Methods and Systems for Browser Widgets

• US 20100030901A1
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hallberg, Bryan Severt, Hlasny, Daryl, Bartnick, Gregory A., Thomas, Renjit Tom
• Application Number:
  US12/181,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20100030901A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• 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 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention are related to systems and methods for providing and managing browser widgets in systems with limited user interface capabilities or computational power.

Claims

1. A method for managing multiple instances of a web widget, said method comprising:

a) receiving a first Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with a first widget;

b) generating a first instance identifier; and

c) adjoining said first instance identifier and said first URL, thereby producing an first instance-adjoined URL.

2. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising adjoining a first host identifier to said first instance-adjoined URL, thereby producing a first instance-and-host-adjoined URL.

3. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising associating at least one parameter value with said first instance identifier, wherein said at least one parameter value associated with said first instance identifier is related to said first widget.

4. A method as described in claim 3, wherein said associating at least one parameter value with said first instance identifier comprises generating a first web cookie.

5. A method as described in claim 4, wherein said first web cookie is stored on a television.

6. A method as described in claim 3 further comprising storing said at least one parameter value associated with said first instance identifier in a database associated with a server system.

7. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising calling a content-provider server with said first instance-adjoined URL.

8. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

a) generating a second instance identifier; and

b) adjoining said second instance identifier and said first URL, thereby producing a second instance-adjoined URL.

9. A method as described in claim 8 further comprising associating at least one parameter value with said second instance identifier, wherein said at least one parameter value associated with said second instance identifier is related to said first widget.

10. A method as described in claim 9, wherein:

a) said associating at least one parameter value with said first instance identifier comprises generating a first web cookie; and

b) said associating at least one parameter value with said second instance identifier comprises adding said at least one parameter value associated with said second instance identifier to said first web cookie in association with said second instance identifier.

11. A method as described in claim 10, wherein said first cookie is stored on a television.

12. A method as described in claim 9 further comprising:

a) storing said at least one parameter value associated with said first instance identifier in a database associated with a server system; and

b) storing said at least one parameter value associated with said second instance identifier in said database associated with said server system.

13. A method for managing multiple instances of a web widget, said method comprising:

a) receiving a first URL associated with a first widget;

b) extracting a first instance identifier from said first URL; and

c) serving content based on said first widget and said first URL.

14. A method as described in claim 13 further comprising:

a) retrieving at least one parameter value associated with said first instance identifier; and

b) wherein said serving is further based on said at least one parameter value associated with said first instance identifier.

15. A method as described in claim 14, wherein said retrieving at least one parameter value associated with said first instance identifier comprises retrieving a cookie.

16. A method as described in claim 15, wherein said cookie resides on a television.

17. A method as described in claim 14, wherein said retrieving at least one parameter value associated with said first instance identifier comprises requesting said at least one parameter value associated with said first instance identifier from a remote server.

18. A method as described in claim 13, wherein said content is a configuration page associated with said first widget.

19. A method as described in claim 18 further comprising:

a) receiving at least one configuration parameter value related to said first widget; and

b) associating said at least one configuration parameter value with said first instance identifier.

20. A method as described in claim 19, wherein said receiving at least one configuration parameter value related to said first widget is from a television.

21. A method for managing a web widget on a television, said method comprising:

a) receiving a first signal at a television from a remote control device associated with said television, wherein said first signal is associated with an add-widget request;

b) sending a first request to a server system from said television, wherein said first request is associated with said add-widget request;

c) receiving a first rendered page at said television from said server system, wherein said first rendered page comprises a first selectable region associated with a first widget;

d) displaying said first rendered page on said television;

e) receiving a second signal at said television from said remote control device, wherein said second signal is associated with said first selectable region; and

f) sending a second request to said server system from said television, wherein said second request is associated with said first widget.

22. A method as described in claim 21 further comprising receiving a second rendered page at said television from said server system, wherein said second rendered page comprises a configuration page associated with said first widget.