Method and apparatus for implementing alerts on a browser running on a portable handheld device

• US 6,920,637 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2001
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Nikzad, Arman, Joseph, Eugene, Mason, John, Watson, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/814,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20020026491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 719/318, 455/412.2, 455/95, 455/457, 709/203, 709/217, 709/248, 709/237, 709/219
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• 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: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for implementing alerts on a browser running on a portable handheld device is disclosed. The method generates an asynchronous notification action from the server and in response transmits an alert containing a message indicating availability of HTML pages that describe the nature of the alert. The alert is received at a node on a network and translated into the original message. An alert receipt acknowledgment is transmitted to the server. Access to the alert HTML page is provided through a URL containing the appropriate query strings necessary to present the appropriate HTML page. The invention also discloses a wireless local area network (WLAN) adapter associated with a wireless network that receives paging signals from a server on the network and returns an acknowledgment signal back to the server. The invention also discloses a client/server based method of delivering messages initiated by a client. After a connection is established between a client and server, the client requests a message from the server. In response, the server retrieves and returns the message back to the client.

Claims

1. A server initiated method for implementing alerts on a browser running on a portable handheld device, comprising:

generating an asynchronous notification action from the server;

transmitting in response to said asynchronous notification alert, an asynchronous application alert containing a message to indicate availability of HTML pages describing the nature of the alert;

receiving the asynchronous application alert at a node on a network;

translating the asynchronous application alert into the original message;

transmitting an alert receipt acknowledgment to the server; and

providing access to the alert HTML page through a URL containing the appropriate query strings necessary to present the appropriate HTML page options.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the node on the network is a wireless adapter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert is in the form of a paging signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert is in the form of an alarm signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert signal pre-empts other Web client application states of the node.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing an alerting mechanism supporting user datagrain protocol frames;

generating protocol data units consisting of command elements constructed as ASCII comma delimited strings; and

transmitting data to the network node using user datagram protocol services.

7. An article comprising a computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable instructions for configuring a wireless network adapter, the instructions causing a computer to:

generate an asynchronous notification action from the server;

transmit in response to an asynchronous application action, an alert containing a message to indicate availability of HTML pages describing the nature of the alert;

receive the asynchronous application alert at a node on a network;

translate the asynchronous application alert into the original message;

transmit an alert receipt acknowledgment to the server; and

provide access to the alert HTML page via a URL containing the appropriate query strings necessary to present the appropriate HTML page options.

8. Article of claim 7, wherein the node on the network is a wireless adapter.

9. Article of claim 7, wherein the alert is in the form of a paging signal.

10. Article of claim 7, wherein the alert is in the form of an alarm signal.

11. Article of claim 7, wherein the alert signal pre-empts other Web client application states of the node.

12. Article of claim 7, further comprising instructions causing a computer to:

utilize an alerting mechanism supporting user datagram protocol frames;

generate protocol data units consisting of command elements constructed as ASCII comma delimited stings; and

transmit data to the network node using user datagram protocol services.

13. A server initiated apparatus for implementing alerts on a browser running on a portable handheld device, comprising:

means for generating an asynchronous notification action from the server;

means for transmitting in response to said asynchronous notification alert, an asynchronous application alert containing a message to indicate availability of HTML pages describing the nature of the alert;

means for receiving the asynchronous application alert at a node on a network;

means for translating the asynchronous application alert into the original message;

transmitting an alert receipt acknowledgment to the server; and

means for providing access to the alert HTML page through a URL containing the appropriate query strings necessary to present the appropriate HTML page options.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the node on the network is a wireless device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the alert is in the form of a paging signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the alert is in the form of an alarm signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the alert signal pre-empts other Web client application states of the node.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

means for utilizing an alerting mechanism supporting user datagram protocol frames;

means for generating protocol data units consisting of command elements constructed as ASCII comma delimited stings; and

means for transmitting data to the network node using user datagram protocol services.