At&t Intellectual Property I, L.p.

Paul Vanvleck

Sreenivasa Rao Gorti

David Patron

Javier B Arellano

A method includes receiving, at a server associated with a merchant, an identification token associated with a mobile device located in a service environment associated with the merchant, and receiving an address of a profile agent associated with and distinct from the mobile device. The identification token includes an opaque token generated by a source other than the mobile device. The method includes sending to the profile agent a request for a user profile associated with the mobile device, where the request includes the identification token, and receiving an opaque user profile responsive to the request. The method includes sending a personalized offer associated with the merchant to the profile agent based on the opaque user profile. The profile agent causes application of preferences and policies associated with the mobile device to the personalized offer to determine whether to forward the personalized offer to the mobile device.

Proxy-based profile management to deliver personalized services

A method includes receiving, at a server associated with a merchant, an identification token associated with a mobile device located in a service environment associated with the merchant. The identification token includes an opaque token generated by a source other than the mobile device. The method includes, receiving an address of a profile agent associated with the mobile device. The profile agent is distinct from the mobile device. The method includes sending to the profile agent, a request for a user profile associated with the mobile device, where the request includes the identification token, and receiving an opaque user profile responsive to the request. The method also includes sending a personalized offer associated with the merchant to the profile agent based on the opaque user profile. The profile agent causes application of preferences and policies associated with the mobile device to the personalized offer to determine whether to forward the personalized offer to the mobile device.

A third-party profile service based on a proxy server model is described, where a user's profile service resides at a URL, in contrast to a profile service that requires federation identity. A profile service is provided that augments location-based services offered by service providers targeting mobile users via, for example, wireless and Wifi Networks. Additional personalization is driven by identity/profile services. Participants in the scenario are not required to share an identity or profile (i.e., static federation is not required). The user establishes a single profile with a trusted provider, hands-off solicitations to a profile agent that operates on behalf of the user to apply policies and preferences. The agent also provides privacy and anonymity (opaqueness).

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Paul Vanvleck