Methods and systems for managing information on wireless data devices

• US 6,603,984 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kanefsky, Steven T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEAMER, TEMICA M
• Application Number:
  US09/854,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/568, 455/575, 455/456, 455/457, 455/550, 455/557, 455/556, 345/348, 345/352, 345/354, 345/339, 345/340, 709/218, 701/208, 701/207
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/105 Financial transactions and auctions, e.g. bidding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service

Abstract

Various techniques for accessing various sources of information are provided by a wireless server and wireless device, such as an Internet-ready cellular phone. As a consumer navigates about a menu displayed at the wireless device, the wireless server can provide various unsolicited messages to the wireless device or activate various scripts directed to making various queries, displaying special messages and performing various tasks, such as accessing external web sites and placing phone calls.

Claims

1. A method for providing information on a wireless device, comprising:

receiving a navigation command using the wireless device, wherein the navigation command is a command in response to navigating around items on a menu;

automatically receiving, from a remote source, related information based on the received navigation command; and

displaying at the wireless device a first directed message based on the received navigation command and the received related information, wherein the related received information is any information beyond that information which would be displayed solely in response to a selection of the navigation command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying at least a portion of a folder of the menu.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received navigation command is a folder item selection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received navigation command is an item highlight.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically receiving related information based on the received navigation command comprises activating a script directed to performing one or more operations based on the received navigation command, and wherein the first directed message is a script message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more script operations include displaying a commercial advertisement.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more script operations include at least providing a query.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more script operations further include accessing information relating to an external network in response to the query.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the accessed information is provided using a search based on the query.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more script operations further include at least one of displaying at least a portion of a second folder based on the query and receiving a second menu based on the query.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more script operations are directed to at least one of making a purchase based on the query, making a reservation based on the query and placing a phone call based on the query.

12. A method for providing information to a wireless device, comprising:

receiving, from a remote source, related information relating to a navigation command from the wireless device, wherein the navigation command is a command in response to navigating around items on a menu; and

providing first information based on the received related information, wherein the wireless device displays a first directed message based on the navigation command and the first information, and the related information is any information beyond that information which would be displayed solely in response to a selection of the navigation command.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the navigation command is a folder item selection.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the navigation command is an item highlight.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first directed message is a query.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the query is one operation of a script directed to one or more script operations.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more script operations further include accessing information relating to an external network in response to the query.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more script operations further include at least one of providing a script message based on the query, providing at least a portion of a second folder based on the query and providing a second menu based on the query.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more script operations further include at least one of facilitating a purchase based on the query, facilitating a reservation based on the query and placing a phone call based on the query.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the accessed information is provided using a search based on the query.

21. A device for providing information to a wireless device, comprising:

an interface that receives, from a remote source, related information relating to navigation command from the wireless device, wherein the navigation command is a command in response to navigating around items on a menu; and

a managing device that automatically provides first information based on the received related information, wherein the wireless device displays a first directed message based on the received navigation command and the first information, and the related information is any information beyond that information which would be displayed solely in response to a selection of the navigation command.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the navigation command is one of a folder item selection and an item highlight.

23. The device of claim 22, further comprising a script processor, wherein the first information is provided in response to a script directed to one or more operations activated by the received navigation command.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the one or more script operations further include a query.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the one or more script operations further include accessing information relating to an external network in response to the query.

26. The device of claim 24, wherein the one or more script operations further include at least one of providing a script message based on the query, providing at least a portion of a second folder based on the query and providing a second menu based on the query.

27. The device of claim 24, wherein the one or more script operations further include at least one of facilitating a purchase based on the query, facilitating a reservation based on the query and placing a phone call based on the query.

28. The device of claim 24, further comprising a search engine that can provide at least one or more directed messages based on the query.