Mass ingestion of content related metadata to an online content portal

• US 9,443,258 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fosback, Jason, Cortes, Ricardo
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/219,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20130054548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 707/694, 707/770
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/83 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The present technology supports mass ingestion of metadata related to consumables related to online server supported applications. The online server publishes a specification defining metadata fields, allowed format values, and other parameters to facilitate the mass submission of metadata related to consumables. Metadata arranged according to the specification can be fed to the online server via a data stream or through submission of a document including metadata defining a plurality of consumables. The specification has been intelligently designed to account for the many different uses of consumables in applications supported by the server. As will be further described herein, the specification accounts for unique events pertaining to subscription content, in-application purchases, game performance and game award consumables, among others. Every type of consumable being submittable in the same document.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for an existing application that has been previously reviewed and previously approved by a server associated with an online store, comprising:

ingesting, by a networked server computer associated with the online store, a compilation of metadata values associated with the existing application supported by the online store, the compilation of metadata values being arranged according to a specification and defining a plurality of consumables, the consumables being virtual items to be made available to a device within the existing application supported by the online store and which require support from the server associated with the online store;

verifying, using a processor, that the compilation of metadata values conforms with a server policy relating to the consumables, wherein the server policy comprises verification that the existing application associated with the metadata values has been previously reviewed and previously approved by the server associated with the online store; and

validating, using the processor, the verified compilation of metadata values for conformance with the specification.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the specification defines a family tag that groups a plurality of consumables that share common metadata values.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the server policy is based on a contractual relation between a developer and content provider, the contractual relation associated with each consumable.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the specification defines an interval tag that defines time limits for metadata associated with a consumable.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the compilation of metadata is arranged according to the specification by a consumable loader application.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the consumable loader application provides a graphical user interface for entering metadata values.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein the consumable loader application'"'"'s graphical user interface provides a spreadsheet style interface for entering metadata.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the consumable loader application allows modifying metadata values for multiple consumables simultaneously.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving via a data feed, at the networked server computer, the compilation of metadata values being arranged according to the specification.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the data feed is an XML data feed.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

publishing the ingested compilation of metadata values being arranged according to a specification.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the networked server computer, the ingested compilation of metadata values being arranged according to a specification to a developer'"'"'s computing device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the existing application is not transmitted with the compilation of metadata values.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein the metadata values define a pricing tier, the pricing tier being valid during the interval tag and setting a predetermined amount for the associated consumables.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumables are in application purchases or game awards.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumables are in-application purchases.

16. A system with an existing application that has been previously reviewed and previously approved by a server associated with an online store, comprising:

a networked server computer associated with the online store configured to ingest a compilation of metadata values associated with the existing application supported by the online store, the compilation of metadata values being arranged according to a specification and defining a plurality of consumables, the consumables being virtual items to be made available to a device within the existing application supported by the online store and which require support from the server associated with the online store;

a developer computer in electronic communication with the networked server computer configured to transmit the compilation of metadata values being arranged according to the specification; and

a validation module configured to verify that the compilation of metadata values conforms with a server policy relating to the consumables, wherein the server policy comprises verification that the existing application associated with the metadata values has been previously reviewed and previously approved by the server associated with the online store, and further configured to validate the verified compilation of metadata values for conformance with the specification.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the server policy is based on a contractual relation between a developer and content provider.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a publication module configured to publish the consumables defined by the validated metadata to the networked server computer.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a networked user device configured to run the existing application that is itself configured to access the published consumables on the networked server computer for presentation of the published consumables on the networked user device.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for causing a computer to perform the steps for an existing application that has been previously reviewed and previously approved by a server associated with an online store, comprising:

ingesting, by a networked server computer associated with the online store, a compilation of metadata values associated with the existing application supported by the online store, the compilation of metadata values being arranged according to a specification and defining a plurality of consumables, the consumables being virtual items to be made available to a device within the existing application supported by the online store and which require support from the server associated with the online store;

verifying, using a processor, that the compilation of metadata values conforms with a server policy relating to the consumables, wherein the server policy comprises verification that the existing application associated with the metadata values has been previously reviewed and previously approved by the server associated with the online store; and

validating, using the processor, the verified compilation of metadata values for conformance with the specification.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the server policy is based on a contractual relation between a developer and content provider.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, further comprising:

publishing the consumables defined by the validated metadata to the networked server computer.

23. A device with an existing application that has been previously reviewed and previously approved by a server associated with an online store, comprising:

a network interface associated with the online store configured to ingest a compilation of metadata values associated with the existing application supported by the online store, the compilation of metadata values being arranged according to a specification and defining a plurality of consumables, the consumables being virtual items to be made available to a consumer device within the existing application supported by the online store and which require support from the server associated with the online store; and

a processor configured to verify that the compilation of metadata values conforms with a server policy relating to the consumables, wherein the server policy comprises verification that the existing application associated with the metadata values has been previously reviewed and previously approved by the server associated with the online store, and further configured to validate that the verified compilation of metadata values conforms with the specification.

24. The device of claim 23, further comprising:

a storage device configured to store the consumables defined by the validated metadata, the storage device is configured to be accessible to a consumer device over the network interface, whereby the consumables are made available to the existing application being executed on the consumer device.