Method for providing a clip for viewing at a remote device

• US 8,112,548 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2004
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cui, Yingqing Lawrence, Zhou, Min, Jiang, Zhaowei
• Primary Examiner(s): Pappas, Peter-Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donabed, Ninos
• Application Number:
  US10/951,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,688 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246
• 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 63/102 Entity profiles
• 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 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

A method and apparatus is directed to provide a clip of content to a remote device, such as a mobile device. The invention enables an end-user to determine content from a networked device, such as a personal computer. The determined content may include content from a webpage, graphic image, audio file, file, and the like. The determined content may be selected using a clip mechanism within a browser, or other application. The clip mechanism may provide a pop-up window, field entry, or the like, that enables entry of an identifier associated with the remote device. The clipped content may then be formatted based on a configuration of the remote device. The formatted clipped content may be transmitted to the remote device using a variety of messaging mechanisms, such as a SMS message, which includes a Universal Resource Locator (URL) to the clipped content.

Claims

1. A server for communicating content over a network, comprising:

a transceiver for receiving and sending content of another server over the network;

wherein the server is configured to perform actions, including;

sending content received from the other server to a first computing device, wherein the content includes a script-based clipping mechanism for selecting and clipping the content, and wherein the content and a means for activating the script-based clipping mechanism are displayed by a browser at the first computing device;

receiving a user'"'"'s selection of clipped content from the first computing device, wherein the clipped content was generated using the script-based clipping mechanism;

receiving from the first computing device a device identifier identifying at least one particular characteristic of a second computing device, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are currently uncoupled;

determining a format for the clipped content that is compatible with an application on the second computing device, wherein the format is determined using the device identifier having at least one particular characteristic identified for the second computing device to query the second computing device to determine the format;

formatting the clipped content to the determined format, determined based at least on a result of the query; and

transmitting the clipped content to the second computing device, wherein the clipped content is provided in the determined format in a message, and wherein the clipped content further comprises providing a message hook to the second computing device, the message hook comprising at least one of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), a script, or an executable program, and the message hook further comprises an address of a storage location address at which the clipped content is stored prior to enabling access to the clipped content by the second computing device.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the second computing device is a mobile device.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein enabling access to the clipped content further comprises employing at least one of a Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS), instant messaging (IM), interne relay chat (IRC), mIRe, Jabber, or HTTP protocol.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein formatting the clipped content further comprises formatting the clipped content using at least one of a Standard Generalized Markup Language (SMGL), Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML), Wireless Markup Language (WML) Script, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), or JavaScript.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein enabling access to the clipped content further comprises sending an SMS message to the second computing device.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein the content is clipped from a webpage.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein enabling access to the clipped content further comprises employing an asynchronous messaging protocol.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein sending content further comprises providing at least one of a toolbar button, an icon, link, a drop-down menu, a popup menu, and an application for use in selecting or clipping the content.

9. A method of communicating content over a network, comprising:

at a first server, enabling providing content from a second server to a first computing device, wherein the content includes a script-based clipping mechanism for selecting and clipping the content, and wherein the content and a means for activating the script-based clipping mechanism are displayed by a browser at the first computing device;

at the first server, receiving a selection of clipped content from the first computing device, wherein the clipped content was generated using the script-based clipping mechanism;

at the first server, receiving a device identifier associated with a second computing device from the first computing device, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are currently uncoupled, and wherein the device identifier identifies at least one particular characteristic of the second computing device;

determining a format for the clipped content that is compatible with the second computing device, wherein the format is determined using at least the device identifier having at least one particular characteristic identified for the second computing device to query the second computing device to determine the format;

formatting the clipped content to the determined format, determined based at least on a result of the query; and

at the first server, transmitting the clipped content to the second computing device, wherein the clipped content is provided in the determined format in a message, the clipped content further comprises providing a message hook to the second computing device, the message hook comprising at least one of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), a script, or an executable program, and the message hook further comprises an address of a storage location address at which the clipped content is stored prior to enabling access to the clipped content by the second computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the content further comprises at least one of an audio file, a graphics file, a binary file, or a text file.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein enabling access to the clipped content further comprises employing at least one of a Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS), instant messaging (IM), interne relay chat (IRC), mIRC, Jabber, or HTTP protocol.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein enabling access to the clipped content further comprises sending an SMS message to the second computing device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein providing content further comprises providing content using a browser application.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein clipping a selection further comprises providing at least one of a toolbar button, an icon, link, a drop-down menu, a popup menu, or an application for use in clipping the content.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for causing a computer to perform:

sending content received from a server to a first computing device, wherein the content includes a script-based clipping mechanism for selecting and clipping the content, and wherein the content and a means for activating the script-based clipping mechanism are displayed by a browser at the first computing device;

enabling a clipping of a selection of content at the first computing device, wherein the clipped content was generated using the script-based clipping mechanism;

receiving from the first computing device a device identifier associated with the second computing device, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are currently uncoupled, and wherein the device identifier identifies at least one particular characteristic of the second computing device;

formatting the clipped content to be in a format that is readable by the second computing device based on the device identifier having at least one particular characteristic identified for the second computing device, wherein the format is determined using at least the device identifier to query the second computing device to determine the format; and

transmitting the clipped content to the second computing device, wherein the clipped content is provided in the determined format in a message, the clipped content further comprises providing a message hook to the second computing device, the message hook comprising at least one of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), a script, or an executable program, and the message hook further comprises an address of a storage location address at which the clipped content is stored prior to enabling access to the clipped content by the second computing device.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein formatting the clipped content further comprises sending a message to the second computing device to ascertain a format capability.

17. The medium of claim 15, wherein the second computing device further comprises a mobile device.

18. The medium of claim 15, wherein enabling access to the formatted clipped content further comprises sending the formatted clipped content to the second computing device in an SMS message.

19. An apparatus for communicating content over a network, comprising:

a memory for storing data and instructions;

a processor for executing instructions that enables actions;

means for sending content received from a server to a first computing device, wherein the content includes a script-based clipping mechanism for selecting and clipping the content, and wherein the content and a means for activating the script-based clipping mechanism are displayed by a browser at the first computing device;

means for enabling clipping of the content within a browser at a first computing device, wherein the clipped content was generated using the script-based clipping mechanism;

means for employing a device identifier for determining at least one particular characteristic of a second computing device based on information provided from the first computing device, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are currently uncoupled, wherein the content is received from the server and displayed by a browser at the first computing device, and wherein the browser includes a mechanism that enables selection and clipping of content of the server that is subsequently provided to the second computing device;

means for formatting the clipped content to be in a format that is readable by the second computing device based on the determined at least one particular characteristic for the second computing device, wherein the format is determined using at least the device identifier to query the second computing device to determine the format; and

means for providing the formatted clipped content to the second computing device wherein the clipped content is provided in the determined format in a message based on the at least one particular characteristic for the second computing device, the clipped content further comprises providing a message hook to the second computing device, the message hook comprising at least one of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), a script, or an executable program, and the message hook further comprises an address of a storage location address at which the clipped content is stored prior to enabling access to the clipped content by the second computing device.