METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DRAG AND DROP CONTENT SHARING IN A MULTI-DEVICE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20120066602A1
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Chai, Crx K., Fishman, Alex
• Granted Patent: US 9,104,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Methods and systems for interacting with graphical user interface elements to invoke commands and initiate requests in a multi-device environment are described

Claims

1. A method comprising:

with a touch screen display of a mobile computing device, detecting a drag-and-drop event involving manipulation of a first graphical user interface element displayed via the touch screen display to be positioned over a second graphical user interface element displayed via the touch screen display, the first graphical user interface element representing an active content window via which content received at the mobile computing device from a remote content source is being presented, the second graphical user interface element representing a person to whom a user of the mobile computing device is related via a computer-based social network and having associated configuration settings;

responsive to detecting the drag-and-drop event, invoking a content sharing operation to share the content being presented via the active content window with the person represented by the second graphical user interface element by generating a command to be processed in accordance with the configuration settings associated with the second graphical user interface element, the command specifying a first identifier identifying the content being presented in the active content window, and a second identifier identifying the person represented by the second graphical user interface element and with whom the content is to be shared; and

communicating the command to a content management server for further processing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration settings are stored at the content management server and are user-configurable by the person represented by the second graphical user interface element.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration settings include a user-configurable setting specifying a network-connected device to which a copy of shared content is to be communicated when shared by a user of the mobile computing device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration settings include a user-configurable setting specifying a second network-connected device to which a notification is to be communicated, the notification to notify the person represented by the second graphical user interface element of the shared item of content.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration settings include a user-configurable setting specifying a network-connected device to which a link to the shared content is to be communicated when shared by a user of the mobile computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote content source is a set top box, the method further comprising:

receiving the content from the set top box; and

presenting the content in the active content window.

7. A mobile computing device comprising:

a touch screen display;

a processor; and

a memory module to store instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile computing device to i) detect, with the touch screen display, a drag-and-drop event involving manipulation of a first graphical user interface element displayed via the touch screen display to be positioned over a second graphical user interface element displayed via the touch screen display, the first graphical user interface element representing an active content window via which content received at the mobile computing device from a remote content source is being presented, the second graphical user interface element representing a person to whom a user of the mobile computing device is related via a computer-based social network and having associated configuration settings, ii) invoke a content sharing operation responsive to detecting the drag-and-drop event, the content sharing operation to share the content being presented via the active content window with the person represented by the second graphical user interface element by generating a command to be processed in accordance with the configuration settings associated with the second graphical user interface element, the command specifying a first identifier identifying the content being presented in the active content window, and a second identifier identifying the person represented by the second graphical user interface element and with whom the content is to be shared, and iii) communicate the command to a remote device for further processing.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 7, wherein the remote device to which the command is communicated is a content management server, the configuration settings are stored at the content management server and the configuration settings are user-configurable by the person represented by the second graphical user interface element.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 7, wherein the remote device to which the command is communicated is a set top box, the configuration settings are stored at the set top box and the configuration settings are user-configurable by the person represented by the second graphical user interface element.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 7, wherein the configuration settings include a user-configurable setting specifying a network-connected device to which a copy of shared content is to be communicated when shared by a user of the mobile computing device.

11. The mobile computing device of claim 10, wherein the configuration settings include a user-configurable setting specifying a second network-connected device to which a notification is to be communicated, the notification to notify the person represented by the second graphical user interface element of the shared content.

12. The mobile computing device of claim 7, wherein the configuration settings include a user-configurable setting specifying a network-connected device to which a link to the shared content is to be communicated when shared by a user of the mobile computing device.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 7, wherein the remote content source is a set top box, the memory module to store further instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile computing device to:

receive the content from the set top box; and

present the content in the active content window displayed via the touch screen display.

14. A method comprising:

with a touch screen display of a mobile computing device, detecting a drag-and-drop event involving manipulation of a first graphical user interface element displayed via the touch screen display to be positioned over a second graphical user interface element displayed via the touch screen display, the first graphical user interface element representing an active content window via which content received at the mobile computing device from a remote content source is being presented, the second graphical user interface element representing a network-connected device and having associated configuration settings;

responsive to detecting the drag-and-drop event, presenting one or more user-selectable operations to be performed on or with the content displayed via the active content window by the network-connected device represented by the second graphical user interface element;

detecting selection of a user-selectable operation of the one or more user-selectable operations;

generating a command in accordance with the configuration settings associated with the second graphical user interface element; and

communicating the command to the network-connected device represented by the second graphical user interface element for processing.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the network-connected device represented by the second graphical user interface element is a television display, a set top box, or a digital video recording device and the one or more user-selectable operations to be performed by the network-connected device are selected from the group:

presenting the content that is being displayed in the active content window of the mobile computing device, recording a single episode or a series of the content that is being displayed in the active content window of the mobile computing device, and schedule a recording of a single episode, or all episodes, of the content that is being displayed in the active content window of the mobile computing device.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

prior to presenting the one or more user-selectable operations to be performed on or with the content displayed via the active content window, reading the configuration settings associated with the second graphical user interface element to determine the one or more user-selectable operations that can be performed by the network-connected device.

17. A mobile computing device comprising:

a touch screen display;

a processor; and

a memory module to store instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile computing device to;

detect a drag-and-drop event involving manipulation of a first graphical user interface element displayed via the touch screen display to be positioned over a second graphical user interface element displayed via the touch screen display, the first graphical user interface element representing an active content window via which content received at the mobile computing device from a remote content source is being presented, the second graphical user interface element representing a network-connected device and having associated configuration settings;

responsive to detecting the drag-and-drop event, present one or more user-selectable operations to be performed on or with the content displayed via the active content window by the network-connected device represented by the second graphical user interface element;

detect selection of a user-selectable operation of the one or more user-selectable operations;

generate a command in accordance with the configuration settings associated with the second graphical user interface element; and

communicate the command to the network-connected device represented by the second graphical user interface element for processing.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 17, wherein the network-connected device represented by the second graphical user interface element is a television display, a set top box, or a digital video recording device and the one or more user-selectable operations to be performed by the network-connected device are selected from the group:

presenting the content that is being displayed in the active content window of the mobile computing device, recording a single episode or all episodes of a series of the content that is being displayed in the active content window of the mobile computing device, and scheduling a recording of a single episode, or all episodes, of the content that is being displayed in the active content window of the mobile computing device.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 17, wherein the memory module is to store further instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile computing device to:

prior to presenting the one or more user-selectable operations to be performed on or with the content displayed via the active content window, read the configuration settings associated with the second graphical user interface element to determine the one or more user-selectable operations that can be performed by the network-connected device.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 17, wherein the memory module is to store further instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile computing device to:

present a user interface on the touch screen display, the user interface including various graphical user interface elements representing content windows via which content is to be presented, the various content windows arranged into groups by source.