Apparatus and method for exchanging data between two devices

• US 7,801,941 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Meyer, Will, Conneely, Shane, Oakes, Jonathan, Simeone, Evan, Freitas, Nathanial
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Dustin
• Application Number:
  US10/159,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20030158892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,035 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 707/10, 707/200, 707/3, 707/104, 707/201, 709/203, 709/215, 709/217, 709/230, 709/206, 709/224, 709/227, 709/201, 709/218, 709/213, 709/228, 713/156, 445/405, 445/414.4, 370/331, 345/744
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A handheld computer is provided that includes a transport component that receives a request to perform an action from a handheld computer. A router is coupled to the transport component and identifies an action contained in the received request. An executor is coupled to the router and executes the identified action. Additionally, the executor generates a response based on execution of the identified action. The transport component also communicates the response to the handheld computer.

Claims

1. A system for providing a service to a mobile computing device over a cellular network, the system being implemented with a combination of hardware resources that include a processor and a memory, the system comprising:

a transport component configured to receive, from over the cellular network, a request made at a first instance through operations of a corresponding mobile computing device, the request made at the first instance identifying two or more programmatic actions for performance by the service, wherein each of the two or more programmatic actions are received at the first instance before any one or more of the other of the two or more programmatic actions is performed, and wherein the request originates from two or more applications operating on the mobile computing device;

a router coupled to the transport component and configured to identify each of the two or more programmatic actions contained in the received request;

a plurality of service applications, including at least a first service application that is paired with a first of the two or more applications and a second service application that is paired with a second of the two or more applications; and

an executor coupled to the router and configured to (i) cause, for the request made at the first instance from the mobile computing device, the two or more programmatic actions to be performed by at least the first service application and the second service application, and (ii) provide a response to the mobile computing device based on performance of the two or more programmatic actions;

wherein the transport component is further configured to communicate one of (i) all of the response, or (ii) a remaining portion of the response, to the mobile computing device during one or more wireless communication sessions in response to the system making a determination that some or all of the response was not communicated to the mobile computing device during a preceding wireless communication session in which the request was received at the first instance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the executor is further configured to generate the response in relation to a set of metadata identified from the request or mobile computing device, wherein the metadata includes a unique identifier related to the mobile computing device.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the transport component is configured to automatically establish the one or more subsequent wireless communication sessions with the mobile computing device upon the transport component being unable to communicate the response to the mobile computing device during the preceding wireless communication session.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the two or more programmatic actions are selected from a group consisting of a send message action, a fetch message action, a delete message action, a get message action, a set Message Read State action, an enter new sale data action, a perform inventory lookup action, and an add customer comment regarding products action.

3. A computer-implemented method for providing a service on a cellular network, the method being implemented using hardware resources that include a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

engaging a mobile computing device during a first wireless communication session using the cellular network;

during the first wireless communication session, receiving one or more requests over the cellular network, to perform two or more programmatic actions on behalf of two or more corresponding applications operating on the mobile computing device;

responsive to receiving the one or more requests, selecting two or more applications to perform the two or more programmatic actions, wherein each of the two or more applications is paired with one of the corresponding two or more applications that operate on the mobile computing device;

performing the two or more programmatic action to generate a response;

subsequent to termination of the first wireless communication session, communicating with the mobile computing device to establish a second wireless communication session using the cellular network;

then

transmitting the response to the mobile computing device during the second wireless communication session.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting two or more applications to perform the two or more programmatic actions includes identifying data related to at least one of the requests;

and communicating the data related to the at least one of the requests to the application associated with the two or more programmatic actions.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising automatically initiating the second wireless communication session with the mobile computing device responsive to the response not being either fully or partially transmitted during the first wireless communication session.

6. A computer-implemented method for providing a service on a cellular network, the method being implemented using hardware resources that include a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

using the wireless cellular network to establish a first wireless communication session;

during the first wireless communication session, receiving a request from the mobile computing device to perform one or more operations on behalf of two or more applications operating on the mobile computing device;

identifying which of a plurality of applications operating on the mobile computing device are operated by a user of the mobile computing device to generate the request;

determining which of a plurality of applications of the service is paired with the identified application operating on the mobile computing device;

determining an identifier of the mobile computing device requesting the operation;

identifying a plurality of actions that are to be performed in response to the request using the determined application on the service that is paired with the identified application operating on the mobile computing device;

generating a response from performing the plurality of actions;

using the wireless cellular network to establish a second wireless communication session; and

during the second communication session, transmitting the response to the identified one of the plurality of application of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating a response includes generating a plurality of individual responses in which each individual response is associated with one of the plurality of actions.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of actions are associated with a single application operated by the service.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of actions is associated with a plurality of applications operated by the service, and wherein the response includes data generated by each of the plurality of applications.

29. The method of claim 6, wherein each action in the plurality of actions is selected from a group consisting of a send message action, a fetch message action, a delete message action, a get message action, a set Message Read State action, an enter new sale data action, a perform inventory lookup action, and an add customer comment regarding products action.

10. A computer-implemented method for providing a service on a network, the method being implemented using hardware resources that include a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

during a first wireless communication session established over a cellular network, identifying one or more requests communicated from a mobile computing device;

determining which of a plurality of applications operating on the mobile computing device were used to generate the one or more requests, wherein each of the one or more requests were sent on behalf of two or more applications of the plurality of applications;

identifying, on the service, at least one application that is paired with the plurality of applications that were used to generate the one or more requests;

executing, through the at least one application, a first action and a second action in order to generate a first data portion and a second data portion; and

during a second wireless communication session, transmitting a response to the mobile computing device over the cellular network, the response being based at least in part on the first data portion and on the second data portion.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first data portion is associated with the first action and the second data portion is associated with the second action.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the response is generated after executing both the first action and the second action.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one application includes receiving metadata associated with the mobile computing device.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting from the system the first data portion during the first wireless communication session.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting the first data portion during the second communication session.

30. The method of claim 10, wherein the first action and the second action are each selected from a group consisting of a send message action, a fetch message action, a delete message action, a get message action, a set Message Read State action, an enter new sale data action, a perform inventory lookup action, and an add customer comment regarding products action.

14. A system for providing a service on a cellular network, the system being implemented using hardware resources that include a processor and a memory, the system comprising:

a transport component configured to receive a request from a mobile computing device during a first wireless communication session over the cellular network and to transmit a response to the mobile computing device over the cellular network, the request having at least one action described therein and being generated from any one of a plurality of applications operating on the mobile computing device, and the request further including metadata having a unique identifier for identifying the mobile computing device;

a router coupled to the transport component and configured to identify an application for executing the at least one action contained in the request;

an executor coupled to the router and configured to execute the at least one action;

wherein the response is based on an execution of the at least one action; and

wherein the transport component is configured to communicate a response to the request to the one of the plurality of applications operating on the mobile computing device, and wherein the system is configured to make a determination as to whether the transport component communicated the response to the mobile computing device over the cellular network during the first wireless communication session, and in response to the determination being made that the response was not communicated during the first wireless communication session, the transport component is further configured to transmit at least a portion of the response to the mobile computing device during a second wireless communication session with the mobile computing device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the action contained in the request is associated with a particular application stored within the system.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the executor is further configured to generate the response incorporating at least some of the metadata.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the transport component is further configured to communicate to the mobile computing device a set of actions supported by the system.

21. A computer-implemented method for providing a service on a network, the method being implemented using hardware resources that include a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

during a first wireless communication session over a cellular network in which a mobile computing device is engaged with the service, receiving a communication from the mobile computing device specifying one or more actions;

identifying which of a plurality of applications operating on the mobile computing device was used to provide the communication, wherein the communication was sent on behalf of two or more applications of the plurality of applications;

determining which of one or more applications of the service are to be used to perform the one or more actions that are operable by one or more computers that are included in the service;

identifying the mobile computing device during a second wireless communication session in which the mobile computing device is engaged with the service; and

during the second wireless communication session, sending data to the identified one or more applications operating on mobile computing device as a result of the determined one or more applications of the service performing the one or more actions specified during the first wireless communication session.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving a communication comprises receiving metadata identifying the mobile computing device.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising associating the metadata with the one or more applications performing the one or more actions.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein, prior to transmitting the response, the method further comprises:

formulating the response; and

associating the metadata with the response.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein determining which of one or more applications of the service are to be used includes determining one or more applications that perform a send message action and a get message command action.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving a communication from the mobile computing device specifying one or more actions comprises receiving one or more actions selected from a group consisting of a send message action, a fetch message action, a delete message action, a get message action, and a set Message Read State action.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving a communication from the mobile computing device specifying one or more actions comprises receiving one or more actions selected from a group consisting of an enter new sale data action, a perform inventory lookup action, an add customer comment regarding products action, and combinations thereof.