Methods and systems for generating interactive information formatted for a device

• US 6,539,423 B1
• Filed: 09/24/1999
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ebert, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Application Number:
  US09/405,136
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 709/213, 709/245, 709/202, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/217, 709/219, 709/247, 709/201, 709/203, 707/513
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A smart molecule system that may be embedded in a physical device in order to integrate information from external information sources in the physical device. The smart molecule system obtains information from external sources by connecting to a smart molecule service in a computer system through a URL to Number Transformation Algorithm (UNT) number. The UNT performs bidirectional transformation between the UNT number and a corresponding URL, thereby enabling physical devices with smart molecule to obtain information from the Web without using alphanumeric characters. Upon creating the UNT number and assigning it to an information source, a service provider distributes the UNT number to the smart molecule in order for the smart molecule to access the information stored therein.

Claims

1. A system for retrieving information from an external information source via a network and integrating external information with a physical device, the system comprising:

a. a central processor for controlling processing operations, transmitting a unique global identification number, wherein the unique global identification number provides a set of properties describing at least one physical attribute of the device, and receiving formatted content information from the external information source via the computer network, the external information source identified and the information formatted based on a content delivery service subscribed to by the system and the set of properties describing the at least one physical attribute of the device;

b. a memory for storing the formatted information; and

c. a software component for processing the formatted information stored in the memory to identify the occurrence of an event, and alerting a user to the occurrence of an event by changing a state of the at least one physical attribute of the physical device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for recording a response by the user to the changing state of the physical device.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising means for initiating a predefined task based on the user'"'"'s response.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a wireless interface for receiving the formatted content information from the external information source.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the wireless interface is further capable of transmitting instructions to the physical device for changing the state of the at least one physical attribute of the physical device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the wireless interface is further capable of receiving an indication of the user'"'"'s response to the changing state of the physical device.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for subscribing to a content delivery service for identifying and formatting the information from the external information source.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for subscribing comprises:

means for transmitting a transformation number that is linked to a URL of a web site to the content delivery service via the network.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for permitting the user to select the transformation number.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory is further configured to store the unique global identifier permanently associated with the system.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the formatted information from the external information is transmitted to the system based in part on the unique global identifier.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for distributing the information to other network devices operatively connected to the system.

13. The system of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12, wherein the system is embedded in the physical device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical attribute of the device comprises at least one of shape, dimension, or color.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical attribute of the device is a three-dimensional, object-oriented, vector-based description of the shape of the device.

16. A method of activating a physical device based on content information from an external information source, the method performed by a system operatively connected to a server, the method comprising:

connecting to the server, wherein the server is connected to at least one content delivery service;

transmitting to the server a unique global identification number, wherein the unique global identification number provides the server with at least one physical attribute of the device;

receiving, from the server, formatted content information, wherein the server formats the content based on the at least one physical attribute of the device;

processing the formatted content information to identify the occurrence of an event;

alerting a user to the occurrence of an event by changing a state of at least one physical attribute of the physical device;

recording a response by the user to the changing state of the physical device; and

initiating a predefined task based on the response by the user.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

subscribing to the content delivery service that accesses the external information source and formats the content information into a format predefined by the at least one physical attribute of the device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of subscribing to a content delivery service further comprises:

subscribing to the content delivery service by transmitting a transformation number that is linked to a URL of a web site to the content delivery service via the network.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

permitting the user to enter the transformation number.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of recording a response by the user to the changing state of the physical device comprises:

recording physical interaction by the user with the physical device, the physical interaction involving the user touching the physical device.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of alerting a user to the occurrence of an event by changing the state of the physical attribute of the physical device comprises:

visually altering the physical appearance of the physical device to alert the user.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of alerting a user to the occurrence of an event by changing the state of the physical attribute of the physical device comprises:

emitting a sound from the physical device to alert the user.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of alerting a user to the occurrence of an event by changing the state of the physical attribute of the physical device comprises:

moving the physical device to alert the user.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of initiating a predefined task based on the user'"'"'s response comprises:

distributing the formatted content information to other devices operatively connected to the system.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of initiating a predefined task based on the user'"'"'s response comprises:

distributing second formatted information to other devices operatively connected to the system, wherein the second formatted information is tailored for each individual device.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the physical attribute of the device comprises at least one of shape, dimension, or color.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the physical attribute of the device is a three-dimensional, object-oriented, vector-based description of the shape of the device.

28. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

displaying a continuous stream of formatted content information.

29. A method of providing content information from an information source to a device, the method preformed by a server operationally connected to the device, the method comprising:

receiving a unique global identification number of the device;

processing the unique global identification number to generate a set of physical parameters describing the shape and physical properties of the device;

receiving content information from the information source;

formatting content information based on the unique global identification number and the physical parameters of the device; and

transmitting the formatted content information to the device.