GROUPING PERSONAL ACCOUNTS TO TAILOR A WEB SERVICE
BACKGROUND
[0001] Current account-authentication techniques permit web-enabled
service providers to identify a particular person and thus, information about that
person. Based on this information, a service provider may tailor a web service to
the person. On learning that a particular person interacting with a shopping service
is a 25-year-old male with a history of buying golf clubs, for example, a service
provider may tailor the shopping service to present golf vacations, golf equipment,
and general sporting goods. Current techniques, however, include numerous
limitations when more than one person is consuming a web service.
SUMMARY
[0002] This document describes techniques for grouping personal accounts
to tailor a web service. In some embodiments, multiple personal accounts are
grouped, along with their respective information, effective to permit a web-enabled
service provider to tailor a web service to multiple people at one time. Thus, a
shopping service can be tailored to present products of interest to both a 25-yearold
male interested in golf and a 23-year-old female interested in tennis, such as a
golf-and-tennis vacation to a resort in Phoenix, Arizona.
[0003] This summary is provided to introduce simplified concepts for
grouping personal accounts to tailor a web service, which is further described
below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify
essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for use in
determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Embodiments of techniques and apparatuses for grouping personal
accounts to tailor a web service are described with reference to the following
drawings. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like
features and components:
Fig. 1 illustrates an example environment in which techniques for grouping
personal accounts to tailor a web service can be implemented.
Fig. 2 is a more-detailed illustration of client devices illustrated in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a more-detailed illustration of the service-providing device of Fig.
1.
Fig. 4 illustrates an example method for grouping personal accounts to tailor
a web service from the perspective of the manager of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 illustrates an example web page of a shopping web service.
Fig. 6 illustrates an example method for grouping personal accounts to tailor
a web service from the perspective of the service provider of Fig. 3.
Fig. 7 illustrates an example method for grouping personal accounts to tailor
a web service from the perspective of an entity capable of grouping of accounts and
providing a tailored web service.
Fig. 8 illustrates an example device in which techniques for grouping
personal accounts to tailor a web service can be implemented.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Overview
[0005] This document describes grouping personal accounts to tailor a web
service. By grouping personal accounts, even if this grouping simply associates
information from multiple accounts, a service provider may tailor a web service to
multiple people based on information about those people.
[0006] Consider a case where a family wishes to pick a movie to watch.
Current techniques permit one member of the family to login to an account, assume
here through a set-top box to view a media-selecting service through a television,
and pick through movies presented by the service based on that one family
member's preferences. Assume that a first parent logs in that likes western action
movies. These are often not appropriate or wanted by children. Also assume that
the second parent doesn't want to sit through Clint Eastwood's classic, The Good,
The Bad, and The Ugly either. Similarly, if the second parent logs in instead, the
service will present movies based on the second parent's preferences, such as
romantic comedies and musicals. The kids probably won't want to watch these
movies. The first parent probably won't sit through the romantic musical Gi Gi.
Logging a child into the service, assuming the child even has an account, will likely
be no better, as it will be very kid-oriented. To find a movie that the kids will like,
that mom and dad may also like, probably requires browsing through tens if not
hundreds of kid-oriented movies.
[0007] Techniques for grouping personal accounts to tailor a web service,
however, enable the service provider to tailor the media-selecting service to
everyone in the family. Assume here that the parents' preferences and the kids'
preferences (either specific to an account or based on demographics for children)
are used by the service provider to tailor the service. Based on all of these
preferences, how they overlap, and the like, the family-tailored service presents the
following three movie options: Paint Your Wagon, The Incredibles, and Avatar.
Paint Your Wagon is PG, generally liked by older kids, has Clint Eastwood (though
he sings in it), is a western, has some action, is a musical, and is considered a
comedy as well. The Incredibles is about a whole family, is animated, is rated PG,
is loved by most kids, is liked by many men and women, has action, superheroes,
and child and adult-oriented comedy. Avatar has action, is often found to be liked
by people that like westerns is popular with older kids and adults, is computer
generated, is PG-13, and has romantic elements as well. In this example the
techniques permit three great choices for a whole family, rather than many choices
through which to wade.
[0008] This is but one example of how the techniques for grouping personal
accounts permit a web provider to tailor a web service—others are described
below. This document now turns to an example environment in which the
techniques can be embodied, after which various example methods for performing
the techniques are described.
Example Environment
[0009] Fig. 1 is an illustration of an example environment 100 in which the
techniques may operate to group personal accounts to tailor a web service.
Environment 100 includes one or more client device(s) 102, a service-providing
device 104, and a communication network 106. Client devices 102 are devices
through which one or more users interact with a web service provided by serviceproviding
device 104. Client devices 102 and service-providing device 104 interact
through communication network 106, which may be the Internet, a local-area
network, a wide-area network, a wireless network, a USB hub, a computer bus, or a
combination of these.
[0010] Fig. 2 is an illustration of an example embodiment of any of client
devices 102. Client device 102 includes one or more processors 202, computerreadable
storage media ("media") 204, and display(s) 206. Media 204 includes an
operating system 208 and a browser 210. Browser 210 includes a group cookie 212
and one or more individual tokens 214. Group cookie 212, in some embodiments,
includes individual tokens 214. Each of the individual tokens 214 is associated
with a unique person or, in some cases, a set of persons. Thus, one token 214 may
be associated with the first parent of the family described above, another token 214
with the Mom, and a still another token 214 with both children of that family. Each
of these tokens 214 can be associated with information about each person or set of
persons, such as through an account for each person having related preferences,
history, demographic data, and the like.
[0011] As shown in Fig. 2, client device(s) 102 can each be one or a
combination of various computing devices, here illustrated with six examples: a
laptop computer 102-1, a tablet computer 102-2, a smart phone 102-3, a set-top box
102-4, a desktop computer 102-5, or a gaming device 102-6, though other
computing devices and systems, such as servers and netbooks, may also be used.
[0012] Fig. 3 is an illustration of an example embodiment of serviceproviding
device 104. Service-providing device 104 includes one or more provider
processors 302 and provider computer-readable storage media ("provider media")
304. Media 304 includes or has access to a web-enabled service provider ("service
provider") 306, a manager 308, and multiple accounts 310 each having one or more
identifiers 312 and associated information 314. Example identifiers 312 include a
password 316 and a biometric 318, though others may also or instead be used.
Associated information 314, as noted in part above, can include a person's history
320 (e.g., purchasing golf clubs), demographic information (DGI) 322 (e.g., age,
gender, income bracket, political affiliation, familial status), associations 324 (e.g.,
co-workers, friends, family members), and indicated tastes 326 (e.g., movies the
person indicated that he or she liked, brands that he or she has expressed an
interest, his or her favorite clothing store).
[0013] Web-enabled service provider 306 is capable of providing a web
service tailored to multiple persons based on information 314 associated with
multiple accounts 310 of these persons. Manager 308 is capable of securely
grouping these multiple accounts 310 and indicating such groupings to service
provider 306. In some embodiments, manager 308 provides individual tokens 214
and/or group cookie 212 (shown in Fig. 2) for use by service provider 306 in
providing a web service to multiple individuals through one or more client devices
102. Manager 308 may also provide secure elevation of rights for one or more
individuals of a group, such as to permit one individual of a group to purchase an
item through the web service.
[0014] These and other capabilities, as well as ways in which entities of Figs.
1-3 act and interact, are set forth in greater detail below. Note also that these
entities may be further divided, combined, and so on. For instance, manager 308
may operate on a separate device having remote communication with service
provider 306, such as residing on a separate server or on one of client devices 102.
Manager 308 may also be internal or integrated with service provider 306, in which
case manager 308's and service provider 306's actions and interaction may be
internal to one entity. Thus, the environment 100 of Fig. 1 and the detailed
illustrations of Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate some of many possible environments capable
of employing the described techniques.
Example Methods
[0015] Fig. 4 depicts a method 400 for grouping personal accounts to tailor a
web service from the perspective of manager 308. This method is shown as a set of
blocks that specify operations performed but is not necessarily limited to the order
shown for performing the operations by the respective blocks. In portions of the
following discussion reference may be made to environment 100 of Fig. 1,
reference to which is made for example only.
[0016] Block 402 enables secure selection to group two accounts, each of the
accounts having information indicating preferences for unique persons associated
with those accounts. This secure selection can be performed in various manners,
such as by presenting, within an environment that is already secure, a selection to
group accounts. Other example manners include enabling reception of a password
or biometric for a unique person having one of those two accounts and then
verifying that the password or biometric matches a record associated with one of
those two accounts. This secure selection can be for two unique persons using one
or multiple client devices 102.
[0017] Consider, by way of example, a case where one unique person has
already securely logged into a web service and desires to add another person.
Assume that this web service is a shopping website and that the first person (Lydia)
is viewing a webpage on her desktop computer 102-5 at her home in Spokane,
Washington. The webpage has various products one of which Lydia thinks her
cousin Grace, who is currently on a smart phone 102-3 in Phoenix, Arizona, will
love.
[0018] This webpage is illustrated in Fig. 5 at 502, and shows a shopping
web service webpage as well as selectable control 504 indicating a choice to add
another person. Assume that manager 308 presents this selectable control 504
directly or through service provider 306. The first person, Lydia, selects this
control 504, in response to which manager 308 asks for the name or some identifier
of the other person Lydia wishes to add. She indicates Grace's full name or, if
Grace is already associated in some manner with Lydia (e.g., by being one of her
associations 324), Lydia selects from a list or group of icons of associated persons
506, here including Mom, Dad, Micah, and Grace, for example. In response to
selection of Grace by Lydia, manager 308 provides Grace with a selection to
securely login to her account (if she has not already done so) and securely select to
be associated with Lydia's shopping experience (not shown). Thus, manager 308
enables Grace to securely login and to securely select to be grouped with Lydia's
shopping experience. After doing so, both Lydia and Grace are securely grouped
by manager 308.
[0019] Block 404, responsive to secure selection, causes a web-enabled
service provider to provide a tailored service to the first unique person and the
second unique person, the tailored service tailored based on both the first
information and the second information. Before continuing with the above
example, this description addresses some general ways in which the techniques
may operate.
[0020] Block 404, acting through manager 308, can cause service provider
306 to tailor a web service by providing an indication that two or more unique
individuals have securely selected to group their accounts. This indication alone
can be sufficient for service provider 306 to tailor the web service to those grouped
accounts, such as by comparing information associated with those accounts. This
indication can include tokens 114 associated with each of the persons. With these
tokens 114, service provider 306 can create cookie 112 for use by one or more
client devices 102, the cookie indicating the grouped accounts.
[0021] Continuing the ongoing example, after secure selection by Grace (and
Lydia) to group their accounts for the shopping web service, manager 308 causes
service provider 306 to present a tailored shopping web service to both Grace on
her smart phone 102-3 and Lydia on her desktop computer 102-5. Note here that
the tailoring of the web service can be extensive or not extensive. In this case the
tailoring is primarily tailored to Lydia's information, either by selection or based on
Lydia having begun shopping before adding Grace, and thus service provider 306
tailors the web service to both Lydia and Grace but keeps content of the web page
viewed by Lydia rather than apply Grace's tastes (though that could be done).
Instead, the tailoring is effective to create a web service that is tailored to both
Lydia and Grace's information and is identical in appearance. Thus, the tailoring
by service provider 306 alters Lydia's webpage based on information 314
associated with Grace's account 310, namely that Grace views only 2 items per
webpage (due to size of her smart phone 102-3's display). Both Grace and Lydia
now share a same web service experience tailored to both of them, here to Lydia's
tastes and history and the Grace's display constraint. Now Lydia can know she is
seeing what Grace sees, and thus when Lydia communicates with Grace she and
Grace are certain that they are talking/messaging about the same item. This
example is not limiting on the techniques - the web service could easily be altered
such that both Lydia's and Grace's tastes, history, and the like are both used to
tailor the web service, though in this case Lydia's content was determinative.
[0022] In some cases a tailored service may have limited rights available to
one or more persons of the group, such as an ability to buy products through the
web service. In such cases the method 400 may continue to blocks 406 and 408,
though this is not required.
[0023] Block 406 enables secure selection to elevate rights for one of the two
or more unique persons. This can be performed similarly to secure selection of
group accounts, though it does not have to be. Manager 308, for example, can
permit each of the unique persons of the group to select to elevate rights through
entry and verification of identifier 312, such as password 316 or biometric 318,
though they are not necessarily the same as used to select to group the accounts at
block 402. If communications are secure for all unique persons of the group,
selection to elevate rights may be performed by assent of all of the unique persons
- such as to change a setting on the web service, which, while possibly not
permitted by one person, can be selected or assented to by all of the persons.
[0024] In cases where it is not immediately known which person selected to
elevate rights, manager 308 enables selection by the persons to indicate which
selected to elevate his or her rights. This selection by one of the persons can be
through entry and verification of an identifier or based on selection made through a
client device 102 assumed to be accessible only to that person, for example.
[0025] Block 408, responsive to secure selection to elevate rights, causes the
web service to elevate rights of that unique person. Block 408 may do so through a
direct or internal instruction to service provider 306, such as one indicating that the
person's selection was securely made and verified.
[0026] Continuing the ongoing example of Lydia and Grace, consider the
case where the tailored web service does not permit either Lydia or Grace to buy a
product without selection to elevate rights. By way of background to the example,
assume that service provider 306 has indicated to manager 308 that enabling
purchasing requires a rights elevation having a unique password or biometric
different from the one used to group the accounts and verification of same. In such
a case, manager 308, through service provider 306 and Grace's browser 210,
presents a selectable control or responds to an attempt to purchase an item.
[0027] Assume also that Lydia was correct that Grace would love an item on
the shopping site. Grace determines to buy the item {Alligator Hair Clips) and
selects the control or selects to purchase the item. Service provider 306, through
browser 210 and acting in conjunction with manager 308, then presents a data entry
field for entry of a second password different from the password used by Grace to
login in and/or select to be grouped with Lydia. Grace enters this password.
Manager 308 verifies that this password is correct for Grace's account 310, and
then indicates that the elevation of rights is approved to service provider 306
thereby causing service provider 306 to permit Grace to select to purchase the item
(e.g., with her credit card that is on record in her account 310).
[0028] Method 400 can be performed multiple times, such as to group
additional accounts. In such cases service provider 306 tailors the web service to
the additional persons. These other persons do not necessarily have unique
accounts, such as when two children of a family are added to the group. Thus, one
account may be used for both children.
[0029] Fig. 6 depicts a method 600 for grouping personal accounts to tailor a
web service generally from the perspective of service provider 306. This method is
shown as a set of blocks that specify operations performed but is not necessarily
limited to the order shown for performing the operations by the respective blocks.
In portions of the following discussion reference may be made to environment 100
of Fig. 1, reference to which is made for example only.
[0030] Block 602 receives an indication of a grouping of two or more unique
persons, each of the unique persons having his or her own information. This
indication can be responsive to selection, secure or not secure, by the unique
persons to be grouped. As noted in part above, this indication can be received from
another entity, such as manager 308 and by service provider 306, or be internal to
service provider 306. Such an indication may be responsive to the unique persons
all logging into the web service, selecting to be grouped, and/or in various other
manners described above.
[0031] By way of example, consider again the example family and mediaselecting
service described above. Here assume that manager 308, through browser
210 on a single set-top box 102-4, presents multiple account logins for the dad,
mom, and one for the kids. Assume that manager 308 securely logs in all three
accounts and determines that, because all logged in through a same user interface
and device, an implicit selection to be grouped. Manager 308 then creates
individual tokens 214 of Fig. 2 for each of the three accounts 310, and passes these
to service provider 306. Service provider 306 receives these tokens 214 and some
indication that they are grouped (either cookie 212 having all three tokens 214 or
otherwise).
[0032] Block 604 tailors a web service to the two or more unique persons
based on the information of the unique persons. Various ways in which a service
provider, such as service provider 306, tailors a web service are described
elsewhere herein, such as based on history 320, demographic information 322,
associations 324, and tastes 326.
[0033] Continuing the ongoing example, assume that service provider 306
tailors the media-selecting service based on the children's demographics, namely
that based on their ages only G-rated and PG-rated movies and television programs
are permitted, tastes selected by the parents (one selected a preference for musicals
and the other rated westerns watched highly), and history of movies and television
watched by all of mom, dad, and the kids. In such a case two of the abovementioned
movies would rise to the top (not Avatar due to its PG-13 rating), as
well as numerous television programs.
[0034] Block 606 provides the tailored web service to the two or more
unique persons. As noted above, this can be through multiple client devices 102.
In the ongoing example, however, the tailored web service is a media-selecting
service displayed on a television through set-top box 102-4. In this example
service provider 306 provides group cookie 212 to browser 210 on set-top box 102-
4, the cookie having three tokens 214, one for each of dad's, mom's, and the kids'
account. Browser 210 can use this cookie in communicating with service provider
306.
[0035] Method 600 may conclude with block 606 or continue, such as to
permit elevation of rights similarly to blocks 406 and 408 of method 400. Thus,
dad may elevate his rights to permit selection (and consumption) of Avatar thereby
overriding the parental controls prohibiting PG-13 programs. Or mom may elevate
her rights to purchase an item displayed through the media-selecting service, such
as one that requires a separate fee. Here elevation of rights is limited to a single
exercise of a right, in this case to override or purchase media.
[0036] Concluding this example, mom elevates rights, purchases Paint Your
Wagon after which service provider 306 provides the media, which is then
consumed on a television display using browser 210 of set-top box 102-4.
[0037] Fig. 7 depicts a method 700 for grouping personal accounts to tailor a
web service from the perspective of an entity capable of grouping of accounts and
providing a tailored web service. This method is shown as a set of blocks that
specify operations performed but is not necessarily limited to the order shown for
performing the operations by the respective blocks. In portions of the following
discussion reference may be made to environment 100 of Fig. 1, reference to which
is made for example only.
[0038] Block 702 enables two or more unique persons to login to respective
accounts associated with a web service, the logins explicitly or implicitly indicating
grouping of the two or more unique persons. By way of example, consider block
702 performed by service provider 306 having an integral manager 308. In such a
case, service provider 306 enables login by the two or more unique persons.
[0039] Assume, for example, that service provider 306 provides a gaming
web service. Also assume that service provider 306 enables, in conjunction with
browser 210 of gaming device 102-6, secure login through browser 210 on one of
displays 206 associated with gaming device 102-6. Here assume that two friends
want to play against remote competitors, the two friends using the same client
device (gaming device 102-6) at the same time. Assume also that each of the two
friends has an account associated with the gaming web service, each of the
accounts having information relating to each of them. This information indicates,
for one of the friends, non-default settings for his game controller, a particular
avatar that he uses, a particular game perspective (e.g., top down, 3D, or viewed
from avatar's perspective), and a preferred game entity (e.g., a sniper or tank driver,
wizard or swordsman). Likewise, the other friend has various preferences indicated
by his information, such as a preferred game entity, game perspective, avatar, and
the like. Service provider 306 enables both friends to login to their respective
accounts and then groups their accounts.
[0040] Block 704 provides a tailored web service to the two or more unique
persons, the tailored web service tailored to preferences of at least two of the two or
more unique persons. This can be performed in various manners as described
above.
[0041] In the ongoing example, service provider 306 begins a game tailored
to both friends' preferences based on their associated information. Thus, service
provider 306 may determine how to tailor the gaming web service to best meet both
friends' preferences. Assume that there is no conflict for many of the preferences,
but that one player often plays the game with a top-down perspective while the
other friend always plays with the avatar's perspective. Service provider 306
determines that the gaming web service is best tailored to the avatar's perspective
for both friends based on some tie-breaking algorithm, such as it being a default
setting, it sometimes being used by both separately, or it being used by the friend
that has less experience with the game. Concluding this example, service provider
306 provides the game web service tailored to both friends, which both friends then
play.
[0042] Method 700 may continue in various manners set forth above, such as
to elevate rights or add additional unique persons and re-tailoring to those persons.
[0043] The preceding discussion describes methods relating to grouping
personal accounts to tailor a web service. Aspects of these methods may be
implemented in hardware (e.g., fixed logic circuitry), firmware, software, manual
processing, or any combination thereof. A software implementation represents
program code that performs specified tasks when executed by a computer
processor. The example methods may be described in the general context of
computer-executable instructions, which can include software, applications,
routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules,
functions, and the like. The program code can be stored in one or more computerreadable
memory devices, both local and/or remote to a computer processor. The
methods may also be practiced in a distributed computing mode by multiple
computing devices. Further, the features described herein are platform-independent
and can be implemented on a variety of computing platforms having a variety of
processors.
[0044] These techniques may be embodied on one or more of the entities
shown in environment 100 of Fig. 1 including as detailed in Figs. 2 or 3, and/or
example device 800 described below, which may be further divided, combined, and
so on. Thus, environment 100 and/or device 800 illustrate some of many possible
systems or apparatuses capable of employing the described techniques. The entities
of environment 100 and/or device 800 generally represent software, firmware,
hardware, whole devices or networks, or a combination thereof. In the case of a
software implementation, for instance, the entities (e.g., service provider 306 and
manager 308) represent program code that performs specified tasks when executed
on a processor (e.g., provider processor(s) 302). The program code can be stored in
one or more computer-readable memory devices, such as provider media 304 or
computer-readable media 814 of Fig. 8.
Example Device
[0045] Fig. 8 illustrates various components of example device 800 that can
be implemented as any type of client, server, and/or computing device as described
with reference to the previous Figs. 1-7 to implement techniques for grouping
personal accounts to tailor a web service. In embodiments, device 800 can be
implemented as one or a combination of a wired and/or wireless device, as a form
of television client device (e.g., television set-top box, digital video recorder
(DVR), etc.), consumer device, computer device, server device, portable computer
device, user device, communication device, video processing and/or rendering
device, appliance device, gaming device, electronic device, and/or as another type
of device. Device 800 may also be associated with a user (e.g., a person) and/or an
entity that operates the device such that a device describes logical devices that
include users, software, firmware, and/or a combination of devices.
[0046] Device 800 includes communication devices 802 that enable wired
and/or wireless communication of device data 804 (e.g., received data, data that is
being received, data scheduled for broadcast, data packets of the data, etc.). The
device data 804 or other device content can include configuration settings of the
device, media content stored on the device, and/or information associated with a
user of the device. Media content stored on device 800 can include any type of
audio, video, and/or image data. Device 800 includes one or more data inputs 806
via which any type of data, media content, and/or inputs can be received, such as
human utterances, user-selectable inputs, messages, music, television media
content, recorded video content, and any other type of audio, video, and/or image
data received from any content and/or data source.
[0047] Device 800 also includes communication interfaces 808, which can
be implemented as any one or more of a serial and/or parallel interface, a wireless
interface, any type of network interface, a modem, and as any other type of
communication interface. The communication interfaces 808 provide a connection
and/or communication links between device 800 and a communication network by
which other electronic, computing, and communication devices communicate data
with device 800.
[0048] Device 800 includes one or more processors 810 (e.g., any of
microprocessors, controllers, and the like), which process various computerexecutable
instructions to control the operation of device 800 and to enable
techniques for grouping personal accounts to tailor a web service. Alternatively or
in addition, device 800 can be implemented with any one or combination of
hardware, firmware, or fixed logic circuitry that is implemented in connection with
processing and control circuits which are generally identified at 812. Although not
shown, device 800 can include a system bus or data transfer system that couples the
various components within the device. A system bus can include any one or
combination of different bus structures, such as a memory bus or memory
controller, a peripheral bus, a universal serial bus, and/or a processor or local bus
that utilizes any of a variety of bus architectures.
[0049] Device 800 also includes computer-readable storage media 814, such
as one or more memory devices that enable persistent and/or non-transitory data
storage (i.e., in contrast to mere signal transmission), examples of which include
random access memory (RAM), non-volatile memory (e.g., any one or more of a
read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, EPROM, EEPROM, etc.), and a disk
storage device. A disk storage device may be implemented as any type of magnetic
or optical storage device, such as a hard disk drive, a recordable and/or rewriteable
compact disc (CD), any type of a digital versatile disc (DVD), and the like. Device
800 can also include a mass storage media device 816.
[0050] Computer-readable storage media 814 provides data storage
mechanisms to store the device data 804, as well as various device applications 818
and any other types of information and/or data related to operational aspects of
device 800. For example, an operating system 820 can be maintained as a
computer application with the computer-readable storage media 814 and executed
on processors 810. The device applications 818 may include a device manager,
such as any form of a control application, software application, signal-processing
and control module, code that is native to a particular device, a hardware
abstraction layer for a particular device, and so on.
[0051] The device applications 818 also include any system components,
engines, or modules to implement techniques for grouping personal accounts to
tailor a web service. In this example, the device applications 818 can include
service provider 306 and manager 308.
Conclusion
[0052] Although embodiments of techniques and apparatuses for grouping
personal accounts to tailor a web service have been described in language specific
to features and/or methods, it is to be understood that the subject of the appended
claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described.
Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as example implementations
for grouping personal accounts to tailor a web service.
CLAIMS
What is claimed is:
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
enabling secure selection to group a first account with a second account, the
first account of a first unique person and having first information indicating
preferences of the first unique person and the second account of a second unique
person and having second information indicating preferences of the second unique
person; and
responsive to secure selection, causing a web-enabled service provider to
provide a tailored web service to the first unique person and the second unique
person, the tailored web service tailored based on both the first information and the
second information.
2. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein
the tailored web service has limited rights for the first unique person or the second
unique persons, and further comprising:
enabling secure selection to elevate rights for one of the first or second
unique persons; and
responsive to secure selection to elevate rights, causing the web-enabled
service provider to elevate rights for the first unique person or the second unique
person.
3. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein
enabling secure selection to group the first account with the second account
includes enabling:
secure login of the first unique person;
secure selection by the first unique person to group with the second unique
person;
secure login of the second unique person; and
secure selection by the second unique person to group with the first unique
person.
4. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein
enabling secure selection is performed through two, disparate client computing
devices associated with the first and second unique persons, respectively.
5. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein
enabling secure selection to group the first account with the second account
determines that the first unique person logged into the first account through a same
user interface or through a same client computing device as that through which the
second unique person logged into the second account.
6. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein
causing the web-enabled service provider to provide the tailored web service sends,
to the web-enabled service provider, a first individual token associated with the
first account and a second individual token associated with the second account.
7. A computer-implemented method comprising:
enabling two or more unique persons to login to respective accounts
associated with a web service, the logins explicitly or implicitly indicating grouping
of the two or more unique persons; and
providing a tailored web service to the two or more unique persons, the
tailored web service tailored to preferences of at least two of the two or more
unique persons.
8. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 7, wherein
the tailored web service does not include an elevated right and further comprising
enabling the elevated right for one of the two or more unique persons responsive to
secure selection of the elevated right.
9. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein
enabling the elevated right includes:
receiving selection of an action requiring the elevated right;
enabling selection by the two or more unique persons to indicate which
made the selection of the action; and
receiving the selection indicating which one of the two or more unique
persons made the selection of the action.
10. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein
the selection indicating which of the two or more unique persons made the
selection of the action receives and verifies an identifier, the identifier not used as
part of the login by the one of the two or more unique persons that made the section
of the action.