Method, apparatus and system for providing a server agent for a mobile device

• US 20050102351A1
• Filed: 10/19/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhou, Min, Jiang, Zhaowei C., Cui, Yingqing L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,356,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

The invention enables one or more agents to gather information from at least one server on a network and automatically provide this information to an inbox on a server and then providing it to an inbox on a mobile device if a wireless connection to the mobile device is available. A server agent facility provides for preprocessing requests for information from the mobile device, including, collecting the information out of band, filtering the collected information, and packaging the information for delivery in a format suitable for the mobile device. A server agent within the server agent facility may actively collect the information based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, time, event(s), user profile, mobile device profile, request(s), alert(s), and historical behavior.

Claims

1. A method for providing information to a mobile device over a network comprising:

employing at least one module in a server agent facility to collect information;

employing at least another module in the server agent facility to package the collected the information; and

sending the information to the mobile device using at least a third module in the server agent facility.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the collected information to a temporary inbox associated with a server;

and

if the mobile device is available, employing a delivery agent to monitor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein packaging the collected information further comprises performing at least one of a normalization of the information, a compression, and an encryption of the information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein normalization of the information further comprises modifying a format of the information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein employing at least one module in the server agent facility to collect information further comprises employing at least one of a proactive fetch and a third party collection component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the information to the mobile device further comprises determining if the information is to be retrieved by the mobile device, and if it is to be retrieved by the mobile device, providing a notification to the mobile device that the information is available.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the information further comprises determining if a wireless connection between a server and the mobile device includes a sufficient bandwidth for the information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one module, the at least one other module, and the third module in the server agent facility each are enabled to execute on a server remote from the mobile device.

9. A method for providing information to a mobile device, comprising:

selecting an agent from one or more agents;

processing a request from the mobile device by the selected agent;

collecting information by a collection module;

packaging the information into format suitable for the mobile device by a packaging module; and

sending the information to the mobile device by an interface module, wherein the one or more agents, the collection module, the packaging module, and the interface module are associated with a server agent facility.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one of more agents further includes at least one search agent.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

editing the information by an editor agent, the editor agent being further included in the server agent facility.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

monitoring the request by a forward looking agent, the forward looking agent being distinct from the agent processing the request;

retrieving a user profile associated the mobile device originating the request;

determining additional information based on the request; and

sending the additional information to the mobile device, wherein the additional information does not constitute a response to the request.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein packaging the information further comprises at least one of normalizing the information, compressing the information, and encrypting the information.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein collecting the information further comprises employing at least one of a proactive fetch component for collecting information from directly accessible sources, and a third party collection component for collecting information from at least one proprietary source, the proactive fetch component and the third party collection component being included in the server agent facility.

15. A method for providing information to a mobile device comprising:

processing a request by an alarm agent;

determining if an alarm condition is present by querying a collection module, and if the alarm condition is present, packaging the information including a notification of the presence of the alarm condition in a format suitable for the mobile device using a packaging module; and

sending the information to the mobile device using an interface module, wherein the alarm agent, the collection module, the packaging module, and the interface module are included in a server agent facility.

16. A server for providing information to a mobile device over a network, comprising:

a transceiver for receiving and sending information to the mobile device; and

a server agent facility, coupled to the transceiver, that comprises;

an interface module configured to provide information to the mobile device in at least one of a push and a retrieve mode using the transceiver;

a packaging module configured to prepare information for delivery to the interface module;

an agent module configured to enable a determination of information for delivery to the packaging module; and

a collection module configured to receive a request for information from the agent module and to collect information for delivery to the agent module.

17. The server of claim 16, wherein the server agent facility further comprises a push component and a retrieve component.

18. The server of claim 16, wherein the packaging module further comprises at least one of a normalize component, a compress component, and an encryption component.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the normalize component is configured to modify a format of the information.

20. The server of claim 16, wherein the agent module further comprises at least one of an editor, a search component, an alert component, and a forward component.

21. The server of claim 20, wherein the forward component is configured to monitor a request for information from the mobile device and to determine at least some additional information based, in part, on the request and at least one of a time, an event, a user profile, a mobile device profile, statistical data, historical data, and behavior data.

22. The server of claim 16, wherein the collection module further comprises at least one of a proactive fetch module and a third party collection module.

23. The server of claim 16, wherein the collection module is further configured to collect information employing at least one process out of band to a request for information.

24. A modulated data signal for communicating information over a network, the modulated data signal comprising:

enabling an interface module in a server agent facility to provide information to a mobile device in at least one of a push and a retrieve mode using the transceiver;

enabling a packaging module in the server agent facility to prepare information for delivery to the interface module;

enabling an agent module in the server agent facility to determine information for delivery to the packaging module; and

enabling a collection module in the server agent facility to receive a request for information from the agent module and to collect information for delivery to the agent module.

25. The modulated data signal of claim 24, wherein the agent module is further enabled to perform at least one of an edit, a search, an alert, and a forward look for additional information, based, in part, on a request for information.

26. The modulated data signal of claim 24, wherein the packaging module is further enabled to perform at least one of a normalization, a compression, and an encryption of the information.

27. An apparatus for communicating information over a network, comprising:

a transceiver for receiving and sending information to a mobile device;

an interfacing means for providing information to a mobile device in at least one of a push and a retrieve mode using the transceiver;

a packaging means for preparing information for delivery to the interfacing means;

an agent means for determining information for delivery to the packaging means; and

a collection means for receiving a request for information from the agent means and for collecting information for delivery to the agent means.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the interfacing means, the packaging means, the agent means, and the collection means are included in a server agent facility.