Glanceable information system and method

• US 7,181,701 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2003
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Howard, Dane M., Thompson, R. Donald III, Lang, Eric G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US10/336,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20040130580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 715854-864, 715745-778, 715/866, 715/802
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/68 Systems specially adapted for using specific information, e.g. geographical or meteorological information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/71 using meteorological information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are related to navigating through content on a device that includes stored information that is organized according to channels. Content that is associated with the channels is selected and viewed on a display of the device by means of passive interaction when the device is in a glance-view operating state. The device periodically changes the display according to a playlist that indexes selected channel views associated with the current channel. The selected channel views are selected from the available channels according to a rule set that is associated with the channel. After every item in the playlist is processed, the playlist is updated according to application of the rule set. A customized channel may include references to other channels such that channel views associated with the customized channel correspond to channel views from other channels.

Claims

1. A method for navigating stored content on a device in response that includes a display and an interface selection device:

identifying a channel in the device, wherein the device includes stored content that is associated with a channel view for the channel;

selecting the channel in response to at least one of passive and active user interaction;

exposing a rule set that is associated with the channel when the channel is selected, wherein the rule set is configured such that the available channel view corresponds to an unread message that is associated with the channel when the channel is a messages channel;

applying the exposed rule set to a channel view that is associated with the channel to provide an available channel view; and

updating the display to view content associated with the available channel view.

2. A method for passively navigating stored content on a device that includes a display and an interface selection device:

identifying a current channel in the device, wherein the device includes stored content that is associated with channel views for the current channel;

exposing channel views that are associated with the current channel when the device is in a glance-view operating state;

creating a playlist when the device enters the glance-view operating state, wherein the playlist includes a list of items that identify channel views that are exposed in the device for the current channel;

processing the playlist while the device is in the glance view operating state, wherein processing includes;

selecting a next item in the playlist that corresponds to an unprocessed item from the playlist;

activating the channel view that is associated wit the selected item; and

updating the display to indicate the activated channel view, wherein the activated channel view includes content that is formatted for glanceable viewing; and

updating the playlist when the device is in the glance view operating state and every item in the playlist has been processed.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

entering the glance view operating state after a predetermined time interval has expired without active user interaction.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

exiting the glance view operating state after an active user interaction.

5. The method of claim 2, farther comprising:

exposing a rule set that is associated with the current channel when the device enters the glance view operating state.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein creating the playlist further comprises:

applying the rule set that is associated with the current channel to select a channel view for the playlist.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the rule set includes at least one of:

selecting a previously unviewed channel view, electing a least recently accessed channel view, selecting a highest priority channel view, selecting a most recently received channel view, selecting an alternate view, randomly selecting a channel view, pseudo-randomly selecting a channel view, and selecting a limited number of channel views.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein exposing channel views further comprises:

exposing a rule set that is associated with the current channel when the device enters the glance view operating stare, applying the rule set to the current channel, and exposing channel views that satisfy the rule set.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the current channel corresponds to a customized channel, and wherein every view in the customized channel is associated with another channel in the device.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the current channel corresponds to a customized channel that references a first channel and a second channel, and wherein the first channel has a different rule set from the second channel.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the current channel corresponds to a customized channel that references a first channel and a second channel, and wherein creating the playlist includes identifying a first channel view from the first channel, and identifying a second channel view from the second channel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of identifying the first channel view further comprises:

applying a first rule set that is associated with the first channel to select a channel view for the playlist, and applying a second rule set that is associated with the second channel to select another channel view for the playlist.

13. A method as in claim 2, wherein processing the playlist further comprises:

formatting content that is associated with the activated channel view such that the corresponding display is glanceable.

14. A method as in claim 2, wherein processing the playlist further comprises:

retrieving glanceable content that is associated with the channel view that is associated with the selected item.

15. A method as in claim 2, wherein processing the playlist further comprises:

idling for a predetermined time interval before selecting the next item in the playlist.

16. A method as in claim 2, wherein updating the display farther comprises:

activating a transition sequence that transitions between the current channel view and the next channel view on the display.

17. A method as in claim 16, wherein the transition sequence corresponds to at least one of:

a display screen wipe effect, a display screen fade effect, a half-tone pixel effect, and an audible effect.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a display;

a user interface that includes a selector; and

an electronic system that is arranged to interact with the user interface and the display, wherein the electronic system is configured to;

identify a current operating state, wherein the operating state corresponds to a glance-view operating state when a predetermined time interval expires without activation of the selector;

identify a current channel that is associated wit stored content;

expose channel views that are associated with the current channel when the device is in the glance-view operating state;

create a playlist when the device enters the glance-view operating state, wherein the playlist includes a list of items that identify channel views that are exposed in the device for the current channel;

display content that is associated with items in the playlist while the device is in the glance-view operating state; and

update the playlist when the device is in the glance view operating state and every item in the playlist has been processed.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the electronic system is further arranged to exit the glance view operating state after an active user interaction with the selector.

20. A system far passively navigating glanceable content, comprising:

a means for identifying that is arranged to identify a current channel in the device, wherein the system is arranged to store content that is associated with the current channel;

a means to activate that is arranged to activate a glance-view operating state;

a means for exposing channel views that is arranged to identify channel views that are available in the glance-view operating state;

a means for creating that is arranged to create a playlist when the device enters the glance-view operating state, wherein the playlist includes a list of items that are associated with the identified channel views;

a means for processing that is arranged to process the playlist while the system is in the glance view operating state, wherein the means for processing further comprises;

a means for selecting that is arranged to select a next item from the playlist, and a means for displaying that is arranged to display glanceable content that is associated with the selected item from the playlist; and

a means for updating that is arranged to update the playlist when the system is in the glance view operating state and every item in the playlist has been processed.

21. A system as in claim 20, wherein the means for processing further comprises:

a means for formatting that is arranged to format the content for the channel view that is associated with the selected item from the playlist such that the corresponding display is glanceable.