WO2011023880A1 - Processing a service request - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to processing a service request (URL1) from a first terminal (TER) to a second terminal (SER2) capable of providing the service, said service request being in the form of a string of characters, wherein: a) a correspondence is preestablished between: first predetermined sequences of characters (MC1, MC2,...) corresponding to respective keywords specific to at least one service; and second predetermined sequences of characters ($2) corresponding to respective characteristics specific to at least the first terminal; b) at least one of said first predetermined sequences is identified (E5) from among the characters of the string of the first request; c) at least one second sequence of characters which corresponds to the first identified sequence is deduced therefrom (E8); and d) the string of characters of the first request is modified by inserting at least the second sequence of characters therein, in order to obtain a second service request (URL2) intended for the second terminal.

Description

 PROCESSING A SERVICE REQUEST

The present invention relates to techniques for processing a service request intended to be transmitted from a first terminal to a second terminal capable of delivering a service to the first terminal.

The second terminal may typically be in the form of a server, for example a multimedia content server, or the like. In such an application, for example, the first terminal may not have the capacity required to read the multimedia content communicated to it by the second terminal. For example, its loading is interrupted as soon as the memory level is insufficient. The first terminal is therefore informed of this lack of capacity only at the time of the interruption of the loading of the multimedia content and not before its execution.

The service offered by the second terminal is then not personalized according to the characteristics of the first terminal, nor according to the needs or preferences of the user of the first terminal.

The present invention improves the situation.

It firstly proposes a method for processing a service request that can be transmitted from a first terminal to a second terminal capable of delivering the service, in which a first service request is in the form of a chain. for example, a uniform resource locator type query (or "URL" for "Uniform Resource Locator"). The proposed method comprises the following steps: a) pre-establishing a correspondence between first predetermined character sequences corresponding to at least respective service-specific keywords and second predetermined character sequences; corresponding to respective characteristics of at least the first terminal; b) identifying, among the characters of the chain of the first request, at least one of said first predetermined sequences; c) deriving at least a second sequence of characters corresponding to the first identified sequence, and d) modifying the character string of the first request by inserting at least the second sequence of characters, to obtain a second service request for the second terminal. Thus, advantageously, the second request can be enriched with respect to the first request, by character sequences for example describing the capabilities of the first terminal or preferences or a profile of the user of the first terminal. There are currently methods for enriching URL requests for transmitting data from the first terminal, such as its MSISDN identifier ("Mobile Station ISDN Number") or its location (in particular using a proxy server), in an HTTP request, for some services. However, this enrichment is generally not adapted to the characteristics of the first terminal, nor to the use and the need of the user of this terminal. In an advantageous embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of: e) transmitting the request resulting from the modification step to the second terminal, and f) receiving from the second terminal a service adapted to the first terminal.

Thus, the adapted service takes exactly into account the content of the modified request. Advantageously, the process comprises the steps:

e) transmit the enriched request to the second terminal,

f) checking, at the second terminal, whether the service required in the enriched request is adapted to the first terminal, and

g) in case of non-adaptation, issue a message to the first terminal, service provision failure information.

In the case where the service required in the modified request is not adapted to the first terminal, the second terminal therefore notifies the first terminal of the impossibility to provide the requested service, thereby avoiding a loss of time caused by the initiating the provision of service followed by an interruption thereof due to non-adaptation. If necessary, the notification of the impossibility to provide the service requested may be accompanied by a proposal to provide a degraded service, or a default or non-optimized service. In an advantageous embodiment, the method further comprises, prior to step b), the steps:

 - locate a service name contained in the first request,

 querying a service base from said service name, and

 - conditioning the execution of steps b) to d) to the identification of the service name in the database.

Such an embodiment advantageously makes it possible to implement the invention or to inhibit, on the contrary, its implementation, depending on the service required. For example, if, for a given service, the user of the terminal does not wish to disclose information about his profile or his terminal type or his terminal identifier, such information may be contained in the service base to inhibit the enrichment of the request. In an advantageous embodiment, a second sequence of characters corresponds, in the preestablished correspondence, to a combination of at least two first sequences of characters identified among the characters of the string of the first request. The process then comprises the steps:

b) identifying, among the characters of the chain of the first request, at least two of said first predetermined sequences and combining the first identified sequences,

c) deriving from the combination of the first identified sequences a second sequence of characters, and

d) modify the character string of the first request with the second sequence of characters, to obtain a second enriched service request for the second terminal.

The adapted service thus takes into account the combination of at least two pieces of information identified in the first request which makes it possible to specify the action to be performed and corresponds to at least one characteristic of the first terminal.

In a first embodiment, the method in the sense of the invention is executed directly from the first terminal. In such an embodiment, the aforementioned correspondence, pre-established between the keywords and the character sequences to be inserted in the second request, is then stored at the first terminal. Advantageously, it is regularly updated with data characteristics of the first terminal, such as for example the memory capacity of the terminal for a content download, or a change in the profile of the user, or others.

In a second embodiment, the method according to the invention is executed by an intermediate terminal provided for: receive the first service request from the first terminal,

 - perform at least steps b) to d), and

 - transmit the second request to the second terminal.

For example, such an intermediate terminal may be in the form of an intermediate server (typically a proxy server). Again, the above correspondence is stored at the intermediate terminal and it can be regularly updated with data characteristics of the first terminal, preferably by successive recoveries from the intermediate terminal characteristics data of the first terminal. For this purpose, a procedure can be provided for regular interrogations of the first terminal by the intermediate terminal.

It will be understood that the present invention may involve a computer program typically comprising a keyword search engine and character sequence insertion related to such keywords. As such, the present invention also aims at such a computer program comprising instructions for implementing the method in the sense of the invention, when the program is executed by a processor. The invention also relates to a module for implementing the method in the sense of the invention for processing a first service request intended to be transmitted from a first terminal to a second terminal capable of delivering the service, the service request is presenting in the form of a string of characters. The module within the meaning of the invention preferentially comprises:

 memory means for storing a correspondence between:

First predetermined character sequences corresponding to at least respective keywords of the service, and Second predetermined sequences of characters corresponding to respective characteristics specific to at least the first terminal,

 - and ways to:

 Identifying, among the characters of the chain of the first request, at least one of said first predetermined sequences,

 • deduce a second sequence of characters corresponding to the first sequence identified, and

 • modify the string of the first request by inserting the second sequence of characters, to obtain a second service request for the second terminal.

Such a module can therefore be implemented typically in the first terminal in the aforementioned first embodiment, or in the intermediate terminal in the second embodiment.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear in the description below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1a illustrates an organization of entities involved in a first exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention as well as the interactions between these different entities,

FIG. 1b illustrates an organization of entities and their interactions involved in a second exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention; FIG. 2a represents the exchanges between the different entities, according to the first embodiment of the method, FIG. 2b represents the exchanges between the different entities, according to the second embodiment of the method,

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the steps of the method in the sense of the invention, illustrating a possible algorithm of the aforementioned computer program,

- Figure 4 schematically illustrates the structure of a module within the meaning of the present invention.

Reference is first made to FIGS. 1a and 2a on which an URL1 service request is processed to be transmitted from a first TER terminal to a second SER2 terminal, according to a first embodiment of the invention.

The first service request URL1 is in the form of a string. It is transmitted from a first terminal TER and to a second terminal SER2. In an optional embodiment, a preliminary step consists in locating, in the initial request URL1, a character string containing at least the name of the service to which the user wishes to connect, before interrogating (step S1) a database of SDB services with, as input, this string of characters. If the service name identified in this character string does not belong to the SDB service database, the requested service is not a service for which the implementation of the present invention is required and, therefore, the request LJRL1 can not be enriched. In this case, step S2 'consists in indicating to the first terminal this non-membership then, in a subsequent step S3', sending the initial request to the second terminal SER2 which will supply the first terminal TER in a step S4 '. the service requested, provided that the first terminal is able to receive the service in question. This situation is represented by dashed lines in FIG. 2a.

Conversely, if the identified service name belongs to the SDB service base, the method according to the invention is implemented and the request URL1 is then enriched with additional data. The terminal can be informed of this membership of the service base (step S2).

For example, if the request URL1 comprises a character string corresponding to the identifier of a partner service of a predetermined operation and listed in the database SDB, a message indicating that the service belongs to the partner services to which has the right TER terminal user and that the request URL1 has the possibility to be enriched, can be sent. In another example where the request URL1 is as follows http://pubs.com/telechargement/promos, for a download of advertising content, the user of the first terminal TER may wish to remain anonymous and not to transmit data l identifying or identifying his terminal. In such a situation, the request transmitted to the second terminal SER2 may not be enriched and the request URL1 is not modified, as described below. In the case where the requested service belongs to the SDB services database, a subsequent step consists in identifying in the initial request URL1 a first character string composed of at least one keyword specifying the action to be performed. accomplish by the service.

In the particular case of identifying at least two first predetermined sequences among the characters of the string of the first request URL1, the first sequences are combined to determine an action to be performed. For example, if the request URL1 includes a sequence of type: http://films-et-musiques.com/telechargement/hair.mpeg (which means that the user wants to download multimedia content on his terminal) , the strings identified can be "download" and "mpeg". The combination of these two character strings indicates that the type of action to be performed is the downloading of a particular video, because the MPEG extension (for "Moving Picture Experts Group") informs, in this example, the type content to download. As an exemplary variant, the extension may be of the "WMV" (for "Windows Media Video") type, still for a video content, or, in another example, of the MP3 type for an audio content.

A step S3 then consists in interrogating a correspondence table LUT (FIG. 1 a) stored in memory of the first terminal, in the first embodiment, with as input the first sequence of characters identified prior to step S3 (or a combination first sequences identified as in the previous example).

The correspondence table LUT then associates with the first sequence of characters (or the combination of the first sequences of identified characters) a pointer in a database DB, advantageously stored in memory of the first terminal and having data specific to the first terminal. This pointer reads in the database a second predetermined sequence of characters associated with the first sequence of characters transmitted in input (or the combination of the first sequences of characters).

Examples of second sequences of characters, in correspondence of first sequences of characters, are indicated in Table I below:

Table I In this example, the combination of the first "download" and "mpeg" character sequences is associated with the memory size and mpeg compatibility of the first terminal, ie "mUserMemoryKo: 2000 / MPEGOK". If the first terminal is not compatible with the extension "mpeg", a second sequence of characters may for example be in the form: "/ 77 (JseΛ / We / 77θ / y / Co: 2000 / MPEGKO". In this case, the terminal SER2 can send to the first terminal a service delivery failure information message, as a purely illustrative example, if the memory capacity of the first terminal is not compatible with a download. this format and requires a more compressed format, a second sequence of characters can be in the form: "/ 77l / seΛ / WemoryKb: 2000 / MPEGKO / WMVOK" In this case, the second terminal SER2 can send to the first terminal TER the requested video content in WMV format if it is available in this format from the SER2 server.

This second sequence of characters therefore informs about the characteristics required for the requested service, specific to the first terminal.

For example, for the identification of the "download" keyword in the request URL1, the second sequence of characters that will be inserted in the outgoing request URL2 preferably includes the MSISDN number, the remaining memory and the type of browser used by the client. first terminal, and can be as follows:

WAP-Network-info: mUserMsisdn: 068090xxxx / mUserMemoryKo: 2000 / mUserN avigatoπxxx

Step S4 then consists in inserting this second sequence of characters into the URL1 request, following the query of the LUT mapping table. The first terminal modifies the character string of the first request URL1 by inserting the second character string (for example at the end of the character string as described below), to obtain a second enriched service request URL2 which it sends. at the second terminal SER2 at step S5.

For example, the URL2 enriched request can be in the form: http: //films-and-musics.e/support/WAP-Network-info: mUserMsisdn: 068090xxxx / mUserNavigator: xxx / mU $ erMemoryKo: 2000 / MPEGOK / hair.mpeg After receiving this second URL2 request, the second SER2 terminal identifies in the enriched URL2 request:

• the type of service required, and

And the second character strings present in the URL2 string to check whether it is possible to provide the required service or to adapt the required service to the first terminal according to said second character strings.

In case of adaptation, a final step S6 consists in receiving from the second terminal SER2 the service adapted to the first terminal TER. If not, a service provision failure information message is sent to the first terminal.

In the example described, if the second terminal identifies the string "mUserMemoryKo: 2000 / MPEGOK" and if it has several memory sizes for the requested video content (of different resolutions for example), it adapts the requested service by providing the first terminal a video whose size does not exceed that identified in the string. Reference is now made to FIGS. 1b and 2b to describe a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, an intermediate terminal SER1 is provided for processing a service request URL1, originating from the first terminal TER and intended for the second terminal SER2. During a step SO, the request URL1 is transmitted from the first terminal TER to the intermediate terminal SER1 which, typically, can be in the form of a proxy server (or "proxy").

In an optional embodiment, the intermediate terminal SER1 can locate, in the initial request URL1, a first predetermined character string containing at least the name of the service to which the user wishes to connect and interrogates an SDB services database with, in input, this first string of characters (step S1 of Figure 1b). Advantageously, the SDB service database can be stored in memory of the intermediate terminal. The following steps S2, S2 ', S3, S3', S4 and S5 differ from those described above with reference to FIGS. 1a and 2a according to the first embodiment of the invention, in that the exchanges take place between the intermediate terminal. SER1 and the second SER2 terminal.

As for the final steps S4 'and S6, they are executed by the second terminal SER2 for the first terminal TER, but via the intermediate terminal SER 1.

Step S6 finally consists in receiving from the second terminal the service adapted to the first terminal, via the intermediate terminal or, in case of impossibility of adapting the service, a service provision failure information message. .

Advantageously, the correspondence table LUT and the database DB are stored in memory of the intermediate terminal SER1. The base of DB data is regularly updated with feature data of the first TER terminal.

Usually, the first request URL1 comprises a character string containing an identifier number of the user (for example the MSISDN number). Advantageously, in step S3, the intermediate terminal SER1 interrogates the database DB with, as input, this string of characters (corresponding to the number MSISDN) previously identified in the first request URL1 and draws from the database DB the characteristics terminal-specific (terminal model, memory size, or other) and user profile data of the first TER terminal. Since the database DB is advantageously connected to the first terminal TER via the intermediate terminal SER 1, the user also has the possibility of accessing his profile stored in the database and possibly modifying it.

During step S4, the first request URL1 is then enriched by additional data relating to the preferences of the user, as well as the characteristics of the first terminal TER. The enriched request URL2 thus includes additional information enabling the second terminal SER2 to customize the requested service according to the preferences of the user and the characteristics of the first terminal. Referring now to Figure 3 which summarizes the various steps of the method in the sense of the invention, according to the first or second embodiment described above. The method is initiated as soon as a first service request URL1 is entered (step E1) by the first terminal.

The next step E2 is to determine whether the service name contained in the first request belongs to the SDB service database.

If the service name actually belongs to the service database, the next step E3 is to locate one or more keywords MC1, ..., MCn in the first request. The correspondence table LUT is then interrogated (step E4) with as input the keyword or the combination of the identified keywords. The next step E5 then aims to determine if a match is present in the correspondence table LUT. Conversely, if the identified service name does not belong to the SDB services database, a step E6 subsequent to step E2 consists in not modifying the service request URL1 and sending it without modification. at the second terminal SER2 at the next step E7.

Likewise, following step E5, if no correspondence is present in the correspondence table, steps E6 and E7 are executed.

Conversely, if, following the step E5, a correspondence is present in the correspondence table, a step E8 then consists in inserting characteristics specific to the first terminal in the form of a character string $ 2 corresponding to the "second sequence of characters" above, in the first request URL1.

An enriched request URL2 is thus obtained in step E9 and then sent (step E10) to the second terminal SER2.

By the identification in the enriched request URL2 of the characteristics $ 2, the second terminal SER2 verifies (step E11) whether the service required in the enriched request is adapted to the first terminal TER.

If the required service is adapted to the first terminal TER, the second terminal SER2 provides the service to the first terminal (step E13). Otherwise, the second terminal SER2 informs the first terminal TER by sending a service delivery failure information message (step E12). FIG. 4 shows the schematic structure of a module for implementing the method within the meaning of the invention and comprising, for example: an entry E to receive the initial request URL1, an output S to send the enriched request URL2, memory means MEM to store in particular the database DB and the correspondence table LUT, and a processor PROC to execute in particular the steps b) to d) the process within the meaning of the invention.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above; it extends to other variants. For example, the correspondence table LUT is described above only as an example. In practice, it is possible to store only the DB database (and to update it regularly) and to implement a search engine keywords in this database.

Moreover, a first URL1 request has been described above comprising a character string containing a user identifier number (for example the MSISDN number) and a DB database capable of supplying both the data of User profile and terminal characteristics, depending on the single entry of MSISDN number. As a variant, the initial request URL1 may comprise, in addition to the number MSISDN, an indication of the model of the terminal (for example the aforementioned field "User Agent"). Thus, the module within the meaning of the invention can cross these two information present in the initial request URL1 to obtain from the database DB respectively:

• the user's profile (from the MSISDN number), and • the characteristics of the terminal (from the contents of the field "User Agent").

Moreover, the aforementioned database DB is described above as being stored at the first terminal TER in the first embodiment or at the intermediate terminal SER1 in the second embodiment. Alternatively, it can be stored with another entity and simply viewable by the first TER terminal and / or the intermediate terminal SER1.

The present invention moreover finds an advantageous but not limitative application to access platforms to data transmission services by mobile telecommunication (or "Data Mobile"), these platforms making it possible to transform wireless protocols into http-type IP protocols. .

In such an application, the DB database can be in a directory form (for example to the LDAP protocol for "Lightweight Directory Access Protocol"). The base BD can be interrogated in particular by a proxy server (as intermediate terminal SER 1 in the second embodiment, for example) which is contained in the architecture of a gateway (or gateway) of the aforementioned type, access to the "Data Mobile" service. This proxy server (or "proxy") is then responsible for supervising requests and locating the services requested by keywords. It will thus be understood that the module within the meaning of the invention can be implemented further with an access gateway, in such a proxy server.

More generally, the present invention also provides a system comprising at least the first terminal TER and the second terminal SER2, and means (DB, LUT) for the implementation of the present invention. These means are not necessarily located at the first terminal TER or intermediate terminal SER1, but can be simply connected to one and / or the other of these entities, as shown in Figure 1a or Figure 1b. It will be understood in particular that the second terminal SER2 is arranged, meanwhile, to interpret the enriched request URL2.

Claims

A method for processing a service request that can be transmitted from a first terminal (TER) to a second terminal (SER2) capable of delivering the service, in which a first service request is in the form of a service request. string of characters,  the process comprising the steps:  a) pre-establish a correspondence between:  • first predetermined character sequences (MC1, MC2, ...) corresponding to respective keywords at least service, and  Second predetermined character sequences ($ 2) corresponding to respective characteristics specific to at least the first terminal,  b) identifying (E5), among the characters of the chain of the first request, at least one of said first predetermined sequences,  c) deducing (E8) at least a second sequence of characters corresponding to the first identified sequence, and  d) modifying the string of the first request by inserting at least the second sequence of characters, to obtain a second service request (E9) for the second terminal. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:  e) transmitting (E10) the request resulting from the modifying step to the second terminal, and  f) receiving (E13) of the second terminal a service adapted to the first terminal. 3. Method according to claim 2, comprising the steps: e) transmitting (E10) the enriched request to the second terminal,  f) checking (E1 1), at the second terminal, whether the service required in the enriched request is adapted to the first terminal, and  g) in case of non-adaptation, transmitting (E12) a message destined for the first terminal, service provision failure information. 4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising, prior to step b), the steps:  • identify (E2) a service name contained in the first request,  Interrogating a service base (SDB) from said service name, and  • condition the execution of steps b) to d) to the identification of the service name in the database. 5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a second sequence of characters corresponds to a combination of at least two first sequences of characters, in said pre-established correspondence, the method comprising the steps:  b) identifying, among the characters of the chain of the first request, at least two of said first predetermined sequences and combining the first identified sequences,  c) deriving from the combination of the first identified sequences a second sequence of characters, and d) modify the character string of the first request with the second sequence of characters, to obtain a second enriched service request for the second terminal. 6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the correspondence is stored in memory of the first terminal (TER) and regularly updated with data characteristics of the first terminal. 7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that an intermediate terminal (SER1) is provided for:  receive the first service request from the first terminal,  - perform at least steps b) to d), and  - transmit the second request to the second terminal. 8. Computer program comprising instructions for implementing the method according to one of the preceding claims, when the program is executed by a processor. 9. Module for processing a first service request intended to be transmitted from a first terminal (TER) to a second terminal (SER2) capable of delivering the service, the service request being in the form of a service line. characters,  characterized in that it comprises:  memory means (MEM) for storing a correspondence between: First predetermined character sequences corresponding to at least respective keywords of the service, and  Second predetermined sequences of characters corresponding to respective characteristics specific to at least the first terminal, - and means (PROC) for: Identifying, among the characters of the chain of the first request, at least one of said first predetermined sequences,  • deduce a second sequence of characters corresponding to the first sequence identified, and  • modify the string of the first request by inserting the second sequence of characters, to obtain a second service request for the second terminal. 10. System comprising a first terminal (TER) and a second terminal (SER2), the first terminal requiring a service from the second terminal, and wherein a first service request, adapted to be transmitted from the first terminal (TER) to the second terminal (SER2) is in the form of a character string,  characterized in that the system comprises:  memory means (MEM) for storing a correspondence between: First predetermined character sequences corresponding to at least respective keywords of the service, and  Second predetermined sequences of characters corresponding to respective characteristics specific to at least the first terminal,  - and means (PROC) for:  Identifying, among the characters of the chain of the first request, at least one of said first predetermined sequences, • deduce a second sequence of characters corresponding to the first sequence identified, and modify the string of the first request by inserting the second sequence of characters, to obtain a second service request for the second terminal.