Radio station buttons

• US 20040216053A1
• Filed: 06/18/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Spencer, William A., Litewka, Jack, Acharya, Bella, Buroker, Stephen H., Spooner, Jamie A., Sponheim, Tom A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,356,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]

Abstract

Methods and a data structure for assigning URLs (e.g., to radio-station-streaming-media-content sources) to graphical objects (such as buttons) are disclosed. In one aspect of the present invention, zip codes are used to identify and assign geographically relevant URLs to buttons. In a second aspect of the invention, a graphical user interface enables a user to select from a plurality of radio buttons and menu entries in order to identify search results satisfying the user'"'"'s selection criteria. In a third aspect of this invention, search results are displayed in an IFRAME so that the Web page need not be replotted each time the server identifies URLs satisfying the user selection criteria. In a fourth aspect of this invention, information identifying a user'"'"'s button assignments or preferences (such as the user'"'"'s zip code) is stored in various data fields in a cookie data structure. The computer-executable instructions use the information contained in the cookie data structure in order to assign the URL to the button each time the Web page is displayed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

a. displaying a text box and a plurality of graphical objects on a Web page;

b. allowing a zip code to be manually entered into said box text;

c. identifying, after the zip code has been entered, a plurality of URLs geographical relevant to said zip code; and

d. assigning one of said plurality of URLs to one of said plurality of graphical objects.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein said one of said plurality of graphical objects is a radio button.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein said one of said plurality of URLs identifies a source of streaming-media content.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein said source of streaming-media content is a radio station.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein said radio station is geographically close to said zip code.

6. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of providing and selecting from a menu on the display, comprising the steps of:

a. displaying a plurality of radio buttons on a Web page, each of said radio buttons associated with a set of menu entries;

b. allowing user selection of one of said radio buttons;

c. retrieving the set of menu entries associated with the selected radio button;

d. displaying the set of menu entries associated with the selected radio button;

e. allowing user selection of one entry out of the set of menu entries;

f. displaying on the Web page, results corresponding to the user selected one entry; and

g. allowing further user selection in association with said results.

7. The computer system having a graphical user interface of claim 6 wherein the plurality of radio buttons are selected from a group consisting of. U.S. State, International and Format.

8. The computer system having a graphical user interface of claim 7 wherein the set of menu items corresponding to said U.S. state is selected from a group consisting of:

Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

9. The computer system having a graphical user interface of claim 7 wherein the set of menu items corresponding to said International radio button is selected from a group consisting of:

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Mexico, Portugal, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States.

10. The computer system having a graphical user interface of claim 7 wherein the set of menu items corresponding to said format is selected from a group consisting of. Adult Contemporary, Alternative Rock, Christian Contemporary, Classic Rock, Classical, Country, International, Jazz, Miscellaneous, Modern Rock, News Radio, Oldies, Sports Radio, Talk Radio, Top 40 and Urban.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

a. displaying a Web page;

b. identifying at least one user selection criteria made on the Web page, wherein one of said at least one-user selection criteria comprises a zip code;

c. transmitting said user selection criteria to a server;

d. identifying, on the server, at least one URL that satisfies said user selection criteria; and

e. displaying said at least one URL in an IFRAME on said Web page, said at least one URL being displayed in said IFRAME so that said Web page need not be replotted each time said server identifies said at least one URL satisfying said user selection criteria.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein said URL identifies a source of streaming-media content.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein said source of streaming-media content is a radio station.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

a. displaying a Web page to a user on a client computer;

b. waiting for a user to make at least one selection on the Web page, wherein one of said at least one selection comprises a zip code;

c. identifying search criteria based on said at least one selection made by the user;

d. transmitting said search criteria to a server;

e. identifying, on the server, at least one URL that satisfies said user search criteria, said at least one URL identifying a radio-station source of streaming-media content;

f. returning said at least one URL from the server to the client computer; and

g. displaying said at least one URL in an IFRAME on said Web page, said at least one URL being displayed in said IFRAME so that said Web page need not be replotted each time said server identifies said at least one URL satisfying said user selection criteria.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

a. allowing a user to assign at least one URL to at least one graphical object displayed on a Web page;

b. storing information identifying the user'"'"'s assignment in a first data field of a cookie data structure, the first data field stored in a first region of a range of memory addresses on the computer-readable medium; and

c. using the information contained in the cookie data structure in order to assign said at least one URL to said at least one graphical object each time the Web page is displayed.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said at least one graphical object is a radio button.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said URL identifies a source of streaming-media content.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein said source of streaming-media content is a radio station.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein said information is an acronym identifying said radio station.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said cookie data structure is stored on a second computer-readable medium.