System, method, and apparatus for automatically and dynamically updating options, features, and/or services available to a client device
DCFirst Claim
1. In a client-server system including one or more client devices each associated with a unique client identifier and having a client template database for storing one or more templates defining a configuration of the client device, and a server having a server template database, a method of automatically reconfiguring the client device, comprising the steps of:
- a. receiving a client request including a template identifier from a client device;
b. retrieving a template corresponding to said template identifier from the server template database;
c. determining whether the client device requires a template update using said template identifier and said retrieved template; and
d. sending a server response including template update information when the client device requires said template update as determined at the step of determining whether the client device requires a template update.
7 Assignments
Litigations
1 Petition
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
A system, method, and apparatus for automatically and dynamically updating options, features, and/or services available to a client device operating in a client-server environment. The client device includes a client template database for storing templates defining a configuration of the client device. This configuration determines the options, features, and/or services available to a client device and the user of the client device. A server includes a server template database for storing the most current or latest versions of the templates used to configure the client device. When a user enters a user request at the client device, the client device transmits an associated information request to the server. The information request includes a client template identifier associated with the information request and a client template version identifier. The server receives the information request and compares the client template version identifier to a version identifier for a corresponding template in the server template database, to determine if the client device has the latest version of the template. If it does not, then the server transmits an information response message to the client, including a template update.
187 Citations
34 Claims
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1. In a client-server system including one or more client devices each associated with a unique client identifier and having a client template database for storing one or more templates defining a configuration of the client device, and a server having a server template database, a method of automatically reconfiguring the client device, comprising the steps of:
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a. receiving a client request including a template identifier from a client device;
b. retrieving a template corresponding to said template identifier from the server template database;
c. determining whether the client device requires a template update using said template identifier and said retrieved template; and
d. sending a server response including template update information when the client device requires said template update as determined at the step of determining whether the client device requires a template update. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 29, 30, 31)
comparing said client template version identifier to a template version identifier associated with said retrieved template, thereby determining whether said client template is an old version requiring said template update.
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3. The method of claim 1, wherein said retrieved template and said client template each include at least one template definition for configuring the client device, and wherein the step of determining whether the client device requires a template update using said template identifier and said retrieved template further includes the step of:
sending a server response to the client device including a template definition of said retrieved template when the client device requires said template update.
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4. The method of claim 1, wherein said retrieved template includes one or more data fields, the method further comprising the steps of:
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collecting service related information relating to said one or more data fields; and
composing said server response to said request based on said service related information.
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5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the client device requires a template update using said template identifier and said retrieved template and comprises the steps of:
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detecting a predetermined command in said client request indicating an absence of a template corresponding to said template identifier at the client device; and
sending said retrieved template to said client device when said predetermined command is detected.
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6. The method of claim 1, wherein said retrieved template is used to reconfigure the client device.
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29. The method of claim 1, wherein the template update information comprises update information for a template identified by the template identifier, the template including one or more of a content portion and an action portion.
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30. The method of claim 29, wherein the content portion includes descriptors describing an appearance of a display page associated with the template.
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31. The method of claim 30, wherein the action portion comprises a set of actions a user can initiate with respect to the display page.
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7. In a client-server system including one or more client devices each associated with a unique client identifier and having a client template database for storing one or more templates defining a configuration of the client device, the system including a server having a server template database, a method of automatically reconfiguring a client device, comprising the steps of:
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a. sending a client request from the client device to the server;
b. receiving a server response from the server, said server response including a template identifier;
c. determining whether said server response includes template update information; and
d. updating a template corresponding to said template identifier in the template database with said template update information when said server response includes said template update information as determined at step c. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 32, 33, 34)
including a command in said client request indicating an absence of a template corresponding to said template identifier.
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9. The method of claim 8, wherein the client device includes a user interface adapted to receive user requests, the method further comprising the step of:
detecting said absence of said template in response to a user request requiring said absent template.
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10. The method of claim 7, wherein the client device includes a display, said template update information including one or more new template definitions defining one or more data fields and an arrangement of said one or more data fields, said server response including requested information relating to said one or more data fields, the method further comprising the step of:
displaying said requested information on a page in accordance with said one or more new template definitions.
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11. The method of claim 7, wherein the client device includes a display, said template update information including one or more new template definitions defining one or more user actions selectable by the user from an associated display page, the method further comprising the steps of:
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displaying said display page; and
providing user selectable actions from said display page in accordance with said one or more new template definitions.
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12. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:
including a template version identifier in said client request, said template version identifier identifying a version of a template stored in said template database.
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13. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of reconfiguring the client device with said template update information.
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32. The system of claim 7, wherein the template update information comprises update information for a template identified by the template identifier, the template including one or more of a content portion and an action portion.
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33. The system of claim 32, wherein the content portion includes descriptors describing an appearance of a display page associated with the template.
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34. The system of claim 33, wherein the action portion comprises a set of actions a user can initiate with respect to the display page.
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14. A client apparatus for communicating with a server via a communications system, the client apparatus comprising:
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a client template database for storing templates defining a configuration of the client apparatus;
a transmitter that sends a client request to the server;
a receiver that receives a server response from the server, the server response including a template identifier; and
a client controller that determines whether said server response includes template update information, wherein said client controller updates a template, corresponding to said template identifier, in said client template database with said template update information when said server response includes said template update information. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A server apparatus for communicating with and reconfiguring a client device via a communications network, comprising:
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a server template database for storing templates that define client device configurations;
a receiver that receives a client request from the client device, said client request including a unique client identifier and a template identifier;
a server controller that retrieves a template corresponding to said template identifier from said server template database, determines whether said unique client identifier corresponds to the client device, and if so, determines whether the client device requires a template update based on said template identifier and said retrieved template; and
a transmitter that sends a server response including template update information when said client device requires said template update. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A communication system for providing data services to a user, comprising:
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a client device including a client template database for storing one or more templates used to configure the client device, each said template including one of a content portion defining one or more data fields and an arrangement of said one or more data fields on a display of said client device, and an action portion defining one or more actions available to a user when a page associated with the template is displayed; and
a server including a server template database for storing one or more templates, wherein said server sends template update information retrieved from said server template database to said client device when said server determines said client device requires a template update. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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Specification