Methods and apparatus for display element management in an information network

• US 10,359,922 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2015
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ladd, Patrick, Kamienski, Aaron James, Sarosi, George W., Miller, Eric B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Keaton, Sherrod L
• Application Number:
  US14/968,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20160170622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/032 Protect output to user by software means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for managing display elements such as GUI windows in a client device (e.g., consumer premises equipment in a cable network) running multiple related or unrelated applications. In one embodiment, an improved window management entity is provided within the device with which HAVi-compliant application(s) can interface in order to access display elements according to a priority structure or hierarchy. One or more privileged applications are designated and allowed to affect the priority structure, including requesting a new in-focus application to be placed atop the priority structure. The network operator can also optionally control the operation of the window manager remotely via a network agent. Improved client device and network configurations, as well as methods of operating these systems, are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable apparatus comprising at least one computer program, the at least one computer program comprising display element manager logic configured for use on a computerized client device associated with a network, said display element manager logic comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed, cause said computerized client device to:

display a plurality of application scene objects associated with certain ones of software applications via a visibility stack; and

transmit information regarding said visibility stack upstream to a remote network entity, said remote network entity adapted to direct operation of at least one aspect of said visibility stack based at least in part on said information;

wherein said software applications are arranged in said visibility stack based at least in part on a configuration provided by said remote network entity of said network; and

wherein said directed operation of said at least one aspect comprises a replacement of at least one of said plurality of application scene objects with a previously hidden application scene object, based at least on said visibility stack.

2. The non-transitory computer readable apparatus of claim 1, wherein said visibility stack comprises a prioritized arrangement of at least some of said software applications.

3. The non-transitory computer readable apparatus of claim 2, wherein said visibility stack comprises an in-focus application scene object.

4. The non-transitory computer readable apparatus of claim 3, wherein said display element manager logic is configured such that said in-focus application scene object remains at a top level of said visibility stack when said at least one of said plurality of application scene objects is replaced.

5. The non-transitory computer readable apparatus of claim 4, wherein said display element manager logic further comprises one or more instructions which are configured to, when executed, change said in-focus application scene object based on one or more user selections.

6. A computerized method of operating a computerized client device configured to run a plurality of application computer programs, and configured to communicate with a remote node of a network, the computerized method comprising:

displaying, via at least display element manager logic configured for use on said computerized client device, a plurality of application scene objects associated with certain ones of said plurality of said application computer programs via a visibility stack, said certain ones of said plurality of said application computer programs being arranged in said visibility stack based at least in part on a configuration provided by said remote node of said network; and

transmitting data regarding said visibility stack upstream to said remote node, said remote node configured to direct operation of at least one aspect of said visibility stack based at least in part on said transmitted data, said directed operation of at least one aspect comprising a replacement of at least one of said plurality of application scene objects with a previously hidden application scene object using said visibility stack.

7. The computerized method of claim 6, wherein said visibility stack comprises an in-focus application scene object, and said computerized method further comprises receiving data relating to a user selection, said user selection configured to cause, via said display element manager logic, a window manager process to maintain and update said visibility stack such that an in-focus application is maintained at a top of said at least one visibility stack.

8. The computerized method of claim 6, wherein said displaying said plurality of said application scene objects comprises selectively hiding a percentage of other ones of said plurality of said application programs, said percentage based on a priority scheme such that application windows are hidden starting from a bottom of said visibility stack and working upwards in stack position.

9. The computerized method of claim 6, wherein said displaying said plurality of said application scene objects comprises:

determining whether a relevant one of said plurality of said application scene objects resides within at least one visible portion or at least one hidden portion of said visibility stack;

based at least one said relevant one of said application scene objects residing within said at least one visible portion, accessing said relevant one of said application scene objects utilizing a system call operation; and

displaying a graphical element associated with said relevant one of said application scene objects.

10. The computerized method of claim 6, wherein said displaying said plurality of said application scene objects comprises generating application-specific graphics respectively associated with said plurality of said application scene objects.

11. The computerized method of claim 6, further comprising selectively controlling an overlap of two or more of said plurality of application scene objects, said controlling based at least in part by a user-specified override of said directed operation.

12. The computerized method of claim 6, wherein said displaying said plurality of said application scene objects comprises selectively reserving at least portions of a display area associated with said computerized client device to prevent interference between certain display elements respectively associated with said plurality of said application scene objects.

13. User electronic apparatus configured for communication with a network that distributes digitally rendered content, said user electronic apparatus comprising:

a digital processing apparatus;

a computer-readable storage apparatus in data communication with said digital processing apparatus and having a plurality of computer program applications stored thereon, each of said plurality of computer program applications operative to be executed by said digital processing apparatus; and

a display element manager process controlled based at least on instructions received via one or more user selections;

wherein said display element manager process is configured to, based at least on said instructions provided via said one or more user selections;

cause display of a plurality of application scene objects associated with certain ones of said plurality of application computer programs via a visibility stack; and

transmit data relating to said visibility stack upstream to a computerized network apparatus of said network, said computerized network apparatus configured to direct operation of at least one aspect of said visibility stack based at least in part on said transmitted data;

wherein said plurality of application scene objects are arranged in said visibility stack based at least in part on a configuration provided by said computerized network apparatus; and

wherein said directed operation of at least one aspect comprises a replacement of at least one of said plurality of application scene objects with a previously hidden application scene object.

14. The user electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

said display element manager process is further configured to, based at least on said instructions provided via said one or more user selections;

control the overlap of two or more display elements associated with respective ones of said plurality of said application computer programs, said plurality of application computer programs comprising a plurality of unbound applications, and said control of said overlap of said two or more display elements comprises control of said overlap between at least one bound application and at least one of said plurality of unbound applications; and

wherein said at least one bound application is associated with a service, and each of said plurality of unbound applications are not associated with a service.

15. The user electronic apparatus of claim 14, wherein when said at least one bound application is hidden, at least one bound component of said at least one bound application is also hidden.

16. The user electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein said configuration indicates individual ones of said plurality of application computer programs which have created a window hierarchy, said window hierarchy comprising a hierarchal display priority determined based at least in part on data indicative of a frequency of usage of said individual ones of said plurality of application computer program.

17. The user electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein said instructions received via said one or more user selections are received via a remote control in data communication with said user electronic apparatus.

18. The user electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least portions of said visibility stack comprise respective ones of a plurality of designated locations within a storage device associated with said user electronic apparatus.

19. The user electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein said display element manager process is further configured to, based at least on said instructions provided via said one or more user selections:

alter a location of information related to at least one of said plurality of application computer programs within a visibility management component resident on said user electronic apparatus so as to implement at least a portion of a priority scheme within said user electronic apparatus.

20. The user electronic apparatus of claim 19, wherein said visibility management component comprises a plurality of different window displays, said plurality of different window displays characterized by different sizes.