Patent ID: 7185116
Filing Date: 2007-02-27
Classification: G06F,G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. In a network environment that includes a server computing system connected through a network to a plurality of client computing systems having various display capabilities and user display preferences, a method for the server computing system causing a messaging application program to render information on each of the plurality of client computing systems with little, if any, required recoding of the messaging application program to accommodate at least one of the varying display capabilities and the user display preferences of the different client computing systems, the method comprising the following: an act of receiving a first user-selection of a first set of templates from a first client computing system having a text-only display, the first user-selection identifying the first set of templates from among one or more sets of templates that can generate renderable information for the first computing system based on first user preferences for rendering information at the first client computer system, the first selected set of templates lacking any instruction for the first client computing system to display non-text; an act of determining that a the first selected set of templates is suitable for the first client computing system based on the first user preferences, wherein determining suitability includes each of the first selected set of templates being usable at the first client computing system to render a display screen at the first client computing system in accordance with the first user preferences; an act of downloading the first selected set of templates to the first client computing system; an act of receiving a second user-selection of a second set of templates from a second different client computing system having graphical display capable of displaying graphics, the second user-selection identifying the second set of templates from among one or more sets of templates that can generate renderable information for the second computing system based on second user preferences for rendering information at the second client computer system such that the first and second user-preferences cause renderable information from the server computer system to be customized differently at the first and second client computer systems respectively, the second selected set of templates including at least one instruction for the second computing system to display graphics; an act of determining that the second selected set of templates is suitable for the second client computing system based on the second user preferences, each of the second selected set of templates being usable the second client computing system to render the display screen at the second client computing system in accordance with the second user preferences, the first selected set of templates being different than the second selected set of templates; an act of downloading the second selected set of templates to the second client computing system; an act of rendering the display screen at the first computing device as dictated by a template in the first set of templates; and an act of rendering the display screen at the second computing device as dictated by a template in the second set of templates.