Querying wireless network offerings

• US 8,185,607 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: comScore, Inc.
• Original Assignee: comScore, Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, Michael A., Montelius, Johan, Arzur, Erwan, Clemison, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc
• Application Number:
  US12/240,456
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A request is received at an emulation system configured to communicate over a wireless network. The request indicates content to be retrieved from over the wireless network. A content request for the content to be retrieved over the wireless network is generated at the emulation system. The content request emulates a content request from a particular wireless device. The generated content request is sent from the emulation system over the wireless network to a server that is configured to retrieve the content and return the content to the emulation system. The content is received at the emulation system from the wireless network in a first format. The content is converted from the first format to a second, different format to generate converted content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, at an emulation system, a first content request for content to be retrieved over a wireless network, wherein the first content request emulates a content request from a first type of wireless client device;

sending, from the emulation system, the generated first content request over the wireless network to a first server that is configured to retrieve a first version of the requested content in a first format that is associated with the first type of wireless client device and return the retrieved content to the emulation system;

receiving, at the emulation system, the first version of the requested content in the first format that is associated with the first type of wireless client device;

converting the received first version of the requested content from the first format to a third format;

generating, at the emulation system, a second content request for content to be retrieved over the wireless network, wherein the second content request emulates a content request from a second, different type of wireless client device;

sending, from the emulation system, the generated second content request over the wireless network to a second server that is configured to retrieve a second version of the requested content in a second format that is associated with the second type of wireless client device and return the retrieved content to the emulation system;

receiving, at the emulation system and from the wireless network, the second version of the requested content in the second format that is associated with the second type of wireless client device; and

converting the received second version of the requested content from the second format to the third format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the first content request for content to be retrieved over the wireless network includes generating a request for a webpage that emulates a request for the webpage from the first type of wireless client device;

generating the second content request for content to be retrieved over the wireless network includes generating a request for the webpage that emulates a request for the webpage from the second type of wireless client device;

receiving the first version of the requested content includes receiving a first version of the webpage in a first format that is associated with the first type of wireless client device; and

receiving the second version of the requested content includes receiving a second version of the webpage in a second format that is associated with the second type of wireless client device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the third format to which the received first and second versions of the requested content are converted is compatible with a browser on a client device, and

further comprising sending the converted first version of the requested content and the converted second version of the requested content to the client device such that it is configured to be displayed by the browser on the client device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received first version of the requested content is visually different than the received second version of the requested content.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the first content request for the content to be retrieved over the wireless network comprises:

accessing a device database to retrieve information regarding the first type of wireless client device; and

generating the first content request based on the retrieved information such that the first content request includes information that would be included in a content request from the first type of wireless client device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the information that would be included in a content request from the first type of wireless client device includes one or more values for a header in the content request.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the header includes an accept header or a user agent header.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the information that would be included in a content request from the first type of wireless client device includes User Agent Profile information.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the generated first content request over the wireless network comprises:

accessing a network database to retrieve information regarding the wireless network; and

sending the generated first content request over the wireless network based on the retrieved information.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a request at the emulation system, wherein the request indicates content to be retrieved from over the wireless network,

wherein generating the first content request for content to be retrieved over the wireless network includes generating the first content request to retrieve the content indicated by the request received at the emulation system.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the emulation system includes an emulation server configured as a proxy server;

receiving the request at the emulation system includes receiving the request on a port of the emulation server that corresponds to the first type of wireless client; and

generating, at the emulation system, the first content request includes generating the first content request at the emulation server based on the port on which the request was received.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the request received at the emulation server is a content request including one or more header values, and

generating the first content request at the emulation server includes changing the one or more header values to header values that would be in a content request from the first type of wireless client.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the emulation system includes a staging server and an emulation server coupled to the staging server;

receiving the request at the emulation system includes receiving the request at the staging server and placing the request in a queue;

generating the first content request includes receiving the queued request at the emulation server from the staging server and generating the first content request at the emulation server;

sending the generated first content request over the wireless network includes sending the generated first content request from the emulation server.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the emulation system includes a staging server and an emulation server coupled to the emulation server;

receiving the request at the emulation system includes receiving the request at the staging server;

generating the first content request includes generating the first content request at the staging server and placing the first content request in a queue; and

sending the generated first content request over the wireless network includes receiving the queued first content request at the emulation server from the staging server and sending the generated first content request from the emulation server.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein generating the first content request at the staging server includes forming an HTTP request that includes information that would be included in a content request from the first type of wireless client device.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the first format is Wireless Markup Language (WML) and the third format is eXtensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML) such that converting the received first version of the requested content from the first format to the third format includes converting the received first version of the requested content from WML to XHTML.

17. A system comprising:

a client system;

a wireless communication device configured to communicate over a wireless network; and

an emulation system coupled to the wireless communication device and configured to;

generate a first content request for content to be retrieved over a wireless network, wherein the first content request emulates a content request from a first type of wireless client device;

send, using the wireless communication device, the generated first content request over the wireless network to a first server that is configured to retrieve a first version of the requested content in a first format that is associated with the first type of wireless client device and return the retrieved content to the emulation system;

receive, from the wireless network, the first version of the requested content in the first format that is associated with the first type of wireless client device;

convert the received first version of the requested content from the first format to a third format;

generate a second content request for content to be retrieved over the wireless network, wherein the second content request emulates a content request from a second, different type of wireless client device;

send, using the wireless communication device, the generated second content request over the wireless network to a second server that is configured to retrieve a second version of the requested content in a second format that is associated with the second type of wireless client device and return the retrieved content to the emulation system;

receive, from the wireless network, the second version of the requested content in the second format that is associated with the second type of wireless client device; and

convert the received second version of the requested content from the second format to the third format.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the emulation system being configured to generate the first content request for content to be retrieved over the wireless network includes the emulation system being configured to generate a request for a webpage that emulates a request for the webpage from the first type of wireless client device;

the emulation system being configured to generate the second content request for content to be retrieved over the wireless network includes the emulation system being configured to generate a request for the webpage that emulates a request for the webpage from the second type of wireless client device;

the emulation system being configured to receive the first version of the requested content includes the emulation system being configured to receive a first version of the webpage in a first format that is associated with the first type of wireless client device; and

the emulation system being configured to receive the second version of the requested content includes the emulation system being configured to receive a second version of the webpage in a second format that is associated with the second type of wireless client device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the third format to which the received first and second versions of the requested content are converted is compatible with a browser on the client system, and

the emulation system is configured to send the converted first version of the requested content and the converted second version of the requested content to the client device such that it is configured to be displayed by the browser on the client system.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the received first version of the requested content is visually different than the received second version of the requested content.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the emulation system being configured to generate the first content request for the content to be retrieved over the wireless network includes the emulation system being configured to:

access a device database to retrieve information regarding the first type of wireless client device; and

generate the first content request based on the retrieved information such that the first content request includes information that would be included in a content request from the first type of wireless client device.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the information that would be included in a content request from the first type of wireless client device includes one or more values for a header in the content request.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the header includes an accept header or a user agent header.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the information that would be included in a content request from the first type of wireless client device includes User Agent Profile information.

25. The system of claim 17 wherein the emulation system being configured to send the generated first content request over the wireless network includes the emulation system being configured to:

access a network database to retrieve information regarding the wireless network; and

send the generated first content request over the wireless network based on the retrieved information.

26. The system of claim 17 wherein:

the emulation system is configured to receive a request at the emulation system, wherein the request indicates content to be retrieved from over the wireless network, and

wherein the emulation system being configured to generate the first content request for content to be retrieved over the wireless network includes the emulation system being configured to generate the first content request to retrieve the content indicated by the request received at the emulation system.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein:

the emulation system includes an emulation server configured as a proxy server;

the emulation system being configured to receive the request at the emulation system includes the emulation system being configured to receive the request on a port of the emulation server that corresponds to the first type of wireless client; and

the emulation system being configured to generate, at the emulation system, the first content request includes the emulation system being configured to generate the first content request at the emulation server based on the port on which the request was received.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein:

the request received at the emulation server is a content request including one or more header values, and

the emulation system being configured to generate the first content request at the emulation server includes the emulation system being configured to change the one or more header values to header values that would be in a content request from the first type of wireless client.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein:

the emulation system includes a staging server and an emulation server coupled to the staging server;

the emulation system being configured to receive the request at the emulation system includes the emulation system being configured to receive the request at the staging server and placing the request in a queue;

the emulation system being configured to generate the first content request includes the emulation system being configured to receive the queued request at the emulation server from the staging server and generating the first content request at the emulation server;

the emulation system being configured to send the generated first content request over the wireless network includes the emulation system being configured to send the generated first content request from the emulation server.

30. The system of claim 26 wherein:

the emulation system includes a staging server and an emulation server coupled to the emulation server;

the emulation system being configured to receive the request at the emulation system includes the emulation system being configured to receive the request at the staging server;

the emulation system being configured to generate the first content request includes the emulation system being configured to generate the first content request at the staging server and placing the first content request in a queue; and

the emulation system being configured to send the generated first content request over the wireless network includes the emulation system being configured to receive the queued first content request at the emulation server from the staging server and sending the generated first content request from the emulation server.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the emulation system being configured to generate the first content request at the staging server includes the emulation system being configured to form an HTTP request that includes information that would be included in a content request from the first type of wireless client device.

32. The system of claim 17 wherein the first format is Wireless Markup Language (WML) and the third format is eXtensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML) such that the emulation system being configured to convert the received first version of the requested content from the first format to the third format includes the emulation system being configured to convert the received first version of the requested content from WML to XHTML.

33. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed, operate to cause a computer to perform operations comprising:

generate, at an emulation system, a first content request for content to be retrieved over a wireless network, wherein the first content request emulates a content request from a first type of wireless client device;

send, from the emulation system, the generated first content request over the wireless network to a first server that is configured to retrieve a first version of the requested content in a first format that is associated with the first type of wireless client device and return the retrieved content to the emulation system;

receive, at the emulation system, the first version of the requested content in the first format that is associated with the first type of wireless client device;

convert the received first version of the requested content from the first format to a third format;

generate, at the emulation system, a second content request for content to be retrieved over the wireless network, wherein the second content request emulates a content request from a second, different type of wireless client device;

send, from the emulation system, the generated second content request over the wireless network to a second server that is configured to retrieve a second version of the requested content in a second format that is associated with the second type of wireless client device and return the retrieved content to the emulation system;

receive, at the emulation system and from the wireless network, the second version of the requested content in the second format that is associated with the second type of wireless client device; and

convert the received second version of the requested content from the second format to the third format.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein:

the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to generate the first content request for content to be retrieved over the wireless network include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to generate a request for a webpage that emulates a request for the webpage from the first type of wireless client device;

the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to generate the second content request for content to be retrieved over the wireless network include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to generate a request for the webpage that emulates a request for the webpage from the second type of wireless client device;

the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to receive the first version of the requested content include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to receive a first version of the webpage in a first format that is associated with the first type of wireless client device; and

the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to receive the second version of the requested content include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to receive a second version of the webpage in a second format that is associated with the second type of wireless client device.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein:

the third format to which the received first and second versions of the requested content are converted is compatible with a browser on a client system, and

the non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to send the converted first version of the requested content and the converted second version of the requested content to the client device such that it is configured to be displayed by the browser on the client system.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the received first version of the requested content is visually different than the received second version of the requested content.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to generate the first content request for the content to be retrieved over the wireless network include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to:

access a device database to retrieve information regarding the first type of wireless client device; and

generate the first content request based on the retrieved information such that the first content request includes information that would be included in a content request from the first type of wireless client device.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 37 wherein the information that would be included in a content request from the first type of wireless client device includes one or more values for a header in the content request.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 38 wherein the header includes an accept header or a user agent header.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 37 wherein the information that would be included in a content request from the first type of wireless client device includes User Agent Profile information.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to send the generated first content request over the wireless network include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to:

access a network database to retrieve information regarding the wireless network; and

send the generated first content request over the wireless network based on the retrieved information.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein:

the non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to receive a request at the emulation system, wherein the request indicates content to be retrieved from over the wireless network, and

wherein the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to generate the first content request for content to be retrieved over the wireless network include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to generate the first content request to retrieve the content indicated by the request received at the emulation system.

43. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 42 wherein:

the emulation system includes an emulation server configured as a proxy server;

the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to receive the request at the emulation system include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to receive the request on a port of the emulation server that corresponds to the first type of wireless client; and

the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to generate, at the emulation system, the first content request include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to generate the first content request at the emulation server based on the port on which the request was received.

44. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 43 wherein:

the request received at the emulation server is a content request including one or more header values, and

the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to generate the first content request at the emulation server include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to change the one or more header values to header values that would be in a content request from the first type of wireless client.

45. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 42 wherein:

the emulation system includes a staging server and an emulation server coupled to the staging server;

the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to receive the request at the emulation system include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to receive the request at the staging server and placing the request in a queue;

the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to generate the first content request include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to receive the queued request at the emulation server from the staging server and generating the first content request at the emulation server;

the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to send the generated first content request over the wireless network include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to send the generated first content request from the emulation server.

46. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 42 wherein:

the emulation system includes a staging server and an emulation server coupled to the emulation server;

the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to receive the request at the emulation system include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to receive the request at the staging server;

the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to generate the first content request include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to generate the first content request at the staging server and placing the first content request in a queue; and

the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to send the generated first content request over the wireless network include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to receive the queued first content request at the emulation server from the staging server and sending the generated first content request from the emulation server.

47. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 46 wherein the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to generate the first content request at the staging server include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to form an HTTP request that includes information that would be included in a content request from the first type of wireless client device.

48. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the first format is Wireless Markup Language (WML) and the third format is eXtensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML) such that the instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to convert the received first version of the requested content from the first format to the third format include instructions that, when executed, operate to cause the computer to convert the received first version of the requested content from WML to XHTML.