System and method for controlling networked devices and accessing, manipulating and viewing internet and non-internet related information through multiple sessions

• US 20030052916A1
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guild Forest LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Joseph L. Stern
• Inventors: Stern, Joseph L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,197,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for accessing, generating, presenting and manipulating Internet and non-Internet related information, data and content, including information netcast over the Internet. The system is also capable of controlling operatively connected, privately networked devices. A number of graphical user interfaces are utilized to facilitate user access, manipulation and control of information, data and content and networked devices. Some of the graphical user interfaces are time and topic oriented, are customizable by the user, and allow for the manipulation of information, data, content and operatively connected networked devices from the graphical interfaces themselves. The system is preferably enhanced through the use of an intelligent, dynamically updated user profile that is fully integrated with the system.

Claims

1. A method for enabling access of information obtained from Internet and non-Internet information sources, comprising:

providing a graphical user interface comprising a plurality of selection options for selecting operations during a first graphical user interface session, the operations including accessing on-line content from the Internet and accessing off-line content;

using the graphical user interface during the first session to perform at least one operation, the at least one operation comprising accessing the on-line content from the Internet or accessing the off-line content;

terminating the first session after the at least one operation;

initiating a second session using the graphical user interface; and

providing a modified graphical user interface for the second session, the modified graphical user interface including a new selection option for resuming the at least one operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a user engages multiple selection operations during the first session corresponding to multiple operations such that the user was viewing multiple content corresponding to the multiple operations when the user signed off from the first session, and further wherein the step of providing a modified graphical user interface for the second session comprises providing multiple new selection options for resuming access to the multiple content corresponding to the multiple operations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one operation comprises accessing on-line content from the Internet, and the new selection option provides access to the on-line content that was being viewed just prior to terminating the first session.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the new selection option provides access to the on-line content by retrieving Web content that was stored in a user computer system.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the new selection option provides access to the on-line content by connecting to the Internet in order to retrieve the Web content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one operation comprises accessing off-line content comprising a document, and the new selection option provides access to the document that was being viewed just prior to terminating the first session.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of labeling the new selection option according to type of content accessed during the at least one operation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the new selection operation indicates the user who was accessing the content during the at least one operation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface provides multiple new selection options, each new selection option corresponding to a different user.

10. A graphical user interface generated by a client application running on a computer, comprising:

a plurality of selection options for selecting operations during a first session of the client application using the graphical user interface, including a selection option for accessing on-line content from the Internet and a selection option for accessing an offline content from an off-line application; and

a resume operation option for resuming access during a second session of the client application to content that was active when a user terminated the first session.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein the content that was active was content from an on-line Internet session, and wherein the resume operation option provides access to the content from the on-line Internet session.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein the resume operation option provides access to the content from the on-line Internet session by retrieving locally stored Web content.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein the resume operation option provides access to the content from the on-line Internet session by connecting to the Internet.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein the content that was last active was a document from an off-line application, and wherein the resume operation option provides access to the document.

15. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein the content that was active when the user terminated the first session comprises on-line content from the Internet and off-line content from an off-line application, and wherein the resume operation option enables access to the on-line content from the Internet and the off-line content from the off-line application during the second session.

16. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein the resume operation option is labeled according to type of content that was last active when a user terminated a first session.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the resume operation option indicates the user who was accessing the content that was last active when a user terminated a first session.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the graphical user interface provides multiple resume operation options, each new selection option corresponding to a different user.