Systems and methods for generating customized bundles of information

• US 6,801,936 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2000
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stragent, LLC (Oso IP, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Diwan, Arif
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDELMAN, BRADLEY E
• Application Number:
  US09/545,439
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/218, 709/227, 709/219, 709/249, 709/203, 709/202, 340/825.44, 707/6, 707/4, 707/10, 705/10, 705/27, 370/313, 725/110, 725/115, 725/97
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels

Abstract

A system (190) provides information to multiple subscribers (105-125). The system (190) receives requests for different types of information from the subscribers (105-125) and stores rules for delivering the requested information. The system (190) gathers information from multiple information sources (145-155), packages at least some of the gathered information into customized bundles according to the received requests and the stored rules, and delivers the customized bundles to the subscribers (105-125) according to the stored rules.

Claims

1. A method for providing information to a plurality of subscriber devices, comprising:

receiving requests for different types of information from the subscriber devices;

storing rules, received from the subscriber devices, that specify a manner for delivering the requested information;

gathering information from a plurality of information providers;

packaging at least some of the gathered information into customized bundles according to the received requests and the stored rules, the packaging including;

grouping information that satisfies the requests from multiple ones of the subscriber devices; and

delivering the customized bundles to the multiple subscriber devices according to the stored rules.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving requests includes:

providing a list of available information services that supply the different types of information to each of the subscriber devices, and

receiving a selection of one or more of the information services from the list.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the rules dictate a manner in which the requested information is bundled and presented to the subscriber devices.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the rules indicate at least one of whether to complete a bundle, whether to fulfill partial orders, intervals at which the bundles are to be delivered to the subscriber devices, and a form in which the bundles are to be delivered to the subscriber devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing rules includes:

obtaining general delivery rules that pertain to all of the sub subscriber devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the packaging includes:

generating multicast messages that include the customized bundles.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the delivering includes:

transmitting the multicast messages to the multiple subscriber devices using Internet protocol multicasting and taking advantage of multicast routing protocols.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the delivering includes:

transmitting the multicast messages to the multiple subscriber devices using Internet multicast group addresses and taking advantage of Internet protocol multicast routing techniques.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the gathering includes:

listening for broadcast streams from the information providers that contain the requested information.

9. A method for providing information to a plurality of subscriber devices, comprising:

receiving requests for different types of information from the subscriber devices;

storing rules that specify a manner for delivering the requested information;

gathering information from a plurality of information providers, the gathering including;

contacting the information providers to request delivery of the requested information,

obtaining a multicast group identification address from each of the information providers, and

listening for messages from the information providers that contain one of the multicast group identification addresses;

packaging at least some of the gathered information into customized bundles according to the received requests and the stored rules; and

delivering the customized bundles to the subscriber devices according to the stored rules.

11. A system for providing information to a plurality of subscribers, comprising:

means for receiving requests for different types of information from the subscribers;

means for storing rules, received from the subscribers, that dictate a manner for delivering the requested information;

means for gathering information from a plurality of information providers;

means for packaging at least some of the gathered information into customized bundles according to the received requests and the stored rules by grouping information that satisfies the requests of multiple ones of the subscribers; and

means for delivering the customized bundles to the multiple subscribers according to the stored rules.

12. A system that provides information to a plurality of users, comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive requests for different types of information from the users;

a memory configured to store rules, received from the users, that specify a manner for delivering the requested information; and

a processor configured to;

gather information from a plurality of information providers,

package at least some of the gathered information into customized bundles according to the received requests and the stored rules by grouping information that satisfies the requests of multiple ones of the users, and

deliver the customized bundles to the multiple users according to the stored rules.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication interface is further configured to transmit a list of available information services that supply the different types of information to each of the users and receive a selection of one or more of the information services from the list.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the rules dictate a manner in which the requested information is bundled and presented to the users.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the rules indicate at least one of whether to complete a bundle, whether to fulfill partial orders, intervals at which the bundles are to be delivered to the users, and a form in which the bundles are to be delivered to the users.

16. The system of claims 12, wherein the memory is further configured to store delivery rules that pertain to all of the users.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to listen for broadcast streams from the information providers that contain the requested information.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to generate multicast messages that include the customized bundles.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to use multicast routing techniques to transmit the multicast messages to the multiple users.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to use Internet protocol multicast routing techniques to transmit the multicast messages to the multiple users.

21. A system that provides information to a plurality of users, comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive requests for different types of information from the users;

a memory configured to store rules that specify a manner for delivering the requested information; and

a processor configured to;

gather information from a plurality of information providers by;

contacting the information providers to request delivery of the requested information,

obtaining a multicast group identification address from each of the information providers, and

listening for messages from the information providers that contain one of the multicast group identification addresses,

package at least some of the gathered information into customized bundles according to the received requests and the stored rules, and

deliver the customized bundles to the users according to the stored rules.

22. A computer-readable medium that stores instructions executable by at least one processor to perform a method for providing information to a plurality of subscriber devices, comprising:

gathering information from a plurality of information providers;

packaging at least some of the gathered information into customized bundles based on a plurality of information requests and delivery rules, the information requests including requests from the subscriber devices for different types of information, the delivery rules including rules, received from the subscriber devices, that control a manner of delivery of the requested information, the packaging including;

grouping information that satisfies the requests of multiple ones of the subscriber devices; and

delivering the customized bundles to the multiple ones of the subscriber devices according to the delivery rules.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the gathering includes:

listening for broadcast streams from the information providers that contain the requested information.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the packaging includes:

generating multicast messages that include the customized bundles.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the delivering includes:

transmitting the multicast messages to the multiple subscriber devices.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the delivering includes:

using Internet protocol multicast routing techniques to transmit the multicast messages to the multiple subscriber devices.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, herein the delivery rules indicate at least one of whether to complete a bundle, whether to fulfill partial orders, intervals at which the bundles are to be delivered to the multiple ones of the subscriber devices, and a form in which the bundles are to be delivered to the multiple ones of the subscriber devices.

28. A computer-readable medium that stores instructions executable by at least one processor to perform a method for providing information to a plurality of subscriber devices, comprising:

gathering information from a plurality of information providers by;

contacting the information providers to request delivery of information,

obtaining a multicast group identification address from each of the information providers, and

listening for messages from the information providers that contain one of the multicast group identification addresses;

packaging at least some of the gathered information into customized bundles based on a plurality of information requests and delivery rules, the information requests including requests from the subscriber devices for different types of information, the delivery rules including rules that control delivery of the requested information; and

delivering the customized bundles to the subscriber devices according to the delivery rules.

29. An agent connected to at least one information source and at least one subscriber, comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions and delivery rules, received from the subscribers, that dictate a manner in which information is provided to the subscribers; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions in the memory to collect different types of information from the information sources, package at least some of the collected information into bundles based on the delivery rules, generate multicast messages containing the bundles, and transmit the multicast messages to appropriate ones of the subscribers according to the delivery rules, the delivery rules including at least one of whether to complete a bundle, whether to fulfill partial orders, intervals at which the bundles are to be delivered to the subscribers, and a form in which the bundles are to be delivered to the subscribers.

30. The agent of claim 29, herein the processor is further configured to receive messages containing the different types of information from the information sources.

31. The agent of claim 30, wherein the received messages include at least one of multicast messages and broadcast message streams.

32. The agent of claim 29, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the multicast messages to the subscribers taking advantage of Internet protocol multicast routing techniques.

33. A method for delivering information, comprising:

receiving requests for different types of information from a plurality of subscriber devices;

collecting information from a plurality of information sources over a network;

identifying parts of the collected information common to the requests of a group of the subscriber devices according to delivery rules, the delivery rules indicating a manner in which the common information is bundled;

creating a multicast message containing the common information; and

transmitting the multicast message to the group of subscriber devices.