Information retrieval system using an internet multiplexer to focus user selection

• US 5,991,799 A
• Filed: 12/20/1996
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Liberate Technologies
• Inventors: Yen, Wei, Weinstein, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Application Number:
  US08/770,238
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 395/220.47, 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 395/200.54, 395/302, 707/5, 348/1, 348/7, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/224, 345/327
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/397 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of two or more bit-mapped memories to the screen simultaneously, e.g. for mixing or overlay G09G5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system for receiving incoming information from multiple information sources, both interactive and passive, and for engagingly presenting that information to a recipient on a presentation interface. The system includes a "background" element, which interacts with interactive information sources and receives from passive information sources, and determines whether information from those sources is likely to be interesting to the recipient, possibly using one information source to determine priority for another. The system also includes a "foreground" element, which presents information to the recipient when active, but not when inactive. The background is operative even when the foreground element is inactive, and when the background detects new information of interest to the recipient (for example, exceeding a selected threshold of interest or satisfying a selected criterion for interest), it causes the foreground to become active and engage the recipient to select and view that new information. The threshold or criterion may be adaptively responsive to recipient preferences, whether explicitly expressed or implied, but may also be relatively fixed, such as a scheduled time of day.

Claims

1. Apparatus for presenting information to a recipient, said apparatus including

a background element, having a receiver coupled to at least one information source, said background element associating with items received from said information source a determination whether said items are interesting to said recipient;

and

a foreground element, having an active mode in which said foreground element presents said items to said recipient, wherein in said active mode said foreground element associates an identifier with each one of a plurality of said items, presents said identifiers to said recipient, and presents an associated item selected by said recipient from among said identifiers, and having an inactive mode in which said foreground element does not present said items to said recipient;

wherein said foreground element switches between said active mode and said inactive mode, in response to said determination; and

wherein said foreground element associates a focus with each said identifier in a sequential order, and receives a selection by said recipient of said selected item only when said selected item is associated with said focus;

wherein associating said focus with a particular identifier includes drawing attention to said particular identifier in turn in said sequence; and

wherein receiving said selection for a particular selected item includes awaiting a signal from said recipient at a time when said focus is associated with said particular selected item.

2. Apparatus for presenting information to a recipient, said apparatus including

a background element, having a receiver coupled to at least one information source, said background element associating with items received from said information source a determination whether said items are interesting to said recipient;

and

a foreground element, having an active mode in which said foreground element presents said items to said recipient, wherein in said active mode said foreground element associates an identifier with each one of a plurality of said items, presents said identifiers to said recipient, and presents an associated item selected by said recipient from among said identifiers, and having an inactive mode in which said foreground element does not present said items to said recipient;

wherein said foreground element switches between said active mode and said inactive mode, in response to said determination; and

wherein said foreground element associates a focus with each said identifier in a sequential order, and receives a selection by said recipient of said selected item only when said selected item is associated with said focus; and

wherein associating said focus with a particular identifier includes assigning substantially greater screen space to said particular identifier.

3. Apparatus for presenting information to a recipient, said apparatus including

a background element, having a receiver coupled to at least one information source, said background element associating with items received from said information source a determination whether said items are interesting to said recipient;

and

a foreground element, having an active mode in which said foreground element presents said items to said recipient, wherein in said active mode said foreground element associates an identifier with each one of a plurality of said items, presents said identifiers to said recipient, and presents an associated item selected by said recipient from among said identifiers, and having an inactive mode in which said foreground element does not present said items to said recipient;

wherein said foreground element switches between said active mode and said inactive mode, in response to said determination; and

wherein said foreground element associates a focus with each said identifier in a sequential order, and receives a selection by said recipient of said selected item only when said selected item is associated with said focus; and

wherein associating said focus with a particular identifier includes assigning a speaker to said particular identifier.

4. Apparatus for presenting information to a recipient, said apparatus including

a background element, having a receiver coupled to at least one information source, said background element associating with items received from said information source a determination whether said items are interesting to said recipient;

and

a foreground element, having an active mode in which said foreground element presents said items to said recipient, wherein in said active mode said foreground element associates an identifier with each one of a plurality of said items, presents said identifiers to said recipient, and presents an associated item selected by said recipient from among said identifiers, and having an inactive mode in which said foreground element does not present said items to said recipient;

wherein said foreground element switches between said active mode and said inactive mode, in response to said determination; and

wherein said foreground element associates a focus with each said identifier in a sequential order, and receives a selection by said recipient of said selected item only when said selected item is associated with said focus; and

wherein said foreground element alters said sequential order in response to a signal from said background element.

5. Apparatus for presenting information to a recipient, said apparatus including

a background element, having a receiver coupled to at least one information source, said background element associating with items received from said information source a determination whether said items are interesting to said recipient;

and

a foreground element, having an active mode in which said foreground element presents said items to said recipient, wherein in said active mode said foreground element associates an identifier with each one of a plurality of said items, presents said identifiers to said recipient, and presents an associated item selected by said recipient from among said identifiers, and having an inactive mode in which said foreground element does not present said items to said recipient;

wherein said foreground element switches between said active mode and said inactive mode, in response to said determination; and

wherein said foreground element associates a focus with each said identifier in a sequential order, and receives a selection by said recipient of said selected item only when said selected item is associated with said focus; and

wherein said foreground element associates a new identifier with a new item coupled from said background element, and adds said new identifier to said sequential order.

6. Apparatus for presenting information to a recipient, said apparatus including

a background element, having a receiver coupled to at least one information source, said background element associating with items received from said information source a determination whether said items are interesting to said recipient;

and

a foreground element, having an active mode in which said foreground element presents said items to said recipient, wherein in said active mode said foreground element associates an identifier with each one of a plurality of said items, presents said identifiers to said recipient, and presents an associated item selected by said recipient from among said identifiers, and having an inactive mode in which said foreground element does not present said items to said recipient;

wherein said foreground element switches between said active mode and said inactive mode, in response to said determination; and

wherein said foreground element associates a focus with each said identifier in a sequential order, and receives a selection by said recipient of said selected item only when said selected item is associated with said focus; and

wherein said foreground element moves said focus backward or forward within said sequential order in response to a signal from said recipient.

7. Apparatus for presenting information to a recipient, said apparatus including

a background element, having a receiver coupled to at least one information source, said background element associating with items received from said information source a determination whether said items are interesting to said recipient;

and

a foreground element, having an active mode in which said foreground element presents said items to said recipient, wherein in said active mode said foreground element associates an identifier with each one of a plurality of said items, presents said identifiers to said recipient, and presents an associated item selected by said recipient from among said identifiers, and having an inactive mode in which said foreground element does not present said items to said recipient;

wherein said foreground element switches between said active mode and said inactive mode, in response to said determination; and

wherein said foreground element associates a focus with each said identifier in a sequential order, and receives a selection by said recipient of said selected item only when said selected item is associated with said focus; and

wherein said foreground element presents said identifiers to said recipient at a plurality of positions on a two-dimensional screen, and associates said focus with each said identifier, so that presentation of said focus sweeps across said two-dimensional screen along a substantially linear path.

8. Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said linear path is substantially horizontal.

9. Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said linear path is substantially vertical.

10. Apparatus for presenting information to a recipient, said apparatus including

a background element, having a receiver coupled to at least one information source, said background element associating with items received from said information source a determination whether said items are interesting to said recipient;

and

a foreground element, having an active mode in which said foreground element presents said items to said recipient, wherein in said active mode said foreground element associates an identifier with each one of a plurality of said items, presents said identifiers to said recipient, and presents an associated item selected by said recipient from among said identifiers, and having an inactive mode in which said foreground element does not present said items to said recipient;

wherein said foreground element switches between said active mode and said inactive mode, in response to said determination; and

wherein said foreground element associates a focus with each said identifier in a sequential order, and receives a selection by said recipient of said selected item only when said selected item is associated with said focus; and

wherein said background element includes a comparator coupled to said items and to at least one recipient preference;

said determination is made in response to an output of said comparator; and

said recipient preference is responsive to at least one said selection by said recipient.

11. Apparatus for presenting information to a recipient, said apparatus including

a background element, having a receiver coupled to at least one information source, said background element associating with items received from said information source a determination whether said items are interesting to said recipient;

and

a foreground element, having an active mode in which said foreground element presents said items to said recipient, wherein in said active mode said foreground element associates an identifier with each one of a plurality of said items, presents said identifiers to said recipient, and presents an associated item selected by said recipient from among said identifiers, and having an inactive mode in which said foreground element does not present said items to said recipient;

wherein said foreground element switches between said active mode and said inactive mode, in response to said determination; and

wherein said foreground element associates a focus with each said identifier in a sequential order, and receives a selection by said recipient of said selected item only when said selected item is associated with said focus; and

wherein

said background element includes a comparator coupled to said items and to an interest threshold;

said determination is made in response to an output of said comparator; and

said interest threshold is responsive to at least one said selection by said recipient.

12. Apparatus for presenting information to a recipient, said apparatus including

a background element, having a receiver coupled to at least one information source, said background element associating with items received from said information source a determination whether said items are interesting to said recipient;

and

a foreground element, having an active mode in which said foreground element presents said items to said recipient, wherein in said active mode said foreground element associates an identifier with each one of a plurality of said items, presents said identifiers to said recipient, and presents an associated item selected by said recipient from among said identifiers, and having an inactive mode in which said foreground element does not present said items to said recipient;

wherein said foreground element switches between said active mode and said inactive mode, in response to said determination; and

wherein

said foreground element has an engaging state in which said foreground element operates to attempt to engage said recipient to select said items for presentation, and a nonengaging state in which said foreground element does not operate to attempt to engage said recipient to select said items for presentation; and

said foreground element switches between said engaging state and said nonengaging state, in response to said determination; and

wherein said foreground element associates a focus with each said identifier in a sequential order, and receives a selection by said recipient of said selected item only when said selected item is associated with said focus; and

wherein said foreground element presents said identifiers to said recipient at a plurality of positions on a two-dimensional screen, and associates said focus with each said identifier, so that presentation of said focus sweeps across said two-dimensional screen along a substantially linear path.

13. Apparatus for presenting information to a recipient, said apparatus including

a background element, having a receiver coupled to at least one information source, said background element associating with items received from said information source a determination whether said items are interesting to said recipient;

and

a foreground element, having an engaging state in which said foreground element operates to attempt to engage said recipient to select said items for presentation, and a nonengaging state in which said foreground element does not operate to attempt to engage said recipient to select said items for presentation;

wherein said foreground element switches between said engaging state and said nonengaging state, in response to said determination; and

wherein in said engaging state said foreground element associates an identifier with each one of a plurality of said items, presents said identifiers to said recipient, and presents an associated item selected by said recipient from among said identifiers; and

wherein

wherein said foreground element associates a focus with each said identifier in a sequential order, and receives a selection by said recipient of said selected item only when said selected item is associated with said focus; and

wherein said foreground element presents said identifiers to said recipient at a plurality of positions on a two-dimensional screen, and associates said focus with each said identifier, so that presentation of said focus sweeps across said two-dimensional screen along a substantially linear path.

14. Apparatus for presenting information to a recipient, said apparatus including

a background element, having a receiver coupled to at least one information source, said background element associating with items received from said information source a determination whether said items are interesting to said recipient;

and

a foreground element which associates each said item with an identifier for presentation to said recipient, associates each said identifier with a focus in a linear sequential order, receives a selection by said recipient of said selected item only when said selected item is associated with said focus, and presents said item to said recipient only when selected; and

wherein associating said focus with a particular identifier includes assigning substantially greater screen space to said particular identifier.

15. Apparatus for presenting information to a recipient, said apparatus including

a background element, having a receiver coupled to at least one information source, said background element associating with items received from said information source a determination whether said items are interesting to said recipient;

and

a foreground element which associates each said item with an identifier for presentation to said recipient, associates each said identifier with a focus in a linear sequential order, receives a selection by said recipient of said selected item only when said selected item is associated with said focus, and presents said item to said recipient only when selected; and

wherein said foreground element presents said identifiers to said recipient at a plurality of positions on a two-dimensional screen, and associates said focus with each said identifier, so that presentation of said focus sweeps across said two-dimensional screen along a substantially linear path.