Method and apparatus for providing content to media devices

• US 20040110490A1
• Filed: 09/19/2003
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: OT Patent Escrow LLC (Ocean Tomo, LLC)
• Inventors: Hayman, John P, Doktorova, Laura, Steele, Jay D., Paas, Julian, Whatmough, Kenneth J., Lacey, Jon-David K., Arora, Rakesh K., Billard, Christopher D., Johansen, Shaun R., Hayman, Scott J.
• Application Number:
  US10/472,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20040110490A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing rich content to media devices are disclosed. Information content is converted at a content provider system for transmission to a media device over a wireless communication network. The converted content is processed by a media engine on the media device. The content is preferably converted at the content provider system into a binary format having separate visual elements and behavior elements.

Claims

1. A content provider system to connect to a network for communicating with media devices, comprising:

a communication subsystem for communicating with the media devices over the network;

an application connected to the communication subsystem for receiving requests for content from the media devices and, in response, retrieving requested content from a data store; and

a converter connected to the application for formatting the requested content into a binary format so that the requested content in the binary format are sent to the media devices through the communication subsystem.

2. The content provider system of claim 1, wherein the requested content in the binary format, formatted in response to one request for content, comprises visual elements represented by a visual graph and behavior elements represented by a sequence graph where the visual graph and the sequence graph are for rendering separately by a media device.

3. The content provider system of claim 2, wherein the content are stored on the data store in a markup language.

4. The content provider system of claim 3, wherein the mark up language comprises one of Hypertext Markup Language, Extensible Markup Language, and Extensible Markup Language with Scalable Vector Graphics Language.

5. The content provider system of claim 1, wherein the requested content in the binary format is substantially the same as the requested content in the memory of the media devices.

6. The content provider system of claim 1, further comprising

a resource selector for receiving device information from the respective media devices and, in response to the requests for content, directing the application to provide the requested content, based on the device information, that are more in accordance with available device resources of the respective media devices.

7. The content provider system of claim 6, wherein the resource selector organizes the content based on the device resources using pattern-based rules comprising at least one of organize by content and sort by device, organize by device and sort by content, and organize by naming convention.

8. The content provider system of claim 6, wherein the resource selector directs the application to modify the requested content based on the device information of a requesting media device.

9. The content provider system of claim 6, wherein the resource selector is used with a redirecting deployment strategy.

10. The content provider system of claim 6, wherein the resource selector is used with a rewriting deployment strategy.

11. The content provider system of claim 1, wherein each of the requests for content comprises a unique identifier associated with a respective one of the media devices.

12. The content provider system of claim 11, wherein the application uses the unique identifier associated with a respective one of the media devices to personalize the requested content sent to the respective one of the media devices.

13. The content provider system of claim 11, wherein the application uses the unique identifier associated with a respective one of the media devices to provide Internet access for the respective one of the media devices.

14. The content provider system of claim 1, wherein the data store comprises at least one of a local data store and an external data store.

15. The content provider system of claim 3, wherein the converter comprises

a reader for reading the requested content from the data store and generating document object models of the requested content;

a compiler for converting the document object models into binary format object models; and

a writer for writing the binary format object models into binary format files where the binary format files are provided to the communication subsystem for sending to the media devices.

16. The content provider system of claim 1, wherein the converter comprises

a reader for reading the requested content from the data store and generating document object models of the requested content;

and

a writer for writing the document object models into binary format files where the binary format files are provided to the communication subsystem for sending to the media devices.

17. The content provider system of claim 2, wherein the requested content in the binary format is substantially the same as the requested content in the memory of the media devices.

18. The content provider system of claim 1, further comprising

a content navigator for generating a navigator page of a file system and providing the navigator page as the requested content in response to a request for content for the file system.

19. The content provider system of claim 18, wherein the content navigator generates the navigator page in a markup language and provides the navigator page to the converter to format into the binary format in response to the request for content for the file system.

20. A media device for connecting to a network to access a content provider system for content, the device comprising

a device communication subsystem for communicating with the content provider system over the network;

a device infrastructure having a display and a user interface for interacting with a user; and

a media engine connected to the device communication subsystem and the device infrastructure for sending requests for content to the content provider system, and receiving requested content and, in response, rendering the requested content on the device infrastructure.

21. The media device of claim 20, wherein the media engine comprises

a reader for receiving and reading the requested content, and placing the requested content in memory;

and

a render for rendering the requested content in memory on the device infrastructure to interact with the user.

22. The media device of claim 21, wherein the requested content is received in a binary format.

23. The media device of claim 22, wherein the requested content is received in the binary format comprises visual elements represented by a visual graph and behavior elements represented by a sequence graph where the visual graph and the sequence graph are for rendering separately by the media engine.

24. The media device of claim 22, wherein the requested content in the binary format is substantially the same as the requested content in the memory of the media devices.

25. The media device of claim 23, wherein the requested content in the binary format is substantially the same as the requested content in the memory of the media devices.

26. The media device of claim 20, wherein the media engine provides device information to the content provider system so that the requested content is more in accordance with available device resources.

27. The media device of claim 26, wherein the media engine receives the requested content that is more in accordance with available device resources using one of a redirecting deployment strategy and a rewriting deployment strategy.

28. The media device of claim 20, wherein the media engine includes a unique identifier with the requests for content.

31. The media engine of claim 20, wherein the requested content is received in the binary format comprises visual elements represented by a visual graph and behavior elements represented by a sequence graph where the visual graph and the sequence graph are for rendering separately by the media engine.

33. The media engine of claim 31, wherein the requested content in the binary format is substantially the same as the requested content in the memory of the media devices.

29. A media engine for a media device connected to a network to access a content provider system for content where the media device comprises

a device communication subsystem for communicating with the content provider system;

and

a device infrastructure having a display and a user interface for interacting with a user; and

the media engine connected to the device communication subsystem and the device infrastructure;

the media engine comprising

a reader for receiving and reading the requested content, and placing the requested content in memory; and

a render for rendering the requested content in memory on the device infrastructure.

30. The media engine of claim 29, wherein the requested content is received in a binary format.

32. The media engine of claim 30, wherein the requested content in the binary format is substantially the same as the requested content in the memory of the media devices.

34. The media engine of claim 29, wherein device information is provided to the content provider system so that the requested content is more in accordance with available device resources.

35. The media engine of claim 34, wherein the received requested content that is more in accordance with available device resources through the use of one of a redirecting deployment strategy and a rewriting deployment strategy.

36. The media engine of claim 29, wherein a unique identifier is included with the requests for content.

37. A simulation system for verifying content before deployment on a content provider system, the content provider system provides the content to media devices over a network, the simulation system comprising

a plurality of device simulators where each of the device simulators emulates a type of media device;

a converter for formatting the content into a binary format; and

a media engine for rendering the content in the binary format on each of the device simulators.

38. The simulation system of claim 37, wherein the content is created in a markup language.

39. The simulation system of claim 37, wherein each of the device simulators further comprises a user interface for interacting with the content.

40. A method of rendering content on a media device, the media device having memory, comprising

receiving the content where the content comprises visual elements represented by a visual graph and behavior elements represented by a sequence graph;

reading the content and placing the content in the memory of the media device for rendering;

rendering of the visual graph;

rendering of the sequence graph and changing the visual graph according to the rendering of the sequence graph; and

determining whether the rendering of the sequence graph has finished where if finished then end and where if not finished then go to the rendering of the visual graph and continue from the rendering of the visual graph.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the content is received by the media device in a binary format.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the rendering of the sequence graph further comprises receiving user inputs.

43. A method of providing content to media devices connecting over a network, comprising:

receiving requests for content from the media devices over the network;

retrieving requested content from a data store;

formatting the requested content into a binary format so that the requested content in the binary format are sent to the media devices.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the requested content in the binary format, formatted in response to one request for content, comprises visual elements represented by a visual graph and behavior elements represented by a sequence graph where the visual graph and the sequence graph are for rendering separately by a media device.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the content are stored on the data store in a markup language.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the mark up language comprises one of Hypertext Markup Language, Extensible Markup Language, and Extensible Markup Language with Scalable Vector Graphics Language.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein the requested content in the binary format is substantially the same as the requested content in the memory of the media devices.

48. The method of claim 43, further comprising

receiving device information from the respective media devices;

and providing the requested content, based on the device information, that are more in accordance with available device resources of the respective media devices.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising

organizing the content based on the device resources using pattern-based rules comprising at least one of organize by content and sort by device, organize by device and sort by content, and organize by naming convention.

50. The method of claim 48, further comprising

modifying the requested content based on the device information of a requesting media device.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein the providing the requested content, based on the device information uses a redirecting deployment strategy.

52. The method of claim 48, wherein the providing the requested content, based on the device information uses a rewriting deployment strategy.

53. The method of claim 43, wherein each of the requests for content comprises a unique identifier associated with a respective one of the media devices.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising

using the unique identifier associated with a respective one of the media devices to personalize the requested content sent to the respective one of the media devices.

55. The method of claim 53, further comprising

using the unique identifier associated with a respective one of the media devices to provide Internet access for the respective one of the media devices.

56. The method of claim 43, wherein the data store comprises at least one of a local data store and an external data store.

57. The method of claim 45, wherein the formatting the requested content into a binary format comprises

reading the requested content from the data store and generating document object models of the requested content;

converting the document object models into binary format object models; and

writing the binary format object models into binary format files where the binary format files are provided to the media devices.

58. The method of claim 43, wherein the formatting the requested content into a binary format comprises

reading the requested content from the data store and generating document object models of the requested content;

and

writing the document object models into binary format files where the binary format files are provided to the media devices.

59. The method of claim 44, wherein the requested content in the binary format is substantially the same as the requested content in the memory of the media devices.

60. The method of claim 43, further comprising

generating a navigator page of a file system and providing the navigator page as the requested content in response to a request for content.

61. The method of claim 50, wherein the navigator page is generated in a markup language.

62. A method of accessing a content provider system for content from a media device having memory;

the method comprising

sending requests for content to the content provider system;

receiving requested content in a binary format;

reading the requested content, and placing the requested content in the memory of the media; and

rendering the requested content on the media device.

63. The method of claim 62, wherein the requested content is received in the binary format comprises visual elements represented by a visual graph and behavior elements represented by a sequence graph where the visual graph and the sequence graph are for rendering separately by the media engine.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the requested content in the binary format is substantially the same as the requested content in the memory of the media devices.

65. The method of claim 62, further comprising

providing device information to the content provider system so that the requested content is more in accordance with available device resources.

66. The method of claim 65, wherein the providing device information to the content provider system so that the requested content is more in accordance with available device resources, uses one of a redirecting deployment strategy and a rewriting deployment strategy.

67. The method of claim 62, wherein each of the requests for content includes a unique identifier identifying the media device.