WO2005060285A1

WO2005060285A1 - Method for providing information to wireless terminal

Info

Publication number: WO2005060285A1
Application number: PCT/KR2003/002682
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jungho Park; Ran Ryu
Original assignee: Widerthan.Com Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2003-12-08
Filing date: 2003-12-08
Publication date: 2005-06-30
Also published as: AU2003304617A1

Abstract

A method for providing personalized information service in real time to a wireless terminal. The information service is provided through data exchanges through a wireless Internet server system and a cyber agent which is an application process selectively driven in the wireless terminal according to the selection of the user. The server system pushes a variety of useful information and entertainment contents the wireless termial according to the setting of the user. The server system cooperates with a CP server to make the cyber agent to be downloaded to the wireless terminal, receives the status information of the agent from the terminal, and pushes contents data to the wireless terminal based on the status information. The user can obtain desired information by setting the extent of the information and push frequency.

Description

METHOD FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION TO WIRELESS TERMINAL

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method for providing information through a communications network and, more particularly, to a method for providing information to a wireless terminal such as a portable terminal through a wireless communications network. Also, the present invention is related to a wireless terminal suitable for implementing the method.

BACKGROUND ART As the wireless terminals are widely being used, needs for data communications using the wireless terminals is increasing drastically. The most simple data communications method using the wireless terminals may be the short message service (SMS) provided by wireless carriers. However, since the SMS just carries a text message of short length, it is difficult to transmit useful information other than short greetings or a callback number. The most common service used by the users of the wireless terminals to obtain desired information is wireless Internet provided by the wireless carriers or another contents providers affiliated with the carriers based on Wireless Application Protocol, for example. At the point of time when this application is filed, most terminals used for navigating the wireless Internet is cellular phones. Being optimized for voice communications, the cellular phone has a small display capable of showing a small quantity of information, and a small keypad comprising of limited number of keys. Accordingly, the navigation of wireless Internet absolutely depends on

the directory-based hierarchical menus. Considering the limited input and display environment of the terminal, the contents providers designs the hierarchical menu so that each menu node have a small number of menu items while sacrificing the depth of menus. Thus, a user who wants to obtain information from the wireless Internet typically repeats selection of a menu item and returning to the previous node, which is costly and time-consuming. Besides the inconvenience in the navigation process, the conventional wireless Internet service has a drawback that it is difficult for the user to find desired information in real time. Further, since uniform information is provided to all the users, it is difficult to provide information personalized or customized to each user.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION To solve the above problem, one object of the present invention is to provide a method for providing a wireless terminal with desired information in real time and in personalized form. According to the information providing method of the present invention for achieving the above object, the information service is provided through data exchanges between a wireless Internet server system and a cyber agent which is an application process selectively driven in the wireless terminal according to the selection of the user. The server system pushes a variety of useful information and entertainment contents the wireless terminal according to the setting of the user. The server system cooperates with a CP server to make the cyber agent to be downloaded to the wireless terminal, receives the status information of the agent from the terminal, and pushes contents data to the wireless terminal based on the status information. The

user can obtain desired information by setting the extent of the information and push frequency. In addition to the cyber agents, an agent manager for communicating with the server system and enabling the user to control the cyber agents is installed in the wireless terminal. In particular, the agent manager controls multiple cyber agents in such a manner that plural agents are in executable states. For example, without regard to a cyber agent executed in a state occupying standby screen, another agent can receive contents data while being in push standby state. More generally, according to a method for providing information to a wireless terminal of the present invention, the server system first makes at least one of cyber agents each being provided for respective category to be downloaded to the wireless terminal through the wireless communications network according to the request of a user of the wireless terminal and installed in the wireless terminal. Afterwards, the server system pushes contents data along with agent designating information to the wireless terminal, so that the contents data is displayed by a designated cyber agent. Each of the multiple cyber agents displays contents data by a unique graphic user interface. Each cyber agent has a first through a third operation modes. The cyber agent displays the graphic user interface on a standby screen in the first operation mode, and receives the pushed contents data in a state not occupying the standby screen in the second operation mode. The cyber agent is deactivated in the third operation mode. Preferably, the server system receives state information of the operation mode of each

of the cyber agents and determines whether to push the contents data based on the state information. In such a case, the server system downloads the contents data to the cyber agent only when the operation mode of the cyber agent is set to the third operation mode.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above objectives and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates network elements for implementing the method of providing information service of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A through 2N are screen shots of information displayed on a portable terminal; FIG. 3 illustrates the network environment of an agent server system according to a

preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates, in detail, a wireless terminal and a cyber agent server system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a direct transfer manager and database tables required for the manager

according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a detailed block diagram of the cyber agent manager shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a detailed block diagram of one of the cyber agents shown in FIG. 4; FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining operation modes of the agent;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the process of registering and downloading agents in the cyber agent server system of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the process of transmitting data generated and pushed

by a CP server to the terminal; FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the process of providing agent service in the terminal;

FIG. 12 illustrates an example of the graphic user interface of the agent manager;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the screen editing process using a screen editor; and

FIG. 14 illustrates an example of the graphic user interface of the screen editor. EMBODIMENTS First, an exemplary implementation of the present invention is described for the sake of understanding of the present invention. FIG. 1 illustrates network elements for implementing the method of providing information service of the present invention, and FIGS. 2A through 2N are screen shots of information displayed on a portable terminal. A wireless terminal provided with the service of the present invention is equipped with at least one cyber agent (referred to as "agent" hereinbelow) which is a program module for receiving the information service. Such an agent may be downloaded from a contents provider

(CP) server through a separate downloading server not shown in FIG. 1. Each agent displays information of a unique topic, and can be installed, deleted, and executed independently. Another program module, a cyber agent manager (referred to as "agent manager" hereinbelow) is installed and executed in the wireless terminal. The agent manager can delete a previously installed agent or download and install another agent according to the key inputs of the user. The user can set the operation mode of each agent with the assistance of the agent manager. Also, the agent manager notifies the state of each agent to a cyber agent server system (referred to as "server system" hereinbelow) periodically and/or when a certain event occurs in

the terminal. The server system make the downloading server download a new agent to the wireless terminal in response to the request of the terminal. Also, the server system receives agent push data from CP servers, and pushes data for the agent based on the state information of each agent. Accordingly, the wireless terminal displays pushed data in unique form of each agent. FIG. 2A shows a couple management agent notifying user commemoration days and

providing amusements such as fortune and biorhythm. The standby screen may be decorated by a picture designated by the user. Detailed information displayed on the phone depends on data pushed from the server system. The feature that the pushed data from the server system is the same for the other agents described below. FIG. 2B shows a phone-mate agent, which displays frequently used information in personalized layouts. In the Example of FIG. 2B, today's weather is displayed as background, and shortcuts for phone directory, poker game, making call connection, and favorite wireless Internet menu are provided on the background. FIG. 2C is a diet management agent directed to female user, which shows the progress of a diet schedule and recommended menu. FIG. 2D is a babycare management directed to female user, which shows a daily count from the birth , a preengaged day for preventive injection, and common sense babycare information on a background of the picture of the baby. FIG. 2E is a delivery information agent providing a calendar for a expected mother. FIG. 2F is a sports agent providing sports related information. FIG. 2G is a fashion agent recommending fashion of the user considering weather information. FIG. 2H is a stock agent showing updated stock quotes. FIG. 21 is a foreign language agent assisting the user in studying foreign language. FIG. 2J is an agent for introducing opposite sex friend. FIG. 2K is a news agent providing latest news. FIG. 2L is a pet agent for simulating pets and providing pet information. FIG. 2M is an advertisement agent providing advertisement data and related contents. FIG. 2N is another advertisement agent providing cultural information of movies and performances. FIG. 3 illustrates the network environment of the agent server system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The agent server system 40 is coupled to a plurality of contents provider (CP) servers 60A-60N and makes a downloading server 42

download a new agent to the wireless terminal 10 in response to a request of a agent manager

of the wireless terminal. Also, the server system 40 receives agent push data from the CP servers 60A-60N, and pushes the data to the wireless terminal based on the state information of each agent in the wireless terminal 10. In a preferred embodiment, the downloading server 42 may be operated by a wireless carrier or a third-party business concern other than the operator of the agent server system 40. Alternatively, however, the downloading server 42 may be a portion of the agent server system 40 and operated by the operator of the agent server system 40.

In a wireless communications network 20, a mobile switching center 22 is connected to multiple base stations 24 which relays calls between the wireless terminal 10 and the mobile switching center 22. Here, even though the wireless communication network 20 typically includes one central gateway switch and a plurality of switches hierarchically connected to the central gateway switch, just a single switching center 22 is shown in FIG. 3 for simplicity. A WAP gateway 28 is connected to the mobile switching center 22 through an Interworking Function (IWF) 26, which is a gateway for interconnecting a wireless communications network to a wired communications network. The WAP gateway 28 converts the HTTP Protocol stack to the WAP Protocol stack, and vice versa. A wireless portal server for providing wireless Internet service and not shown in the figure is connected to the WAP gateway 28 directly or through a Wireless Interface Gateway (WIG) 36. Meanwhile, the mobile switching center 22 is connected to the SMSC 30 for providing the short message service, which, in turn, is connected to at least one SMSS 32. The SMSC 30, which is connected to the mobile switching center using a SS7 (Signaling System No.7) interface, stores and forwards short messages transmitted or received by the terminals, and

provides an interface to an external network. The agent server system 40 is connected to the WAP gateway 28 through the WIG 36. Also, the agent server system 40 is connected to the SMSS 32 directly or through the WIG 36 or a separate SMS gateway server 34. In such a state, the agent server system 40 pushes data directed to an agent through a short message based on the state information of the agent. On the other hand, the agent server system 40 is connected to the downloading server 42 through a dedicated line or Internet to make the downloading server 42 download a new agent to the wireless terminal in response to the request of the agent manager of the wireless terminal. Meanwhile, the agent server system 40 may be connected to the WAP gateway 28 and the SMSS 32 through a push proxy gateway (PPG). FIG. 4 shows the wireless terminal 10 and the cyber agent server system 40 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in detail. In the preferred embodiment, the cyber agent and the cyber agent manager installed and executed in the wireless terminal are application programs implemented based on a Wireless Internet Terminal Open Platform (WI- TOP ™) which is a platform for wireless terminals for downloading files in Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and managing the downloaded files. Thus, the wireless terminal 10 includes a terminal OEM module 100 for performing voice call processing, data communications in lower network layers, transmission and receipt of short messages, and management of the terminal, and the WI-TOP platform 120 operating on the terminal OEM module 100. The cyber agent manager 140 of the present invention is an application program operating on the WI-TOP

platform 120. The cyber agent manager 140 notifies the state information of the agent installed in the

terminal to the server system 40 and delivers, to the agent, the data pushed to the terminal by a short message, WAP push, or another mechanism. Also, the cyber agent manager 140 performs the function of a control pad for enabling the user to set the operation mode of the agent and control the operation of the agent. As described below, independently from an agent occupying the standby screen, another agent in a push standby state can react to the pushed data. Meanwhile, the wireless terminal 10 may be equipped with another kind of WI-TOP application programs in addition to the cyber agent manager 140. Each cyber agent 160A-160D, which is an application program downloaded from the downloading server 42 and installed under the control of the agent manager 140, displays the data pushed from the server system 40 in one of the manners shown in FIGS. 2 A through 2N according to the setting of the user. Each cyber agent 160A-160D has three operation modes: standby screen occupying mode, push standby mode, and off mode. The user can set the operation mode of the agent through the agent manager 140. A "Deletion" state, strictly being not one of the operation modes, is included in the following table because it defines one of the states of the agent to be considered by the server system 40 in providing the services. Additionally, some of the agents may perform stand-alone function for a specific task. [Table 1 : Operation modes of the cyber agent]

Meanwhile, the agent server system 40 includes an agent information manager 200, an agent state manager 202, a transfer manager 204, and an external interface 206. Also, the server system 40 further includes a database 208 comprising an agent state table 210, a user state table

212, and a transfer Queue table 214. Besides, the server system 40 may additionally include a statistics and operation manager for providing statistics and monitoring and detecting a fallacy

of the system. The agent information manager 200 registers information of a new agent generated by a contents provider, and enables the operator of the agent server system or the contents provider system to modify or delete the registered information. Agent information registered through the agent information manager 200 includes agent ID, agent file size, name and URL of the contents provider, valid term of the agent, effective period of the agent (period during which the agent is allowed to operate from the downloaded date), and allowed number of use (in case that the number of use is limited to a certain range from the downloaded date). The contents provider

can check or refer the registered information after the registration of the agent information by

submitting a query in terms of the CP name or the agent ID. Also, agent information manager 200 obtains downloading log data from the downloading server 42 to register in the agent information table 210 and the user state table 212.

When the operation mode of an agent 160A-160D is changed, the agent manager 140 of the terminal notifies the change to the server system 40 through a TCP/IP socket connection. The agent state manager 202 stores or updates the agent state information from the agent manager 140, which information includes terminal ID, agent ID, agent state (i.e., operation mode), and agent version. The agent state information may also be provided to the CP server providing contents for the agent by the server system 40. After storing the agent state information, the agent state manager 202 returns the updating result to the agent manager 140 of the terminal. The transfer manager 204 receives agent push data from the CP server 60 A-60N through the external interface 206, checks the cyber agent corresponding to the push data is in a mode ready to receive data, and pushes the data to the terminal 10 through the SMSS 32 (or, through a push proxy gateway as described below). To be more specific, the transfer manager 204 includes a data queuing module, a data verification module, a message generating module, a message transmitting module, and a result monitoring module. The data queuing module, having a form of a demon operating periodically, extracts unprocessed data from the database 208 to transmit to the terminal. The data verification module finally checks whether the agent of the terminal is in the standby screen occupying mode or the push standby mode with reference to the user state table 212 before the data extracted by the data queuing module is transmitted to the SMSS 32. If the agent is not

in the standby screen occupying mode or the push standby mode,' the data verification module

stores a log data and deletes the data stored in the Queue. The message generating module transforms the data extracted by the data queuing module to be conformed with SMSS or PPG protocol, and the message transmitting module transmits the generated message to the SMSS or PPG. The result monitoring module receives the transmission result from the SMSS or PPG to generate billing information. The external interface 206, being a pathway between the server system 40 and external

CP servers 60A-60N, enables the connection of the CP servers 60A-60N to the server system 40 and provides the agent state information to the corresponding CP server. Specifically, the external interface 206 includes a connection management module and a connection monitoring module. The connection management module manages the connection between the server system 40 and the CP servers 60A-60N, and performs tasks requested by the CP servers 60 A- 60N to provide the result to the CP servers 60A-60N. The connection monitoring module monitors the connection status of all the CP servers 60A-60N to the system so as to enable the system operator to deal with troubles in the connection. Even though not being shown in FIG. 4, the server system 40 preferably includes a direct transfer manager for intermediating communications between the cyber agents and supporting point-to-multipoint group communications. FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the direct transfer manager and database tables required for the manager. Among the database tables, a DT data table 216 temporarily stores data to be pushed to the agent when the agent is not ready to receive data immediately, and a group information table 218 stores group information set for

each terminal. In the direct transfer manager 240 shown in the figure, a direct transfer demon 242

receives a direct transfer request from the agent, and generates a direct transfer thread 244 for

each request. When data to be transferred is not so large, the direct transfer thread 244 directly sends the data by a short message. However, when the data to be transferred is too large to send by the short message, the direct transfer thread 244 stores the data in the DT data table 218

and notifies the receiver by a short message or WAP push, so that the agent of the receiver requests to transfer the stored data. When the agent is notified that there is data stored in the

DT data table 218 and requests the data transfer, the direct transfer request processing demon

246 generates a direct transfer request processing thread 248 for handling the data transfer, so that the thread 248 reads data stored in the DT data table 218 and transfer to the agent of the receiver.

In case that the request from the agent is the group transfer request, the direct transfer thread 244 reads the group information from the group information table 216 and transmits the message to all the group members. Meanwhile, when the agent is found to be in off mode from

the user state table 212, the direct transfer thread 244 notifies the transmit agent that the message cannot be delivered through the TCP/UDP socket, a short message, or WAP push. FIG. 6 shows the cyber agent manager 140 shown in FIG. 4 in detail. A download

processing unit 260 stores data received from the server system when the agent 160A-160D

cannot receive data immediately (e.g., when the terminal is busy) to transfer the stored data to the agent when the agent is ready to receive data later. A synchronizer 262 transmits state

information of the agent to the server system 40 when the operation mode of the agent is

changed. The push processing unit 264 provides data pushed from the server system 40 to the

corresponding agent. A SMS processing unit 266 provides a short message received from the

server system 40 to the corresponding agent.

FIG. 7 shows one of the cyber agents 160A-160D shown in FIG. 4 in detail. A message

dispatcher 280 receives the message to be processed by the agent from the server system 40 to provide to a message processing unit 272. The message processing unit 272, which is the

essential part of the agent, performs a predetermined function depending on the type of the message. A screen processing unit 274 makes the data displayed as a character or an image according to a GUI previously defined for the agent. A sound processing unit 276 generates or

plays beeping sound, music, or voice. A communications unit 278 allows the agent to directly communicate with the server system 40 by TCP/UDP or MS without the assistance of the agent manager 140. A setting unit 280 allows the user to set the operating environment including the operation mode of the agent.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining operation modes of the agent. In the drawing, the arrows indicate the path of the pushed data. The pushed data received through a terminal OEM

module is transferred to the agent manager through a WI-TOP platform, and the agent manager provides each pushed data to a corresponding agent. Each of the reference numerals Al, A2,

A3, and A4 denotes a separate agent. Here, it is assumed that the agent Al is in the standby screen occupying mode, A2 and A3 are in the push standby modes, and A4 are in the off mode. If pushed data is directed to the agent Al, the agent Al reveals the pushed data in a state

occupying the standby screen of the terminal. If pushed data is directed to the agent A2, the agent Al having occupied the standby screen enters a sleeping state and the agent A2 is

executed to reveal the pushed data. Meanwhile, since the agent A4 is in the off mode, the agent

server system does not push data directed to the agent A4 to the terminal. The agent manager may temporarily store pushed data to provide the data to the

corresponding agent when a certain event (e.g., opening of the terminal folder) occurs in the

terminal rather than providing the pushed data just after the receipt from the server system. The

revealed data may be saved in the terminal or deleted depending on the policy of the operator of the agent server system or the contents provider. The saving or deleting operation is carried out by the agent manager according to the setting or real-time direction of the agent server system. FIG. 9 shows the process of registering and downloading agents in the cyber agent server system of the present invention. A contents provider (CP) having generated a new service agent generates an agent program (step 300), and registers installation information and an executable installation file to the downloading server 42 (step 301). Also, the CP stores agent registration information to the agent information manager 200 of the server system 40 (step 302). Afterwards, when the user recognizes the service through an advertisement message or another notification provided to the terminal 10, the user can request the downloading server 42 to download the installation information of the agent (step 304). The downloading server 42 executes installation information downloading script to download the installation information in response to the request of the terminal 10 (step 306). After downloading of the installation information is completed, the terminal 10 may request to download the executable installation file (step 308), Then, the executable file downloading script is executed and the executable installation file is downloaded to the terminal (step 310). After downloading of the executable installation file is completed in step 312, the connection between the terminal 10 and the downloading server 42 is terminated (step 314). The agent information manager 200 receives and stores downloading log data from the downloading server 42 periodically or non- periodically (step 316), which information is used in billing and data push to the agent of the terminal. Meanwhile, the agent downloaded to the terminal is executed according to the setting of the user (step 318). FIG. 10 shows the process that the data generated by a CP server 60A-60E is pushed to the terminal 10. First, the CP server 60A-60E connects to the external interface unit 206 of the server system 40 transmits the contents data, so that the external interface unit 206 accumulates the data in the transfer Queue 214 (step 320). In such a state, the transfer manager 204 periodically extracts un-transmitted data from the transfer Queue 214 (step 322), and checks whether the agent of the terminal 10 is in the data receivable mode based on the information stored in the user state table 212 (step 324). Afterwards, the transfer manager 204 generates push data to be conformed to SMSS protocol to transmit to the SMSS 32 (steps 326 and 328). The push data includes contents data and information of the cyber agent to display the contents, and preferably includes information of display style or position of the contents. The SMSS 32 transmits push data to the terminal 10, and returns the transfer result to the transfer manager 204 of the server system 40 (steps 330 and 332). The transfer manager 204 stores the transfer result data into the database for use in billing and informs the result to the CP server. FIG. 11 shows the process that the agent service is provided in the terminal. When the terminal is being booted up in step 350, the terminal OEM module (or the agent manager) determines the existence of an agent set to the standby screen occupying mode (step 352). If there is an agent set to the standby screen occupying mode, the GUI screen of the agent is displayed (step 354) and the agent manager continuously monitors the receipt of push data (step 360). If there is no agent set to the standby screen occupying mode, however, the OEM screen set by the manufacturer or another screen set by the user is displayed as the standby screen (step 356). In such a state, the agent manager determines the existence of an agent set to the push standby mode (step 358). If there is no agent set to the push standby mode, the terminal enters a common call standby mode and the agent service of the present invention is terminated. If, however, there is an agent set to the push standby mode, the agent manager continuously monitors the receipt of push data (step 360). When push data is received, an agent corresponding to the push data is executed in step 362. FIG. 12 illustrates an example of the graphic user interface (GUI) of the agent manager

140. The agent manager 140 enables the user to manage the agents and set the operation mode of the agents. As shown in the figure, the agent in standby screen occupying mode is indicated by a tag or icon different from that of the agent in push standby mode, so that the user can check the operation mode of an agent by its tag or icon. When the user who wants to change the operation mode of an agent selects the icon of the agent by keys and then presses the "OK" key, a screen of lower portion of FIG. 12 is displayed. In this screen, the user can select "4. MODE" key, choose a desired mode in the combo box, and press the "OK" key. Meanwhile, if the user selects one agent icon in the screen of upper portion of FIG. 12 and presses the "SEND" key, the agent corresponding to the icon is executed regardless of its operation mode. Some of the agents may include a screen editor for enabling the user to directly edit the screen. FIG. 13 shows the screen editing process using a screen editor, and FIG. 14 illustrates an example of the graphic user interface of the screen editor. If the user presses the "MENU" key in the agent display screen of left portion of FIG. 14, an agent menu is displayed (steps 380 and 382). When the user selects a "SCREEN EDIT" menu in step 384, a details selection screen of right portion of FIG. 14 is displayed (step 386). Using this user interface, the user can select a screen type and set options regarding the background or sound (step 388). When the setting is completed, a new screen reflecting the new setting is displayed on the terminal (step

390). At least some of the cyber agents may require an key input during a process of displaying information or performing another function. Thus, for the cyber agent in the standby screen occupying mode, it is needed to enable the differentiation between the dialing for a call setup or another key input for performing another original terminal function and the key input for executing the cyber agent. In a preferred embodiment, when the user opens the terminal folder, the agent in the standby screen occupying mode is activated and occupies the keypad so that all the key input is transferred to the agent. In such a case, the user can enter the original terminal menu by pressing, e.g., the "STOP" key in the keypad. Alternatively, however, when the user opens the terminal folder, the agent in the standby screen occupying mode just occupies the standby screen and the original terminal function occupies the keypad. In such a case, the key input is normally transferred to the original terminal function, and the user can input data to the cyber agent after pressing, e.g., the "OK" key in the keypad. Although the present invention has been described in detail above, it should be understood that the foregoing description is illustrative and not restrictive. For example, though the above description was provided in terms of the WI-TOP for a downloading platform as the basis of the cyber agents, another platform commercially available at this moment or in the future, e.g., GVM, SK-VM, WEPI, BREW, or Java VM may be used as well. Meanwhile, it was described above that the server system provides the agent data to the terminal by the short message or TCP/UDP protocol, the server system may provide the agent data to the terminal by a WAP push technology, alternatively. In such an embodiment, the server system requests a Push Proxy Gateway (PPG) to push the agent data to a target terminal by providing the PPG with the agent data by a Push Access Protocol (PAP). The PPG can be

connected to the IWF through the WAP gateway, and converts the data from the server system to a format suitable for the wireless communication network to transmit to the terminal by a push Over-The-Air (OTA) protocol. The details of the WAP push and the PPG are disclosed in WAP Push Architectural Overview (WAP-250-PushArchOverview-20010703-a), Push message (WAP-251-PushMessage-20010322-a), Push Proxy Gateway Service (WAP-249- PPGService-20010713-a) published by the WAP Forum (trademark of Wireless Application Protocol Forum Ltd.).

On the other hand, the service subscription of the user or the request to add or delete a cyber agent can be done through the common Internet instead of the wireless Internet. Thus, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many obvious modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Thus, we claim all modifications and variation coming within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Industrial Applicability According to the present invention, the server system can provide each wireless terminal with desired information in real time and in personalized form, and thus enhances the accessibility of the wireless terminal to the wireless Internet. The user can receive information optimized to the user since the change of the state of the terminal agent is notified to the server system to synchronize the state information between the terminal agent and the server system. Accordingly, the present invention enhances the information providing capability of the server system and increases the utility of the information to the user.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing information to a wireless terminal through a wireless communications network by an information providing system, comprising the steps of:

(a) making at least one of multiple agent program modules each being provided for respective category to be downloaded to the wireless terminal through the wireless

communications network according to the request of a user of the wireless terminal and installed in the wireless terminal; and

(b) pushing contents data along with agent designating information to the wireless terminal so that the contents data is displayed by a designated agent program module, wherein each of the multiple agent program modules displays contents data by a unique

graphic user interface, wherein each agent program module has a first through a third operation modes to

display the graphic user interface on a standby screen in the first operation mode and to receive

the pushed contents data in a state not occupying the standby screen in the second operation

mode.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the agent program module is

downloaded directly from the information providing system to the wireless terminal.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step (a) comprises the steps of:

(al) making the agent program module to be stored in an external downloading

server; (a2) making the downloading server download the agent program module in response to the request of the user of the wireless terminal; and

(a3) receiving downloading log data from the downloading server.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the agent program modules is deactivated in the third operation mode.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said step (b) comprises the step of: receiving state information of the operation mode of each of the agent program modules.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the information providing system downloads the contents data for an agent program module only when the operation mode of the

agent program module is set to the third operation mode.

7. An information providing system for pushing contents data to a wireless terminal

capable of requesting to download an agent program module for displaying the contents on the

basis of a unique graphic user interface and notifying the state information including operation

mode of the agent program module to the information providing system, comprising: an agent information manager for storing information of a new agent program module

to a predetermined storage and modifying or deleting information of previously existing agent

program modules; an agent status manager for storing agent status information of terminals installed with at least one agent program module to the storage; and a transfer manager for, when contents data to be pushed to the wireless terminal is generated, checking whether the wireless terminal is in a state ready to receive the contents data and pushing the contents data to the agent program module of the wireless terminal when the wireless terminal is in the state ready to receive the contents data.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information providing system is connected to an external downloading server for downloading the agent program module in response to the request of the wireless terminal, wherein said agent information manager receives downloading information from the

downloading server to store in the storage after the downloading server downloads the agent

program module to the wireless terminal.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the downloading server receives the

agent program module from an external contents providing server and downloads the agent

program module to the wireless terminal, wherein the information providing system receives the contents data from the contents

providing server and pushes the contents data to the wireless terminal.

10. The system as claimed in claim 7, further comprising: a direct transfer manager for intermediating communications among a plurality of agent

program modules each being installed in respective wireless terminals.

11. A wireless terminal comprising: a call processing circuit for transmitting and receiving signals; a downloading platform for downloading at least one agent program module from a predetermined downloading server through said call processing circuit; an agent manager, operable on said downloading platform, for carrying out functions of: installing a new agent program module or deleting a previously installed agent program module depending on the manipulation of a user of the wireless terminal, and notifying the state information including operation mode of the agent program module an agent server system, to enable the user to control the agent program module, wherein each of the agent program modules is provided correspondingly to respective topic, can be installed or deleted independently, can display contents data pushed by the agent server system, and can be set to one of plural operation modes including standby screen occupying mode, push standby mode, and off mode.

12. The wireless terminal as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said agent manager carries

out the functions of: upon receiving contents data pushed to the agent program module set to the standby screen occupying mode, transferring the contents data to the agent program module occupying the standby screen so that the agent program occupying the module standby screen displays contents data based on its unique graphic user interface; and upon receiving contents data pushed to the agent program module set to the push

standby mode, changing the operation mode of the agent program module in the standby screen

occupying mode to sleep mode and transferring the contents data to the agent program module in the push standby mode so that the push standby agent program module displays contents data based on its unique graphic user interface.

13. The wireless terminal as claimed in claim 11, wherein said agent manager carries out the functions of: upon receiving contents data pushed to the agent program module set to the standby

screen occupying mode, transferring the contents data to the agent program module occupying the standby screen so that the agent program occupying the module standby screen displays contents data based on its unique graphic user interface; and upon receiving contents data pushed to the agent program module set to the push standby mode, storing the contents data to said storage so that the push standby agent program module displays contents data based on its unique graphic user interface when a predetermined

event occurs in the wireless terminal.

14. The wireless terminal as claimed in claim 11, wherein said agent manager further

carries out the function of: enabling the user to set operation mode of each of the agent program modules installed

in the wireless terminal.

15. The wireless terminal as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each of the agent program

module has a submodule for enabling the user to set the operation mode of the agent program

module.