Mobile cache for dynamically composing user-specific information

• US 6,901,437 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2000
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CommWorks Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Benjamin Bin
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARQADLE, YASIN M
• Application Number:
  US09/684,047
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 709202-206, 709216-219, 709/246, 709/227, 709/228, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching

Abstract

A system and method for caching data in wireless application protocol (WAP) enabled services caches static data and facilitates dynamic creation of user-specific information to provide a customized output. The mobile cache generates the user-specific information in WML in real-time from cached information according to user-specified preferences. A change trigger triggers information delivery after a predetermined amount of cached information changes. The system may also include an image converter to ensure that image objects can be viewed easily on WAP-enabled devices having small display screens and a document converter to dynamically compose information from selected data based on XML-based content tagging.

Claims

1. A system for caching data from an origin server, comprising:

a wireless device,

a wireless network,

a mobile cache that is separated from the wireless device by means of the wireless network, the mobile cache including

a user profile database that stores at least one user profile containing output preference data with respect to at least one of output content and output layout,

an object database for storing selected data from the origin server, and

a dynamic information composer coupled to the object database and the user profile database,

wherein the dynamic information composer dynamically composes user-specific information as a personalized, user-specific output based on data in the object database and the user profile while simultaneously reducing network traffic; and

a change trigger coupled to the user profile database and included as part of the mobile cache, the object database, and the dynamic information composer, wherein the change trigger monitors changes in the object database and triggers output delivery when a number of information changes in the object database reaches a predetermined threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user profile generator coupled with the user profile database to generate a new user profile.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic information composer composes the user-specific information in WML.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the dynamic information composer composes the user-specific information in real time.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an image converter coupled to the object database for converting an image format of the selected data from the origin server, wherein the object database caches the selected data in the object database after image format conversion.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a document converter coupled to the object database for extracting data segments of the selected data from the origin server based on the output preference data, wherein the dynamic information composer composes the user-specific information based on the data segments.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the document converter converts an HTML file into an XML file and stores the XML file in the object database, and wherein the dynamic information composer composes the user-specific information based on an XML-based content tag in the XML file.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a document converter coupled to the object database for extracting data segments of the selected data from the origin server based on the output preference data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the document converter converts an HTML file into an XML file and stores the XML file in the object database, and wherein the dynamic information composer composes the user-specific information based on an XML-based content tag in the XML file.

10. A method for caching data from an origin server for delivery to a wireless device by way of a wireless network, comprising the steps of:

establishing a user profile at a mobile cache separated from the wireless device by way of the wireless network, wherein the user profile contains output preference data with respect to at least one of output content and output layout;

obtaining an information request;

storing selected data from the origin server in an object database at the mobile cache;

fetching requested information from the object database if the object database contains the requested information;

fetching and caching information from the origin server into the object database as the selected data if the object database does not contain the requested information;

dynamically composing user-specific information and output based on the requested information from the fetching steps and input from the user profile for transmission to the wireless device;

delivering the user-specific information to a wireless device after the composing step;

monitoring, at the mobile cache, a number of information changes in the object database; and

triggering the delivery step once the number of information changes in the object database at the mobile cache reaches a predetermined threshold.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of converting an image format of the selected data from the origin server, wherein the caching step occurs after the image format converting step.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of converting a document format of the selected data from the origin server, wherein the caching step occurs after the document format converting step.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the document formatting step includes the steps of extracting at least one data segment of the selected data based on the output preference data such that the composing step composes the user-specific information from said at least one data segment.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the document formatting step includes the steps of:

converting an HTML file from the origin server to an XML file having an XML-based content tag;

storing the XML file in the object database;

and wherein the composing step composes the user-specific information based on the XML-content tag in the XML file.

15. A system for caching data from an origin server for delivery of updated data, comprising:

a wireless device,

a wireless network, and

a mobile cache that is separated from the wireless device by means of the wireless network the mobile cache including

a user profile database that stores at least one user profile containing output preference data with respect to at least one of output content and output layout,

an object database for storing selected data from the origin server,

a dynamic information composer coupled to the object database and the user profile database, and

a change trigger coupled to the user profile database, the object database, and the dynamic information composer,

wherein the dynamic information composer dynamically composes user-specific information as a personalized, user-specific output based on data in the object database and the user profile database while the change trigger monitors changes in the object database and triggers output delivery when a number of information changes in the object database reaches a predetermined threshold.