System, method, and computer program product for customizing channels, content, and data for mobile devices

• US 6,421,717 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: iAnywhere Solutions Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: AvantGo, Inc. (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Williams, David J., Gray, Michael R., Weinstein, Rafael Z., Moore, David M., Kloba, David D., Whittaker, Thomas E., Freeman, Joshua E., Upson, Linus M.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/560,957
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/313, 709/328, 709/329, 345/339, 345/348, 345/349, 345/332, 707/10, 707/104
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal

Abstract

Described herein are systems, methods, computer program products, and combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for enabling web content (as well as other objects) to be loaded on mobile devices (as well as other types of devices), and for users of mobile devices to operate with such web content on their mobile devices in an interactive manner while in an off-line mode.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a user to operate with channels for mobile devices, comprising the steps of:

(1) enabling display of one or more pages associated with a server Web site when a user selects a channel creation button when browsing a target Web site, wherein said channel creation button is provided on the target Web site by the provider of said target Web site, and wherein selection of said channel creation button by the user is an indication that the user wishes to load objects associated with the target Web site on the user'"'"'s mobile device;

(2) adding a new channel associated with said objects and enabling navigation of the user to said objects; and

(3) presetting state information regarding said new channel for enabling said objects to be displayed on the user'"'"'s mobile device during subsequent synchronization operations to allow browsing of said objects while the user'"'"'s mobile device is offline.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of registering the user, if the user is not registered with said server Web site.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of requiring the user to log in with said server Web site, if the user is registered with but not recognized by said server Web site.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of determining if the user is registered with said server Web site.

5. A method for enabling a user to operate with channels for mobile devices, comprising the steps of:

(1) enabling the user to select a channel from a set of channels on a server Web page, thereby causing the channel to be added to a user'"'"'s set of channels; and

(2) enabling display of the user'"'"'s set of channels to be subsequently synchronized with a mobile device to allow browsing of the user'"'"'s set of channels while said mobile device is offline, wherein the user'"'"'s set of channels are displayed on the server Web page in a display that indicates the status of the synchronization of each channel in the user'"'"'s set of channels.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

(3) enabling the user to select a channel category from a directory of channel categories on the Web page, thereby causing a set of Web sites from the selected channel category to be displayed; and

(4) enabling the user to select a Web site for one of exploration and adding to a user'"'"'s set of channels, wherein the user is navigated to the selected Web site for exploration.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of

(3) enabling the user to create, remove, and modify channels.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein step (3) further comprises the steps of:

(i) linking the user to a create channel page; and

(ii) enabling entry of information for creating a new channel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the new channel is created automatically using an automatic channel button.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein step (3) further comprises the steps of:

enabling the selection of a removal link, wherein the removal link is associated with a channel to be deleted; and

removing the channel from the user'"'"'s set of channels.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein step (3) further comprises the steps of:

(i) enabling the selection of an edit button, wherein activation of the edit button links the user to a user'"'"'s channel page;

(ii) enabling the selection of a channel to be modified, wherein selection of a channel enables the display of parameter data for the selected channel; and

(iii) enabling modification of the parameter data for the selected channel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein parameter data contains a channel name, a root URL, a maximum size, a link depth, an offsite links option, and a refresh period setting.

25. The method of claim 5, wherein the user'"'"'s set of channels are displayed in a display that indicates the channels that have not been synchronized.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including control logic stored therein, said control logic enabling a user to operate with channels for mobile devices, said control logic comprising:

displaying means for enabling a processor to enable display of one or more pages associated with a server Web site when a user selects a channel creation button when browsing a target Web site, wherein said channel creation button is provided on the target Web site by the provider of said target Web site, and wherein selection of said channel creation button by the user is an indication that the user wishes to load objects associated with the target Web site on the user'"'"'s mobile device;

adding means for enabling a processor to add a new channel associated with said objects and enabling navigation of the user to said objects; and

presetting means for enabling a processor to preset state information regarding said new channel for enabling said objects to be displayed on the user'"'"'s mobile device during subsequent synchronization operations to allow browsing of said objects while the user'"'"'s mobile device is offline.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said control logic further comprises:

means for enabling a processor to register the user, if the user is not registered with said server Web site.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said control logic further comprises:

means for enabling a processor to require the user to log in with said server Web site, if the user is registered with but not recognized by said server Web site.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said control logic further comprises:

means for enabling a processor to determine if the user is registered with said server Web site.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including control logic stored therein, said control logic enabling a user to operate with channels for mobile devices, said control logic comprising:

enabling means for enabling a processor to enable the user to select a channel from a set of channels on a server Web page, thereby causing the channel to be added to a user'"'"'s set of channels; and

displaying means for enabling a processor to enable display of the user'"'"'s set of channels to be subsequently synchronized with a mobile device to allow browsing of the user'"'"'s set of channels while said mobile device is offline, wherein the user'"'"'s set of channels are displayed on the server Web page in a display that indicates the status of the synchronization of each channel in the user'"'"'s set of channels.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said control logic further comprises:

enabling means for enabling a processor to enable a user to select a channel category from a directory of channel categories on a Web page, thereby causing a set of Web sites from the selected channel category to be displayed; and

enabling means for enabling a processor to enable a user to select a Web site from the set of Web sites for one of exploration and adding to a user'"'"'s set of channels, wherein the user is navigated to the selected Web site for exploration.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said control logic further comprises:

enabling means for enabling a processor to enable the user to create, remove, and modify channels.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said enabling means further comprises:

linking means for enabling a processor to link the user to a create channel page; and

enabling means for enabling a processor to enable entry of information for creating a new channel.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the new channel is created automatically using an automatic channel button.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said enabling means further comprises:

enabling means for enabling a processor to enable the selection of a removal link wherein the removal link is associated with a channel to be deleted; and

removing means for enabling a processor to remove the channel from the user'"'"'s set of channels.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said enabling means further comprises:

means for enabling a processor to enable the selection of an edit button wherein activation of the edit button links the user to a user'"'"'s channel page;

means for enabling a processor to enable the selection of a channel to be modified, wherein selection of a channel enables the display of parameter data for the selected channel; and

means for enabling a processor to enable modification of the parameter data for the selected channel.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein parameter data contains a channel name, a root URL, a maximum size, a link depth, an offsite links option, and a refresh period setting.

26. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the user'"'"'s set of channels are displayed in a display that indicates the channels that have not been synchronized.