User interface system for handheld devices

• US 8,327,297 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Van Valen, Joseph R. III
• Primary Examiner(s): PITARO, RYAN F
• Application Number:
  US11/303,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,545 Days
• Field of Search: 715/864, 715/739
• US Class Current: 715/864
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

One or more handheld devices may be configured to receive and display content. A server may be configured to help the handheld devices display content. For example, by using at least some of the contents of one or more of feeds, the server may generate user interface data, which the handheld devices may use to display user interfaces that are configured to request content associated with the feeds.

Claims

1. A system for providing content from a plurality of feeds to which a user subscribes, the system comprising:

a computing device configured to;

receive user input indicating the user'"'"'s selection of two or more feeds that defines, as a first feed set, a first subset of the plurality of feeds to which the user subscribes, the first subset of feeds including multiple feeds, the first subset of feeds lacking at least one feed of the plurality of feeds to which the user subscribes; and

to transmit the definition of the first feed set;

a server configured to;

receive, from the computing device, the definition of the first feed set;

assign a first feed set identifier to the first feed set;

associate the first feed set identifier, which is assigned to the first feed set, with a user identifier assigned to the user;

associate a second feed set identifier with the user identifier assigned to the user, the second feed set identifier being assigned to a second subset of the plurality of feeds to which the user subscribes, the second subset of feeds including multiple feeds, the second subset of feeds lacking at least one feed of the plurality of feeds to which the user subscribes; and

send data indicating the first and second feed sets; and

a handheld device configured to;

receive the data indicating the first and second feed sets;

display, on a user interface of the handheld device, the first and second feed sets;

receive, through the user interface of the handheld device, user input indicating a selection of the first feed set displayed on the user interface;

send data indicating the selection of the first feed set to the server;

receive, from the server, a mark-up language document that includes content derived from at least one feed entry from each feed of the selected first feed set; and

display, on the user interface of the handheld device, the mark-up language document that includes the content derived from at least one feed entry from each feed of the selected feed set.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein the content derived from at least one feed entry from each feed of the selected first feed set comprises:

at least one link from at least one feed entry from each feed from the selected first feed set, such that the displayed markup-language document includes the at least one link from each feed from the selected first feed set.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein the content derived from at least one feed entry from each feed of the selected first feed set comprises:

at least one link and one headline from at least one feed entry from each feed from the selected first feed set, such that the displayed markup-language document includes the at least one link and one headline from each feed from the selected first feed set.

4. A method for providing content from a plurality of feeds to which a user subscribes, the method comprising:

by a server;

receiving, from a computing device, a definition of a first feed set, wherein the computing device received user input indicating the user'"'"'s selection of two or more feeds that defined, as the first feed set, a first subset of the plurality of feeds to which the user subscribes, the first subset of feeds including multiple feeds, the first subset of feeds lacking at least one feed of the plurality of feeds to which the user subscribes;

assigning a first feed set identifier to the first feed set;

associating the first feed set identifier, which is assigned to the first feed set, with a user identifier assigned to the user;

associating a second feed set identifier with the user identifier assigned to the user, the second feed set identifier being assigned to a second subset of the plurality of feeds to which the user subscribes, the second subset of feeds including multiple feeds, the second subset of feeds lacking at least one feed of the plurality of feeds to which the user subscribes; and

sending data indicating the first and second feed sets to a handheld device that is configured to;

receive the data indicating the first and second feed sets;

display, on a user interface of the handheld device, the first and second feed sets;

receive, through the user interface of the handheld device, user input indicating a selection of the first feed set displayed on the user interface;

send data indicating the selection of the first feed set to the server;

receive, from the server, a markup-language document that includes content derived from at least one feed entry from each feed of the selected first feed set; and

display, on the user interface of the handheld device, the markup-language document that includes the content derived from at least one feed entry from each feed of the selected first feed set.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the content derived from at least one feed entry from each feed of the selected first feed set comprises:

at least one link from at least one feed entry from each feed from the selected first feed set, such that the displayed markup-language document includes the at least one link from each feed from the selected first feed set.

6. The method as in claim 4, wherein the content derived from at least one feed entry from each feed of the selected first feed set comprises:

at least one link and one headline from at least one feed entry from each feed from the selected first feed set, such that the displayed markup-language document includes the at least one link and one headline from each feed from the selected first feed set.

7. A system for providing content from a plurality of feeds to which a user subscribes, the system comprising:

a server configured to;

receive, from a computing device, a definition of a first feed set, wherein the computing device received user input indicating the user'"'"'s selection of two or more feeds that defined, as the first feed set, a first subset of the plurality of feeds to which the user subscribes, the first subset of feeds including multiple feeds, the first subset of feeds lacking at least one feed of the plurality of feeds to which the user subscribes;

assign a first feed set identifier to the first feed set;

associate the first feed set identifier, which is assigned to the first feed set, with a user identifier assigned to the user;

associate a second feed set identifier with the user identifier assigned to the user, the second feed set identifier being assigned to a second subset of the plurality of feeds to which the user subscribes, the second subset of feeds including multiple feeds, the second subset of feeds lacking at least one feed of the plurality of feeds to which the user subscribes; and

send data indicating the first and second feed sets to a handheld device that is configured to;

receive the data indicating the first and second feed sets;

display, on a user interface of the handheld device, the first and second feed sets;

receive, through the user interface of the handheld device, user input indicating a selection of the first feed set displayed on the user interface;

send data indicating the selection of the first feed set to the server;

receive, from the server, a markup-language document that includes content derived from at least one feed entry from each feed of the selected first feed set; and

display, on the user interface of the handheld device, the markup-language document that includes the content derived from at least one feed entry from each feed of the selected first feed set.

8. The system as in claim 7, wherein the content derived from at least one feed entry from each feed of the selected first feed set comprises:

at least one link from at least one feed entry from each feed from the selected first feed set, such that the displayed markup-language document includes the at least one link from each feed from the selected first feed set.

9. The system as in claim 7, wherein the content derived from at least one feed entry from each feed of the selected first feed set comprises:

at least one link and one headline from at least one feed entry from each feed from the selected first feed set, such that the displayed markup-language document includes the at least one link and one headline from each feed from the selected first feed set.