System and method for providing search capabilties on a wireless device

• US 6,983,310 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Issued: 01/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lawson, Timothy, Rouse, Andrew, Zondervan, Quinton, Bentley, Thomas, Herot, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/750,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 709/230, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/105 Financial transactions and auctions, e.g. bidding auctioneering devices in packet switching networks H04L12/1804
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A system and method for enabling users to send and receive messages and other information from mobile devices and enabling users to access server-based information using mobile devices over wireless data networks are disclosed. The present invention further provides search capabilities on a wireless device. Search criteria may include searching messages (e.g., emails, memos, and/or other correspondences and documents) based on various fields, such as sender, date, subject and other parts of a message. Other search criteria may also be used. The present invention may also provide an application search form to perform various search functions. A search form may contain a formula field where the field may contain a select formula that may be evaluated on the server for the search operation. This formula typically may reference other fields on the search form.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a wireless client device to access one or more search applications residing on at least one remote server, the method comprising:

enabling the wireless client device to select a search option from the one or more search applications for searching messages located on the at least one remote server;

enabling the wireless client device to specify search criteria, wherein the search criteria include instructions to search one or more selected fields of the messages;

processing the search criteria on the at least one remote server to determine if one or more of the messages match the search criteria;

transmitting, to the wireless client device, results of the processing of the search criteria; and

enabling the wireless client device to select an application action for execution on one or more messages that reside on the at least one remote server, wherein the selected application action includes editing the one or more messages that match the search criteria.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enabling the at least one remote server to receive an access request for the one or more messages that match the search criteria;

formatting the one or more messages based on a profile of the wireless client device; and

enabling the wireless client device to access the one or more messages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the messages comprise at least one of emails and calendar entries.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more selected fields include at least one of a sender field, a date field, and a subject field.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one remote server is a limited access server that allows a predefined class of users to access the messages and denies access to users not included in the predefined class.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the messages are calendar entries, and wherein the method further comprises:

enabling the wireless client device to create new calendar entries and delete existing calendar entries on the at least one remote server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the messages comprise at least one of personal directory messages and public directory messages.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected application action includes a custom action created by a user of the wireless client device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the search criteria is specified by entering information into a search form associated with a selected search application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria is specified by entering information into a search form, and wherein one or more fields of the search form is pre-filled.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enabling the wireless client device to save the specified search criteria such that the wireless client device is configured to retrieve a previous search and execute the previous search at a later time.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein formatting the one or more messages includes translating the one or more messages that match the search criteria to wireless markup language.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein formatting the one or more messages further comprises one or more of:

removing elements that are not capable of being displayed on the wireless client device; and

replacing elements that are not capable of being displayed on the wireless client device with elements that are capable of being displayed on the wireless client device.

14. A storage medium for storing machine readable code to enable a wireless client device to access one or more search applications residing on at least one remote server, the storage medium comprising:

machine readable code for enabling the wireless client device to select a search option from the one or more search applications for searching messages located on the at least one remote server;

machine readable code for enabling the wireless client device to specify search criteria, wherein the search criteria include instructions to search one or more selected fields of the messages;

machine readable code for processing the search criteria on the at least one remote server to determine if one or more of the messages match the search criteria;

machine readable code for transmitting, to the wireless client device, results of the processing of the search criteria; and

machine readable code for enabling the wireless client device to select an application action for execution on one or more messages that reside on the at least one remote server, wherein the machine readable code for enabling the wireless client device to select the application action includes machine readable code for editing the one or more messages that match the search criteria.

15. The storage medium of claim 14 further comprising:

machine readable code for enabling the at least one remote server to receive an access request for the one or more messages that match the search criteria; and

machine readable code for formatting the one or more messages based on a profile of the wireless client device; and

machine readable code for enabling the wireless client device to access the one or more messages.

16. The storage medium of claim 14, wherein the messages comprise emails.

17. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more selected fields include at least one of a sender field, a date field, a subject field, and an email address field.

18. The storage medium of claim 14, wherein the messages comprise calendar entries.

19. The storage medium of claim 14 wherein the machine readable code for enabling the wireless client device to select the application action includes machine readable code that enables the wireless client device to select a custom action created by a user.

20. The storage medium of claim 14, wherein the machine readable code for enabling the wireless client device to specify search criteria enables the search criteria to be specified by entering information into a search form associated with a selected search application.

21. The storage medium of claim 14, wherein the at least one remote server is a limited access server that provides access to messages to a predefined class of users and denies access to users not included in the predefined class.

22. The storage medium of claim 14, wherein the machine readable code for formatting the one or more messages includes two or more of:

machine readable code for translating the one or more messages that match the search criteria to wireless markup language;

machine readable code for removing elements that are not capable of being displayed on the wireless client device; and

machine readable code for replacing elements that are not capable of being displayed on the wireless client device with elements that are capable of being displayed on the wireless client device.

23. The storage medium of claim 14 further comprising:

machine readable code for enabling the wireless client device to save the specified search criteria such that the wireless client device is configured to retrieve a previous search and execute the previous search at a later time.

24. A system for enabling a wireless client device to access one or more search applications residing on at least one server, the system comprising:

search selecting means for enabling the wireless client device to select a search option from the one or more search applications for searching messages located on the at least one remote server;

criteria specifying means for enabling the wireless client device to specify search criteria, wherein the specified search criteria include instructions to search one or more selected fields of the messages;

processing means for processing the search criteria on the at least one remote server to determine if one or more of the messages match the search criteria;

transmitting means for transmitting, to the wireless client device, results of the processing of the search criteria; and

application action selecting means for enabling the wireless client device to select an application action for execution on the one or more messages that reside on the at least one remote server, wherein the application action selecting means further enables the wireless client device to edit the one or more messages that match the search criteria.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

request receiving means that enable the at least one remote server to receive an access request for the one or more messages that match the search criteria;

message formatting means for formatting the one or more messages based on a profile of the wireless client device; and

access providing means for enabling the wireless client device to access the one or more of the messages.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the application action selecting means further enables the wireless client device to select a custom action created by a user.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein criteria specifying means further enables the search criteria to be specified by entering information into a search form associated with a selected search application.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the search form includes one or more fields, and wherein at least one of the one or more fields of the search form is pre-filled.

29. The system of claim 24 further comprising search criteria saving means for enabling the wireless terminal device to save the specified search criteria such that the wireless client device is configured to retrieve a previous search and execute the previous search at a later time.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the message formatting means translates the one or more messages that match the search criteria to wireless markup language.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the message formatting means further comprises one or more of:

element removing means for removing elements that are not capable of being displayed on the wireless client device; and

element replacing means for replacing elements that are not capable of being displayed on the wireless client device with elements that are capable of being displayed on the wireless client device.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one remote server is a limited access server that provides access to messages to a predefined class of users and denies access to users not included in the predefined class.

33. The system of claim 24 further comprising form application searching means for searching a plurality of forms associated with different communications applications.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising form retrieving means for retrieving a selected form associated with a corresponding communication application.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the selected form includes one or more fields, and wherein the form retrieving means enables a user of the wireless client device to supply content to the one or more fields of the selected form and execute the corresponding communication application thereby transmitting the content to a specified receiving terminal.