Data Synchronization Mechanism for Information Browsing Systems

Abstract

Data objects are organized into attributes and can be acted upon using predefined actions and associated types to greatly simplify user accessibility to such data objects through the limited user interface and bandwidth capabilities of a mobile device. Each data object is associated with a numerical identifier such that the user can easily identify a data object of interest using the limited data entry capabilities of the typical mobile device.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 032,826, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,062,491.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to the field of data organization systems, and more specifically to a system for organizing information accessible to two or more information browsing devices. BACKGROUND [0003] The growth of the Internet over the past few years has been tremendous—both in terms of the number of people accessing information through the Internet and in terms of the amount and nature of information available through the Internet. Information services now available on the Internet include driving directions between two addresses, nearly up-to-the-minute stock quotes, and directories of addresses and telephone numbers. In addition, the Internet has been a platform for offering a number of services including, for example, purchasing goods and services, making reservations at restaurants and hotels, purchasing airline tickets, a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention allows a user to organize information stored on a server system through a desktop computer system and access it through a mobile device, such as a wireless phone. The user can use full bandwidth and multimedia capabilities to navigate and collect information through the Internet for convenient, immediate access through the mobile device. The server system provides a list of data objects with associated attributes and actions, which can be performed by the mobile device or server system. This improves the usability of Internet-capable mobile devices for the types of tasks they are likely to be used in an Internet context."

Problems solved by technology

While many Internet-capable computer systems have screen resolutions of 1024 by 768 pixels or greater, 105-key keyboards, a pointing device such as a mouse or trackball, and sound capability; most Internet-capable wireless telephones are limited to just a few lines of just a few characters of alphanumeric text and input keypads of little more than a dozen keys.

In addition, communications bandwidth of Internet-capable wireless telephones is also severely limited relative to the typical Internet-capable computer.

This limited browsing experience through mobile devices such as wireless telephones is exacerbated by the fact that the user is typically preoccupied with other activities while using the mobile device to browse information.

Mobile devices are therefore frequently used with only one hand and in manners in which the user's physical control of the mobile device is otherwise compromised.

As a result, mobile devices are not particularly well suited for handling large amounts of information and the user's interest is typically highly localized to a small amount of very specific information.

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