Hierarchical Broadcast of Ui Assets

• US 20080172447A1
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Miller-Smith, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/598,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20080172447A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An audiovisual system (10) has a first client (14) and a second client (16), each client (14, 16) being connected to a server (12). The first client (14) includes a television (18), while the second client (16) includes a small screen (20) and a stereo system (22). The server (12) stores data representing items for example video programmes or pieces of music, the data including one or more assets (28) describing each item. An asset (28) may be, for example, the name of a video programme or piece of music; metadata of an item (for example the artist, year of production, or album); a still picture (an album cover or single frame of a video); or a background image or advertisement for a user interface. A client (14, 16) presents assets (28) to the user in the form of a hierarchical user interface (30). The user up-dates the user interface (30) each time he adds an item to, or removes an item from, the server (12), or edits an asset (28) already stored on the server (12). FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary hierarchical user interface (30), consisting of a network of nodes.

Claims

1. A method of updating user interface data in a server-client system (10) arrangement of electronic products, the method comprising:

a server (12) sends a message to the system concerning a node (28, 54) in a hierarchical array of a user interface, the message providing an indication of what is the most recent data for the user interface node, and the server monitors the system for a response to that message.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein, if the server (12) receives a response, the server sends the most recent data for that user interface node (28, 54).

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the message includes information on the current data for the node (28, 54) and, if the client (14, 16) does not have that current data, a response is sent.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the message-sending and response-monitoring operations are repeated for a number of nodes (28, 54) in the array.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the array is arranged in a plurality of groups of user interface actions and, when a response has been received, the server (12) sends a message concerning the next node (28, 54) in the same user interface group as the previous node.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the array is arranged in a plurality of groups of user interface actions and, when no response has been received, the server (12) sends a message concerning a node (28, 54) in a subsequent user interface group of the array.

7. A method according to claim 1 comprising the server (12) sending a message having data including a time stamp to indicate the last time that the data was up-dated.

8. A method according to claim 1 storing data concerning the user interface nodes (28, 54) in a cache (24) at a client (14, 16).

9. A method according to claim 1 comprising the client (14, 16) indicating where in the array updating is required.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the client (14, 16) send information of the oldest data beneath the node for cache updating.

11. A computer program product directly loadable into the internal memory of a digital computer, comprising software code portions for performing the method of claim 1 when said product is run on a computer.

12. A computer program directly loadable into the internal memory of a digital computer, comprising software code portions for performing the method of claim 1 when said program is run on a computer.

13. A carrier, which may comprise electronic signals, for a computer program of claim 12.

14. Electronic distribution of a computer program product of claim 11.

15. A system (10) for updating user interface data in a server-client system (10) arrangement of electronic products, the system comprising:

a server (12) to send a message to the system concerning a node (28, 54) in a hierarchical array of a user interface, the message providing an indication of what is the most recent data for the user interface node, the server to monitor the system for a response to that message.

17. A system (10) according to claim 15 wherein the message includes information on the current data for the node (28, 54) and comprising means to send a response if the client does not have that current data.

18. A system (10) according to claim 15 comprising means to repeat message-sending and response-monitoring operations for a number of nodes (28, 54) in the array.

19. A system (10) according to claim 15 wherein the array is arranged in a plurality of groups of user interface actions and the server (12) has means to send a message concerning a node (28, 54) in the same user interface group as the previous node, when a response has been received.

20. A system (10) according to claim 15 wherein the array is arranged in a plurality of groups of user interface actions and the server (12) sends a message concerning a node (28, 54) in a subsequent user interface group of the array, when no response has been filed.

16. A system (10) according to claim 16 wherein the server (12) has means to send the most recent data for that user interface node (28, 54) if the server receives a response.

21. A server (12) for a system (10) for updating user interface data in a server-client arrangement of electronic products, the server having means to send a message to the system concerning a node (28, 54) in a hierarchical array of a user interface, the message providing an indication of what is the most recent data for the user interface node, the server having means to monitor the system for a response to that message.

22. A server (12) according to claim 21 wherein the server has means to send the most recent data for that user interface node (28, 54) if the server receives a response.

23. A server (12) according to claim 21 wherein the message includes information on the current data for the node (28, 54) and comprising means to send a response if the client does not have that current data.

24. A server (12) according to claim 21 comprising means to repeat message-sending and response-monitoring operations for a number of nodes in the array.

25. A server (12) according to claim 21 wherein the array is arranged in a plurality of groups of user interface actions and the server has means to send a message concerning a node (28, 54) in the same user interface group as the previous node, when a response has been received.

26. A server (12) according to claim 21 wherein the array is arranged in a plurality of groups of user interface actions and the server send a message concerning a node (28, 54) in a subsequent user interface group of the array, when no response had been filed.

27. A client (14, 16) for updating user interface data in a server-client system (10) arrangement of electronic products, the client having means to receive a message to the system concerning a node in a hierarchical array of a user interface, the message providing an indication of what is the most recent data for the user interface node.

28. A client (14, 16) according to claim 27 comprising means to send a response to a message if the client does not have the current data for that node (28, 54).

29. A client (14, 16) according to claim 27 wherein the array is arranged in a plurality of groups for user interface actions and a server (12) has means to send a message concerning a node in the same user interface group as the previous node, when a response has been received.

30. A client (15, 16) according to claim 27 wherein the array is arranged in a plurality of groups of user interface actions and a server sends a message concerning a node in a subsequent user interface group of the array, when no response has been filed.