Radio terminal

• US 7,574,480 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2000
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Hansen, Lars Bohn, Pedersen, Claus
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/558,378
• Time in Patent Office: 3,394 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/217, 709/313, 709/328, 455/406, 455/466, 455/418, 370/352, 370/401, 370/349, 340/7.58, 707/10, 379/93.15, 714/751
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications

Abstract

A terminal for providing an application using a browser. The terminal includes a transceiver arranged to send radio packets to and receive radio packets from a server, and a browser application for displaying content, arranged to initiate a first application by accessing a first item associated with the first application using a first content identifier. The application is provided by the combination of the first item and further items each of which is accessible using an individual content identifier, and each of which includes content or a device for linking to content. Also, the terminal includes a memory for storing items received from the server locally in the terminal for access by the browser using their individual content identifiers. Accessing an item involves attempting to read the item from the memory and then, if unsuccessful, requesting transfer of the item from the server by sending a radio packet containing the appropriate content identifier.

Claims

1. A terminal for providing an application, using a browser, comprising:

a transceiver arranged to send radio packets to and receive radio packets from a server;

a browser application for displaying content, the browser application being arranged to initiate a first application by accessing a first item associated with the first application using a first content identifier, the first application being provided by the combination of the first item and further items each of which is accessible using an individual content identifier, and each of which comprises content or a link to content; and

a memory operable to store items locally in the terminal for access by the browser application using their individual content identifiers, wherein;

accessing an item by the browser application involves attempting to read the item from the memory and then, if unsuccessful, requesting transfer of the item from the server by sending a radio packet containing the appropriate content identifier; and

an arbitrator arranged to receive items from the transceiver and to determine whether a received item;

is in response to a request from the browser application, and on a positive determination to direct the received item to the browser application, or is not in response to a request from the browser application but instead is pushed from the server, and on a positive determination to direct the received item to the memory for access by the browser application.

2. A terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first item has identifying portions for identifying to the browser application the content identifiers of the further items, and links for linking to the further items using their individual content identifiers.

3. A terminal as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first item further comprises transfer means for transferring the further items from the server to the terminal for storage in a memory in the terminal where the further items are able to be accessed using their individual content identifiers.

4. A system comprising a server and a terminal as claimed in claim 2, wherein the application is able to be updated by updating the identifying portions and the links of the first item in the server and transferring the updated first item to the terminal.

5. A terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein the transfer means transfers only those items which are not already stored in the memory.

6. A terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein on transfer of the first item to the terminal the identifying portions, the links for accessing further items and the transfer means are able to be activated to establish a hierarchy of items.

7. A terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the identifying portions, the links for accessing further items and the transfer means are activated automatically when the first item is transferred.

8. A terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminal further comprises a user interface connected to the browser application and having a display for displaying content and a user input, and the first item additionally has a link for providing a visual indication of links on the display and for providing for user activation of each displayed link.

9. A terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein each content identifier is a URL.

10. A terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein communication between the terminal and server is in accordance with the Wireless Application Protocol and the first item is a deck and the further items are either cards or decks.

11. A terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein the arbitrator-is operable to make the determination on the basis of an identifier provided by the server.

12. A terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein the browser application is operable, after receiving content from the arbitrator to store the content in a memory.

13. A terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein the memory is unpartitioned.

14. A terminal as claimed in claim 1, in which the items provide a hierarchy of decks useable by the browser application to emulate an additional application, wherein the items stored in the memory are derived from a master copy stored in the server, and the terminal is arranged to revise the items stored in the memory upon receiving updated items which are pushed asynchronously from the server.

15. A terminal as claimed in claim 14, and wherein the terminal is operable to push asynchronously to the server updates or changes to the items occurring during the use of the additional application, so that the master copy of the items can be updated at the server.

16. A terminal as claimed in claim 15, wherein the updates or changes to the items are included as messages sent from the browser application to an outbox which is controlled by an enable/disable signal provided by an outbox controller, wherein the outbox is operable to buffer the messages when the outbox controller disables the outbox, and wherein the outbox is operable to empty automatically when the outbox controller subsequently enables the outbox.

17. A system comprising a server and a terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the application is able to be updated by updating the content of further items in the server and transferring the updated items to the terminal.

18. A system comprising a server and a terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein on the first activation of the first application all items associated with an application are transferred from the server to the terminal.