Pushing rich content information to mobile devices

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for customizing content based on at least one operating characteristic of a mobile client. A mobile gateway receives content from a content source, such as an email server, a Web server, or some other content server. For example, content may include email, calendar, contact, task, Web, notification, financial, sports data, configuration information, etc. The mobile gateway customizes the content based on transforms assigned to each mobile client. Transforms account for differences in the software, display, processor, memory, communication channel, and the like, of each mobile client, without imposing additional processing burdens on the content server. Processing that is common among several transforms may be shared. Mobile clients may be any type of computer, including telephones, pagers, PDAs, laptops, and other mobile gateways.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:  
     
         1 . In a computerized system that includes a content server, a mobile gateway, and a first and a second mobile client, the first and second mobile clients differing from each other in at least one operating characteristic, wherein the mobile gateway receives content that is addressed to the first and second mobile clients from the content server, a method of customizing the content based on at least one operating characteristic of each mobile client, wherein the customizing avoids further processing at the content server, the method comprising a mobile gateway performing the acts of: 
 assigning a first transform to the first mobile client and assigning a second transform to the second mobile client, the first and second transforms specifically considering one or more operating characteristics of the first and second mobile clients;    receiving content from the content server;    altering the content according to the first and second transforms so that the content is compatible with the one or more operating characteristics of the first and second mobile clients, the altered content comprising a first transformed content and a second transformed content;    establishing a communication link between the mobile gateway and the first and second mobile clients; and    sending the first transformed content to the first mobile client and sending the second transformed content to the second mobile client.    
     
     
         2 . A method as recited in  claim 1  further comprising the act of at least one of the transforms encrypting the content.  
     
     
         3 . A method as recited in  claim 1  further comprising the act of at least one of the transforms compressing the content.  
     
     
         4 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein at least one of the mobile clients is one of a telephone, a pager, a personal digital assistant, and a cascaded mobile gateway.  
     
     
         5 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the first transformed content comprises a notification that additional content is available at the content server, the method further comprising the acts of: 
 receiving a request for the additional content from the first mobile client,  
 retrieving the additional content from the content server;  
 altering the additional content according to the first transform so that the content is compatible with the one or more operating characteristics of the first mobile client, the act of altering producing a first transformed additional content; and  
 sending the first transformed additional content to the first mobile client.  
 
     
     
         6 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the one or more operating characteristics considered by the first and second transforms include at least one of the first and second mobile client's software, processor, memory, display, and communication link.  
     
     
         7 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the computerized system includes a third mobile client, the method further comprising the acts of: 
 assigning the first transform to the third mobile client, the first transform specifically considering one or more operating characteristics of the third mobile client; and  
 sending the first transformed content to the third mobile client.  
 
     
     
         8 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the content received from the content server is addressed to a list containing the first and second mobile clients, the method further comprising the act of addressing the content specifically to the first mobile client and to the second mobile client as defined in the list.  
     
     
         9 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the content comprises one of email, calendar, contact, task, Web, notification, financial, configuration, and sports content.  
     
     
         10 . In a computerized system that includes a content server, a mobile gateway, and a first mobile client, wherein the mobile gateway receives from the content server, content that is addressed to the first mobile client, a method of customizing the content based on at least one operating characteristic of the first mobile client, wherein the customizing avoids further processing at the content server, the method comprising a mobile gateway performing the acts of: 
 assigning a first transform to the first mobile client, the first transform specifically considering one or more operating characteristics of the first mobile client;    receiving content from the content server;    altering the content according to the first transform so that the content is compatible with the one or more operating characteristics of the first mobile client, the altered content comprising a first transformed content;    establishing a communication link between the mobile gateway and the first mobile client; and    sending the first transformed content to the first mobile client.    
     
     
         11 . A method as recited in  claim 10  wherein the one or more operating characteristics considered by the first transform include at least one of the first mobile client's software, processor, memory, display, and communication link.  
     
     
         12 . A method as recited in  claim 10  further comprising the act of the first transform encrypting the content.  
     
     
         13 . A method as recited in  claim 10  further comprising the act of the first transform compressing the content.  
     
     
         14 . A method as recited in  claim 10  wherein the first transformed content comprises a notification that additional content is available at the content server, the method further comprising the acts of: 
 receiving a request for the additional content from the first mobile client,  
 retrieving the additional content from the content server;  
 altering the additional content according to the first transform so that the content is compatible with the one or more operating characteristics of the first mobile client, the act of altering producing a first transformed additional content; and  
 sending the first transformed additional content to the first mobile client.  
 
     
     
         15 . A method as recited in  claim 10  wherein the first mobile client is one of a telephone, a pager, a personal digital assistant, and a cascaded mobile gateway.  
     
     
         16 . A method as recited in  claim 10  wherein the content comprises one of email, calendar, contact, task, Web, notification, financial, configuration, and sports content.  
     
     
         17 . A method as recited in  claim 10  wherein the computerized system includes a second mobile client, the method further comprising the acts of: 
 assigning a second transform to the second mobile client, the second transform specifically considering one or more operating characteristics of the second mobile client;  
 altering the content according to the second transform so that the content is compatible with the one or more operating characteristics of the second mobile client, the altered content comprising a second transformed content;  
 establishing a communication link between the mobile gateway and the second mobile client; and  
 sending the second transformed content to the second mobile client.  
 
     
     
         18 . A method as recited in  claim 17  wherein the content received from the content server is addressed to a list containing the first and second mobile clients, the method further comprising the act of addressing the content specifically to the first mobile client and to the second mobile client as defined in the list.  
     
     
         19 . A method as recited in  claim 17  wherein the computerized system includes a third mobile client, the method further comprising the acts of: 
 assigning the first transform to the third mobile client, the first transform specifically considering one or more operating characteristics of the third mobile client; and  
 sending the first transformed content to the third mobile client.  
 
     
     
         20 . In a computerized system that includes a content server, a mobile gateway, and mobile clients, wherein some of the mobile clients differ from each other in at least one operating characteristic, and wherein the mobile gateway receives content that is addressed to the mobile clients from the content server, a method of customizing the content based on at least one operating characteristic of each mobile client, wherein the customizing avoids further processing at the content server, the method comprising the mobile gateway performing steps for: 
 associating content transforms with a first and a second mobile client, the content transforms accounting for one or more operating characteristics of the first and second mobile clients;    producing first transformed content and second transformed content based on content from the content server and the content transforms; and    providing the first and second transformed content to the first and second mobile clients.    
     
     
         21 . A method as recited in  claim 20  wherein at least one of the mobile clients is one of a telephone, a pager, a personal digital assistant, and a cascaded mobile gateway.  
     
     
         22 . A method as recited in  claim 20  wherein the first transformed content comprises a notification that additional content is available at the content server, the method further comprising steps for: 
 producing a first additional transformed content based on a content transform associated with the first mobile client; and  
 providing the first additional transformed content to the first mobile client.  
 
     
     
         23 . A method as recited in  claim 20  wherein the one or more operating characteristics considered by the content transforms include at least one of the mobile clients' software, processor, memory, display, and communication link.  
     
     
         24 . A method as recited in  claim 20  wherein the computerized system includes a third mobile client, the method further comprising a step for providing the first transformed content to the third mobile client, due to similarities in one or more operating characteristics of the first and third mobile clients.  
     
     
         25 . A method as recited in  claim 20  wherein the content received from the content server is addressed to a list of mobile clients, the method further comprising a step for providing the content to each of the specific mobile clients contained in the list.  
     
     
         26 . A method as recited in  claim 20  wherein the content comprises one of email, calendar, contact, task, Web, notification, financial, configuration, and sports data.  
     
     
         27 . In a computerized system that includes a content server, a mobile gateway, and a first mobile client, wherein the mobile gateway receives from the content server, content that is addressed to the first mobile client, a computer program product for implementing a method of customizing the content based on at least one operating characteristic of the first mobile client, wherein the customizing avoids further processing at the content server, comprising: 
 a computer readable medium for carrying machine-executable instructions for implementing the method at a mobile gateway; and    wherein said method is comprised of machine-executable instructions for performing the acts of: 
 assigning a first transform to the first mobile client, the first transform specifically considering one or more operating characteristics of the first mobile client;  
 receiving content from the content server;  
 altering the content according to the first transform so that the content is compatible with the one or more operating characteristics of the first mobile client, the altered content comprising a first transformed content;  
 establishing a communication link between the mobile gateway and the first mobile client; and  
 sending the first transformed content to the first mobile client.  
   
     
     
         28 . A computer program product as recited in  claim 27  wherein the one or more operating characteristics considered by the first transform include at least one of the first mobile client's software, processor, memory, display, and communication link.  
     
     
         29 . A computer program product as recited in  claim 27 , the method comprised further of machine-executable instructions for the first transform performing the act of encrypting the content.  
     
     
         30 . A computer program product as recited in  claim 27 , the method comprised further of machine-executable instructions for the first transform performing the act of compressing the content.  
     
     
         31 . A method as recited in  claim 27  wherein the first transformed content comprises a notification that additional content is available at the content server, the method comprised further of machine-executable instructions for performing the acts of: 
 receiving a request for the additional content from the first mobile client,  
 retrieving the additional content from the content server;  
 altering the additional content according to the first transform so that the content is compatible with the one or more operating characteristics of the first mobile client, the act of altering producing a first transformed additional content; and  
 sending the first transformed additional content to the first mobile client.  
 
     
     
         32 . A computer program product as recited in  claim 27  wherein the first mobile client is one of a telephone, a pager, and a personal digital assistant and wherein the content comprises one of email, calendar, contact, task, Web, notification, financial, configuration, and sports data.  
     
     
         33 . A computer program product as recited in  claim 27  wherein the computerized system includes a second mobile client, the method comprised further of machine-executable instructions for performing the acts of: 
 assigning a second transform to the second mobile client, the second transform specifically considering one or more operating characteristics of the second mobile client;  
 altering the content according to the second transform so that the content is compatible with the one or more operating characteristics of the second mobile client, the altered content comprising a second transformed content;  
 establishing a communication link between the mobile gateway and the second mobile client; and  
 sending the second transformed content to the second mobile client.  
 
     
     
         34 . A computer program product as recited in  claim 33  wherein the content received from the content server is addressed to a list containing the first and second mobile clients, the method comprised further of machine-executable instructions for performing the act of addressing the content specifically to the first mobile client and to the second mobile client as defined in the list.  
     
     
         35 . A computer program product as recited in  claim 33  wherein the computerized system includes a third mobile client, the method comprised further of machine-executable instructions for performing the acts of: 
 assigning the first transform to the third mobile client, the first transform specifically considering one or more operating characteristics of the third mobile client; and  
 sending the first transformed content to the third mobile client.