System and Method for Providing Requested Information to Thin Clients

Abstract

A system for, and method of, providing requested information to a client. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a core information database that contains core information gleaned from the Internet and restructured according to a predetermined taxonomy and (2) a client communications interface, coupled to the core information database, that receives a request message from a client containing a request for some of the core information, derives a database query from the request message, causes the some of the core information to be retrieved from the core information database, formats the some of the core information into a response message according to display limitations of the client and transmits the response message to the client for display thereby.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A communication device operable with and remote from an information system containing core information, comprising:
 a processor; and   memory including computer program code, said memory and said computer program code configured to, with said processor, cause said communication device to perform at least the following:
 generate a request message containing a request for some of said core information from said information system; 
 receive at least one response message from said information system formatted based on a characteristic of a screen associated with said communication device and including:
 said some of said core information, 
 a non-monetary rating of a value of said some of said core information, 
 an image of said some of said core information, and 
 a link to a web page associated with some of said core information; and 
 
 display said some of said core information, said non-monetary rating of said value of said some of said core information, said image of said some of said core information, and said link to said web page associated with said some of said core information on said screen, said communication device being capable of displaying a list of previous web pages visited by said communication device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The communication device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said list of previous web pages visited by said communication device comprises a link to said previous web pages. 
     
     
         3 . The communication device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said link to said web page associated with said some of said core information is tagged when said web page is visited by said communication device. 
     
     
         4 . The communication device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said request message comprises a category of said some of said core information and a request for more information about said category for said some of said core information. 
     
     
         5 . The communication device as recited in  claim 4  wherein said category for said some of said core information comprises a product and said more information about said category for said some of said core information comprises an attribute of said product. 
     
     
         6 . The communication device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said at least one response message from said information system is formatted based on a preference associated with said communication device. 
     
     
         7 . The communication device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication device to display said some of said core information, said non-monetary rating of said value of said some of said core information, said image of said some of said core information, and/or said link to said web page associated with said some of said core information on different pages. 
     
     
         8 . The communication device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication device to limit said display of said some of said core information, said non-monetary rating of said value of said some of said core information, said image of said some of said core information, and said link to said web page associated with said some of said core information according to a selected criterion. 
     
     
         9 . The communication device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication device to generate a refining request message in response to said at least one response message. 
     
     
         10 . The communication device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said at least one response message comprises a location of said some of said core information or a distance of said communication device to said some of said core information. 
     
     
         11 . The communication device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said at least one response message is a function of a profile of said communication device. 
     
     
         12 . The communication device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication device to log into said information system using an access identifier, said at least one response message from said information system being a function of access privileges associated with said access identifier. 
     
     
         13 . The communication device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication device to log into said information system using an access identifier, said format of said at least one response message and content of said some of said core information being a function of a profile of said communication device associated with said access identifier. 
     
     
         14 . The communication device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication device to generate said request message from a voice input into said communication device. 
     
     
         15 . The communication device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication device to receive an updated response message based on an update to said some of said core information within said information system. 
     
     
         16 . The communication device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said at least one response message is a function of web page usage with respect to said some of said core information. 
     
     
         17 . A method operable on a processor of communication device remote from an information system configured to contain core information, comprising:
 generating a request message containing a request for some of said core information from said information system;   receiving at least one response message from said information system formatted based on a characteristic of a screen associated with said communication device and including:
 said some of said core information, 
 a non-monetary rating of a value of said some of said core information, 
 an image of said some of said core information, and 
 a link to a web page associated with some of said core information; 
   displaying said some of said core information, said non-monetary rating of said value of said some of said core information, said image of said some of said core information, and said link to said web page associated with said some of said core information on said screen; and   displaying a list of previous web pages visited by said communication device.   
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 17  wherein said list of previous web pages visited by said communication device comprises a link to said previous web pages. 
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 17  wherein said link to said web page associated with said some of said core information is tagged when said web page is visited by said communication device. 
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 17  wherein said generating said request message comprises providing a category of said some of said core information and a request for more information about said category for said some of said core information. 
     
     
         21 . The method as recited in  claim 20  wherein said category for said some of said core information comprises a product and said more information about said category for said some of said core information comprises an attribute of said product. 
     
     
         22 . The method as recited in  claim 17  wherein said at least one response message from said information system is formatted based on a preference associated with said communication device. 
     
     
         23 . The method as recited in  claim 17  further comprising limiting said display of said some of said core information, said non-monetary rating of said value of said some of said core information, said image of said some of said core information, and said link to said web page associated with said some of said core information according to a selected criterion. 
     
     
         24 . The method as recited in  claim 17  further comprising generating a refining request message in response to said at least one response message. 
     
     
         25 . The method as recited in  claim 17  wherein said at least one response message is a function of a profile of said communication device. 
     
     
         26 . The method as recited in  claim 17  further comprising logging into said information system using an access identifier, said at least one response message from said information system being a function of access privileges associated with said access identifier. 
     
     
         27 . The method as recited in  claim 17  further comprising logging into said information system using an access identifier, said format of said at least one response message and content of said some of said core information being a function of a profile of said communication device associated with said access identifier. 
     
     
         28 . The method as recited in  claim 17  wherein said generating said request message is from a voice input into said communication device. 
     
     
         29 . The method as recited in  claim 17  further comprising receiving an updated response message based on an update to said some of said core information within said information system. 
     
     
         30 . The method as recited in  claim 17  wherein said at least one response message is a function of web page usage with respect to said some of said core information.