Method and system for enabling personalization of services

• US 8,015,021 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2006
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boyle, Currie Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Plucinski; Jamisue A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thompson; Michael M
• Application Number:
  US11/600,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705/35, 705/500, 709/229
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A method and system for enabling personalization of services for a user. A first and second computerized service system that includes a first and second server, respectively, is utilized. An information server of a computerized information system receives a different request from the first and second server for first and second personalization information of the user, respectively. The first and second personalization information enables a first and second entity that uses the first and second server to provide a service to the user in response to the user having previously requested the service from first and second entity, respectively. The information server determines that first and second criteria for the first and second entity to receive the first and second personalization information, respectively, have been satisfied, after which the information server sends the first and second personalization information to the first and second server, respectively.

Claims

1. A method for enabling personalization of services for a user, said method comprising:

receiving, by an information server of a computerized information system via a communication infrastructure, a first request from a first server of a first computerized service system for first personalization information of the user, said first personalization information pertaining to the user comprising a name of the user, an address of the user, an address of an employer of the user, a bank account number of the user, and a credit account number of the user, said first personalization information enabling a first entity to use the first server to provide a first service to the user in response to the user at a first terminal having previously requested the first service from the first entity via a first communication path from the first terminal to the first server, said first communication path being totally external to the communication infrastructure, said communication infrastructure comprising the Internet;

determining, by the information server, that the user has granted permission to the first entity to receive the first personalization information;

sending, by the information server to the first server via the communication infrastructure after said determining has been performed, the first personalization information;

prior to said receiving the first request, said information server receiving data from the user at a second data terminal via a second communication path from the second terminal to the information server;

said information server storing the received data in a database coupled to the information server, wherein the second terminal is distinct from the first terminal, wherein the second communication path traverses the communication infrastructure, wherein the received data comprises the first personalization information of the user, the permission granted by the user to the first entity to receive the first personalization information, and a grant of permission to the first entity to have the first server store a portion of the first personalization information in a database coupled to the first server;

sending along with the first personalization information, by the information server to the first server via the communication infrastructure after said determining has been performed, the grant of permission to the first entity to store the portion of the first personalization information in the database coupled to the first server;

said first server receiving, from the information server via the communication infrastructure, the first personalization information of the user and the grant of permission to the first entity to have the first server store the portion of the first personalization information in the database coupled to the first server;

said first server using, to provide personalized service to the user;

said name of the user, said address of the user, said address of said employer of the user, said bank account number of the user, and said credit account number of the user;

said first server storing the portion of the first personalization information in the database coupled to the first server via a third communication path from the first server to the database coupled to the first server, said third communication path being totally external to the communication infrastructure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises obtaining, by the information server from a repository comprised by the computerized information system, the first personalization information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining, by the information server from a repository comprised by the computerized information system, a first portion of the first personalization information; and

obtaining, by the information server from another computerized information system, a second portion of the first personalization information, wherein the second portion differs from the first portion, and wherein the repository does not comprise the second portion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first personalization information further comprises first human-machine interface (HMI) preferences of the user, first service-specific preferences of the user that are specific to the first service, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, said personalized service being provided to the user by the first server in dependence on the time, location, season, and weather associated with provision of the service.

6. A computer program product comprising a physically tangible computer readable storage medium having a computer readable server code stored therein, wherein said server code when executed by a processor of an information server of a computerized information system implements a method for enabling personalization of services for a user, said method comprising:

receiving, by the information server of the computerized information system via a communication infrastructure, a first request from a first server of a first computerized service system for first personalization information of the user, said first personalization information enabling a first entity to use the first server to provide a first service to the user in response to the user at a first terminal having previously requested the first service from the first entity via a first communication path from the first terminal to the first server, said first communication path being totally external to the communication infrastructure, said communication infrastructure comprising the Internet;

determining, by the information server, that the user has granted permission to the first entity to receive the first personalization information; and

sending, by the information server to the first server via the communication infrastructure after said determining has been performed, the first personalization information;

prior to said receiving the first request, said information server receiving data from the user at a second data terminal via a second communication path from the second terminal to the information server;

said information server storing the received data in a database coupled to the information server, wherein the second terminal is distinct from the first terminal, wherein the second communication path traverses the communication infrastructure, wherein the received data comprises the first personalization information of the user, the permission granted by the user to the first entity to receive the first personalization information, and a grant of permission to the first entity to have the first server store a portion of the first personalization information in a database coupled to the first server;

sending along with the first personalization information, by the information server to the first server via the communication infrastructure after said determining has been performed, the grant of permission to the first entity to store the portion of the first personalization information in the database coupled to the first server;

said first server receiving, from the information server via the communication infrastructure, the first personalization information of the user and the grant of permission to the first entity to have the first server store the portion of the first personalization information in the database coupled to the first server;

said first server using, to provide personalized service to the user;

said name of the user, said address of the user, said address of said employer of the user, said bank account number of the user, and said credit account number of the user;

said first server storing the portion of the first personalization information in the database coupled to the first server via a third communication path from the first server to the database coupled to the first server, said third communication path being totally external to the communication infrastructure.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises obtaining, by the information server from a repository comprised by the computerized information system, the first personalization information.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining, by the information server from a repository comprised by the computerized information system, a first portion of the first personalization information; and

obtaining, by the information server from another computerized information system, a second portion of the first personalization information, wherein the second portion differs from the first portion, and wherein the repository does not comprise the second portion.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the first personalization information further comprises first human-machine interface (HMI) preferences of the user, first service-specific preferences of the user that are specific to the first service, or a combination thereof.

10. The computer program product of claim 6, said personalized service being provided to the user by the first server in dependence on the time, location, season, and weather associated with provision of the service.

11. A computer system comprising a computerized information system, said computerized information system comprising a repository and an information server, said information server comprising a processor and a computer readable memory unit coupled to the processor, said memory unit containing server code that when executed by the processor implement a method for enabling personalization of services for a user, said method comprising:

receiving, by the information server of the computerized information system via a communication infrastructure, a first request from a first server of a first computerized service system for first personalization information of the user, said first personalization information enabling a first entity to use the first server to provide a first service to the user in response to the user at a first terminal having previously requested the first service from the first entity via a first communication path from the first terminal to the first server, said first communication path being totally external to the communication infrastructure, said communication infrastructure comprising the Internet;

determining, by the information server, that the user has granted permission to the first entity to receive the first personalization information; and

sending, by the information server to the first server via the communication infrastructure after said determining has been performed, the first personalization information;

prior to said receiving the first request, said information server receiving data from the user at a second data terminal via a second communication path from the second terminal to the information server;

said information server storing the received data in a database coupled to the information server, wherein the second terminal is distinct from the first terminal, wherein the second communication path traverses the communication infrastructure, wherein the received data comprises the first personalization information of the user, the permission granted by the user to the first entity to receive the first personalization information, and a grant of permission to the first entity to have the first server store a portion of the first personalization information in a database coupled to the first server;

sending along with the first personalization information, by the information server to the first server via the communication infrastructure after said determining has been performed, the grant of permission to the first entity to store the portion of the first personalization information in the database coupled to the first server;

said first server receiving, from the information server via the communication infrastructure, the first personalization information of the user and the grant of permission to the first entity to have the first server store the portion of the first personalization information in the database coupled to the first server;

said first server using, to provide personalized service to the user;

said name of the user, said address of the user, said address of said employer of the user, said bank account number of the user, and said credit account number of the user;

said first server storing the portion of the first personalization information in the database coupled to the first server via a third communication path from the first server to the database coupled to the first server, said third communication path being totally external to the communication infrastructure.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises obtaining, by the information server from a repository comprised by the computerized information system, the first personalization information.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining, by the information server from a repository comprised by the computerized information system, a first portion of the first personalization information; and

obtaining, by the information server from another computerized information system, a second portion of the first personalization information, wherein the second portion differs from the first portion, and wherein the repository does not comprise the second portion.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the first personalization information further comprises first human-machine interface (HMI) preferences of the user, first service-specific preferences of the user that are specific to the first service, or a combination thereof.

15. The computer system of claim 11, said personalized service being provided to the user by the first server in dependence on the time, location, season, and weather associated with provision of the service.