Network with mobile terminals as browsers having wireless access to the internet and method for using same

• US 7,526,762 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2000
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IoT Innovations LLC (Empire IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Djupsjobacka, Kimmo, Lindblom, Patrik, Ellila, Timo, Abrahamson, Thomas, Grundy, John, Zimet, Martha, Savolainen, Sampo, Astala, Arto, Asunmaa, Petri, Frisk, Anders, Ylonen, Otso, Saarikivi, Ilari
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUOC H
• Application Number:
  US09/659,416
• Time in Patent Office: 3,151 Days
• Field of Search: 455/419, 709220-223, 709/206, 709/219, 709/224, 709/203, 709/217, 709/232, 717168-173
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/33 Intelligent editors

Abstract

A system and method are provided that allow a user to perform information management tasks and access the Internet. The system includes a terminal that is part of a family and capable of wireless communication, a gateway, an Internet Service Provider (ISP), a server for authenticating the terminal, a global unit for providing the internet address of the server to the terminal, and browser logic stored in the terminal or the server. The method includes the steps of powering on the terminal, establishing a communication link with the gateway to obtain an internet address for the terminal relative to the internet address of the gateway, obtaining an internet address for the server, and establishing a family communication session between the terminal and the server to allow access to information management services, and launching a browser to provide an interface to the internet.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a configuration upgrade message at a configuration server from a source of an at least partial software upgrade;

saving upgrade information in a database associated with the configuration server;

identifying a plurality of users requiring at least partial software upgrade;

thereafter providing the at least partial software upgrade to respective terminal servers associated with the plurality of users identified to require the at least partial software upgrade for subsequent distribution by the terminal servers to respective terminals of users identified to require the at least partial software upgrade;

identifying any terminal servers, following the provision of the at least partial software upgrade to which the at least partial software upgrade has not yet been transferred; and

determining, in response to activation of a terminal associated with a terminal server, if the terminal server has been identified as a terminal server to which the at least partial software upgrade has not yet been transferred and, if so, providing the at least partial software upgrade to the terminal server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating at least one terminal associated with a respective terminal server with the at least partial software upgrade provided to the terminal server.

3. A method comprising:

receiving an initial upgrade message in a configuration server from a service provider to provide an end service product;

receiving and saving an end service product in a database associated with the configuration server;

identifying a plurality of users having a contract requiring delivery of the end service product;

thereafter providing product information relating to the end service product to respective terminal servers associated with the plurality of users identified to have contracts requiring delivery of the end service product for subsequent distribution by the terminal servers to respective terminals of users identified to have contracts requiring delivery of the end service product;

identifying any terminal servers, following the provision of the end service product to which the end service product has not yet been transferred; and

determining, in response to activation of a terminal associated with a terminal server, if the terminal server has been identified as a terminal server to which the end service product has not yet been transferred and, if so, providing the end service product to the terminal server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the end service product is transferred to the terminal server and a virus search is made to the end service product prior to conveying the product to the terminal server.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising identifying any terminal servers, following the provision of the product information, to which product information has not yet been transferred.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining, in response to activation of a terminal associated with a terminal server, if the terminal server has been identified as a terminal server to which product information has not yet been transferred and, if so, providing product information to the terminal server.

7. A system comprising:

a configuration server unit for receiving a configuration upgrade message from a source of an at least partial software upgrade, for identifying a plurality of users requiring the at least partial software upgrade and for thereafter providing the at least partial software upgrade to respective terminal servers associated with the plurality of users identified to require the at least partial software upgrade for subsequent distribution by the terminal servers to respective terminals of users identified to require the at least partial software upgrade, the configuration server unit being further configured to identify any terminal servers, following the provision of the at least partial software upgrade, to which the at least partial software upgrade has not yet been transferred and to determine, in response to activation of a terminal associated with a terminal server, if the terminal server has been identified as a terminal server to which the at least partial software upgrade has not yet been transferred and, if so, provide the at least partial software upgrade to the terminal server, wherein said configuration server unit comprises a database for saving upgrade information provided by the source of the at least partial software upgrade and for associating the saved upgrade information with the source of the at least partial software upgrade.

8. A system comprising:

a configuration server unit for receiving an initial upgrade message from a service provider that is capable of providing an end service product, for identifying a plurality of users having a contract requiring delivery of the end service product and for thereafter providing product information relating to the end service product to respective terminal servers associated with the plurality of users identified to have contracts requiring delivery of the end service product for subsequent distribution by the terminal servers to respective terminals of users identified to have contracts requiring delivery of the end service product, the configuration server unit being further configured to identify any terminal servers, following the provision of the end service product, to which the end service product has not yet been transferred and to determine, in response to activation of a terminal associated with a terminal server, if the terminal server has been identified as a terminal server to which the end service product has not yet been transferred and, if so, provide the end service product to the terminal server, wherein said configuration server unit comprises a database for saving the end service product identified by an initial upgrade message from the respective service provider.

9. An apparatus comprising:

an upgrade server unit for identifying a plurality of users requiring an at least partial software upgrade and for thereafter providing the at least partial software upgrade to respective terminal servers associated with the plurality of users identified to require the at least partial software upgrade for subsequent distribution by the terminal servers to respective terminals of users identified to require the at least partial software upgrade, the upgrade server unit being further configured to identify any terminal servers, following the provision of the at least partial software upgrade, to which the at least partial software upgrade has not yet been transferred and to determine, in response to activation of a terminal associated with a terminal server, if the terminal server has been identified as a terminal server to which the at least partial software upgrade has not yet been transferred and, if so, provide the at least partial software upgrade to the terminal server, wherein a source of the at least partial software upgrade provides upgrade information saved in a database that associates the saved upgrade information with the source of the at least partial software upgrade.

10. An apparatus comprising:

an upgrade server unit for identifying a plurality of users having a contract requiring delivery of an end service product and for thereafter providing product information relating to the end service product to respective terminal servers associated with the plurality of users identified to have contracts requiring delivery of the end service product for subsequent distribution by the terminal servers to respective terminals of users identified to have contracts requiring delivery of the end service product, the upgrade server unit being further configured to identify any terminal servers, following the provision of the end service product, to which the end service product has not yet been transferred and to determine, in response to activation of a terminal associated with a terminal server, if the terminal server has been identified as a terminal server to which the end service product has not yet been transferred and, if so, provide the end service product to the terminal server, wherein a service provider capable of providing the end service product of the at least partial software upgrade provides an initial upgrade message identifying the end service product saved in a database.

11. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:

a first executable portion for receiving a configuration upgrade message from a source of an at least partial software upgrade;

a second executable portion for saving upgrade information in a database;

a third executable portion for identifying a plurality of users requiring at least partial software upgrade;

a fourth executable portion for thereafter providing the at least partial software upgrade to respective terminal servers associated with the plurality of users identified to require the at least partial software upgrade for subsequent distribution by the terminal servers to respective terminals of users identified to require the at least partial software upgrade;

a fifth executable portion for identifying any terminal servers, following the provision of the at least partial software upgrade to which the at least partial software upgrade has not yet been transferred; and

a sixth executable portion for determining, in response to activation of a terminal associated with a terminal server, if the terminal server has been identified as a terminal server to which the at least partial software upgrade has not yet been transferred and, if so, providing the at least partial software upgrade to the terminal server.

12. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:

a first executable portion for receiving an initial upgrade message from a service provider to provide an end service product;

a second executable portion for saving an end service product in a database;

a third executable portion for identifying a plurality of users having a contract requiring delivery of the end service product;

a fourth executable portion for thereafter providing product information relating to the end service product to respective terminal servers associated with the plurality of users identified to have contracts requiring delivery of the end service product for subsequent distribution by the terminal servers to respective terminals of users identified to have contracts requiring delivery of the end service product;

a fifth executable portion for identifying any terminal servers, following the provision of the end service product to which the end service product has not yet been transferred; and

a sixth executable portion for determining, in response to activation of a terminal associated with a terminal server, if the terminal server has been identified as a terminal server to which the end service product has not yet been transferred and, if so, providing the end service product to the terminal server.