Content access from a communications network using a handheld computer system and method

• US 20020156833A1
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Maurya, Sanjiv, Turcotte, Michel
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A handheld computer including a wireless communications link with a wireless server is disclosed. The wireless communications link allows browsing of information provided through the wireless server which is coupled to a communications network. A user of the handheld computer may generate a request for content, for example, by selecting a link to content. The request is communicated to the wireless server which requests the content from the content source. When the content is received by the wireless server, a plug-in mechanism or other type of software program is used to convert the particular content type into a format easily communicated and used by the handheld computer. The handheld computer receives the formatted content, and using a compatible plug-in mechanism or software program, is able to display content using the handheld computer.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining content to be accessed on a handheld computer, comprising:

sending a request for content by a server on a communications network;

retrieving the content by the server;

converting the content by the server, to a format useable by a mobile computer; and

sending the content to the handheld computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for content from the mobile computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computer is a handheld computer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the handheld computer is a wireless handheld computer.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a request for content from the wireless handheld computer.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

providing a hypertext markup language (HTML) document to the handheld computer; and

receiving a link request from the handheld computer viewing the HTML document.

7. A system configured for a handheld computer to access content, comprising:

a handheld computer;

a server in communication with the handheld computer;

a content server in communication with the server;

a server program running on one of the server and the content server and configured to format the content into a form for delivery to a handheld computer; and

a handheld program running on the handheld computer and configured to receive the formatted content and provide access to the content by a user using the handheld computer.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the handheld computer is a personal digital assistant.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the handheld computer is a cellular telephone.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the server is in communication with the handheld computer via a wireless link.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the server program is running on the server.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the server program is running on the content server.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the communications link is a wireless communications link.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the handheld computer is a personal digital assistant.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the data includes a uniform resource locator (URL).

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the content is a sound file.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the content is a video file.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the content is a graphics file.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the content is a document file.

13. A method of accessing content on a handheld computer, comprising:

establishing a communications link with a server coupled to a communications network;

running a browser program on the handheld computer;

receiving data configured to be viewed using the browser;

requesting content from a location described by the data;

receiving the content in a format designed for the handheld computer; and

converting the content to a format useable by an application on the handheld computer.

21. A method of accessing content on a handheld computer, comprising:

receiving a request for content, in a third party format, by a server coupled to a communications network;

sending the request for content to a server having the capability to convert third party format content to a handheld format;

requesting the content, by the server having the capability to convert third party format content to a handheld format, from a content source; and

receiving the content by the server having the capability to convert third party format content to a handheld format and converting the content to the handheld format.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

sending the content in the handheld format to the server having the capability to convert third party format content to a handheld format to the server.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

sending the content in the handheld format by the server to the handheld computer.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving the content in the handheld format by the handheld computer.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

accessing the content by a user of the handheld computer.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving by the handheld over a wireless communications link content in the handheld format.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

viewing the browser document in the customized format on the handheld computer.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

establishing a wireless communications link between the handheld computer and the first server.

27. A method of accessing information over a communications network by a handheld computer, comprising:

operating a browser on a handheld computer;

requesting from a first server a browser document over a wireless link;

requesting from a second server by the first server a browser document in a customized format;

retrieving by the first server from the second server a browser document in the customized format; and

retrieving over a wireless link the browser document in the customized format from the first server.

30. A system configured for a handheld computer to access content, comprising:

a handheld computer;

a first server in communication with the handheld computer;

a second server in communication with the first server;

a third server in communication with the first server and with the second server and the third server being a source for content requested by the handheld computer;

a server program running on the second server and the server program configured to format the content into a form for delivery to a handheld computer; and

a handheld program running on the handheld computer and configured to receive the formatted content from the first server and provide access to the content by a user using the handheld computer.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the first server is configured to receive a request for content from the handheld computer.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the handheld computer is in wireless communication with the first server.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the first server is configured to retrieve the content from the third server.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the first server is configured to provide the content to the second server.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the second server is configured to convert the content to a converted format suitable for communication to the handheld computer.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the first server is configured to retrieve the converted format and is configured to send the converted format to the handheld computer.

37. The system of claim 31, wherein the first server is configured to communicate a link to the content, on the third server, to the second server.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the second server is configured to retrieve the content from the third server.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the second server is configured to convert the content to a converted format suitable for communication to the handheld computer.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the first server is configured to retrieve the converted format and is configured to send the converted format to the handheld computer.

41. A system configured for a handheld computer to access content, comprising:

a handheld computer;

a wireless gateway;

a first server in communication with the wireless gateway;

a second server in communication with the first server;

a third server in communication with the first server and with the second server and the third server being a source for content requested by the handheld computer;

a server program running on the second server and the server program configured to format the content into a form for delivery to a handheld computer through the wireless gateway; and

a handheld program running on the handheld computer and configured to receive the formatted content from the wireless gateway and provide access to the content by a user using the handheld computer.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the second server is configured to receive a request for content from the handheld computer.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the handheld computer is in wireless communication with the first server through the wireless gateway.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein the second server is configured to retrieve the content from the third server.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the third server is configured to provide the content to the second server.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the second server is configured to convert the content to a converted format suitable for communication to the handheld computer.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the first server is configured to retrieve the converted format and is configured to send the converted format to the handheld computer.

48. The system of claim 42, wherein the first server is configured to communicate a link to the content, on the third server, to the second server.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the second server is configured to retrieve the content from the third server.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the second server is configured to convert the content to a converted format suitable for communication to the handheld computer.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the first server is configured to retrieve the converted format and is configured to send the converted format to the handheld computer.