Abstract: The present invention may be regarded as a method of operating a mobile terminal during a synchronization session. A plurality of data types, including a first data type and a second data type, are identified to synchronize with the mobile terminal. A rule base is applied to assign the first data type to a first communication channel and the second data type to a second communication channel. Synchronization data of the first data type is exchanged over the first communication channel, and synchronization data of the second data type is exchanged over the second communication channel.

Abstract: A method of operating a mobile terminal comprising a local memory and a screen is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of receiving a first component of a document over a first communication channel, receiving a second component of the document over a second communication channel, and combining the first and second components of the document at the mobile terminal. In an alternative embodiment, the first component of the document is received during a first synchronization session, and the second component of the document is received during a second synchronization session.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for remotely synchronizing a mobile terminal to a target computer is disclosed. A user's operation of the mobile terminal is monitored and a computer program is executed for adapting ordering and filtering synchronization rules in response to the user's operation of the mobile terminal to generate a modified set of synchronization rules. Synchronization data is exchanged between the target computer and the mobile terminal using the modified set of synchronization rules.

Abstract: A method of operating a mobile terminal comprising a local memory and a screen is disclosed. Web pages are received by the mobile terminal and stored in the local memory. A cache status of each web page identified by each link is determined, wherein the cache status is evaluated to control the display of the links of a web page on the screen of the mobile terminal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for transmitting advertising information to a mobile terminal over a first connection during a synchronization session and storing the advertising information in a local memory of the mobile terminal. A rich text document is transmitted to the mobile terminal over a second connection, wherein the rich text document comprises conditional code comprising advertising display criteria including a first identifier for retrieving selected advertising information stored in the local memory of the mobile terminal and a second identifier for downloading the selected advertising information from the Internet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for transmitting advertising information comprising a plurality of banner ads to a mobile terminal over a first connection during a synchronization session and storing the advertising information in a local memory of the mobile terminal. A web page is transmitted to the mobile terminal over a second connection, wherein the web page comprises web page content including a banner ad display area for displaying a banner ad. During a first time interval, a first one of the banner ads is retrieved from the local memory and the web page content is displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal together with the first one of the banner ads in the banner ad display area. During a second time interval, a second one of the banner ads is retrieved from the local memory and the web page content is displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal together with the second one of the banner ads in the banner ad display area.

Abstract: A disk drive having a cache memory and a method of operating same, in which the disk drive is connectable to a host computer for reading and writing data on a disk. The method defines a length parameter specifying the length of a data segment to be written to the disk. A first portion of the cache memory stores data segments whose length is equal to the length parameter and a second portion of the cache memory stories data segments whose length is not equal to the length parameter. When a host write command including a write data segment having a write command length is received, the write data segment is storied in the first portion if the write command length is equal to the length parameter and stored in the second portion if the write command length is not equal to the length parameter. Write data segments stored in the first portion may be overwritten and the writing thereof to disk may be delayed according to a predetermined delayed writing policy.

Abstract: A disk drive that includes a disk defining a multiplicity of sectors operates in accord with a method comprising the steps of providing a firmware-controlled state machine which can be in any of a plurality of states including an off-line in-progress state. While the state machine is in the off-line in progress state; a firmware-controlled scan of the multiplicity of sectors is performed. While performing the firmware-controlled scan, steps are performed to maintain a list of sector identifiers such that each sector identifier in the list points to a sector that has failed, preferably repeatedly, to provide valid data on the fly. While the state machine is not in the offline in-progress state; the drive responds to a request to write data at a specified sector by determining whether the specified sector matches a sector identifier in the list, and if so, autonomously performing a read-verify-after-write operation.