Abstract:
A system, method and computer program for accessing, downloading, storing, and retrieving information from a plurality of content providers on the Internet using a cellular terminal. This cellular terminal has an information finder to find and download items of information from content providers and store the information in a memory of the cellular terminal. These topics and items of information have a best before stamp associated with them. Upon expiration of the best before stamp, the item of information is deleted from the cellular terminal memory. The topic or item may be automatically updated by the latest edition of the information without user intervention when an update period expires.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a system and method for the delivery and updating of data transmitted to a mobile terminal. More particularly, the invention is a system and method in which a user may specify data desired from a supplier or content provider and have that data periodically updated when either the content provider or the user indicates so. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With the explosion in Internet access and usage individuals have discovered that they may now receive a large amount of information in their homes and offices almost immediately from any number of sources. These sources include everything from the latest news, weather, and sports to stocks, bond and commodity prices. Currently, a typical Internet user would have a browser installed in his local computer or server such as Internet Explorer™ or Netscape™. Using this browser, the user would access an Internet service provider, such as America-On-Line (AOL™), via a modem over the local public switched telephone network (PSTN). Once logged onto the Internet server, the user may utilize one of the many search engines, such as Yahoo™ or Lycos™, to specify search terms. The user may also use a web crawler, spider or robot to attempt to find a product, service or information desired. The search engine or web crawler would then respond with a list of web sites which matched the search terms the user provided. The user would then log onto a web site and view the products or services available for sale or receive the information desired. Further, if the user discovers a web site he prefers, the user may store the universal resource locator (URL) in a favorites&#39; directory for later quick access. Finally, due partly to the availability of the Internet, day trading has become very popular. Day traders will often sit in front a monitor and watch as trades in stocks, bonds, currencies, commodities and options occur on the major markets. These day traders will often make numerous purchases and sales in a given day. However, the ability to monitor the trading on a major market such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is often difficult for the average user since it entails monitoring trading occurring in hundreds of stocks simultaneously. The volume of information that would have to be received would easily exceed the capability of 56K modem. 
     To overcome this problem, day traders and others often will turn to broadband cable Internet access such as provided by @Home SM  or join a service which has computers set up at a given location that may be used by their members. If a broadband cable Internet service is used, the improvement in throughput can be significant. This improvement in throughput is possible through the use of coax or fiber optic cable. However, the price is also significantly higher than Internet access available through an Internet service provider, such as AOL™, using the local public switched telephone network (PSTN). Further, whether using a trading service or a broadband cable Internet service, the user is often limited to a single site where they can access the desired information. 
     Recently cellular phone manufacturers have been making available Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) capable cellular phones for Internet access wherever digital cellular phone access is available. Using such a WAP-capable phone, a user no longer is tied to a fixed location in order to access the Internet. In addition, a few WAP capable cellular telephones are available with significant processor, display and memory capability that rival that seen in a personal digital assistant (PDA). However, unlike other forms of Internet access, three fundamental problems exist for a person who desires to access the Internet using a cellular telephone. First, a cellular telephone still has a relatively slow transmission rate. Second, even though the cost per minute access charges have significantly fallen, cellular phone rates are still generally higher than other method of interfacing to the Internet. Third, cellular phones still have significantly less memory than personal computers and thus can hold less data retrieved from web sites. Combining the relatively slow transmission rate with the high cost of access for a cellular phone makes searching and accessing information on the Internet relatively costly. In addition, very often individuals using the Internet will want to repeatedly access a web site in order to determine if any changes in information have taken place. For example, an individual may wish to know if there is a breaking news event, or a change in a sporting event score. Presently, such an individual would have to repeatedly access the web page of the site he is interested in. All too often that individual would discover that there is no update or change in events. 
     Therefore, what is needed are a system and method that can more effectively utilize the enhanced processor power and memory available to higher end cellular telephones while minimizing access time spent searching the Internet utilizing a cellular phone. This system and method should be able to store information from Internet web sites that a user is interested in within the memory of the cellular phone itself. Further, this system and method should provide a mechanism whereby the user is assured that the information contained in memory of his cellular phone is up-to-date. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the present invention provides for a method and computer program for accessing, downloading, storing, and retrieving information from content providers using a cellular terminal. This method and computer program begins by selecting at least one of several topics and items of information available from content providers on the Internet using the cellular terminal. Then searching the Internet for content providers having the topics and items of information. Downloading the topics and items of information to memory in the cellular terminal by the content providers and time stamping each item or topic of information with a best before time stamp. Specifying by a user of the cellular terminal an update period for the topics or items of information. Thereafter, checking periodically the best before time stamp and update period. Then eliminating any of the topics or items of information from the memory of the cellular terminal when the best before stamp has expired. 
     Further, an embodiment of the present invention which is a system for accessing, downloading, storing, and retrieving information from a plurality of content providers on a cellular terminal. This system has a cellular terminal to communicate to a cellular network and the Internet. The cellular terminal has an information finder to search the Internet for items of information having either an update period or a best before time stamp associated with the topics or items of information. The cellular terminal also has a news finder data file to store the items of information with the associated update period or a best before time stamp in memory of the cellular terminal. The cellular terminal also has a time stamp check module to check the update period or a best before time stamp and delete the item of information from the memory of the cellular terminal when the best before time stamp has expired. 
     These and other features of this device, method and computer program will become more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, examples in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and a better understanding of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments and the claims when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, all forming a part of the disclosure of this invention. While the foregoing and following written and illustrated disclosure focuses on disclosing example embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and the invention is not limited thereto. The spirit and scope of the present invention are limited only by the terms of the appended claims. 
     The following represents brief descriptions of the drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an example of an overall system diagram of an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the information finder  50  shown in FIG. 1 in an example embodiments of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is an example of a display that may be provided on a cellular terminal  10  depicting areas of interest, content type, and updated frequency selectable by a user in an example embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is an example flowchart illustrating accessing and updating information by the cellular terminal  10  in an example embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is an example flowchart illustrating the operations performed by the time stamp check module  55  contained in the cellular terminal  10 , shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is an alternate example of an overall system diagram of an embodiment of the present invention in which the information finder  50  resides in a server  35  connected to the Internet  30 ; 
     FIG. 7 is an alternate example of an overall system diagram of an embodiment of the present invention in which the information finder  50  resides in a server  35  connected to the Internet  30  and contains a personal news list  660 ; and 
     FIG. 8 is an example flowchart illustrating accessing and updating information by the cellular terminal  10  using the personal news list  660  in an example embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before beginning a detailed description of the subject invention, mention of the following is in order. When appropriate, like reference numerals and characters maybe used to designate identical, corresponding or similar components in differing figure drawings. Further, in the detailed description to follow, exemplary sizes/models/values/ranges may be given, although the present invention is not limited to the same. 
     FIG. 1 is an example of an overall system diagram of an embodiment of the present invention showing the three major components. A cellular terminal  10  communicates via cellular network  20  to Internet  30  via an Internet service provider (not shown) to content providers  40 . The cellular terminal  10  comprises an information finder  50  used to search the Internet  30  for requested items  80  of information. A news finder data file  60  in which items  80  of information are grouped by topic  70  and contained within the memory of the cellular terminal  10 . A time stamp check module  55  is utilized to determine if the items  80  of information are current based on at least one time stamp associated with items  80 . The time stamp associated with each item  80  may be generated by the content provider  40  or may be specified by the user of the cellular terminal  10 . 
     Still referring to FIG. 1, utilizing the information finder  50  a user of the cellular terminal  10  is able to select topics  70  and items  80  of information that interest him and have the information finder  50  search the Internet  30  for such items  80 . Once discovered these items  80  would be stored in the memory of the cellular terminal  10  in the news finder data file  60 . Thereafter, the time stamp check  55  would periodically determine whether these items  80  are still valid and, as will be discussed in further detail ahead, will update these items based on the associated time stamp. These and other details and embodiments of the invention will be discussed in further detail in reference to FIGS. 2 though  8 . 
     FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the information finder  50  shown in FIG. 1 in an example embodiments of the present invention. Processing begins in operation  200  and immediately proceeds operation  210  where the information finder  50  is opened. Thereafter, in operation  220 , a topic  70  is selected as depicted and further discussed in reference to FIG.  3 . In operation  230 , a specific news item  80  is selected by the user. This news item  80  would be a subset of the topic  70  selected. For example, if the topic  70  selected is the economy, then the item may be a market index or portfolio. Thereafter, in operation  240  the specific news item  80  is displayed on the cellular terminal  10  screen. Processing then proceeds to operation  250  where it is determined if another item  80  is desired by the user. If another item  80  is desired, then processing proceeds to operation  270 . In operation  270 , if this item  80  falls within the same topic  70 , then processing proceeds from operation  270  to operation  230  were another news item  80  is selected. However, if a new topic  70  is desired instead, processing then proceeds to operation  220 . If in operation  250  no further item  80  is desired, processing then proceeds to operation  260  were processing terminates. 
     FIG. 3 is an example of a display that may be provided on a cellular terminal  10  depicting areas of interest/topics  300 , content type  310 , connection frequency  320  and personal expiration time  330  selectable by a user in an example embodiment of the present invention. The user in this selection of topic  300  maybe presented with the example display as depicted in FIG.  3 . The user would arrange possible topics  300  to pick from including everything from domestic news to popular music. In addition, the user may select content type  310  which may indicate text only or text and images. In addition, the user may specify a connection frequency  320 . This connection frequency  320  would be the amount of time that would elapsed before the cellular terminal  10  would request updates from content providers  40 . Further, a personal expiration time  330  is provided which allows the user to indicate a maximum period of time an item  80  may be retained in the memory of the cellular terminal  10 . This may be particularly useful when memory is limited in the cellular terminal  10  or the user does not old information retained for a long period of time. 
     FIG. 4 is an example flowchart illustrating accessing and updating of information by the cellular terminal  10  in an example embodiment of the present invention. Processing begins in operation  400  and immediately proceeds to operation  410  where it is determined if there is either user or network activity. If there is user or network activity, this would indicate that the cellular terminal  10  is being used for some other purpose, such as a cellular telephone call, and therefore processing loops back to operation  400 . However, if there is no user or network activity, then processing proceeds to operation  420 . In operation  420 , it is determined whether an update period has expired for a particular topic  70  or item  80 . This update period would have been selected by the user as indicated in FIG.  3 . If an update period is associated with the topic  70  or item  80  has not expired, then processing again loops back to operation  400 . However, if an update period has expired, then processing proceeds to operation  430  where it is determined if a network connection is available. If a network connection is not available then processing again loops back to operation  400 . However, if a network connection is available, then processing proceeds to operation  440 . In operation  440 , a connection to a content provider  40  is established. Thereafter, processing proceeds to operation  450  to determine if all areas/topics  70  have been checked. If all areas and topics  70  have not been check then processing proceeds to operation  460  were a topic  70  is selected by the system for checking. Thereafter, in operation  470  it is determined if all topics  70  and items  80  have been checked. If all items  80  have not been checked, then processing proceeds to operation  480  in which the next item within topic  70  is checked. Thereafter, processing proceeds to operation  490  where it is determined if a particular item  80  is relevant to the user. Items  80  are relevant to the user when either the item  80  applies to the user&#39;s personal subscription attributes and they are not relevant when the specific item  80  has been downloaded previously and does not require updating. Updating may be accomplished by the content provider  40  assigning an identification number to the item  80  which is check against that in the memory of the cellular terminal  18 . If the item  80  is relevant to the user processing proceeds to operation  500  where the item  80  is downloaded into the memory of the cellular terminal  10 . Thereafter, either when the item  80  is not relevant to the user in operation  490  or the item  80  is downloaded in operation  500 , processing loops back to operation  470 . In operation  470 , if all items  80  have been checked then processing loops back to operation  450 . In operation  450 , if all topics  70  have been checked, then processing proceeds to operation  510 . In operation  510 , the cellular terminal  10  is disconnected from the content provider  40  or news finder server  35 . Thereafter, processing proceeds operation  520  where it is determined if all content providers  40  or servers  35  have been checked. If all content providers  40  or servers  35  have not been checked then processing loops back to operation  440 . Otherwise, processing proceeds operation  530  where processing terminates. 
     FIG. 5 is an example flowchart illustrating the operations performed by the time stamp check module  55  contained in the cellular terminal  10 , shown in FIG.  1 . The time stamp check module  55  begins execution in operation  540  and immediately proceeds operation  550 . In operation  550 , it is determine whether all items  80  are checked. If all items  80  have not been checked then processing proceeds operation  560 . In operation  560 , the next item  80  is selected. Processing then proceeds to operation  570  where the personal expiration time  330 , illustrated in FIG. 3, is checked and determined if it has expired. If the user&#39;s personal expiration time  330  has not expired, then processing proceeds to operation  580 . In operation  580 , a best before time stamp associated with item  80  is checked. As previously discussed, this time stamp is generated by the content provider  40  and is meant to provide a time frame or limit in which information is considered valid. If this best before time stamp has not expired then processing loops back to operation  550 . However, if the best before time stamp has been exceeded in operation  580  or if the user&#39;s personal expiration time  330  has been exceeded in operation  570  then processing proceeds to operation  590 . In operation  590 , item  80  is removed from the memory of the cellular terminal  10 . 
     Still referring to FIG. 5, if the best before time stamp has not been exceeded in operation  580  or the item  80  was removed in operation  590 , then processing loops back to operation  550 . If in operation  550  all items  80  have been checked then processing proceeds to operation  600  where processing terminates. 
     FIG. 6 is an alternate example of an overall system diagram of an embodiment of the present invention in which the information finder  50  resides in a server  35  connected to the Internet  30 . FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 1 with the exception of the removal of the information finder  50  from the cellular terminal  10  and the placement of the news application finder  50  in a separate news finder server  35 . The news finder data file  60  still remains in the cellular terminal  10 . Therefore, only the differences between FIG.  6  and FIG. 1 will be discussed in detail. 
     Still referring to FIG. 6, the news finder server  35  differs from other embodiments in that it would service several cellular terminal&#39;s  10  simultaneously. Therefore, cellular terminals  10  would still specify topics  70 , as illustrated in FIG. 1, and news finder server  35  would access content providers  40  for specific items  80 . As a representative example, news finder server  35  would contain items  80  such as local news  600 , baseball  610 , and the economy  620 . Within each of these respective topics  70  would be contained news flashes  630 ,  640 , and  650 . These topics  70  comprising example local news  600 , baseball  610 , and economy  620 , would be downloaded to cellular terminal  10  as items  80  for specific topics  70 , as illustrated in FIG.  1 . Using this alternate embodiment in FIG. 6, the processing required by cellular terminal  10  is off loaded onto a separate news finder server  35 . As would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, this news finder server  35  is not limited to being connected to the Internet  30 . Instead, this news finder server  35  may be provided by the Internet access provider or the cellular network  20 . However, the processes and operations shown in FIGS. 2 through 5 would remain the same. 
     FIG. 7 is an alternate example of an overall system diagram of an embodiment of the present invention in which the information finder  50  resides in a server  35  connected to the Internet  30  and contains a personal news list  660 . FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6, therefore only the relevant differences will be discussed in detail. Added to the information finder server  35  is a personal news list  660 . This personal news list  660  is unique for each individual user. The personal news list  660  would contain items  80  which are of interest to the particular user. Therefore, rather than searching the entire contents of information finder server  35 , the cellular terminal  10  need only access the personal news list  660 . The process for access and manipulation of the personal news list  660  is discussed in further detail ahead in FIG.  8 . 
     FIG. 8 is an example flowchart illustrating accessing and updating information by the cellular terminal  10  using the personal news list  660  in an example embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 4 with the exception that operations  800  through  820  are substituted for operations  450  through  500  in FIG.  4 . This substitution takes place in order to take advantage of the personal news list  660  provided in the news finder server  35 . 
     Still referring to FIG. 8, processing begins in operation  400  and immediately proceeds operation  410  where it is determined if there is either user or network activity. If there is user or network activity this would indicate that cellular terminal  10  is being used for some other purpose and therefore processing loops back to operation  400 . However, if there is no user or network activity then processing proceeds to operation  420 . In operation  420 , it is determined whether an update period has expired for a particular item  80 . This update period  320  would have been selected by the user as indicated in FIG.  3 . If an update period  320  associated with the item  70  has not expired, then processing again loops back to operation  400 . However, if an update period  320  has expired then processing proceeds operation  430  where it is determined if a network connection is available. If a network connection is not available then processing again loops back to operation  400 . However, if a network connection is available then processing proceeds to operation  440 . In operation  440 , a connection to a content provider  40  is established. Thereafter, processing proceeds to operation  800  where the personal news list  660  is accessed to determine if items  80  are found therein. If items  80  are found in the personal news list  660  then processing proceeds to operation  810 . In operation  810 , the next item  80  is downloaded to the cellular terminal  10 . Thereafter, in operation  820  the item  80  is removed from the personal news list  660  and processing loops back to operation  800 . If no further items  80  remain in the personal news list  660 , then processing proceeds to operation  510 . In operation  510 , the cellular terminal is disconnected from the content provider  40  or news finder server  35 . Thereafter, processing proceeds to operation  520  where it is determined if all content providers  40  or servers  35  have been checked. If all content providers  40  or servers  35  have not been checked then processing loops back to operation  440 . Otherwise, processing proceeds operation  530  were processing terminates. 
     Using the foregoing embodiments of the present invention, a user is able to designate topics  70  and items  80  of interest and have those topics and items of interest downloaded and continuously available in the user&#39;s cellular terminal. Therefore, the user need not continuously access the Internet for web sites in order to receive the most current information available. Further, a content provider  40  is able to designate the length of time an individual may retain information provided by content provider  40 . In addition, the user may designate the frequency for which information may be updated. Utilizing the embodiments of the present invention a considerable savings in cellular phone access time is achieved while providing the most current information to the user. 
     While we have shown and described only a few examples herein, it is understood that numerous changes and modifications as known to those skilled in the art could be made to the present invention. Therefore, we do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein, but intend to cover all such changes modifications as are encompassed by the scope of the appended claims.