Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Keith A Kegley

Attila Narin

Donald J Clore

David Anthony Sobeski

A system and process for tracking users' usage of content in computer systems. The tracking and accumulation of content usage information allows content providers to understand more about their user base. In a computer system having numerous users, it is advantageous to provide relevant customized content in addition to any specifically requested content. By storing and processing content usage information for users in a computer system, customized content may be provided to a user based on the user's previous usage of similar content. In operation, a computer system hosting various content creates a unique identifier, having data storage space, for a given user of the computer system. When a user sends a request for content to the computer system, a unique identifier is created and/or updated with information relevant to a user's content request. The identifier is passed back to the user with the specifically desired content. When processing subsequent requests for content, the computer system updates the unique identifier with most recent usage information. In addition, the computer system processes the unique identifier for previous usage information in an effort to provide customized relevant content, in addition to the specifically desired content.

Tracking usage behavior in computer systems

Methods for managing the distribution of client bits to client computers are disclosed. The methods of the present invention are particularly suited for use in a network environment in which one or more clients are networked with at least one server via a communications network. The communications network can be a LAN, WAN, intranet, or the Internet. The client version of one or more selected applications software components (the &ldquo;managed components&rdquo;) is determined on the client computer. The client queries the server to determine the most current version of each of the managed components. If the client version is not the most current version, or if the client version is missing on the client computer, a determination is made whether to download the most current version onto the client. If the determination is made to install or upgrade one or more managed components, the most current version of each of the selected managed components is downloaded onto the client computer. The installation or upgrade package is authenticated as it is being downloaded by validating a signature that is appended to the package. After the installation or upgrade package has been authenticated and downloaded onto the client computer, the package is installed onto the client.

Methods for managing the distribution of client bits to client computers

A service manager for managing services and objects called by browser scripts is employed. The Web browser script is not in direct communication with the service manager; instead, a connector object is mapped by the script into the scripting space. For function calls that the script would previously make to the service or object directly, the script makes a call to a connector object. Depending on the browser brand, the connector object is of a different format e.g., an ActiveX control or a Plug-In. The first time such a connector object is created and mapped into a scripting space, the service manager is initiated and all of the services and objects that are managed by the service manager are loaded. The connector object packages the function call to a service for interpretation by the service manager. A script wrapper is a small object between the scripting space and the connector object, and allows script to be written without regard to different browser brands. The service manager then forwards the service call to the corresponding service or object within its control. The service then performs according to the call and information can flow back to the script via the service manager and connector object e.g., an ActiveX control interface or Plug-In interface. Services managed by the service manager can also send information regarding events to the scripting space by way of the service manager, the connector object, and the script wrapper. An event handler can be implemented by the script author if the event is of interest to the script. As a result of the service manager managing the objects, the destruction and re-creation of objects that typically occurs when objects are mapped directly into the scripting space are avoided. All that is destroyed and re-created are the communication channels (namely the connector object and the script wrapper) between the scripting space and the services that are managed by the service manager. This allows any state within the service to persist across different Web pages, thereby improving users' browsing experience and/or increasing the efficient use of computing resources.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Keith A Kegley