Content customization with security for client preferences

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9519717-B2
Application number	US-201113039174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2011
Priority date	Mar 2, 2011
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

Techniques for content customization with security for client preferences are described herein. The techniques describe the customization of content provided by websites according to preferences, such as the interests, “likes” and demographic and/or geographic information of users. Additional techniques describe aspects of keeping the users' preferences secure from the website, so that the users' privacy and anonymity are protected. In one implementation, a “trusted entity” is trusted by users to obtain and store the preferences. Content may be obtained by the trusted entity from a content provider, such as a website. The content may be changed according to the preferences. The content is then provided to the users. In view of the changes made by the trusted entity, the user enjoys a customized version of the content. Additional techniques describe limits to customization, based on permissible customizations and frameworks generated by the content providers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
under control of one or more processors configured with executable instructions:
obtaining preferences of a user from interactions by the user with a trusted entity, explicit user indications, and implicit user indications;
obtaining content, by the trusted entity, from a content provider in response to a query received from the user;
obtaining permissible customizations from the content provider, wherein the permissible customizations include a framework having at least one location to which specific content must be attached and having at least one location for which options are provided for attachment of the specific content;
modifying the content according to the permissible customizations, wherein a conflict between the permissible customizations and modifications to the content indicated by the preferences regarding attaching content at the at least one location to which specific content must be attached is resolved in favor of the permissible customizations;
outputting, to a computer operated by the user, a page of query results, the query results comprising pairs of URL links, each pair comprising a first URL link to the content and a second URL link to modified content; and
upon receipt of user selection of the second URL link, outputting to the computer operated by the user with the modified content according to the preferences of the user as limited by the permissible customizations from the content provider.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
obtaining the content includes obtaining a plurality of micro-blog messages;
modifying the content comprises removing micro-blog messages, from among the plurality of micro-blog messages, found to be inconsistent with the preferences of the user; and
outputting the modified content comprises outputting a micro-blog message to the computer operated by the user if the micro-blog message is consistent with the preferences of the user.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the permissible customizations allow changes to the specific content attached to the framework, the changes resulting in content deletion and content reordering.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the implicit user indications comprise inferred preferences based on micro-blogs to which the user is subscribed.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein modifying the content comprises populating a framework with the content based on the preferences of the user as constrained by permissible customizations obtained from the content provider.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein obtaining the preferences of the user further comprises obtaining interests of the user by receipt of explicit actions and implicit actions by the user.

7. A system comprising:
one or more processors;
one or more memories configured with executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
obtaining preferences of a user from interactions by the user with a trusted entity, explicit user indications, and implicit user indications;
obtaining content, by the trusted entity, from a content provider in response to a query received from the user;
obtaining permissible customizations from the content provider, wherein the permissible customizations include a framework having at least one location to which specific content must be attached and having at least one location for which options are provided for attachment of the specific content;
modifying the content according to the permissible customizations, wherein a conflict between the permissible customizations and modifications to the content indicated by the preferences regarding attaching content at the at least one location to which specific content must be attached is resolved in favor of the permissible customizations;
outputting, to a computer operated by the user, a page of query results, the query results comprising pairs of URL links, each pair comprising a first URL link to the content and a second URL link to modified content; and
upon receipt of user selection of the second URL link, outputting to the computer operated by the user with the modified content according to the preferences of the user as limited by the permissible customizations from the content provider.

8. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein:
obtaining the content includes obtaining a plurality of micro-blog messages;
modifying the content comprises removing micro-blog messages, from among the plurality of micro-blog messages, found to be inconsistent with the preferences of the user; and
outputting the modified content comprises outputting a micro-blog message to the computer operated by the user if the micro-blog message is consistent with the preferences of the user.

9. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the permissible customizations allow changes to the specific content attached to the framework, the changes resulting in content deletion and content reordering.

10. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the implicit user indications comprise inferred preferences based on micro-blogs to which the user is subscribed.

11. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein modifying the content comprises populating a framework with the content based on the preferences of the user as constrained by permissible customizations obtained from the content provider.

12. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein obtaining the preferences of the user further comprises obtaining interests of the user by receipt of explicit actions and implicit actions by the user.

13. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the explicit user indications are obtained from a questionnaire.

14. A device comprising:
one or more processors;
one or more memories configured with executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
obtaining preferences of a user from interactions by the user with a trusted entity, explicit user indications, and implicit user indications;
obtaining content from a content provider in response to a query received from the user;
obtaining permissible customizations from the content provider, wherein the permissible customizations include a framework having at least one location to which specific content must be attached and having at least one location for which options are provided for attachment of the specific content;
modifying the content according to the permissible customizations, wherein a conflict between the permissible customizations and modifications to the content indicated by the preferences regarding attaching content at the at least one location to which specific content must be attached is resolved in favor of the permissible customizations;
outputting, to a computer operated by the user, a page of query results, the query results comprising pairs of URL links, each pair comprising a first URL link to the content and a second URL link to modified content; and
upon receipt of user selection of the second URL link, outputting to the computer operated by the user with the modified content according to the preferences of the user as limited by the permissible customizations from the content provider.

15. The device as recited in claim 14 , wherein:
obtaining the content includes obtaining a plurality of micro-blog messages;
modifying the content comprises removing micro-blog messages, from among the plurality of micro-blog messages, found to be inconsistent with the preferences of the user; and
outputting the modified content comprises outputting a

Assignees

• Kimchi Gur
• Dyor Matthew Graham
• Cheng Lili
• Qian Richard J
• Davis Marc Eliot
• Macbeth Steven William
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Kimchi Gur
• Dyor Matthew Graham
• Cheng Lili
• Qian Richard J
• Davis Marc Eliot
• Macbeth Steven William

Classifications

• G06F17/30867 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/3089

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F16/958 Primary

  Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking · CPC title

• G06F16/248

  Presentation of query results · CPC title

• G06F16/9535

  Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation · CPC title