Method, system and device for selecting a device to satisfy a user request
View Patent ↗Methods, systems and devices for selecting an end-user device from a plurality of end-user devices to satisfy a user request. The method comprises storing at a portal aggregator data identifying a user device group comprising a plurality of end-user devices, wherein the data identifying the device group comprises the capabilities of each end-user device. When the portal aggregator receives a request from the user the portal aggregator generates a list of end-user devices from the device group that are capable of satisfying the user request. The portal aggregator then selects an end-user device from the list of capable end-user devices and then transmits a command to the selected end-user device to satisfy the request. In some cases the list of capable end-user devices may be sorted and/or filtered prior to selecting an end-user device from the list.
1. A method to select an end-user device from a plurality of end-user devices to satisfy a user request, the method comprising:
storing at a portal aggregator data identifying a device group, the data identifying the device group comprising data identifying at least one user associated with the device group and data identifying a least one capability for each of a plurality of end-user devices associated with the device group;
receiving a request at the portal aggregator from the user, the request comprising information identifying the user and information identifying an action;
identifying, at the portal aggregator, the device group associated with the user based on the information identifying the user;
generating, at the portal aggregator, a list of end-user devices from the identified device group having the capability to execute the action;
receiving priority information from the user for at least a portion of the end-user devices at the portal aggregator;
performing at least one of filtering and sorting on the list at the portal aggregator based on the priority information;
selecting, at the portal aggregator, an end-user device from the filtered and/or sorted list of end-user devices to execute the action; and
transmitting a command from the portal aggregator to the selected end-user device to execute the action.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving status information for at least a portion of the end-user devices at the portal aggregator, wherein the at least one of filtering and sorting is based on the status information.
3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving end-user device geographic location information for at least a portion of the end-user devices at the portal aggregator, wherein the at least one of filtering and sorting is based on the end-user device geographic location information.
4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising receiving user geographic location information for the user at the portal aggregator, wherein the at least one of filtering and sorting is also based on the user geographic location information.
5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving storage space information for at least a portion of the end-user devices at the portal aggregator, wherein the at least one of filtering and sorting is based on the storage space information.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the list of end-user devices comprises comparing the information identifying the action to the at least one capability of each of the plurality of end-user devices in the identified device group.
7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving at the portal aggregator end-user device information for an end-user device; and
associating, at the portal aggregator, the end-user device with the device group based on the end-user device information.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the end-user device information comprises information identifying the at least one capability of the end-user device.
9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the end-user device information is manually provided to the portal aggregator by a user.
10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the end-user device information is provided to the portal aggregator by the end-user device.
11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising storing at the portal aggregator information identifying each of a plurality of device groups.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein at least one device group is associated with at least two users.
13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein at least two of the device groups comprise the same end-user device.
14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the request further comprises information identifying a second user and information identifying a second action, wherein the information identifying a user is used to identify a first device group and the information identifying a second user is used to identify a second device group.
15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the end-user device is selected from the list based on a pattern associated with the user.
16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the device group comprises end-user devices from different vendors.
17. A portal aggregator to select an end-user device from a plurality of end-user devices to satisfy a user request, the portal aggregator comprising:
a computer storage media configured to store data identifying a device group, the data identifying the device group comprising data identifying at least one user associated with the device group and data identifying a least one capability for each of a plurality of end-user devices associated with the device group;
a processor configured to:
receive a request from the user, the request comprising information identifying the user and information identifying an action;
identify the device group associated with the user based on the information identifying the user;
generate a list of end-user devices from the identified device group having the capability to execute the action;
receive priority information from the user for at least a portion of the end-user devices;
perform at least one of filtering and sorting on the list based on the priority information;
select an end-user device from the filtered and/or sorted list of end-user devices to execute the action; and
transmit a command to the selected end-user device to execute the action.
18. A system to select an end-user device from a plurality of end-user devices to satisfy a user request, the system comprising:
a data communications network;
a portal aggregator connected to the data communications network; and
the plurality of end-user devices in communication with the portal aggregator via the data communications network,
wherein the portal aggregator comprises:
a computer storage media configured to store data identifying a device group, the data identifying the device group comprising data identifying at least one user associated with the device group and data identifying a least one capability for each of a plurality of end-user devices associated with the device group;
a processor configured to:
receive a request from the user, the request comprising information identifying the user and information identifying an action;
identify the device group associated with the user based on the information identifying the user;
generate a list of end-user devices from the identified device group having the capability to execute the action;
receive priority information from the user for at least a portion of the end-user devices;
perform at least one of filtering and sorting on the list based on the priority information;
select an end-user device from the filtered and/or sorted list of end-user devices to execute the action; and
transmit a command to the selected end-user device to execute the action.