Proxy server for application on mobile device

• US 8,620,898 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2012
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wajam Internet Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wajam Internet Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Archambault, Martin-Luc, Paquet, Andr-Philippe, Koivikko, Heikki
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mamillapalli, Pavan
• Application Number:
  US13/472,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 707/711
• US Class Current: 707/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

The present document describes a method for presenting modified information obtained from the internet on an application on a mobile device. The mobile device is set to communicate with the internet through a proxy server. A user of the mobile device is registered on a social network from which indexed search content specific to the user'"'"'s connections on the social network are obtained. The method comprises: modifying, based on the indexed search content specific to the user'"'"'s connections, an output for the application from an internet server to produce a modified output for the application; and sending the modified output for the application to the mobile device for presentation in the application on the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for presenting to a user, modified information obtained from the internet on an application on a mobile device, the user being registered on a social network and having connections thereon, the method comprising:

indexing, by an adaptation server, data related to users registered on the social network to produce indexed data;

receiving, at the adaptation server, a proxy request to add the adaptation server as a proxy server for applications requiring access to the internet from the mobile device;

accepting the proxy request, and subsequently, receiving from the mobile device, an application access request along with a user identifier, a search query and an identification of an internet server to which the application request is intended to be sent, the internet server being different from the adaptation server;

forwarding the application request along with the user identifier and search query to the internet server;

using the application access request and the user identifier, performing, by the adaptation server, a search on the indexed data specific to the user'"'"'s connections to obtain indexed search content specific to the user'"'"'s connections on the social network;

receiving, at the adaptation server, a first output for the application from the internet server in response to the application access request, the first output comprising internet search results;

modifying, by the adaptation server, the first output for the application based on the indexed search content to produce a modified output, the modified output comprising modified internet search results defining at least one difference from the internet search results included in the first output; and

sending the modified output for the application to the mobile device for presentation in the application on the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises showing, in a reserved space on the application, information derived from the indexed search content specific to the user'"'"'s connections on the social network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information derived from the indexed search content comprises content shared by the user'"'"'s connections relating to a context of the application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying includes adding one or more of friends'"'"' recommendations, likes, check-ins, posts, tweets, shares, photos/videos, friends'"'"' comments, friends'"'"' reviews, friends'"'"' ratings in the output for the application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying includes adding new search results from the indexed data that were not returned by the internet server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying includes removing one or more of the search results prior to sending them to the mobile device for display in the application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying includes changing the order in which the search results are presented based on recommendations and ranking provided by the user'"'"'s connections and sending the reordered search results to the mobile device for display in the application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying includes indicating presence or location of a user'"'"'s connection in one of the search results.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the internet search server, location information indicating an approximate location of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the modifying comprising filtering the search results based on the approximate location of the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the search query from the mobile device and forwarding the search query to an internet server prior to receiving the search results from the internet server.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the output for the application comprises at least one of:

removing results, changing the order in which the search results are presented, indicating presence or location of a user'"'"'s connection, indicating location of the mobile device, check-ins to a location or web site by the user'"'"'s connections, rating by the user'"'"'s connections, recommendations for purchases by the user'"'"'s connections, and comments by the user'"'"'s connections.

13. An adaptation server for presenting to a user, modified information obtained from the internet on an application on a mobile device, the user being registered on a social network and having connections thereon, the adaptation server comprising:

an input adapted to receive a proxy request from a mobile device to add the adaptation server as a proxy server for applications requiring access to the internet from the mobile device, wherein after the proxy request is accepted, the adaptation server receives from the mobile device an application access request along with a user identifier, a search query, and an identification of an internet server to which the application request is intended to be sent;

an output adapted to forward the application access request along with the user identifier and the search query to the internet server, wherein the adaptation server is adapted to receive a first set of results returned by the internet server in response to the application request;

an indexing engine for indexing data related to users registered on the social network to produce indexed data; and

a context adaptation engine, using the application access request, the search query and the user identifier, for performing a search on the indexed data specific to the user'"'"'s connections to obtain indexed search content specific to the user'"'"'s connections on the social network, the context adaptation engine being adapted to modify the first set of results returned by the internet server based on the indexed search content to produce a second set of results, the second set of results comprising modified results defining at least one difference from the first set of results;

the output for sending the second set of results to the mobile device for presentation in the application on the mobile device.

14. A method for presenting to a user, modified information obtained from the internet on an application on a mobile device, the user of the mobile device being registered on a social network and having connections (a user'"'"'s connections) on the social network, the method comprising:

indexing, by an adaptation server, data representing activities of users registered on a social network to produce indexed data;

receiving, at the adaptation server, a proxy request to add the adaptation server as a proxy server for applications requiring access to the internet from the mobile device;

providing, from the adaptation server, computer readable statements and instructions which when implemented on the mobile device cause the mobile device to direct all data traffic to the adaptation server for the applications requiring access to the internet;

accepting the proxy request, and subsequently, receiving from the mobile device, an application access request along with a user identifier, a search query and an identification of an internet server to which the application request is intended to be sent, the internet server being different from the adaptation server;

forwarding the application request along with the user identifier and search query to the internet server;

using the application access request and the user identifier, performing, by the adaptation server, a search on the indexed data specific to the user'"'"'s connections to obtain indexed search content specific to the user'"'"'s connections on the social network;

receiving, at the adaptation server, an output for the application from the internet server in response to the application access request, the output comprising internet search results;

modifying, by the adaptation server, the output for the application based on the indexed search content; and

modifying, by the adaptation server, the output for the application based on the indexed search content to produce a modified output; and

sending the modified output for the application to the mobile device for presentation in the application on the mobile device.