Method and system for modifying and transmitting data between a portable computer and a network

Abstract

A system for assisting a mobile client interact with associated computers includes a mobile device, a broker, a mini-server and a personal agent. The mobile device transmits requests which include identification information and security information. The requests are transmitted to the mini-server either directly or through the broker. The requests may also be transmitted to the personal agent. Public and restricted requests are transmitted to the mini-server which responds to the requests by providing information accessible through the internet. Private requests are transmitted to the personal agent. Secure connections between the mobile device, broker, mini-server and personal agent are used if required by the security level of the request. The mini-server or personal agent obtains the requested information and formats the requested information according to the requirements of the mobile client identification. The requested information is transmitted to the mobile client in a format which accounts for the visual display limitations of the mobile client.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing information to mobile devices comprising the steps:

providing a mobile device having a visual display, a broker and a personal agent computer having a personal agent database, wherein the mobile device, the broker and the mini-server are each separate computers:

transmitting a query which include identification information to the broker;

transmitting the query to the personal agent computer;

processing the query according to rules obtained from the personal agent database;

obtaining requested information;

formatting the requested information for the visual display of the mobile device;

transmitting the requested information to the mobile device;

displaying at least a portion of the requested information on the visual display of the mobile device;

attaching a ticket to the request;

storing the request in the request que of the broker; and

transmitting retrieval information from the broker to the mobile device;

wherein the transmitting the requested information to the mobile device step is only performed if the mobile device transmits the retrieval information to the broker.

2. The method for providing information to mobile devices of claim 1 wherein the query includes security information and the transmitting steps made are over secure connections if required by the security information.

3. The method for providing information to a mobile device of claim 1 further comprising the steps:

transmitting the query from the broker to a mini-server;

processing the query according to rules from the mini-server ruleset; and

obtaining requested information and returning said information to the broker.

4. The method for providing information to mobile devices of claim 1 further comprising the steps: transmitting retrieval information to the mobile device, and transmitting the requested information to the mobile device if the retrieval information is transmitted to the broker.

5. A method for providing information to a mobile device comprising the steps:

providing a mobile device having a visual display, a broker and a personal agent computer having a personal agent rule set, wherein the mobile device, the broker and the personal agent computer are each separate computers;

transmitting a query which is initiated by the mobile device and includes identification information to the broker;

transmitting the query from the broker to the personal agent computer, upon request of the personal agent computer, wherein the request contains identifying information to be matched to the identification information in the query;

processing of the query by the personal agent computer according to rules contained in the personal agent rule set;

transmitting the resulting requested information from the personal agent computer to the broker;

formatting the requested information for the visual display of the mobile device;

transmitting the requested information from the broker to the mobile device when initiated by the mobile device; and

displaying at least a portion of the requested information that has been specially formatted on the visual display of the mobile device;

attaching a ticket to the query;

storing the query with the ticket in a request que of the broker;

transmitting the retrieval information from the broker to the mobile device;

transmitting the query and the ticket that is attached to the query from the broker to the personal agent computer if the personal agent computer is authenticated by matching identification information;

providing the ticket along with resulting information from the personal agent to the broker; and

storing the resulting information associated with the ticket by the broker; wherein the transmitting of the request information to the mobile device step is only performed if the mobile device transmits the retrieval information to the broker.

6. The method for providing information to mobile devices of claim 5 wherein the query includes security information and the transmitting steps made are over secure connections if required by the security information.

7. The method for providing information to a mobile device of claim 5 further comprising the steps:

transmitting the query from the broker to a mini-server;

processing the query according to rules from the mini-server ruleset; and

obtaining requested information and returning said information to the broker.

8. The method for providing information to mobile devices of claim 5 further comprising the steps:

transmitting retrieval information to the mobile device; and

transmitting the requested information to the mobile device if the retrieval information is transmitted to the broker.

Description

BACKGROUND

Personal digital assistants (PDA) are mobile devices which typically include an input device, a visual display, a memory and a microprocessor. PDAs may provide information and perform limited tasks for the user. A PDA typically works together with another computer by sharing and "synchronizing" data such as contacts lists and schedule information. In order to share data, the PDA may need a wired connection to be connected to the computer.

Some PDAs are capable of obtaining information directly from the internet. Information on the internet is typically obtained using the HTTP protocol and includes HTML documents. In order to access a web site, a computer specifies a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) which is a unique address associated with a specific file published on the Internet. The HTML documents associated with the URL contain information that is generally formatted for displays in image on a full sized monitor. Because PDAs typically have smaller visual displays and limited amounts of memory they may not be capable of displaying entire HTML documents as they were intended to be displayed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventive mobile assistant system includes hardware and software which facilitate communications between mobile clients (PDAs) and the internet or an associated personal agent (desktop computer). Users can submit requests through their mobile client to the mobile assistant system which responds by obtaining the requested information or performing the requested task. The mobile assistant system recognizes the type of PDA being used and can modify the information transmitted to the mobile client so that it will be properly displayed visual display of the PDA. The mobile assistant also allows a user to interact securely and remotely with applications on his or her desktop computer to carry out tasks such as: banking, accounting, bidding in auctions, stock trading, etc.

In an embodiment, the mobile assistant system includes one or more mobile clients, a personal agent, a broker and a mini-server, each of which is a computer running the local assistant program. The mobile client transmits requests, which may be for information, data, program downloads, reminders or spidering (to summarize job opportunities), to either the broker or the mini-server. The broker acts like a message center receiving requests from the mobile client and forwarding them to the appropriate source of information. The request includes information identifying the mobile client as well as special security data, if confidential information is being requested.

The mobile assistant system operates over a range of security levels. The requests may also indicate a security level such as public, restricted or private. Information that is freely accessible over the internet is "public." Public requests may not require any user identification, authentication or a secure communications connection. Restricted information may be information which is available from a public website but which has restricted access, such as financial or brokerage account access and other confidential information. Restricted requests may require user identification, authentication and a secure communications connection. Private information may be information stored on the personal agent computer which is only accessible to the user. Private requests require user identification, authentication and a secure communications connection.

The broker determines the security level of the request and proceeds accordingly. In the case of a public level requests, the broker opens a non-secure to the mini-server and in the case of a restricted level request the broker opens a secure communications connection to the mini-server. The broker associates this connection to the client request connection, and forwards the request to the mini-server. When the mini-server receives the request, it responds by retrieving the requested information. The mini-server then extracts any information contained in the request about the mobile client device characteristics, and formats the requested information accordingly. The requested information, suitably formatted, is transmitted back to the broker. The broker then forwards this information to the mobile client on the associated mobile-client connection, completing the transaction. Because the requested information has been formatted to the PDA requirements, the required information can be fully viewed on the PDA display. The broker may be accessed through an internet URL and a single broker may support many mobile clients.

In the case of a private request the broker generates a new ticket stores the request together with this ticket in its private request database for later retrieval by a personal agent. The broker then transmits the ticket to the mobile-client in a form that can be used to access the requested information once it becomes available.

Periodically the personal agent of a mobile client will open a connection to the broker and ask for pending requests from the mobile client. The personal agent provides identification and authentication information. The broker searches its database of private requests for requests directed to the personal agent, that have no associated reply, and that have authentication data matching that provided by the personal agent. If any are found, one such is transmitted to the personal agent along with its ticket. Otherwise a 'no pending requests' message is transmitted to the personal agent. In either case the broker response ends the get-request transaction.

The personal agent, upon retrieving a ticketed request from the broker carries out the request. This may involve gathering information, or executing some task. The personal agent formulates a reply and formats it according the device characteristics of the mobile client The personal agent then opens a secure connection to the broker and posts the reply together with the request ticket. The broker stores the reply along with the ticket in the private request database.

When the mobile client submits a retrieval request, the broker searches the private request database for an item matching the ticket information of the request for which a reply has been posted. If there is a match, the broker transmits the requested information associated with the matching ticket. If the broker cannot find a matching ticket, a status message stating that the requested information is not yet available is transmitted to the mobile client or personal agent.

In an embodiment, public requests can be transmitted directly from a mobile client to the mini-server without transmitting information through the broker. Again the request includes information identifying the PDA. If information is requested, the mini-server can retrieve the requested information and format the information according to the mobile client requirements. The mini-server responds by transmitting the requested information back to the mobile client. Because public information is being requested a secure communication connection may not be required.

The personal agent, broker and mini-server all have a local assistant client side computer program which is used to monitor communications activity, determine applicable rules, interpret the rules, manage a local interaction database (IDB) and manage a local ruleset database (RDB). Rules are syntactic descriptions of conditions for selection and actions to be taken relative to a supplied information context. The ruleset is a collection of rules, data and/or meta-data which work together to implement local assistant functionality.

In an embodiment, a local assistant administrative server is also a component of the mobile assistant system. The local assistant administrative server is a source of current information for the mobile assistant system. Upgrades and other utility information can be transmitted from the local assistant administrative server to the other mobile assistant system components. The local assistant administrative server can communicate with the local agents, brokers and mini-servers so that upgrades to the rules and new features may be easily loaded.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of the local assistant system;

FIG. 2a is a diagram of the local assistant system including information flow paths for a customer download of the client-side local assistant core;

FIG. 2b is a flow diagram illustrating the process for a customer download of the client-side local assistant core;

FIG. 3a is a diagram of the local assistant system including flow paths for a web assistant application and a loyalty program assistant application;

FIG. 3b is a flow diagram illustrating the process for the web assistant application and the loyalty program assistant application;

FIG. 3c is a screen shot illustrating the web assistant application;

FIG. 3d is a screen shot illustrating the loyalty program assistant application;

FIG. 4a is a diagram of the local assistant system including flow paths for a listener assistant application;

FIG. 4b is a flow diagram illustrating the process for the listener assistant application;

FIG. 4c is a screen shot illustrating the listener assistant application;

FIG. 5a is a diagram of the local assistant system including flow paths for a news assistant application;

FIG. 5b is a flow diagram illustrating the process for the news assistant application;

FIG. 5c is a screen shot illustrating the news assistant application;

FIG. 6a is a diagram of the local assistant system including flow paths and a flow diagram illustrating the process for a customer customization application;

FIG. 6b is a screen shot illustrating the customer customization application;

FIG. 7a is a diagram of the local assistant system including flow paths and a flow diagram illustrating the process for a ruleset viewing application;

FIG. 7b is a screen shot illustrating the ruleset viewing application;

FIG. 8 is a diagram of the mobile assistant system;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the mobile client query processing;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the mobile client query que processing;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the personal agent query posting and retrieval processing;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the personal agent private query processing; and

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the personal agent public or restricted query processing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The inventive system is a mobile assistant system which improves upon the "Local assistant For Managing Business Processes" system described in the copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/696,558. The Mobile assistant (MA) system builds upon the local assistant technology by incorporating mobile clients which may communicate with the rest of the Mobile assistant System.

The following is a detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is in no way intended to be limited to the embodiments discussed below or shown in the drawings. Rather, the description and the drawings are merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention.

A. The Local Assistant System

The local assistant (LA) is a client-side software system, that enables an internet agent to provide highly efficient and flexible relevance-based information dissemination services to assist merchants and other internet based entities, to bring timely and relevant offers of products and other information to online users. The client side software is extensible and customizable by "rules" that are downloadable. Each service/application of the system is implemented by a rule-set (called a feature) consisting of rules and supporting meta-data.

FIG. 1 illustrates the local assistant system architecture which configured to support the LA. The local assistant system consists of one or more customer computers 100 in communication with the internet 130 and an local assistant administrative system 110. The customer computer 100 include a local assistant kernel 104 interacts with a rule database 105 and an interaction database 106. The local assistant program 104 is also in communication with the local assistant administrative system 110. The local assistant administrative system 110 includes a web server 111 and a local assistant administrative program 112 which interacts with a merchant data base 113, an administrative ruleset database 114 and an administrative interaction database 115.

The local assistant system includes a customer computer 100 running a local assistant client-side computer program 104, a local assistant administrative system 110 operating in the context of other web sites (represented in FIG. 1 by Any web Site 120), all of which are linked together by the internet 130 (which is left implicit in the remaining figures of this document). The customer computer 100 can be any type of computing device that allows a customer interactively browse web sites via a web browser 107 and, preferably, to control other devices such as media players, location sensors, etc., represented in FIG. 1 by an interaction point 101 (such as a CD player) and an interaction manager 102 (such as Win Amp). (Note that the web browser 107 itself is an example of an interaction manger 102, the interaction point 101 being a mouse/keyboard/pointing device.) For example, the customer computer 100 could be a personal computer (PC) connected to the Internet via a modem, or a hand-held or wearable computer connected to the Internet by wireless communication.

The local assistant client-side computer program 104, written in Java in the case of the Top Moxie implementation, includes several functions: monitoring client interaction activity, determining applicable rules, interpreting rules, managing its local interaction data database (IDB), and managing its local ruleset database (RDB).

The local assistant program 104 interacts with the system resource manager 103 to determine current client activity such as open browser windows or running CD players. For each activity of interest, the local assistant program 104 constructs an information context from data obtained from the interaction manager 102. This information could be as simple as the mane of performing artist, or as complicated as the HTML text of a web document. This information context extends the information context implicit in the local interaction data database (Local IDB) 106. The local assistant program 104 then queries the local ruleset database (Local RDB) 105 for applicable rules and schedules an executes the rules using a simple, conventional scheduling algorithm to order multiple execution tasks. The rule interpreter functionality determines actions to take based on the rule and information context that it is given. Possible actions include: invoking other rules, retrieving HTML documents 122 from a web server 121 and analyzing them to extract relevant data, requesting operations on the interaction data database 106, requesting operations on the ruleset database 105, posting updates to the local assistant Administrative site 110, and presenting information to an interacting with the customer. The interaction data manger functionality provides access to the local interaction database 106 and manages creation, lookup, update and deletions of named data elements. The ruleset manager provides functionality to query the local ruleset database 105 for rules applicable in a given context: to suspend, resume or delete a ruleset: and to download new rulesets and ruleset updates from the local assistant Administrative site 110.

The local assistant system presents information to the customer using the web Browser 107 to display HTML formatted information. One kind of information presented is offers in the form of hyperlinks. Other forms of interaction provided by HTML are also possible.

The local assistant Admin System 110 is a site that provides functionality to download the local assistant client-side application 116, to update the client-side rulesets, to manage merchant database 113, admin ruleset database 114, an admin interaction database 115, and to upload interaction data summaries generated by rules execution on client machines.

In the local assistant preferred embodiment discussed herein, the rules and supporting meta-data are represented a XML text and stored, encoded, in files. The XML encoding takes placed as follows: first, the XML files is compressed using the standard zip algorithm available in Java 1.1. Second, the bits are scrambled to make the resulting binary stream harder to decode. Secure Internet interaction between the local assistant web server 111, a client-side browser 107 and a local assistant program 104 is accomplished by use of this encoding technique with the HTTPS secure socket layer protocol and signed certificates. This assures the customer that the local assistant software has the prescribed behavior and assures the assisted merchants that the rulesets designed for them are those that are executed by the Local assistant.

The merchant database (Merchant DB) 113 contains information about each assisted merchant including: username/id, password, email, physical mail and telephone number, where the username/id is a unique identifier assigned by the Agent (e.g. Top Moxie, Inc.) to the assisted merchant.

The administrative ruleset database (Admin RDB) 114 contains rulesets currently available for download. A ruleset in this database could be one designed for a particular assisted merchant, or a ruleset designed simply to benefit the customer (for example, customization or local data management), making the use of the local assistant more appealing and widespread. The local assistant server-side ruleset manager provides functionality (to agent administrators) to add new rulesets, and to delete obsolete rulesets, and to define updates to maintain existing rulesets. It also provides functionality to download updates and new rulesets upon request, to keep download statistics and to control the number to allowed downloads for a given ruleset. For each ruleset, the following information is kept; name/id, date, merchant, file location (of the actual ruleset): maximum number, maximum number active, total number, number active; and start and end date.

The administrative interaction database (admin IDB) 115 contains anonymous interaction information uploaded from customer computers as a result of execution of rules that specify such actions. The protocol used for uploading by the Top Moxie preferred embodiment is the HTTP POST method, passing a list represents as strings. The database schema is restricted to accept only limited information, thus preserving customer privacy.

The local assistant installation download 116 is a file with executable code that will install the local assistant client-side program once the customer has confirmed the download request and the customer computer 100 has authenticated the connection. The local assistant client-side application can be downloaded from the local assistant administrative system web site, or by using special links embedded in a web document served by an assisted merchant, or other web site.

The any web site component 120 represents information available as HTML documents 122 and delivered upon request by the web server 121. Some documents may contain links for downloading the local assistant program. If a download link is contained in a document on an assisted merchant's site, then downloading the system will result in also downloading rulesets associated with that assisted merchant. Documents on other web sites may be targets for analysis by local assistant rulesets. For example, pages from booksellers sites can be analyzed for title, author, price ISBN and other information.

The local assistant system is virtually risk free because it doesn't require ANY modifications to the assisted merchant web site for e-commerce software. All of the promotions are executed in compact downloads in the customer's browser. No data need be transmitted directly back to the assisted merchant site.

Using the local assistant program, the assisted merchant can present special offers, tailored precisely to the interest of a target customer, at exactly the moment the customer is looking for products like the assisted merchant's products. In one scenario, an assisted merchant can present a price quote for a book every time the customer asks for a quote from another book vendor. In another scenario, a merchant whose role is intermediary for loyalty program can present an offer to a customer to purchase via one or more loyalty program merchants when the customer is shopping for products offered by these merchants. In yet another scenario, assisted merchant can present a list of available CDs by an artist that the customer is currently listening to.

The local assistant architecture is completely data-driven. The local assistant client-side system itself is built from a very small runtime core using the same type of XML rules, data and meta-data that is available to anyone else.

In other words, any application, such as the web assistant, the loyalty program assistant, the listener assistant, or the Customizer, is built from the core engine by the addition of a "knowledge base" of data, meta-data and rules expressed XML, along with user interface components.

When operating in conjunction with the browser, the user interface components are themselves expressed as data in HTML. Thus, the core engine provides a highly extensible platform for delivering new applications and functionality, with minimal maintenance headaches and no required installation.

Because the system is built using itself, the core engine is automatically exercised in a very extensive manner during standard system operations, guaranteeing a high degree of code path coverage. Since no new code need be written, the emphasis can be on the testing and understanding of the knowledge embodied in the underlying XML rules.

3. Download of Local Assistant by Customer

A preferred method for downloading the local assistant client-side software by a customer is now described. FIGS. 2a-2b depict the flow of information and sequence of events in an example scenario of this process.

Referring to FIG. 2a, a customer accesses an assisted merchant's web site 240 via the customer computer 100. The customer computer contains a conventional web browser 202 (viewed as a interaction manager) which communicated with the assisted merchant's web server 241 using the HTTP protocol. As depicted by events A and A in FIG. 2a, the assisted merchant's web server 241 accesses a local store of HTML documents 242 that can be requested, retrieved and viewed by the customer using the web browser 202. The retrieved document (depicted in FIG. 2a as 243 on the server side and 201 on the client side) contains a download link 208 to the local assistant Admin system site 110. For example, the URL to embedded in a download offer from the Top Moxie Agent might look like:

https://secure.topmoxie.com/get-download.asp

Preferably, the document also contains descriptive information about the assisted merchant and the local assistant system that will encourage the customer to proceed.

Again referring to FIGS. 2a-2b, upon clicking or other wise selecting the download link 208 of the assisted merchant's document 201 (event B), the web browser 202 communicates with the local assistant Admin web server 111 which further communicates with the local assistant Admin program 112 (event C) to retrieve the system installation package 116. The installation package 116 is transmitted, using a cure protocol such as HTTPS, to the customer computer 100 to execute (Event D) and, concurrently, the download request is logged (event D). The customer is shown an installation agreement window (event E) which provides authentication information and allows the customer to accept or decline installation of the local assistant client-side package removes itself from the customer's computer 100 (event F). If the customer accepts in the installation agreement, then installation continues: the local assistant client-side code 104 is copied into a designated folder, the local ruleset database 105 database 106 are initialized, and the local assistant program 104 is started (event F). The client-side program analyzes the HTML document 201 containing the download link 208 to determine which application rulesets to download. The local assistant client program 104 transmits a request for rulesets to the local assistant server 111 (event G) which in turn invokes the local assistant admin program 112 (event H). Those requested rulesets that are available for download are transmitted to the local assistant client-side (event I) and stored in the local ruleset database 105 (event J). Concurrently, the local assistant admin program 112 logs the request in the admin ruleset database 114 (event I).

In FIG. 2a, the dashed line enclosing the local assistant components 104, 105 and 106 is used to indicate that these components are not initially present, but are present after the download completes.

Although the above describes the case in which the local assistant program download link is contained in an assisted merchant's HTML document, this is not necessarily the case. Links from download of the core system and non-merchant specific rulesets could be placed in any HTML documents, for example as advertisements placed by the local assistant agent. The intent is that the local assistant client-side core system be freely and widely available.

4. A Web Assistant Application

FIGS. 3a-3b illustrate the flow of information and sequence of events when a local assistant web assistant application operates on a customer computer 100. The customer (via the web browser 202 interaction manager) request and is presented with a web document 201 retrieved from a targeted site 350 (event A). The customer view the retrieved document 201 (event B). Concurrently, the local assistant client program becomes aware that a new page is being viewed by interaction with the system resource manager (not depicted in FIG. 3a) and the web browser 202 (event C). Rules to analyze the web document being viewed 201 are obtained from the rule database 105 and used to analyze the document (event D). For example, if the document is an amazon.com catalog page for a book, them the following rule

• Inventors
  Ketonen, Jussi; Talcott, Carolyn;
• Assignee
  TopMoxie, Inc. (Palo Alto, CA)
• Published
  Apr-25-2006
• Current US Classes:
  704/8
  705/1
  705/51
  707/104.1
  707/203
• Application #
  082495
• International Classes
  G06T 17/60    (20060101)
• Field of Search
  705/51 705/1 707/104.1 707/203 704/8
• Examiner
  Trammell; James P.
• Agent
  Dergosits & Noah LLP
• US Patent References:
  5857201
  6182142
  6324542