Method and apparatus for providing updated network content to target devices

• US 20050208929A1
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ZMR Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ZMR Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Zmrzli, Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/888,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20050208929A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

A method for enabling wireless communications is provided. The method includes detecting one or more user actions when the user is browsing one or more network sites. One or more content items may be selected from the page based on the user interaction. The content items may be formatted for a specific end device based on the one or more content items. The content is directed to an end device that has wireless communication capabilities.

Claims

1. A method for providing content to a wireless target device, the method comprising:

identifying a representation by the target device of a content item provided at a particular network site;

identifying data that corresponds to a change in the content item provided at the particular one or more network sites; and

altering the representation of the content item on the target device so that the representation is altered primarily based on the change in the content item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of maintaining a history of the content item from which the change in the content item at a particular instance can be determined.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the steps of identifying a representation by the target device and identifying data that corresponds to a change in the content item

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of identifying data that corresponds to a change includes comparing content from the content item at a particular instance to content from the content item from a previous instance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a representation by the target device includes identifying data corresponding to the representation of the content item in a displayed state on the target device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a representation by the target device includes identifying data transmitted to the target device that corresponds to the target device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a representation by the target device includes identifying data received by the target device that corresponds to the target device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a representation by the target device includes identifying a dynamic portion of the content item provided at the one or more network sites.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of altering the representation on the target device includes replacing one or more portions of an overall alphanumeric text string that is displayed on the target device with one or more new sets of alphanumeric characters, so as to reflect the change in a text of the content item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of altering the representation on the target device includes altering a graphical representation on the target device that is of the content item provided at the particular one or more network sites, so that an alteration of the graphical representation on the target device corresponds to the change in the content item.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending data corresponding to an alteration of the representation to the target device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of sending data corresponding to an alteration of the representation includes segmenting said data for a wireless communication protocol.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of sending data corresponding to the alteration includes sending a series of data segments to the target device using the wireless communication protocol, wherein each data segment corresponds to a portion of the alteration of the representation.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of segmenting said data corresponds to segmenting the data for transmission in a short message service (SMS) format.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying data that corresponds to a change in the content item includes locating the content item after the content item changes on the particular one or more network sites.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein locating the content item after the content item changes includes locating the changed content item after the content item shifts in position on the particular one or more network sites.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the representation displays secured information on the target device, and wherein the data corresponding to the alteration is unsecured information.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the representation displays secured information on the target device, and wherein the data corresponding to the alteration is incomplete for purpose of determining the secured information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the secured information corresponds to an account number.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the content item corresponds at least in part to a text-based content item provided on one or more network pages.

21. A method for providing content to a wireless target device, the method comprising:

identifying one or more content items selected for the target device, wherein the one or more content items reside at one or more network sites;

generating data corresponding to the one or more content items, wherein said data can be rendered on the target device to provide dynamic content, and wherein said data excludes a static portion of the one or more content items; and

integrating the data with a representation on the target device of the static portion of the one or more content items.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the representation corresponds to a computer-generated static content.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the representation corresponds to a non-computer-generated static content.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of identifying one or more content items includes locating the one or more content items on a corresponding one or more pages provided at the one or more network sites, and wherein said one or more network sites are designated for the target device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of locating the one or more content items includes locating a first content item after the first content item shifts from a first position to a second position.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of locating the one or more content items includes using position-independent information to identify the content items repeatedly over a duration of time.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the computer-generated static content corresponds to an electronic form.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of generating data corresponding to the one or more content items includes generating data that is renderable as text.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of integrating the data with a representation on the target device includes sending the data with the representation to the target device over a wireless communication medium.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of sending the data includes messaging the data in one or more messages using an email address of the target device.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of messaging the data includes using a short message service (SMS) format.

32. A method for providing content to a wireless target device, the method comprising:

copying, according to a schedule, data corresponding to one or more content items designated by a user at a specified one or more network sites;

determining that the target device is unavailable over a wireless medium on which the target device communicates;

buffering the data;

detecting that the target device is available over the wireless network;

in response to detecting that the target device is available, sending the buffered data to the target device.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of copying the data includes copying the data that is specific to one or more of individual network sites and content items provided at those network sites.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the schedule specifies one or more of a time of day and a day of the week from which the content items are to be copied.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the schedule specifies a frequency on which the one or more content items are to be copied.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein detecting that the target device is available includes detecting that the target device has registered with a base station on a cellular network.