Content display system

• US 8,239,770 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Munehisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Pesin, Boris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Song, Daeho
• Application Number:
  US12/625,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20100131855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 715/738, 715/739, 715/733
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]

Abstract

A content display system may be provided with a communication device and an information display device. The information display device may display contents by utilizing a browser. The communication device may store location information of summarized content information, acquire the summarized content information based on the location information of the summarized content information, display titles included in the summarized content information, allow a user to select at least one title from the titles, specify first location information of a first content corresponding to a first title selected by the user, and send a command for displaying the first content corresponding to the first location information. The information display device may receive the command, and activate the browser in accordance with a first type of command in a specific case where the browser has been closed which had been activated in accordance with an other first type of command having been sent from the communication device before receiving the first type of command.

Claims

1. A communication device configured to be connected with an information display device in a communicable manner, the information display device configured to display contents by utilizing a browser, the communication device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing a computer program including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to function as;

a location information storage unit configured to store location information of summarized content information, the summarized content information including location information of each content and a title of each content;

a summarized content information acquiring unit configured to acquire the summarized content information based on the location information of the summarized content information;

a display control unit configured to cause a display unit to display titles included in the summarized content information;

a title selection allowing unit configured to allow a user to select at least one title from the titles;

a location information specifying unit configured to specify, from the summarized content information, location information of content corresponding to the at least one title selected by the user;

a command sending unit configured to send a first type of command configured to cause activation of the browser by the information display device, and to send a second type of command including the specified location information to the information display device; and

a determination unit configured to determine, when a first title is selected by the user, whether the browser, which was previously activated based on a previous transmission of the first type of command, is currently closed or activated,

wherein the command sending unit is configured to, when the first title is selected, send the first type of command at a current time and to send the second type of command including first location information of a first content corresponding to the first title after sending the first type of command at the current time when it is determined that the previously activated browser is currently closed, and

wherein the command sending unit is further configured to, when the first title is selected, send the second type of command including the first location information at the current time without sending the first type of command when it is determined that the previously activated browser is currently activated.

2. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein each time a title is selected from the titles:

the location information specifying unit is configured to specify, from the summarized content information, location information of content corresponding to the selected title, and

the command sending unit is configured to send the second type of command including the location information of the content corresponding to the selected title to the information display device.

3. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein the communication device is further caused to function as:

a request receiving unit configured to receive a first predetermined request from the information display device when it is determined that the previously activated browser is currently closed, the first predetermined request being a request sent from the information display device when the information display device activates the browser as a result of the information display device receiving the first type of command at the current time,

wherein the command sending unit is configured to send the second type of command including the first location information to the information display device as a response to the first predetermined request.

4. The communication device as in claim 3, wherein:

the request receiving unit is further configured to receive a second predetermined request from the information display device, the second predetermined request being a request sent from the information display device when the information display device receives the second type of command including the first location information,

the communication device is further caused to function as a request suspending unit configured to suspend the second predetermined request, and

when a second title is selected after the first title is selected, the command sending unit is configured to further send the second type of command including second location information of a second content corresponding to the second title to the information display device as a response to the suspended second predetermined request.

5. A content display system comprising:

a communication device; and

an information display device configured to be connected with the communication device in a communicable manner, the information display device configured to display contents using a browser,

wherein the communication device comprises;

a first processor; and

a memory that stores a computer program including first instructions that, when executed by the first processor, causes the communication device to function as;

a location information storage unit configured to store location information of summarized content information, the summarized content information including location information of each content and a title of each content;

a summarized content information acquiring unit configured to acquire the summarized content information based on the location information of the summarized content information;

a display control unit configured to cause a display unit to display titles included in the summarized content information;

a title selection allowing unit configured to allow a user to select at least one title from the titles;

a location information specifying unit configured to specify, from the summarized content information, location information of content corresponding to the at least one title selected by the user;

a command sending unit configured to send a first type of command for activating the browser to the information display device, and send a second type of command including the specified location information to the information display device; and

a determination unit configured to determine, when a first title is selected by the user, whether the browser, which had been previously activated in accordance with a previous transmission of the first type of command, is currently closed or activated,

wherein the command sending unit is configured to send the first type of command at a current time and to send the second type of command including first location information of a first content corresponding to the first title after sending the first type of command at the current time when it is determined that the previously activated browser is currently closed, and

wherein the command sending unit is configured to not send the first type of command at the current time and to send the second type of command including the first location information when it is determined that the previously activated browser is currently activated,

wherein the information display device comprises;

a second processor; and

a memory that stores a computer program including second instructions that, when executed by the second processor, causes the information display device to function as;

a command receiving unit configured to receive at least one of the first type of command and the second type of command from the communication device; and

a browser activating unit configured to, when receiving the first type of command at the current time, newly activate the browser to display the first content by using the first location information included in the second type of command,

wherein, when the first type of command is not received at the current time, the browser activating unit is configured to not newly activate the browser even if the second type of command is received.

6. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a communication device to:

store location information of summarized content information, the summarized content information including location information of each content and a title of each content;

acquire the summarized content information based on the location information of the summarized content information;

cause a display unit to display titles included in the summarized content information;

allow a user to select at least one title from the titles; and

specify, from the summarized content information, location information of content corresponding to the at least one title selected by the user,

wherein the communication device is configured to send a first type of command configured to cause activation of a browser by an information display device, and to send a second type of command including the specified location information to the information display device, and

wherein, when a first title is selected by the user, the communication device is further caused to;

determine whether the browser, which was previously activated based on a previous transmission of the first type of command, is currently closed or activated;

send the first type of command at a current time and the second type of command including first location information of a first content corresponding to the first title after sending the first type of command at the current time when it is determined that the previously activated browser is currently closed; and

send the second type of command including the first location information at the current time without sending the first type of command when it is determined that the previously activated browser is currently activated.