System and methodology for providing a mobile device with a network-based intelligent resource fork

• US 7,092,946 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2002
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syniverse ICX LLC
• Original Assignee: LightSurf Technologies, Inc. (VeriSign, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bodnar, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Application Number:
  US10/308,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20040107245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/104.1, 707/3, 707/513, 209/231, 359/25, 463/29, 705/14, 711/118, 711/161, 358/1.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An improved method for enumerating resources for use by a client is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes method steps of: storing a source set of resources; receiving a request from the client for resources appropriate for the client; based at least in part on the request, determining a type for the client; based at least in part on the determined type, determining capabilities of the client; determining possible media types that may be derived from the source set of resources that are appropriate for the client; based on the possible media types and based on the set of resources, generating an extended set of resources; communicating the extended set of resources to the client; and processing requests from the client for access to resources from the extended set of resources.

Claims

1. A computer-based method comprising:

receiving, at a server computer system, an initial request from a client for information about resources available for access, wherein the client is an electronic device;

automatically applying convergence to the extended said of resources in instances where resources may be combined together into fewer resources;

based at least in part on said possible media types and said source set of resources, determining an extended set of resources for the client;

automatically communicating information about the extended set of resources to the client; and

processing subsequent requests from the client for access to resources from said extended set of resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the client is located remotely from the source set of resources.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the resources are maintained by a server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said initial request from the client is received by a server with Internet connectivity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said server controls the source set of resources.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said initial request from the client originates from a browser operating at the client.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said initial request comprises an HTML request.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said HTML request includes client identification information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said source set of resources includes bitmap resources.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said source set of resources includes audio resources.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said source set of resources includes text resources.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining possible media types appropriate for the client includes:

consulting a device capabilities database for determining particular capabilities of the client.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said device capabilities database is at a remote location from the client.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining possible media types appropriate for the client includes:

using a model number of the client to look up device capability information for the client.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said model number is transmitted as part of said initial request.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining possible media types includes:

determining a virtual set of possible media types that are appropriate for the client.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said virtual set comprises a superset of resources that includes media types into which resources from the source set may be transformed.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said virtual set includes at least one image format that may be derived from an image format in the source set of resources.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one image format is derived from an image format in the source set of resources using an image transformation.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said image transformation includes transforming from a non-JPEG format to a JPEG-compatible format.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said image transformation includes transforming from one bitmap format to another.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining an extended set of resources includes:

determining an intersection between the source set of resources and said possible media types.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

specifying preferred media types for the client; and

constraining the extended set of resources to only include preferred media types for the client.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein preferred media types for the client are specified by the client when requesting access to resources.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein preferred media types for the client are specified by a device capabilities database.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein preferred media types for the client are specified by a server that receives requests from the client.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein preferred media types for the client are specified at the time the client requests access to a particular resource from the extended set of resources.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the client includes a mobile device running application software.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the client includes a precompiler that binds resources to an application.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receipt of a request for access to a resource, determining whether the resource belongs to a related group of resources; and

if the resource belongs to a related group of resources, enforcing a group-wide constraint on the resources.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said group-wide constraint includes constraining resources belonging to the group to share a common palette.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining possible media types appropriate for the client includes:

based at least in part on the request, determining a type for the client; and

based at least in part on the determined type, determining capabilities of the client.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said type comprises a device type.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein said type comprises a browser type.

35. A computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

36. A downloadable set of processor-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

37. A computer-based method comprising:

receiving, at a server computer system, an initial request from a client for information about resources available for access, wherein the client is an electronic device;

automatically determining possible media types appropriate for the client that may be derived from a source set of resources;

based at least in part on said possible media types and said source set of resources, determining an extended set of resources for the client;

automatically communicating information about the extended set of resources to the client; and

upon receiving a request from the client for access to a resource from said extended set of resources, creating the resource by transforming one of the resources from the source set of resources into a resource having a media type appropriate for the client.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said initial request comprises an HTML request.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein said source set of resources includes bitmap resources.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein said step of determining possible media types appropriate for the client includes:

consulting a device capabilities database for determining particular capabilities of the client.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein said step of determining possible media types includes:

determining a virtual set of possible media types that are appropriate for the client.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein said step of determining an extended set of resources includes:

determining an intersection between the source set of resources and said possible media types.

43. The method of claim 37, wherein the client includes a mobile device running application software.

44. The method of claim 37, wherein the client includes a precompiler that binds resources to an application.

45. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

upon receipt of a request for access to a resource, determining whether the resource belongs to a related group of resources; and

if the resource belongs to a related group of resources, enforcing a group-wide constraint on the resources.

46. A computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 37.

47. A computer-based method comprising:

receiving, at a server computer system, an initial request from a client for information about resources available for access, wherein the client is an electronic device;

automatically determining possible media types appropriate for the client that may be derived from a source set of resources;

based at least in part on said possible media types and said source set of resources, determining an extended set of resources for the client;

automatically transmitting a directory of virtual resources to the client; and

processing subsequent requests from the client for access to resources from said extended set of resources.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said client is unaware that the resources indicated on the directory are derived from the source set of resources.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein said initial request comprises an HTML request.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein said source set of resources includes bitmap resources.

51. The method of claim 47, wherein said step of determining possible media types appropriate for the client includes:

consulting a device capabilities database for determining particular capabilities of the client.

52. The method of claim 47, wherein said step of determining possible media types includes:

determining a virtual set of possible media types that are appropriate for the client.

53. The method of claim 47, wherein said step of determining an extended set of resources includes:

determining an intersection between the source set of resources and said possible media types.

54. The method of claim 47, wherein the client includes a mobile device running application software.

55. The method of claim 47, wherein the client includes a precompiler that binds resources to an application.

56. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

upon receipt of a request for access to a resource, determining whether the resource belongs to a related group of resources; and

if the resource belongs to a related group of resources, enforcing a group-wide constraint on the resources.

57. A computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 47.