Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Remote data accessing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-10
2003-08-19
El-Hady, Nabil (Department: 2154)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Remote data accessing
C709S201000, C709S202000, C709S203000, C709S218000, C709S219000, C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06609148
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the field of communications and information network management. More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel system that allows remote end users to rapidly and securely access information from a variety of subscriber devices using a centralized remote data center.
II. Description of Related Art
Recent innovations in wireless communication and computer-related technologies as well as the unprecedented growth of Internet subscribers have provided tremendous opportunities in telecommuting and mobile computing. In fact, corporate entities and enterprises are moving towards providing their workforces with ubiquitous access to networked corporate applications and data, such as, for example, e-mail, address books, appointment calendars, scheduling information, etc.
The problem with providing universal access to proprietary information is one of logistics. For example, it is common for an individual to keep sets of addresses on different devices, such as work addresses on a personal computer used at work, personal addresses on a home computer, and commonly called telephone numbers on a cellular telephone. Problems arise when the individual is at home and wishes to call or fax a work colleague, particularly when the individual does not have access to the work addresses from the home computer or any other available device. Further, different urgent priority items, such as urgent e-mails, may be unavailable to a subscriber for an extended period of time if the subscriber is equipped only with a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a cellular telephone unable to receive e-mail.
Along with the problem of maintaining data in various locations, users frequently have access to different devices, each having different data access abilities and requirements. For example, certain cellular telephones have speed dial or commonly called telephone numbers, but do not have the ability to receive e-mail. Certain cellular telephone handsets have the ability to receive alphanumeric pages, but some cellular service providers do not support this feature while others do. Also, many PDAs do not have the ability to receive over-the-air transmissions, but can synchronize with a database, such as a database associated with a personal computer and/or network. Other PDAs have the ability to receive and edit e-mail messages. Some systems or networks allow a subscriber to download her e-mail headers to a remote device and read some portion or all of the e-mail. After reading the e-mail on the remote device, some systems delete the e-mail while others maintain the e-mail on the system until read or deleted at the home system. Hence the ability for a subscriber to access, maintain, and dynamically utilize information is heavily dependent on the input device employed by the subscriber.
Further, certain organizations limit access to workers having a need to know the information maintained. For example, many corporations control e-mail using a dedicated server having restricted access, including using firewalls and encryption. Access to this information requires making the information available under conditions imposed and maintained by the corporation.
For purposes of this application, a corporation or other entity, public private, or otherwise, is referred to as an “enterprise.” As used herein, an enterprise represents any entity maintaining or controlling information at a remote location from a subscriber. Examples of enterprises include a secure corporate network, a dedicated server, or a publicly accessible web site network. Other enterprises may be employed which maintain and control certain information as may be appreciated by those of skill in the art.
While certain systems have been employed to provide access to information maintained at an enterprise, none have provided for access by multiple devices including PDAs, cellular telephones, personal computers, laptops, MICROSOFT® Windows CE devices, and so forth. Further, those systems discussed in the literature that provide information access to users employing a limited set of input devices have suffered from accessibility and data latency problems. Accessibility issues involve providing access to the information by only offering access through a corporate Intranet or other internal access scheme. A subscriber wishing to review his or her e-mail on a laptop borrowed from a colleague frequently is denied access to the corporate information. Further, data latency universally inhibits the ability to access data. Users desire a fast response to the information they desire, and information on any device that takes longer than fifteen seconds to load is undesirable.
Additionally, certain enterprises wish to have control over information maintained on their networks, including maintaining password and account information for the enterprise users. It is therefore undesirable for the enterprise to offer sensitive data, such as subscriber information and passwords, to outside parties where the data may be compromised. Security issues, such as corporate firewalls and encryption of data, must in many instances be maintained and controlled by the enterprise rather than a third party.
Certain enterprises also have particular needs and preferences. For example, some corporate enterprises may maintain a network that interfaces with offices in different countries, and depending on the person accessing the information, he or she may have a particular language preference. Certain enterprises also find it highly desirable to have a reconfigurable interface to provide updated graphics, information, and presence to network users. These subscriber interfaces may change rapidly in some industries. A system offering information access should therefore be readily reconfigurable and offer subscriber interfaces structured for the enterprise for use on a variety of input devices.
Such a system should be relatively easy to set up and maintain, and use readily available hardware and software wherever possible. Further, the system should provide for data access tracking and efficient security and authorization.
It is therefore an object of the current invention to provide a system for offering convenient and efficient access to data, including e-mail, calendar/date book, and addresses. These terms are commonly known in the art, wherein e-mail represents electronic mail deliverable in a recognized format, including attachments and other electronic mail attributes. Calendar/date book data represents dates of meetings, appointments, holidays, or other noteworthy events maintained in a searchable database type format. Addresses represent information associated with contacts, such as the contact's name, title, company, business address, business phone number, business fax number, home address and/or phone number, cellular phone number, e-mail address, and so forth. Access to the information should preferably be provided through a central location.
It is a further object of this invention to provide for access to the desired information using any of a variety of input devices, including but not limited to a personal computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a cellular telephone, a two-way pager, and a MICROSOFT® Windows CE device.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a system which recognizes the type of device addressing and requesting the information and to provide the information to the device in a proper format in accordance with the preferences of the enterprise transmitting the information.
It is another object of the current invention to provide a central location for enabling a series of users to access information at various enterprises when said users employ various input devices. Such a central location should offer relatively robust access to the information desired, offer security for information maintained on the enterprise such as subscriber data and passwords, and provide for authentication and access tracking.
It is yet another object of the current
Deacon D. Brian
Fayal, Jr. Kenneth Eugene
Herbinaux Larry
Salo Randy
Shelton Barry K.
El-Hady Nabil
Katbab Abdollah
Ogrod Gregory D.
Wadsworth Philip R.
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