Method and system for deploying content to wireless devices
View Patent ↗A method and system for deploying content to devices is provided. The method and system can be used to deploy markup content to web browser applications on wireless devices. The wireless devices may included, for example, WAP phones, HDML phones, Palm VII, Palm V, etc. The method and system can also be used in conjunction with wired systems. A translator receives data, in a variety of formats, from the wireless devices. The translator then translates the data into a standardized format. A content provider interface receives the data in the standardized format and provides content data, also in the standardized format. The content data in the standardized format is provided to a transformer. The transformer transforms the content data into the pre-selected format for the particular wireless device. The content data can then be utilized and manipulated by the wireless device.
1. A system for deploying content to devices, comprising:
a translator operative to receive data sent from devices and to translate said data into a standardized format;
a content provider interface operative to receive said data in said standardized format and to provide content data in said standardized format;
a transformer operative to receive said content data and to transform said content data into a format for a particular device; and
a session manager to examine data content communicated between at least one of said devices and said content provider and to identify and return state-based information based on interactions between said devices and said content provider, said state based information comprising at least one of a type of device originating a request, a hypertext history and a content provider state maintained for a back-end information source.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
said standardized format is an XML message.
3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
said transformer is operative to select a transformation based on a pre-selected format and to transform said content data using said selected transformation.
4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein:
said transformation is selected from a group of XSL style sheets.
5. The system according to claim 3 , wherein:
said transformer is operative to select a plurality of transforms and to apply said plurality of transforms in at least one of sequentially and independently, to transform said content data.
6. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an extractor operative to access session information about a browser of said particular device.
7. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a composer operative to generate a combined response to said particular device from a plurality of responses received to a plurality of requests provided to a plurality of content providers.
8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
said devices are wireless devices.
9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
said content provider state comprises a session token that said content provider needs to perform transactions on behalf of said devices.
10. A method of communicating with devices that use different communication schemes, comprising:
receiving first data from one or more devices;
translating said first data into a standardized format;
providing said translated data to a content provider interface;
receiving second data response from said content provider interface in said standardized format;
transforming said second data into content type specific forms for said one or more devices;
forwarding said transformed second data to said one or more devices; and
session managing to examine data content communicated between said one or more devices and said content provider interface and to identify and return state-based information based on interactions between said one or more devices and said content provider, said state based information comprising at least one of a hypertext history and a content provider state maintained for a back-end information source.
11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
extracting information about said device from said first data.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein:
said extracted information includes device specific features.
13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein said transforming step comprises:
selecting an XSL style sheet based on said extracted information; and
using said selected XSL style sheet to transform said second data.
14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein:
at least two style sheets are selected and applied independently to said second data.
15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein:
at least two style sheets are selected and applied to transform said second data.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein:
said style sheets are applied sequentially.
17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein:
an order of applying said style sheets is pre-selected.
18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein:
at least three style sheets are applied both independently and sequentially.
19. The method according to claim 11 , wherein:
said extracted information includes information about a browser.
20. The method according to claim 11 , wherein:
said extracted information includes a message key.
21. The method according to claim 20 , further comprising:
selecting said content provider interface based on said message key.
22. The method according to claim 20 , wherein said message key includes at least one of:
a vertical market;
an action;
an action type; and
a content provider identifier (ID).
23. The method according to claim 22 , wherein:
said vertical market is a brokerage market, said action is a quote, said action type is at least one of a request and a response, and said content provider ID corresponds to a particular brokerage.
24. The method according to claim 10 , wherein:
said first data is a request.
25. The method according to claim 24 , wherein:
said request is an hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) request.
26. The method according to claim 10 , wherein:
said second data is a response.
27. The method according to claim 10 , wherein:
said standardized format of said second data is an XML message format.
28. The method according to claim 10 , wherein:
said content provider is a third party.
29. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
querying a provider database if said content provider is a new content provider; and
receiving a previously registered XSL style sheet associated with said new content provider from said provider database.
30. The method according to claim 10 , wherein:
said providing step includes providing said translated data to more than one of said content providers, and further comprising: composing a combined set using said second data of said more than one content providers.
31. The method according to claim 10 , wherein:
said device is a wireless device.
32. The method according to claim 10 , wherein:
said content provider state comprises a session token that said content provider needs to perform transactions on behalf of said devices.
33. A method of communicating from a device to a controller using different communication schemes, comprising:
sending first data from one or more devices using one or more transmission formats to a controller;
receiving from said controller second data using content specific forms for said one or more devices, wherein said first data is translated by said controller into a standardized format and conveyed to a content provider;
receiving said second data by said controller from said content provider in said standardized format;
transforming by said controller said second data into said content specific forms; and
session managing to examine data content communicated between said one or more devices and said content provider interface and to identify and return state-based information based on interactions between said one or more devices and said content provider, said state based information comprising at least one of a hypertext history and a content provider state maintained for a back-end information source.
34. The system according to claim 33 , wherein:
said content provider state comprises a session token that said content provider needs to perform transactions on behalf of said devices.
35. A method of transforming data, comprising:
receiving a message;
extracting information from said message;
selecting transformation specifications based on said extracted information;
session managing to examine data content within said message and to identify and return state-based information based on interactions between one or more devices and a content provider, said state based information comprising at least one of a hypertext history and a content provider state maintained for a back-end information source; and
applying said selected transformation specifications and said state-based information to said data.
36. The method of claim 35 , further comprising:
retrieving said transformation specifications from a database.
37. The method of claim 35 , further comprising:
cross-referencing said transformation specifications in said database to said extracted information.
38. The method of claim 35 , wherein:
said message includes a message key.
39. The method according to claim 38 wherein said message key includes at least one of:
a vertical market;
an action;
an action type; and
a content provider identifier (ID).
40. The method of claim 35 , wherein said message comprises:
session information including at least one of a user agent and a device type.
41. The method of claim 35 , wherein:
said transformation specifications are specified as XSL style sheets.
42. The method of claim 41 , wherein:
a single XSL style sheet is selected.
43. The method of claim 41 , wherein:
multiple XSL style sheets are selected.
44. The method of claim 35 , wherein:
said message is an XML message.
45. The method of claim 35 , wherein:
said content provider state comprises a session token that said content provider needs to perform transactions on behalf of said devices.
46. A system for communicating from a device to a controller using different communication schemes, comprising:
means for sending first data from one or more devices using one or more transmission formats to a controller;
means for receiving from said controller second data using content specific forms for said one or more devices;
means for translating said first data by said controller into a standardized format conveyed to a content provider;
means for receiving said second data by said controller from said content provider in said standardized format;
means for transforming by said controller said second data into said content specific forms; and
means for session managing to examine data content communicated between said one or more devices and said content provider interface and to identify and return state-based information based on interactions between said one or more devices and said content provider, said state based information comprising at least one of a hypertext history and a content provider state maintained for a back-end information source.