System and method for accessing customized information over the internet using a browser for a plurality of electronic devices

• US 7,072,984 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2001
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Novarra Incorporated (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Werwath, James Richard, Wallace, Kevin Nigel, Hunt, Francis Edward Simon, Trapani, Matthew Frank, Polonsky, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): NAWAZ, ASAD M
• Application Number:
  US09/842,474
• Time in Patent Office: 1,896 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246, 709/240, 709/230, 709/245, 709217-229, 709200-207, 709/238, 707/10, 707/1, 345/866, 345/864, 345/804, 345/744, 345/746, 345/1.1, 345/156, 713/171, 455/414, 455/435, 455/412.1, 715517-523, 370229-240
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A system and method is provided for enabling an electronic device to efficiently access information content. A server browser accesses the information content over a network. The accessed information content is retrieved and adapted for presentation for the electronic device. A serializer dynamically formats the adapted information content according to a client browser. The client browser receives and presents the information content on the electronic device. An event translator is included to provide additional compatibility with commercially available client browsers.

Claims

1. A system for accessing information content, the system comprising:

a server browser for accessing the information content;

a client browser for navigating the accessed information content, wherein the client browser is hosted on a wireless device; and

a serializer for dynamically formatting the accessed information content according to an appropriate markup language for the client browser and according to capabilities of the client browser, wherein the server browser and the client browser distribute a set of tasks to format the information content so that both the client browser and the server browser format portions of the information content for display on the client browser, wherein the server browser determines which tasks are performed by the client browser by determining if the server browser can perform the tasks more efficiently, and wherein the server browser performs more formatting tasks than the client browser thereby accelerating delivery of the information content to the client browser.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the serializer dynamically customizes the format of the information content as appropriate for the specific client browser and applications that run on the client browser.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the serializer dynamically formats the accessed information content for a second client browser that utilizes a markup language different from the client browser.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the serializer dynamically formats a portion of the accessed information content, and wherein the portion of accessed information content is requested by the client browser.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising

a network between the serializer and the client browser;

wherein the serializer partitions the information content into groups of information content appropriate for transmission over the network.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising

a network between the serializer and the client browser;

wherein the serializer partitions the information content into groups of information content appropriate for receiving at the client browser.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the client browser interacts with an application, wherein the application comprises an email application, instant messaging, address book, bar-code device interface, calendar, or radio coverage.

8. The system of claim 1,

wherein the client browser navigates the information content according to specific abilities of the wireless device comprising navigational tools.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the information content is dynamically generated.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the server browser temporarily stores the accessed information.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the client browser temporarily stores a requested portion of the accessed information content.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the server browser and client browser are hosted on separate platforms.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the server browser is hosted on a server.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the server browser and the client browser are hosted on the same platform.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the client browser and the server browser are hosted on the wireless device.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless device comprises a personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile telephone, or a home appliance.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the client browser can present folderized portions of the accessed information.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the client browser can process an audio input signal to accesses information content.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the client browser utilizes a markup language comprising wireless markup language (WML), extensible markup language (XML), or voiceXML.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein information content utilizes a markup language comprising wireless markup language (WML), hypertext markup language (HTML), extensible markup language (XML), or voiceXML.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the information content information comprises image, video, or audio content.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the server browser supports scripting code comprising Java Script or Jscript.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the client browser comprises a microgateway, and wherein other browsers can utilize the microgateway to access the information content.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein the server browser can send information content to the client browser.

25. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an event translator for converting a request from the client browser into an event recognizable by the server browser.

26. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an event translator for converting a response from the server browser into an event recognizable by the client browser.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein the server browser determines which tasks are performed by the client browser by determining which tasks the client browser may perform.

28. The system of claim 1 wherein the server browser determines which tasks are performed by the client browser based on a type of transmission network used for delivery of the information content to the client browser.

29. A system for accessing information content, the system comprising:

a server browser for accessing the information content;

a client browser for navigating the accessed information content, wherein the client browser is hosted on a wireless device; and

a serializer for dynamically formatting the accessed information content according to an appropriate markup language for the client browser and according to capabilities of the client browser, wherein the server browser and the client browser distribute a set of tasks to format the information content so that both the client browser and the server browser format portions of the information content for display on the client browser, wherein the server browser determines which tasks are performed by the client browser by determining if formatting of the information content by the server browser lessens an amount of bandwidth needed to deliver the information content to the client browser, and wherein the server browser performs more formatting tasks than the client browser thereby accelerating delivery of the information content to the client browser.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the serializer dynamically customizes the format of the information content as appropriate for the specific client browser and applications that run on the client browser.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein the serializer dynamically formats the accessed information content for a second client browser that utilizes a markup language different from the client browser.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein the serializer dynamically formats a portion of the accessed information content, and wherein the portion of accessed information content is requested by the client browser.

33. The system of claim 29 further comprising

a network between the serializer and the client browser;

wherein the serializer partitions the information content into groups of information content appropriate for transmission over the network.

34. The system of claim 29 further comprising

a network between the serializer and the client browser;

wherein the serializer partitions the information content into groups of information content appropriate for receiving at the client browser.

35. The system of claim 29 wherein the client browser interacts with an application, wherein the application comprises an email application, instant messaging, address book, bar-code device interface, calendar, or radio coverage.

36. The system of claim 29,

wherein the client browser navigates the information content according to specific abilities of the wireless device comprising navigational tools.

37. The system of claim 29 wherein the information content is dynamically generated.

38. The system of claim 29 wherein the server browser temporarily stores the accessed information.

39. The system of claim 29 wherein the client browser temporarily stores a requested portion of the accessed information content.

40. The system of claim 29 wherein the server browser and client browser are hosted on separate platforms.

41. The system of claim 29 wherein the server browser is hosted on a server.

42. The system of claim 29 wherein the server browser and the client browser are hosted on the same platform.

43. The system of claim 29 wherein the client browser and the server browser are hosted on the wireless device.

44. The system of claim 29 wherein the wireless device comprises a personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile telephone, or a home appliance.

45. The system of claim 29 wherein the client browser can present folderized portions of the accessed information.

46. The system of claim 29 wherein the client browser can process an audio input signal to accesses information content.

47. The system of claim 29 wherein the client browser utilizes a markup language comprising wireless markup language (WML), extensible markup language (XML), or voiceXML.

48. The system of claim 29, wherein information content utilizes a markup language comprising wireless markup language (WML), hypertext markup language (HTML), extensible markup language (XML), or voiceXML.

49. The system of claim 29 wherein the information content information comprises image, video, or audio content.

50. The system of claim 29 wherein the server browser supports scripting code comprising Java Script or Jscript.

51. The system of claim 29 wherein the client browser comprises a microgateway, and wherein other browsers can utilize the microgateway to access the information content.

52. The system of claim 29 wherein the server browser can send information content to the client browser.

53. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

an event translator for converting a request from the client browser into an event recognizable by the server browser.

54. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

an event translator for converting a response from the server browser into an event recognizable by the client browser.

55. The system of claim 29 wherein the server browser determines which tasks are performed by the client browser by determining which tasks the client browser may perform.

56. The system of claim 29 wherein the server browser determines which tasks are performed by the client browser based on a type of transmission network used for delivery of the information content to the client browser.