Patent Abstract:
A method and apparatus, including a computer program product, implementing techniques for receiving, from a dynamic application server, a short message including a dynamic menu encoded using one of a plurality of protocols supported by a mobile communications device, interpreting the encoded dynamic menu, and rendering a dynamic menu on the screen of the mobile communications device based on the interpreted encoded dynamic menu.

Full Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 10/991,126 filed Nov. 17, 2004, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to mobile communications, and more particularly to execution of interactive applications using mobile communication devices GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) equipment manufacturers and carriers adhere to a set of international standards, which cover aspects of mobile communication from the physical size and characteristics of certain devices to the way they handle and store incoming information. 
         [0003]    GSM-based mobile telephones support both digitized voice communications between mobile telephones and the fixed communication infrastructure as well as data communications. Data communication is supported by a Short Message Service (SMS), and in certain areas additionally by connection-based services such as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). SMS provides a way of sending short messages from mobile telephones or computers to mobile telephones and receiving short messages from mobile telephones. A message received at a mobile telephone can consist of text characters to read by a person, or data to be handled by a computer program executing in the mobile telephone. 
         [0004]    GSM telephones include a removable electronic module, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), that includes information related to a subscriber. The GSM standards define the physical, electrical, and software interfaces for SIM modules. A SIM is a smart card that provides a secure, tamper-resistant environment for the cryptographic keys that GSM carriers use to authenticate individual subscribers to the network connection and track those subscriber&#39;s activities once they are on the air. The SIM maintains a constant connection to the network as long as the mobile device remains on. This location-aware, authenticated connection is what allows subscribers to roam from network to network around the world. Although SIMs are generally associated with GSM phones, SIMs or functionally similar modules can also be found in CDMA phones, iDen phones, and TDMA phones. 
         [0005]    GSM SIMs can also include a processor and memory that allow hosting of software applications on the SIM. The SIM Application Toolkit (SAT) standardizes the way in which such applications can be developed for and loaded onto the SIM by SIM application developers. The SAT API (application program interface) provides for two types of information flow between a SIM Toolkit application and the user device or the network, namely proactive commands and event downloads. An event download is a message from the user device to a SIM Toolkit application notifying it of an event, such as an incoming voice call or SMS message. A proactive command is a command from a SIM Toolkit application to the user device asking it to do something on its behalf. As of the GSM standards in September 2003, there are 31 proactive commands on the SAT API as listed in ETSI TS 102.223. These 31 proactive commands can be divided into four categories: (1) application commands that SIM Toolkit applications use to interact with a user of the device (e.g., Display Text, Get Input, Setup Menu); (2) smart-card commands that the SIM uses to interact with another smart card plugged into the user device (e.g., Power On Card, Launch Browser); (3) general communication commands that the SIM uses to interface with various bearers (e.g., GSM, GPRS) that the user device supports (e.g., Get Data, Receive Data, Open Channel); and (4) system commands that the SIM uses to stay synchronized with the user device and the network (e.g., Poll Interval, Language Notification). 
         [0006]    One type of application that has been developed for mobile telephones has been a “microbrowser” application that enables a mobile user to access remote content in a manner similar to computer users accessing Web pages. SIM-hosted microbrowsers have been developed to operate virtually identical to a Web browser. For example, a microbrowser communicates with a network component called Wireless Internet Gateway (WIG), which can access Internet-based servers. The WIG enables the usage of an easy to use application language (e.g., Wireless Markup Language (WML)). WML applications are stored on a content provider&#39;s server on the network. When a user selects an item in a service menu displayed on the user device, the microbrowser sends a SMS message including a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to the WIG. The WIG uses HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to retrieve WML data associated with the URL, translates the WML content into bytecodes, and sends the bytecodes back to the microbrowser in an SMS message. The microbrowser executes the byte-coded program and renders one or more menus on the display of the user device. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    In general, in one aspect, the invention provides a method and apparatus, including a computer program product, implementing techniques for displaying a menu of an application on a screen of a mobile communications device. The application has at least one static menu encoded in a memory of the mobile communications device and at least one dynamic menu encoded in a memory of a dynamic application server. The computer program product at the mobile communications device includes techniques for displaying, on the screen of the mobile communications device, a menu of an application having one or more menu items, receiving a user input selecting a menu item, determining whether the user-selected menu item is associated with a static menu, and if so, retrieving the static menu from the memory of the mobile communications device, and displaying the static menu on the screen of the mobile communications device. If the user-selected menu is not associated with a static menu, a short message including a dynamic display request is generated and sent to the dynamic application server. The computer program product at the dynamic application server includes techniques for generating a short message based on the dynamic display request, and sending the generated short message to the mobile communications device. The generated short message can include dynamic display content encoded using one of a plurality of protocols supported by the mobile communications device. The computer program product at the mobile communications device can also include techniques for receiving, from the dynamic application server, a short message including a dynamic display encoded using one of a plurality of protocols supported by the mobile communications device, interpreting the encoded dynamic display, and rendering a dynamic display on the screen of the mobile communications device based on the interpreted encoded dynamic menu. The dynamic display rendered on the screen of the mobile communications device can be a dynamic menu, a dynamic text display, or a dynamic text display requesting user input. 
         [0008]    The invention can be implemented to realize one or more of the following advantages. The Dynamic Interpreter has a small memory footprint on the SIM of approximately 3.06 Kb. The Dynamic STK messages are secured by digital signatures generated by the dynamic application server. The dynamic application server creates the Dynamic STK messages which are sent to the user devices without needing to pass through or be processed by a separate gateway (e.g., a WIG). 
         [0009]    One implementation includes all of the foregoing advantages. 
         [0010]    The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a communication system. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  shows a timing diagram. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  shows a short message encoded using the Dynamic STK communication protocol. 
       
    
    
       [0014]    Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a communications system  100  that supports communication between user devices  104  (e.g., mobile telephones) and other user devices (e.g., other telephones) and server computers ( 102  or  126 ). The system supports transmission of short messages between application data server  126  or dynamic application server  102  and a user device  104  through a network  106 . For ease of description, the term “SMS message” refers to a short message encoded using the ETSI TS 123.040 SMS protocol; the term “Dynamic STK message” refers to a short message encoded using a Dynamic STK communication protocol. The dynamic application server  102  may be configured to send bytecode commands in one or more Dynamic STK messages to the user device  104 , which uses the received bytecode commands to render a menu on the screen  108 , or to perform other functions to provide information to or solicit information from the user of the device  104 . 
         [0016]    In the description of the examples to follow, the user device  104  is a GSM phone having a SIM  110 . In an alternative version of the system  100 , the user device  104  may be a CDMA phone having a R-UIM, TDMA phone having a TIM, or the like. The illustrated communications system  100  may include additional or alternative user devices that are not shown, or the communications system  100  may include only a subset of the user devices that are shown. 
         [0017]    The SIM  110  has memory (for data and applications), a processor and the ability to interact with the user. Current SIMs typically have 16 to 64 kb of memory, which can be used to store a SIM Toolkit framework  120 , one or more SIM Toolkit application code and their associated data ( 112  and  113 ), as well as the secret keys and certificates used for digital signatures and other encryption and authentication functions (not shown). The SIM Toolkit (STK) framework  120  is the GSM Java Card runtime environment that is defined by ETSI TS 101.476 V8.5.0 (2002-09). The STK applications ( 112  and  113 ) may be implemented as text-based, menu-driven, single-key response STK applications ( 112  and  113 ). The term “text-based, menu-driven, single-key response STK application” generally refers to an application that provides a user interface in which a user can highlight a command or option from the menu provided on a screen  108  of the user device  104  and then press a single key to select the command or option. 
         [0018]    In addition to the STK applications ( 112  and  113 ), the SIM  110  also has an application called the Dynamic Interpreter  128 . The Dynamic Interpreter  128  is configured to communicate with the dynamic application server  102  and to generate dynamic menus, alerts and text boxes, for example, when Dynamic STK messages are received on the user device  104 . In one implementation, the Dynamic Interpreter  128  is a Java card applet deployed on the SIM  110  having an overall size that occupies approximately 3.06 Kb of memory space on the SIM  110 . The Dynamic Interpreter  128  translates bytecode commands provided in the Dynamic STK messages into SIM proactive commands and instructs the STK framework  120  to execute the SIM proactive commands. In doing so, the Dynamic Interpreter  128  extends the functionality of a STK application ( 112  or  113 ) by enabling a mobile network operator to add dynamic menus to a STK application ( 112  or  113 ) on the user device  104 . As a result, an application developer is able to optimize the performance of a STK application ( 112  or  113 ) by splitting the storage of data used to render a menu on the user device  104  between the SIM  110  and the dynamic application server  102  on the network  106 . 
         [0019]    An example of a static STK application  112  is a phone directory stored in the SIM  110 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , the static STK application  112  sends a STK “Select Item” proactive command  211  which causes the user device  104  to render a menu of a phone directory on the screen  108  of the user device  104 . When the user selects an item (i.e., an entry in the phone directory), the user device  104  sends a STK “User Activity Event” event download  212  to the static STK application  112  and the static STK application  112  executes an action associated with the user-selected item resulting in a retrieval of data from a memory of the SIM  110  (i.e., retrieval of static data). If the phone directory menu has a flat structure, the static STK application  112  sends a STK “Display Text” proactive command  213  which causes the user device  104  to display one or more lines of text on the screen  108 . If the phone directory menu is part of a hierarchical menu structure, the static STK application  112  will send a STK “Select Item” proactive command  213  that will result in a rendering of a sub-menu having a list of options or commands that a user can select to execute. 
         [0020]    A static STK application  112  may also access a remote application data server  126  for presentation of data on the screen  108  of the user device  104 . Such a static STK application  112  generally has a static template and dynamic data, and the static template is stored in the part of the SIM  110  associated with the static STK application  112 . For example, referring to  FIG. 2 , such a static STK application  112  sends a proactive command  221  which causes the user device  104  to provide a menu that presents a list of options or commands to the user from which a user makes a selection. When the user selects an item (i.e., an entry in the phone directory), the user device  104  sends an event download  222  to the static STK application  112  and the static STK application  112  executes the action associated with the user-selected option or command. The static STK application  112  sends a proactive command  223  which causes the user device  104  to send a request in an SMS message  224  to an application data server  126  on the network  106  requesting data. The application data server  126  processes the SMS message and returns transaction-specific dynamic data  225  that arrives at the user device as a SMS message addressed to the STK application  112  that sent the request. The user device  104  receives the SMS message and passes the data to the static STK application  112  using an event download  226 . The static STK application  112  combines the received dynamic data with the static template and sends a proactive command  227  which causes the user device  104  to display the result to the user on the screen  108  of the user device  104 . 
         [0021]    Such static STK applications  112  may be developed by a mobile network operator or vendor using the SIM Application Toolkit (described above) and provided to the user as value-added services. For example, the security that the SIM  110  provides lends itself to secure applications such as mobile banking and mobile commerce. The encryption used on the SIM  110  ensures that only the relevant bank can read the information that has been sent via the network  108  and can only be decrypted once it has reached this secure source. The static STK application  112  can also be used to provide mobile phone users with location based information services—i.e., the information that the user will receive will be dependent on where they are at any given time. For example, the static STK application  112  can be used to request information on Boston-based restaurants when the user device is identified by the network to physically be in Boston. These exemplary static STK applications  112  may be burned into the SIM  110  prior to its distribution in the market, or downloaded onto the SIM  110  over the network  108  once it is deployed in the market. 
         [0022]    The SIM  110  also has a number of static-dynamic STK applications  113  stored in its memory. In a static-dynamic STK application  113 , portions of the interaction with a user (i.e., information to be displayed and solicited, as well as the flow of the application) are encoded in the software stored in the SIM  110 , while other portions are encoded in software (e.g., server application  116 ) hosted in the dynamic application server  102 . Say, for example, a mobile network operator loads a static-dynamic STK application  113  on the SIM  110  for user devices  104  on its network  108 . The static-dynamic STK application  113  is a text-based, menu-driven, single-key response application that is stored in the user device&#39;s SIM  110 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , the static-dynamic STK application  113  may send a proactive command  231  which causes the user device  104  to display a predetermined menu  114  of services consisting of some or all of the following: “Calls”, “Phone Book”, “Message”, “Planner”, “Display”, “Sounds”, “Setup”, and “Additional Services”  120 . The user can scroll through the list using the up and down arrows  118  provided on the user device  104 , and highlight the item  120  that the user would like to select for execution. When the user clicks on a button  122  on the user device  104  associated with the “ok” label  124 , the user device  104  sends an event download  232  to the static-dynamic STK application  113  which causes the application  113  to execute an action associated with the highlighted item  120 . 
         [0023]    Each item in the displayed menu  114  is associated with an item command. The term “dynamic display request” refers to an item command that is to be sent to a server application  116   a - d  for processing. Examples of dynamic display requests include a dynamic menu request, a dynamic text display request, and a dynamic text display with user input request, to name a few. When a user selects a menu item that invokes a portion of the application that is encoded on the dynamic application server  102 , the software for the static-dynamic STK application  113  on the SIM constructs a SMS message that has a number of standard header elements in addition to the dynamic display request provided in the payload. One of the header elements includes a destination address of the message which denotes the final recipient of the SMS message. In one example, the destination address of the SMS message is a Mobile Subscriber ISDN (MSISDN) associated with the server application  116   a  on the dynamic application server  102 . The static-dynamic STK application  113  passes the constructed SMS message to the user device  104  which then sends it to the dynamic application server  102  using the STK “Send Short Message” proactive command  233 . 
         [0024]    The SMS message  234  is routed to the server application  116   a  having the destination address provided in the SMS message. The server application  116   a  receives the SMS message and based on application logic resident at the server application  116   a  creates a Dynamic STK message  235  to be sent to the user device  104 . Generally, each Dynamic STK message includes a header, a digital signature, and a payload, and is encoded using the Dynamic STK communication protocol as shown in  FIG. 3 . According to the limitations of SMS messages, each Dynamic STK message created by the server application  116  has a maximum length of 140 bytes. 
         [0025]    The header is formatted according to the ETSI GSM 03.48 specification in order to generate in the SIM  110  a reception of a SMS-PP Formatted Envelope event. The header provides a “Toolkit Application Reference” (“TAR”) that uniquely identifies an STK application on the SIM  110 . By inserting a Dynamic Interpreter identifier in the “Toolkit Application Reference” header field of a Dynamic STK message, the user device  104  will pass the received message to the Dynamic Interpreter  128  (rather than a STK application  112  or  113 ) for processing. That is, the Dynamic Interpreter  128  does not necessarily know based on the header which static-dynamic STK application  113  was responsible for initiating the dynamic portion of an application. 
         [0026]    Each Dynamic STK message created by the server application  116   a  includes an 8-byte long digital signature. When the Dynamic Interpreter  128  receives a Dynamic STK message, the Dynamic Interpreter  128  authenticates the source of the message by examining the digital signature prior to interpreting the bytecode command specified in the payload of the received Dynamic STK message. In the event of an invalid digital signature (e.g., a non-authorized application created and sent the Dynamic STK message), the Dynamic Interpreter  128  discards the received Dynamic STK message. In one implementation, the server application  116   a  uses the DES (Digital Encryption Standard) CBC (Cipher Blocking Chaining) algorithm to create a digital signature that is appended to a Dynamic STK message that is sent to the user device  104 . The DES-CBC algorithm is a symmetric secret-key block algorithm. It has a block size of 64 bits and requires an explicit Initialization Vector (IV) of 8 octets (64 bits). This IV immediately precedes the protected (encrypted) payload. The IV must be a random value. In one implementation, the server application  116  uses random data for the first IV and the last 8 octets of encrypted data from an encryption process as the IV for the next encryption process. 
         [0027]    The server application  116   a  uses the payload area of the Dynamic STK message to send dynamic display content to the Dynamic Interpreter  128 . According to the limited size of SMS messages and the Dynamic STK message header, the payload area has a maximum length of 113 bytes. If the dynamic display content to be sent to the Dynamic Interpreter  128  is longer than 113 bytes, the server application  116  is implemented to send the dynamic display content in multiple Dynamic STK messages. In one implementation, the server application  116   a  includes (or has access to) a class library having a number of classes (e.g., a “Select Item” class, a “Display Text” class, and a “Get Info” class) which is used to construct the dynamic display content. Upon receipt of the SMS message, the server application  116   a  interprets the dynamic display request in the payload of the SMS message and constructs dynamic display content that is to be rendered on the screen  108  of the user device  104 . In one example, the server application  116   a  uses data provided in the SMS message payload to instantiate the “Select Item” class of the library. The server application  116   a  then encodes the “Select Item” dynamic display content as a two-dimensional byte array (“dynamic display generation command”) in TLV (Tag-Length-Value) format. Appendix I shows one example of the “Select Item” dynamic display generation command structure. The server application  116   a  sends the Dynamic STK message with the dynamic display generation command as its payload to the user device  104 . 
         [0028]    Upon receipt and authentication of the Dynamic STK message  236 , the Dynamic Interpreter  128  translates the dynamic display generation command into an STK proactive command. If necessary, the Dynamic Interpreter  128  may buffer the Dynamic STK messages until the required number of Dynamic STK messages are received. For example, if the server application  116   a  constructed “Select Item” dynamic display content that had to be split into three Dynamic STK messages because of the payload size limitation of SMS messages, the Dynamic Interpreter  128  is configured to wait until all three dynamic display generation commands are received before translating the dynamic display generation commands into the STK “Select Item” proactive command. Once translated, the Dynamic Interpreter  128  instructs the STK framework  120  to execute the STK “Select Item” proactive command  237 , which results in the rendering of a dynamic menu on the screen  108  of the user device  104 . 
         [0029]    The dynamic menu rendered on the screen  108  includes a list of menu items. The user can scroll through the list using the up and down arrows  118  provided on the user device  104 , and highlight the item that the user would like to select for execution. When the user clicks on a button  122  on the user device  104  associated with the “ok” label  124 , the user device  104  sends an event download  232  to the Dynamic Interpreter  128  which causes the Dynamic Interpreter  128  to execute an action (specified in the payload of the Dynamic STK message  236  received from the server application  116   a ) associated with the highlighted item  120 . Referring to the “Select Item” bytecoded content structure of Appendix I, each item in the displayed dynamic menu is associated with an item command encoded in the Dynamic STK message from the server application  116   a . In one implementation, the structure of the “item command” field is “&lt;number&gt;&lt;content&gt;”, where “number” refers to a valid MSISN associated with an server application  116   a - d  on the dynamic application server  102 , and “content” refers to a dynamic display request that is to be sent to the server application  116   a - d  as payload. In this manner, each item in the displayed dynamic menu can be associated with a different server application  116   a - d  and a different payload. Once the user has made an item selection, the Dynamic Interpreter  128  constructs a SMS message having (as its payload) the dynamic display request associated with the selected item. The Dynamic Interpreter  128  then sends the constructed SMS message to the server application  116   a - d  having the number associated with the selected item, where it is processed as described above. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , in addition to creating Dynamic STK messages in response to a user request via an SMS message, the server application  116  residing on the dynamic application server  102  may also operate in a push mode. In such a mode, the server application  116  monitors a data store of events, such as news, weather, stock prices or other selected information. When the server application  116  detects a change in the data store of events, the server application  116  creates and sends a Dynamic STK message  241  to user devices  104  on the network that are associated with the data store in order to provide an updating of the events on the user device  104 . Generally, such Dynamic STK messages are sent independent of any action taken by a user of the user device  104 . This ensures that the data stored or displayed on the user device  104  will be relatively current and correct in relation to the monitored data in the data store. The user device  104  passes such a Dynamic STK message  242  to the Dynamic Interpreter  128 , which interprets the received Dynamic STK message and instructs the STK framework to execute the appropriate STK proactive command  243 . 
         [0031]    Other versions of the system  100  can make use of alternatives listed below. The SIM  110  may have software for a number of text-based, menu-driven, voice recognition SIM applications  112  stored in its memory. The processor may be external to the SIM  110 . The SIM  110  may be affixed permanently to the user device  104  (i.e., not removable). Other encryption/authentication approaches may be utilized in order to secure the data in the Dynamic STK message. The Dynamic STK protocol may allow for a different maximum message length (i.e., other than 140 bytes). The communication between the user device  104  and the computer servers ( 102  and  126 ) may be accomplished using protocols (e.g., GPRS, CSD) other than the SMS protocol. The server application  116  may include (or have access to) a database of content (e.g., ringtones, logos and games). The server application  116  can interpret an SMS message payload request and execute a “ringtone delivery” action specified by the application business logic. The server application  116  may include application logic for building static-dynamic STK applications  113  that provide value-added services, such as games, chat, quizzes, prepaid recharge, banking, and mobile commerce to the user. 
         [0032]    The Dynamic Interpreter  128  may support additional or different STK proactive commands. For example, to determine the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of each user device  104  on the network  106 , the server application  116  operating in a push-mode constructs a Dynamic STK message having a “Provide Local Info” dynamic display content. The server application  116  then encodes the “Provide Local Info” dynamic display content as a dynamic display generation command in TLV format and sends the Dynamic STK message with the bytecoded command as its payload to the user devices  104 . 
         [0033]    Upon receipt and authentication of the Dynamic STK message, the Dynamic Interpreter  128  in each user device  104  translates the dynamic display generation command into the STK “Provide Local Info” proactive command. Once translated, the Dynamic Interpreter  128  instructs the STK framework  120  to execute the STK “Provide Local Info” proactive command, which results in the transmission of a SMS message providing the IMEI of the user device  104  to one or more server applications  116   a - d . Each IMEI can then be used by the server applications  116   a - d  to customize the content so that the content delivered by the server applications  116  are compatible with the associated user device  104 . 
         [0034]    The communications system  100  may include a mobile communications network or a satellite communications network. The communications system  100  may use a cellular tower of a mobile network operator to communicate analog or digital signals between two or more remotely located devices. Other versions of the communications system  100  may use any technology, or combination of technologies, for transmitting signals. These technologies include, for example, Advanced Cellular telephone System (AMPS), Narrowband Advanced Cellular telephone Service (NAMPS), Frequency Shift Keying (FSK), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), or any standard, such as Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) or Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD). 
         [0035]    A variety of user devices that communicate using the communications system  100 , such as a mobile telephone  104 , a pager, a personal digital assistants (“PDA”), and a portable personal communicator (such as a mobile communicator), or other two-way messaging devices that are capable of communicating a variety of content including text messages can make use of the approaches described above. The communications system  100  may use a satellite to enable communications between two or more remotely located devices. The satellite may communicate directly with a device, such as a satellite telephone, through a signal, or the satellite may communicate indirectly with a particular mobile communications device, such as the mobile telephone  104 , the pager, the PDA, or the portable personal communicator, by communicating signals to a ground station that communicates with the mobile communications devices through another communications network, such as a cellular tower. Some mobile devices, such as the mobile telephone  104  or the PDA, may be able to receive wireless communications from a cellular tower or a satellite. 
         [0036]    The communications system  100  may use a communications pathway to connect with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The PSTN is a telephone system that is capable of connecting a variety of devices, such as telephones, fax machines, or answering machines (none of which are shown), through a communications system that directs calls to a particular location, generally using land lines. 
         [0037]    The server computers ( 102  and  126 ) include a variety of input/output (I/O) devices (e.g., mouse, keyboard, and display). Each server computer has a CPU, an I/O unit, a memory, and a data storage device. Data storage device may store machine-executable instructions, data, and various programs, such as an operating system and one or more application programs, for implementing a process for creating short messages, all of which may be processed by the CPU. Each computer program may be implemented in a high-level procedural or object-oriented programming language, or in assembly or machine language if desired; and, in any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language. The data storage device may be any form of non-volatile memory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, such as Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM). 
         [0038]    Each of the server computers ( 102  and  126 ) may include a communications card or device (e.g., a modem and/or a network adapter) for exchanging data with the network  106  using a communications link (e.g., a telephone line, a wireless network link, a wired network link, or a cable network). Examples of the network  106  include the Internet, the World Wide Web, WANs, LANs, analog or digital wired and wireless telephone networks (e.g., ISDN (“Integrated Services Digital Network”), and DSL (“Digital Subscriber Line”) including various forms of DSL such as SDSL (“Single-line Digital Subscriber Line”), ADSL (“Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Loop), HDSL (“High bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line”), and VDSL (“Very high bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line)), radio, television, cable, satellite, and/or any other delivery mechanism for carrying data. 
         [0039]    Other examples of server computers ( 102  and  126 ) may include a handheld device, a workstation, a server, a device, a component, other equipment, or some combination of these capable of responding to and executing instructions in a defined manner. Any of the foregoing may be supplemented by, or incorporated in, ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits). 
         [0040]    The invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments. Other embodiments are within the scope of the claims. For example, the steps of the invention can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7