System and method for providing offline web application, page, and form access in a networked environment

Abstract

A system and a method for providing offline web application, page, and form access in a networked or Internet environment. In accordance with one embodiment an Offline Access Server offline Web infrastructure based on a scalable, polite communication technology. The Offline Access Server uses an offline enabling technology, and an HTML extension such as OTML (Offline Tagging Markup Language), to enable any set of web application, application data, page, or form to operate and to be usable offline.

1 . A system that provides offline access to an online content, wherein the system performs steps comprising: 
 accessing an online version of an online content;    acquiring and packaging portions of the online content for use offline, including reading markup tags in the online content that specify which portions of the online content are to be made available offline;    replacing links in the portions to be made available offline, with new links, as specified by the markup tags, to create an offline version that substantially emulates the online version;    providing the offline version at a client, for offline access, for use in viewing or updating the offline version;    subsequently receiving any updates to the offline version, from the client, after the client or a user thereof is back online, and converting the updates to match the online version of the online content; and    submitting the updates to the online content, including uploading the updates made to the offline version to the corresponding portions in the online version, on behalf of the user, as if the user was online.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system comprises the client and a server, and wherein the step of replacing links in the portions to be made available offline, with new links, as specified by the markup tags, to create an offline version that substantially emulates the online version is performed by the server.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system comprises the client and a server, and wherein the step of replacing links in the portions to be made available offline, with new links, as specified by the markup tags, to create an offline version that substantially emulates the online version is performed by the client, in response to the client receiving an information package the server.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the online content includes forms, and wherein when a form is sent to the client as an offline version, the user can enter information into the offline version of the form, which information is then submitted to the online version of the form when the user is back online.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the online content is a Web or Internet application.  
   
   
       6 . A method for providing offline access to an online content, comprising the steps of: 
 accessing an online version of an online content;    acquiring and packaging portions of the online content for use offline, including reading markup tags in the online content that specify which portions of the online content are to be made available offline;    replacing links in the portions to be made available offline, with new links, as specified by the markup tags, to create an offline version that substantially emulates the online version;    providing the offline version at a client, for offline access, for use in viewing or updating the offline version;    subsequently receiving any updates to the offline version, from the client, after the client or a user thereof is back online, and converting the updates to match the online version of the online content; and    submitting the updates to the online content, including uploading the updates made to the offline version to the corresponding portions in the online version, on behalf of the user, as if the user was online.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the system comprises the client and a server, and wherein the step of replacing links in the portions to be made available offline, with new links, as specified by the markup tags, to create an offline version that substantially emulates the online version is performed by the server.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the system comprises the client and a server, and wherein the step of replacing links in the portions to be made available offline, with new links, as specified by the markup tags, to create an offline version that substantially emulates the online version is performed by the client, in response to the client receiving an information package the server.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the online content includes forms, and wherein when a form is sent to the client as an offline version, the user can enter information into the offline version of the form, which information is then submitted to the online version of the form when the user is back online.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the online content is a Web or Internet application.  
   
   
       11 . A markup language for use in providing offline access to an online content, comprising: 
 a plurality of markup tags stored in a computer readable medium and specifying which portions of an online content are to be made available offline; and    wherein the computer file can then be used by one or more computers to 
 access an online version of an online content,  
 acquire portions of the online content for use offline, as specified by the markup tags,  
 modify the portions to be made available offline, to create an offline version that substantially emulates the online version,  
 provide the offline version, for offline access in viewing or updating the offline version,  
 subsequently receive updates to the offline version, and convert the updates to match the online version of the online content, and  
 submit the updates to the online content, including uploading the updates made to the offline version to the corresponding portions in the online version.  
   
   
   
       12 . The markup language of  claim 11 , wherein the markup language is Offline Tagging Markup Language.  
   
   
       13 . The markup language of  claim 11 , wherein the computer file is stored at a client computer, and is used to allow the client computer to access online content at a server computer.  
   
   
       14 . The markup language of  claim 11 , wherein the computer file is stored at a server computer, and is used to allow a client computer to access online content at the server computer.