Enabling push notifications from websites

• US 9,571,596 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lau, Cheuk Wan William, Dolin, Robert M., Jin, Larry, Yamini, Smriti, Roberts, Melanie Vanessa, Tang, Lan
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US14/185,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20150237151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/222, 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/229
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

Techniques for enabling push notifications from websites are described. In at least some embodiments, a push notification generally represents a way for a website to push information to a client device. For instance, a push notification may include content (e.g., text, images, video, audio, and so forth) that a website pushes to a client device. The content can be output via the client device, e.g., independently of an output of the website itself. According to one or more embodiments, a push notification channel is generated that enables notifications to be pushed from a website to a client device. Generally, a push notification channel represents a set of attributes and procedures that enable notifications to be securely and accurately pushed from a website to a client device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

presenting a selectable option for adding a tile that represents a website for display on a client device;

configuring, via one or more computing devices, a push notification channel for the client device in response to a selection of the selectable option to add the tile thereby enabling push notification from the website to the tile, said configuring the push notification including obtaining a channel token that enables a notification to be pushed to the client device, and communicating the channel token to the website;

receiving a push notification from the website at the client device via the push notification channel and independent of a user navigating to the website or having a browser open; and

populating the push notification to the tile.

2. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said presenting comprises presenting the selectable option responsive to a navigation to the website.

3. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said presenting comprises presenting the selectable option responsive to receiving an indication that the website supports push notifications.

4. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising authenticating with a notification service that is remote from the client device prior to said obtaining, and wherein said obtaining comprises obtaining the channel token from the notification service.

5. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the push notification includes content for updating the tile.

6. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising updating the tile on the client device with the push notification and separately from a display of the website.

7. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising outputting the push notification via the client device separately from a display of the website.

8. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the channel token is expired; and

causing the channel token to be refreshed.

9. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

one or more computer-readable storage media including instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform operations including;

presenting a selectable option for adding a visual indicator that represents a website for display on a client device;

configuring, via one or more computing devices, a push notification channel for the client device in response to a selection of the selectable option to add the visual indicator thereby enabling push notification from the website to the visual indicator, said configuring the push notification including obtaining a channel token that enables notifications to be pushed to the client device, and communicating the channel token to the website;

receiving a notification from the website at the client device via the push notification channel and independent of a user navigating to the website or having a browser open; and

populating the push notification to the visual indicator.

10. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein said presenting comprises presenting the selectable option responsive to a navigation to the website.

11. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein said presenting comprises presenting the selectable option responsive to receiving an indication that the website supports push notifications.

12. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the notification includes content for updating the visual indicator on a display of the client device.

13. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise updating the visual indicator on the client device with the notification and separately from a display of the website.

14. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise outputting the notification via the client device separately from a display of the website.

15. One or more computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

presenting a selectable option for adding a visual indicator that represents a website for display on a client device;

configuring, via one or more computing devices, a push notification channel for the client device in response to a selection of the selectable option to add the visual indicator thereby enabling push notification from the website to the visual indicator, said configuring the push notification including obtaining a channel token that enables notifications to be pushed to the client device, and communicating the channel token to the website;

receiving a notification from the website at the client device via the push notification channel and independent of a user navigating to the website or having a browser open; and

populating the push notification to the visual indicator.

16. One or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 15, wherein the notification includes content for updating the visual indicator.

17. One or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise updating the visual indicator on the client device with the notification and separately from a display of the website.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise outputting the notification via the client device separately from a display of the website.

19. One or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 15, wherein the visual indicator is selectable to cause a navigation to the website.

20. One or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 15, wherein said presenting comprises presenting the selectable option responsive to a navigation to the website or presenting the selectable option responsive to receiving an indication that the website supports push notifications.