Tailoring content to be delivered to mobile device based upon features of mobile device

• US 9,131,013 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jemiolo, Daniel, Kaplinger, Todd E., Mitchell, Christopher C., Truty, Gregory L.
• Primary Examiner(s): MIAH, RAZU A
• Application Number:
  US13/193,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20130031198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 709/213, 455412-419
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 system and computer program product for delivering tailored specific content to a mobile device. A shim application is provided to the mobile device by a content server after the mobile device visits the content server for the first time. The shim application detects the capabilities of the mobile device, such as the screen size, screen resolution, memory size, browser capabilities, etc. The shim application then includes such information in the header of the requests, such as a request for content, sent from the mobile device to the content server. The content server then generates the requested content in the appropriate format based on the information provided in the header. In this manner, the content server will now be able to ensure that the content provided by the content server for a particular mobile device will be appropriately displayed on the mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for delivering tailored specific content to a mobile device, the computer program product comprising the programming instructions for:

providing a shim application to said mobile device, wherein said shim application detects capabilities of said mobile device;

receiving a request for content, wherein said request comprises header information providing said capabilities of said mobile device;

generating said content in a format compliant to said mobile device based on said header information; and

transmitting said generated content to said mobile device.

2. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein said capabilities comprise browser capabilities.

3. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein said capabilities comprise one or more of the following:

screen size, screen resolution and memory size.

4. The computer program product as recited in claim 1 further comprising the programming instructions for:

detecting a first time visit by said mobile device, wherein said shim application is provided to said mobile device in response to detecting said first time visit by said mobile device.

5. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein said capabilities detected by said shim application are stored in a cache of said mobile device.

6. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein said shim application is provided to said mobile device by transmitting a link to a website to download said shim application.

7. A system, comprising:

a memory unit for storing a computer program for delivering tailored specific content to a mobile device; and

a processor coupled to said memory unit, wherein said processor, responsive to said computer program, comprises

circuitry for providing a shim application to said mobile device, wherein said shim application detects capabilities of said mobile device;

circuitry for receiving a request for content, wherein said request comprises header information providing said capabilities of said mobile device;

circuitry for generating said content in a format compliant to said mobile device based on said header information; and

circuitry for transmitting said generated content to said mobile device.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said capabilities comprise browser capabilities.

9. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said capabilities comprise one or more of the following:

screen size, screen resolution and memory size.

10. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said processor further comprises:

circuitry for detecting a first time visit by said mobile device, wherein said shim application is provided to said mobile device in response to detecting said first time visit by said mobile device.

11. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said capabilities detected by said shim application are stored in a cache of said mobile device.

12. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said shim application is provided to said mobile device by transmitting a link to a website to download said shim application.