System, method and apparatus for utilizing transaction databases in a client - server environment

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus for utilizing transaction databases in a client-server environment. The transaction databases can be used to receive and retain multiple server responses to consecutive client requests regardless of the temporal relationship between the multiple responses and consecutive requests. One method of the invention relates to how a client device displays information. This method is for use in a client-server system including one or more servers and a client device having a client transaction database, a client template database, and a user interface adapted to enable a user to enter requests. The method includes the steps of receiving a user request from the user via the user interface and retrieving a template from the client template database based on the user request. The template includes one or more data fields. The method also includes the step of retrieving information from the client transaction database based on the template, wherein the information relates to the one or more data fields of the template. A page is then displayed based on the template and the information relating to the one or more data fields.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . In a client-server system including one or more servers and a client device having client transaction database, a client template database, and a user interface adapted to enable a user to enter requests, a method for displaying pages on the client device comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a user request from the user via the user interface;    retrieving a template from the client template database based on said user request, said template including one or more data fields;    retrieving information from said client transaction database based on said template, said information relating to said one or more data fields; and    displaying a page based on said template and said information relating to said one or more data fields.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a refresh request from the user via the user interface;    sending a client request based on said refresh request;    receiving a server response to said client request; and    storing further information in the client transaction database based on said server response, said further information relating to at least one of said one or more data fields.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of: 
 displaying an updated page based on said template and said further information.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said template includes at least two data fields, and further comprising the step of: 
 displaying an updated page based on said template, said information, and said further information.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said further information relates to less than all of said at least two data fields.  
     
     
         6 . In a client-server system including one or more client devices having unique client identifiers and a server having a server template database, a method for responding to a request from a client device comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a client request from a client device, said client request including a template identifier and a client identifier;    retrieving a template from the server template database based on the template identifier, said template including one or more data fields;    collecting first information related to said one or more data fields;    determining a server response to said request based on said first information; and    sending said server response to said client device.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the server also has a server transaction database, and the method further comprising the step of retrieving second information from the server transaction database based on the template identifier and the client identifier, and wherein the step of determining a server response comprises determining said response to said request based on said first information and said second information.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of determining a server response comprises determining said response based on differences between said first information and said second information.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , the step of collecting first information comprises collecting said first information from an information store.  
     
     
         10 . A client apparatus that communicates with one or more servers via a communications system, the apparatus comprising: 
 a client transaction database;    a client template database;    a user interface adapted to enable a user to enter requests;    a first client controller adapted to receive a user request from the user via said user interface;    a second client controller adapted to retrieve a template from said client template database based on said user request, said template including one or more data fields;    a third client controller adapted to retrieve information from said client transaction database based on said template, said information relating to said one or more data fields; and    a fourth client controller adapted to display a page based on said template and said information relating to said one or more data fields.    
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a fifth client controller adapted to send a client request in response to receiving a refresh request from the user via the user interface;    a sixth client controller adapted to receive a server response to first client request; and    a seventh client controller adapted to store further information in the client transaction database based on said server response, said further information relating to at least one of said one or more data fields.    
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 an eighth client controller adapted to display an updated page based on said template and said further information.    
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said template includes at least two data fields, further comprising: 
 an eighth client controller adapted to display an updated page based on said template, said information, and said further information.    
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said further information relates to less than all of said at least two data fields.  
     
     
         15 . A server apparatus that communicates with one or more client devices having unique identifiers via a communications system, the apparatus comprising: 
 a server template database,    a first server controller adapted to receive a client request from a client device, said client request including a template identifier and a client identifier;    a second server controller adapted to retrieve a template from said server template database based on the template identifier, said template including one or more data fields;    a third server controller adapted to collect first information related to said one or more data fields;    a fourth server controller adapted to determine a server response to said request based on said first information; and    a fifth server controller adapted to send said server response to said client device.    
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a server transaction database, a sixth server controller adapted to retrieve second information from said server transaction database based on said template identifier and said client identifier, and    wherein said fourth server controller determines said response to said request based on said first information and said second information.    
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said fourth server controller determines said response based on differences between said first information and said second information.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said third server controller collects said first information from an information store.  
     
     
         19 . A client-server based system for providing a user with information in response to user requests, comprising: 
 a server controller that receives information requests over a communication network and transmits server responses over said communication network in response to said information requests; and    a client device, coupled to said communication network, adapted to receive user requests and then transmit said information requests based on said user requests, said client device including a display for displaying information, wherein said client device is adapted to receive, retain, and display multiple server responses corresponding to consecutive information requests regardless of a temporal relationship between said multiple responses and said consecutive information requests.