Method for distributing content to a user station
First Claim
1. A user station comprising:
- a user interface;
a processor; and
an information transport component;
wherein the processor is configured to execute the information transport componentto enable access at the user station, via the user interface, to first fixed information content from a first portable storage medium together with first related remote information content from one or more remote information content sources such that the first fixed information content and the first related remote information content are presented by the user interface as a first single collection of information content, and to second fixed information content from a second portable storage medium together with second related remote information content from one or more remote information content sources such that the second fixed information content and the second related remote information content are presented by the user interface as a second single collection of information content,wherein the first portable storage medium and the second portable storage medium are provided by different independent publishers,wherein the first single collection of information and the second single collection of information are different;
wherein the user interface is customized with respect to the first fixed information content in response to access of the first fixed information content and is customized with respect to the second fixed information content in response to access of the second fixed information content,wherein information transport component initiates connections to one or more remote information content sources in accordance with predefined transport tasks specified by the first portable storage medium and the second portable storage medium to retrieve the first and second related remote information content, andwherein the information transport component includes an application programming interface that is configured to provide a communication interface between the information transport component and the user interface as customized with respect to the first fixed information content and between the information transport component and the user interface as customized with respect to the second fixed information content.
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Abstract
A method for controlling a user station configured for communications with a multiplicity of independently-operated data sources via a non-proprietary network includes steps for providing a user interface to enable a user at the user station to select multiple ones of the multiplicity of independently-operated data object sources to be polled; automatically polling each of the selected data object sources in order to determine availability of desired data at each of the selected data object sources; and automatically transporting desired data determined to be available from each of the selected data object sources to the user station. Software and a user station for implementing the method are also described.
455 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A user station comprising:
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a user interface; a processor; and an information transport component; wherein the processor is configured to execute the information transport component to enable access at the user station, via the user interface, to first fixed information content from a first portable storage medium together with first related remote information content from one or more remote information content sources such that the first fixed information content and the first related remote information content are presented by the user interface as a first single collection of information content, and to second fixed information content from a second portable storage medium together with second related remote information content from one or more remote information content sources such that the second fixed information content and the second related remote information content are presented by the user interface as a second single collection of information content, wherein the first portable storage medium and the second portable storage medium are provided by different independent publishers, wherein the first single collection of information and the second single collection of information are different; wherein the user interface is customized with respect to the first fixed information content in response to access of the first fixed information content and is customized with respect to the second fixed information content in response to access of the second fixed information content, wherein information transport component initiates connections to one or more remote information content sources in accordance with predefined transport tasks specified by the first portable storage medium and the second portable storage medium to retrieve the first and second related remote information content, and wherein the information transport component includes an application programming interface that is configured to provide a communication interface between the information transport component and the user interface as customized with respect to the first fixed information content and between the information transport component and the user interface as customized with respect to the second fixed information content. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon:
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first program logic for enabling access, via a user interface, to first fixed information content, from a first portable storage medium, together with first related remote information content from one or more remote information content sources such that the first fixed information content and the first related remote information content are presented by the user interface as a first single collection of information content, and for enabling access, via the user interface, to second fixed information content from a second portable storage medium together with second related remote information content from one or more remote information content sources such that the second fixed information content and the second related remote information content are presented by the user interface as a second single collection of information content, wherein the first portable storage medium and the second portable storage medium are provided by different independent publishers and the first single collection of information and the second single collection of information are different, second program logic for customizing the user interface with respect to the first fixed information content in response to access of the first fixed information content and for customizing the user interface with respect to the second fixed information content in response to access of the second fixed information content; and third program logic for initiating a connection to one or more remote information content sources to retrieve the first and second related remote information content in accordance with predefined transport tasks, wherein the first program logic includes an application programming interface configured to provide a communication interface between the first program logic and the user interface as customized with respect to the first fixed information content and between the first program logic and the user interface as customized with respect to the second fixed information content. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification