User proxy server

• US 8,078,731 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Webalo Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Webalo Incorporated
• Inventors: Bruder, Seth D., Greif, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Angela
• Application Number:
  US11/131,725
• Time in Patent Office: 2,401 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/6, 705/1, 705/28, 705/26, 705/27, 709/204, 709206-207, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates interacting with a user through a user proxy server. During operation, the system receives a request to interact with the user, wherein the request is received at a user proxy server, which services requests for interactions with users. This request specifies data or data types involved in the user interaction, as well as the purpose of the user interaction, but does not specify details of how the user interaction takes place. In response to this request, the system interacts with the user in a manner which is consistent with context information associated with the user.

Claims

1. A method for an application to interact with a user at a client device through a user proxy server (UPS) system, the method comprising:

receiving, at the UPS system, an interaction request from the application to initiate interactions with the user, wherein the interaction request specifies data, data types, and/or semantic metadata for interacting with the user;

processing, at the UPS system, the interaction request and contextual information existing at the UPS system, wherein the processing comprises;

creating, based on the data, data types, and/or semantic metadata, a hierarchy of graphical user interface (GUI) components to interact with the user and behavior managers for handling events associated with the GUI components; and

providing the hierarchy of GUI components and the behavior managers to the client device; and

the UPS system interacting with the user at the client device in a manner that is consistent with the contextual information, wherein said interacting is asynchronous and uses the hierarchy of GUI components and the behavior managers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein interacting with the user can involve:

obtaining data from the user;

presenting data to the user;

receiving a selection of an option from the user; and

receiving a confirmation of an action from the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein interacting with the user involves:

receiving a response from the user at the client device; and

returning a corresponding response to the requesting application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual information existing at the UPS system includes:

user preferences;

other activities that the user is associated with;

history information associated with the user; and

characteristics of a device through which the user interacts with the UPS system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction request affects an earlier interaction request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein affecting the earlier interaction request involves updating or canceling the earlier interaction request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the interaction request involves prioritizing the interaction request and placing the interaction request in a queue of interaction requests.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein interacting with the user involves interacting with the user in an asynchronous manner, wherein if the user is unavailable, the interaction takes place at a later time when the user becomes available.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein interacting with the user involves interacting with the user through a task-oriented interface;

wherein the task-oriented interface presents a set of tasks to the user; and

wherein the tasks are applications that correspond to web services operations.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein interacting with the user involves interacting with the user through a pudgy client;

wherein the pudgy client is configured to interact with the user in a device-specific manner, thereby taking advantage of the capabilities of the client device through which the user interacts with the UPS system.

31. The method of claim 1,

wherein the UPS acts on behalf of the user without requiring the user'"'"'s interaction.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for an application to interact with a user at a client device through the computer, the method comprising:

receiving an interaction request from the application to initiate interactions with the user, wherein the interaction request specifies data and/or data types, and semantic metadata for interacting with the user;

processing the interaction request and contextual information existing at the computer, wherein the processing comprises;

creating, based on the data, data types, and/or semantic metadata, a hierarchy of graphical user interface (GUI) components to interact with the user and behavior managers for handling events associated with the GUI components; and

providing the hierarchy of GUI components and the behavior managers to the client device; and

interacting with the user at the client device in a manner that is consistent with the contextual information, wherein said interacting is asynchronous and uses the hierarchy of GUI components and the behavior managers.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein interacting with the user can involve:

obtaining data from the user;

presenting data to the user;

receiving a selection of an option from the user; and

receiving a confirmation of an action from the user.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein interacting with the user involves:

receiving a response from the user; and

returning a corresponding response to the user.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the contextual information existing at the computer includes:

user preferences;

other activities that the user is associated with;

history information associated with the user; and

characteristics of a device through which the user interacts with the computer.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the interaction request affects an earlier interaction request.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein affecting the earlier interaction request involves updating or canceling the earlier interaction request.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein receiving the interaction request involves prioritizing the interaction request and placing the interaction request in a queue of interaction requests.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein interacting with the user involves interacting with the user in an asynchronous manner, wherein if the user is unavailable, the interaction takes place at a later time when the user becomes available.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 11,

wherein interacting with the user involves interacting with the user through a task-oriented interface;

wherein the task-oriented interface presents a set of tasks to the user; and

wherein the tasks are applications that correspond to web services operations.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 11,

wherein interacting with the user involves interacting with the user through a pudgy client;

wherein the pudgy client is configured to interact with the user in a device-specific manner, thereby taking advantage of the capabilities of the client device through which the user interacts with the computer.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11,

wherein the computer acts on behalf of the user without requiring the user'"'"'s interaction.

21. An apparatus for facilitating an application to interact with a user at a client device, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform a method comprising;

receiving an interaction request from the application to initiate interactions with the user, wherein the interaction request specifies data and/or data types, and semantic metadata for interacting with the user;

processing the interaction request and contextual information existing at the apparatus, wherein the processing comprises;

creating, based on the data, data types, and/or semantic metadata, a hierarchy of graphical user interface (GUI) components to interact with the user and behavior managers for handling events associated with the GUI components; and

providing the hierarchy of GUI components and the behavior managers to the client device; and

interacting with the user at the client device in a manner that is consistent with the contextual information, wherein said interacting is asynchronous and uses the hierarchy of GUI components and the behavior managers.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein interacting with the user can involve:

obtaining data from the user;

presenting data to the user;

receiving a selection of an option from the user; and

receiving a confirmation of an action from the user.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein interacting with the user involves:

receiving a response from the user; and

returning a corresponding response to the requesting application.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the contextual information existing at the proxy server includes:

user preferences;

other activities that the user is associated with;

history information associated with the user; and

characteristics of a device through which the user interacts with the apparatus.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the interaction request affects an earlier interaction request.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein affecting the earlier interaction request involves updating or canceling the earlier interaction request.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein after receiving the interaction request, the user proxy server is configured to prioritize the interaction request and place the interaction request in a queue of interaction requests.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein interacting with the user involves interacting with the user in an asynchronous manner, wherein if the user is unavailable, the interaction takes place at a later time when the user becomes available.

29. The apparatus of claim 21,

wherein interacting with the user involves interacting with the user through a task-oriented interface;

wherein the task-oriented interface presents a set of tasks to the user; and

wherein the tasks are applications that correspond to web services operations.

30. The apparatus of claim 21,

wherein interacting with the user involves interacting with the user through a pudgy client;

wherein the pudgy client is configured to interact with the user in a device-specific manner, thereby taking advantage of the capabilities of the client device through which the user interacts with the apparatus.

33. The apparatus of claim 21,

wherein the apparatus acts on behalf of the user without requiring the user'"'"'s interaction.

34. A method for an application to interact with a user at a client device through a user proxy server (UPS) system, wherein the UPS comprises a services management layer (SML), an interaction abstraction layer (IAL), and a device management layer (DML), the method comprising:

receiving, at the SML, an abstract interaction request from the application to initiate interactions with the user, wherein the abstract interaction request specifies data, data types, and/or semantic metadata for interacting with the user;

the SML queuing the abstract interaction request in an interaction request queue;

the SML providing information contained in the abstract interaction request to the IAL;

the IAL creating, based on the information contained in the abstract interaction request and contextual information existing at the UPS system, a hierarchy of graphical user interface (GUI) components to interact with the user and behavior managers for handling events associated with the GUI components;

the IAL providing the hierarchy of GUI components and the behavior managers to the DML;

the DML using the hierarchy of GUI components and the behavior managers to asynchronously interact with the user, wherein said asynchronous interaction is performed through the client device in a manner that is consistent with the contextual information.