Programmable actuator and method in a network terminal device

• US 7,783,982 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Franchising Corp., Radioshack Online IPCO LLC
• Original Assignee: RadioShack Legacy Corporation
• Inventors: Reynolds, Billy E., Lewis, Oscar R., Mathews, David K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANK, ANDREW L
• Application Number:
  US10/953,304
• Time in Patent Office: 2,155 Days
• Field of Search: 715/704, 715/742, 715744-747, 715/847, 715/864, 715/716, 715/719, 715/733, 715738-739, 725/62, 725 86-104
• US Class Current: 715/747
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

An apparatus and method for obtaining preferred information from a network by execution of a sequence of actions in response to a single actuation in a network terminal device. A sequence of actions is programmed in network terminal device. The sequence of actions are executed in response to a single actuation if a softkey. A network destination parameter and a user preference parameter are also programmed. The sequence of actions includes coupling a destination parameter into the network, upon receipt of a network reply message corresponding to said destination parameter, coupling a preference parameter into the network, and upon receipt of the preferred information from the network, outputting the preferred information from the network terminal device.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining gaming content and video content available from network servers located on a network using a wireless network terminal device having a gaming actuation input, a video actuation input, and a display, comprising the steps of:

(I) obtaining gaming content by executing in the wireless terminal the following steps (a et. seq.) through (c)

(a) storing a first destination parameter corresponding to a first network address for a gaming content network server and indicative of first preferred information, related to a game application program, in the wireless network terminal device;

(b) in response to an initial single actuation of the gaming actuation input;

(1) accessing a first network server addressed according to the stored first destination parameter by the wireless network terminal device, thereby requesting the first preferred information;

(2) upon receipt of the first preferred information from the first network server by the wireless network terminal device, setting an initial state of the game parameters within the wireless network terminal as the game profile, and executing the game application program in the wireless network terminal device in accordance with the game profile;

(c) in response to a subsequent single actuation of the gaming actuation input;

suspending execution of the game application program and storing the current state of the game parameters within the wireless network terminal as the game profile, thereby enabling subsequent execution of the game application software at the current state; and

(II) obtaining video content by executing in the wireless network terminal the following steps (d) through (j);

(d) in response to an initial actuation of the video actuation input;

(e) forwarding a default user identity and default password to a second network server containing video content, which is addressed on the network according to a second predetermined destination parameter;

(f) downloading a video driver from the second network server that is adapted to execute on the wireless network terminal device;

(g) storing a default video selection preference parameter in the wireless network terminal device that selectively defines a portion of the video content available on the network server as second preferred information, and

(h) in response to subsequent single actuations of the video actuation input;

(i) forwarding the second preference parameter into the network by the wireless network terminal device, addressed according to the second destination parameter, as a request for the second preferred information from the second network server, and

(j) upon receipt of the second preferred information from the second network server by the wireless network terminal device, outputting the second preferred information to the display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the single actuation is accomplished with a user actuated actuator.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the single actuation is accomplished by a software driven actuator.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the single actuation is accomplished on receipt of a network message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first destination parameter and second destination parameters are relative network addresses or absolute network addresses.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second destination parameter includes a menu selection parameter.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the second destination parameter includes an application software specification.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the second destination parameter includes a search term for operation of a network search engine.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

programming the second destination parameter, and

programming the second preference parameter.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said programming steps are executed by a user.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said programming steps are executed by remote programming through the network.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the second preference parameter includes a search term for operation of a network search engine.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the second preference parameter includes a video content specification.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the second preference parameter includes application software configuration parameters.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the second preference parameter includes temporal parameters.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the second preference parameter includes probabilistic metrics.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the first destination parameter is a relative network address or an absolute network address.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the first destination parameter includes a menu selection parameter.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the first destination parameter includes an application software specification.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the first destination parameter includes a search term for operation of a network search engine.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

programming the first destination parameter, and

programming the first preference parameter.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the first preference parameter includes application software configuration parameters.