Meta-configuration of profiles

• US 7,873,610 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aspiration Innovation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Andrew S. Poulsen
• Inventors: Poulsen, Andrew S
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Yicun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mamillapalli; Pavan
• Application Number:
  US11/753,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20070276795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/517, 707/104, 707/694, 707/736, 715/204, 715/211, 715/207, 715/209, 715/234, 715/243, 715/236, 715/235, 715/763, 705/37, 717/107
• US Class Current: 707/694
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24564 Applying rules; Deductive queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1255 Settings incompatibility, e.g. constraints, user requirements vs. device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing

Abstract

Disclosed are methods for creating, applying, using and retrieving profile information that includes attributes that may be stored separately from, or with, the content to which the profiles are being applied. In this manner, profiles can be shared in various environments and across various applications. Attributes that have corresponding attributes in other content can be applied to the other content, as long as each of the attributes is valid. In computer aided design applications, the profile can be stored in a profile repository embedded within the CAD model. In addition, profile controllers are disclosed which control the attributes of a profile that can be used with selected content and other content and send a notification that a profile is available for use by other content.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving a profile, said profile having a plurality of attributes for modifying the presentation of content, said attributes comprising settings for specific content presentation characteristics, and applying said profile to selected content, which comprises underlying information, at the direction of a user at run time and not at compilation time and not by a content creator comprising:

defining said selected content by said user at said run time to which said profile is to be applied;

selecting said profile to be retrieved and applied to said selected content;

retrieving said profile, at said run time, from an external profile repository, said external profile repository being a storage location that is separate from and not embedded within said content, said process of retrieving said profile from a profile repository further comprising;

using a link that is embedded in said content to select and access said profile that is stored externally in said external profile repository and not in said content;

storing a unique identifier with said link in said content to access said profile stored externally in said external profile repository;

storing additional information that is used to select a specific subset of attributes from said plurality of attributes comprising said profile to be applied;

accessing said external profile repository at said run time to load said profile;

determining if an indicator embedded in said content defines said profile as a default profile;

prompting a user whether to apply said profile using said link which is embedded in said content;

loading said profile from said external profile repository at said run time and not at compilation time and not by a content creator and whenever said indicator defines said profile as a default profile;

applying said default profile at run time, not at compilation time and not by a content creator and whenever said indicator defines said profile as a default profile;

setting a current attribute pointer to a current attribute in said profile;

applying said current attribute to said content;

incrementing said current attribute pointer so that all attributes of said plurality of attributes in said profile are applied to said selected content.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the process of using a link that is embedded in said selected content to access said profile that is stored in said external profile repository further comprises:

using an additional link that is stored in said profile to access an additional profile in an additional external profile repository that is not part of said content;

processing information contained in said additional profile as though said additional profile information were natively included in said original profile;

storing additional information that is used to select a specific subset of attributes of a plurality of additional attributes of said additional profile to be applied to said content.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the process of using a link that is embedded in said selected content to access said profile that is stored in said external profile repository further comprises:

using a link that is embedded in said selected content to access said profile that is stored in said external profile repository that is located in a client processing unit.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the process of using a link that is embedded in said selected content to access said profile that is stored in said external profile repository further comprises:

using a link that is embedded in said selected content to access said profile that is stored in said external profile repository that is located in a source processing unit.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the process of using a link that is embedded in said selected content to access said profile that is stored in said external profile repository that is located in a source processing unit further comprises:

accessing said source processing unit through a network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the process of retrieving said profile from a profile repository further comprises:

prompting a user whether to embed a link to said profile in said content to enable automatic application of said profile to said content.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the process of retrieving said profile from said external profile repository further comprises:

retrieving said profile from said external profile repository that is located on a removable storage device that is compatible with other content.

8. A method of applying a profile to selected content of a larger set of associated content at run time and not at compilation time and not by a content creator, said profile having a plurality of attributes for modifying the presentation of content, said attributes comprising settings for specific content presentation characteristics comprising:

defining said selected content to which said profile is to be applied at said run time;

selecting a subset of attributes from said plurality of attributes comprising said profile stored in said profile repository by a user at said run time to be applied to said selected content;

setting a current attribute pointer to a current attribute of said plurality of attributes;

checking to determine if said current attribute is included in said selected subset of attributes;

checking to determine if said current attribute has a corresponding attribute present in said selected content, and if said current attribute is valid for said selected content when said current attribute is included in said selected subset of attributes;

applying said current attribute to said selected content when said current attribute has a corresponding attribute present in said selected content, and when said current attribute is valid for said content and said current attribute is included in said selected subset of attributes, said attribute being applied at run time and not at compilation time and not by a content creator;

incrementing said current attribute pointer so that said plurality of attributes in said profile are applied to said selected content whenever said attributes have a corresponding attribute present in said selected content, and when each attribute is valid for said selected content and when said current attribute is included in said selected subset of attributes.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the process of selecting a subset of attributes further comprises:

selecting a subset of attributes from said plurality of attributes comprising said profile stored in said profile repository by a user at said run time;

creating a temporary profile containing said subset of attributes;

setting a current temporary attribute pointer to a current temporary attribute in said temporary profile;

checking to determine if said current temporary attribute has a corresponding attribute present in said selected content, and if said current temporary attribute is valid for said selected content;

applying said temporary attribute to said selected content when said current temporary attribute has a corresponding attribute present in said selected content, and when said current temporary attribute is valid for said selected content;

incrementing said current temporary attribute pointer so that each attribute of said temporary profile is applied to said selected content whenever each temporary attribute has a corresponding attribute present in said selected content, and when each temporary attribute is valid for said selected content.

10. A method of creating a profile, said profile having a plurality of attributes for modifying the presentation of content, said attributes comprising settings for specific content presentation characteristics, for a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) application comprising:

configuring attributes of said profile of said CAD application by applying said attributes to selected content of a CAD model for use with said CAD application, said process of configuring attributes of said profile further comprising;

defining a group of attributes that can be accessed for use by other CAD models;

accessing a plurality of categories and subcategories of said attributes;

selecting said attributes from said categories and subcategories to form said profile;

applying a unique identifier to said profile;

storing said profile in a profile repository embedded within said content of said CAD model.

11. A method of sharing a profile, said profile having a plurality of attributes for modifying the presentation of content, said attributes comprising settings for specific content presentation characteristics, with multiple sets of content data using a profile controller comprising:

accessing a plurality of categories and subcategories of attributes of said profile;

selecting said attributes from said categories and subcategories to form said profile, said process of selecting said attributes further comprising;

selecting attributes that apply to a plurality of environments for application of said attributes as a master profile for said plurality of environments;

assigning a unique identifier to said profile;

storing said profile in an external profile repository for use by a first set of content data;

retrieving said profile from said external profile repository using said unique identifier;

applying said profile to said first set of content data;

sending a notification that said profile is available for use by additional content data, said process of sending a notification further comprising;

sending a notification to profile controllers located in at least one source processing unit;

allowing access to said profile by said additional content data.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

specifying profile types for said categories;

using said profile types to select categories during said process of selecting said attributes.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

specifying profile groups for said categories that are a collection of both related and unrelated attributes;

using said profile groups to select categories during said process of selecting said attributes.