System and method for providing requested information to thin clients

• US 20030018540A1
• Filed: 07/17/2002
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Incucomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Incucomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Hartley, Kelly A., Rubin, Jodi B., Roemerman, Steven H., Volpi, John P., Bowers, Matthew N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,301,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons

Abstract

A system for, and method of, providing requested information to a client. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a core information database that contains core information gleaned from the Internet and restructured according to a predetermined taxonomy and (2) a client communications interface, coupled to the core information database, that receives a request message from a client containing a request for some of the core information, derives a database query from the request message, causes the some of the core information to be retrieved from the core information database, formats the some of the core information into a response message according to display limitations of the client and transmits the response message to the client for display thereby.

Claims

1. A system for providing requested information to a client, comprising:

a core information database that contains core information gleaned from the Internet and restructured according to a predetermined taxonomy; and

a client communications interface, coupled to said core information database, that receives a request message from a client containing a request for some of said core information, derives a database query from said request message, causes said some of said core information to be retrieved from said core information database, formats said some of said core information into a response message according to display limitations of said client and transmits said response message to said client for display thereby.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said client is selected from the group consisting of:

a wireless personal data assistant,

a cell telephone with display messaging capability,

a computer

a supply chain system, and

a wired messaging terminal.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said system forms a part of a product purchasing system, said core information regards a plurality of products available for purchase and said predetermined taxonomy calls for said core information to be organized by model, source, price and availability.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said core information database further configured to allow said client communications interface to obtain comparisons between at least a portion of said core information in a given classification of said predetermined taxonomy with which said core information is associated.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said request message is a natural language text message.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a search engine that, if said request is for information outside of said core information database, causes a search of the Internet to be performed in an effort to obtain further core information for inclusion in said core information database.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 wherein said search engine comprises a web crawler.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a configuration database containing said display limitations along with display limitations of other clients.

9. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said client communications interface obtains a client type from said client and employs said client type to determine said display limitations of said client.

10. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said client communications interface subsequently prompts said client for refining request messages.

11. A method of providing requested information to a client, comprising:

loading a core information database with core information gleaned from the Internet and restructured according to a predetermined taxonomy;

receiving a request message from a client containing a request for some of said core information;

deriving a database query from said request message;

causing said some of said core information to be retrieved from said core information database;

formatting said some of said core information into a response message according to display limitations of said client; and

transmitting said response message to said client for display thereby.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said client is selected from the group consisting of:

a wireless personal data assistant,

a cell telephone with display messaging capability,

a computer,

a supply chain system, and

a wired messaging terminal.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said method is carried out to purchase products, said core information regards a plurality of products available for purchase and said predetermined taxonomy calls for said core information to be organized by model, source, price and availability.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said core information database is also configured to allow said database query to obtain comparisons between at least a portion of said core information in a given classification of said predetermined taxonomy with which said core information is associated.

15. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said request message is a natural language text message.

16. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising causing a search of the Internet to be performed in an effort to obtain further core information for inclusion in said core information database if said request is for information outside of said core information database.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein said search is performed by a web crawler.

18. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising loading a configuration database with said display limitations along with display limitations of other clients.

19. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said formatting further comprises obtaining a client type from said client and employing said client type to determine said display limitations of said client.

20. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising subsequently prompting said client for refining request messages.