality of predefined alert types on behalf of at least one user who requested an alert message of the one of the plurality of predefined alert types;

instructing the one of the plurality of poller services to access validated content from an authenticated source that corresponds to the one of the plurality of predefined alert types, wherein the validated content comprises at least one portion to be provided in at least one alert message to the at least one user, and wherein the validated content comprises content that was verified as received correctly from the authenticated source;

determining whether a previous alert message was generated based on previous content, but was not delivered to the at least one user;

instructing the one of the plurality of poller services to generate the at least one alert message based on the validated content; and

updating a task list upon receiving an indication that the one of the plurality of poller services has generated the at least one alert message for delivery to the at least one user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising authenticating a source for content and validating content for data collection to obtain the validated content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining is performed by a secondary poller manager after the one of the plurality of poller services attempted to notify a primary poller manager that the one of the plurality of poller services is available for work.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining which of the at least one user has selected to receive the at least one alert message corresponding to the validated content.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

adding the one of the plurality of poller services to a list of available poller services; and

selecting the one of the plurality of poller services from the list when another one of the plurality of poller services is busy.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning the validated content a quality of service level; and

determining, based on the quality of service level, when the validated content will be used to generate the at least one alert message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

updating the alert message based on a difference between the validated content and the previous content; and

generating the alert message based on the difference between the validated content and the previous content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the validated content is accessed based on a query expression corresponding to the predefined selection of the at least one user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the query expression is accessed from a user profile of the at least one user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining that the validated content is inadequate; and

revising the query to access alternate content.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing additional content if the at least one alert message was not generated within a predetermined period of time; and

considering both the validated content and the additional content to determine when to generate the at least one alert message.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a time at which the validated content is accessed;

determining a period during which the validated content is not used to generate the at least one alert message; and

determining that an additional poller service is needed if the period exceeds a predefined threshold period.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising throttling notifications that the plurality of poller servers are available for work.

14. A system for data collection, comprising:

a processor;

a communication interface in communication with the processor and in communication with an authenticated content source; and

a memory in communication with the processor and storing data and machine instructions that cause the processor to perform a plurality of operations, including;

automatically determining at a predefined period, and based at least in part on a wakeup signal from one of a plurality of poller services, that the one of the plurality of poller services is available to perform work, wherein each poller service manages requests for content of one of a plurality of predefined alert types on behalf of at least one user who requested an alert message of the one of the plurality of predefined alert types;

instructing the one of the plurality of poller services to access validated content from an authenticated source that corresponds to the one of the plurality of predefined alert types, wherein the validated content comprises at least one portion to be provided in at least one alert message to the at least one user, and wherein the validated content comprises content that was verified as received correctly from the authenticated source;

determining whether a previous alert message was generated based on previous content, but was not delivered to the at least one user;

instructing the one of the plurality of poller services to generate the at least one alert message based on the validated content; and

updating a task list upon receiving an indication that the one of the plurality of poller services has generated the at least one alert message for delivery to the at least one user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the machine instructions flier cause the processor to perform the operation of authenticating a source for content and validating content for data collection to obtain the validated content.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to perform the operation of determining which of the at least one user has selected to receive the at least one alert message corresponding to the validated content.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to perform the operations of:

assigning the validated content a quality of service level; and

determining, based on the quality of service level, when the validated content will be used to generate the at least one alert message.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to perform the operations of:

updating the alert message based on a difference between the validated content and the previous content; and

generating the alert message based on the difference between the validated content and the previous content.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to perform the operations of:

accessing the validated content based on a query expression corresponding to the predefined selection of the at least one user;

determining that the validated content is inadequate; and

revising the query to access alternate content.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising a mobile client device for receiving the at least one alert message.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the poller manager further performs the operation of determining which of the at least one user has selected to receive the at least one alert message corresponding to the validated content.

21. A computer-readable storage medium for making an alert message accessible, the computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that enable a computing device to perform the actions of:

automatically determining at a predefined period, and based at least in part on a wakeup signal from one of a plurality of poller services, that the one of the plurality of poller services is available to perform work, wherein each poller service manages requests for content of one of a plurality of predefined alert types on behalf of at least one user who requested an alert message of the one of the plurality of predefined alert types;

instructing the one of the plurality of poller services to access validated content from an authenticated source that corresponds to the one of the plurality of predefined alert types, wherein the validated content comprises at least one portion to be provided in at least one alert message to the at least one user, and wherein the validated content comprises content that was verified as received correctly from the authenticated source;

determining whether a previous alert message was generated based on previous content, but was not delivered to the at least one user;

instructing the one of the plurality of poller services to generate the at least one alert message based on the validated content; and

updating a task list upon receiving an indication that the one of the plurality of poller services has generated the at least one alert message for delivery to the at least one user.

22. A system for data collection, comprising:

a computing device;

a plurality of poller services with access to validated content, wherein the validated content comprises content that was verified as received correctly from an authenticated source, and wherein each poller service manages requests for content for one of a plurality of predefined alert types on behalf of at least one user who requested an alert message of the one of the plurality of predefined alert types; and

a poller manager in communication with the plurality of poller services, the poller manager performing a plurality of operations, including;

receiving from one of the plurality of poller services, an indication at a predefined period, and based at least in part on a wakeup signal, that the one of the plurality of poller services is available for work;

instructing the one of the plurality of poller services to access validated content corresponding to the one of the plurality of predefined alert types, wherein the validated content comprises at least one portion to be provided in at least one alert message to the at least one user;

determining whether a previous alert message was generated based on previous content, but was not delivered to the at least one user;

instructing the one of the plurality of poller services to generate the least one alert message based on the validated content; and

updating a task list upon receiving an indication that the one of the plurality of poller services has generated the at least one alert message for delivery to the at least one user.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a secondary poller manager in communication with the poller manager and receiving the indication after the poller manager fails to respond to receiving the indication.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising an added one of the plurality of poller services in communication with the poller manager, the added one accessing additional content.