Systems and methods for a single development tool of unified online and offline content providing a similar viewing experience

• US 20070209005A1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Maven Networks, Inc. (theMaven, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaver, Robert, Clogston, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

The present invention provides a comprehensive development platform and client-side technology for intelligent and cost-effective delivery of video, audio and broadband content over a network, such as the Internet, to desktop, mobile computing, and network connected devices. In one embodiment of the present invention, a content development environment provides a single tool for developing unified online and offline content. With the content development tool, the user interface of the offline content has a substantially similar appearance and behavior to the user interface presented by the online content. As such, the user interface for the both the online and offline content may be generated from a single user interface design. The content development tool generates and publishes a set of online content files and a set of offline content files from the single design. In some embodiments, the offline content is published to a web-site of a content provider as a download package to be automatically downloaded for local use by a client using other techniques of the present invention. In some cases, the content development tool automatically creates and configures a mechanism in the online content to download the corresponding and substantially similar offline content to the client. As such, a content provider may use a single development tool to create a consistent and desired user experience, including branding and interactive content, for both online and offline content.

Claims

1. A method for creating online and offline content from a single development environment to provide offline content similar to corresponding online content, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) creating, via a content development tool, a first user interface comprising a first set of one or more elements for displaying a video media communicated via a network, the first set of one or more elements having an appearance and behavior;

(b) identifying, via the content development tool, an element of the first user interface capable of downloading content comprising the video media from a content source to a storage of a client, the content stored in the storage of the client to provide a second user interface comprising a second set of one or more elements for displaying the video media stored in the storage of the client; and

(c) generating, by the content development tool, a first set of files for displaying on the client the first user interface via a browser, and

(d) generating, by the content development tool from the first user interface, a second set of files for providing the content to be downloaded to the storage of the client to display the second user interface on the client via an application, the second set of one or more elements of the second user interface of the generated second set of files corresponding and substantially similar to the appearance and behavior of the first set of one or more elements of the first user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the element of the first user interface is capable of invoking the application to display the video media from the storage of the client via the second set of one or more elements.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising configuring the element of the first user interface to display the video media from storage instead of via the network upon selection of the element by a user of the browser.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising configuring the element of the first user interface to invoke the application to display the second user interface from the storage of the client.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising configuring the element of the first user interface to download the content to the storage of the client as a background process transparent to a user of the browser.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising configuring the element of the first user interface to automatically download the content to the storage of the client upon request by the user of the browser to display the video media in a form having a desired video characteristic.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the desired video characteristic comprises one or more of the following:

a resolution, an aspect ratio, a size, a quality, a bit per pixel, a compression, a frame rate, and a bit rate.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising configuring the element of the first user interface to automatically download the content to the storage of the client upon displaying of the first user interface in the browser.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising providing the first set of files to a web server.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising providing the second set of files to a content source for download to the client.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising generating the second set of files to display the second user interface to appear as one of related to or a portion of the first user interface.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the video media of the second set of files to be stored in the storage of the client comprises a higher definition of quality than the video media communicated via the network.

13. A content development tool for creating both offline and online content, wherein the offline content corresponds and is similar to the online content, the content development tool comprising:

a development user interface for creating a first user interface comprising a first set of one or more elements for displaying a video media communicated via a network, the first set of one or more elements having an appearance and behavior;

a configuration mechanism for configuring an element of the first user interface capable of downloading content comprising the video media from a content source to a storage of a client, the content stored in the storage of the client to provide a second user interface comprising a second set of one or more elements for displaying the video media stored in the storage of the client; and

a content generator for generating a first set of files for displaying on the client the first user interface via a browser, and from the first user interface, a second set of files for providing the content to be downloaded to the storage of the client to display the second user interface on the client via an application, the second set of one or more elements of the second user interface of the generated second set of files corresponding and substantially similar to the appearance and behavior of the first set of one or more elements of the first user interface.

14. The content development tool of claim 13, wherein the element of the first user interface is capable of invoking the application to display the video media from the storage of the client via the second set of one or more elements.

15. The content development tool of claim 13, wherein a user via the configuration mechanism configures the element of the first user interface to switch to displaying the video media from storage upon selection of the element by a user of the browser.

16. The content development tool of claim 13, wherein a user via the configuration mechanism configures the element of the first user interface to invoke the application to display the second user interface from the storage of the client.

17. The content development tool of claim 13, wherein the element of the first user interface is configured to download the content to the storage of the client as a background process transparent to a user of the browser.

18. The content development tool of claim 13, wherein the element of the first user interface is configured to automatically download the content to the storage of the client upon request by the user of the browser to display the video media in a form having a desired video characteristic.

19. The content development tool of claim 18, wherein the desired video characteristic comprises one or more of the following:

a resolution, an aspect ratio, a size, a quality, a bit per pixel, a compression, a frame rate, and a bit rate.

20. The content development tool of claim 13, wherein the element of the first user interface is configured to automatically download the content to the storage of the client upon displaying of the first user interface in the browser.

21. The content development tool of claim 13, comprising a publishing tool to publish the first set of files to a web server.

22. The content development tool of claim 13, comprising a publishing tool to publish the second set of files to a content source for download to the client.

23. The content development tool of claim 13, wherein the element is configured and the second set of files generated to display the second user interface to appear as one of related to or a portion of the first user interface.

24. The content development tool of claim 13, wherein the video media of the second set of files to be stored in the storage of the client comprises a higher definition of quality than the video media communicated via the network.