Abstract: A method and apparatus for transcoding content or elements of a webpage received at a client device, for example, a mobile communication device or other type of networked device. The apparatus includes a transcoding engine which is configured to transcode webpage content during a secure end-to-end connection between a client device and a website without the use of a proxy. According to an embodiment, the transcoding engine resides on the client, and is implemented as a plug-in to the browser, and transcoding instructions are provided to the client device by way of the signature file(s) each time the plug-in is invoked. The client device uses the transcoding instructions to manipulate the secure response from the secure server, for example, to transcode the response to a format suitable for display on the client device.

Abstract: Signature schema documents, pre-defined in a query language, provide one or more instructions for application by an engine to transcode web pages of respective web sites. The instructions identify a web page family for the web page and extract a subset of data from the web page using one or more signatures previously identified within web pages of the same web page family (e.g. in accordance with a shared template for each family) of the web site. The instructions may include one or more directional references relative to the signatures to locate and extract the subset of data within the web page. Signatures may comprise text strings within the code of the web page and the directional references indicate positions of respective data relative to the location of the text strings. Transcoding may facilitate use of e-commerce web sites by wireless mobile devices.

Abstract: Signature schema documents, pre-defined using a query language, provide instructions for application by an engine to transcode web pages of respective web sites. Signature schema instructions identify a web page family for a web page and extract a subset of data from the web page in accordance with its web page family, each family defined by a shared template. The instructions use signatures previously identified for web pages of the same family to distinguish the family from others of the web site and to distinguish the subset of data from other data for the web page family. A gateway server may proxy requests from a client machine (e.g. a wireless communication device) and use the engine to provide transcoded web page responses. Signature schema instructions may be maintained in a repository coupled to the engine. Extracted data may be cached to a database coupled to the engine.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for generating transcoding instructions to identify and extract a subset of data from a web page. Input describing the subset of data is received where the input describes one or more data fields and, for each data field, respective field values from at least two sample web pages of a web page family for the web site. For each field, respective web page code defining the respective field values may be compared for commonality to find a matching pattern with which to locate the respective field values. The matching pattern comprises a signature for the data field. Transcoding instructions are defined using the matching pattern to locate and extract field values within web pages of the web page family. The subset of data may be expressed in a target format to transcode the web page for particular client machines (e.g. a wireless mobile device).

Abstract: A system and method are provided for continuing a browsing session initiated with a first client machine and a web site. The browsing session may be continued on a second client machine by tracking the navigation history associated with the browsing session of the first client machine. The navigation history comprises at least an address of a last viewed web page of the web site. Continuation of the browsing session is further facilitated by collecting at least one web cookie during the browsing session that is dependent upon the interaction between the first client machine and the web site. In this way, in order to allow switching between client machines to continue the browsing session, the navigation history and the at least one web cookie is provided from the second client machine to the web site to restore and resume the browsing session at the point that it was previously terminated.

Abstract: Signature schema documents, pre-defined in a query language, provide one or more instructions for application by an engine to transcode plain text-based web pages of respective web sites. The instructions identify a web page family for the web page and extract a subset of data using one or more signatures previously identified within web pages of the same web page family of the web site. The engine interprets the instructions to search the web page text for signatures to locate and extract the subset of data. Each signature may comprise at least one text string within the code of the web page. Directional references indicate positions of the subset of data relative to the location of the text strings and direct the searching. Transcoding may facilitate use of e-commerce web sites by wireless mobile devices.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for identifying and extracting a subset of data from a selected web page of a web site for display on a client machine. One or more instructions are applied to the selected web page for identifying and displaying a candidate subset of data on the client machine (i.e. a wireless mobile device). The instructions are applied in accordance with one or more pre-defined criteria defining one or more types of the subset of data, and one or more pre-defined confidence intervals defining a pattern for locating the subset of data in accordance with said one or more types on the selected web page. An interface may further be provided to allow the amendment or confirmation of the candidate subset of data.

Abstract: Signature schema documents may be pre-defined using a query language to provide instructions for application by an engine to extract data from web pages of respective web sites. For a particular web page, signature schema instructions identify a web page family for the web page and extract desired data from the web page in accordance with its web page family. The instructions use signatures previously identified within web pages of the same family to distinguish the web page family from others of the web site and to distinguish the desired data from other data for the web page family. A server may make one or more requests to obtain web pages from various web sites and apply respective signature schemas maintained in a repository coupled to the engine. Extracted data can be stored to an aggregate database.

Abstract: Signature schema documents may be pre-defined using query language to provide instructions for application by an engine to extract data from web pages of respective web sites. For a particular web page, signature schema instructions identify a web page family for the web page and extract desired data from the web page in accordance with its web page family. The instructions use signatures previously identified within web pages of the same family to distinguish the web page family from others of the web site and to distinguish the desired data from other data for the web page family. A server may make one or more requests to obtain web pages from various web sites and apply respective signature schemas maintained in a repository coupled to the engine. Indexes can be generated based upon the pre-defined data relationships to improve search capability. Extracted data and indexes can be stored to an aggregate database.

Abstract: Signature schema documents may be pre-defined using a query language to provide instructions for application by an engine to extract data from web pages of respective web sites. For a particular web page, signature schema instructions identify a web page family for the web page and extract desired data from the web page in accordance with its web page family. A server may receive data from a web site and apply signature schema instructions maintained in a repository coupled to the engine. Extracted data can be cached to a database coupled to the engine to facilitate querying of the data to enable aggregate results to be presented to a client machine (e.g. a wireless device). The aggregate database can be monitored based upon defined user criteria such as for price changes of an item and provide appropriate notification to the client machine when changes occur.