CONFIGURABLE INTERFACE FOR TEMPLATE COMPLETION

• US 20060053390A1
• Filed: 06/22/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ESW Holdings, Inc. (ESW Capital, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ensequence Incorporated
• Inventors: Gariepy-Viles, Aimee
• Granted Patent: US 7,430,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/789
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

Systems, methods and graphical user interfaces for creating interactive television applications are provided. A template author creates a template application and assigns placeholder objects do display elements. An episodic creator creates an episodic application by making changes to display elements associated with a presented placeholder object.

Claims

1. A method of creating interactive television applications, the method comprising:

creating a template application comprising;

assigning one or more display elements to a layout window;

assigning a placeholder object to at least one of the display elements; and

saving the assigned display elements and placeholder object as a template application; and

creating an episode application comprising;

opening a saved template application;

presenting previously assigned placeholder objects and display elements;

recording changes to one of the display elements that is associated with a selected placeholder object; and

saving the display elements as an episode application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating an episode application further comprises updating status of the presented placeholder objects based on recorded changes to the display elements.

3. A system for creating interactive television applications, the system comprising:

a template author system comprising;

a display;

a user interface; and

a processor coupled to the display and the user interface, the processor comprising;

a component for presenting a layout window on the display;

a component for assigning one or more display elements to the layout window using the user interface;

a component for assigning a placeholder object to at least one of the display elements using the user interface; and

a component for saving the assigned display elements and placeholder object as a template application; and

a episodic creator system comprising;

a display;

a user interface; and

a processor coupled to the display and the user interface, the processor comprising;

a component for presenting a saved template application on the display;

a component for presenting previously assigned placeholder objects and display elements on the display;

a component for selecting a placeholder object using the user interface;

a component for recording changes to one of the display elements that is associated with the selected placeholder object; and

a component for saving the display elements as an episode application.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the episodic creator system further comprises a component for updating status of the presented placeholder objects based on recorded changes to the display elements.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the components of the episodic creator system and the template author system are distributed across a network.

6. A graphical user interface (GUI) residing on a computer-readable medium for creating interactive television applications, the GUI comprising:

a template author component comprising;

a component for presenting a layout window;

a component for assigning one or more display elements to the layout window;

a component for assigning a placeholder object to at least one of the display elements; and

a component for initiating saving the assigned display elements and placeholder object as a template application; and

a episodic creator component comprising;

a component for presenting a saved template application;

a component for presenting previously assigned placeholder objects and display elements;

a component for selecting a placeholder object;

a component for recording changes to one of the display elements that is associated with the selected placeholder object; and

a component for initiating saving the display elements as an episode application.

7. The graphical user interface of claim 6, wherein the episodic creator component further comprises a component for updating status of the presented placeholder objects based on recorded changes to the display elements.

8. A method of creating interactive television template applications, the method comprising:

creating a template application comprising;

assigning one or more display elements to a layout window;

assigning a placeholder object to at least one of the display elements; and

saving the assigned display elements and placeholder object as a template application.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising updating status of the presented placeholder objects based on recorded changes to the display elements.

9. A method of creating interactive television episodic applications, the method comprising:

opening a saved template application;

presenting previously assigned placeholder objects and display elements;

recording changes to one of the display elements that is associated with a selected placeholder object; and

saving the display elements as an episodic application.

11. A system for creating interactive television template applications, the system comprising:

a display;

a user interface; and

a processor coupled to the display and the user interface, the processor comprising;

a component for presenting a layout window on the display;

a component for assigning one or more display elements to the layout window using the user interface;

a component for assigning a placeholder object to at least one of the display elements using the user interface; and

a component for saving the assigned display elements and placeholder object as a template application.

12. A system for creating interactive television episodic applications, the system comprising:

a display;

a user interface; and

a processor coupled to the display and the user interface, the processor comprising;

a component for presenting a saved template application on the display;

a component for presenting previously assigned placeholder objects and display elements on the display;

a component for selecting a placeholder object using the user interface;

a component for recording changes to one of the display elements that is associated with the selected placeholder object; and

a component for saving the display elements as an episode application.