System and Method for Improved Notifications

• US 20140324996A1
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Mody, Nirmal, Avirneni, Srini, Van Lieu, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,166,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

Systems and methods for sending/receiving improved in-browser notification messages are provided. The notification messages are overlaid on HTTP traffic on port 80 for IP addresses provisioned to receive the notification messages from various sources, including weather, emergency broadcast, and police stations. A load balancer within the end-to-end system allows HTTP traffic on port 80 to be forked from non HTTP traffic on port 80 to selectively insert notification messages. The notifications are inserted by an internet content adoption protocol (ICAP) server in communication with other devices within the system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining that a first set of data packets should be marked; and

marking the first set of data packets with an indicator that indicates that an address associated with the first set of data packets should receive a notification.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

marking the first set of data packets with a differentiated services value as the indicator.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

marking traffic on port 80 with the indicator.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information regarding setting a policy to cause the address to receive the notification.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information from a business policy engine associated with an internet protocol (IP) service provider regarding setting a policy to mark traffic from the address with the indicator.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information from one of a notification platform, an application manager, and a policy server regarding setting a policy to mark traffic from the address with the indicator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of data packets is transmitted via a router to a load balancer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the address comprises an internet protocol (IP) address that matches one of a plurality of IP addresses that need to receive the notification.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform:

transmitting, to a proxy server, a response indicating that a first set of data packets are fit for adaptation so that a notification can be inserted into the first set of data packets;

receiving a second set of data packets from the proxy server; and

inserting the notification into the second set of data packets.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the processor further performs:

determining that the first set of data packets are fit for adaptation.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first set of data packets comprise preview data packets that are a portion of the second set of data packets.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the processor further performs:

determining when the notification is cached locally.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the processor further performs:

obtaining the notification from a notification platform and caching the obtained notification locally.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the processor further performs:

parsing the second set of data packets.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the processor further performs:

reassembling the second set of data packets so that an original content of the second set of data packets is unaltered.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processor further performs:

transmitting the reassembled packets to the proxy server.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first set of data packets and the second set of data packets comprise Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) traffic.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory configured to store computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

determine that a first set of data packets should be marked; and

mark the first set of data packets with an indicator that indicates that an address associated with the first set of data packets should receive a notification.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

remove the indicator from the first set of data packets.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first set of data packets are received from a user device.