Delivering customized content to mobile devices
The illustrative embodiment of the present invention provides a platform that enables a content developer to distribute uniform content to multiple types of requesting mobile devices. By authoring content in a generic markup language and using the technologies included in the Mobile Content Framework (MCF), the content developer is able to provide content to multiple types devices without providing different versions of the content. The content may be authored originally in the generic markup language or translated from other languages into the generic markup language by the MCF. The MCF exploits the capabilities and accommodates the limitations of different types of wireless devices by converting generic markup language content to device-specific content. The MCF interacts with device registries holding records of the device attributes in order to provide the device-specific content. The MCF handles these issues for current mobile devices while also being extensible for future mobile devices.
1. A computer-implemented method of improving the delivery of content over a network to mobile devices, the method comprising:
creating or receiving content in a generic markup language, the generic markup language being a markup language that includes tags used to translate the content wherein a behavior of the tags is extensible based on a identified attribute of a mobile device and a translation rule, the content in the generic markup language convertible into content appropriate for display on a plurality of types of mobile devices;
providing a set of ruled for translating content from the generic markup language into content displayable on the plurality of types of mobile devices;
receiving a request for the content from a requesting mobile device over the network;
identifying, automatically without user input, based on the request, a type of device for the requesting mobile device;
retrieving device information for the identified type of device from at least one registry containing device information for the plurality of types of mobile devices;
generating content for the requesting mobile device by:
converting the content from the generic markup language into a form of content supported by the requesting mobile device using at least one translation rule from the set of rules, and
customizing the converted content based upon at least one device attribute in the device information, the customizing occurring programmatically without input from a user; and
transmitting the generated content over the network to the requesting mobile device.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
translating the content from an original programming language into the generic markup language prior to converting the content in the generic markup language into content displayable on the requesting mobile device.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
providing a translator capable of converting Wireless Markup Language (WML) content into the generic markup language content; and
translating WML formatted content into the generic markup language content using the WML translator.
4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
providing a translator capable of converting Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) content into the generic markup language content; and
translating HTML formatted content into the generic markup language content using the HTML translator.
5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
marking the generic markup language content with identifiers; and
performing the retrieving of device information based on one of the identifiers marking the content.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the device information includes data rendering attributes of mobile devices.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving at least one user preference relating to the display of content on the requesting mobile device; and
using the at least one user preference to customize the content for the requesting mobile device.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one user preference is at least one of a user interface choice, key mapping, key behavior, functionality, amount of information to be rendered, language, and location.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a plurality of stylesheets for the generic markup language; and
using the stylesheets in generating the content for the requesting mobile device.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the requesting mobile device is a cellular phone.
11. A non-transitory medium holding computer-executable instructions for improving the delivery of content over a network to mobile devices, the instructions when executed causing at least one computing device to:
create or receive content in a generic markup language, the generic markup language being a markup language that includes tags used to translate the content wherein a behavior of the tags is extensible based on an identified attribute of a mobile device and a translation rule, the content is the generic markup language convertible into content appropriate for display on a plurality of types of mobile devices;
provide a set of rules for translating content from the generic markup language into content displayable on the plurality of types of mobile devices;
receive a request for the content from a requesting mobile device over the network;
identify, automatically without user input, based on the request, a type of device for the requesting mobile device;
retrieve device information for the identified type of device from at least one registry containing device information for the plurality of types of mobile devices;
generate content for the mobile device by:
converting the content from the generic markup language into a form of content supported by the requesting mobile device using at least one translation rule from the set of rules, and
customizing the converted content based upon at least one device attribute in the device information, the customizing occurring programmatically without input from a user; and
transmit the generated content over the network to the requesting mobile device.
12. The medium of claim 11 wherein the instructions when executed further cause the at least one computing device to:
translate the content from an original programming language into the generic markup language prior to converting the content in the generic markup language into content displayable on the requesting mobile device.
13. The medium of claim 12 wherein the instructions when executed further cause the at least one computing device to:
provide a translator capable of converting Wireless Markup Language (WML) content into the generic markup language content; and
translate WML formatted content into the generic markup language content using the WML translator.
14. The medium of claim 12 wherein the instructions when executed further cause the at least one computing device to:
provide a translator capable of converting Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) content into the generic markup language content; and
translate HTML formatted content into the generic markup language content using the HTML translator.
15. The medium of claim 11 wherein the instructions when executed further cause the at least one computing device to:
mark the generic markup language content with identifiers; and
perform the retrieving of device information based on one of the identifiers marking the content.
16. The medium of claim 11 wherein the device information includes data rendering attributes of mobile devices.
17. The medium of claim 11 wherein the instructions when executed further cause the at least one computing device to:
receive at least one user preference relating to the display of content on the requesting mobile device; and
use at least one user preference to customize the content for the requesting mobile device.
18. The medium of claim 17 wherein the at least one user preference is at least one of a user interface choice, key mapping, key behavior, functionality, amount of information to be rendered, language, and location.
19. The medium of claim 11 wherein the instructions when executed further cause the at least one computing device to:
provide a plurality of stylesheets for the generic markup language; and
use the stylesheets in generating the content for the requesting mobile device.
20. The medium of claim 11 wherein the requesting mobile device is a cellular phone.
21. A system for improving the delivery of content over a network to mobile devices, comprising:
a storage location holding content; and
a computing device configured to:
create or receive content in a generic markup language, the generic markup language being a markup language that includes tags used to translate the content wherein a behavior of the tags is extensible based on an identified attribute of a mobile device and a translation rule, the content in the generic markup language convertible into content appropriate for display on a plurality of types of mobile devices;
provide a set of rules for translating content from the generic markup language into content displayable on the plurality of types of mobile devices;
receive a request for the content from the requesting mobile device over the network;
identify, automatically without user input, based on the request, a type of device for the requesting mobile device;
retrieve device information for the identified type of device from at least one registry containing device information for the plurality of types of mobile devices; and
generate content for the mobile device by:
converting the content from the generic markup language into a form of content supported by the requesting mobile device using at least one translation rule from the set of rules, and
customizing the converted content based upon at least one device attribute in the device information, the customizing occurring programmatically without input from a user; and
transmitting the generated content over the network to the requesting mobile device.