Systems and methods for automatically accessing internet information from a local application on a handheld internet appliance

• US 7,441,013 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EarthLink Incorporated
• Inventors: Flank, Joshua, Williams, George, Miniati, John, Rensin, David K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M
• Application Number:
  US11/830,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20070266116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709217-227
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatically accessing Internet information and local applications from another local application on a handheld Internet appliance is provided. The systems and methods of the present invention consist of a software solution that enables users of handheld Internet appliances to interact with the Internet and other local applications from any local application in the handheld Internet appliance. Each local application is equipped with a user interface to enable users quick and easy access to Internet information and other local applications.

Claims

1. A system for automatically accessing Internet information from a first local application on a handheld Internet appliance, the system comprising:

a software plug-in configured to automatically launch a second local application from the first local application, configured to automatically save information from a web site into a local database associated with the first local application, and configured to create links to the second local application and the web site;

a user interface in the first local application to enable a user to launch the second local application from the first local application, the user interface comprising a button to display a menu with links to the second local application; and

the local database having the automatically saved information from the web site stored therein.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld Internet appliance comprises a wirelessly-enabled personal digital assistant.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first local application and the second local application comprise:

an address book application;

a calendar application;

an e-mail application;

a memo pad application;

a to-do list application;

a web browser application;

a word processing application; and

a spreadsheet application.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the web site is formatted for display on the handheld Internet appliance.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first local application comprises a database to store a plurality of data records representing information entered by the user when interacting with the first local application on the handheld Internet appliance.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second local application comprises a database to store a plurality of data records representing information entered by the user when interacting with the second local application on the handheld Internet appliance.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the software plug-in comprises software routines for:

launching the second local application from the first local application;

launching the web site from the first local application; and

replacing parameters associated with a data record of the first local application on the web site'"'"'s URL, the web site displaying information associated with the data record.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the software plug-in further comprises software routines for:

automatically filling on-line forms of the web site with a data record stored in the database associated with the first local application.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises links to enable the user to perform a plurality of actions, the plurality of actions comprising:

returning to a main menu of the handheld Internet appliance with a single tap on the user interface menu;

disconnecting from the Internet with a single tap on the user interface menu;

sending an e-mail from an address book application;

launching a financial web site with a single tap on the user interface menu; and

launching a travel web site.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein launching a travel site comprises:

selecting one or more dates from the calendar application;

automatically filling an on-line form in the travel site corresponding to a departure travel date with a date selected from the calendar application;

automatically filling an on-line form in the travel site corresponding to an arrival travel date with another date selected from the calendar application; and

selecting a departure and arrival locations from a database of favorite locations stored in the handheld Internet appliance.

11. A system for automatically accessing Internet information from a first local application on a handheld Internet appliance, the system comprising:

a software plug-in to automatically launch a second local application and a web site from the first local application and configured to create links to the second local application and the web sites using information in a database of the system;

a user interface in the first local application to enable a user to launch the second local application and the web site from the first local application, the user interface comprising a button to display a menu with links to the second local application and the web site; and

a database programmed to store the information required to create the links in the user interface, wherein the database comprises a plurality of data fields and a plurality of data records associated with the information required to create the links in the user interface and the data fields comprise;

an action type data field;

an action name data field;

an action context data field;

an action URL data field; and

an action application data field.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the action type data field stores an action performed by the user from the first local application, the action comprising:

launching the second local application from the first local application;

launching the web site from the first local application;

returning from a main menu of the handheld Internet appliance; and

disconnecting from the Internet.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the action name data field comprises the name of the action performed by the user.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the action context data field stores a list of local applications having access to the action stored in the action name data field.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the action URL data field stores a URL for an action comprising launching a web site from the local application.

16. A method for automatically launching a plurality of local applications and a plurality of web sites from an already open local application on a handheld Internet appliance, the method comprising:

providing a software plug-in to automatically launch the plurality of local applications and the plurality of web sites from the already open local application and to obtain information required by the plurality of local applications and the plurality of web sites from another web site;

providing a user interface in the already open local application to enable a user to launch the plurality of local applications and the plurality of web sites from the already open local application, the user interface comprising a button to display a menu with links to each of the local applications from the plurality of local applications and each of the web sites from the plurality of web sites; and

providing a database programmed to store the information required to create the links in the user interface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the database comprises a plurality of data fields and a plurality of data records associated with the information required to create the links in the user interface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the data fields comprise:

an action type data field;

an action name data field;

an action context data field;

an action URL data field; and

an action application data field.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the action type data field stores an action performed by the user from the already open local application, the action comprising:

launching the plurality of local applications from the already open local application;

launching the plurality of web sites from the already open local application;

returning from a main menu of the handheld Internet appliance; and

disconnecting from the Internet.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the database comprises a plurality of data fields and a plurality of data records associated with the information required to create the links in the user interface, the data fields comprise:

an action type data field;

an action name data field;

an action context data field;

an action URL data field; and

an action application data field.