Sharing information across wireless content providers
An improved mechanism for sharing information across a plurality of wireless content providers is disclosed. Users make requests for, and display, content through a mobile device. These requests for content are translated by a WAP gateway and sent to a web server to service the request. Data from the request for content that can be reused is stored externally to a mobile device. Upon a request for content, the user may, in lieu of manual entry, select from a list of data presented through a mobile device that will be used in servicing the request for content. Data manually entered or displayed in a mobile device in interacting with one content provider is available for selection in subsequent content requests with any content provider. By reducing the number of manual entries, the present invention significantly increases the usability of content services through mobile devices.
1. A method for reducing user input required to access a plurality of services provided to a device, comprising:
a web server storing in a database, external to said device and separate from a first service of the plurality of services, data records containing a plurality of data items associated with a particular type of information,
wherein the step of storing said data records comprises:
said web server receiving content from said first service in response to being requested by the device;
said web server parsing the content and identifying one or more data items associated with said particular type of information; and
said web server generating and storing in said database one or more data records that contain said one or more data items associated with said particular type of information;
said web server receiving a first message from said device requesting a second service, wherein said second service requires said particular type of information for input;
said web server reading said data records from said database and transmitting data from said data records to said device to cause said device to present a user interface that presents a set of data items associated with said particular type of information, wherein said set of data items includes said one or more data items associated with said particular type of information;
said web server receiving a second message indicating a selection from said device of a particular data item from said set of data items; and
said web server sending said particular data item to said second service of said plurality of services.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the step of receiving content includes receiving content requested in messages from said device;
said messages contain a particular identifier; and
the step of storing said one or more data records includes storing data records that are associated with said particular identifier.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of storing said one or more data records containing said data items is performed transparent to a user of said device.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of deleting existing data records in response to storing said one or more data records when an amount associated with said data records reaches a predetermined threshold.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising the step of selecting which existing data records to delete based on a sequence associated with said existing data records.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said sequence reflects when data items within said existing data records were most recently selected.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said sequence reflects when said existing data records were generated.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the content includes tags; and
the step of identifying, within said content, data items associated with said particular type of information is performed based on said tags.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of transmitting data to said device to cause said device to present a user interface includes transmitting data to said device to cause said device to present a user interface that displays a first subset of said plurality of data items.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of transmitting data to said device to cause said device to present an option for causing said list to be updated to display a second subset of said plurality of data items.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said particular data item identifies a particular address.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein
said data records are stored in a database with data that associates the data records with an identifier,
the method includes the steps of
extracting the identifier from said first message; and
locating said data records based on said identifier.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of storing said data records further comprises:
receiving data items associated with said particular type of information from said device; and
storing said plurality of data items received from said device.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the data records are stored on a server;
the device is connected to the server through a connection that includes at least a portion that is wireless; and
said step of storing said data records further comprises
receiving data items associated with said particular type of information from a second device that is connected to said server with a connection that is not wireless; and
storing said plurality of data items with an identifier associated with said device.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the step of storing data records containing a plurality of data items associated with a particular type of information includes storing a particular data record that contains one or more values previously provided to said device by a second service that is different from said first service; and
the step of sending said particular data item to said first service includes sending to said first service a value read from said particular data record.
16. A computer-readable medium storing instructions thereon for reducing user input required to access a plurality of services provided to a device, wherein the computer-readable medium consists of at least one of volatile memory and non-volatile memory, the instructions comprising instructions for performing the steps of:
a web server storing in a database, external to said device and separate from a first service of the plurality of services, data records containing a plurality of data items associated with a particular type of information,
wherein the step of storing said data records comprises:
said web server receiving content from said first service in response to being requested by the device;
said web server parsing the content and identifying one or more data items associated with said particular type of information; and
said web server generating and storing in said database one or more data records that contain said one or more data items associated with said particular type of information;
said web server receiving a first message from said device requesting a second service, wherein said second service requires said particular type of information for input;
said web server reading said data records from said database and transmitting data from said data records to said device to cause said device to present a user interface that presents a set of data items associated with said particular type of information, wherein said set of data items includes said one or more data items associated with said particular type of information;
said web server receiving a second message indicating a selection from said device of a particular data item from said set of data items; and
said web server sending said particular data item to said second service of said plurality of services.
17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein:
the step of receiving content includes receiving content requested in messages from said device;
said messages contain a particular identifier; and
the step of storing said one or more data records includes storing data records that are associated with said particular identifier.
18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the step of storing said one or more data records containing said data items is performed transparent to a user of said device.
19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising instructions for performing the step of deleting existing data records in response to storing said one or more data records when an amount associated with said data records reaches a predetermined threshold.
20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , further comprising instructions for performing the step of selecting which existing data records to delete based on a sequence associated with said existing data records.
21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein said sequence reflects when data items within said existing data records were most recently selected.
22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein said sequence reflects when said existing data records were generated.
23. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein:
the content includes tags; and
the step of identifying, within said content, data items associated with said particular type of information is performed based on said tags.
24. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the step of transmitting data to said device to cause said device to present a user interface includes transmitting data to said device to cause said device to present a user interface that displays a first subset of said plurality of data items.
25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 , further comprising instructions for performing the step of transmitting data to said device to cause said device to present an option for causing said list to be updated to display a second subset of said plurality of data items.
26. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein said particular data item identifies a particular address.
27. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein
said data records are stored in a database with data that associates the data records with an identifier,
the computer-readable medium includes instructions for performing the steps of extracting the identifier from said first message; and
locating said data records based on said identifier.
28. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein said step of storing said data records further comprises:
receiving data items associated with said particular type of information from said device; and
storing said plurality of data items received from said device.
29. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein
the data records are stored on a server;
the device is connected to the server through a connection that includes at least a portion that is wireless; and
said step of storing said data records further comprises
receiving data items associated with said particular type of information from a second device that is connected to said server with a connection that is not wireless; and
storing said plurality of data items with an identifier associated with said device.
30. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein:
the step of storing data records containing a plurality of data items associated with a particular type of information includes storing a particular data record that contains one or more values previously provided to said device by a second service that is different from said first service; and
the step of sending said particular data item to said first service includes sending to said first service a value read from said particular data record.