Formatting and delivering arbitrary content to wireless handheld devices

• US 20020083201A1
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sokolower, David, Iyengar, Sridhar
• Application Number:
  US09/746,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20020083201A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440245 the reformatting operation being performed only on part of the stream, e.g. a region of the image or a time segment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A wireless handheld device displays arbitrary interactive content using a local computer system as a front end processor for the interactive content. A user of the handheld indicates with the handheld device interest in obtaining a content catalog identifying interactive content available to the user. This interactive content is in a first data format provided by a content provider; the first data format may be incompatible with the handheld device, requiring it to be converted into a compatible second format. The user selects content in the content catalog having the first data format. The local computer system reformats the first data format into the compatible second data format. The handheld device then receives selected content in the second data format.

Claims

1. A method for a handheld device to facilitate interaction with a viewing device receiving a broadcast, comprising:

indicating with the handheld device interest in obtaining a content catalog identifying content in a first data format provided by a content provider;

receiving the content catalog from a formatting agent;

selecting content in the content catalog having the first data format; and

receiving said selected content from the formatting agent in a second data format compatible with the handheld device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the handheld device comprises a wireless coupling to the formatting agent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content catalog content corresponds at least in part to broadcasts available for receipt by the viewing device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

broadcasting the broadcast to the viewing device over a communication channel;

determining broadcast-related data for the broadcast; and

making said broadcast-related data available to a content initiator so that the content initiator associates said broadcast related data with the content catalog.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing, by a broadcaster, said broadcast-related data to a content provider so that the content provider makes said broadcast-related data available to the content initiator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data format is incompatible with the handheld device, the method further comprising:

retrieving said selected content from the content provider;

converting the first data format into the second data format;

transmitting the second data format to the handheld device; and

rendering the second data format on the handheld device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving by the formatting agent of said selected content from the content provider;

determining the first data format is incompatible with the handheld device; and

converting said selected content into said compatible second data format.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said converting comprises:

determining characteristics of the handheld device;

identifying a portion of said selected content that is incompatible with the handheld device; and

converting said incompatible portion into a compatible portion based on said determined characteristics.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said incompatible portion comprises an Internet communication protocol.

10. The method If claim 1, wherein the content catalog comprises selected ones of:

links to content provider content, and embedded content provider content.

11. An apparatus, comprising a machine accessible medium having instructions encoded therein, which when executed by the machine, are capable of directing the machine to perform the operations of claim 1.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said instructions include further instructions capable of directing the machine to perform the operations of claim 4.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said instructions include further instructions capable of directing the machine to perform the operations of claim 5.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said instructions include further instructions capable of directing the machine to perform the operations of claim 6.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said instructions include further instructions capable of directing the machine to perform the operations of claim 7.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said instructions include further instructions capable of directing the machine to perform the operations of claim 8.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said instructions include further instructions capable of directing the machine to perform the operations of claim 7.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first data format is the same as the second format.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said second instructions include further instructions for converting the first data format into the second data format.

21. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a content provider communicatively coupled to the formatting server;

wherein said first instructions include further instructions, which when executed by the handheld device, direct the handheld device to retrieve content from the content provider.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said instructions include further instructions, which when executed by the handheld device, direct the handheld device to:

display the catalog on the handheld device;

receive a selection of a catalog entry corresponding to content provided by a content provider; and

retrieve said content from the content provider.

18. A system, comprising:

a system at a first location having disposed therein a content formatting server, and a handheld device communicatively coupled to the content formatting server;

a first memory accessible by the handheld device having first instructions stored therein, which when executed by the handheld device, direct the handheld device to monitor a user interface for a trigger event, and responsive thereto, to request a catalog from the content formatting server;

a system at a second location, different from said first location, having disposed therein a content initiator communicatively coupled to the content formatting server; and

a second memory accessible by the content formatting server having second instructions stored therein, which when executed by the formatting server, direct the content formatting server to retrieve the catalog from the content initiator in a first data format, and provide the catalog to the handheld device in a second format.