Abstract: In a data processing system, a method for fetching information through a data network includes the following steps: (1) receiving a user profile comprising user preferences; (2) using an agent for periodically accessing current information from the data network as specified in the user profile; (3) fetching the current information from the data network; and (4) modifying the stored time sensitive information according to the current information. The method can be implemented in various information processing systems or devices such as a portable computer or a server linked to the portable computer by a wireless or wireline communication link. According to another embodiment the invention may be realized by a computer readable medium including programming instructions for any suitable data processing apparatus.

Abstract: In a data processing system, a method for fetching information through a data network comprising: transmitting information to a client unit for causing the client unit to display a user interface enabling a user to enter user information relating to certain data items to be searched in the database and when to transmit the data items to the user; receiving the user information; creating a set of rules according to the user information received; searching at least one database for the data items specified by the user according to the rules; and transmitting the data items according to the rules. According to another embodiment the invention may be realized by a computer readable medium including programming instructions for any suitable data processing apparatus.

Abstract: A method and control apparatus for operating an interactive text processing system wherein the system emulates a terminal for a data processing system which is capable of accessing information from the data processing system data base, copying the information into the text processing system memory, and automatically converting the information from the data processing system format into the text processing system format. Similarly, the text processing system is capable of converting information from its own data base from a text processing system format to a data processing system format and transmitting the information to the data processing system.

Abstract: A display word processor (11) has the capability of emulating a data processing terminal for a host data processor (10) in an information processing system. With such a capability, the display word processor may be switched between data processing and word or text processing sessions. In this information processing system, the interactive display (17) is operable during data processing sessions to display a word processing message when a word processing task is being carried out as a background task during the data processing session. The word processing message may be displayed on a message line (7) which may be shared with a data processing message. Alternatively, if the interactive display terminal (17') is large enough, the word processing message line (9) may be displayed in an area dedicated to the word processing message.