Micro-client for internet appliance

• US 20060288084A1
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Julien T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system for providing features for internet access at an internet appliance which go beyond the resource limitations of the internet appliance. The desired features are primarily implemented on the server, and coupled to the internet appliance for display, responsive to the ability of the internet appliance to provide those features. (1) The internet appliance and the server adapt to communication link limitations by dynamically adjusting picture quality or size for graphics to be displayed. (2) The internet appliance and the server adapt to memory and processor limitations by dynamically running applets at the server and intercepting display functions of applets for display at the internet appliance. (3) The internet appliance and the server adapt to memory and processor limitations by dynamically running editing programs or web pages at the server and by dynamically adjusting picture quality or size for graphics to be displayed.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A server comprising one or more editing tools and an object, wherein the server is configured to transmit a version of the object to a client and is coupled to receive one or more editing commands from the client, wherein the server is configured to invoke at least one of the editing tools to apply the one or more editing commands to the object, and wherein the server is configured to transmit an updated version of the object to the client, wherein the updated version reflects an effect of the one or more editing commands on the object.

11. The server as recited in claim 10 wherein the server is configured to transmit the updated version as one or more display updates to the client.

12. The server as recited in claim 10 wherein the object comprises a web page.

13. The server as recited in claim 10 wherein the object comprises a web document.

14. The server as recited in claim 10 wherein the object comprises a reference to another web document.

15. The server as recited in claim 10 wherein the object comprises a graphical element.

16. The server as recited in claim 10 wherein the object comprises an applet.

17. The server as recited in claim 10 wherein the version is a reduced size representation of the object.

18. The server as recited in claim 17 wherein the updated version is also a reduced-size representation of the object.

19. A server comprising an object, a transmission means for transmitting a version of the object to a client, and an editing means coupled to receive one or more editing commands from the client, the editing means for applying the one or more editing commands to the object, and wherein the transmission means for transmitting an updated version of the object to the client, wherein the updated version reflects an effect of the one or more editing commands on the object.

20. A device comprising a miniclient, wherein the miniclient is configured to transmit a request for an object to a server, and wherein the miniclient is coupled to receive a version of the object from the server, and wherein the device is configured to accept user input comprising one or more editing commands to modify the object, and wherein the miniclient is configured to transmit the one or more editing commands to the server to effect the modification.

21. The device as recited in claim 20 wherein the version is a reduced-size representation of the object.

22. The device as recited in claim 20 comprising a portable electronic device.

23. The device as recited in claim 22 wherein the portable electronic device is a cell phone.

24. The device as recited in claim 20 wherein the object comprises a web page.

25. The device as recited in claim 20 wherein the object comprises a web document.

26. The device as recited in claim 20 wherein the object comprises a reference to another web document.

27. The device as recited in claim 20 wherein the object comprises a graphical element.

28. The device as recited in claim 20 wherein the object comprises an applet.

29. A method comprising:

transmitting a version of an object from a server to a client;

receiving one or more editing commands from the client in the server;

modifying the object in the server responsive to the one or more editing commands; and

transmitting an updated version of the object to the client responsive to the modifying.

30. The method as recited in claim 29 wherein transmitting the updated version comprises transmitting one or more display updates to the client.

31. The method as recited in claim 29 wherein the object comprises a web page.

32. The method as recited in claim 29 wherein the object comprises a web document.

33. The method as recited in claim 29 wherein the object comprises a reference to another web document.

34. The method as recited in claim 29 wherein the object comprises a graphical element.

35. The method as recited in claim 29 wherein the object comprises an applet.

36. The method as recited in claim 29 wherein the version is a reduced size representation of the object.

37. The method as recited in claim 36 wherein the updated version is also a reduced-size representation of the object.

38. A method comprising:

transmitting a request for an object to a server;

receiving a version of the object from the server;

accepting user input comprising one or more editing commands to modify the object; and

transmitting the one or more editing commands to the server to effect the modification.

39. The method as recited in claim 38 wherein the version is a reduced-size representation of the object.

40. The method as recited in claim 38 wherein the object comprises a web page.

41. The method as recited in claim 38 wherein the object comprises a web document.

42. The method as recited in claim 38 wherein the object comprises a reference to another web document.

43. The method as recited in claim 38 wherein the object comprises a graphical element.

44. The method as recited in claim 38 wherein the object comprises an applet.

45. A computer-accessible medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed:

transmit a version of an object from a server to a client;

receive one or more editing commands from the client in the server;

modify the object in the server responsive to the one or more editing commands; and

transmit an updated version of the object to the client responsive to the modifying.

46. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 45 wherein the updated version comprises one or more display updates for the client.

47. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 45 wherein the object comprises a web page.

48. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 45 wherein the object comprises a web document.

49. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 45 wherein the object comprises a reference to another web document.

50. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 45 wherein the object comprises a graphical element.

51. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 45 wherein the object comprises an applet.

52. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 45 wherein the version is a reduced size representation of the object.

53. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 52 wherein the updated version is also a reduced-size representation of the object.

54. A computer-accessible medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed:

transmit a request for an object to a server;

receive a version of the object from the server;

accept user input comprising one or more editing commands to modify the object; and

transmit the one or more editing commands to the server to effect the modification.

55. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 54 wherein the version is a reduced-size representation of the object.

56. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 54 wherein the object comprises a web page.

57. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 54 wherein the object comprises a web document.

58. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 54 wherein the object comprises a reference to another web document.

59. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 54 wherein the object comprises a graphical element.

60. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 54 wherein the object comprises an applet.

61. A computer-accessible medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed:

receive a request for an object from a client;

measure at least one transmission attribute on a link to the client;

process the object into a displayable result, including varying a quality of the displayable result responsive to the measured transmission attribute; and

transmit the displayable result as one or more display updates to the client.

62. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 61 wherein the varying the quality measure is dynamic.

63. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 61 wherein the transmission measure comprises a bit transmission rate.

64. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 61 wherein the link has an associated transmission cost, and wherein the instructions, when executed, adjust the quality measure to display web pages for approximately constant cost.

65. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 61 wherein the object comprises a web page that includes embedded executable code, and wherein the instructions, when executed, process the embedded executable code to produce an execution result and transmit the execution result as part of the one or more display updates.

66. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 61 wherein the instructions, when executed, cache the web page on a server.