# US 9,519,717 B2 · Content customization with security for client preferences > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,519,717 B2 - Document ID: US9519717B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/039,174 - Filed: 2011-03-02 - Published: 2012-09-06 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-02 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Gur Kimchi; Matthew Graham Dyor; Lili Cheng; Richard J. Qian; Marc Eliot Davis; Steven William Macbeth - Inventors: Gur Kimchi; Matthew Graham Dyor; Lili Cheng; Richard J. Qian; Marc Eliot Davis; Steven William Macbeth - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519717B2 ## CPC - G06F 21/6263: {during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies} - G06F 16/248: Presentation of query results - G06F 16/9535: Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation - G06F 16/958: Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Techniques for content customization with security for client preferences are described herein. The techniques describe the customization of content provided by websites according to preferences, such as the interests, “likes” and demographic and/or geographic information of users. Additional techniques describe aspects of keeping the users' preferences secure from the website, so that the users' privacy and anonymity are protected. In one implementation, a “trusted entity” is trusted by users to obtain and store the preferences. Content may be obtained by the trusted entity from a content provider, such as a website. The content may be changed according to the preferences. The content is then provided to the users. In view of the changes made by the trusted entity, the user enjoys a customized version of the content. Additional techniques describe limits to customization, based on permissible customizations and frameworks generated by the content providers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: under control of one or more processors configured with executable instructions: obtaining preferences of a user from interactions by the user with a trusted entity, explicit user indications, and implicit user indications; obtaining content, by the trusted entity, from a content provider in response to a query received from the user; obtaining permissible customizations from the content provider, wherein the permissible customizations include a framework having at least one location to which specific content must be attached and having at least one location for which options are provided for attachment of the specific content; modifying the content according to the permissible customizations, wherein a conflict between the permissible customizations and modifications to the content indicated by the preferences regarding attaching content at the at least one location to which specific content must be attached is resolved in favor of the permissible customizations; outputting, to a computer operated by the user, a page of query results, the query results comprising pairs of URL links, each pair comprising a first URL link to the content and a second URL link to modified content; and upon receipt of user selection of the second URL link, outputting to the computer operated by the user with the modified content according to the preferences of the user as limited by the permissible customizations from the content provider. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein: obtaining the content includes obtaining a plurality of micro-blog messages; modifying the content comprises removing micro-blog messages, from among the plurality of micro-blog messages, found to be inconsistent with the preferences of the user; and outputting the modified content comprises outputting a micro-blog message to the computer operated by the user if the micro-blog message is consistent with the preferences of the user. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the permissible customizations allow changes to the specific content attached to the framework, the changes resulting in content deletion and content reordering. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the implicit user indications comprise inferred preferences based on micro-blogs to which the user is subscribed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein modifying the content comprises populating a framework with the content based on the preferences of the user as constrained by permissible customizations obtained from the content provider. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining the preferences of the user further comprises obtaining interests of the user by receipt of explicit actions and implicit actions by the user. ### Claim 7 A system comprising: one or more processors; one or more memories configured with executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: obtaining preferences of a user from interactions by the user with a trusted entity, explicit user indications, and implicit user indications; obtaining content, by the trusted entity, from a content provider in response to a query received from the user; obtaining permissible customizations from the content provider, wherein the permissible customizations include a framework having at least one location to which specific content must be attached and having at least one location for which options are provided for attachment of the specific content; modifying the content according to the permissible customizations, wherein a conflict between the permissible customizations and modifications to the content indicated by the preferences regarding attaching content at the at least one location to which specific content must be attached is resolved in favor of the permissible customizations; outputting, to a computer operated by the user, a page of query results, the query results comprising pairs of URL links, each pair comprising a first URL link to the content and a second URL link to modified content; and upon receipt of user selection of the second URL link, outputting to the computer operated by the user with the modified content according to the preferences of the user as limited by the permissible customizations from the content provider. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system as recited in claim 7, wherein: obtaining the content includes obtaining a plurality of micro-blog messages; modifying the content comprises removing micro-blog messages, from among the plurality of micro-blog messages, found to be inconsistent with the preferences of the user; and outputting the modified content comprises outputting a micro-blog message to the computer operated by the user if the micro-blog message is consistent with the preferences of the user. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the permissible customizations allow changes to the specific content attached to the framework, the changes resulting in content deletion and content reordering. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the implicit user indications comprise inferred preferences based on micro-blogs to which the user is subscribed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The system as recited in claim 7, wherein modifying the content comprises populating a framework with the content based on the preferences of the user as constrained by permissible customizations obtained from the content provider. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The system as recited in claim 7, wherein obtaining the preferences of the user further comprises obtaining interests of the user by receipt of explicit actions and implicit actions by the user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the explicit user indications are obtained from a questionnaire. ### Claim 14 A device comprising: one or more processors; one or more memories configured with executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: obtaining preferences of a user from interactions by the user with a trusted entity, explicit user indications, and implicit user indications; obtaining content from a content provider in response to a query received from the user; obtaining permissible customizations from the content provider, wherein the permissible customizations include a framework having at least one location to which specific content must be attached and having at least one location for which options are provided for attachment of the specific content; modifying the content according to the permissible customizations, wherein a conflict between the permissible customizations and modifications to the content indicated by the preferences regarding attaching content at the at least one location to which specific content must be attached is resolved in favor of the permissible customizations; outputting, to a computer operated by the user, a page of query results, the query results comprising pairs of URL links, each pair comprising a first URL link to the content and a second URL link to modified content; and upon receipt of user selection of the second URL link, outputting to the computer operated by the user with the modified content according to the preferences of the user as limited by the permissible customizations from the content provider. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The device as recited in claim 14, wherein: obtaining the content includes obtaining a plurality of micro-blog messages; modifying the content comprises removing micro-blog messages, from among the plurality of micro-blog messages, found to be inconsistent with the preferences of the user; and outputting the modified content comprises outputting a micro-blog message to the computer operated by the user if the micro-blog message is consistent with the preferences of the user. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The device as recited in claim 14, wherein the permissible customizations allow changes to the specific content attached to the framework, the changes resulting in content deletion and content reordering. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The device as recited in claim 14, wherein the implicit user indications comprise inferred preferences based on micro-blogs to which the user is subscribed. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The device as recited in claim 14, wherein modifying the content comprises populating a framework with the content based on the preferences of the user as constrained by permissible customizations obtained from the content provider. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The device as recited in claim 14, wherein obtaining the preferences of the user further comprises obtaining interests of the user by receipt of explicit actions and implicit actions by the user. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The device as recited in claim 14, wherein the explicit user indications are obtained from a questionnaire.