Network with mobile terminals as browsers having wireless access to the internet and method for using same
Patent No. US7526762 (titled "Network with mobile terminals as browsers having wireless access to the internet and method for using same") on Sep 11, 2000. The application was issued on Apr 28, 2009.
What is this patent about?
’762 is related to the field of wireless communication networks, specifically focusing on the management and delivery of software updates and service products to mobile terminals. In traditional thin-client architectures, maintaining consistent software versions and user-specific configurations across a fleet of mobile devices is challenging, especially when devices are intermittently connected or roaming between different access points. The background context involves a system where terminal servers act as intermediaries between mobile units and the broader internet, handling authentication and session-specific data.
The underlying idea behind ’762 is a multi-tier distribution architecture that ensures critical updates and service products reach their destination even if the target terminal is offline during the initial broadcast. Instead of relying on a single push attempt, the system utilizes a configuration server to track the delivery status of software objects across various terminal servers. By maintaining a persistent record of which servers have successfully received and acknowledged an update, the system can transition from a proactive push model to a reactive pull model based on real-time network events.
The claims of ’762 focus on a method and system for managing software and product distribution by identifying a specific subset of users entitled to an update and monitoring the transfer status at the terminal server level. The independent claims describe a process where a central configuration server receives an upgrade message, saves it to a database, and attempts to propagate it to terminal servers. Crucially, the claims cover the mechanism of identifying failed or pending transfers and triggering a re-delivery specifically when a terminal associated with a lagging server is activated.
In practice, the invention functions as a fail-safe synchronization layer between a central management authority and distributed network nodes. When a vendor or service provider releases a new software component or a digital product like a magazine, the central server filters the user base to determine who should receive the content. If a terminal server is unreachable or a transfer is interrupted, the central server flags that specific node. This conditional re-delivery mechanism ensures that as soon as a user powers on their device and authenticates, the system detects the pending update and completes the transfer immediately.
This approach differs from prior solutions by decoupling the initial update release from the final delivery, using the terminal activation event as a secondary trigger for synchronization. Traditional systems often fail if the endpoint or its local gateway is unavailable during a scheduled update window. By integrating a tracking database that associates specific sources with their respective updates and monitoring the delivery state, ’762 provides a robust way to maintain version consistency across a mobile network without requiring constant, high-bandwidth connectivity for every node simultaneously.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical Landscape
In the late 1990s when ’762 was filed, mobile internet access was typically implemented using thin client architectures where the majority of application logic and processing resided on a remote server due to severe hardware constraints of mobile terminals. At a time when systems commonly relied on terminal-server models to compensate for limited local memory and processing power, providing a consistent user experience across different network access points was non-trivial. Hardware constraints made the local storage of complex browser configurations, history, and security protocols difficult, often forcing a trade-off between device portability and the richness of the browsing environment.
Prosecution Position
The disclosed invention represents a technical advancement through an architectural shift that decouples user-specific browser configurations from the physical terminal, centralizing them within a remote server that manages session-specific data such as cookies, bookmarks, and history. This integration enables a persistent 'look and feel' and personalized service environment regardless of the terminal's geographical location or the specific network access point used. Furthermore, the architecture overcomes security constraints by implementing a dual-memory isolation strategy within the server, where sensitive configuration parameters are stored in a first memory area physically or logically separated from a second memory area used for volatile Internet-sourced content, thereby preventing virus propagation from downloaded data to the core terminal configuration.
Claims
This patent contains 12 claims, with claims 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 being independent. The independent claims focus on methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products for managing the distribution of software upgrades or service products by receiving upgrade messages, identifying specific users or contracts, and ensuring delivery to terminal servers, including mechanisms to provide the upgrade upon terminal activation if a previous transfer was missed. The dependent claims serve to add specific operational details, such as updating the terminal itself, performing virus scans on the service product, and implementing additional tracking and delivery steps for product information.
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US7526762
- Application Number
- US09659416A
- Filing Date
- Sep 11, 2000
- Publication Date
- Apr 28, 2009
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO , Google Patents