Method and system for controlling a complementary user interface on a display surface
First Claim
1. A method for modifying the display of a secondary user interface on a video display system to include a portal area, the video display system having a total displayable area that includes a first region and a second region, the first region controlled by a computer operating system which presents a user interface that occupies at least a portion of the first region, the second region located outside of the first region and outside of the control of the operating system, the secondary user interface being displayed in the second region, comprising:
- upon receiving an indication to display a portal area;
increasing the size of the second region by reallocating the total displayable area between the first region and the second region, such that the first region decreases in size in a manner that is transparent to the operating system;
allocating a first portion of the enlarged second region to the secondary user interface and a second portion to the portal area;
redisplaying the secondary user interface in the first portion of the enlarged second region;
determining an indication of content to display in the portal area; and
loading and displaying the indicated content in the portal area.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An alternate display content controller provides a technique for controlling a video display separately from and in addition to the content displayed on the operating system display surface. Where the display is a computer monitor, the alternate display content controller interacts with the computer utility operating system and hardware drivers to control allocation of display space and create and control one or more parallel graphical user interfaces adjacent the operating system desktop. An alternate display content controller may be incorporated in either hardware or software. As software, an alternate display content controller may be an application running on the computer operating system, or may include an operating system kernel of varying complexity ranging from dependent on the utility operating system for hardware system services to a parallel system independent of the utility operating system and capable of supporting dedicated applications. The alternate display content controller may also include content and operating software delivered over the internet or any other LAN. The alternate display content controller may also be included in a television decoder/settop box to permit two or more parallel graphical user interfaces to be displayed simultaneously.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method for modifying the display of a secondary user interface on a video display system to include a portal area, the video display system having a total displayable area that includes a first region and a second region, the first region controlled by a computer operating system which presents a user interface that occupies at least a portion of the first region, the second region located outside of the first region and outside of the control of the operating system, the secondary user interface being displayed in the second region, comprising:
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upon receiving an indication to display a portal area;
increasing the size of the second region by reallocating the total displayable area between the first region and the second region, such that the first region decreases in size in a manner that is transparent to the operating system;
allocating a first portion of the enlarged second region to the secondary user interface and a second portion to the portal area;
redisplaying the secondary user interface in the first portion of the enlarged second region;
determining an indication of content to display in the portal area; and
loading and displaying the indicated content in the portal area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
dynamically determining a component of the secondary user interface that is potentially new or updated;
integrating the determined component into the secondary user interface.
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14. A device for modifying the display of a secondary user interface on a video display system to include a portal area, the video display system having a total displayable area that includes a first region and a second region, the first region controlled by a computer operating system which presents a user interface that occupies at least a portion of the first region, the second region located outside of the first region and outside of the control of the operating system, the secondary user interface being displayed in the second region, comprising:
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a display adjustment mechanism that, upon receiving an indication to display a portal area, increases the size of the second region by reallocating the total displayable area between the first region and the second region, such that the first region decreases in size in a manner that is transparent to the operating system;
a region allocation system that allocates a first portion of the enlarged second region to the secondary user interface and a second portion to the portal area causing the secondary user interface to be redisplayed in the first portion of the enlarged second region; and
a portal management system that determines an indication of content to display in the portal area and loads and displays the indicated content in the portal area. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
a user interface merge facility that dynamically determines a component of the secondary user interface that is potentially new or updated and integrates the determined component into the secondary user interface.
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27. A computer readable memory medium containing instructions for controlling a computer processor to modify the display of a secondary user interface on a video display system to include a portal area, the video display system having a total displayable area that includes a first region and a second region, the first region controlled by a computer operating system which presents a user interface that occupies at least a portion of the first region, the second region located outside of the first region and outside of the control of the operating system, the secondary user interface being displayed in the second region, by:
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upon receiving an indication to display a portal area;
increasing the size of the second region by reallocating the total displayable area between the first region and the second region, such that the first region decreases in size in a manner that is transparent to the operating system;
allocating a first portion of the enlarged second region to the secondary user interface and a second portion to the portal area;
redisplaying the secondary user interface in the first portion of the enlarged second region;
determining an indication of content to display in the portal area; and
loading and displaying the indicated content in the portal area. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
dynamically determining a component of the secondary user interface that is potentially new or updated;
integrating the determined component into the secondary user interface.
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Specification