Network object delivery system for personal computing device

• US 20030065744A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quanta Computer
• Original Assignee: Quanta Computer
• Inventors: Chang, Ted, Lam, Barry
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5615 Network termination, e.g. NT1, NT2, PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5664 Support of Video, e.g. MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device includes a network, a personal computing device at least part time coupled to the network, and a service agent server at least part time coupled to the network. The personal computing device is preferably a PDA or the like, but can also include personal computers, laptop computers, notebook computers, etc. The personal computing device locally operates on a requested document with at least one downloaded application module from the network. The service agent server will download a requested document and at least one application module to the personal computing device over the network in response to a request for the document and in response to a desired action to be performed on that document.

Claims

1. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device comprising:

a network;

a personal computing device at least part time coupled to said network, said personal computing device locally operating on a requested document with at least one application module;

a service agent server at least part time coupled to said network and capable of bi-directional communication with said personal computing device, said service agent server downloading said requested document and said at least one application module to said personal computing device over said network in response to a received request for said document and a received action specified by said personal computing device.

2. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein said network is a wide area network.

3. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 2 wherein said wide area network operates with a TCP/IP protocol.

4. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein said personal computing device is a PDA.

5. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein said personal computing device is a personal computer.

6. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 5 wherein said personal computer is one of a laptop, notebook, and palm computer.

7. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein said personal computing device includes a base operating system and read/write memory at least partially storing said requested document and said at least one application module.

8. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 7 wherein said read/write memory stores a plurality of application modules downloaded from said service agent server which are used to perform a desired action on said requested document.

9. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 8 wherein at least one of said plurality of application modules is an operating system module.

10. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein said personal computing device includes a personal identifier.

11. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 10 wherein said personal identifier includes a security feature.

12. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 11 wherein said security feature includes fingerprint recognition.

13. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 11 wherein said security feature includes image recognition.

14. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 11 wherein said security feature includes voice recognition.

15. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 11 wherein said security feature is said personal identifier.

16. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 10 wherein said personal identifier is uploaded to said service agent server.

17. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 16 wherein said service agent server uses said personal identifier to personalize its interactions with said personal computing device.

18. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein said service agent server is provided with at least one application module store.

19. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 18 wherein said service agent server is further provided with a heuristic database of actions, attributes and application module designations.

20. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 19 wherein said service agent server is further provided with a personal information database containing personal information for a plurality of users.

21. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 19 wherein said service agent server includes a heuristic engine operating on said heuristic database, and a download engine downloading application modules identified by said heuristic engine to said personal computing device from said application module server over said network.

22. A networked object delivery system for a personal computing device as recited in claim 20 wherein said service agent server further includes an upload engine to process and store in said personal information database personal information uploaded from said personal computing device.

23. A method for transferring objects over a network between a network server and a personal computing device comprising:

receiving on a server over a network a request from a personal computing device for a requested document and a requested action to be performed on said requested document;

determining at least one application module which can be used to perform said requested action on said requested document; and

sending said requested document and said at least one application module to said personal computing device over said network.

24. A method for transferring objects over a network between a network server and a personal computing device as recited in claim 23 further comprising receiving over said network a user identification of a user of said personal computer system.

25. A method for transferring objects over a network between a network server and a personal computing device as recited in claim 24 further comprising:

retrieving personal information concerning said user based upon said user identification.

26. A method for transferring objects over a network between a network server and a personal computing device as recited in claim 23 wherein receiving over a network a request comprises determining from said request an object and an action.

27. A method for transferring objects over a network between a network server and a personal computing device as recited in claim 26 wherein said object and said action are determining by parsing a request string.

28. A method for transferring objects over a network between a network server and a personal computing device as recited in claim 23 wherein determining at least one application module comprises utilizing a heuristic decision process utilizing a heuristic database of actions, attributes and application module designations.

29. A method for transferring objects over a network between a network server and a personal computing device as recited in claim 28 further receiving and storing personal information of a user of said personal computing device.

30. A method for transferring objects over a network between a network server and a personal computing device as recited in claim 29 further comprising processing said personal information before storing said personal information.

31. A method for transferring objects over a network between a network server and a personal computing device as recited in claim 30 wherein said personal information includes a designation of the application modules used on a document.

32. A method for transferring objects over a network between a network server and a personal computing device as recited in claim 31 wherein said personal information includes information concerning updates to said document.

33. A personal computing device comprising:

a digital processor;

non-volatile memory coupled to said digital processor and including a core operating system;

a network communication port coupled to said digital processor operative to send a request to a network server for a requested document that was not locally stored on said personal computer device and an action to be performed on said document; and

read/write memory coupled to said digital processor and including at least a portion of said requested document and at least one application module that was downloaded to said personal computing device to perform said action on said requested document.

34. A personal computing device as recited in claim 33 wherein said core operating system includes components which facilitate the uploading of requests by said personal computing device and the downloading of documents and application modules to said personal computing device.

35. A personal computing device as recited in claim 33 further comprising an extension operating system which works in conjunction with said core operating system to facilitate the uploading of requests by said personal computing device and the downloading of documents and application modules to said personal computing device.

36. A personal computing device as recited in claim 33 wherein said read/write memory includes a plurality of application modules, and wherein at least one of said plurality of application modules includes an operating system emulator which can be used by at least one other of said application modules.

37. A personal computing device as recited in claim 34 wherein said core operating system further includes components for uploading personal information from said personal computing device.

38. A personal computing device as recited in claim 34 further comprising an extension operating system which works in conjunction with said core operating system which includes components for uploading personal information from said personal computing device.

39. A method for performing an action on a document on a personal computing device comprising:

indicating a requested document and an action to be performed on said document;

downloading over a network said requested document and at least one application module used to perform said action; and

performing said action on said requested document on said personal computing device using said at least one application module.

40. A method for performing an action on a document on a personal computing device as recited in claim 39 wherein indicated a requested document includes inputting an alphanumeric string indicating the requested document and said action into said personal computing apparatus.

41. A method for performing an action on a document on a personal computing device as recited in claim 39 wherein at least one of indicating a requested document and an action to be performed includes selection from a list.

42. A service agent server comprising:

a digital processor;

a network communication port coupled to said digital processor operative to receive a request for a requested document and an action to be performed on said document from a personal computing device coupled to said network;

a heuristic database in communication with said digital processor including actions, attributes and application module designations;

an application module store in communication with said digital processor;

a document store in communication with said digital processor; and

heuristic code segments stored in memory accessible to said digital processor and operative to develop a list of at least one application module used to perform the desired action on said document; and

object transmission code segments stored in memory accessible to said digital processor for retrieving said at least one application module from said application module store and said requested document from said document store and transmitting them via said network communication port to said personal computing device.

43. A service agent server as recited in claim 42 further comprising a personal preference database in communication with said digital process which can be used to customize interactions a particular user of said personal computing device.

44. A service agent server as recited in claim 43 further comprising upload code segments stored in memory accessible to said digital processor and operative to receive personal information received from said user of said personal computing device and to update said personal preference database.