System, method, and computer program product for enabling on-device servers, offline forms, and dynamic ad tracking on mobile devices

• US 6,779,042 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: iAnywhere Solutions Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: iAnywhere Solutions Incorporated (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): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/559,964
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 709/248, 709/249, 709/250, 709/203, 709/217, 709/246, 709/218, 715/501.1, 715/513
• US Class Current: 709/248
• 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 of browsing web-based content of a network while not in communication over the network, comprising the steps of:

(1) synchronizing a client and a server to transfer to the client objects associated with one or more web-based channels;

(2) storing said objects in the client;

(3) enabling browsing of said stored objects at the client by a user while the client is not in communication with the server; and

(4) tracking user behavior during browsing of said stored objects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (1) comprises the step of:

synchronizing the client and the server to transfer to the client objects associated with one or more web-based channels previously chosen by the client from a list of web-based channels embodied on a home page of the server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the client resides on one of a handheld communications device and a handheld data processing device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said handheld communications device and said handheld data processing device comprises one of a cellular phone, a pager, a radio, a TV, an audio device, a recorder, a text-to-speech device, a bar code scanner, a net appliance, a mini-browser, a handheld computer, and a personal data assistants (PDA).

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

transmitting tracked user behavior information to the server upon synchronization, wherein the tracked user behavior information is sent to an appropriate provider.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (3) comprises the step of:

(i) interactively browsing said stored objects at the client while the client is not in communication with the server.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein step (i) comprises the steps of:

displaying at the client a form page containing one or more form elements;

enabling a user to provide input associated with said form elements; and

caching said user input in the client.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

transferring said user input to the server during synchronization between the server and the client;

receiving from the server second objects pertaining to said user input that the server obtained from one or more providers based on said user input;

storing said second objects in the client; and

enabling browsing of said stored second objects at the client while the client is not in communication with the server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said user can review the cached information before and after synchronization.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein an appropriate notification is provided to said user during synchronization.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

displaying at the client a second form page containing one or more second form elements;

enabling a user to provide input associated with said second form elements; and

caching said user input associated with said second form elements in the client.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein step (3) comprises the step of processing one or more context sensitive objects based on one or more context sensitive triggers.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said context sensitive objects include one or more of a business card, advertisement, email, to-do list, calendar event, ticket notification, product code, and channel, and said context sensitive triggers include one or more of a zip code, bar code, time of day, user preferences, last sync location, whether the client is in range of a transmitter, credit card, temperature, altitude, location, and an agent, arbiter, or avatar.

14. A method of enabling browsing at a client of web-based content of a network while the client is not in communication over the network, comprising the steps of:

(1) assembling a plurality of web-based channels at a server;

(2) enabling a client to select one or more of said web-based channels;

(3) obtaining objects associated with said selected web-based channels;

(4) transferring to the client at least some of said objects during synchronization with the client, wherein said at least some of said objects are stored at the client for browsing at the client by a user while the client is not in communication with the server; and

(5) tracking user behavior during browsing of said stored objects.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein step (4) comprises the steps of:

comparing information related to said objects with information related to the client to identify any of said objects not already resident at the client; and

transferring to the client said any of said objects not already resident at the client.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein step (4) comprises the steps of:

comparing information related to said objects with information related to the client to identify any of said objects that have been altered from objects resident at the client; and

transferring to the client said any of said objects that have been altered from objects resident at the client.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein step (3) comprises the steps of:

(i) identifying top level resources needed to fulfill the client'"'"'s selection of one or more of said web-based channels;

(ii) communicating with providers of said objects to obtain top level resources;

(iii) determining other resources needed to maintain the integrity of information related to said objects; and

(iv) optimizing said objects to fit within the parameters of the client.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein step (3)(iv) comprises the step of:

transforming specific values of said objects in a conversion process to an encoding that is optimized for the client.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including control logic stored therein, said control logic enabling browsing of web-based content of a network while not in communication over the network, said control logic comprising:

synchronization means for enabling a processor to synchronize a client and a server to transfer to the client objects associated with one or more web-based channels that were previously selected;

storing means for enabling a processor to store said objects in the client;

browsing means for enabling a processor to enable browsing of said stored objects at the client by a user while the client is not in communication with the server; and

tracking means for enabling a processor to track user behavior during browsing of said stored objects.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said synchronization means comprises means for enabling a processor to synchronize the client and the server to transfer to the client objects associated with said one or more web-based channels previously chosen by the client from a list of channels embodied on a home page of the server.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the client resides on one of a handheld communications device and a handheld data processing device.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein said handheld communications device and said handheld data processing device comprises one of a cellular phone, a pager, a radio, a TV, an audio device, a recorder, a text-to-speech device, a bar code scanner, a net appliance, a mini-browser, a handheld computer, and a personal data assistants (PDA).

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

interactive means for enabling a processor to interactively browse said stored objects at the client while the client is not in communication with the server.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein said interactive means comprises:

displaying means for enabling a processor to display at the client a form page containing one or more form elements;

enabling means for enabling a processor to enable a user to provide input associated with said form elements; and

caching means for enabling a processor to cache said user input in the client.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein said control logic further comprises:

transferring means for enabling a processor to transfer said user input to the server during synchronization between the server and the client;

receiving means for enabling a processor to receive from the server second objects pertaining to said user input that the server obtained from one or more providers based on said user input;

storing means for enabling a processor to store said second objects in the client; and

browsing means for enabling a processor to enable browsing of said stored second objects at the client while the client is not in communication with the server.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein said user can review the cached information before and after synchronization.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein an appropriate notification is provided to said user during synchronization.

28. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein said control logic further comprises:

displaying means for enabling a processor to display at the client a second form page containing one or more second form elements;

enabling means for enabling a processor to enable a user to provide input associated with said second form elements; and

caching means for enabling a processor to cache said user input associated with said second form elements in the client.

29. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said browsing means comprises processing means for enabling a processor to process one or more context sensitive objects based on one or more context sensitive triggers.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said context sensitive objects include one or more of a business card, advertisement, email, to-do list, calendar event, ticket notification, product code, and channel, and said context sensitive triggers include one or more of a zip code, bar code, time of day, user preferences, last sync location, whether the client is in range of a transmitter, credit card, temperature, altitude, location, and an agent, arbiter, or avatar.

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

transmitting means for enabling a processor to transmit tracked user behavior information to the server upon synchronization, wherein the tracked user behavior information is sent to an appropriate provider.

32. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including control logic stored therein, said control logic enabling browsing at a client of web-based content of a network while the client is not in communication over the network, said control logic comprising:

assembling means for enabling a processor to assemble a plurality of web-based channels at a server;

enabling means for enabling a processor to enable a client to select one or more of said web-based channels;

obtaining means for enabling a processor to obtain objects associated with said selected web-based channels;

transferring means for enabling a processor to transfer to the client at least some of said objects during synchronization with the client, wherein said at least some of said objects are stored at the client for browsing by a user at the client while the client is not in communication with the server; and

tracking means for enabling a processor to track user behavior during browsing of said stored objects.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein said transferring means comprises:

comparing means for enabling a processor to compare information related to said objects with information related to the client to identify any of said objects not already resident at the client; and

transferring means for enabling a processor to transfer to the client said any of said objects not already resident at the client.

34. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein said transferring means comprises:

comparing means for enabling a processor to compare information related to said objects with information related to the client to identify any of said objects that have been altered from objects resident at the client; and

transferring means for enabling a processor to transfer to the client said any of said objects that have been altered from objects resident at the client.

35. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein said obtaining means comprises:

identifying means for enabling a processor to identify top level resources needed to fulfill the client'"'"'s selection of one or more of said channels;

communicating means for enabling a processor to communicate with providers of said objects to obtain top level resources;

determining means for enabling a processor to determine other resources needed to maintain the integrity of information related to said objects; and

optimizing means for enabling a processor to optimize said objects to fit within the parameters of the client.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein said optimizing means comprises:

transforming means for enabling a processor to transform specific values of said objects in a conversion process to an encoding that is optimized for the client.