MEDIA WIDGET TO INTERFACE WITH MULTIPLE UNDERLYING APPLICATIONS

• US 20130263053A1
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tritschler, Charles G., Mok, Evance C., Krishnankutty, Santhosh Kumar P., Bromberg, Aaron M.
• Application Number:
  US13/434,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20130263053A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A media widget running on a user device includes a widget content synchronization module, which includes a plurality of application adapters. Each of the plurality of application adapters interfaces with a different one of a plurality of underlying media applications configured to provide media content. The media widget also includes a widget content storage module to store, in a memory, widget content received by the plurality of application adapters from the plurality of underlying media applications, wherein the widget content corresponds to the media content. The media widget further includes a widget content delivery module to provide a user interface to display the widget content stored in the memory from the plurality of underlying media applications.

Claims

1. A user device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing;

at least one of a plurality of media applications; and

a media widget process, executable by the processor, the media widget process comprising;

a widget content synchronization module comprising a plurality of application adapters, each of the plurality of application adapters configured to interface with a different one of the plurality of media applications configured to provide media content;

a widget content storage module configured to store, in the memory, widget content received by the plurality of application adapters from the plurality of media applications, the widget content corresponding to the media content; and

a widget content delivery module configured to provide a user interface to display the widget content stored in the memory.

2. The user device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of media applications comprises at least two different types of media applications selected from the following application types:

an audio application;

a video application;

a mobile application store;

a shopping application;

or an electronic reader application.

3. The user device of claim 1, wherein the user interface is displayed in conjunction with a display of a home screen of an operating system running on the user device.

4. The user device of claim 1, wherein the widget content delivery module is further configured to receive a user interaction selecting an item from the widget content displayed in the user interface and configured to launch a media application of the plurality of media applications to provide media content for the selected item.

5. The user device of claim 1, wherein the widget content synchronization module is further configured to receive at least a portion of the widget content from the plurality of media applications.

6. The user device of claim 1, wherein

the widget content synchronization module is further configured to receive an indication of updated widget content from one of the plurality of media applications, and

the widget content synchronization module is further configured to determine if the updated widget content matches at least a portion of the widget content stored in the memory.

7. The user device of claim 6, wherein

if the updated widget content does not match the widget content stored in the memory, the widget content synchronization module further to synchronize the updated widget content and the widget content stored in the memory, and the widget content delivery module further to display the updated widget content in the user interface;

and

if the updated widget content does match at least a portion of the widget content stored in the memory, the widget content delivery module further to continue to display the widget content stored in the memory.

8. A method comprising:

establishing an operational connection between a media widget and a plurality of underlying media applications on a user device, the plurality of underlying media applications configured to provide media content; and

providing, by a processor, widget content from at least one of the plurality of underlying media applications through the operational connection to the media widget, the widget content corresponding to the media content.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the media widget comprises a media widget user interface and a media widget process.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the media widget user interface, a user interaction selecting an item from the widget content; and

launching, by the media widget process, an underlying media application, of the plurality of underlying media applications, to provide media content corresponding to the selected item from the widget content.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the media widget process, at least of portion of the widget content from the plurality of underlying media applications; and

storing, by the media widget process, the widget content in a local data store.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying, by the media widget user interface, the widget content.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the media widget process, an indication of updated widget content from one of the plurality of underlying media applications; and

determining, by the media widget process, if the updated widget content matches at least a portion of the widget content stored in the local data store.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

if the updated widget content does not match the widget content stored in the local data store, synchronizing, using the media widget process, the updated widget content and the widget content stored in the local data store and displaying, using the media widget user interface, the updated widget content to the user; and

if the updated widget content does match at least a portion of the widget content stored in the local data store, continuing to display, by the media widget user interface, the widget content stored in the local data store.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to perform a method comprising:

providing a media widget, the media widget configured to interface with a plurality of underlying media applications on a user device, the plurality of underlying media applications configured to provide media content;

receiving an indication of updated widget content from one of the plurality of underlying media applications, the widget content corresponding to the media content;

synchronizing widget content stored by the media widget with the updated widget content from the one of the plurality of underlying media applications; and

displaying the updated widget content in a user interface of the media widget.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of media applications comprises at least two different types of media applications selected from the following application types:

an audio application;

a video application;

a mobile application store;

a shopping application;

or an electronic reader application.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the user interface is displayed in conjunction with a display of a home screen of an operating system running on the user device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the media widget comprises the user interface and a media widget process.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the user interface, a user interaction selecting an item from the widget content; and

launching, by the media widget process, an underlying media application, of the plurality of underlying media applications, to provide media content corresponding to the selected item from the widget content.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the media widget process, the widget content from at least one of the plurality of underlying media applications; and

storing, by the media widget process, the widget content in a local data store.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, the method further comprising:

determining, by the media widget process, if the updated widget content matches at least a portion of the widget content stored in the local data store.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, the method further comprising:

if the updated widget content does not match the widget content stored in the local data store, synchronizing, by the media widget process, the widget content stored in the local data store with the updated widget content; and

if the updated widget content does match at least a portion of the widget content stored in the local data store, displaying, by the user interface, the widget content stored in the local data store.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further storing one or more of the plurality of underlying media applications.