Method and system for obtaining information using a mobile communications device

• US 20040203654A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Werschey, John D., Ellwanger, Scott A., Graves, Charles E., Bass, Shelley L., Eifert, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US10/262,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203654A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for obtaining information for a client is provided. The method includes receiving, at an electronic mailbox accessible by a server, a request email comprising a description of information. The request email is sent by a remote client device that is located remote from the server. The information is stored in one or more of a plurality of databases. The method also includes automatically initiating transfer of the information from the one or more databases to the server using the description. The transfer is automatically initiated in response to receiving the request email. The method also includes receiving the information at the server. The method also includes automatically converting the information into a response email and automatically transmitting the response email to the remote client device after receiving the information from the one or more databases.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining information for a client, comprising:

receiving, at an electronic mail box accessible by a server, a request email comprising a description of information, the request email sent by a remote client device, the information stored in one or more databases accessible by a remote server and not directly accessible by the server, the remote server and the remote client device located remote from the server;

in response to receiving the request email, automatically determining, at the server, an address of the remote server using the description of the information in the request email;

automatically sending, from the server, a request for the information to the remote server using the determined address of the remote server;

in response to sending the request, receiving the information at the server; and

after receiving the information from the one or more databases, automatically converting the information into a response email and automatically transmitting the response email to the remote client device.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising converting the information into a text format.

3. The method of claim 1, and further comprising displaying, at the remote client device, a menu identifying one or more categories of information;

automatically generating the request email at the remote client device after the client selects one of the identified categories of information in the menu, the request email comprising an information category indicator indicative of the selected one of the categories of information; and

automatically sending the request email to the electronic mailbox.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the description of information comprises an information category indicator, and automatically determining an address of the remote server comprises comparing the information category indicator to a register maintained at the server, the register comprising the same information category indicator and the corresponding address of the remote server.

5. A method for obtaining information for a client, comprising:

receiving, at an electronic mailbox accessible by a server, a request email comprising a description of information, the request email sent by a remote client device that is located remote from the server, the information stored in one or more of a plurality of databases;

using the description, automatically initiating transfer of the information from the one or more databases to the server, the transfer automatically initiated in response to receiving the request email, and receiving the information at the server; and

after receiving the information from the one or more databases, automatically converting the information into a response email and automatically transmitting the response email to the remote client device.

6. The method of claim 5, and further comprising polling the electronic mailbox from the server to determine that the request email is received at the electronic mailbox.

7. The method of claim 5, and further comprising converting the information into a text format.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more of the databases are not directly accessible by the server and the description of information comprises an information category indicator, the same information category indicator maintained at the server in conjunction with a corresponding address of a remote server, the remote server having access to the one or more databases storing the information.

9. The method of claim 5, and further comprising displaying, at the remote client device, a menu of one or more categories of information.

10. The method of claim 5, and further comprising

displaying, at the remote client device, a menu identifying one or more categories of information;

automatically generating the request email at the remote client device after the client selects one of the identified categories of information in the menu, the request email comprising an information category indicator indicative of the selected one of the categories of information; and

automatically sending the request email to the electronic mailbox.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the client device is a wireless email transceiver.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more of the databases are not directly accessible by the server, the description of information comprises an information category indicator, and wherein automatically initiating transfer of the information from the one or more databases to the server comprises:

identifying, at the server, an address of the remote server using a register maintained at the server, the register comprising the information category indicator and the corresponding address of the remote server, the remote server having access to the one or more databases storing the information; and

sending a request to the remote server using the identified address.

13. A system for obtaining information for a client, comprising:

a computer system having a processor;

a computer readable medium coupled to the computer system, the computer readable medium comprising a program operable, when executed on the processor, to;

determine that a request email is received at an electronic mailbox, the request email comprising a description of information sent by a remote client device that is located remote from the computer system, the information stored in one or more of a plurality of databases;

using the description, automatically initiate transfer of the information from the one or more databases to the computer system, the transfer automatically initiated in response to receiving the request email, and receive the information; and

after receiving the information from the one or more databases, automatically convert the information into a response email and automatically transmit the response email to the remote client device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the program is operable to determine that a request email is received by polling the electronic mailbox.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the program is further operable to automatically convert the information into a text format.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more of the databases are not directly accessible by the computer system and the description of information comprises an information category indicator, the same information category indicator maintained at the computer system in conjunction with a corresponding address of a remote server, the remote server having access to the one or more databases storing the information.

17. The system of claim 13, and further comprising a client device wirelessly coupled to the computer system, the client device operable to display a menu of one or more categories of information.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is a first processor and the computer readable medium is a first computer readable medium, and the remote client device is wirelessly coupled to the computer system, the remote client device having a display unit, a second processor and a second computer storage medium, the second computer readable medium comprising a request program operable, when executed on the second processor, to:

display, using the display unit, a menu identifying one or more categories of information;

automatically generate the request email after the client selects one of the identified categories of information in the menu, the request email comprising an information category indicator indicative of the selected one of the categories of information; and

automatically send the request email to the electronic mailbox.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the remote client device is a Blackberry™

.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more of the databases are not directly accessible by the computer system, the description of information comprises an information category indicator, and wherein the program is operable to automatically initiate transfer of the information from the one or more databases to the computer system by:

identifying, at the server, an address of the remote server using a register maintained at the server, the register comprising the information category indicator and the corresponding address of the remote server, the remote server having access to the one or more databases storing the information; and

sending a request to the remote server using the identified address.