On-demand data stream parceling

Abstract

A client device, or information appliance such as a personal digital assistant, is capable of receiving multimedia data streams from a server. However, due to processing and display capabilities, the client device may not be able to present the complete data stream, or a user may elect to configure the client device not to process data that will unduly reduce the client device's performance. Accordingly, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for allowing a server to determine the native, or user selected, capabilities of a client device, such that the server can filter and parse the data into meaningfully presentable data and non-meaningfully presentable data, and then transmit only the meaningfully presentable data to the client device for processing and display. In an alternative embodiment, the server sends the complete data stream to the client device, and the client device filters and parses the data, and then processes only the meaningfully presentable data for display on the client device.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of providing data from a server to a client, comprising: 
 determining a configuration of the client for presenting data;    filtering the data to parse the data into meaningfully presentable data and non-meaningfully presentable data based upon the client configuration; and    transmitting the meaningfully presentable data from the server to the client.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the client capability for presenting data includes monitoring availability of resources on the client.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of determining the client capability for presenting data includes changing client configuration properties to reflect the availability of resources on the client.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the client capability for presenting data includes monitoring tasks executing on the client.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the step of determining the client capability for presenting data includes changing client configuration properties to reflect tasks executing on the client.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the client capability for presenting data is set by the client.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the client capability for presenting data is set by the user of the client.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the client configuration causes certain data to be parsed into non-meaningful data even though the client has the capability to present the certain data.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing the non-meaningfully presentable data on the server.  
     
     
         10 . A method of providing data from a server to a client, comprising: 
 determining a configuration of the client for presenting data;    transmitting the data from the server to the client;    filtering the data to parse the data into meaningfully presentable data and non-meaningfully presentable data on the client based upon the client configuration; and    processing the meaningfully presentable data on the client.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the filtering of data to parse the data occurs after receipt of a complete data stream by the client from the server.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising storing the non-meaningfully presentable data on the client.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising transferring the non-meaningfully presentable data to other devices for presentation.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of transferring the non-meaningfully presentable data includes storing the non-meaningfully presentable prior to transfer of the data.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the client configuration is alterable to provide varying degrees of user-determined capability for presenting data.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising deleting the non-meaningfully presentable data from the client.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising ignoring the non-meaningfully presentable data on the client.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the client may be configured to predetermine whether certain data will be parsed into non-meaningful data.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the client is capable of providing a user with an option for setting the client configuration such that certain data will be parsed into non-meaningful data even though the client has the capability to present the certain data.