Service platform for cellular telephony
View Patent ↗A single platform for the provision of multiple services over a cellular telephone network, comprises a generic definition of a cellular service, which is designed to take specific service-defining parameters, and a parameter setting mechanism for inputting respective service defining parameters to the generic definition, thereby to implement a desired service through the generic definition. The platform thus provides an infrastructure to support numerous services, and reduces the development time for individual services since they can be added as plug-ins to the platform using the generic definition which is shared.
1. A method for managing a content delivery interface between a content provider and a subscriber wireless communication device, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of modules for the content delivery interface, each module for providing content as part of a different service, each module being associated with at least one content type, at least one content delivery protocol and at least one device;
providing a definition incorporating common features of different services;
selecting one of said modules for the content delivery interface according to a currently desired service and said definition wherein said definition includes consideration of resource constraints of different devices; and
adding said selected module to the content delivery interface, thereby to provide said currently desired service from a platform that supports a plurality of services;
wherein said adding said selected one of said modules comprises providing a functional alteration for the content delivery interface for interacting with the wireless communication device, according to said currently desired service;
wherein said functional alteration comprises a change to a flow of interaction between the content delivery interface and the wireless communication device;
wherein said functional alteration comprises altering a logic of said service; and
wherein said functional alteration comprises at least one functional alteration from a group of functional alterations comprising:
adding support for a new content type;
adding support for a new content delivery protocol; and
adding support for a new device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said group of functional alterations further comprises:
adjusting the content delivery interface according to a browser characteristics of the device;
adjusting the content delivery interface according to display characteristics of the device;
changing a look and feel of the content delivery interface by modifying at least one of colors, fonts, icons, formatting and page layout characteristics.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said group of functional alterations further comprises:
adding a new page;
changing parameters of the service; and
adding content bundles that include multiple content items.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said functional alteration comprises a change in a respective service according to an identity of a subscriber, a service package of said subscriber, a preference of said subscriber and a type of wireless communication device.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said change comprises dynamic adaptation of the service, optionally including at least one of:
matching the output format and presentation to the device type;
filtering of content, based on at least one of permissions, compatibility to the device, subscriber preferences, and content classification;
selection of a language;
dynamic flow; and
adjustment of delivery protocol based on the content type and the device.
6. The method of claim 1 , comprising providing each module with a service definition and customizing ones of said modules for services it is desired to provide.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the content delivery interface further comprises a service directory for locating a service, such that said adding said selected module further comprises altering a listing in said service directory when a service is added, removed or altered.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the content delivery interface further defines a presentation for providing an output of said service to the wireless communication device, such that said functional alteration comprises altering said presentation when a service is added, removed or altered.
9. A method for managing a content service platform, the content service platform supporting subscriber access to content services via a content delivery interface adapted for subscriber wireless communication devices, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of modules for the content delivery interface, each module for providing content as part of a different service, each module being associated with at least one content type, at least one content delivery protocol and at least one device;
providing a definition incorporating common features of different services;
selecting one of said modules for the content delivery interface according to a currently desired service and said definition wherein said definition includes consideration of resource constraints of different devices; and
adding said selected module to the content delivery interface, thereby to provide said currently desired service from a platform that supports a plurality of services;
wherein said adding said selected one of said modules comprises providing a functional alteration for the content delivery interface for interacting with the wireless communication device, according to said currently desired service;
wherein said functional alteration comprises a change to a flow of interaction between the content delivery interface and the wireless communication device;
wherein said functional alteration comprises altering a logic of said service; and
wherein said functional alteration comprises at least one functional alteration from a group of functional alterations comprising:
adding support for a new content type;
adding support for a new content delivery protocol; and
adding support for a new device.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said wireless communication device comprise any of a mobile phone, a smart phone, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said wireless communication device comprise a computing unit configured to send and receive data packets through a wireless bearer.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said resource constraints of different devices are defined according to one or more of network connectivity capability, Central Processing Unit (CPU), operating system, short-range connectivity channels, multi-media capabilities, application runtime environment, wireless data client, Digital Rights Management (DRM) agent and display characteristics.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said platform that supports a plurality of services comprises a service directory for listing ones of said services, and wherein a service controller is configured to search said service directory for said service upon receiving a service request.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said platform that supports a plurality of services is configured to allow said plurality of services to be defined using different service-defining parameters applied to said service.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said platform that supports a plurality of services is configured to support micro-segmentation of services using respective service bundle definitions for different market segments.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said platform that supports a plurality of services comprises a rules engine.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said platform that supports a plurality of services comprises is formed as a cluster of components configured to divide a platform capacity load there between.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein said platform that supports a plurality of services comprises at least one of an extendable management tool and an SNMP management system.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein said altering a logic of said service comprises altering at least one rule for determining at least one of whether said service is to be provided, and how said service is to be provided.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein said rules engine operates logic required for a desired service by implementing any of logical rules for service defining parameters, logical rules for service defining parameters implemented as logical rules, logical rules which form part of other logical rules, and logical rules which implement other logical rules.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein said altering a logic of said service comprises altering at least one rule for determining how said service is to be presented at said wireless communication device.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein said altering a logic of said service comprises altering said wireless communication device presentation according to any of a capacity level and device type of said wireless communication device.
23. The method of claim 1 , wherein said altering a logic of said service comprises altering said wireless communication device presentation when a service is added, removed or altered.