Wireless mobile devices having improved operation during network unavailability

Abstract

Improved techniques for reducing delays faced by users of mobile devices due to unavailability of wireless networks are disclosed. The techniques facilitate the reduction of delays faced by users of mobile devices during unavailability of wireless networks. A first technique allows mobile devices to communicate with remote servers using asynchronous communications, namely asynchronous requests. Such asynchronous communications allow the processing at a mobile device to continue while the asynchronous request is processed in the background. A second technique pertains to the use of content channels with mobile devices. The content channels are stored and retained in cache memory so that their resources are guaranteed to be locally available, regardless of availability of wireless networks. A third technique pertains to improved list processing within mobile devices such that lists can be manipulated without server interaction. These various techniques can be used separately or in combination.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 - 29  (Cancelled).  
     
     
         30 . A method for storing a content channel from a remote server onto a mobile device through a wireless network, the content channel including resources, said method comprising the acts of: 
 (a) receiving an instruction to load the content channel into a cache memory of the mobile device;    (b) determining whether the content channel can fit within a reserved portion of the cache memory of the mobile device; and    (c) loading the content channel into the reserved portion of the cache memory from the remote server through the wireless network when said determining (b) determines that the content channel is able to fit within the reserved portion of the cache memory.    
     
     
         31 . A method as recited in  claim 30 , wherein said method further comprises: 
 (d) performing automatic notifications to either the mobile device or the remote server based on the success or failure of the storing of the content channel on the mobile device.    
     
     
         32 . A method as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the content channel is defined by a channel specification.  
     
     
         33 . A method as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the reserved portion of the cache memory is protected from cache clean-up or refresh processing being used in a remaining portion of the cache memory, thus once loaded the presence of the content channel within the cache memory is guaranteed.  
     
     
         34 . A method for manipulating a list resident on a mobile device used with a wireless communication system, said method comprising the acts of: 
 (a) displaying a list on a display device of the mobile device, the list being displayed from a descriptive file;    (b) receiving, at the mobile device, a list command to modify the displayed list;    (c) locating a list object stored within the mobile device, the list object corresponding to the displayed list;    (d) modifying the list object in accordance with the list command;    (e) obtaining, from the list object, a pointer to the descriptive file; and    (f) modifying at least a portion of the descriptive file in accordance with the list command.    
     
     
         35 . A method as recited in  claim 34 , wherein said acts of (a)-(f) are performed locally by the mobile device without interaction with remote servers of the wireless communication system.  
     
     
         36 . A method as recited in  claim 34 , wherein said method further comprises: 
 (g) asynchronously notifying a remote server of the modification made to the displayed list.    
     
     
         37 . A method as recited in  claim 34 , wherein the descriptive file is a markup language file.  
     
     
         38 . A method as recited in  claim 34 , wherein said method further comprising: 
 (g) locating, prior to said modifying (f), a portion of the descriptive file to be modified using at least the pointer.    
     
     
         39 . A method as recited in  claim 38 , wherein said locating (g) of the portion of the descriptive file comprises: 
 (g1) identifying a target element within the descriptive file based on the pointer; and    (g2) locating within the target element the portion of the descriptive file to be modified.    
     
     
         40 . A method as recited in  claim 39 , wherein said locating (g2) comprises: 
 obtaining a reference indicator for a list element of the list object that has been modified; and    searching the target element for the reference indicator to locate the portion of the descriptive file to be modified.    
     
     
         41 . A method as recited in  claim 38 , wherein said modifying (f) comprises: 
 editing the portion of the descriptive file to be modified in accordance with the list command.    
     
     
         42 . A method as recited in  claim 34 , wherein said modifying (f) comprises: 
 regenerating the descriptive file in accordance with the list command.    
     
     
         43 . A method as recited in  claim 34 , wherein at least a portion of the list object is stored within the descriptive file.  
     
     
         44 . (Cancelled).