U.S. patent application number 10/165734 was filed with the patent office on 2002-11-07 for system, method, and article of manufacture for wireless enablement of the world wide web using a wireless gateway.
Invention is credited to Bokhari, Wasiq M., Gansky, Simon, Khan, Umair A., Rochez, Jonathan E., Zondervan, Quinton Y..
Application Number | 20020165988 10/165734 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27395424 |
Filed Date | 2002-11-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020165988 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Khan, Umair A. ; et
al. |
November 7, 2002 |
System, method, and article of manufacture for wireless enablement
of the world wide web using a wireless gateway
Abstract
A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for
selection and formatting of web content for remote viewing.
User-defined information is received and used to retrieve content
from one or more web sites. The retrieved content is aggregated at
a network server located remotely from the user. The aggregated
content is formatted at the network server for display on a
wireless device. The formatted content is transmitted to a wireless
device for display on the wireless device.
Inventors: |
Khan, Umair A.; (Fremont,
CA) ; Bokhari, Wasiq M.; (Fremont, CA) ;
Zondervan, Quinton Y.; (Boston, MA) ; Gansky,
Simon; (Berkeley, CA) ; Rochez, Jonathan E.;
(Livermore, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SILICON VALLEY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP
P.O. BOX 721120
SAN JOSE
CA
95172-1120
US
|
Family ID: |
27395424 |
Appl. No.: |
10/165734 |
Filed: |
June 6, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10165734 |
Jun 6, 2002 |
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09595781 |
Jun 16, 2000 |
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6438575 |
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60210160 |
Jun 7, 2000 |
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60209873 |
Jun 7, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
709/246 ;
707/E17.121; 709/217 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 67/02 20130101;
H04L 67/04 20130101; H04L 41/22 20130101; H04L 67/567 20220501;
H04W 4/18 20130101; H04L 67/142 20130101; G06F 16/9577 20190101;
H04W 4/00 20130101; H04L 67/565 20220501; H04W 88/16 20130101; H04W
28/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/246 ;
709/217 |
International
Class: |
G06F 015/16 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for selection and formatting of network content for
remote viewing, comprising: receiving user-defined information from
at least one of a wireless device and a hardwired device; wherein
the user-defined information specifies content to be retrieved from
at least one of a web site and an application; wherein the
user-defined information being received in real time; wherein the
user-defined information includes a general request for content;
wherein a search engine is used to retrieve content from the at
least one web site and application based on the user-defined
information; retrieving content from the at least one web site and
application utilizing the user-defined information; wherein the
content includes at least one of: text, secure account information,
services, and financial transactions; aggregating the retrieved
content on a portal page unique to the user at a network server
located remotely from the user; formatting the aggregated content
at the network server for display on multiple types of wireless
devices; wherein the wireless device sends a request for content in
a particular type of formatting; wherein a type of the wireless
device being used by the user is identified based on the request;
wherein the wireless device is at least one of a personal digital
assistant (PDA), a handheld computer, a wireless telephone, a
device connected to a wireless modem, and a pager; selecting
aggregated content for output to the particular type of wireless
device; transmitting the formatted content to the particular type
of wireless device for display on the particular type of wireless
device, wherein the selected content is formatted for output on the
particular type of wireless device; updating the retrieved content
after a predetermined amount of time has expired; wherein the user
is allowed to interact with the content via the wireless device;
and sending an alert to the wireless device upon occurrence of a
prespecified condition; sending at least a portion of the retrieved
content to an application program for further processing wherein
the user is allowed to specify whether a particular web page is
retrieved upon detection that the web page has changed; wherein a
formatting style of the content is specific to the wireless device
used by the particular user.
2. A method for selection and formatting of network content,
comprising: receiving user-defined information specifying content
to be retrieved from at least one network site; identifying the
specified content of the at least one network site utilizing the
user-defined information; retrieving the identified content from
the at least one network site; aggregating the retrieved content at
a network server; formatting at least a portion of the aggregated
content at the network server for display on a user device;
transmitting the formatted content to the user device for output on
the user device; and sending at least a portion of the retrieved
content to an application program for further processing.
3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein a user selects which
content is aggregated in real time.
4. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising identifying a
web page having the specified content based on contents of the web
page.
5. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising identifying
an application view having the specified content based on contents
of the application view.
6. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the content includes at
least one of: text, secure account information, services,
electronic mail, and financial transactions.
7. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the user device is at
least one of a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld
computer, a wireless telephone, a device connected to a wireless
modem, a pager, and a hardwired telephone.
8. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising updating the
retrieved content after a predetermined amount of time has expired,
formatting the updated content at the network server for display on
the user device, transmitting the formatted updated content to the
user device for output on the user device, and transmitting at
least a portion of the updated content to an application program
for further processing.
9. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the user is allowed to
interact with the content.
10. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the step of
sending an alert to the user device upon occurrence of a
prespecified condition.
11. A method for selection and formatting of network content,
comprising: receiving user-defined information specifying content
to be retrieved from at least one network site; retrieving content
from the at least one network site utilizing the user-defined
information; aggregating the retrieved content at a network server;
formatting the aggregated content for output via a voice browser on
a user device; and transmitting the formatted content to the user
device for output via the voice browser.
12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the user is allowed to
interact with the content.
13. A method for selection and formatting of web content for remote
output, comprising: receiving user-defined information specifying
content to be retrieved from at least one web site; retrieving
content from the at least one web site utilizing the user-defined
information; aggregating the retrieved content at a network server
located remotely from the user; formatting the aggregated content
at the network server for output on multiple types of user devices;
identifying a type of device being used by the user; selecting
aggregated content for output to the particular type of user
device; and transmitting the formatted content to the particular
type of user device for output on the particular type of user
device, wherein the selected content is formatted for output on the
particular type of user device.
14. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising updating
the retrieved content after a predetermined amount of time has
expired, formatting the updated content at the network server for
output on the user device, and transmitting the formatted updated
content to the user device for output on the user device.
15. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising
transmitting at least a portion of the retrieved content to an
application program for further processing.
16. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising identifying
a web page having the specified content based on contents of the
web page.
17. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising retrieving
a web page having the specified content, rendering the web page as
it would be displayed on a browser, analyzing the rendered web
page, and recognizing content within the page based on the
analysis.
18. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the user is allowed to
interact with the content.
19. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the content includes
at least one of: text, secure account information, services,
electronic mail, and financial transactions.
20. A method for compiling an enhanced query result, comprising:
receiving a user query; connecting to at least one network
accessible data site; extracting information from the at least one
data site based on the query; aggregating the extracted information
from the at least one data site at a network server; determining a
type of output device being used by the user; formatting the
aggregated information for display on the output device; and
transmitting the formatted information to the output device.
21. A method for accessing network content, comprising: retrieving
a form, the form having user-specific identification information
used for accessing data on a network site; logging into the network
site using the form; retrieving at least a portion of the data from
the network site; aggregating the retrieved content; formatting at
least a portion of the aggregated content for output on a user
device; and transmitting the formatted content to the user device
for output on the user device.
22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the user is allowed to
interact with the content.
23. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the content includes
at least one of: text, secure account information, services,
electronic mail, and financial transactions.
24. A method for selection and formatting of a network user
interface, comprising: receiving user-defined information
specifying user interface elements to be retrieved from at least
one network site; identifying the specified user interface elements
of the at least one network site utilizing the user-defined
information; retrieving the identified user interface elements from
the at least one network site; aggregating the extracted user
interface elements from the at least one network site at a network
server; formatting at least a portion of the retrieved user
interface elements at a network server for display on a user
device; transmitting the formatted user interface elements to the
user device for output on the user device; and automating at least
a portion of the retrieved user interface elements by exposing them
to an application program for further processing.
25. A computer program product for selection and formatting of
network content, comprising: computer code for receiving
user-defined information specifying content to be retrieved from at
least one network site; computer code for identifying the specified
content of the at least one network site utilizing the user-defined
information; computer code for retrieving the identified content
from the at least one network site; computer code for aggregating
the retrieved content at a network server; computer code for
formatting at least a portion of the aggregated content at the
network server for display on a user device; computer code for
transmitting the formatted content to the user device for output on
the user device; and computer code for sending at least a portion
of the retrieved content to an application program for further
processing.
26. A system for selection and formatting of network content,
comprising: logic for receiving user-defined information specifying
content to be retrieved from at least one network site; logic for
retrieving content from the at least one network site utilizing the
user-defined information; logic for aggregating the retrieved
content at a network server; logic for formatting the aggregated
content for output via a voice browser on a user device; and logic
for transmitting the formatted content to the user device for
output via the voice browser.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S.
patent application entitled SYSTEM, METHOD, AND ARTICLE OF
MANUFACTURE FOR WIRELESS ENABLEMENT OF THE WORLD WIDE WEB USING A
WIRELESS GATEWAY, filed Jun. 16, 2000 under Ser. No. 09/595,781,
which claims priority from Provisional U.S. Patent Application
entitled SYSTEM, METHOD, AND ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE FOR MULTIMODAL
CONTENT ACCESS AND MANIPULATION, filed Jun. 7, 2000 under serial
No. 60/210,160, and which is related to Provisional U.S. Patent
Application entitled SYSTEM, METHOD, AND ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE FOR
GENERATING A CUSTOMIZED NETWORK USER INTERFACE, filed Jun. 7, 2000
under serial No. 60/209,873, each of which is incorporated herein
by reference.
[0002] This application also claims priority from U.S. Provisional
Patent Application entitled SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM
PRODUCT FOR APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT USING A VISUAL PARADIGM TO
COMBINE EXISTING DATA AND APPLICATIONS, filed under serial No.
60/341,344 on Dec. 13, 2001; U.S. patent application entitled VOICE
APPLICATIONS AND VOICE-BASED INTERFACE, filed Sept. 14, 2001 under
Ser. No. 09/952,909, U.S. patent application entitled SYSTEM,
METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR RECOGNIZING A STATE OF A
REMOTE APPLICATION, filed non-provisionally Aug. 28, 2001 under
Ser. No. 09/942,263; and U.S. patent application entitled SYSTEM,
METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR A USER AGENT FOR PATTERN
REPLAY, filed non-provisionally Aug. 28, 2001 under Ser. No.
09/942,081; each of which is herein incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates to personalized data
manipulation and more particularly to aggregating content and
accessing the content remotely.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] With the advent of wireless devices, the current shift in
communications is to allow wireless access to content on the
Internet. Current methods of delivering web-based content to
wireless devices, however, requires that each site have wireless
enabled content. Accordingly, a significant engineering investment
is required on a web-site by web-site basis to enable each web-site
to become wireless enabled. This is the biggest bottleneck in the
wireless enabling of the web.
[0005] Thus, what is needed is a way to make all content on the
web, from any location in the world, wireless enabled by
aggregating user selected content at one site and making that
selected content wireless enabled. The one site thus behaves as a
gateway between the wireless and wired web. Utilizing the present
invention, the entire world wide web can be wireless enabled
without requiring an engineering investment on a website by website
basis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Prior to this invention, a significant engineering
investment was required on a web-site by web-site basis to enable
each web-site to become wireless enabled. This was the biggest
bottleneck in the wireless enabling of the web. By removing that
bottleneck, the current invention allows any content from the web
to become wireless enabled instantaneously. A user can therefore
access and interact with any content from any wireless device in a
fashion similar to the wired devices. Accordingly, a system, method
and article of manufacture are provided for selection and
formatting of network content for remote viewing.
[0007] According to one embodiment, a user is allowed to provide
information that specifies general or specific content to be
retrieved from one or more network sites for online or offline
viewing. For example, the user can specify retrieval of a
particular web page when the web page changes/is updated. As
another example, the user can make a general request to download
articles relating to a particular topic, such as stock exchange
information, airline fares, etc. The user can also specify
retrieval of other information, such as bank account information to
be retrieved from an online database. The user is allowed to submit
the user-defined information from at least one of a wireless device
and a hardwired device such as a personal computer. It should be
noted that such content can be anything on or transmittable via the
Internet. By way of example only, such content can be hyperlinks,
images, text, tables, secure information such as account
information, email, and audio and video data. The user is allowed
to select, customize and/or edit the content from any device, wired
or wireless.
[0008] The user-defined information is received and used to
identify and retrieve the specified content from one or more
network sites, such as web sites. If particular content is
specified in the user-defined information, the pertinent web page
is accessed and the particular content is downloaded. If content is
generally requested, a search engine can be used to find the
information.
[0009] The retrieved content is aggregated at a network server,
preferably located remotely from the user. The network server acts
as a gateway through which any content from the world wide web or
any other networked source or application is collected and
converted into a format amenable to output on the user device.
Preferably, the aggregated content is amenable to presentation and
content customization through a user interface. At the network
server, the aggregated content is formatted for output on a user
device such as a wireless device. A wireless device can include any
type of device capable of receiving information where at least one
of the communication links is wireless, such as a wireless
telephone, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), handheld computer such
as a handheld PC, a pager, a device connected to a wireless modem,
etc. Exemplary wired devices include a hardwired telephone,
personal computer (PC), etc.
[0010] The formatting style can be specific to the device used by
the particular user. For example, if the content is to be output on
a display of a PDA, the content would be formatted for the screen
of the PDA. If the content is to be output via a voice browser on
an audio device (such as a telephone), the content is converted to
audio, if necessary.
[0011] Preferably, the content is formatted for display on a
plurality of user devices so that the user can use any of a
plurality of user devices to access the information. The formatted
content is transmitted to the user device for output on the user
device.
[0012] If the content has been formatted for a plurality of user
devices, the user device may send a request for a particular type
of formatting associated with that type of device. Some or all of
the content can be sent to an application program for further
processing.
[0013] In one aspect of the present invention, a user selects which
content is aggregated in real time. As an option, customization of
the web-based habitat can be performed utilizing the user device. A
web page with the specified content can be identified based on the
contents of the web page.
[0014] In another aspect of the present invention, the content is
aggregated on a portal page unique to the user. The portal page
displays the content that the user has specified, and can include
the interface that allows the user to specify the information. This
portal page is fully customizable by the user and can be accessed
by any device, whether wireless or hardwired. As an option, the
retrieved content can be updated after a predetermined amount of
time has expired. The updated content would then be formatted at
the network server for display on the user device and transmitted
to the user device for output on the user device. Some or all of
the updated content can also be transmitted to an application
program for further processing.
[0015] In an aspect of the present invention, the user is allowed
to interact with the content. Thus, the user is not only able to
receive information, but is also able to send information from the
wireless device. For example, the user can be allowed to fill out
forms and fields, make purchases (buying and selling), read and
reply to emails, etc. using the wireless device. In yet another
aspect of the present invention, an alert is sent to the wireless
device upon occurrence of a prespecified condition. By way of
example only, an alert can be sent at a predetermined time prior to
departure of an airline flight. The alert can also be a reminder of
an appointment. Further, an alert can be sent upon a stock price
reaching a predetermined level or an auction price reaching a
certain amount.
[0016] A method for compiling an enhanced query result is also
provided. A user query is received, upon which information is
extracted from one or more data sites based on the query via a
connection. The information extracted from the data site(s) is
aggregated at a network server. A determination is made as to the
type of output device being used by the user, and the aggregated
information is formatted for display and/or audible output on the
output device. Finally, the formatted information is transmitted to
the output device.
[0017] A further method for accessing network content is provided.
According to this method, a form is retrieved, where the form has
user-specific identification information used for accessing data on
a network site, such as a banking site, email server, etc. The
network site is logged in to using the form. At least a portion of
the data is retrieved from the network site. The retrieved content
is aggregated and formatted for output on a user device. The
formatted content is sent to the user device for output on the user
device.
[0018] Prior to this invention, a significant engineering
investment was required on a web-site by web-site basis to enable
each web-site to become wireless enabled. This was the biggest
bottleneck in the wireless enabling of the web. By removing that
bottleneck, the current invention allows any content from the web
to become wireless enabled instantaneously. A user can therefore
access and interact with any content from any wireless device in a
fashion similar to the wired devices.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The invention will be better understood when consideration
is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such
description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a hardware implementation
of one embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 2 illustrates a process for selection and formatting of
web content for remote viewing;
[0022] FIG. 3 depicts a preferred operating environment for one or
more portable wireless devices in connection with a host computer
system;
[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates a top level software detail of the
control program is shown in accordance with a preferred embodiment
of a wireless device;
[0024] FIG. 5 depicts a combined data flow detailing the handling
of compressed data objects;
[0025] FIG. 6 illustrates a process for generating a customized
network user interface according to one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0026] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a process for allowing a user to
customize an information portal according to one embodiment of the
present invention;
[0027] FIG. 8 depicts a default mode process for allowing selection
and management of preferred content according to one embodiment of
the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an advanced mode process for
allowing selection and management of preferred content according to
an embodiment of the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 10 depicts a process for recognizing a state based on a
current output, according to one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0030] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a process for retrieving network
content according to one embodiment;
[0031] FIG. 12 is a flowchart depicting generation of new
applications according to one embodiment;
[0032] FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of a process for generating an
application according to one embodiment;
[0033] FIG. 14 is a flow diagram depicting a process for creating
an application utilizing a graphical user interface in accordance
with an embodiment; and
[0034] FIG. 15 provides a flow of execution of the pattern-based
application.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0035] A preferred embodiment of a system in accordance with the
present invention is preferably practiced in the context of a
personal computer such as an IBM compatible personal computer,
Apple Macintosh computer or UNIX based workstation. A
representative hardware environment is depicted in FIG. 1, which
illustrates a typical hardware configuration of a workstation in
accordance with a preferred embodiment having a central processing
unit 110, such as a microprocessor, and a number of other units
interconnected via a system bus 112. The workstation shown in FIG.
1 includes a Random Access Memory (RAM) 114, Read Only Memory (ROM)
116, an I/O adapter 118 for connecting peripheral devices such as
disk storage units 120 to the bus 112, a user interface adapter 122
for connecting a keyboard 124, a mouse 126, a speaker 128, a
microphone 132, and/or other user interface devices such as a touch
screen (not shown) to the bus 112, communication adapter 134 for
connecting the workstation to a communication network (e.g., a data
processing network) and a display adapter 136 for connecting the
bus 112 to a display device 138. The workstation typically has
resident thereon an operating system such as the Microsoft Windows
NT or Windows/95 Operating System (OS), the IBM OS/2 operating
system, the MAC OS, or UNIX operating system. Those skilled in the
art will appreciate that the present invention may also be
implemented on platforms and operating systems other than those
mentioned.
[0036] A preferred embodiment is written using JAVA, C, and the C++
language and utilizes object oriented programming methodology.
Object oriented programming (OOP) has become increasingly used to
develop complex applications. As OOP moves toward the mainstream of
software design and development, various software solutions require
adaptation to make use of the benefits of OOP. A need exists for
these principles of OOP to be applied to a messaging interface of
an electronic messaging system such that a set of OOP classes and
objects for the messaging interface can be provided. OOP is a
process of developing computer software using objects, including
the steps of analyzing the problem, designing the system, and
constructing the program. An object is a software package that
contains both data and a collection of related structures and
procedures. Since it contains both data and a collection of
structures and procedures, it can be visualized as a
self-sufficient component that does not require other additional
structures, procedures or data to perform its specific task. OOP,
therefore, views a computer program as a collection of largely
autonomous components, called objects, each of which is responsible
for a specific task. This concept of packaging data, structures,
and procedures together in one component or module is called
encapsulation.
[0037] In general, OOP components are reusable software modules
which present an interface that conforms to an object model and
which are accessed at run-time through a component integration
architecture. A component integration architecture is a set of
architecture mechanisms which allow software modules in different
process spaces to utilize each others capabilities or functions.
This is generally done by assuming a common component object model
on which to build the architecture. It is worthwhile to
differentiate between an object and a class of objects at this
point. An object is a single instance of the class of objects,
which is often just called a class. A class of objects can be
viewed as a blueprint, from which many objects can be formed.
[0038] OOP allows the programmer to create an object that is a part
of another object. For example, the object representing a piston
engine is said to have a composition-relationship with the object
representing a piston. In reality, a piston engine comprises a
piston, valves and many other components; the fact that a piston is
an element of a piston engine can be logically and semantically
represented in OOP by two objects.
[0039] OOP also allows creation of an object that "depends from"
another object. If there are two objects, one representing a piston
engine and the other representing a piston engine wherein the
piston is made of ceramic, then the relationship between the two
objects is not that of composition. A ceramic piston engine does
not make up a piston engine. Rather it is merely one kind of piston
engine that has one more limitation than the piston engine; its
piston is made of ceramic. In this case, the object representing
the ceramic piston engine is called a derived object, and it
inherits all of the aspects of the object representing the piston
engine and adds further limitation or detail to it. The object
representing the ceramic piston engine "depends from" the object
representing the piston engine. The relationship between these
objects is called inheritance.
[0040] When the object or class representing the ceramic piston
engine inherits all of the aspects of the objects representing the
piston engine, it inherits the thermal characteristics of a
standard piston defined in the piston engine class. However, the
ceramic piston engine object overrides these ceramic specific
thermal characteristics, which are typically different from those
associated with a metal piston. It skips over the original and uses
new functions related to ceramic pistons. Different kinds of piston
engines have different characteristics, but may have the same
underlying functions associated with it (e.g., how many pistons in
the engine, ignition sequences, lubrication, etc.). To access each
of these functions in any piston engine object, a programmer would
call the same functions with the same names, but each type of
piston engine may have different/overriding implementations of
functions behind the same name. This ability to hide different
implementations of a function behind the same name is called
polymorphism and it greatly simplifies communication among
objects.
[0041] With the concepts of composition-relationship,
encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism, an object can
represent just about anything in the real world. In fact, one's
logical perception of the reality is the only limit on determining
the kinds of things that can become objects in object-oriented
software. Some typical categories are as follows:
[0042] Objects can represent physical objects, such as automobiles
in a traffic-flow simulation, electrical components in a
circuit-design program, countries in an economics model, or
aircraft in an air-traffic-control system.
[0043] Objects can represent elements of the computer-user
environment such as windows, menus or graphics objects.
[0044] An object can represent an inventory, such as a personnel
file or a table of the latitudes and longitudes of cities.
[0045] An object can represent user-defined data types such as
time, angles, and complex numbers, or points on the plane.
[0046] With this enormous capability of an object to represent just
about any logically separable matters, OOP allows the software
developer to design and implement a computer program that is a
model of some aspects of reality, whether that reality is a
physical entity, a process, a system, or a composition of matter.
Since the object can represent anything, the software developer can
create an object which can be used as a component in a larger
software project in the future.
[0047] If 90% of a new OOP software program consists of proven,
existing components made from preexisting reusable objects, then
only the remaining 10% of the new software project has to be
written and tested from scratch. Since 90% already came from an
inventory of extensively tested reusable objects, the potential
domain from which an error could originate is 10% of the program.
As a result, OOP enables software developers to build objects out
of other, previously built objects.
[0048] This process closely resembles complex machinery being built
out of assemblies and sub-assemblies. OOP technology, therefore,
makes software engineering more like hardware engineering in that
software is built from existing components, which are available to
the developer as objects. All this adds up to an improved quality
of the software as well as an increased speed of its
development.
[0049] Programming languages are beginning to fully support the OOP
principles, such as encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and
composition-relationship. With the advent of the C++ language, many
commercial software developers have embraced OOP. C++ is an OOP
language that offers a fast, machine-executable code. Furthermore,
C++ is suitable for both commercial-application and
systems-programming projects. For now, C++ appears to be the most
popular choice among many OOP programmers, but there is a host of
other OOP languages, such as Smalltalk, Common Lisp Object System
(CLOS), and Eiffel. Additionally, OOP capabilities are being added
to more traditional popular computer programming languages such as
Pascal.
[0050] The benefits of object classes can be summarized, as
follows:
[0051] Objects and their corresponding classes break down complex
programming problems into many smaller, simpler problems.
[0052] Encapsulation enforces data abstraction through the
organization of data into small, independent objects that can
communicate with each other. Encapsulation protects the data in an
object from accidental damage, but allows other objects to interact
with that data by calling the object's member functions and
structures.
[0053] Subclassing and inheritance make it possible to extend and
modify objects through deriving new kinds of objects from the
standard classes available in the system. Thus, new capabilities
are created without having to start from scratch.
[0054] Polymorphism and multiple inheritance make it possible for
different programmers to mix and match characteristics of many
different classes and create specialized objects that can still
work with related objects in predictable ways.
[0055] Class hierarchies and containment hierarchies provide a
flexible mechanism for modeling real-world objects and the
relationships among them.
[0056] Libraries of reusable classes are useful in many situations,
but they also have some limitations. For example:
[0057] Complexity. In a complex system, the class hierarchies for
related classes can become extremely confusing, with many dozens or
even hundreds of classes.
[0058] Flow of control. A program written with the aid of class
libraries is still responsible for the flow of control (i.e., it
must control the interactions among all the objects created from a
particular library). The programmer has to decide which functions
to call at what times for which kinds of objects.
[0059] Duplication of effort. Although class libraries allow
programmers to use and reuse many small pieces of code, each
programmer puts those pieces together in a different way. Two
different programmers can use the same set of class libraries to
write two programs that do exactly the same thing but whose
internal structure (i.e., design) may be quite different, depending
on hundreds of small decisions each programmer makes along the way.
Inevitably, similar pieces of code end up doing similar things in
slightly different ways and do not work as well together as they
should.
[0060] Class libraries are very flexible. As programs grow more
complex, more programmers are forced to reinvent basic solutions to
basic problems over and over again. A relatively new extension of
the class library concept is to have a framework of class
libraries. This framework is more complex and consists of
significant collections of collaborating classes that capture both
the small scale patterns and major mechanisms that implement the
common requirements and design in a specific application domain.
They were first developed to free application programmers from the
chores involved in displaying menus, windows, dialog boxes, and
other standard user interface elements for personal computers.
[0061] Frameworks also represent a change in the way programmers
think about the interaction between the code they write and code
written by others. In the early days of procedural. programming,
the programmer called libraries provided by the operating system to
perform certain tasks, but basically the program executed down the
page from start to finish, and the programmer was solely
responsible for the flow of control. This was appropriate for
printing out paychecks, calculating a mathematical table, or
solving other problems with a program that executed in just one
way.
[0062] The development of graphical user interfaces began to turn
this procedural programming arrangement inside out. These
interfaces allow the user, rather than program logic, to drive the
program and decide when certain actions should be performed. Today,
most personal computer software accomplishes this by means of an
event loop which monitors the mouse, keyboard, and other sources of
external events and calls the appropriate parts of the programmer's
code according to actions that the user performs. The programmer no
longer determines the order in which events occur. Instead, a
program is divided into separate pieces that are called at
unpredictable times and in an unpredictable order. By relinquishing
control in this way to users, the developer creates a program that
is much easier to use. Nevertheless, individual pieces of the
program written by the developer still call libraries provided by
the operating system to accomplish certain tasks, and the
programmer must still determine the flow of control within each
piece after it's called by the event loop. Application code still
"sits on top of" the system.
[0063] Even event loop programs require programmers to write a lot
of code that should not need to be written separately for every
application. The concept of an application framework carries the
event loop concept further. Instead of dealing with all the nuts
and bolts of constructing basic menus, windows, and dialog boxes
and then making these things all work together, programmers using
application frameworks start with working application code and
basic user interface elements in place. Subsequently, they build
from there by replacing some of the generic capabilities of the
framework with the specific capabilities of the intended
application.
[0064] Application frameworks reduce the total amount of code that
a programmer has to write from scratch. However, because the
framework is really a generic application that displays windows,
supports copy and paste, and so on, the programmer can also
relinquish control to a greater degree than event loop programs
permit. The framework code takes care of almost all event handling
and flow of control, and the programmer's code is called only when
the framework needs it (e.g., to create or manipulate a proprietary
data structure).
[0065] A programmer writing a framework program not only
relinquishes control to the user (as is also true for event loop
programs), but also relinquishes the detailed flow of control
within the program to the framework. This approach allows the
creation of more complex systems that work together in interesting
ways, as opposed to isolated programs, having custom code, being
created over and over again for similar problems.
[0066] Thus, as is explained above, a framework basically is a
collection of cooperating classes that make up a reusable design
solution for a given problem domain. It typically includes objects
that provide default behavior (e.g., for menus and windows), and
programmers use it by inheriting some of that default behavior and
overriding other behavior so that the framework calls application
code at the appropriate times.
[0067] There are three main differences between frameworks and
class libraries:
[0068] Behavior versus protocol. Class libraries are essentially
collections of behaviors that you can call when you want those
individual behaviors in your program. A framework, on the other
hand, provides not only behavior but also the protocol or set of
rules that govern the ways in which behaviors can be combined,
including rules for what a programmer is supposed to provide versus
what the framework provides.
[0069] Call versus override. With a class library, the code the
programmer instantiates objects and calls their member functions.
It's possible to instantiate and call objects in the same way with
a framework (i.e., to treat the framework as a class library), but
to take full advantage of a framework's reusable design, a
programmer typically writes code that overrides and is called by
the framework. The framework manages the flow of control among its
objects. Writing a program involves dividing responsibilities among
the various pieces of software that are called by the framework
rather than specifying how the different pieces should work
together.
[0070] Implementation versus design. With class libraries,
programmers reuse only implementations, whereas with frameworks,
they reuse design. A framework embodies the way a family of related
programs or pieces of software work. It represents a generic design
solution that can be adapted to a variety of specific problems in a
given domain. For example, a single framework can embody the way a
user interface works, even though two different user interfaces
created with the same framework might solve quite different
interface problems.
[0071] Thus, through the development of frameworks for solutions to
various problems and programming tasks, significant reductions in
the design and development effort for software can be achieved. A
preferred embodiment of the invention utilizes HyperText Markup
Language (HTML) to implement documents on the Internet together
with a general-purpose secure communication protocol for a
transport medium between the client and the Newco. HTTP or other
protocols could be readily substituted for HTML without undue
experimentation. Information on these products is available in T.
Berners-Lee, D. Connoly, "RFC 1866: Hypertext Markup Language-2.0"
(November 1995); and R. Fielding, H, Frystyk, T. Berners-Lee, J.
Gettys and J. C. Mogul, "Hypertext Transfer Protocol--HTTP/1.1:
HTTP Working Group Internet Draft" (May 2, 1996). HTML is a simple
data format used to create hypertext documents that are portable
from one platform to another. HTML documents are SGML documents
with generic semantics that are appropriate for representing
information from a wide range of domains. HTML has been in use by
the World-Wide Web global information initiative since 1990. HTML
is an application of ISO Standard 8879; 1986 Information Processing
Text and Office Systems; Standard Generalized Markup Language
(SGML).
[0072] To date, Web development tools have been limited in their
ability to create dynamic Web applications which span from client
to server and interoperate with existing computing resources. Until
recently, HTML has been the dominant technology used in development
of Web-based solutions. However, HTML has proven to be inadequate
in the following areas:
[0073] Poor performance;
[0074] Restricted user interface capabilities;
[0075] Can only produce static Web pages;
[0076] Lack of interoperability with existing applications and
data; and
[0077] Inability to scale.
[0078] Sun Microsystem's Java language solves many of the
client-side problems by:
[0079] Improving performance on the client side;
[0080] Enabling the creation of dynamic, real-time Web
applications; and
[0081] Providing the ability to create a wide variety of user
interface components.
[0082] With Java, developers can create robust User Interface (UI)
components. Custom "widgets" (e.g., real-time stock tickers,
animated icons, etc.) can be created, and client-side performance
is improved. Unlike HTML, Java supports the notion of client-side
validation, offloading appropriate processing onto the client for
improved performance. Dynamic, real-time Web pages can be created.
Using the above-mentioned custom UI components, dynamic Web pages
can also be created. Sun's Java language has emerged as an
industry-recognized language for "programming the Internet." Sun
defines Java as: "a simple, object-oriented, distributed,
interpreted, robust, secure, architecture-neutral, portable,
high-performance, multithreaded, dynamic, buzzword-compliant,
general-purpose programming language. Java supports programming for
the Internet in the form of platform-independent Java applets."
Java applets are small, specialized applications that comply with
Sun's Java Application Programming Interface (API) allowing
developers to add "interactive content" to Web documents (e.g.,
simple animations, page adornments, basic games, etc.). Applets
execute within a Java-compatible browser (e.g., Netscape Navigator)
by copying code from the server to client. From a language
standpoint, Java's core feature set is based on C++. Sun's Java
literature states that Java is basically, "C++ with extensions from
Objective C for more dynamic method resolution."
[0083] Another technology that provides similar function to JAVA is
provided by Microsoft and ActiveX Technologies, to give developers
and Web designers wherewithal to build dynamic content for the
Internet and personal computers. ActiveX includes tools for
developing animation, 3-D virtual reality, video and other
multimedia content. The tools use Internet standards, work on
multiple platforms, and are being supported by over 100 companies.
The group's building blocks are called ActiveX Controls, small,
fast components that enable developers to embed parts of software
in hypertext markup language (HTML) pages. ActiveX Controls work
with a variety of programming languages including Microsoft Visual
C++, Borland Delphi, Microsoft Visual Basic programming system and,
in the future, Microsoft's development tool for Java, code named
"Jakarta." ActiveX Technologies also includes ActiveX Server
Framework, allowing developers to create server applications. One
of ordinary skill in the art readily recognizes that ActiveX could
be substituted for JAVA without undue experimentation to practice
the invention.
[0084] The present invention enables personal content management
and is able to aggregate content of one's choice and have it
accessible on any device. More particularly, the present invention
enables wireless access of all services. Accordingly, a broad
aspect of the present invention allows any user to send or receive
the content of their choice from any device, in particular wireless
devices including, but not limited to, Personal Digital Assistants
(PDA's) and Wireless phones.
[0085] In this regard, one embodiment of the present invention
includes the following parts:
[0086] 1. A customizable information retrieval engine that allows
users to aggregate content of their choice from any web site in
existence. The content includes but is not restricted to text (i.e.
news headlines, hyperlinks in web-pages), secure account
information (i.e. email, bank accounts, utilities, and stock
portfolios), services (i.e. maps, directions, weather, web
searches), electronic mail, financial transactions (i.e. online
shopping, buying, selling, trading, auctions, barters, comparisons)
and other dynamic tasks that involve interaction of the users with
other web-based (client and server side) services. The aggregated
content is displayed in a customized web-based habitat, which is
amenable to presentation and content customization through an
intuitive interface.
[0087] 2. An interface of the above mentioned web-based habitat to
a wireless enabling engine that takes the content of the habitat
and renders them on all devices, especially wireless devices. All
the content in the custom habitat is presented in a format that is
supported by the wireless devices and therefore allows any content
to become wireless enabled.
[0088] The customized information retrieval engine allows the
aggregation of any content into a customized web-based habitat and
the wireless enabling engine takes all the content in the habitat
and makes it wireless enabled. Therefore, one embodiment of the
present invention allows the use of the above mentioned habitat as
a conduit that allows any content on the web to become wireless
enabled instantaneously.
[0089] FIG. 2 illustrates a process 200 for selection and
formatting of web content for remote viewing. A user is allowed to
provide information that specifies general or specific content to
be retrieved for online or offline viewing. For example, the user
can specify retrieval of a particular web page when the web page
changes/is updated. As another example, the user can make a general
request to download articles relating to a particular topic, such
as stock exchange information, airline fares, etc. Preferably, the
user is allowed to submit the user-defined information from at
least one of the wireless device and a hardwired device such as a
personal computer. It should be noted that such content can be
anything on or transmittable via the Internet. By way of example
only, such content can be hyperlinks, images, text, tables, secure
information such as account information, email, and audio and video
data. The user is allowed to select, customize and/or edit the
content from any device, wired or wireless.
[0090] The user-defined information is received in operation 202
and in operation 204 is used to retrieve content from one or more
web sites. If particular content is specified in the user-defined
information, the pertinent web page is accessed and the particular
content is downloaded. If content is generally requested, a search
engine can be used to find the information.
[0091] The retrieved content is aggregated at a network server
located remotely from the user in operation 206. The network server
acts as a gateway through which any content from the world wide web
is collected and converted into a format amenable to the wireless
device. Preferably, the aggregated content is amenable to
presentation and content customization through a user interface. In
operation 208, the content is formatted at the network server for
display on a wireless device. The wireless device can include any
type of device capable of receiving information where at least one
of the communication links is wireless, such as a wireless
telephone, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), handheld computer such
as a handheld PC, a pager, a device connected to a wireless modem,
etc. The formatting style can be specific to the wireless device
used by the particular user. Preferably, the content is formatted
for display on a plurality of wireless devices so that the user can
use any of a plurality of wireless devices to access the
information. In operation 210, the formatted content is transmitted
to a wireless device for display on the wireless device. If the
content has been formatted for a plurality of wireless devices, the
wireless device sends a request for a particular type of formatting
associated with that type of device. Preferably, transmission cost
and reliability, as well as transmission time, are customizable and
are user-customizable.
[0092] In one embodiment of the present invention, a user selects
which content is aggregated in real time. As an option,
customization of the web-based habitat can be performed utilizing
the wireless device or a computer of the user.
[0093] In another embodiment of the present invention, the content
is aggregated on a portal page unique to the user. The portal page
displays the content that the user has specified, and can include
the interface that allows the user to specify the information. This
portal page is fully customizable by the user and can be accessed
by any device, whether wireless or hardwired. As an option, the
retrieved content can be updated after a predetermined amount of
time has expired. The content would then be retrieved, formatted,
and transmitted to the wireless device.
[0094] In an embodiment of the present invention, the user is
allowed to interact with the content. Thus, the user is not only
able to receive information, but is also able to send information
from the wireless device. For example, the user can be allowed to
fill out forms and fields, make purchases (buying and selling),
read and reply to emails, etc. using the wireless device. In yet
another aspect of the present invention, an alert is sent to the
wireless device upon occurrence of a prespecified condition. By way
of example only, an alert can be sent at a predetermined time prior
to departure of an airline flight. The alert can also be a reminder
of an appointment. Further, an alert can be sent upon a stock price
reaching a predetermined level or an auction price reaching a
certain amount.
[0095] FIG. 3 depicts a preferred operating environment 300 for one
or more portable wireless devices 302 in connection with a host
computer system 304, where the habitat is stored and manipulated.
The host computer is connected to remote sources of data
information on the Internet 306.
[0096] The host computer system preferably includes a peripheral
interface adapter that provides for the bi-directional transfer of
the data via an interconnect line 308 to an external transceiver
310 that supports wireless communications with one or more wireless
devices. The transceiver, in a simple embodiment, implements a
low-power 900 Mhz or 2.4 Ghz transceiver for short-range
communication with the wireless devices. In a preferred embodiment,
however, the transceiver is part of a cellular or digital telephone
network that allows communication between the host computer and the
wireless devices at great distances, including geographically
remote locations.
[0097] The wireless device is preferably constructed with a plastic
case housing a display panel, a mini keyboard, a pointing device,
and pointer selection buttons. The display panel is preferably an
active matrix liquid crystal display (LCD) or dual-scan super-twist
nematic display suitable for rendering color images at a resolution
of about 640. times. 480 pixels or greater. Low cost display panels
with reduced resolutions and only monochrome display capabilities
can also be utilized. In all events, the display panel is
preferably light-weight, reasonably sturdy, and suitable for the
graphic display of at least computer video data.
[0098] The mini keyboard may be of any number of conventional
configurations providing for alpha-numeric keyed data entry in a
relatively small two dimensional form factor. Ultimately, the mini
keyboard may be replaced with a smaller number of programmable
function keys that programmatically adapt as appropriate to the
function of any current application displayed by the display panel.
The mini keyboard may be entirely replaced with a virtual keyboard
implemented by the display panel in connection with a touch screen
sensor mounted in the case of the wireless device. Thus full
function and specialized function data entry keys can be created as
necessary or desired in support of the use of any application
displayed by the display panel.
[0099] A pointing device, such as a power point tracking device or
track ball can be provided to allow the wireless device to be
easily held while the pointing device is manipulated. Similarly,
pointer buttons are preferably configured in close proximity to the
pointing device to again allow easy access and use while the
wireless device is held. Preferably, pointer buttons may be
programmable in defining the function performed or recognized in
response to each press of the buttons.
[0100] A preferred embodiment of the present invention may also
include an audio pick-up transducer and pair of speakers in support
of multimedia utilization of the wireless device.
[0101] A transceiver antenna is preferably mounted within the case.
Although the display panel and other electronics located within the
case may be electromagnetically shielded, the cross section of such
shielding should not significantly affect the efficiency of the
antenna. Where the shielding presents a problem or the display
table is operated near noise sources or at the near limit of the
service area, the antenna may be constructed to permit external
extension.
[0102] The flexibility and functionality of the wireless device may
be augmented by the addition of a PCMCIA peripheral card. As
conventional PCMCIA cards are removable, the function or functions
that can be added to the wireless device depends on the
implementation of the PCMCIA card itself. A PCMCIA card may
implement a cellular phone interface would allow the wireless
device to be operated at great distance from the host computer
through a combination of air-links and land-lines that route to the
host computer system in a conventional manner. The PCMCIA card may
also implement an analog or digital modem or other high-speed
serial or parallel interface that can connect either directly to
the host computer when the wireless device is conveniently close to
the host computer or remotely through any combination of air-links
and land-lines. The PCMCIA card may also implement supplementary
functions to augment the multimedia capabilities of the wireless
device, other communications protocols and data connection systems,
and upgrades to the basic capabilities present in the wireless
device, including new encoding, encryption and compression
capabilities.
[0103] A connector can provide external power access that provides
operating power and, potentially, power for recharging batteries
provided within the case of the wireless device. Other connectors
may provide for conventional keyboard, mouse and joysticks, as
external peripherals, to be fully integratable into the overall
function of the display table.
[0104] While the use of small high energy density rechargeable
batteries is preferred, the power consumption requirements of the
wireless device can be managed closely to minimize the power load
that is required to be supported in the normal operation of the
wireless device. The refresh frequency and brightness of the
display panel may be reduced during periods of perceived
inactivity. The transmission power produced by the on board
transceiver connected to the antenna may be selectively reduced to
meet a minimum acceptable noise margin. This may have the
additional benefit of reducing the effective size of the service
area to an area specifically appropriate to the unique location of
a particular wireless device, thereby reducing the possibility of
signal interception and unnecessary cross-talk. Finally, subsystems
such as the PCMCIA card and multimedia support circuitry providing
signal and power to the speakers and transducer can be selectively
powered down when their use is not needed or desired. As a result,
the wireless device should have a battery life of from two to four
hours.
[0105] The internal electronic control system of the wireless
device is preferably constructed as a low-cost embedded
microprocessor control system utilizing a main processor bus to
provide a data and control interconnect between a microcontroller
CPU and a main memory bank. The microcontroller can be directly
implemented utilizing any of a wide number of a existing low-power,
high-performance microcontrollers, such as the Intel 80C51 series,
the Intel 80C196KB high performance CHMOS microcontroller, or the
like.
[0106] The main memory is preferably constructed utilizing
approximately two to ten megabytes of low-power dynamic RAM memory.
While the wireless device will support the execution of almost any
number of complex applications, the resident main memory need not
be of significant size. The application programs are executed on
the host computer while, in the preferred embodiment, the operation
of the wireless device is strictly limited to the terminal display
of graphic and related data. Thus, the main memory is preferably
sized sufficient to allow execution of a control program
implementing primarily the display function of the tablet
independent of the actual execution of the application program.
Consequently, not only is the size of the main memory both reduced
and largely non-critical in relationship to the complexity and type
of application programs executed by the host computer, but the
microcontroller is not constrained by compatibility issues with
regard to the type of CPU utilized by the host computer or the
specific type and version of the operating system executed.
[0107] Some combination of non-volatile RAM and ROM memory may be
provided to store at least a portion of the control program that is
executed by the microcontroller. The non-volatile RAM/ROM memory
preferably stores at least a portion of the control program
sufficient to enable the microcontroller to download the remaining
portions or fall new image of a control program from the host
computer. To permit future upgrades of event the permanently
resident portion of the control program, non-volatile RAM memory
can be utilized to allow field upgradability.
[0108] A conventional power controller provides for the regulation
of power to the control system from either an external power source
or the onboard battery. The power controller preferably is
programmable by the microcontroller to selectively provide power to
separate subsystems of the controller. The microcontroller is
therefore able to effectively manage power consumption by the
control system as a whole. Specifically, independent power
regulation may be provided for an audio subsystem, PCMCIA interface
and a short range transceiver. Power may be regulated selectively
for other components of the control system where continued or
excessive power consumption is unnecessary or undesirable.
[0109] A generally conventional video graphics controller is
provided as the control interface for managing the operation of the
display panel. The video graphics controller may internally
implement a simple hardware graphics adaptor or more complex
hardware graphics accelerator for enhancing the effective speed of
the video graphics controller and, in general, the perceptible
performance of the wireless device.
[0110] Depending on the resolution supported by the video graphics
controller, including color depth, a conventional video memory
array is provided as frame and scratch-pad memory for use by the
video graphics controller. Generally, a minimum of 1 megabyte of
video memory is sufficient to support a display panel resolution of
640. times. 480 at a color depth of 8 bits. The video memory may be
expandable to two, four or more megabytes of memory as appropriate
to support the function of video graphics controller.
[0111] A conventional LCD driver circuit is also connected to the
video graphics controller to generate the control and driver
signals necessary to directly operate the display panel.
[0112] Finally, a touch screen interface may be provided to support
a touch screen function in connection with the display panel. The
video graphics controller may include circuitry for operating and
responding to the touch screen interface as needed to digitally
represent a screen touch. This information is then available for
use by the microcontroller in much the same manner as any other
pointing device information is made available by the
microcontroller.
[0113] The audio subsystem preferably includes the conventional
functionality of multimedia peripheral cards for personal
computers. The preferred supported functions include
digital-to-analog conversion and power amplification of stereo
audio channels as appropriate to drive the speakers. The audio
subsystem preferably also includes an analog-to-digital converter
connected to the transducer. Additional analog or digital signal
processing circuitry may be provided to reduce noise and eliminate
feedback from the speakers prior to or after the analog-to-digital
conversion is performed by the audio subsystem.
[0114] Finally, a PCMCIA interface provides a preferably 16-bit
wide, high-speed parallel interface between the connector or
connectors supported by the PCMCIA slot and the main processor bus.
The PCMCIA interface itself is preferably implemented through the
use of a conventional PCMCIA interface controller chip.
[0115] Any number of applications can be executed concurrently by
the host computer in accordance with the normal operation of the
operating system or, as in the preferred embodiment, subject to an
effective partitioning of the operating system execution states to
support concurrent execution of the multiple applications by an
otherwise single-user operating system. In both events, the
applications present calls to the operating system including, in
particular, calls relating to the display and update of images on a
respective display. These displays, however, are logical displays
that are mapped by the operating system into a single master
logical display space utilizing, as appropriate, windowing and
desktop paradigms for the presentation of the composite master
logical display. That is, the master logical display is drawn by
the operating system by a series of appropriate low-level display
driver calls to a display driver.
[0116] In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, a
pseudo-display driver is provided to manage the detailed
presentation of a master logical display within a window of another
master logical display corresponding to another partition of the
execution environment supported by the operating system. The
pseudo-display driver effectively operates to intercept low-level
display driver calls from any or all of the operating system
execution partitions. The output of an executing partition may be
directed to an independent display, such as the local video display
or passed substantially unaltered to a long-range transceiver
driver. In an initial implementation of the present invention, the
long-range transceiver driver and the low-power transceiver is
instantiated once for each wireless device supported by the host
computer system. Thus, the display driver calls from a single
executing partition of the operating system, or multiple partitions
operating in collaboration, are passed as a driver call stream to
the long-range transceiver driver for transmission to a
corresponding wireless device. Outbound audio data and inbound
pointer and audio data are processed through the long-range
transceiver driver. Outbound audio data and inbound input and audio
data may be transferred directly between the operating system and
long-range transceiver driver subject to maintaining the
correlation between the applications executing within the execution
partition of the operating system associated with the particular
instantiation of the long-range transceiver driver corresponding to
that partition. Consequently, a proper association both for inbound
and outbound data for specific applications is maintained through
the operating system as between the host computer system and any
number of wireless devices.
[0117] A preferred alternate embodiment of the present invention
preferably provides for a single long-range transceiver driver that
is effectively aware, as is the pseudo-display driver, of the
multiple partition execution space of the operating system. This
alternate long-range transceiver driver preferably supports a
multi-channel spread spectrum transceiver. Display and analog
output data associated with execution partitions of the operating
system respectively directed for transmission to a particular
wireless device to implement the low-level display driver.
Consequently, the appropriate physical display, either the local
video display or a wireless device is updated consistent with the
ongoing execution of the corresponding operating system partition.
The long-range transceiver driver may further provide for variable
encryption and decryption of the low-level driver call data streams
that pass through the driver. Destination signatures may also be
included into the data streams to specifically identify the
particular recipient host computer and wireless device that are
intended to be exclusively communicating over a particular channel
supported by the transceiver. This provides both security over an
appropriate interception of the transmitted data as well as secure
validation that data streams are being sourced and received by the
intended participants.
[0118] Nominally, the client application itself is charged with the
responsibility to decode, decrypt or decompress data for
presentation. Various graphical images transmitted to browser
applications are encoded and/or compressed using various lossee or
lossless algorithms to substantially reduce the transmitted data
size. In a relationship to this class of application, one
embodiment of the present invention implements a processed data
bypass that allows the encoded, encrypted or compressed data as
received by the host computer to be transferred in an unaltered
form to a wireless device. Since data transferred in an encoded,
encrypted or compressed form is done subject to a public algorithm
specification, no compatibility issues arise by allowing the
microcontroller with implementing the unencoding, decrypting or
decompression algorithm yet maximizing the effective utilization of
the bandwidth connection between the wireless device and host
computer system.
[0119] A complication arises particularly in Web browser
applications. There, the rendered display is content dependent.
Therefore, display dependencies are resolved dynamically by the
application based on the final representation of any unencoded,
decrypted and decompressed data. In such circumstances, the host
computer system must provide for fall processing of the received
data in support of the otherwise ordinary operation of the
application as needed to produce a finally determined impression of
the information to be displayed by a wireless device. This is
handled in the present invention on the host computer side through
the further implementation of the host system detail. A socket
driver, conventionally referred to as a WinSock driver in
relationship to Microsoft operating systems, manages a network
socket connection to a remote computer system that is the source of
encoded, encrypted or compressed data. The WinSock driver
effectively supports bi-directional data transfer between the
driver and operating system in support of the pseudo-display driver
and an exemplary Web browser application. The WinSock driver is
typically merged with the operating system to extend the
application program interface (API) that is presented to the
browser application.
[0120] The WinSock driver is preferably modified to identify
objects such as compressed data images from the inbound socket data
stream. The object is identified by the driver not only as being
subject to immediate bypass to the long-range transceiver driver,
but further that the socket data stream carrying the object is
destined for a particular application. Thus, the long-range
transceiver driver is provided with both the bypassed data object
and at least an identification of the particular wireless device
that is to receive the object. The data object as passed to the
long-range transceiver driver and, in parallel, to the operating
system with a unique identification tag generated by the WinSock
driver. This tag is associated with the data object in the socket
data stream ultimately for use by the pseudo-display driver.
Preferably, the data object tag and the communication of the tag to
the pseudo-display driver is provided logically separate from the
socket data stream that is provided through the operating system to
the browser application. Consequently, an entirely conventional
browser application may be utilized in connection with the present
invention without loss of performance or compatibility. Data
objects received by the browser application are therefore
conventionally unencoded, decrypted, and decompressed and used if
and as necessary to resolve dependencies on, for example, the size
and location of a graphic image in relationship to text within the
browser applications current logical display. That is, the browser
application processes the received socket data stream and produces
a series of operating system calls to define the appearance of the
logical display window controlled by the browser application.
[0121] Operating system display calls are further reduced by the
operating system to low-level display driver calls that are passed
to the pseudo display driver. Based on an examination of the
various data objects identified to the pseudo-display driver in
connection with the low-level display driver calls, respective
unique identifying data object tags are identified by the
pseudo-display drive. Each tag, as identified, is used to replace
the unencoded, decrypted or decompressed representation of the
corresponding data object. Thus, only display driver calls
referencing data object tags and untagged data are processed
through the pseudo-display driver to the long-range transceiver
driver for transmission to a wireless device.
[0122] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
long-range transceiver driver operates to transmit fixed block size
data packets that together convey messages to a wireless device. A
message can be a data object received from the WinSock driver.
Other messages include a low-level device driver call and as
appropriate for the call, a display object tag or an untagged data
object as received from the pseudo display driver. A tagged data
object identified and provided from the WinSock driver will
therefore be at least queued for transmission to a corresponding
wireless device prior to a display object tag being provided by the
pseudo display driver to the long-range transceiver driver for
transmission to the same wireless device. Furthermore, the latency
between the transmission of the data object itself and transmission
of the tag allows a quite adequate amount of time for the
microcontroller to receive and, as appropriate, process the data
object into an unencoded, decrypted or decompressed form. The
actual latency incurred at different times will be determined by
operating system and browser application, executed and latencies
that control the generation of display driver calls by the
operating system to the pseudo display driver to pass a data object
tag to the long-range transceiver driver.
[0123] Referring now to FIG. 4, a top level software detail 400 of
the control program is shown in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of a wireless device. An embedded control system 402 is
the central component of the control program. Preferably, the
embedded control system implements an interrupt-driven, light
weight threaded core that efficiently supports operation of a
long-range transceiver driver 404, a data object decompressor 406,
a video driver 408, an input event driver 410, and an audio driver
412. Multiple threads are implemented by the embedded control
system primarily in support of overlapping and out-of-order data
transfers with respect to the long-range transceiver driver. The
long-range transceiver on the wireless device supports a single
active transceiver data channel. The tag provided with or in place
of a data object includes an identification of the particular
application data stream associated with the object. The embedded
control system allocates a separate thread for handling each
uniquely identified application data stream and thereby
conveniently managing overlapping and out-of-order data
transmissions. While a non-threaded core could be utilized, the use
of a conventional multi-threaded core within the control system is
preferred as providing a more convenient transactional platform for
supporting multiple application data streams.
[0124] Tagged data objects received by the long-range transceiver
driver are transferred to the video image decompressor. A number of
different algorithms may be implemented by the video image
decompressor to be selectably used as appropriate for the
particular nature of the data object passed from the long-range
transceiver driver. In many instances the data object will be a
graphics image presented in any of a number of compressed forms.
Typically, the compressed data object itself identifies the type
and version of the algorithm necessary to decompress the data
object. The object is decompressed and the resulting video image
and unique object identification tag are cached by the embedded
control system for subsequent use.
[0125] Untagged data objects and bare data object identification
tags are passed directly from the long-range transceiver driver to
the embedded control system for evaluation. Decompressed graphics
images are substituted for their corresponding unique identifying
object tags and an ordered set of low-level drawing commands and
data effectively corresponding to the received data stream is then
provided to the video driver. In turn, the low-level display driver
commands and data are interpreted and executed by the video driver
to directly provide for the presentation of a corresponding image
by the display panel.
[0126] The data stream received by the long-range transceiver
driver may also include low-level commands, data and potentially
unique object tags that are to be directed to the audio driver. The
commands and data directed to the video driver and audio driver are
independently routed by the embedded control system to the
appropriate driver. Where the application data stream includes
audio driver commands that reference a unique object identification
tag, the embedded control system again searches the local object
cache for a corresponding expanded object. As with graphic data
objects, compressed audio data objects also encode an
identification of the decompression or decoding algorithm necessary
to process the data object. Thus, the object decompressor processes
the compressed audio data object utilizing the appropriate
algorithm. The audio commands, untagged data objects and
substituted decompressed data objects are then provided to the
audio driver for execution and presentation by the speakers.
[0127] The audio driver also produces an inbound application data
stream from the audio transducer, when enabled. A resulting digital
data stream is passed from the audio driver to the embedded control
system for return within a message of an appropriate application
data stream through the long-range transceiver driver to the host
computer. The appropriate application data stream is identified
potentially from the application data stream that last previously
enabled operation of the transducer through the audio driver. The
digitized audio data gathered by the audio driver may be passed
directly through to the long-range transceiver driver for
transmission. Alternatively, the embedded control system may direct
the digital audio stream through the object decompressor to perform
audio compression prior to transmission. By compressing this audio
data prior to transmission, a substantial portion of the bandwidth
available to the long-range transceiver is preserved while
introducing minimal latency due to the operation of the compression
algorithm.
[0128] The input event driver receives, manages and provides
keyboard, pointer and touch screen input data to the embedded
control system. This input data is directed by the embedded control
system to the long-range transceiver driver for transmission in the
form of call messages to the host computer system. However, such
input data is not immediately associated with a particular
application data stream by the embedded control system. Rather, the
input data is identified only generically by type of information
prior to transmission. In accordance with the preferred embodiments
of the present invention, the operating system appropriately
determines the particular application that is currently set to
receive input from the keyboard, printer and touch screen. In
certain circumstances, this may be the operating system itself and
in other circumstances, the currently active application execution
partition of the operating system. Consequently, the control
program operates to effectively support any number of applications
being executed on the computer system implicitly by the
identification of their respective application data streams as
received by the long-range transceiver driver. The embedded control
system is also capable of associating inputs specifically with the
transceiver data streams as appropriate to maintain the integrity
of each individual application execution partition of the operating
system.
[0129] In the control and data flow relationships between the host
computer system and a wireless device, the network operating system
component of the operating system executed by the host computer
system implements a TCP/IP or similar network communications
protocol. A socket intercept module is provided in accordance with
the present invention to filter, identify and bypass compressed
data objects subject to predefined conditions to a wireless
transceiver subsystem. The predefined conditions include the
specific data object compression forms that can be handled by a
particular model of a wireless device and that a wireless
connection has been established with a valid wireless device. All
of the data received by the socket intercept module is identified
by the number of the particular socket connection that receives the
data. All conventionally valid data received by the socket
intercept module is provided to the application that owns the
corresponding socket connection as determined and defined through
the core operating system, including the graphical user interface
(GUI) module. An input event multiplexer module, established in
accordance with the present invention, receives input event data
and associates the events with a corresponding execution partition
through the core operating system.
[0130] The application executing within a partition of the core
operating system may maintain a private data space. Where the
application is a browser, a browser image cache is supported to
hold decompressed image data that can be repeatedly referenced on
repeated application access requests for the corresponding
compressed data object.
[0131] Independent of whether a compressed data object is requested
from and immediately received through the socket intercept module
or from a browser image cache, particularly as determined by the
browser application itself, the core operating system issues
low-level graphics calls and accompanying data through a graphics
calls intercept module. Where the local display of the host
computer system is controlled by an application within the current
execution partition of the operating system kernel, the display
graphics calls and object data are passed as received to the
software display driver for final processing against the display
hardware.
[0132] The unique identifying tag assigned to a data object by the
socket intercept module is identified by the graphics calls
intercept module. The identifying tag is then substituted for the
actual data object within the application data stream of low-level
graphics calls and data. The resulting modified data stream is then
directed to the wireless transceiver subsystem.
[0133] Similarly, the operating system kernel directs low-level
audio calls and data to an audio calls intercept module. Any tagged
data objects, as previously identified by the socket intercept
module, are held in a dedicated cache by the operating system
kernel. When a tagged data object is cached, the tag is provided to
the audio calls intercept module. The low-level audio calls and
data may be passed locally to the software audio driver for final
processing by the audio hardware. The low-level audio calls, with
all tagged data objects substituted by their tags, may be
separately or collaboratively transferred to the wireless
transceiver subsystem.
[0134] The wireless transceiver subsystem receives an assigned
channel of data. The channel data is provided to a multi-threaded
socket data handler that operates to segregate the channel data
into separate threads corresponding implicitly to the separate
socket data threads as then identified by the socket intercept
module. The decompressor cache manager effectively multiplexes
between the different data threads to identify compressed data
objects. As each compressed data object is encountered, the
decompressor cache manager appropriately decompresses the data
object and stores the decompressed object in an object cache as
established in the main memory by operation of the control program.
If the object cache fills, given the finite amount of main memory
allocable as the cache, the decompressor cache manager sends an
invalidating message to the wireless transceiver subsystem with an
identification of the image tag of the least recently used object
in the object cache that is being invalidated. This message is
returned to the graphics calls intercept module that manages a list
of all valid tagged objects within the object cache. Thus, whenever
the application and GUI code module directs the transfer of an
untagged data object, a tagged compressed data object can be
quickly formed from the data provided by the application and GUI
code module and forwarded through the wireless transceiver
subsystem.
[0135] When the thread handler provides a tagged data object
reference to the decompressor cache manager, a list of valid tags
maintained by the cache manager is checked to select a
corresponding data object from the object cache for transfer to the
display control system. These data objects, in connection with the
graphics call stream passed through the wireless transceiver
subsystem are then utilized by the display control system to
compose a composite display image that is presented on the panel by
the display hardware.
[0136] Audio sound clips are handled through the decompressor cache
manager in a manner generally similar to graphics data objects. The
socket intercept module identifies audio clips within the network
channel data stream as another specific form of compressed data
object. The compressed audio data object is bypassed immediately to
the wireless transceiver subsystem while, at the same time, being
passed to the application core operating system module. The audio
calls intercept module maintains a list of the data object tags
associated with bypassed compressed audio data objects. As
references to tagged data objects are received by the audio calls
intercept module, tag substitution is again performed prior to the
audio low-level call being forwarded to the wireless transceiver
subsystem.
[0137] The threaded socket data handler receives and distinguishes
a message as containing an audio call and a compressed audio data
object. The threaded socket data handler 168 passes the object to
an appropriate multiplexer channel of the decompressor cache
manager for storage in the object cache as any other data object.
However, unlike graphics data objects processed through the
decompressor cache manager, compressed audio data objects may be
stored directly in the object cache where the necessary
decompression routine for the audio data is supported directly in
the hardware of the audio output module. Alternately, the
decompressor cache manager may operate stream decompress and pass
the audio data object to the audio output module without storing
the object in the object cache. The decompressor cache manager may
alternately perform a preprocessing function on compressed audio
data objects to transform the compression representation of the
object or partially decompress the object to a point where
dedicated hardware provided in the audio output module can complete
any required further decoding and decompressing as the audio data
object is streamed to the audio hardware.
[0138] The audio hardware includes the transducer of the wireless
device. Inbound audio is routed by the audio hardware to the audio
output module. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
the audio output module compresses and encodes the inbound audio
stream to the extent supported by the hardware of the audio output
module. The stream of audio data objects produced from the audio
output module are passed to the wireless transceiver subsystem for
transmission through the wireless subsystem. These inbound audio
data objects are then passed to the audio calls intercept module
for selective reintegration into an appropriate application
execution partition of the core operating system module.
Consequently, the executing application expecting audio input from
the audio hardware receives the audio data object stream as though
acquired through the software audio driver and audio hardware.
[0139] Finally, an input event module receives and processes
keyboard, pointer and touch screen input information into a
corresponding set of inbound input event messages that are
forwarded ultimately to the input event multiplexer module. The
received input events are matched through the input event
multiplexer module to the appropriate application execution
partition of the core operating system module. Thus again, the
partition executing application receives the input events as though
locally generated by the host computer system itself.
[0140] A combined data flow 500 further detailing the handling of
compressed data objects is shown in FIG. 5. As shown, the flow
handles both network received and locally or host generated
compressed data objects. Network originated compressed data objects
are parsed from the inbound network data steam in operation 502. As
individual objects are identified and determined to be of a
compressed form that can be handled directly by the control
program, the compressed data objects are routed in operation 504
for copy down 506 directly to the control program.
[0141] The inbound network data stream is processed generally by
the operating system of the host computer and passed in operation
508, as appropriate, to applications 510, 512 executing on the host
computer system. In the case of a browser application, or the like,
compressed data objects are frequently requested and received from
the inbound data stream. Conversely, a local application may not
receive any externally originated compressed data objects that can
be directly handled by the control program. Indeed, the local
application need not receive any data from the network data stream.
In any event, the browser application and local application may
manipulate any received data objects, including decompressing and
decoding the objects. Both the browser and local applications may
function to generate new data objects.
[0142] Both the browser application and local application
ultimately issue calls to the operating system executing on the
host computer. These calls and accompanying or referenced data
objects are received by the operating system in operation 514. A
series of low-level calls and data objects responsively generated
by the operating system is then passed to the pseudo-display
driver, for example. The series of calls and objects are processed
to particularly distinguish data objects and call commands in
operation 516.
[0143] Data objects are examined in operation 518 to distinguish
between tagged and untagged data objects. At a minimum, tagged data
objects can be identified by comparing at least a signature of the
data object to a local list of known tagged data objects maintained
by the pseudo-display driver. Where a signature match is found, the
corresponding tag is provided in place of the data object in
operation 520. The data object tag is then prepared as part of a
message for copy-down to the control program.
[0144] Where a data object fails to match a known tagged object
signature, the data object is assumed to have been created locally
by the applications. Such local data objects are first compressed
in operation 522 and prepared in operation 524 for copy-down to the
control program.
[0145] As each message is prepared for copy-down individual
messages are identified by thread and multiplexed for transmission
to the wireless transceiver subsystem.
[0146] Once received by the control program, a message is examined
in operation 526 to determine whether the message includes a data
object tag. A control program local list of known object tags is
scanned to determine if a corresponding pre-decompressed data
object is present in the object cache. When a matching data object
tag is found, the tag is replaced in operation 528 with a pointer
to the corresponding pre-decompressed data object stored in the
object cache. Preferably, the data object is identified by
reference thereby reducing memory-to-memory data copies of the
tagged data objects. A message is then further examined in
operation 530 for the existence of compressed inline data objects.
Each identified inline data object is then decompressed in
operation 532. The inline data object may then be selectively
provided with a local data object tag generated by the control
program. By default, inline data objects that are greater than an
empirically selected default size of five kilobytes are tagged by
the control program. A flag provided as part of a message including
a data object may be used to explicitly determine whether the
inline data object is to be tagged or not by the control program.
The data object, regardless of whether tagged or not is then cached
in the object cache in operation 534. Untagged data objects will
have the lowest priority for remaining in the cache. Where a tag is
generated by the control program, a copy of the new data object tag
is added to the local lists of known data object tags that are
utilized in identifying tagged data objects on both the host
computer system and wireless device. These lists are updated as
appropriate whenever tagged data objects are newly cached or
expired from the cache immediately or by cache flush. The host list
is preferably updated with respect to control program generated
tags based on a memory management model executed as part of the
pseudo display driver. Alternately whenever the control program
updates its tag list, a message directing a corresponding update to
the tag list maintained on the host computer system can be
generated and returned by the control program.
[0147] Finally, a reference to the cached data object is placed
into the stream of application calls within the message. The calls
and referenced data objects are then implemented in operation 536
by forwarding to the display control system module. Display calls
that reference cached data objects operate to copy at least
selected portions of the data objects to the memory as appropriate
to carry out the application call. Consequently, the density of
data objects transmitted to the wireless device is maximized for
both network and local host generated data while minimizing the
display latency impact due to the limited available transmission
data bandwidth between the host computer system and wireless
device.
[0148] The present invention allows a user to create an information
portal whose source and content is completely customizable.
Information on the web exists in the form of hyperlinks that appear
in different web sites. A news site for example may contain
headlines that are hyperlinks to their detailed exposition. In
typical portals, the user chooses from a pre-determined set of
headlines collected from a pre-determined set of web-sites. The
user has no control over either the web-sites he/she gets the
content from or the headlines that are taken from those web-sites.
The present invention allows the user to completely configure both
the source and content that he/she wants on his/her own portal.
[0149] FIG. 6 illustrates a process 600 for generating a customized
network user interface according to one embodiment of the present
invention. A management interface is provided in operation 602. The
management interface allows a user to select and manage information
that is displayed on an information screen and viewed by the user.
The management interface includes information of at least one
content source which can be selected. It should be noted that such
information can include such things as portions of web pages, links
to web pages, or any other type of information. Such a content
source can be a web page or any other content source. In operation
604, the user is further allowed to select portions of the
information of one or more of the content sources. The selected
information of the content source may then be marked in operation
606. In operation 608, such marked information is stored for
subsequent retrieval in operation 610. Various changes in the
marked information may be checked in operation 612, and in
operation 614, the marked information may then be displayed on the
information screen.
[0150] In one embodiment of the present invention, the information
screen may include a plurality of different views. Each view may
contain at least one window for displaying the marked information.
Further, the user may be allowed to select, maximize, minimize,
refresh and edit the content of the window.
[0151] In another embodiment of the present invention, the user may
be allowed to share the views with other users such as via
electronic mail or by permitting access to the views. As an option,
the marked information may be presented on the information screen
over a configurable number of days in the past. Further, the user
may be allowed to drag and drop the information from the
customizing interface to the information screen. The information
may also be marked upon dropping the information in the information
screen.
[0152] In still yet another embodiment, the step of marking the
selected information may include determining an address of the
selected information and a table, row, column, and/or cell of the
selected information. Further, the step of checking for change of
the marked information may include the steps of determining whether
the content of the marked information has changed and determining
whether the format of the marked information has changed. As yet
another option, the step of checking for change of the marked
information may be performed at predetermined intervals.
[0153] According to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the user is presented with a page that contains the
user's information of choice from an arbitrary number of different
sources and presented in a completely customizable format. The page
consists of different "views" where each view in turn contains
multiple windows. The number of views and the number of windows in
each view can be configured.
[0154] Each particular window contains hyperlinks that have been
selected by the user from web-sites of his/her choice. A window may
for instance be dedicated for international news and could contain
hyperlinks selected by the user from any number of web-sites of
his/her choice. The user has complete freedom in selecting the
source of his/her content (i.e. the web-site) and the content from
that source (i.e. the hyperlinks).
[0155] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a process 700 for allowing a user
to customize an information portal according to one embodiment of
the present invention. When the user wishes to add content, a
web-page chosen by the user is presented in operation 702. In
operation 704, the user is then allowed to select the headline or
hyperlink of his/her choice and simply drags and drops it into
his/her portal. From that point on, in operation 706, the content
from that headline or hyperlink will be brought to the user's
portal regularly. In operation 708, a check for any change or
update of the content is made. If the content changes or is
refreshed, the new content will be brought to the user. In
operation 710, the user is further allowed to edit the content of
his/her portal at will by adding or deleting headlines, moving them
from one window to another within a view or moving them to other
windows in different views.
[0156] Another embodiment of the present invention includes the
following parts: (a) An interface that displays the user customized
information, (b) an interface that allows the user to select and
manage the information of choice, (c) a mechanism for marking
selected information contained in a web-page (d) a method for
communicating that information to the backend servers that process
and store that information, (e) a mechanism for the storage of the
selected information (f) a mechanism for regularly retrieving
selected information and (g) a mechanism for checking for change in
the content or the format of the selected sources of
information.
The User Interface to Display Preferred Content
[0157] The user interface comprises "views", each of which contain
multiple windows. The number of windows in a view is completely
configurable. The user may create or delete as many views as he/she
may desire. This user interface allows a user to cleanly categorize
related information within individual windows and views. This
provides a user one place to access all of his/her favorite
information and content from the web. This content includes (but is
not limited to) (a) News and Information headlines (of all sorts)
(b) Information about email, bank and other accounts (c)
Information about shopping and comparison of rates and prices (d)
Graphs, Images, Sounds or any other media.
[0158] This content is presented to the user with an ability to
edit and manage it intuitively and interactively. Some of the
features of the management process include (a) a presentation of
the user's selected information over a configurable number of days
in the past (b) an ability to select, maximize, minimize, refresh
or edit the content of individual windows (c) to "publish" user's
views into a directory of views and (d) to share these views with
other people by emailing them the views.
The Interface for Selection and Management of Preferred Content
[0159] The interface that allows the user to create his/her
customized portal is based on an intuitive drag and drop
capability. The user simply selects the sources or headlines of
choice and drags and drops them into windows and views of choice.
The drag and drop feature also makes customization very easy for
the user, allowing quick compilation and management of their
preferred content. There are two levels of selection and management
provided, default and advanced.
[0160] Referring to FIG. 8, in a default mode process 800 for
allowing selection and management of preferred content according to
one embodiment of the present invention, a user is presented with a
set of web-sites or other sources of content in operation 802. In
operation 804, the user is allowed to select a site and then drag
and drop it into a window of choice. Once that is done,
pre-selected content from that source is automatically added to the
window in operation 806.
[0161] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an advanced mode process 900 for
allowing selection and management of preferred content according to
an embodiment of the present invention.
[0162] In operation 902, a user is allowed to select a web-site
from a list or specify its URL. A new window is presented in
operation 904 that shows the selected web-site. In operation 906,
the user is allowed to choose content of choice from the web-site
and drag and drop it into a window of choice.
The Mechanism for Tagging Selected Information Contained in a
Web-Page
[0163] Web-pages are created using HTML (Hyper Text Markup
Language). The content in a web-page is formatted using a tabular
format where each table is composed of individual cells distributed
into a number of rows and columns. A table may contain other tables
within its individual cells. The tagging of selected information
within a web-page hinges upon assigning an address to each item of
content within the web-page. The addressing scheme takes into
account the table(s), row(s), column(s) and cell(s) an item of
content belongs to. An item of content can be identified by its
address within a web-page and (ii) all the addressing schemes that
take into account the table(s), row(s), column(s) and cell(s) an
item of content belongs to. The addressing scheme works as
follows:
[0164] The page is viewed to be composed of tables that may
themselves contain other tables. The tables that are not contained
in any other table (highest-level tables) are assigned identifying
numbers starting from 1. Tables contained within the highest-level
tables are assigned numbers that take into account the tables that
contain them. If a table is not contained in any other table, then
it may be assigned a number, say 3. If table number 3 contains two
tables, then they will be assigned numbers 3-1 and 3-2
respectively. Each table is composed of a unique number of rows and
columns. Each item of content resides within a cell that belongs to
a specific row and column of a table. The complete address of an
item of content is then the unique identifier of the table that
contains it and the position of that item of content within that
table.
[0165] Once the address of selected content is determined, it is
converted into a hyperlink that contains the original content or a
hyperlink to it, and its address. When a user drags and drops that
selected content into a window of choice, that hyperlink and all of
its associated information is sent through the window to the
servers where it is entered into a database.
[0166] This mechanism also allows a capture of configurable
sections of a web-page, including individual words, lines,
paragraphs.
[0167] In the case of secure information like email or bank
accounts, the mechanism followed is as follows:
[0168] 1. First forms are created to allow a user to log into their
accounts. These forms consist of (a) Dynamic information (like the
user name and password) which is captured during the session (b)
Static information that is required by the remote account server
which is stored in a database and retrieved when an account is
selected.
[0169] 2. Using the dynamic and static information, the server logs
into the remote server.
[0170] 3. The account information is retrieved.
[0171] 4. The account information is presented in a suitable and
configurable format.
A Mechanism for Recognizing a Web Page, Based on its Contents as
Specified by the User
[0172] A state's "output structure" description for a state is
created and then used during replay to recognize a state of the web
page. The term "output structure" refers to the window and frame
structure of the output from the remote application. The output
structure description contains the information about how many
windows were presented to the user at a given state in remote
application and how many frames were in each window and the nesting
structure of those frames.
[0173] FIG. 10 depicts a process 1000 for recognizing a state based
on a current output, according to one embodiment of the present
invention. In operation 1002, current output is retrieved from a
remote application utilizing a network, the current output
corresponding to a state of the remote application. An output
structure description of the remote state is generated in operation
1004. The output structure description is preferably of a window
and frame structure of the output. The output structure definition
is compared to a pre-defined state definition of a recorded state
(called a state description) in operation 1006. In operation 1008,
a determination is made as to whether the remote state corresponds
to the recorded state. Note that the recorded state definition is
created during recording of the pattern.
[0174] More detail can be found in copending U.S. patent
application entitled SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT
FOR RECOGNIZING A STATE OF A REMOTE APPLICATION, from which
priority is claimed and which is incorporated by reference.
A Mechanism for Retrieving Network Content
[0175] A User Agent (UA) is able to fetch web pages of interest and
render them correctly. The operation of the User Agent can be
likened to remote controlling navigation of a browser on a remote
server. For example, the User Agent acts as an intermediary on a
remote server that can be commanded to go online and retrieve
content, and then send it for rendering for output on a wireless
device.
[0176] The User Agent can be used both via a network interface and
Interprocessor Communication (IPC). Furthermore, it has performance
and scalability befitting a server application.
[0177] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a process 1100 for User Agent
operation. In operation 1102, a network site is accessed utilizing
a network. This can be done by navigating to a particular web site
using its URL, for example. In operation 1104, a user interaction
is simulated for navigating the network site based on client
specifications (i.e., directions). An example of such navigation is
logging in to a web site. The client is a process that makes
requests to and receives output from the Use r Agent. A web page is
retrieved from the site in operation 1106. Such content can be part
or all of a web page, for example, such as the resulting page that
is accessible upon logging in to a web site. In operation 1108,
identifiers are assigned to elements of the web page. For example,
the third element on the page could be assigned the ID "3". The web
page is rendered for further processing utilizing the identifiers
in operation 1110. The rendering can include converting the
resulting page into XHTML for processing by another system
component and/or output on a user device. Note that XHTML is used
herein by way of example; any other XML compliant format may be
used; that is, if the page loaded by the User Agent is an XML page,
as opposed to an HTML page, it is not converted to XHTML, but
rather is passed on to the client in its original XML format. In
operation 1112, dynamic content of the web page such as scripting
is rendered utilizing the identifiers. The rendered web page is
returned to the client in operation 1114. As noted above, the
rendered content can be output to a user device, such as a wireless
device. The wireless device can include a wireless telephone,
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), handheld computer such as a
handheld PC, a pager, a device connected to a wireless modem, or
any type of device capable of receiving information where at least
one of the communication links is wireless.
[0178] In one aspect of the present invention, navigation from the
web page is performed. For example, navigating from the web page
can include of clicking links on a web page, submitting forms,
and/or firing scripting events (clicking a link being a specific
kind of event).
[0179] In another aspect of the present invention, the client is
informed of changed frames. The User Agent is able to inform the
client which frame(s) have changed since the last event was
executed. Navigating to a specified URL would be considered an
event in this context. Typically, this would be used by the client
to determine which frames have changed since the last event was
executed and it would then request only the modified frames. In a
further aspect, specified frames are sent to the client. The User
Agent is ideally able to send any frames which are requested to the
client. Often, a web page will comprise a single frame. However, if
the page comprises multiple frames, the User Agent is able to send
a selected single frame (or a specified subset of the frames) to
the client.
[0180] In a further aspect, a network interface is provided. A
runtime engine can use a network interface to make requests to the
User Agent. It uses the network interface to navigate the User
Agent and to request the web pages from it. As an option, a
Component Object Model (COM) interface can be provided. In a
preferred environment, the User Agent is embedded as a COM object.
The embedding application can then interact with the User Agent's
browser component directly. It may then also request the XHTML
representations of the current web page. Again, XHTML is used
herein by way of example, and any other XML compliant format can be
used.
[0181] The User Agent is preferably a Windows application, but can
also be a Linux or Unix application, among others. It can use COM
and standard Microsoft browser libraries (i.e. MSHTML.DLL) or it
can use other browser libraries such as Mozilla. In addition, it
can use standard libraries for common functionality (e.g. HTTP
communication).
Functionality
[0182] The User Agent is able to fetch the web pages and render
them "correctly". While there is no universally agreed upon
definition of "correct", the User Agent attempts to conform to de
facto standards. The User Agent acts, to the degree possible, like
a web browser running on a desktop machine and operated by a single
user. Broadly speaking, a preferred embodiment of the User
Agent:
[0183] satisfies all protocol requirements (e.g. HTTP, FTP, SSL and
TLS),
[0184] supports all technologies of interest (e.g. JavaScript,
VBScript),
[0185] renders pages in a generally accepted manner
[0186] shares no state information with any other User Agent
instance.
[0187] Remote web sites should not be able to determine whether
they are interacting with a human user on a dedicated machine or
the User Agent. For example, two different User Agents running on
the same server should be able to simultaneously log-in to Hotmail
using two different user names (and get two different pages).
[0188] The User Agent can be run remotely on a dedicated server. A
network interface is exposed so that remote clients can interact
with the UA. HTTP can be used to provide this interface. As it is a
very widely used protocol, it allows for a very flexible system
design (as many diverse clients can speak HTTP) and there are a
plethora of standard tools (e.g. performance auditing, load
balancing, security tracking) available for it.
[0189] The User Agent can support a COM interface so that it can be
embedded into the DT at runtime. It can also support an HTTP
interface so that it can be used by remote clients at runtime.
[0190] The User Agent is able to navigate to a desired web page
(rendering any dynamic content) and then send an XHTML
representation of the rendered web page (which may comprise several
frames) to the client. It also allows for the client to be able to
direct it to a specified URL, click links, submit forms and fire
scripting events on the page. Preferably, it is able to: Note that
XHTML is used herein by way of example, and any XML compliant
format can be used.
[0191] 1. Navigate to a specified URL and retrieve the associated
page over the network. This is the process of actually making
network requests and receiving responses. It involves handling all
required network protocols, including protocol requirements such as
maintaining client-side state information (e.g. HTTP cookies) and
having appropriate security certificates.
[0192] 2. Render those pages, tag them and convert them to XHTML.
Once the page has been fetched, any dynamic elements (e.g.
scripting) are rendered in XHTML for output on the device. While
JavaScript is the scripting language of choice, any common
scripting language (such as VBScript) could be used. The User Agent
also generates and assigns unique IDs to each element on the page.
It can use the integer indices of the elements on the page for the
IDs (starting from one). For example, the third element on the page
would be assigned the ID "3". It then converts the resulting page
into XHTML if it is an HTML page. To render a page, the UA executes
any scripting which is to be executed upon the page loading (prior
to any user actions). Any scripting which is run as a result of a
user action (for example, onMouseOver) is not executed at this
point.
[0193] Preferably, no scripting is removed or modified from the
page. Thus, if a naive client loads the page into a script-capable
browser, it will then execute any automatic events twice. In
addition, if an event is fired, whatever script would have been
originally called is executed. If the client wishes to modify these
events (so that, for example, onClick calls a script of the
client's choice instead of the original script), the client
modifies the script.
[0194] 3. Navigate from the current web page as specified by other
Platform components. This includes clicking links on a web page,
submitting forms and firing scripting events. This comprises two
parts: filling in forms and firing events (clicking a link being a
specific kind of event). Given a specified event (complete with all
the parameters needed to execute that event, including the element
on which the event is to be fired), the User Agent executes the
event on the web page. Typical events include onClick and
onSubmit.
[0195] 4. Inform the client of changed frames--The User Agent, upon
request, informs the client which frame(s) have changed since the
last event was executed. Navigating to a specified URL can be
considered an event in this context. Typically, this would be used
by the client to determine which frames have changed since the last
event was executed and it would then fetch only the modified
frames.
[0196] 5. Send specified frames to client--The User Agent can be
able to send any frames which are requested to the client. Often, a
web page will comprise a single frame. However, if the page
comprises multiple frames, the User Agent is able to send only a
single frame (or a specified subset of the frames) to the
client.
[0197] 6. Provide a network interface. The runtime engine uses a
network interface to make requests to the User Agent. It uses the
network interface to navigate the User Agent and to request the web
pages from it.
[0198] 7. Provide a COM interface. The design-time environment can
embed the User Agent as a COM object. It is then able to interact
with the browser directly. It may then also request the XHTML
representations of the current web page.
[0199] 8. Support scaling easily to multiple server configurations.
It is possible to add servers to a UA server farm easily, quickly
and without any of interruption of service.
[0200] More information regarding the User Agent can be found in
U.S. patent application entitled SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER
PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR A USER AGENT FOR PATTERN REPLAY, from which
priority is claimed and which is incorporated by reference.
The Mechanism for Local Storage or Caching of Selected Content
[0201] The selected information is cached or stored locally to
enable a faster access. Once a web site is selected by a user, a
copy of the site, including text and images, is kept locally in the
servers. When any user requests a page that has been requested
before, the cached copy is presented if the content of the site has
not changed since the time the page was cached. The process is
broken down into two: Simple and Customized addition of
content:
[0202] Addition of Default content: The addition of default content
proceeds as follows:
[0203] 1. Once a site is selected, the backend identifies the
headlines that have been pre-selected for that site.
[0204] 2. The server queries the database and picks up the default
headlines.
[0205] 3. The headlines that are not included in the pre-selected
content are not included.
[0206] 4. The server contacts the ActiveX control that constitutes
the administrative page and communicates the selected
headlines.
[0207] 5. The selected headlines are visible in the ActiveX control
and are also accessible to the main user interface.
[0208] Addition of Customized content: In the case of addition of
customized content, the process is as follows:
[0209] 1. The user selects a hyperlink by dragging and dropping
them into the ActiveX control on the Administrative page.
[0210] 2. The hyperlink and related information are sent to the
servers. The information includes (a) the content of the link, (b)
its location on the page, (c) the URL of the site, (d) the identity
of the window and the view it has been dropped into and (e) the
user name.
[0211] 3. Once the link has been selected, it is added to the
database and is accessible to the main user interface.
The Mechanism for Communication of Selected Information to the
Backend Servers
[0212] Once a hyperlink is dropped into a window, information is
passed by the window to the backend servers. This information
includes the address of the hyperlink, as defined above. In
addition, the information about the window and the view containing
that window is also sent to the server. This information is then
used by scripts to generate the front page in HTML.
The Mechanism for Regular Retrieval of Preferred Content from
Selected Sites
[0213] The power of the current invention is that refreshed content
is retrieved from the selected sources of information as they are
updated. The sources of information, or web sites, selected by
users are cached locally. The web pages stored locally are
categorized according to the number of times they are requested.
High request sites are retrieved once every few hours, for
example.
The Mechanism to Check for a Change of Content or Format in the
Selected Sources of Information
[0214] Once a page has been requested by a user, it is retrieved on
a regular basis. There are two checks performed to find out a
change in the information in the page. The first involves a change
in the content of the page and the second a change in the format in
which the content is presented.
Change in a Page's Content
[0215] Every time a page is retrieved, a copy is kept locally on
servers. Once a page is automatically retrieved, the content from
the newly retrieved version of the page is compared to the content
from a previous version of the page. If there is a change in the
content, then the updated content is retrieved.
A Change in the Format of the Content
[0216] The formatting of the content in a page is stored in terms
of a complete addressing scheme for the page, which specifies the
breakdown of the page into its sub-sections. Once there is a change
in the formatting of the page, then the relations of different
sub-sections of the page to their parent sections change. A
mechanism is implemented that keeps track of the number of
differences between the format of a previously stored version of
the page and the newly retrieved version. An alert is sent to the
users if the number of differences is greater than a configurable
number.
Return of the Content to an Application Program
[0217] FIG. 12 is a flowchart depicting generation of new
applications 1202 according to one embodiment. Accordingly, a
developer is able to stitch together components 1204 of existing
applications 1206, including web applications, web services, legacy
applications, including enterprise applications, and is also able
to add new application functionality using a variety of programming
languages including Java, JavaScript and SQL, all using a visual
paradigm that allows the application to be built very quickly.
Using an intuitive user interface, the developer can publish the
new application as a web service, accessible via Simple Object
Access Protocol (SOAP--described below), through a centralized
server. The newly developed application can be made accessible on
multiple devices 1208 via any type of network, wireless or Internet
connection.
[0218] This process allows the application to be created quickly
without requiring the developer to spend days and weeks writing
code for a new application. Rather, using the processes set forth
herein, selected portions of applications in an existing
infrastructure can be reused to provide new functionality and
applications. The developer simply interacts with the existing
applications and those interactions are recorded to capture the
resulting functionality. The developer no longer needs to code to
API's. Rather, the methodology presented herein goes above API's,
to the interaction level, thus making it easier to call the
functionality of the existing infrastructure. The process is
described more completely in U.S. Provisional Patent Application
entitled SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR
APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT USING A VISUAL PARADIGM TO COMBINE EXISTING
DATA AND APPLICATIONS, from which priority is claimed and which is
incorporated by reference.
[0219] FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of a process 1300 for generating
an application according to one embodiment. An interaction with a
first application, preferably at the user-interface level, is
recorded in operation 1302 for capturing a functionality of the
first application.
[0220] The applications can be any type of application in
existence. In operation 1304, an interaction with a second
application is also recorded for capturing a functionality of the
second application. Note that the interactions may be user
interactions, interactions by other applications, etc. A pattern is
generated in operation 1306 based on the recorded interactions. The
pattern can be saved in memory such as in a file on a hard
disk.
[0221] When recording the interaction with one or more of the
applications, an interface can be displayed to allow a user to
specify interactions with the application(s) via the interface. The
user interactions are recorded and become part of the pattern as
the user interacts.
[0222] In operation 1308, an application is generated based on the
pattern. The interactions recorded in the pattern are repeated upon
replay of the pattern for providing the functionalities of the
first and second applications. In optional operation 1310, the
application is published as a network service accessible via the
Internet, an intranet, or other network.
[0223] FIG. 14 is a flow diagram depicting a process 1400 for
creating an application utilizing a graphical user interface. In
operation 1402, an interface is displayed. A user is allowed to
specify interactions with multiple applications via the interface
in operation 1404. These interactions are recorded in operation
1406. In operation 1408, a pattern is generated based on the
recorded interactions. The pattern is displayed on a graphical user
interface in operation 1410. The pattern includes a graphical
representation of each interaction. Such graphical representation
can be an icon, etc. In operation 1412, the user is allowed to
connect representations of the interactions via the graphical user
interface for specifying an order of execution of the interactions
in the pattern.
[0224] With continued reference to FIG. 14, the user is allowed to
add additional functionality to the pattern in operation 1414. In
operation 1416, a graphical representation of the additional
functionality is displayed on the graphical user interface. Thus,
by creating a pattern with recorded interactions and additional
functionality, a developer has created an application that can be
used and reused.
[0225] As an option, the pattern can include prerecorded
interactions. Thus, previously recorded interactions can be used as
"building blocks" for the new application, thereby avoiding the
need to re-record the interaction. They are merely retrieved from
storage and added to the pattern to provide functionality.
[0226] As another option, the pattern can be coupled to another
pattern to provide additional functionality. The other pattern can
be a previously created pattern that has been stored or another
pattern created jointly.
[0227] Preferably, output relating to the pattern can be specified
for multiple client devices. This can include specifying which
output is actually sent to a particular type of device, as well as
the format of the output for particular types of devices.
[0228] Once the application has been created, the pattern-based
application can be executed. FIG. 15 provides a flow of execution
1500 of the pattern-based application. Upon receiving a request for
data from a user or another application in operation 1502, a
pattern for retrieving the requested data is selected in operation
1504 based on stored information associating the pattern with the
desired functionality required to obtain the requested data. The
pattern has stored therein a recorded interaction with at least one
external application. The interaction accesses the functionality of
the external application, thereby permitting data to be obtained
from the external application. In operation 1506, the pattern is
replayed to execute the recorded interaction. In operation 1508,
the recorded interaction is conducted as specified in the pattern
for obtaining the requested data. The requested data is received in
operation 1510. The received data can be further processed and/or
output. Note operations 1512 and 1514. For example, the received
data can then be processed for output on a particular type of
device as specified in the pattern, and/or can be processed for
output on multiple types of devices such as a desktop computer, a
wireless telephone, a PDA, and/or any other type of device. This
can be done by transcoding the output as described above.
EXAMPLE
[0229] Consider the following example of a logistics application. A
company is currently using the following system. A truck driver
delivers goods and notes the delivery on a sheet, returns to
headquarters, and gives sheet to data entry. If there were problems
or he was unable to deliver the goods, he writes the details on the
sheet and data entry sends an email to a manager.
[0230] The company wants to automate this process. The desired
application is to have the following parameters. The driver is to
be given a PDA or voice phone (for communicating via a voice
portal, as described in copending U.S. patent application entitled
VOICE APPLICATIONS AND VOICE-BASED INTERFACE, from which priority
is claimed and which is incorporated by reference). The driver is
to enter a status or problem via the PDA or voice phone. The
information is either entered in database, or sent to report
generation, which creates a report and sends it to a manager. The
manager is to be able to check status/reports on a desktop.
[0231] To perform all of these functions, the application must
interface with a backend resource management system (how company
resources are being used), and go into a customer management system
(customer database) to see if the customer is not available at a
particular delivery time or has billing issues. The application
must also be able to communicate with the driver's device, whether
connected or disconnected. Also, the application must be capable of
generating an alert to the manager.
[0232] To create such a pervasive application in the prior art
method, the developer must learn about and write code for the PDA
(Palm Pilot, etc). Code must also be written to handle the
transactions that occur when the driver interacts and his data
comes to the application on the server. A connection to the
databases must be opened and the driver's communications written
in. Further, the developer must write code that checks for
exceptions written by someone (for example, if delivery doesn't
happen by this time, send alert) via an administrative interface
created by someone. Then if someone (manager) wants to log on
through a desktop, the developer must create an interface for that
too. Thus, the developer has to write a lot of software.
[0233] According to the methodology presented herein, a pervasive
application connecting all of these applications and devices can be
quickly built and implemented. Using the IDT, the developer merely
needs to interact with the various devices and programs. The IDT
captures the interactions, which are then used to create a pattern
or patterns.
[0234] A form presented on the PDA can be generated using the
publisher for mobile devices described in copending U.S. patent
application entitled SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT
FOR A CONTENT PUBLISHER FOR WIRELESS DEVICES filed Jul. 10, 2001
under Ser. No. 09/902,929, and which is herein incorporated by
reference. The driver can enter information on the form, which is
transmitted to the new application via an existing communications
program. The developer interacts with the existing communications
program in such a way that the desired data is obtained. The
developer's interaction is recorded and placed in a pattern, as
described above. Upon replay of the pattern, the desired data is
again retrieved. To create the alerts, the developer interacts with
an email program, entering delivery and content information. Again,
this interaction is recorded and placed in the pattern. The
developer is then able to set criteria for which alert is sent upon
receipt of information from the driver.
Transaction Object Model (TOM)
[0235] One embodiment allows developers to create transaction
objects, which they can use as building blocks to create
applications. In sharp contrast to the prior art, the methodology
set forth herein overcome the "fixed menu" drawback of prior art
systems and allows a developer to use any existing functionality by
capturing it in a pattern.
[0236] Any software application can be seen as a set of functional
flows. Each transaction can be seen as a transaction object. The
transaction objects are captured and converted into building blocks
that a developer can use and reuse. The developer no longer needs
to select from a predefined set of building blocks, but can capture
the blocks from any application. Now, the entire universe of
applications provides building blocks. Any portion of any
application by anyone can become a building block.
[0237] The developer selects the desired blocks and writes some
code around the block (if necessary) to create a new application.
Further, the system is flexible, allowing the developer to add and
remove blocks at will.
[0238] Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) is a way for a program
running in one kind of operating system (such as Windows 2000) to
communicate with a program in the same or another kind of an
operating system (such as Linux) by using the World Wide Web's
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and its Extensible Markup
Language (XML) as the mechanisms for information exchange. Since
Web protocols are installed and available for use by all major
operating system platforms, HTTP and XML provide an already at-hand
solution to the problem of how programs running under different
operating systems in a network can communicate with each other.
SOAP specifies exactly how to encode an HTTP header and an XML file
so that a program in one computer can call a program in another
computer and pass it information. It also specifies how the called
program can return a response.
[0239] SOAP was developed by Microsoft, DevelopMentor, and Userland
Software and has been proposed as a standard interface to the
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It is somewhat similar to
the Internet Inter-ORB Protocol (IIOP), a protocol that is part of
the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA). Sun
Microsystems'Remote Method Invocation (RMI) is a similar
client/server interprogram protocol between programs written in
Java.
[0240] An advantage of SOAP is that program calls are much more
likely to get through firewall servers that screen out requests
other than those for known applications (through the designated
port mechanism). Since HTTP requests are usually allowed through
firewalls, programs using SOAP to communicate can be sure that they
can communicate with programs anywhere.
Voice Functionality
[0241] A Voice Habitat according to one embodiment is a modified
Habitat which provides several functions, including:
[0242] Providing a hosting environment for VoiceLets. A VoiceLet is
a voice application, or more particularly, a piece of voice
application functionality that can be added to the habitat and
configured to provide the functionality to the end user. For
example, an email access VoiceLet can be dragged into the habitat
by the end user, and configured to access the user's email inbox.
The user can then access email via the voice habitat. A detailed
description of voicelets is provided below.
[0243] Allowing the user to interact with any content/application
dragged into a voice-enabled container.
[0244] Creating alerts that cause the user to be notified via a
voice telephone call.
[0245] The following features may be added to the Habitat, among
others:
[0246] 1. Voice Authentication--The user is authenticated using a
PIN, user name, or combination of the two. The user can be
authenticated using their voice print (speaker verification), or in
the case of a limited set of users, the user can be identified
using their voice print (speaker identification).
[0247] 2. Voice Enabling Containers--The user can specify for a
given container (View or Window) whether or not that container
should be voice enabled when the user dials in.
[0248] 3. Voice Enabled Content--When calling up, the user can
select to listen to content items (both text or audio files)
dragged into the habitat, and interact with applications aggregated
into the habitat using VoiceLets.
[0249] The user may access the voice habitat by calling in to the
habitat via telephone, connecting using Internet telephony, etc.
Note that the user can also access the habitat using any other
device as well, such as computer, PDA, etc.
[0250] VoiceLets are reusable voice applications that can be hosted
in the habitat, or accessed independently of the habitat, and are
used to quickly provide useful applications to the end user. Each
VoiceLet can be implemented as a plug-in module which is configured
by the administrator and/or the end user, and which presents its
interface entirely in voice, using a VoiceLet API (discussed
below). As an option, some or all of the VoiceLets can be optimized
and tuned to perform specific tasks.
[0251] VoiceLets can provide, for example, access to internet, POP3
and MAPI email systems, LDAP or MAPI compliant directory systems,
text or audio content, etc. Each VoiceLet can be developed and
tuned to provide an optimal user experience, thus saving the
developer the time and effort of re-creating that interface.
VoiceLets can be fully configurable by both administrators and
end-users, and can be easily incorporated into a larger voice
application, particularly when implemented as VoiceXML sub-dialogs.
The VoiceXML for the VoiceLet can be generated by a transcoder at
run-time, and can be formatted by a transcoder to maximally utilize
the capabilities of the particular VoiceXML browser that is used to
access the VoiceLet. This provides more certainty that the VoiceLet
will work correctly regardless of the VoiceXML platform used to
deploy it, without sacrificing any of the benefits of that
particular VoiceXML platform.
[0252] Illustrative VoiceLets that can be used with the voice
habitat include:
[0253] 1. User Authentication--Authenticates a user accessing the
Habitat or some other voice application.
[0254] 2. Audio Advertisement--Plays back an audio advertisement to
the user.
[0255] 3. Email--Provides access to an email inbox and other email
functions.
[0256] 4. Address book--Provides access to address book and
directory services.
[0257] 5. Content--Wraps a specific piece of content, e.g.
news/entertainment/finance, driving directions, etc
[0258] 6. Security--Front-end for any username/password based
account. Used to additionally protect access to sensitive user
data.
[0259] 7. Exit--Allows the user to gracefully exit the Habitat.
[0260] A more complete description of voice-enabled technology is
provided in U.S. patent application entitled VOICE APPLICATIONS AND
VOICE-BASED INTERFACE, from which priority is claimed and which is
incorporated by reference.
[0261] While various embodiments have been described above, it
should be understood that they have been presented by way of
example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of a
preferred embodiment should not be limited by any of the above
described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in
accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
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