GB2361329A

GB2361329A - Delivery of information and transaction content across differentiated media channels in a managed and co-ordinated manner

Info

Publication number: GB2361329A
Application number: GB0008824A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Ross
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-04-12
Filing date: 2000-04-12
Publication date: 2001-10-17
Also published as: GB0008824D0

Abstract

With the continuing progress in content delivery of all multi-media forms, to an increasing array of devices, across a series of discrete media channels, there is potential for duplication and information overload from a users perspective. Information confusion and congestion are also the probable outcome of discrete ownership of different content, media and transmission channels. To overcome these difficulties requires co-operation between those involved in Content, Computing and Communications. Methods are described for achieving the necessary co-ordination between different media channels, improving the overall usability, assimilation and experience with information and interaction. With co-ordination new opportunities are opened up for interactive information and transaction services. Content is managed by use of meta-tags.

Description

1 . J - leAP 2361329 Title A Method for Ubiquitous Delivery of Information

and Transaction Content across Differentiated Media Channels in a Managed and Co-ordinated Manner.

Background

Consumers face an explosion in the volume of data accessible to them as a result of Internet and other information delivery developments. At the same time there is an increase in the number of communications channels over which information is delivered. Digital content can now be delivered across the Internet to the PC, to the Digital TV and other devices in the home including home entertainment and intelligent white goods products, to mobile devices via wireless networks, and in other ways. With simultaneous increases in the capacities of all these channels, and with the continuing drop in all the costs of transmission making consumer acceptance all the more likely, end-users face a potentially difficult situation from information interference. Too much disparate information across too many discrete channels leads to information overload. To balance the developments with technology and content delivery, there have to be corresponding advances with person-computer interfaces, content navigation and co-ordinated content, transaction and interaction delivery. The methods proposed here address these issues.

Problem The take up of Internet connections for PCs, and the parallel take up of mobile telephones in many countries has made information and communication more readily accessible to millions of users. Until recently these developments had little cross over because of technology limitations. The discrete technical channels followed separate development paths, but now these are beginning to converge. Recent advances have not only bought more information channels to the consumer, there are now greater degrees of overlap between previously separate media channels. Conversations via the personal computer with voice over IP, the user of television as an interactive medium, delivery of content to new generation mobile phones means consumers will all too easily suffer from uncoordinated delivery of duplicated and redundant information. Information interference could be the net result, leading to a slower uptake of point product technology solutions. To date commercial boundaries and discrete solutions research and technology advances have hindered the emergence of more integrated and interactive solutions. The methods proposed here address the limitations, and show how it is possible to deliver new more co-ordinated products and services.

Worse than any sheer volume of information being delivered across the diverse channels is the potential for information duplication, with much the same content being viewed in different information mediums, leading to user fi-ustrations and a loss of user productivity. The potential benefits of technology can just as easfiy become a handicap. Again the methods proposed here address these issues and problems.

These negative scenarios for diverse and uncoordinated information streams are all the more likely when different organisations are responsible for different information mediums. This, in part, is an outcome of cross-media ownership regulations in a 1 number of countries. Domination of several different media sectors has been viewed as socially dangerous and economically uncompetitive so ownership rules have prevented it. Each of the organisations representing discrete channels will be competing for market share of the more integrated solutions from their historically strong but diverse bases. Such competition could add to information chaos for the end-users, to whom the technology is supposed to bring benefit. Ways have to be found for realising the benefits of integration and interaction, within a framework of discrete organisational units and interests. The methods proposed here go some way towards realising these objectives. In time we anticipate the emergence of agreed international standards in these areas. These proposals should contribute, in part, to the emergence of acceptable and workable standards in due course.

Essential Features To change the current situation of uncoordinated information delivery to one of managed information flows requires the establishment of a "Ubiquity Service", consisting of Computers, Content and Communications. The convergence of these three information-related C's (or C cubed or as shorthand INFOCUBE) towards ubiquitous or "Ubiquity" Services, brings new opportunities. Within an INFOCUBE environment profiles of user interests are maintained alongside profiles of content providers and profiles of service delivery and networking providers, so information can be sent in managed streams down different media channels. The streams of information sent to different devices via the INFOCUBE computing environment can be co-ordinated to the extent necessary for user control and acceptance.

For any INFOCUBE Ubiquity Services to work there have to be accepted standards in a number of areas. This includes the area of Document Content Structures, as any Ubiquity Service needs to know what information is suitable for what types of device. Emerging standards in the area of Document Content Structures need to be supplemented with additional information relating to media channel suitability. There may be different versions of the same material with different editorial styles for different media channels. This will be a challenge for content providers yet the potential benefits for users are considerable and should repay the effort at the content creation end. Users will benefit from being able to get the content, transactions and interactions they require, in the form they require them, to the devices they choose at any particular tinie to use.

This implies a universal addressing schema and this is an essential feature and implication of the methods proposed here. This universal addressing schema, depending on how it is implemented, offers significant user advantages in terms of greater security and privacy, easier delivery of localised content and services, elimination of the need for multiple sign-on to different services, and easier intragroup and intergroup communications.

In addition there needs to be classification of material to aid easy retrieval of information relevant to the user circumstances. Document Category (or Classification) Structures will become more important. Looking for a telephone or e-mail address from a mobile phone display will, or should, have different characteristics to browsing a company report or virtual shopping mall database looking for contextual surroundings around information. Distinguishing between these requires the insertion 2 of Meta-tags to much information relating to the source, nature and components of the information in addition to the information content. Meta tagging takes on much greater importance in the integrated and interactive information world.

Introduction to the Drawing.

Figure 1 shows the relationships between the different elements within the delivery of ubiquitous documents to end users via different delivery channels and mechanisms. It shows how the Document Content Structures and Document Category Structures, together with the user, service and content profiles, feed into the Ubiquity Service INFOCUBE servers. The differentiated, and co-ordinated, information streams can then be delivered via the appropriate media channels according to user preferences and choice.

Examples

A significant advantage of the realisation of the co-ordinated information streams described here is that users eliminate the need for multiple sign-on to different services. It is also easier to pay for goods and services, in a more trusted and secure manner via the INFOCUBE interface, transaction and co-ordination services. This eliminates some of the key issues and concems many have with the relative insecurity of the Intemet as it exists today. Because in the INFOCUBE world the identity of users is known and monitored as they are in effect "always on line" information profiling and delivery and e-commerce transaction takes place easily and effectively. Users no longer have to invent a different identity and password for each new service or service element.

An example of a co-ordinated information stream is where a user gets want they consider important information, such as a stock price move or a sports result, delivered proactively to their mobile phone or other mobile device. When they get to an appropriate display medium, such as a digital television or personal computer they are aware they have already received the information, for example by display in a different colour, or the item in the "pendinj not "to be read" mail area. They then choose whether to interact with a more rich media content version of the same material at their leisure.

Likewise as the home information technology infrastructure becomes more sophisticated a user may want to instruct a home device, such as a videorecorder or video set-top box, to record material, and do this via a mobile telephone or other mobile or other interactive device. This is possible if there are defined, and where possible open, standards across media -type channels.

Another example would be where a user wants to scan the headlines on a personal computer or digital television in the morning and select the stories to download to a mobile device such as a Digital Assistant and/or Electronic Book, to read, or be read to, whilst on the move.

3

Claims

Claims Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by patent is as follows:

1. 1 claim the methods proposed for co-ordinating content and transaction delivery across different media channels, which lead to more effective delivery of information to end-users by eliminating unnecessary duplication and redundancy across different channels, and finiher deliver the improvements and benefits described here and below.

2. A method for ubiquitous delivery of information and transaction content across difFerentiated media channels in a managed and co- ordinated manner as claimed in Claim 1 eliminates the need for users to invest profiles and passwords every time they want to access a new service. These multiple identities, difficult to retain and remember, can be replaced with a universal naming profile that provides better security, personal profiling and information co-ordination, which results from a paradigm change with ubiquitous and monitored persistent humancomputer interaction replacing episodic personal computing and unstructured content interaction.

A method for ubiquitous delivery of information and transaction content across differentiated media channels in a managed and co-ordinated manner as claimed in Claim 1 and Claim 2 enables the delivery of information to a variety of diffirent media distribution channels, and provides the basis for comprehensive interactive services, and exploits the Document Content Structures and Document Category Structures inherent in the proposed structured information spaces.

4.

47 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the finiher step of modifications and evolutions of the method and process and its iterative application within the same domains of devices, information streams and activity said modifications forming a feedback loop for the continuous improvement and evolution of the method and process and its iterative application to current and novel devices across current and novel networks and infrastructures 48 A method and system for navigation, personalisation, organisation, modification, location and privacy protection by using shared information structures and associated technology and infrastructure within and across multiple intelligent devices with intermittent or persistent network or service connectivity, substantially as described herein and with reference to the preceding claims and Figures 1 - 7 of the associated drawings wherein information content or communications or transactions are structured, with the structures shared between information providers, information recipients, information networks and infrastructures and based on classification and categorisation on the basis of similarity with items or people or groups or services able to appear in multiple classifications or categories at one and the same time, on multiple information streams, on multi.devices for multiple groups and multiple service providers at one and the same time.

4. A method for ubiquitous delivery of information and transaction content across diffirentiated media channels in a managed and co- ordinated manner as claimed in Claim 1 and Claim 2 and Claim 3 gives users greater degrees of control over information flows, allowing individuals to select the manner in which information is received and acted upon according to their individual needs not the characteristics or restrictions of any particular media channel.

5. A method for ubiquitous delivery of information and transaction content across diffitrentiated media channels in a managed and co- ordinated manner as claimed in Claim 1 and Claim 2 and Claim 3 and Claim 4 ensures information is more easy to assimilate and easier to act upon when delivered as a series of co-ordinated information channels, appropriate to the nature of the information being sent, then compared with information sent as an undifferentiated and duplicated mass.

6. A method for ubiquitous delivery of information and transaction content across differentiated media channels in a managed and co- ordinated manner as claimed in Claim 1 and Claim 2 and Claim 3 and Claim 4 and Claim 5 ensures E-Business and E-Commerce is easier, more secure and more efFective when transaction take place within a structured and coordinated information spaces, and when diverse media channels can be used in a managed and co-ordinated fashion to deliver endto-end control and information and transaction integrity.

7. A method for ubiquitous delivery of information and transaction content across diffitrentiated media channels in a managed and co- ordinated manner substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing.

0 6 Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 6 1.

A method and process independent of networks, devices, service providers and manufacturers for creating structured documents, categories, device and multi-device interfaces and navigation processes, structured information sources and streams, group and multiple group memberships that can all be combined and interact one with another singularly and in combination, as applied to information, repositories, databases, knowledge, events, activities, interactions, transactions and experiences with senders and receivers of information sharing structures for the coordination and exchange of content, communications, transactions and interactions, across single or multiple devices, single or multiple groups, single or multiple networks, and single or multiple service and application providers, where the combined and where possible co-ordained infrastructure provide services to individuals, families, groups, organisations or multiple groups, enterprises and organisations, comprising the following steps, or variations or modifications thereof to achieve the same or similar ends:- 0 Creation of structures, be these physical, electronic, conceptual or social or combinations thereof, for documents, categories, classes or other domains or areas of content, communication, interaction, transaction, perception, cognition or social behaviour Sharing of such structures with others through written or spoken communication or electronic means or some other method Creation of content containing tags to locate content within such structure or structures, not exclusively but allowing for multiple realisations, versions, variations, positions and overlaps Connecting between users and services via networks and infrastructures, fixed, mobile, wireless, point to point or broadcast, intermittent or persistent or combinations of any of the above Sourcing, streaming, multicasting or in some other way delivering content to individual or groups, whether requested or in anticipation of expected requests, to single or multiple devices on single or multiple network and service ir&astructures, from servers, computers, networks and databases, across fixed and wireless networks or in some other manner, or combinations of the above Users able to access categories, contents, or categories containing content that is delivered whether or not this replaces or supplements 7 0 0 0 0 2 or extends earlier content, for all categories and classes or for those categories and classes selected by end-users Users navigating structures in a variety of ways under their control or automatically, with navigation sharing attributes of the method and process and its iterative application used to create structures Personalisation, tailoring and use of the temporal characteristics of the information in the receiving streams and structures, under user or sender control or shared between receivers and senders of information or communication Application of any or all of these steps to multiple devices, including but not limited to computers, televisions fixed and mobile phones, office, public, shared and home networks, portable devices, personal digital assistants, home information, entertainment and appliance systems and solutions and similar, with the potential for similar interfaces and content navigation techniques across some or all of the above Application of any or all of these steps to multiple occurrences be these multiple examples contents, documents, devices, memberships, information streams, service providers, network and computing infrastructures of all types or similar, whether the links are intermittent, persistent or combinations of the two. Evolution of structures and contents by senders and receivers by reference to previous structures and categories and classes for modification, evolution and developments With evolved structures being shared with some or all other users for activity, communications, interaction or transactions or any combination thereof to create feedback loops for the continual improvement and evolution of the components, services, and developments or incorporation of new elements into the overall method and process.

The method Claim 1 further comprising the step of the iterative application of the process to form more sophisticated information and other structures applied to ranges of content, applications, interfaces and devices, including but not limited to the following, each of which has the capability for multiple realisations within any and all structures as required: - Content within a physical or electronic document, structured according to the method and process Documents, physical or electronic, structured according to the method and process Categories of documents created by grouping of items along one or more dimensions of similarity Classes of category formed by grouping items along one or more dimensions of similarity Meta-structures formed by flirther iterations or variations of the method and process Events, historic, current or future Activities, historic, current or future c q 0 0 a 3 4 Experience, historic, current or planned News feeds, articles, reports, evaluations, magazines, books and other electronic and physical publications Delivered to a computer, television, digital assistant, wireless device or other more or less intelligent device, including hardware software, networking and similar devices Transmitted across fixed or wireless or digital audio or satellite or other network including telecommunications, cable, wireless and other infrastructures, public or private or combinations thereof To an individual, or a group or a community or some wider audience or some combination of these groups including multiple memberships of any of the above The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of applying such structures to different applications including but not limited to 0 Information content creation and organisation, whether physical or electronic, individual or shared News and information and data and graphics and video and other feeds, sources, databases or similar repositories of information and knowledge Web sites, Internet sites, Intranet sites and other electronic and physical stores, repositories and databases of information Communications between individuals, groups, enterprises and organisations Communities of individuals assessed similar in some way Co-ordination of content and category streams, activities, interactions and transactions across multiple sources, devices, situations and groups The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of creating profiles by and for users, with their activities and transactions forming, via the further application of the method and process, iterative information structures for other individuals or groups for whatever purpose, including but not limited to the following: Content or transaction delivery or fulfilment Communication within and between individuals and groups Administrative, financial, legal, geographic or other requirements whether foreseen or not Creation or maintenance of physical, social or virtual groups or communities or combinations thereof Overlapping, intersecting and multiple communities created by individuals and groups interests and overlaps Commerce activities and transactions electronic and physical. Software and interfaces and programmes for computers and other intelligent devices Books, articles, magazines and reports and other publications and information dissemination methods 9 6 7 8 0 0 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of organising elements into meaningful combinations within structures, with the possibility of visual representations appropriate to structuring processes, including organisation of:InterfiLces Documents Publications including papers, books, magazines, periodicals, reports and similar Files/folders/cabinets/archives and other storage Desktops electronic or 1 Web and other information sites Interactive marketing, sales, promotion and other information Group, departmentg enterprise and organisational information resources Mail, computer conferencing, notice boards and other transmission and display elements Address books, calendars, diaries, events activities and other such elements Advertising including services of all types, job vacancies, house and other premises lettings and sales, classified advertising of all types and other similar information and communications sources and activities Other information sites, sources and activities Other value and process chain activities involving movement of information between people, processes and organisations including analysis, evaluation, comparison, bidding and transacting goods and services and other elements The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of sharing information about categories, classes, structures, memberships, actions, interactions and transactions between senders and receivers and intermediaries of information across single and multiple devices across single and multiple networks The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of producing information, both physical and electronic, for distribution containing information structures, tags, identifiers, and metainformation relating to the processing and positioning of information within and between information structures The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of packaging electronic information such that without flirther conversion but through selection of elements it can be sent in suitable formats through a variety of information channels and distribution methods, to a variety of devices whilst retaining its identifiers such that documents can be accessed and retrieved from a multitude of devices across a multitude of networks or combinations thereof 9 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of coordination from media distribution centres for media of a variety of different types capable of being sent to a variety of different devices, simultaneous and successively, with the potential of end-to-end quality of service links on some or all of the difFerent distribution channels, with individual or group or combinations thereof of usage, activity and transactions monitored to provide information, communications, interaction and transaction utilities similar to energy, water, telecommunications, financial and entertainment utilities or combinations thereof The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of populating categories and classes of information with information from sources, or streams, or multicast to fill or supplement, complement or replace some or all of the information already contained within the categories and classes with the following characteristics: Retention o and potential to re-establish, given appropriate networks, links to original documents, category or class events, experiences or activities, if need be to reconstitute a facsimile or duplicate from consistent parts Ability for content to appear in one or more than one category or class at one and the same time A retained knowledge of the relevance, links and associations between an items and other items derived from its location within and between one or more structures An ability to track variations of the document or other objects across variations, modifications, versions and across networks to different locations, people and devices An ability to display information appropriate to any receiving device or combination of receiving devices 0 0 0 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of navigating information structures on a variety of devices in consistent and compatible methods using the navigation techniques inherent in the information structures created and consistent with human cognitive and perceptual and social information processing capabilities with the following characteristics: - a An ability to track and communicate a position within the information structure to any other device also used by the same individual to access the same information at the same or a different time, and to share this with others if required An ability to navigate within, between, and across structures using a variety of devices including but not limited to controls, buttons, pointers, joysticks, mice, touch-sensitive screens, voice commands and other ways 11 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of selecting information, documents, categories, classes and structures of information according to preferences or actions at any point in a navigation process such that selected items display greater depth or breadth of information which likewise can be navigated.

12 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of using structural cues and tags or other embedded information to select, search and retrieve contents, categories or classes, by using appropriate search engines to search some or the entirety of the contents of any element or structure 13 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of personalising structures, categories and classes through none, some or all of the following ways Selecting certain document types as having higher relevance to one or more devices such that information appropriate to a device is displayed according to the device limitations unless overruled by specific user activity. Selecting certain categories as being of higher relevance and attaching some mathematical or other tagging mechanism to indicate such interest, with this affecting the number and type of items filling a particular category.

Selecting and prioritising certain classes as having higher relevance with regard to the information available from sources, streams or multicasts.

Impacting the order that documents, categories and classes are received so user prioritisation is always possible in situations of resource or processing or other constraints or requirements.

14 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of creating naming structures, naming conventions, and identifiers for individuals, families, groups, communities and multiple groups memberships, with the 0 0 following characteristics: Any individual or group to potentially have a variety of identifiers indicating membership of physical, social or virtual groups, including multiple and overlapping memberships, with, when known, some or the totality of memberships maintained and delivered as unified or differentiated streams depending on user preference and activity Allocation of unique identifiers comprising prefix or suffix of both, whether random or not, to individuals, subgroups, groups or a communities such that members of the same unit have an identical prefix or suffix or both In parallel allocation to the establishment of locator tags or identifiers based on geography, which can be overt or covert depending on requirements, security and other factors, allocate other linked unique identifiers can also if required also exhibit geographic and other cues, for security, location, physical deliveries and similar requirements is The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of transmitting information to individuals, groups or multiple groups using the features, 11.

facilities, cues and other attributes of the information structure, singularly, or in combination with each other and in combination with other devices including computer and network hardware and software and services and integration, with the following characteristics; 0 0 The potential for senders or receivers or information, or both, to use physical cues, social cues, virtual cues or any combination thereof to direct content to more or less inclusive groups, subgroups or multiple groups or any combination thereof. An ability to use combinations of the unique and locator identifiers to facilitate content delivery over network alternatives according to any requirements or combinations of requirements at any particular time including none, some or all of the following:Least cost routing Direct route routing Aggregated routing for physical groupings Routing selected to maintain quality of service levels Routing following prescribed geographical routes Random routing Multiple routing across the same and different networks to similar or diverse devices or both Any combination of the above or variations and modifications thereof to achieve similar ends.

16 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the finther step of connecting to computer and network hardware and software, services and integrated solutions, distribution mechanisms, processes, networks and devices such that information can be exchanged between the user of a variety of information services and users of those services, singularly and in combination, with the provisioning, personalising, administrative, security and other processes established within the infrastructures and co-ordination services, irrespective of the devices or services being used by the user for tracking, co-ordination, administration and billing services 17 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of using computer and network hardware and software and services and integration for creating communicating capabilities, billboards, message groups and other display facilities for directing messages to any individual, family, subgroup, group or overlapping or intersecting groups, be these physical, social, virtual or any combination thereof 18 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of users and groups interacting with one another across networks and computers and devices, on a one to one, one to many or many to one basis. With multiple network and service infrastructures further opportunities for interaction emerge, including the following: - The combined features of single or multiple devices and multiple networks and connections together form new methods and processes for action, communication, interaction and transaction 13 0 that form the basis of new and novel business and other processes, value chains and re-engineered activities The combinations of features, facilities, applications and activities opens up new end-to-end transaction relationships for businesses, consumers and other individuals, groups and multiple groups.

19 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of administration activities, processes, logs and transaction associated with user activities across services, networks, devices, activities and groups, for information, relationships, fulfilment and security, direct for individuals, families, groups and multiple groups or as an element of service co-ordination for service and application providers or similar organisations.

The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of creating physical, social or virtual communities of interest based on some dimension or dimensions of similarity, with intersecting and overlapping memberships, such that individuals and groups can interact with, communicate with and respond to others in their own or other group or multiple group memberships.

21 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the fluther step of enabling billing, with some or all of the following characteristics, where billing can include both billing and credit transactions: - 0 Billing by any form or combination of usage of hardware, software, networking, human or other resource Billing by volumes of information received or accessed Billing by volume of information excluded Billing by extent of filtering, or personalisation or similar modifications of the base method and process Billing by source of information Billing by timeliness of information Billing by the breadth or depth of the information accessed or any combination thereof 22 The method arid process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of using any factors associated with information delivery and navigation for promotion, marketing, and selling activities, including by not limited to click through rates, banner advertising, promotion and counter promotion, or any element or sequence on a value chain from information of a less deep or more deep variety, analysis, comparisons, evaluations, transactions and value of goods transacted or any combination or extension therein billing, crediting, and control to any individual or group of any single or combined goods, services, usage, utilisation or combinations thereof Billed to advertisers, Promotion and other Agencies or similar Billed to sponsors, partners and intermediaries Billed to individuals Billed to groupings of whatever type Or to any combination of the above, or variations thereof i 23 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the ftirther step of enabImig individuals, groups, communities, organisations and enterprises to maintain and transact commerce within and between different elements and components of various structures, using structures to support transaction activities.

24 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of restricting access, usage, interaction and transaction, in part or in entirety, to individuals, groups and multiple groups on the basis of exceeding prescribed limits whatever these might be and of limiting legat commercial or electronic liability of any or all parties involved in transactions by binding parties to billing and other administrative and financial arrangements associated with the structures and delivery of information to a variety of people and devices, with no consequential or other liabilities for the method and process and structures used to facilitate information provision and transactions The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of using contents, structures, locality, grouping, membership and other cues and tags for security, administration of rules and procedures. Same also to be used for identification of unauthorised and inappropriate use of structures, contents and interactions, with the possibility of excludi such parties from flirther Mg interaction within the structures and transactions defined by the method and process. Further with multiple networks and devices intercommunicating further security is possible as follows: - The security and other features of one device with a temporary or permanent connection can combine and interact with the security and other features of other networks to produce higher levels of security and reliability of the actions and transactions using end-to-end connectivity, combining this with infl-astructure and transmission and security characteristics from two or more networks on a single or multiple linked devices provides additional interactivity and two or more way communications for enhanced security and integrity of the actions and transactions 26 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of protecting the privacy of users by differentiating difFerent aspects of user identity and limiting accessibility to such information by people other than the user or users in question, and to use passwords and other techniques to keep within reason information restricted to those with a legitimate need to know.

27 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of having content relating to a locality as defined within the base method on a less or more inclusive scale according to user requirements, available for any members within that locality to use, or for any other individual or group requiring such information to also have access to locality specific information, with navigation within and between domains according to the base method and iterations thereof, including none, some or all but not limited to the following:

Skills, trades, professionals and similar groupings Shops, outlets, warehouses and similar 15" Restaurants, Cinemas, Tleatres, Hotels, Leisure facilities and similar Jobs, permanent, temporary and interim Classified advertising of any or all products or services or combinations thereof Places of interest Hobbies, interests and other physical, social or virtual groupings 28 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of permitting access to services from any number of diverse devices, whilst tracking individual activity across those one or more devices to deliver co-ordination within an underlying information infrastructure.

29 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of Integration of Information Providers by using or providing interfaces and standards and reciprocal billing information and arrangements where these are required with none, some or all of the following characteristics: Users and providers agree the basis of the billing mechanisms and the costs associated with information access and transactions Information providers assume the financial and other risks associated with transactions of any sort Information Providers remain legally responsible for the information they provide for onward transmission to users and forany other aspects of the interactions or transactions arising from their content.

The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of some or all of the content distribution channels being persistent "always on" and available such that information and transactions can be periodically or constantly sourced, streamed or multicast to the receiving devices with none, some or all of the following characteristics: - 0 31 Where persistent links are available the user through the coordination of different devices is made aware to whatever devices are active if and when there is activity using their unique identifier on any or all other channels for security and integrity of actions and transactions Where persistent links are available any of a number of users, regular or guest, is able to use the service with a minimum of access delay, with services tailored to the profile of a particular user at a particular time The method and process of Claim 1 with the additional step that where information services of whatever type agree that common and uniform electronic naming conventions based on the base method and process and structures can be implemented across different domains to open up opportunities for consistent naming in electronic and vi spaces similar to lifetime personalised numbers available within the telecommunications arena.

1 L_ 1. . 00 4..:

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32 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of using the method and process and iterations thereo embodied in methods, processes, procedures, business practices, value chains, hardware, software, networking, databases, storage and other similar devices, together with the structured and shared content, categories and classes, and the locator and other cues to track, respond to or anticipate user requirements when using a variety of devices to access information sources, streams, multicasts and other distribution methods so as to retain a user integrity position and perspective with regard to the information presented and display across different devices with none, some or all of the following characteristics: - User position is retained across any and all devices that are active at any particular time in a tightly coupled or loosely coupled fashion or combinations thereo according to user preferences and device capabilities Content delivery to or action on one device transmitted to other linked and active devices, as appropriate to their capabilities if need be Activity or reaction on one device mitted to linked and active devices, and reflected in inactive devices the next time they are activated Traces, logs, actions and transactions within and across none, some of all devices are logged for administration, service, and billing 0 a 33 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of allowing users universality from single designations and sign on passwords to a variety of devices if they so choose, or to associate and if required integrate discrete identities on different networks for administrative and billing purposes.

0 0 34 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of using two way flows of information about user activity in order to coordinate delivery of information and avoid duplication and redundancy within the same media channel or across different media channels at the same or different times with none, some or all of the following characteristics: - A user-centric view of activities and actions, interactions and transactions is maintained across the different information boundaries, devices, service and information providers The flow of structured information, co-ordinated across discrete channels or devices or both by people, systems, software or some combination thereo providing a foundation for the co-ordinated information supply, communication, interaction, transaction, monitoring, quality of service, administration and billing mechanisms, procedures and processes An ability to contact and communicate with others on line at the same time, pre-selected or sought and searched on the basis of locality, identifier and other cues or combinations thereof from one or any of a variety of different devices whilst retaining the integrity of the transaction or transactions. An ability to modify the processes, profiles, sources, streams or other distribution, communication and transaction activities as a result of the flows of single and co-ordinated stream of activity Pacross single or multiple devices to provide feedback loops, controls, security and evolution of the base method and process and iterations thereoú The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of providing co-operation across a variety of different media distribution channels, networks, information providers and similar to provide a comprehensive series of services that work across diverse and discrete devices in a manner that provides a family resemblance in the interface, navigation and access techniques, with a low level of dupHcation and redundancy of content and a low level of duplication of user activity.

36 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step of enabling combinations of elements, methods and processes of structures of different types, and with different ownership or control of resources to combine one with another to deliver more integrated and unified services, subject to commercial, copyright and other restrictions 37 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the finther step of establishing interfaces, standards, inter-working, interoperability or any combination thereof with the providers of networks, services, facilities, entertainment or work or leisure free or paid for managed services or similar infrastructures such that the end-to-end integrity and coherence and integration of users of the base method and process is maintained, or not as required 38 The method and process of Claim I comprising the further step of monitoring end to end activity to provide quality of service metrics, and to interface these into any or all administration, billing, crediting, and service quality penalty measures, debits or credits for users, information providers, third parties or any combination thereof 39 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the finiher step of providing a family of similar interfaces to a variety of different devices with the interfaces sharing common features of the base method and process to provide a universal user interface such that content- device interfaces have the following characteristics:- 0 0 Devices use a common method for structuring, ordering and sequencing across devices Devices use a common method for navigation and access of difFerent documents, categories classes and other features Any device is capable under user control of accessing any or all of the full feature set of the core document structures, albeit with limitations of speed, display or other limitations Interactions and transactions from any and all devices can be tracked by a meta-structure, using further iterations of the base method and process which contains a full profile of all user activity and behaviours for administration, security and billing purposes, subject to user privacy and national and international security and other requirements.

The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of providing a universal, integrated ubiquitous, graphical user interface for a variety devices and a variety of types of communications, actions and transactions, said interfaces providing universal service and device interface interactions and transactions across a variety of devices for a variety of services and goods and transaction providers and users and intermediaries and third parties.

41 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step of providing a family of similar interfaces to a variety of different devices and a variety of information sources and streams with the interfaces sharing common features of the base method and process such that the multi-content-multi-device interfaces have the following characteristics: - Devices use a common method for structuring, ordering and sequencing across devices Devices use a common method for navigation and access of difFerent documents, categories classes and other features Any device is capable under user control of accessing any or all of the full feature set of the core docurnent structures, albeit with limitations of speed, display or other limitations Interactions and transactions from any and all devices can be tracked by a meta-structure, using further iterations of the base method and process which contains a full profile of all user activity and behaviours for administration, security and billing purposes, subject to user privacy and national and international security and other requirements.

42 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step for multi-service multi-device co-ordination of using two way flows of information across one or more devices of the same or different types, about user activity in order to coordinate delivery of information and avoid duplication and redundancy across devices, or within the same media channel or across different media channels at the same or different times with none, some or all of the following characteristics: - 0 0 0 0 A user-centric view of activities and actions, interactions and transactions is maintained across the different information boundaries, devices, service and information providers The flow of structured information, co-ordinated across discrete channels or devices or both by people, systems, software or some combination thereo providing a foundation for the co-ordinated information supply, communication, interaction, transaction, monitoring, quality of service, administration and billing mechanisms, procedures and processes An ability to contact and communicate with others on line at the same time, pre-selected or sought and searched on the basis of locality, identifier and other cues or combinations thereof from one or any of a variety of different devices whilst retaining the integrity of the transaction or transactions. An ability to modify the processes, profiles, sources, streams or other distribution, communication and transaction activities as a A result of the flows of single and co-ordinated stream of activity across single or multiple devices to provide feedback loops, controls, security and evolution of the base method and process and iterations thereof 43 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step for multi device use in multi-group environments of using an iteration of the method to create structures, naming conventions, identifiers and interfaces for devices, individuals, groups, communities with the potential for multiple groups memberships, with the following characteristics: - 0 0 0 0 0 Any device, individual or group to have a variety of identifiers with information able to be delivered and maintained and co-ordained across devices and sitiutions as unified or differentiated streams depending on user preference and activity Allocation of unique identifiers comprising prefix or suffix of both, whether random or not, to devices and individuals, such that others can communicate to a person or a device or any combination of devices The potential for senders or receivers or information, or both, to use physical cues, device cues, location cues or any combination thereof to direct content to others. An ability to use combinations of devices and unique and locator identifiers to facilitate content delivery over device and network alternatives according to any requirements or combinations of requirements at any particular time including none, some or all of the following:Most likely routing Most convenient routing for sender or receiver or combinations of sender, receiver and intermediary Least cost routing Direct route routing Aggregated routing for device groupings Routing selected to maintain quality of service levels Routing following prescribed geographical routes Random routing Multiple routing across the same and different networks to similar or diverse devices or all devices Any combination of the above or variations and modifications thereof to achieve similar ends 44 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the flirther step for Multidevice multi-group multi-service tracking of using the method and process and iterations thereo embodied in methods, processes, procedures, business practices, value chains, hardware, software, networking, databases, storage and other similar devices, together with the structured and shared content, categories and classes, and the locator and other cues across devices, groups and services, to track respond to or anticipate user requirements when using a variety of devices to access information sources, streams, multicasts and other 1 distribution methods so as to retain a user position and perspective with regard to the information presented and display across different devices with none, some or all of the following characteristics: - 0 User position is retained across any and all devices that are active 0 at any particular time in a tightly coupled or loosely coupled fashion or combinations thereo according to user preferences and device capabilities Content delivery to or action on one device transmitted to other linked and active devices, as appropriate to their capabilities if need be Activity or reaction on one device transmitted to linked and active devices, and reflected in inactive devices the next time they are activated Traces, logs, actions and transactions within and across none, some of all devices are logged for administration, service, and billing The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the finther step for multi stream personalisation where there are multiple devices, information and content streams for selecting and personalising the combinations of devices, information streams and documents, categories or classes through none, some or all of the following ways Selecting certain streams, or categories within streams, as having higher relevance to one or more devices such that information appropriate to a device is displayed according to the device limitations unless overruled by specific user activity..

Selecting certain streams, or categories within streams, as being of higher relevance and attaching some mathematical or other tagging mechanism to indicate such interest, with this affecting the number and type of items filling a particular category.

Selecting and prioritising certain sources, or sources within streams, as having higher relevance with regard to information collection and presentation.

0 0 0 46 The method and process of Claim 1 comprising the further step for MultiDevice Multi-Group Multi-Network Multi-Service Provider Integration of establishing interfaces, standards, inter-working, interoperability or any combination thereof with providers of devices, networks, services, facilities, entertainment or work or leisure free or paid for managed services or similar infrastructures such that end-to-end integrity and coherence and integration of users of the method and process is maintained.. Also comprising the ability for providing co-ordination across a variety of different media distribution channels, networks, information providers, devices and similar. To provide comprehensive services that work across diverse and discrete devices, locations, situations, individuals and groups, in a manner that provides a family resemblance in the interface, navigation and access devices, with a low level of duplication and redundancy of content and low levels of duplication of user activity.