SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING DYNAMICALLY UPDATING APPLICATIONS IN A TELEVISION DISPLAY ENVIRONMENT

• US 20090100361A1
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Excalibur IP, LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Barry, Patrick, Urrabazo, Roger, Abello, Jean-Pierre, Boerries, Marco
• Granted Patent: US 9,179,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for providing a framework for providing one or more applications to a user set top device. The method according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises providing a minimized state wherein installed applications are displayed as one or more minimized widgets on an output device in communication with to the user device wherein the list of the installed applications comprises one or more indications of passively updated content associated with the installed applications. In response to the selection of a minimized widget command, a widget state is provided wherein a portion of the output device is allocated for the display of additional widget content in response to the selection of a minimized widget. In response to a remote control command, a full-screen state is provided wherein full-screen version of the minimized widget may be displayed. Finally, an installed application is displayed in a minimized, widget or full-screen state in response to a user action

Claims

1. A method for providing a framework for accessing one or more applications to a user set top device, the method comprising:

providing a minimized state wherein installed applications are displayed as one or more minimized widgets on an output device in communication with to the user set top device wherein the one or more minimized widgets comprise corresponding indications of passively updated content associated with a given minimized widgets;

providing a widget state wherein a portion of the output device is allocated for the display of additional widget content in response to the selection of a widget in the minimized state wherein additional widget content comprises passively updated content associated with a widget in the widget state;

providing a full-screen state wherein a full screen version of said minimized widget is displayed in response to a remote control command; and

storing the framework on the user set top device to thereby provide the minimized state, the widget state and the full-screen state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating a representation of a given minimized widget in response to updating content associated with a corresponding installed application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the representation of a given minimized widget comprises an icon.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said installed applications are further operative to store fresh content associated with the installed applications locally.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said installed applications are constantly connected to a network interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said network interface comprises a connection to the Internet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying additional widget content comprises retrieving a plurality of content items from a remote server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying additional widget content further comprises displaying additional widget content along with first displayed content.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said first displayed content comprises broadcast data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying additional widget content comprises retrieving a plurality of content items from local storage.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying additional widget content further comprises displaying additional widget content along with first displayed content.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first displayed content comprises broadcast data.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising deriving additional widget content from a currently active resource.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the currently active resource comprises a currently viewed television broadcast.

15. A system for providing a framework for accessing one or more applications on a user set top device, the system comprising:

a content provider coupled to a network;

a plurality of data providers coupled to the network; and

at least one client device coupled to said network, the client device operative to;

install one or more applications;

provide a minimized state wherein installed applications are displayed as one or more minimized widgets on an output device in communication with to the user set top device wherein the one or more minimized widgets comprise corresponding indications of passively updated content associated with a given minimized widgets;

provide a widget state wherein a portion of the output device is allocated for the display of additional widget content in response to the selection of a widget in the minimized state wherein additional widget content comprises passively updated content associated with a widget in the widget state;

provide a full-screen state wherein a full screen version of said minimized widget is displayed in response to a remote control command; and

storing the framework on the user set top device to thereby provide the minimized state, the widget state and the full-screen state.

16. The system of claim 15, where said client device is further operative to update a representation of a given minimized widget in response to updating content associated with a corresponding installed application.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the representation of a given minimized widget comprises an icon.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said installed applications are further operative to store fresh content associated with the installed applications locally.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said installed applications are constantly connected to a network interface.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said network interface is connected to the Internet.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein displaying additional widget content comprises retrieving a plurality of content items from a remote server.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein displaying additional widget content further comprises displaying additional widget content along with first displayed content.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said first displayed content comprises broadcast data.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein displaying additional widget content comprises retrieving a plurality of content items from local storage.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein displaying additional widget content further comprises displaying additional widget content along with first displayed content.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said first displayed content comprises broadcast data.

27. The system of claim 15, comprising deriving additional widget content from a currently active resource.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the currently active resource comprises a currently viewed television broadcast.

29. Computer readable media comprising program code for execution by a programmable processor that instructs the processor to perform a method for providing one or more dynamic applications to a user set top device, the computer readable media comprising:

program code for installing one or more applications on a user device;

program code for providing a minimized state wherein installed applications are displayed as one or more minimized widgets on an output device in communication with to the user set top device wherein the one or more minimized widgets comprise corresponding indications of passively updated content associated with a given minimized widgets;

program code for providing a widget state wherein a portion of the output device is allocated for the display of additional widget content in response to the selection of a widget in the minimized state wherein additional widget content comprises passively updated content associated with a widget in the widget state;

program code for providing a full-screen state wherein a full screen version of said minimized widget is displayed in response to a full screen command; and

program code for storing the framework on the user set top device.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, comprising program code for updating a representation of a given minimized widget in response to updating content associated with a corresponding installed application.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the representation of a given minimized widget comprises an icon.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the program code for displaying a list of the one or more installed applications is operative to store fresh content associated with the installed applications locally.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein said installed applications are constantly connected to a network interface.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein said network interface is connected to the Internet.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein program code for displaying additional widget content comprises retrieving a plurality of content items from a remote server.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein program code for displaying additional widget content further comprises displaying additional widget content along with first displayed content.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 36, wherein said first displayed content comprises broadcast data.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein program code for displaying additional widget content comprises retrieving a plurality of content items from local storage.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein program code for displaying additional widget content further comprises displaying additional widget content along with first displayed content.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 39, wherein said first displayed content comprises broadcast data.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 29 comprising program code for deriving additional widget content from a currently active resource.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein the currently active resource comprises a currently viewed television broadcast.