Content distribution infrastructure

• US 8,762,984 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gouge, Christopher S., Marl, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Qing
• Application Number:
  US11/756,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20080301670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,581 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Providing content according to a distribution infrastructure. A content provider creates content and organizes the content into a channel. The content included in the channel is described by attributes associated with the channel. The channel is published to a processor and the processor hosts the published channel. A client computing device selectively subscribes to a plurality of published channels. The client computing device aggregates content form the plurality of subscribed channels and provides the aggregated content to a user in a single update experience.

Claims

1. A method of providing content to a client computing device, the method comprising:

registering with a plurality of channel sources to receive content from one or more channels hosted by the plurality of channel sources, wherein each of the one or more channels comprises channel content and channel attributes for defining the channel content;

identifying channel content in the registered plurality of channel sources;

receiving channel content from the registered plurality of channel sources in response to registering with the plurality of channel sources;

validating the content authenticity of the channel content received from the registered plurality of channel sources;

aggregating the validated channel content based on the channel attributes defining the channel content;

distributing the aggregated channel content to the client computing device; and

installing the aggregated channel content on the client computing device based on specifications from a user of the client computing device in a single installation experience.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising defining preferences for receiving channel content from the registered plurality of channel sources, wherein the channel content received from the registered plurality of channel sources is received according to the defined preferences.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein aggregating the validated channel content includes altering the validated channel content.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein aggregating the validated channel content includes examining the validated channel content, and wherein the aggregated channel content is distributed to the client computing device based on the examination.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising deploying a policy to the client computing device, wherein the policy controls an installation process for installing the aggregated channel content on the client computing device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving descriptive information associated with the client computing device, wherein the aggregated channel content is distributed to the client computing device based on the received descriptive information.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating, by a channel provider, channel content;

establishing, by the channel provider, channel attributes defining the created channel content; and

publishing, by the channel provider, a channel comprising the created channel content and the channel attributes to one of the plurality of channel sources.

8. A method of updating a software application on a client computing device, the method comprising:

subscribing to one or more update channels, wherein each of the one or more update channels comprises channel content published by a plurality of channel content providers for updating the software application, and wherein each of the one or more update channels further comprises channel attributes for defining the channel content;

identifying new channel content in the one or more subscribed update channels;

receiving the new channel content in the one or more subscribed update channels based on the channel attributes defining the channel content;

validating the content authenticity of the received new channel content in the one or more subscribed update channels;

accumulating the validated new channel content based on the channel attributes defining the channel content;

downloading the accumulated new channel content to the client computing device; and

installing the accumulated new channel content on the client computing device based on specifications from a user of the client computing device in a single installation experience.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving a request from the user of the client computing device to receive channel content from the one or more update channels, wherein subscribing to the one or more update channels is responsive to the received request.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving a request from the software application to receive updates to the software application from the one or more update channels, wherein subscribing to the one or more update channels is responsive to the received request.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein receiving the new channel content in the one or more subscribed update channels is based on information describing attributes of the client computing device.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising validating the content authenticity of the identified new channel content based on the channel attributes defining the identified new channel content.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising notifying the user of the client computing device of the accumulated new channel content and receiving from the user of the client computing device a response to the notification, wherein the response specifies whether to install the accumulated new channel content.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the specifications from the user indicate a time for installing the accumulated new channel content.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the channel attributes for an update channel indicate one or more of the following:

a channel content provider of the update channel, procedures for validating the content authenticity of the channel content, user authentication requirements, and restrictions applicable to client computing devices subscribing to the update channel.

16. A system for providing content to a computing device, the system comprising:

a user interface configured to interact with a plurality of channel content providers to develop and publish a plurality of channels, wherein each of the plurality of channels comprises channel content and channel attributes defining the channel content; and

a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions to;

host the plurality of published channels,

receive a request from the computing device for channel content in a specified channel being hosted by the processor,

determine if the computing device is restricted from receiving the requested channel content based on the channel attributes for the specified channel,

receive the requested channel content in the specified channel hosted by the processor based on the determining,

validate the content authenticity of the received channel content in the specified channel according to the channel attributes for the specified channel, wherein the channel attributes include procedures for validating the content authenticity of the received channel content in the specified channel,

aggregate the validated received channel content according to the channel attributes defining the requested channel content,

distribute the aggregated received channel content according to the received request and the channel attributes defining the requested channel content, and

install the aggregated received channel content on the computing device based on specifications from a user of the computing device in a single installation experience.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the channel content includes updates for a software product.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein receiving a request includes receiving identifying information from a requestor of the request and authenticating the requestor based on the received identifying information.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the channel attributes for a channel indicate one or more of the following:

a channel content provider of the channel, user authentication requirements, and restrictions applicable to computing devices subscribing to the channel.