Navigating internet content on a television using a simplified interface and a remote control

• US 7,020,845 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2000
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EMG Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Grant Gottfurcht 2003 Irrevocable Trust
• Inventors: Gottfurcht, Elliot A., Gottfurcht, Grant E., Long, Albert-Michel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ke, Peng
• Application Number:
  US09/518,015
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 345/659, 345/655, 345/661, 345/676, 345/705, 345/742, 345/748, 345/760, 345/761, 345/762, 345/763, 345/810, 345/811, 707/501.1, 707/515, 715/513, 715/515, 715/501.1
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested

Abstract

A method and apparatus of simplified navigation. A web page is provided having a link to a sister site. The sister site facilitates simplified navigation. Pages from the sister site are served responsive to actuation of the sister site link. In one embodiment, the sister site includes matrix pages to permit matrix navigation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a webpage associated with a sister site; and

providing a simplified navigation interface for the webpage by the sister site.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the simplified navigation interface employs a multi-layered matrix navigation, the method further comprising:

accepting an alpha numeric indication of a navigation option, the navigation option displayed by the navigation interface; and

serving a matrix layer corresponding to the navigation option.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transcoding a hyper text markup language (HTML) page into an extensible markup language (XML) page; and

applying a document type definition (DTD) to the XML page.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

formatting the XML page using extensible style language (XSL); and

transforming the formatted page into one of extensible hyper text markup language (XHTML) and HTML.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

applying a cascading style sheet (CSS) to the XML page.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the navigation interface on a television set, the television set having a remote control.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the simplified navigation interface on a portable wireless device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a sister site is a server on a network.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the webpage contains commercial content.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the navigation interface via a computer system.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a second webpage associated with the sister site; and

providing the simplified navigation interface for the second webpage by the sister site.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the simplified navigation option includes the use of primary navigation options.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the webpage is publicly accessible.

27. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying purchasing information related to at least one item via the matrix layer.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the simplified navigation interface includes a search form.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the simplified navigation interface includes an email form.

33. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying a purchasing interface in response to receiving a navigation option input.

34. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying a purchasing interface in response to receiving a navigation option input.

35. The method of claim 21, wherein the simplified navigation interface includes a multi-layered matrix, and

wherein each matrix layer includes multiple cells.

6. A computer readable storage media containing executable computer program instructions which when executed cause a digital processing system to perform a method comprising:

providing a webpage associated with a sister site; and

providing a simplified navigation interface for the webpage by the sister site.

7. The computer readable storage media of claim 6 which when executed cause a digital processing system to perform a method further comprising:

accepting an alpha numeric indication of a navigation option, the navigation option displayed by the navigation interface; and

serving a matrix layer of a multi-layered matrix corresponding to the navigation option.

8. The computer readable storage media of claim 6 which when executed cause a digital processing system to perform a method further comprising:

transcoding a hyper text markup language (HTML) page into an extensible markup language (XML) page; and

applying a document type definition (DTD) to the XML page.

9. The computer readable storage media of claim 8 which when executed cause a digital processing system to perform a method further comprising:

formatting the XML page using extensible style language (XSL); and

transforming the formatted page into one of extensible hyper text markup language (XHTML) and HTML.

10. The computer readable storage media of claim 8 which when executed cause a digital processing system to perform a method further comprising:

applying a cascading style sheet (CSS) to the XML page.

14. The computer readable storage media of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying the navigation interface on a television set, the television set having a remote control.

15. The computer readable storage media of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying the simplified navigation interface on a portable wireless device.

16. The computer readable storage media of claim 6, wherein a sister site is a server on a network.

18. The computer readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the webpage contains commercial content.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying the navigation interface via a computer system.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising:

providing a second webpage associated with the sister site; and

providing the simplified navigation interface for the second webpage by the sister site.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the simplified navigation option includes the use of primary navigation options.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the webpage is publicly accessible.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying purchasing information related to at least one item via the matrix layer.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the simplified navigation interface includes a search form.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the simplified navigation interface includes an email form.

36. The method of claim 22, wherein the simplified navigation interface includes a multi-layered matrix, and

wherein each matrix layer includes multiple cells.