Modification of terminal and service provider machines using an update server machine

What is this patent about?

'124 is related to the field of computerized systems and, more specifically, to the modification of software on remote devices. The background involves scenarios where software applications running on multiple devices (e.g., a terminal and a server) need to be updated or customized. Distributing full software updates over networks, especially wireless networks with limited bandwidth, can be inefficient and costly. The patent addresses the problem of efficiently modifying the dialogue between a user at a terminal and a service provider at a remote machine.

The underlying idea behind '124 is to update the dialogue protocol between a terminal and a service provider by sending small, targeted code updates (dialogue modules) instead of full application updates. These dialogue modules contain code that modifies the behavior of existing applications without requiring recompilation or replacement of the core computer-executable instructions. This allows for rapid adaptation and customization of the user interface and transaction flow, even over low-bandwidth networks.

The claims of '124 focus on a method, system, and storage medium for conducting a dialogue between a terminal and a service provider. The terminal displays a prompt, accepts user input, and sends this data to the service provider. Crucially, the terminal receives a dialogue module that updates the terminal application's code. This updated code then adapts the application to display a second prompt, modifying the dialogue sequence. The claims emphasize that at least some of the code involved is intermediate code, implying a virtual machine or similar architecture.

In practice, the terminal and service provider machines run applications that communicate to conduct a transaction. The dialogue module, received by the terminal, contains code that alters the sequence of prompts displayed to the user. This allows for changes to the user interface, data entry requirements, or the overall transaction flow without requiring a full software update. The service provider can also send an authorization code to the terminal machine.

This approach differentiates from prior solutions by avoiding the need to transmit large software application updates. Instead, only the dialogue module, containing the specific code needed to modify the dialogue, is transmitted. This is particularly advantageous in systems with many remote devices and limited network bandwidth. The use of intermediate code allows the dialogue module to be interpreted by a platform module, avoiding the need for recompilation on the terminal machine.