Method and apparatus for managing program activation through use of a favorite program button menu

• US 6,466,241 B1
• Filed: 04/02/1996
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schindler, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao H.
• Application Number:
  US08/626,504
• Time in Patent Office: 2,387 Days
• Field of Search: 395/348, 395/352, 395/353, 395/354, 395/356, 395/333, 395/334, 395/357, 345/326, 345/352, 345/353, 345/354, 345/333, 345/356, 345/357, 345/700, 345/810, 345/841, 345/840, 345/762, 345/854, 345/853
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3271 Power saving in keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A computer executable program manager is provided which simplifies activating programs from multiple programming sources. Each program identified as a favorite program, regardless of its source, is included in a hierarchy which is organized by program subject matter. The program manager displays a single presentation of the hierarchy of the diverse programs selected from the variety of programming sources. A user is able to easily activate a program included in the hierarchy either manually or automatically. Programs are added to and removed from the hierarchy either manually or automatically based on activation patterns.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage device having program code embodied therein for causing a computer to perform the steps comprising:

organizing a diverse plurality of programs into homogeneous groups based on a plurality of subject matter classifications constituting a hierarchy wherein each program is executed independently of the program code that organizes the hierarchy

identifying a plurality of the programs within each subject matter classification as favorite programs;

displaying a representation of each of the favorite programs within a subject matter classification;

selecting one of the favorite program representations in response to a user command; and

activating the program indicated by the selected representation.

2. The storage device of claim 1 and further causing a computer to perform the step of displaying a representation of a program that has been frequently activated by the user as a favorite program.

3. The storage device of claim 1 and further causing a computer to perform the step of adding a program specifically identified as a favorite program by the user as a favorite program.

4. The storage device of claim 1 and further causing a computer to perform the step of adding to a subject matter classification for each program that is not already identified as a favorite program and which is specifically identified as a favorite program by the user and, for each program so added, deleting from the subject matter classification the least activated program.

5. The storage device of claim 1 and further causing a computer to perform the step of removing from a subject matter classification each program that is identified as a favorite program and which has been infrequently activated by the user.

6. The storage device of claim 1 and further causing a computer to perform the step of removing from a subject matter classification each program that is identified to be deleted.

7. The storage device of claim 1 and further causing a computer to perform the steps of:

storing an identification for each of a plurality of diverse programs which have been frequently activated by the user in an activation array; and

automatically activating each of the programs identified in the activation array.

8. The storage device of claim 1 and further causing a computer to perform the steps of:

storing an identification for each of a plurality of diverse user-selected programs in an activation array; and

automatically activating each of the programs identified in the activation array.

9. A computer comprising a monitor, a user input device, and a program manager capable of managing the activation of programs from multiple sources of diverse programming, including video and computer program applications, the program manager comprising:

an array storing the individual identifications of diverse programs from the multiple sources of diverse programming into homogeneous groups based on a plurality of subject matter classifications constituting a hierarchy wherein each program is executed independently of the program manager

a classification selection module for selecting a first subject matter classification based on user input;

a display module displaying representations of the diverse programs grouped in the first subject matter classification; and

a rotation module for identifying a second subject matter classification as being next in relative order to the first subject matter classification.

10. The computer of claim 9 wherein the user input device provides for navigating through the displayed representations and selecting at least one of the diverse programs to be processed by the computer.

11. The computer of claim 9 wherein at least one of the sources of diverse programming transmits video signals.

12. The computer of claim 9 wherein the program manager further comprises an add module for adding a program identification to the array for each program that is not already represented in the array and which has been frequently activated.

13. The computer of claim 9 wherein the program manager further comprises an add module for adding a program identification to the array for each program identified by a user as a favorite program.

14. The computer of claim 9 wherein the program manager further comprises an add module for adding a program identification to the array for each program identified as a favorite program and, for each program added, deleting from the array a least frequently activated program.

15. The computer of claim 9 wherein the program manager further comprises a delete module for deleting a program identification from the array for each program which has been infrequently activated.

16. The computer of claim 9 wherein the program manager further comprises a remove module for removing a program identification from the array each program identified by a user as removable.

17. The computer of claim 9 wherein the program manager further comprises an automatic activation module for automatically activating a plurality of diverse programs which have been frequently activated by a user.

18. The computer of claim 9 wherein the program manager further comprises an automatic activation module for automatically activating each of the programs which have been previously identified by a user.

19. The program manager of claim 9 wherein the representation of the hierarchy is a menu and a user identifies their selection by entering a menu option.

20. The program manager of claim 9 wherein the representation of the hierarchy is a set of icons and a user identifies their selection by selecting one of the icons using the user input device.

21. The program manager of claim 9 wherein the representation of the hierarchy is a list and a user identifies their selection by selecting one of the list elements using the user input device.