Customizing a menu in a discovery interface

• US 20080126984A1
• Filed: 01/24/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Elsbree, John, Fleishman, David, Linzbach, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup

Abstract

A system provides customized user interface data to a media application, such as a media discovery interface, or to any application for that matter, thereby extending the original application. Via a network connection, elements of a menu in a user interface can be downloaded to the application in a package of resources, including images, text, and links. A user interface framework of the media application processes a menu markup data resident on the local computer system and utilizes packaged resources, local code components, and externally-obtained (e.g., Web resources) to render a customized menu for the media application.

Claims

1. A method of presenting a customized menu item in a menu display of the application, the method comprising:

receiving one or more packages from a communications network, each application package containing one or more resources;

accessing one of the packages specified by menu markup data accessible by the application;

accessing a resource specified by the menu markup data and stored within the accessed package;

rendering the resource as at least a portion of the customized menu item in the menu display of the application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the media markup data specifies at least one static reference, each static reference defining menu item by identifying a package and a resource in the package.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the customized menu item rendered in the menu display of the application may be altered by replacing the package with another package having a different resource identified by the same static reference.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the resource is a graphical image.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the resource is a string that labels the customized menu item.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the accessing operation comprises:

searching a storage system of client computer executing the application for the package identified by the menu markup data.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the searching operation finds the identified package and the accessing operation further comprises:

searching the package identified by the menu markup data of the menu item for the resource identified by the menu markup data of the menu item.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the media markup data specifies a priority parameter indicating which menu item receives the focus when the menu display is initially displayed.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the media markup data specifies menu items for a build-in application page and a customized application page, the customized application page being defined in an application package.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer process that presents a customized menu item in an application, the computer process comprising:

receiving one or more packages from a communications network, each application package containing one or more resources;

accessing one of the packages specified by menu markup data accessible by the application to obtain a resource specified by the menu markup data and stored within the accessed package;

rendering the resource as at least a portion of the customized menu item in the menu display of the application.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the media markup data specifies at least one static reference, each static reference defining menu item by identifying a package and a resource in the package.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the customized menu item rendered in the menu display of the application may be altered by replacing the package with another package having a different resource identified by the same static reference.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the resource is a graphical image.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the resource is a string that labels the customized menu item.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the accessing operation comprises:

searching a storage system of client computer executing the application for the package identified by the menu markup data.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the searching operation finds the identified package and the accessing operation further comprises:

searching the package identified by the menu markup data of the menu item for the resource identified by the menu markup data of the menu item.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the media markup data specifies a priority parameter indicating which menu item receives the focus when the menu display is initially displayed.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the media markup data specifies menu items for a build-in application page and a customized application page, the customized application page being defined in an application package.

19. A system comprising:

an network adapter that receives one or more packages from a communications network, each application package containing one or more resources;

a processor that accesses one of the packages specified by menu markup data accessible by the application to obtain a resource specified by the menu markup data and stored within the accessed package;

a display interface that transmits signals to display the resource as at least a portion of the customized menu item in the menu display of the application.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the media markup data specifies at least one static reference, each static reference defining menu item by identifying a package and a resource in the package, and the customized menu item rendered in the menu display of the application may be altered by replacing the package with another package having a different resource identified by the same static reference.