CONTEXTUAL COMPUTING SYSTEM

• US 20110153465A1
• Filed: 03/02/2011
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: TrueContext Mobile Solutions Corporation
• Inventors: Zamfir, Adrian, McGuire, Kevin H., Pombo, Alvaro, Sultan, Karim A., Haskins, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,655,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A contextual computing system allows a variety of actors to interact with system components to carry out computational and communication tasks. The system is provided as a self-contained and portable solution for communications needs, employable by a number of entities such as telecommunications companies, enterprises, and system operators. The computing system is implemented using layers, with components within the layers carrying out computational and communication tasks in response to input from actors. The system allows business logic and communication to be integrated into a single solution, providing for efficient communication and remarkable ease of use in a variety of possible deployments.

Claims

1-45. -45. (canceled)

46. A system for providing digital goods to a number of users using a distributed architecture organized into layers and components, comprising:

a data layer having access to a main database;

a business logic layer in communication with said data layer and having components for implementing business operations;

a presentation layer in communication with said business logic layer and having components for translating digital goods; and

a client layer in communication with said presentation layer and having components for formatting and displaying digital goods received from the presentation layer on user devices.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein the data layer utilizes a database server for providing the business logic layer with access to data in the main database.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein the business logic layer includes a data access component for accessing the database server at the data layer.

49. The system of claim 46 wherein the presentation layer has a translation sub-layer provided therein for receiving digital goods from the business logic layer and translating the digital goods for receipt and display by the client layer.

50. The system of claim 46 wherein the client layer includes a client stub component adapted to acquire device information about the user devices and forward the device information to the presentation layer.

51. The system of claim 50 wherein the device information is selected from the group consisting of device location information, information other devices with which a device is in communication, device type and version information, device display capability information, and device memory information.

52. (canceled)

53. A method for provisioning content to multiple users of a computing system comprising:

providing one or more data warehouses having catalogs therein;

inputting business logic rules into an application server;

providing a plurality of devices with access to a web server, the web server being in communication with the application server; and

allowing access to certain ones of the catalogs by certain ones of the devices through the web server based on business logic rules in the application server.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein said step of allowing access to certain ones of said catalogs by certain ones of said devices is further based on statuses of the devices.

55. A method for administering a computing system comprising:

providing access to said computing system to system operators, application developers, administrators, and end-users via devices;

providing catalogs in data warehouses within the computing system;

populating the catalogs with digital goods from the application developers;

receiving business logic rules from the system operators and administrators and storing the business logic rules in a database;

providing client stubs on the devices, the client stubs collecting status information about the devices and storing the status information on the devices and in the database;

providing access to certain digital goods in certain ones of the catalogs by certain ones of the devices based on the status information and further based on the business logic rules; and

providing the administrators and system operators with data describing which of the digital goods are being accessed by which of the devices.