Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING MOBILE

COMPONENT

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to mobile component provision, and more particularly, to a system and method for providing a mobile component to a mobile terminal. Background Art

[2] In recent years, a communication way between mobile terminals and Internet sites through wireless Internet is being advanced day by day. Owing to the advance of a wireless communication network, an amount and kind of contents provided to mobile terminals increases by geometric progression.

[3] However, there is a drawback that user's desires are not satisfied enough because contents provided to mobile terminals are standardized and degraded in diversity compared to computer contents. Also, users are difficult to be provided with contents complying with their own tastes because contents provided to mobile terminals mostly comply with the standards standardized by mobile terminal manufacturers or mobile telecommunication providers. Also, there is an inconvenience that real-time contents cannot be provided to mobile terminals until the mobile terminals maintain a connection to wireless Internet by keeping executing a program. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[4] Accordingly, the present invention is to provide a system for providing a mobile component, for improving a degree of utilization of content.

[5] Also, the present invention is to provide a system for providing a mobile component, for providing diverse and personalized contents to a mobile terminal.

[6] Also, the present invention is to provide a system for providing a mobile component, for updating content of a mobile terminal without a seamless connection to wireless Internet.

[7] Also, the present invention is to provide a method for providing a mobile component.

Technical Solution

[8] In one aspect, there is provided a system for providing a mobile component. The system comprises a content server, a mobile component server, and a mobile terminal. The content server provides content. The mobile component server provides an environment on which a mobile component for displaying the content is composed, and collects the content. The mobile terminal downloads and drives the mobile component. The content of the mobile component in the mobile terminal is updated by the content

server or the mobile component server.

[9] The mobile component server may comprise a mobile component composer, a mobile component manager, a mobile component download manager, a content push/ pull agent, and a user management module. The mobile component composer provides an environment on which the mobile component is composed. The mobile component manager manages and changes the composed mobile component. The mobile component download manager manages a download of the mobile component upon a request of the mobile terminal. The content push/pull agent collects and updates the content in compliance with an update rule by a push or pull technique. The user management module manages information on a user using the mobile component.

[10] The mobile component composer may comprise a content formatter for formatting at least one of contents on the Internet or in the mobile terminal such that the content can be displayed by the mobile component.

[11] The mobile component composer may comprise, in the composed mobile component, information on whether to receive any one of contents on the Internet or in the mobile terminal.

[12] The environment on which the mobile component is composed may be any one of an environment received in a computer for composition, an environment for direct composition in a web, and an environment for independent composition in a computer.

[13] The user management module may manage the user information depending on a kind of a mobile component selected by the user or in compliance with a preset rule.

[14] The mobile component composed by the mobile component server may comprise the content and feature information on the mobile component.

[15] The content may comprise at least any one of contents on the Internet or contents stored in the mobile terminal.

[16] The feature information of the mobile component may comprise a size of the mobile component, a shape of the mobile component, an update rule of the mobile component, a subsequent operation rule of the mobile component, and content arrangement.

[17] The mobile component each may comprise an independent content or comprise content associating two or more of the mobile components with each other.

[18] The mobile component may be comprised of a component composition script.

[19] The mobile component may comprise content expressed with at least any one of a markup language, a script language, a multimedia expression language, an ActiveX control technology, and a multimedia content display technology.

[20] The mobile terminal may comprise a download module, a middleware agent, a display module, a management/storage module, an event handler, and a content push/ pull handler. The download module downloads the mobile component. The middleware agent drives the downloaded mobile component. The display module

displays content of the mobile component on a screen of the mobile terminal. The management/storage module manages and stores the downloaded mobile component. The event handler processes a subsequent operation of the mobile component depending on information inputted by a user. The content push/pull handler updates the content in compliance with an update rule by a push or pull technique.

[21] The subsequent operation implemented by the mobile component may be server connection on the Internet, driving of an application or a player built in the mobile terminal, phone connection, driving of a different mobile component, shift of the mobile component, adjusting of a size of the mobile component, and focusing of the mobile component.

[22] The update rule may be any one of an update rule for pushing from the mobile component server to the mobile terminal, an update rule for pushing/pulling between the mobile component server and the mobile terminal, an update rule for pulling from the content server to the mobile terminal in a content update period or a content update time set to the mobile component, and an update rule for pulling from the content server or the mobile component server to the mobile terminal depending on information inputted by a user.

[23] In another aspect, there is provided a method for providing a mobile component. The method comprises providing content of a content server to a mobile component server; providing an environment on which a mobile component for displaying the content is composed; downloading the mobile component composed by the mobile component server to a mobile terminal; driving the mobile component and displaying the content in the mobile terminal; and updating the content of the mobile component in the mobile terminal by the content server or the mobile component server in compliance with an update rule.

[24] The providing of the environment on which the mobile component is composed may comprise formatting at least one of contents on the Internet or in the mobile terminal such that the content can be displayed by the mobile component.

[25] The providing of the environment on which the mobile component is composed may comprise comprising, in the composed mobile component, information on whether to receive any one of the contents on the Internet or in the mobile terminal.

[26] The environment on which the mobile component is composed may be any one of an environment received in a computer for composition, an environment for direct composition in a web, and an environment for independent composition in a computer.

[27] The updating of the content of the mobile component may be performed in compliance with at least any one of an update rule for pushing from the mobile component server to the mobile terminal, an update rule for pushing/pulling between the mobile component server and the mobile terminal, an update rule for pulling from

the content server to the mobile terminal in a content update period or a content update time set to the mobile component, and an update rule for pulling from the content server or the mobile component server to the mobile terminal depending on information inputted by a user.

[28] The mobile component may comprise the content and feature information of the mobile component.

[29] The content may comprise any one of contents on the Internet or contents stored in the mobile terminal.

[30] The feature information of the mobile component may comprise a size of the mobile component, a shape of the mobile component, an update rule of the mobile component, a subsequent operation rule of the mobile component, and content arrangement.

[31] The mobile components each may comprise an independent content or comprises content associating two or more of the mobile components with each other.

[32] The mobile component may be comprised of a component composition script.

[33] The mobile component may comprise content expressed with at least any one of a markup language, a script language, a multimedia expression language, an ActiveX control technology, and a multimedia content display technology.

[34] The method may further comprise managing and changing the mobile component in the mobile component server; and managing and storing the downloaded mobile component in the mobile terminal.

[35] The method may further comprise managing information on a user using the mobile component depending on a kind of the mobile component selected by a user or in compliance with a preset rule.

[36] The method may further comprise processing a subsequent operation of the mobile component depending on information inputted to the mobile terminal by a user.

[37] The subsequent operation implemented by the mobile component may be server connection on the Internet, driving of an application or a player built in the mobile terminal, phone connection, driving of a different mobile component, shift of the mobile component, adjusting of a size of the mobile component, and focusing of the mobile component.

[38] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

[39]

Advantageous Effects

[40] The present invention has an effect of composing and providing a mobile component displaying content to a mobile terminal, thereby improving a degree of utilization of

content in the mobile terminal.

[41] Also, the present invention has an effect of allowing a provider or user to arbitrarily compose and provide a mobile component to a mobile terminal, thereby making the use of a diversified and personalized content.

[42] Also, the present invention has an effect of updating content of a mobile terminal without a need for a seamless connection to wireless Internet. Brief Description of the Drawings

[43] The invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like numerals refer to like elements.

[44] FIG. 1 illustrates a system for providing a mobile component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[45] FIG. 2 illustrates a mobile component server according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[46] FIG. 3 illustrates a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

[47] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing a mobile component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[48] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in a more detailed manner with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals denote the same elements throughout the specification.

[49] FIG. 1 illustrates a system for providing a mobile component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[50] As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile component providing system comprises a content server 110, a mobile component server 120, and a mobile terminal 130.

[51] The content server 110 stores a diversity of contents from a plurality of content providers (CPl, CP2, CP3,, CPn) and provides the contents to the mobile component server 120. The content provided to the mobile component server 120 is comprised in a mobile component and provided to the mobile terminal 130.

[52] The mobile component server 120 provides an environment on which a mobile component for displaying the content is composed to the mobile terminal 130 and collects the contents from the content server 110. The mobile component server 120 manages and changes the composed mobile component, downloads the mobile component upon a request of the mobile terminal 130, transmits a collected, updated content of the mobile component to the mobile terminal 130, and manages user information. For this, the mobile component server 120 comprises a mobile component composer, a mobile component manager, a mobile component download manager, a

content push/pull agent, and a user management module. A detailed description of the mobile component server 120 will be made later with reference to FIG. 2.

[53] The mobile terminal 130 receives, by download, and drives a mobile component from the mobile component server 120 and displays content on a screen of the mobile terminal 130. The content of the mobile component in the mobile terminal 130 is updated in compliance with an update rule by the content server 110 or the mobile component server 120. The mobile component performs a subsequent operation depending on information inputted by a mobile terminal user. For this, the mobile terminal 130 comprises a download module, a middleware agent, a display module, a management/storage module, an event handler, and a content push/pull handler. A detailed description of the mobile terminal 130 will be made later with reference to FIG. 3.

[54] The mobile component, a kind of an application, is driven by the mobile terminal 130 and displays the content. The mobile component comprises content for display, a user interface for deciding how to display the content, and feature information on the mobile component such as a subsequent operation rule for a subsequent operation implemented when a user takes any action (e.g., presses a specific key) after viewing the content displayed by the mobile component.

[55] For example, a mobile component called A is composed using an image and a text content of a specific region among contents of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) named www.aaa.com/news/sports/mlb.html. The composed mobile component is downloaded to the mobile terminal and displayed on the screen. The mobile component directly accesses the URL at intervals of ten minutes, updating content. If a user of the mobile terminal presses a specific key after focusing on the mobile component, he/she can access the URL and view detail information as a browser built in the mobile terminal is driven.

[56] Thus, in the mobile component providing system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a user can download a necessary mobile component from the mobile component server 120 to the mobile terminal 130, utilizing more diverse contents.

[57] FIG. 2 illustrates the mobile component server according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[58] As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile component server 120 comprises a mobile component composer 210, a mobile component manager 220, a mobile component download manager 230, a content push/pull agent 240, and a user management module 250.

[59] The mobile component composer 210 can allow a composition of a mobile component. In other words, the mobile component composer 210 provides an en-

vironment and a tool for composing the mobile component. The mobile component composer 210 is a module for providing all functions necessary for composition such that a mobile component provider or user can compose content comprised in a mobile component and information on a feature of the mobile component. The feature of the mobile component can be set with no limit in shape and size of the mobile component, content arrangement, color, etc. and comprises setting on whether to display any content, whether to update the mobile component in any method, and how to subsequently operate the mobile component. The mobile component composer 210 provides several mobile component composition environments such as an environment for independently composing a mobile component in a computer, an environment operable in a web page but downloaded to a computer and composing a mobile component such as an ActiveX control, or an environment for composing a mobile component in a web page without needing to be downloaded to a computer.

[60] The mobile component composer 210 comprises a content formatter 211 for formatting content such that the content can be displayed by a mobile component. In other words, the content formatter 211 formats the content in a format for application to the mobile component. The content formatter 211 adjusts content provided from the mobile component server 120 to a screen size of the mobile terminal or a size suitable to a size of the mobile component or converts the content into a media format of a type supported by the mobile component.

[61] The content formatter 211 formats at least one of a plurality of contents on the

Internet or in the mobile terminal such that the content is comprised in a mobile component. For example, the content formatter 211 can extract only sports of own interests from Internet web page comprising a variety of news contents such as sport, entertainment, policy, etc. and comprise the extracted sports in the mobile component, further setting an access to a sport news URL in a subsequent operation.

[62] The content comprises at least one of contents on the Internet or contents stored in the mobile terminal. In other words, the content to be displayed by the mobile component can be a diversity of contents existing in on-line state inclusive of the Internet or intranet, or contents or applications stored in the mobile terminal.

[63] The mobile component composer 210 comprises, in a mobile component composed, information on whether to receive any content among a plurality of contents on the Internet or in the mobile terminal. Because a substance of content always changes, instead of extracting and comprising content itself in the mobile component, the mobile component composer 210 composes and comprises, in the mobile component, information on whether to access anywhere and take content and on whether to extract or process and display any part of the content.

[64] The mobile component is comprised of a component composition script, enabling a

diversity of component composition. The mobile component can hold various content types, so improving a degree of utilization of content and expressing a variety of contents. For example, the mobile component can express content that is expressed with a markup language such as extensible Markup Language (XML), HyperText Markup Language (HTML), and Wireless Markup Language (WML), a script language such as Java script and WML script, a multimedia expression language such as Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL), a technology such as ActiveX control and Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX), or a multimedia content display technology interworking with a diverse of decoders or players built in the mobile terminal. In addition to the general language or technology, a separate content expression language or technology can be created and used to express the content.

[65] As such, the mobile component composer 210 can compose a piece of content in various mobile component types in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In other words, a different mobile component for the same content can be downloaded and used in the mobile terminal according to user's tastes.

[66] The mobile component manager 220 manages and changes a composed mobile component. In other words, the mobile component manger 220 classifies and manages the mobile components by functions, sizes, or provided contents and manages the whole of the mobile component such as deleting, modifying or adding mobile component information, thereby enhancing a management efficiency of the mobile component.

[67] The mobile component download manager 230 manages a download of a mobile component according to a request of the mobile terminal such as a mobile component list request, a mobile component download request, and a mobile component update request. A plurality of mobile components can be downloaded to one mobile terminal. The pluralities of mobile components each comprise an independent content or comprise content having a correlation between two or more of the mobile components. The downloaded mobile component can enhance a content display effect by displaying content on an idle screen of the mobile terminal or a specific function screen of the mobile terminal. This can more improve the diversity of the content displayed by the mobile component.

[68] The content push/pull agent 240 interworks with the content server, collecting an updated content. The content push/pull agent 240 updates content to be displayed by a mobile component according to an update rule by a push or pull technique. The update rule is a preset update method for efficiently updating a content displayed by a mobile component provided. The content push/pull agent 240 updates the content in compliance with at least one of a rule for push-processing content updated in a pre-

determined period or time and a rule for pull-processing content updated upon a request of the mobile terminal. In other words, the content of the mobile terminal can be updated without a need for a seamless connection to wireless Internet, in compliance with an update rule by a push content sent to the mobile terminal, an update rule for again accessing a push sent to the mobile terminal and pulling content, an update rule for connecting to the content server in a content update period or time set in a mobile component and pulling content, and an update rule for forcibly pulling content of a specific mobile component according to a mobile terminal user's need.

[69] The user management module 250 manages the whole of information on a user using a mobile component. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a mobile terminal user can compose the mobile component. Thus, the composed mobile component is personalized and is very diverse in kind. Hence, a mobile component suitable to a user's mobile terminal can be provided by managing the user information. The user information is managed depending on a kind of a mobile component selected by a user or in compliance with a preset rule. The preset rule can be decided depending on, for example, a user's disposition index such as age, sex, area, interest, and frequent content. Users can be managed in groups depending on authority and purpose. Diverse user levels based on authority and purpose can be defined, differentiating authorities for access to mobile component composition.

[70] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an environment on which a mobile component for displaying the content is composed is provided and the composed mobile component is provided to the mobile terminal, thereby achieving the improvement of a degree of utilization of content in the mobile terminal. A provider or user arbitrarily composes and provides a mobile component to the mobile terminal, thereby resulting in the utilization of a diversity of personalized contents. The content of the mobile terminal can be updated without a need for a seamless connection to wireless Internet.

[71] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mobile component server

120 can further comprise a statistics and reporting module, a monitoring module, a scheduler, a log manager, a user authentication and security module, a billing module, a web /Wireless Application Page (WAP) page providing module, and a service manager in order to more improve a function of the mobile component server 120. The statistics and reporting module makes each variety of statistic processing and reporting documents necessary for mobile component provision. The monitoring module monitors each variety of program execution statuses, network statuses, service statuses, etc. necessary for mobile component provision and notifies a manager of error happening for the manager to take a proper action. The scheduler manages and processes a diversity of scheduling works necessary for mobile component provision.

The log manager stores and manages various events generated in providing a mobile component and a process and a result in a file or database format. The user authentication and security module certifies a valid or invalid user and takes charge of processing for security maintenance upon interworking between the mobile component server, the mobile terminal, and the content server. The billing module provides a function of billing following mobile component provision and performs a function of billing of various types such as a flat rate payment system, billing by the piece, a prepayment system, a post-payment system. The web/WAP page providing module provides a web page and a WAP page upon mobile component provision. The service manager provides a function for service operation and management, a function of defected content or mobile component monitoring, service stop, service approval for a newly uploaded component, service pause and resume, etc.

[72] FIG. 3 illustrates a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[73] As shown in FIG. 3, the mobile terminal 130 comprises a download module 310, a middleware agent 320, a display module 330, a management/storage module 340, an event handler 350, and a content push/pull handler 360.

[74] The download module 310 interworks with the mobile component server, downloading a mobile component.

[75] The middleware agent 320 drives a downloaded mobile component. The middleware agent 320, a main module, drives the mobile component and also enables and controls various modules for operation of the mobile component. The mobile terminal 130 further comprises a mobile component/content parser (not shown) for parsing a language or script configuring a mobile component and content comprised in the mobile component and providing the parsed result to the middleware agent 320. Also, the mobile component/content parser extracts only partial content from the downloaded mobile component and processes the extracted content.

[76] The display module 330 displays content of a mobile component on a screen of the mobile terminal 130. The display module 330 comprises a user interface handler handling a user interface for displaying the content of the mobile component; a coder/ decoder (CODEC) module for playing a variety of multimedia contents displayed by the mobile component; a display engine for efficiently arranging and displaying the mobile component on the screen of the mobile terminal; and a mobile component viewer displaying the mobile component on the screen.

[77] The management/storage module 340 manages and stores the downloaded mobile component.

[78] The event handler 350 processes a subsequent operation of a mobile component depending on information inputted by a user. The subsequent operation of the mobile

component is server connection on the Internet, driving of an application or a player built in the mobile terminal, phone connection, driving of a different mobile component, shift of the mobile component, adjusting of a size of the mobile component (e.g., minimizing or maximizing of a size of the mobile component displayed), focusing of the mobile component, etc. The mobile terminal 130 further comprises an application manager (not shown) for driving and controlling, by a user's action, a variety of applications linked to a mobile component within the mobile terminal.

[79] The content push/pull handler 360 interworks with the mobile component server or the content server, updating content in compliance with an update rule by a push or pull technique. The update rule has been described above with reference to FIG. 2.

[80] The mobile terminal 130 can further comprise a configuration manager, a scheduler, a communication stack, and a porting interface so as to more improve a function of the mobile terminal 130. The configuration manager manages a mobile component in the mobile terminal and provides a necessary setting function. The scheduler performs a temporal control such as management of various content update periods set to the mobile component. The communication stack is required for the mobile terminal to connect with an external server. The porting interface layer facilitates porting to diverse heterogeneous mobile terminals.

[81] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing a mobile component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[82] As shown in FIG. 4, first, content of a content server is provided to a mobile component server (S401).

[83] Next, an environment on which a mobile component for displaying the content is composed is provided (S402). This step comprises formatting content such that the content can be displayed by the mobile component. In the content formatting step, at least one of a plurality of contents on the Internet is extracted and the extracted content is formatted and comprised in the mobile component. The environment on which the mobile component is composed is one of an environment received in a computer for composition, an environment for direct composition in a web, and an environment for independent composition in a computer. Pluralities of mobile components each comprise an independent content or comprise content associating two or more of the mobile components with each other. The content comprises at least any one of content on the Internet and content stored in the mobile terminal. The mobile component is comprised of a component composition script. The mobile component comprises content expressed with at least any one of a markup language, a script language, a multimedia expression language, an ActiveX control technology, and a multimedia content display technology.

[84] After that, the mobile component composed in the mobile component server is downloaded to the mobile terminal (S403).

[85] Next, the mobile component is driven to display the content in the mobile terminal

(S404).

[86] After that, the content of the mobile component is updated from the content server or the mobile component server to the mobile terminal (S405). The update is performed desirably in compliance with at least any one of an update rule for pushing from the mobile component server to the mobile terminal, an update rule for pushing/pulling between the mobile component server and the mobile terminal, an update rule for pulling from the content server to the mobile terminal in a content update period or a content update time set to the mobile component, and an update rule for pulling from the content server or the mobile component server to the mobile terminal depending on information inputted by a user.

[87] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mobile component providing method can further comprise managing and changing a composed mobile component in the mobile component server, and managing and storing a downloaded mobile component in the mobile terminal.

[88] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mobile component providing method can further comprise managing information on a user using a mobile component depending on a kind of a mobile component selected by a user or according to a preset rule.

[89] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mobile component providing method can further comprise processing a subsequent operation of a mobile component depending on information inputted to the mobile terminal by a user. The subsequent operation of the mobile component desirably is server connection on the Internet, driving of an application or a player built in the mobile terminal, phone connection, driving of a different mobile component, etc.

[90] By doing so, a degree of utilization of content in the mobile terminal can be improved and a diversified and personalized content can be provided to the mobile terminal. Also, the content displayed in the mobile terminal can be efficiently updated.

[91]

[92] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

[93]