(12) United States Patent
`Payne
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 7,822,816 B2
`Oct. 26, 2010
`
`USOO7822816B2
`
`(54) SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR DATA
`MANAGEMENT
`
`(75) Inventor: J. David Payne, Broken Arrow, OK (US)
`(73) Assignee: Macrosolve, Inc., Tulsa, OK (US)
`(*) Notice:
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 613 days.
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 10/643,516
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Aug. 19, 2003
`
`(65)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`
`Feb. 19, 2004
`US 2004/0034684 A1
`O
`O
`Related U.S. Application Dat
`pplication Uata
`e
`(60) Provisional application No. 60/404,491, filed on Aug.
`19, 2002.
`
`(51) Int. Cl.
`(2006.01)
`G06F 5/73
`(52) U.S. Cl. ........................ 709/206: 709/203; 709/224
`(58) Field of Classification Search ................. 709/203,
`709/223, 224
`See application file for complete search history.
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`(56)
`
`9, 1997 Crozier
`5,666,553 A
`5,684,990 A 11/1997 Boothby
`5,842,195 A * 1 1/1998 Peters et al. ................... 707/1
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`6,163,811 A 12/2000 Porter ........................ 709/247
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`6/2002 Boothby
`(Continued)
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`WOO1 (84.433. A 11, 2001
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`Petsas, et al., “WAP-Based personalised health care services': Pro
`ceedings of the 23rd Annual International Conference of the IEEE
`Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. 2001 Conference
`Proceedings. (EMBS) Instanbul, Turkey, Oct. 25-28, 2001, Annual
`International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in M. vol. 1 of 4.
`Conf. 23, Oct. 25, 2001 pp. 3536-3539.
`Continued
`(Continued)
`Primary Examiner Khanh Q Dinh
`Assistant Examiner Nghi V Tran
`74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm Fellers, Snider, Blankenshi
`(74
`ey, Agent,
`s au.u. Yesus
`p,
`Bailey & Tippens, P.C.
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A method for the management of data collected from a remote
`computing device including the steps of creating a question
`naire; transmitting the questionnaire to a remote computer;
`executing the questionnaire in the remote computer to prompt
`a user for responses to questions of the questionnaire; trans
`mitting the responses to a sever via a network; making the
`responses available on the Web. Preferably, computers used in
`connection with the inventive method are loosely networked
`in that network connections between computers are not
`always available and, when a connection is not available, data
`is stored at a node of the network and transmitted at the
`earliest time when a connection is available. In one preferred
`embodiment, the inventive method is used to collect survey
`data and to make the responses to the Survey available to a
`client in virtually real time over the Internet.
`
`14 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
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`IPR2018-00043
`Ex. 3001
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`US 7822.816 B2
`Page 2
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`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`7/2002 Kloba et al. ................ TO9,219
`6.421,717 B1
`6,826,540 B1 * 1 1/2004 Plantec et al. ...
`... TO5/10
`7,310,350 B1* 12/2007 Shao et al. .....
`370/466
`2001/0056374, A1* 12/2001 Joao ..............
`... 705/14
`2002/0007303 A1
`1/2002 Brookler et al. ............... 70.5/10
`2002/0107931 A1* 8/2002 Singh et al. ....
`709/206
`2002/0143610 A1* 10/2002 Munyer ....................... 705/12
`2002fO160773 A1* 10, 2002 Gresham et al. ............ 455,431
`ck
`5/2003 Maver
`707/1
`2003/00934.05 A1
`yer ..... ...
`- - - -
`2003/O126010 A1* 7/2003 Barns-Slavin .....
`... 70.5/10
`2003/0198934 A1* 10, 2003 Sendowski et al. .......... 434/350
`
`2004/01 17244 A1* 6/2004 Scott ........................... 705/12
`2004/0210472 A1* 10, 2004 Lew et al. .
`... 705/10
`2005.00094.65 A1
`1/2005 Ross et al. ................. 455.2.01
`
`
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`g&Y
`al., R. play and States of
`Syrict M.
`ontent Over the Internet Medium”, Multimedia and Expo,
`2000. ICME 2000. 2000 IEEE International Conference on New
`Yrok, NY, USA, Jul 30, 2000, pp. 67070.
`: “WAP Binary XML Content Format. Internet D
`onymous;
`Inary
`O
`ormal, Interne OC
`ment Online), Jun. 24, 1999, pp. 1-14.
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`

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`US 7,822,816 B2
`
`1.
`SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR DATA
`MANAGEMENT
`
`CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATION
`
`This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
`Application No. 60/404,491 filed Aug. 19, 2002.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`10
`
`2
`to move files from machine-to-machine. While most hand
`held computers include an infrared port for communicating
`with other infrared devices, including other handhelds, files
`transferred in such a manner may not be usable by software on
`the receiving device. This is especially true of information
`formatted for a particular application such as a word proces
`sor, spread sheet program, database manager, or the like.
`To overcome the necessity of compiling a program for a
`particular machine, an application may be written in an inter
`preted language, or a language which can be compiled to
`produce an intermediate language (i.e., a language that falls
`somewhere between source code and object code) such as
`i-code or tokens. In such a scheme, each device is provided
`with a run-time package which can execute the compiled
`i-code or tokens, the runtime package having been written for
`that particular device, thus, only the run-time package needs
`to be modified in order to port a program to a new computing
`environment. Once the run-time package is installed, any
`application authored in the language and which has been
`compiled to i-code will run on the target device. Unfortu
`nately, such languages typically lack effective optimization
`and generally do not provide a broad range of Support for
`hardware resources. Regardless of the language selected,
`whether compiled, interpreted, or whatever, software coding
`requires at least a nominal degree of programming skill to
`create the application program.
`Perhaps because handheld computers are not as evolved as
`their desktop counterparts, or because it is typically cumber
`some to enter information, or maybe due to the lack of a true
`front-runner in operating systems, handheld computers have
`not inspired the full range of software products available for
`larger computers. The result has been a rather limited selec
`tion of retail software applications for handheld devices as
`compared with their desktop counterparts, such software is
`aimed primarily at organizational tools, e-mail, and games.
`However, at the other end of the spectrum, custom programs
`tailored for a specific customer, handheld computers are gain
`ing momentum in replacing manual forms which are often
`filled-out in remote areas, away from a desktop, i.e. manufac
`turing inventory, quality inspections, delivery systems, and
`the like. One reason for the increasing movement toward the
`use of handheld computers for data gathering tasks is that they
`can be easily transported to the source of the data and have the
`information directly entered into them, thereby eliminating
`the potentially error-prone step of manual data entry of infor
`mation on previously completed paperforms. Eliminating the
`extra step additionally saves unnecessary labor, and allows
`the data to be entered in a more timely fashion.
`Due to their incredible portability, handhelds are particu
`larly well suited to this type of data gathering, despite an
`obvious lack of software infrastructure in this area. The
`present trend is for a business to commission the authoring of
`a custom program aimed at a particular need. While the cost
`of such an application is usually high, the accuracy of the
`information, the timeliness of the information, and the acces
`sibility of the information are likely worth the cost. In fact,
`while such systems may seem cost prohibitive to develop, in
`many cases the actual cost on a per-data-entry basis may
`prove to be relatively small, especially in light of the timeli
`ness and accuracy associated with real time data collection.
`To develop software for a handheld computer, a custom
`program is typically developed and tested on a larger system.
`When the developer is satisfied with the program, it is com
`piled for aparticular target device and transferred to handheld
`devices through a communication link. If users are using
`more than one type of device, the same program must be
`tested and compiled for each type of device. If a change is
`
`15
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`35
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`
`1. Field of the Invention
`The present invention relates to a system of computing
`devices for the collection and management of information.
`More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the present
`invention relates to a system for collecting and managing
`information including a plurality of computer devices loosely
`networked to a server and an operating system for a computer
`which provides a number of features favorable for use in the
`inventive system.
`2. Background of the Invention
`Virtually all business software applications involve the
`collection of information in some form or another. Where
`information is gathered away from the convenience of a desk
`top, workers have traditionally entered the information on
`25
`paper forms. This data is then entered into a computer in a
`second step. This extra step leads to delays and inaccuracies
`which are costly and, more importantly, unnecessary.
`Handheld computers are well known in the art. In fact such
`computers are presently available from numerous manufac
`turers offering a vast assortment of operating systems and
`hardware configurations. While such devices come in a host
`of variations, generally handheld computers include an LCD
`display, a method for gathering manual input, storage, and a
`variety of machine interfaces, i.e., an IR link, a USB port, a
`serial port, etc.
`As with their desktop, and laptop counterparts, a handheld
`computer will also include an operating system which pro
`vides an operator interface, file management, and standard
`ized I/O, as well as facilitating the running of application
`programs. Thus far, handheld operating systems mimic those
`of desktop and laptop systems, despite the fact that handheld
`devices are typically used in a different manner and have
`radically different resources.
`As with other types of computers, handheld computers
`suffer from compatibility issues, especially in the operation
`of application programs. Generally speaking, software pro
`grams must typically be tailored to a specific family of pro
`cessors and to a specific operating system. Most applications
`are developed in a high level language and then compiled for
`a specific target processor. As different manufacturers select
`different processors, an application written for one family of
`processors must be recompiled to execute in a processor of a
`different family. Even when two manufacturers select com
`patible processors, if they chose different operating systems,
`55
`applications written for one device will probably not run
`correctly on the other device. Since the operating system
`provides access to the various hardware resources and man
`ages the file system, it is almost unfathomable that the oper
`ating systems of independent authors would be compatible.
`unless one specifically set out to copy the other. Thus, par
`ticular applications tend to grow up around a particular family
`of devices which share an operating system and, unfortu
`nately, the application may not be available for non-compat
`ible devices.
`Another issue which is common to all computers is the
`transferability of stored information, specifically, the ability
`
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`3
`required, the developer must make the change on the devel
`opment system and re-transfer the entire program to each
`target device.
`In a typical data gathering application, information is
`entered into custom designed forms on the handheld com
`puter. Eventually, the data entered in the handheld finds its
`way to a database, which is typically located on a server
`which is accessible to those needing the information or from
`which it may be accessed by other programs such as account
`ing systems, materials management programs, etc. Present
`day servers are well suited to the task of information man
`agement and generally provide broad access to and search
`ability to collected data.
`One problem area in Such systems becomes apparent when
`the data is transferred from the handheld to the server. While
`it would seem that wireless interfaces and handhelds were
`made for each other, the marriage of the two is not without its
`own set of problems. Wireless interfaces fall into a number of
`different categories. At one extreme is the infrared (“IR”) port
`often found on handheld devices. The range of this type of
`interface is usually limited to a few feet and typically Supports
`transfer rates of 115 kbaud, or less.
`Another method for wireless communication is via a wire
`less local area network or “WLAN. A typical example of a
`WLAN is that defined by the IEEE 802.11 standard. When a
`handheld computer is equipped with a WLAN interface, the
`device can communicate with other computers also equipped
`with a WLAN interface, or even computers networked to a
`WLAN equipped computer by a wired network. Typically,
`WLAN interfaces provide a range of several hundred feet. As
`30
`long as a handheld is within the range of another WLAN
`equipped computer, the network connection is continuous.
`Wireless local area networks sport data rates from a few
`thousand bits per second up to at least 52 million bits per
`second, depending on the particular standard employed.
`35
`Yet another known wireless interface for handheld com
`puters is a CDPD interface, CDMA interface, GSM interface,
`or similar wireless interface or modem. While there are some
`variations, these systems are often built around a cellular
`phone network and provide coverage similar to that of a
`cellular phone, typically national, or even international, cov
`erage. Such interfaces will experience the same gaps in Ser
`vice as can be expected with a cellphone. While such systems
`provide an exceptionally wide area of coverage, they typi
`cally do so at limited bandwidth, e.g. 19.2 kbaud.
`Of course handheld devices are not limited to wireless
`communications. Typically such devices can be connected to
`another computer through a universal serial bus (“USB)
`connection, an RS-232 connection, an Ethernet connection
`on a properly equipped device, or similar hardwired connec
`tion. While these interfaces range from moderately paced to
`the extremely fast, they are exceptionally reliable, at least
`while the connection is in place. Unfortunately, few environ
`ments are well suited to tethering a handheld to allow a
`continuous wired connection.
`It can be seen that perhaps the greatest drawback to using a
`handheld for data gathering as part of a larger system are the
`limitations of the data link: 1) it is unlikely that the data link
`will always be available; and 2) the bandwidth of most of the
`practical wireless options is restrictive. Presently there are
`two methods for dealing with the problem of data link avail
`ability. In one scheme, data is transmitted as it is collected.
`The advantage of Such a scheme is that the database is
`updated in real time and represents current data. The disad
`Vantages are, for all practical purposes, the scheme is limited
`to systems using a wireless interface and when the wireless
`link is not operational, generally data cannot be entered.
`
`4
`Alternatively, entered data can be stored locally on the
`handheld and transmitted in a batch process when a link is
`established. The advantage of this system is that it is tolerant
`of gaps in the communication link and works well with wired
`transfers of data. Unfortunately, data is not delivered in real
`time and the database may be somewhat stale, depending on
`the length of time between the collection of data and the
`presence of the link.
`The issue of bandwidth may be problematic on several
`fronts. If programs are updated periodically, the entire pro
`gram must be sent and the time to reload may be objection
`able. In the opposite direction, if large amounts of data are
`collected, it may be time consuming to send the data collected
`from the handheld to the server, particularly when performed
`in a batch fashion.
`It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an
`operating system for a handheld computer which will allow a
`program to execute on any handheld computer.
`It is a further object of the present invention to provide an
`operating system for a handheld computer wherein program
`ming changes will only necessitate incremental transfers of
`program instructions.
`It is still a further object of the present invention to provide
`an operating system for a handheld computer wherein files
`may be transferred among devices without a translation or
`conversion.
`It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide
`an operating system for a handheld computer wherein pro
`gramming steps and data are tokenized to reduce the load on
`a communication channel of finite bandwidth.
`It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide
`a system of networked computers in which modifications to a
`computer program for a remote computer are sent in real time
`to the remote computer and are implemented immediately
`and seamlessly without the requirement of user installation.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present invention provides a system and method for the
`management of information which solves the problems and
`alleviates the needs discussed above. In its broadest sense, the
`present invention is a method designed to accomplish the
`following:
`1) Allow any computer(s) (desktops, laptops, handhelds,
`portables, etc.) to be used to capture information;
`2) Transfer the information to a data center (via file transfer
`methods such as a network, to include, but not necessar
`ily, Internet based) in a form that the data center can
`recognize;
`3)Allow another computer(s) to access the information and
`download it from the data center in a format that can be
`readily used regardless of the format in which the origi
`nal information was gathered.
`In a preferred embodiment, a server is loosely networked to
`a plurality of computers (handheld, laptop, or desktop). Each
`computer is equipped with an operating system which allows
`common programming to execute on any device, regardless
`of hardware differences or native operating system differ
`ences among the plurality of devices.
`With regard to the present invention, the term “loosely
`networked' is used to describe a networked computer system
`wherein devices on the network are tolerant of intermittent
`network connections and, in fact, tolerant of the type of net
`work connection available. In particular, if any communica
`tion connection is available between devices wishing to com
`municate, network transmissions occur normally, in real time.
`
`US 7,822,816 B2
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`If a network connection is unavailable at that moment, the
`information is temporarily stored in the device and later trans
`mitted when the connection is restored. Unless otherwise
`specified, hereinafter the terms “network” or “networked
`refer to loosely networked devices.
`Thus, the operating system may be thought of as device
`indifferent and communication channel indifferent. In the
`preferred embodiment, any computer can execute any pro
`gram developed for the inventive system and will communi
`cate with other members of the system through any commu
`nication method the device can find available.
`The operating system provided in each computer device
`allows the use of a common instruction set in any such device,
`regardless of compatibility issues between the devices,
`wherein “instruction set is used herein to mean the com
`15
`mands, tokens, etc., that are recognized by the operating
`system as valid instructions. Unlike conventional computer
`programs, the operating system employed in the inventive
`system allows incremental changes to the program without
`the need to reload the entire program. Additionally, a pro
`gramming change made at a central office will automatically
`propagate to loosely networked computers dispersed
`throughout the field.
`In one aspect of the invention, branching logic depending
`on the programs are created for handheld or other computer
`devices by simply entering questions and providing response
`specification, in the form of a questionnaire, for the end-user.
`Thus, no particular programming skill is required to generate
`programs for data gathering. As will be appreciated by those
`familiar with data collection, data can be collected by posing
`a series of questions, or otherwise prompting for specific
`input from the user, as in the manner used with paper forms.
`A number of useful subsystems, which may already be
`present in the handheld device, or easily added later, may be
`utilized so that at least some of the information which is
`responsive to the designed questionnaire may be collected
`automatically rather than entered manually, e.g., time and
`date, position information if the device includes a GPS
`receiver, etc.
`In another aspect of the present invention, the program and
`user responses are coded in Such a fashion as to Substantially
`reduce the bandwidth requirements of the network connec
`tion. Since many of the networking options for handheld
`devices provide limited bandwidth, best use may be made of
`the available throughput by coding, or tokenizing, program
`45
`information and responses.
`In practice, a program is created by entering a series of
`prompts and providing direction for how the system is to
`respond to particular responses. This process of data gather
`ing may then be performed by a person having no program
`ming skill whatsoever. The program may then be sent to all, or
`selected, computer devices on the network. Those devices
`having a connection may immediately be updated. Those
`devices in which a network connection is temporarily not
`available will be updated when the connection is next
`restored.
`The user of the computer device is then prompted for
`specific input. As the user enters data, if the network connec
`tion is available, the information is immediately sent to the
`server. If the network connection is unavailable, the informa
`tion is stored locally in the handheld device and sent upon
`restoration of the network connection. At the server, the infor
`mation is typically processed upon receipt such that users of
`the data have real time, or virtually real time, information
`available.
`In another aspect of the invention, the inventive system
`may be provided to end users according to an application
`
`US 7,822,816 B2
`
`6
`service provider (ASP) business method. ASPs are an
`emerging trend in the computer Software industry. Tradition
`ally, a company seeking a software solution would either
`acquire a preprogrammed package which Suits its needs or
`commission the programming of custom Software. In many
`instances preprogrammed Software is unavailable or requires
`too many compromises to be attractive. In either case, the
`Software is purchased and, invariably, represents a large capi
`tal expense to the company. Once purchased, modifications,
`evolutional upgrades, changing management practices, and
`the like, result in additional expenses to keep the software
`up-to-date.
`In contrast an ASP typically provides Software on a pay
`as-you-go basis. An ASP typically provides custom, or semi
`custom software to companies. Each user is billed for the time
`it uses the software. The advantages to the end user are obvi
`ous. There is no crippling up-front expense, modifications
`and upgrades are the responsibility of the ASP, if the software
`does not perform satisfactorily the customer simply walks
`away and never incurs large expenses. On the ASP side, the
`Software vendor enjoys recurring income and the ability to
`adapt the same software model to numerous customers.
`While differing slightly from the traditional ASP model, the
`present invention is particularly well Suited to a per-transac
`tion billing model.
`With regard to the current system, an ASP can provide a
`web site which allows users to build an application on line,
`possibly without incurring any expense. Once the customer is
`satisfied with the program, it can automatically be deployed
`to designated computer devices within the system. When a
`user provides input, the computer device can find a direct
`network connection to the ASP or, more likely, find an Inter
`net connection and report the data to the ASP via the Internet
`connection. Once received at the ASP, the data can be pro
`cessed and is available for viewing or use by the client virtu
`ally instantly via the Internet. Thus, data entered at any loca
`tion may be viewed by the client in real time, worldwide.
`Further objects, features, and advantages of the present
`invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon
`examining the accompanying drawings and upon reading the
`following description of the preferred embodiments.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 provides a diagram of the inventive system.
`FIG. 2 provides a diagram of the inventive system as used
`for form creation.
`FIG. 3 provides a diagram of the inventive system as used
`for information collection and review.
`FIG. 4 depicts a sequence of tasks for collecting data
`through the use of prior art systems.
`FIG. 5 depicts the tasks of FIG. 4 utilizing the inventive
`system.
`FIG. 6 is a work flow diagram of an embodiment utilizing
`the inventive system.
`
`DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENTS
`
`Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is
`important to understand that the invention is not limited in its
`application to the details of the construction illustrated and
`the steps described herein. The invention is capable of other
`embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in a variety
`of ways. It is to be understood that the phraseology and
`terminology employed herein is for the purpose of descrip
`tion and not of limitation.
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`US 7,822,816 B2
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`Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference
`numerals indicate the same parts throughout the several
`views, a diagram of the inventive system is shown in FIG. 1.
`Typically, the system for data management 10 includes: at
`least one server 24 preferably having an Internet connection
`26; a plurality of handheld computers 28-32 operated
`remotely from server 24, each handheld 28-32 including a
`network connection 34-38, respectively, for loosely network
`ing handhelds 28-32 to server 24; and a computer 22 con
`nected to the Internet for providing administration of the
`system and for reviewing data collected by the system.
`Server 24 is shown preferably connected to the Internet 26
`and loosely networked to handheld computers 28-32 through
`connections 34-38, respectively. As will be apparent to those
`skilled in the art, network connection 26 could instead be
`local area network or a private wide area network. Similarly,
`connections 34-38 may be any one of a number of optional
`connections which ultimately connect a remote device to
`server 24. By way of example and not limitation, connection
`34 could be a simple dial up connection through a conven
`tional telephone line to connect handheld 28 directly to server
`24. At the same time, connection 36 could be an infrared (IR)
`connection between handheld 30 and a desktop computer (not
`shown) which in turn, is connected to server 24 via the Inter
`net. Connection 38 could be a wireless modem, i.e., a CDPD
`25
`interface, a CDMA interface, a GSM interface, an analog
`cellular modem, or the like, which either establishes a direct
`connection with server 24 or establishes an Internet connec
`tion to reach server 24 via the Internet. Other options would
`include a wireless LAN connection, a direct RS-232 connec
`tion, a docking station connected to a desktop computer, etc.
`It should be noted that, regardless of the type of connection,
`handhelds 28-32 are ultimately connectable to server 24 in a
`loosely networked fashion.
`It should be noted that handheld computers 28-32 need not
`be the same type, or even compatible devices. As a part of the
`inventive system each remote device, preferably a handheld
`computer, is provided with an operating instruction system
`(“OIS) which overlays its native operating system. Once
`equipped with the OIS, a remote device can be programmed
`according to methods described hereinafter. Any program
`developed under the inventive system will run on any hand
`held computer equipped with the OIS and files on one such
`handheld will transfer freely to any other handheld or any
`computer connected to the inventive system.
`As noted above, with regard to the present invention, the
`term “loosely networked is used to describe a networked
`computer system wherein devices on the network are tolerant
`of intermittent network connections. In particular, if any com
`munication connection is available between devices wishing
`50
`to communicate, network transmissions occur normally, in
`real time. If a network connection is unavailable, the infor
`mation is temporarily stored in the device and later transmit
`ted when the connection is restored. Unless otherwise speci
`fied, hereinafter the terms “network' or “networked’ refer to
`loosely networked devices.
`It should also be noted that the inventive system is indif
`ferent as to the particular type of communication channel
`used for connections 34-36. Thus, by way of example and not
`limitation, while connection 36 might today be an IR link to
`a desktop computer which accesses server 24 via the Internet,
`tomorrow, handheld 30 might establish a connection 36 with
`server 24 via a CDPD interface. The particular link selected
`will be the first available link.
`The inventive system may be thought of as taking on two
`distinct modes of operation. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the
`system provides an administrative function. From any com
`
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`puter 22 connected to the Internet 26, a client can access
`server 24 to administer the inventive system. Administration
`involves tasks such as form creation, management, and Vali
`dation; user setup, and management of system security.
`In terms of the present invention, handheld computers are
`favored for their portability and their usefulness in gathering
`data from the field, whether the field is a stockroom for a
`manufacturing facility, a production floor, a delivery site for a
`product, etc. More generally, field locations are typically
`areas where people work without the convenience of a desk
`top.
`According to the preferred arrangement, data may be gath
`ered by prompting the user via the handheld 28 with a series
`of questions or statements, each of which calls for a response.
`This series of qu