Management of time and expense when communicating between a host and a communication network
US6587877B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 25, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jul 1, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 25, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F16/9574
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method for managing time and expense when communicating between a host and multiple network connections. A server program, inserted between an information requesting device and the network connections, reconfigures the information requesting device forcing the information requesting device to pass all requests through the server program. The server program then determines what type of network is being connected. Additionally, the server program makes costs visible to the user, warns the user when pre-specified budgets are exceeded, postpones actions to a later time when conditions are met, and automatically adapts user customization and system configuration values to the changing conditions of use. This allows asynchronous style browsing in which users can work disconnected from a cache of documents or trade off communication cost against information needs.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.