System and method for creating and navigating a linear hypermedia resource program

• US 7,424,523 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hypermedia Navigation LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Texas Technology Ventures, LLP
• Inventors: Genin, Kent E., Stuckman, Bruce Edward, Sullivan, Barry James, Heinmiller, Wayne Robert, Omanson, Richard, Light, Jordan Howard, Bossemeyer, Jr., Robert Wesley, Morse, James Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): BAROT, BHARAT
• Application Number:
  US11/799,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20070208830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709217-219, 709227-229, 709231-232, 709245-246, 715500-501, 715/513
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 Education
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1432 Metric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

A method and system for creating and navigating linear hypermedia resource programs are disclosed. The system includes a distributed hypermedia resource network having a plurality of hypermedia resources residing on one or more remote information nodes. A common remote information node is in communication with a subscriber station and the remote information nodes in the distributed network. The common remote information node contains at least one linear hypermedia resource program consisting of pre-selected media elements from one or more hypermedia resources linked with exclusive linear links, each media element in the linear program having only one forward link to the next media element. The method includes the steps of downloading and displaying a media element in the linear program and responding to user commands to download and display the next media element in the linear program.

Claims

1. A method for navigating a linear Web program wherein the linear Web program includes a plurality of addresses that correspond to a plurality of media elements of the World Wide Web, wherein the plurality of addresses are ordered in the linear Web program in accordance with a linear sequence, and wherein the linear Web program and the plurality of media elements are stored on a remote information node, the method comprising:

sending data from the remote information node to display, in a display window of a display device of a subscriber station at a user location, a first media element of the plurality of media elements, the first media element having a forward link to a second media element of the linear Web program;

sending the linear Web program from the remote information node to the subscriber station;

sending data from the remote information node that causes the display of a forward link indicator on the display device;

receiving a first signal in response to an action of the user indicating an activation of the forward link indicator, and in response to the activation of the forward link indicator, sending data from the remote information node to display in the display window, the second media element of the linear Web program, the second media element having a forward link to a third media element of the linear Web program; and

receiving a second signal in response to an action of the user indicating an activation of the forward link indicator, and in response to the activation of the forward link indicator, sending data from the remote information node to display in the display window, the third media element of the linear Web program.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the forward link indicator includes a forward link button.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of media elements are further associated by a series of backward links, and wherein the method further comprises:

sending data from the remote information node that causes the display of a backward link indicator on the display device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the second media element has a backward link to the first media element, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a third signal in response to an action of the user indicating an activation of the backward link indicator, and in response to the activation of the backward link indicator when the second web page is being displayed in the display window, activating a backward link to the first media element of the linear Web program.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the backward link indicator includes a backward link button.

6. A method for navigating a linear Web program comprising information obtained on the World-Wide Web, the linear Web program including a plurality of media elements from a single Website stored on a remote information node, the plurality of media elements associated by a series of forward links, the method comprising:

sending data from the remote information node to display, on a display device at a user location, a first media element of the plurality of media elements from the single Website, the first media element having a forward link to a second media element of the linear Web program, and to display a forward link indicator on the display device;

receiving a first signal in response to an action of the user indicating an activation of the forward link indicator, and in response to the activation of the forward link indicator, sending data from the remote information node to display on the display device, the second media element of the linear Web program, the second media element having a forward link to a third media element of the linear Web program; and

receiving a second signal in response to an action of the user indicating an activation of the forward link indicator, and in response to the activation of the forward link indicator, sending data from the remote information node to display on the display device, the third media element of the linear Web program.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the forward link indicator includes a forward link button.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the plurality of media elements are further associated by a series of backward links, and wherein the method further comprises:

sending data from the remote information node that causes the display of a backward link indicator on the display device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the second media element has a backward link to the first media element, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a third signal in response to an action of the user indicating an activation of the backward link indicator, and in response to the activation of the backward link indicator when the second web page is being displayed on the display device, activating a backward link to the first media element of the linear Web program.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the linear Web program includes a plurality of addresses that correspond to the plurality of media elements and that are ordered in accordance with a linear sequence.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

storing the linear Web program at the remote information node.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

sending the linear Web program to a subscriber station at the user location, wherein the subscriber station includes the display device.

13. A computer readable medium comprising:

computer executable instructions for navigating a linear Web program comprising information obtained on the World-Wide Web, the linear Web program including a plurality of Web pages from a single Website stored on at least one remote information node, the plurality of Web pages associated by a series of forward links and a series of backward links, the computer readable instructions including instructions for;

sending data from the at least one remote information node to display, on a display device at a user location, a first Web page of the plurality of Web pages, the first Web page having a forward link to a second Web page of the linear Web program, and wherein the data further causes display of a forward link indicator and a backward link indicator on the display device;

receiving a first signal in response to an action of the user indicating an activation of the forward link indicator, and in response to the activation of the forward link indicator, sending data from the at least one remote information node to display on the display device, the second Web page of the linear Web program, the second Web page having a forward link to a third Web page of the linear Web program; and

receiving a second signal in response to an action of the user indicating an activation of the forward link indicator, and in response to the activation of the forward link indicator, sending data from the at least one remote information node to display on the display device, the third Web page of the linear Web program.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the forward link indicator includes a forward link button.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the second Web page has a backward link to the first Web page, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a third signal in response to an action of the user indicating an activation of the backward link indicator, and in response to the activation of the backward link indicator when the second web page is being displayed on the display device, activating a backward link to the first Web page of the linear Web program.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the linear Web program includes a plurality of addresses that correspond to the plurality of Web pages and that are ordered in accordance with a linear sequence.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 further comprising:

storing the linear Web program at the remote information node.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising:

sending the linear Web program to a subscriber station at the user location, wherein the subscriber station includes the display device.