METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR UTILIZING PACKAGED CONTENT SOURCES TO IDENTIFY AND PROVIDE INFORMATION BASED ON CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION

• US 20100070895A1
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Messer, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,938,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30

Abstract

A method and system for providing access to content on an electronic device is provided. One embodiment includes receiving contextual information and querying a packaged content source for content related to the contextual information. Available content relating to the contextual information from the packaged content source is then indicated for user access.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing access to content, comprising:

receiving contextual information;

querying a packaged content source for content related to the contextual information; and

indicating content relating to the contextual information available from the packaged content source.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically invoking each packaged content source that indicates available content related to the contextual information, to request content related to the contextual information; and

displaying content related to the contextual information on a display of an electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the packaged content source comprises a portable, interactive package of graphics and script code that may be overlaid on the display to provide information to a user; and

indicating content relating to the contextual information further includes;

displaying information about each packaged content source that indicates available content related to the contextual information on the display;

receiving user selection of a displayed packaged content source;

automatically invoking the selected packaged content source to request content related to the contextual information; and

displaying content related to the contextual information on the display.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the contextual information includes one or more of:

user context, device context and content context.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the contextual information comprises information of interest to the user, the method further comprising:

automatically querying multiple packaged content sources for content related to the contextual information;

displaying information about each packaged content source that indicates available content related to the contextual information on a display of the electronic device;

receiving user selection of a displayed packaged content source;

automatically invoking the selected packaged content source to request content related to the contextual information; and

the selected packaged content source automatically displaying content related to the contextual information on the display.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein querying a packaged content source further comprises:

invoking the packaged content source using an application programming interface and providing a topic to the invoked packaged content source for determining related content.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each invoked packaged content source provides content source processing implemented in a packaged content source platform, by accessing content sources in a network to fetch content related to the contextual information.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving the contextual information further comprises:

receiving the contextual information from a contextual recommendation system that seeks to provide the user access to content related to the contextual information.

9. A search facilitator system for providing access to content on an electronic device, comprising:

a search manager configured for receiving contextual information and querying a packaged content source for content related to the contextual information; and

an information manager configured for indicating content relating to the contextual information available from the packaged content source.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the packaged content source comprises a portable, interactive package of graphics and script code that may be overlaid on a display to provide information to a user;

the search manager is further configured for automatically invoking each packaged content source that indicates available content related to the contextual information, to request content related to the contextual information; and

the information manager is further configured for displaying content related to the contextual information on the display.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the information manager is further configured for displaying information about each packaged content source that indicates available content related to the contextual information on a display of the electronic device, and receiving user selection of a displayed packaged content source;

the search manager is further configured for automatically invoking the selected packaged content source to request content related to the contextual information; and

the selected packaged content source displays content related to the contextual information on the display.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the contextual information comprises one or more of:

user context, device context and content context.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein:

the contextual information comprises information of interest to the user;

a packaged content source is configured for informing the system of the type of information of interest to the packaged content source;

the search manager is further configured for querying a packaged content source for content related to the contextual information, based on information of interest to the packaged content source;

the information manager is further configured for displaying information about each packaged content source that indicates available content related to the contextual information on a display the electronic device, and receiving user selection of a displayed packaged content source;

the search manager is further configured for automatically invoking the selected packaged content source to request content related to the contextual information; and

the selected packaged content source automatically displays content related to the contextual information on the display.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the search manager is further configured for querying a packaged content source by invoking the packaged content source using an application programming interface and providing a topic to the invoked packaged content source for determining related content.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein each invoked packaged content source provides content source processing implemented in a packaged content source platform, by accessing content sources in a network to fetch content related to the contextual information.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising a contextual recommendation module that seeks to provide the user access to content related to the contextual information, wherein the search manager is further configured for receiving the contextual information from the contextual recommendation module.

17. A computer program product for providing access to content on an electronic device, said computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to;

receive contextual information;

query packaged content source for content related to the contextual information; and

indicate content relating to the contextual information available from the packaged content source.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising computer readable program code for:

invoking each packaged content source that indicates available content related to the contextual information, to request content related to the contextual information; and

displaying content related to the contextual information on the display of an electronic device;

wherein the packaged content source comprises a package of graphics and script code that may be overlaid on a display to provide information to a user

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising computer readable program code for:

displaying information about each packaged content source that indicates available content related to the contextual information on a display of the electronic device;

receiving user selection of a displayed packaged content source;

automatically invoking the selected packaged content source to request content related to the contextual information; and

displaying content related to the contextual information on the display.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the contextual information includes one or more of:

user context, device context and content context.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein the contextual information comprises information of interest to the user, the computer program product further comprising computer readable program code for:

automatically querying multiple packaged content sources for content related to the contextual information;

displaying information about each packaged content source that indicates available content related to the contextual information on a display of the electronic device;

receiving user selection of a displayed packaged content source;

automatically invoking the selected packaged content source to request content related to the contextual information; and

the selected packaged content source automatically displaying content related to the contextual information on the display.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the computer program product further comprises computer readable program code for:

querying a packaged content source by invoking the packaged content source using an application programming interface and providing a topic to the invoked packaged content source for determining related content.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein each invoked packaged content source provides content source processing implemented in a packaged content source platform, by accessing content sources in a network to fetch content related to the contextual information.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the computer program product further comprises computer readable program code for:

a contextual recommendation module that seeks to provide the user access to content related to the contextual information; and

receiving the contextual information from the contextual recommendation module.

25. An electronic device for providing access to content, comprising:

a processor and a display for display of information;

a search manager configured for receiving contextual information and automatically querying a packaged content source for content related to the contextual information, wherein the packaged content source comprises a package of graphics and script code that may be overlaid on the display to provide information to a user; and

an information manager configured for indicating content relating to the contextual information available from the packaged content source.

26. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein:

the search manager is further configured for invoking each packaged content source that indicates available content related to the contextual information, to request content related to the contextual information; and

the information manager is further configured for displaying content related to the contextual information on the display.

27. The electronic device of claim 26 wherein:

the information manager is further configured for displaying information about each packaged content source that indicates available content related to the contextual information on the display, and receiving user selection of a displayed packaged content source;

the search manager is further configured for automatically invoking the selected packaged content source to request content related to the contextual information; and

the selected packaged content source displays content related to the contextual information on the display.

28. The electronic device of claim 27 wherein the contextual information comprises one or more of:

user context, device context and content context.

29. The electronic device of claim 28 wherein:

the contextual information comprises information of interest to the user;

the search manager is further configured for automatically querying multiple packaged content sources for content related to the contextual information;

the information manager is further configured for displaying information about each packaged content source that indicates available content related to the contextual information on a display of the electronic device, and receiving user selection of a displayed packaged content source;

the search manager is further configured for automatically invoking the selected packaged content source to request content related to the contextual information; and

the selected packaged content source automatically displays content related to the contextual information on the display.

30. The electronic device of claim 29 wherein the search manager is further configured for querying a packaged content source by invoking the packaged content source using an application programming interface and providing a topic to the invoked packaged content source for determining related content.

31. The electronic device of claim 30 wherein each invoked packaged content source provides content source processing implemented in a packaged content source platform, by accessing content sources in a network to fetch content related to the contextual information.

32. The electronic device of claim 31 further comprising a contextual recommendation module that seeks to provide the user access to content related to the contextual information, wherein the search manager is further configured for receiving the contextual information from the contextual recommendation module.