Method for providing widgets and TV using the same

• US 8,589,981 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2009
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2008
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-hee, Kwon, Yong-hwan, Lee, Dong-heon, Park, Mi-ju, Kim, Won-il, Yoon, Yeo-ri
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Kieu Oanh T
• Application Number:
  US12/396,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20100011394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,722 Days
• Field of Search: 725/61, 725/53
• US Class Current: 725/53
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

A method for providing widgets and a TV using the same are disclosed. The method for providing widgets includes searching for widgets related to a certain keyword or a broadcast program among widgets provided by a plurality of content providers, and displaying the searched widgets on a widget search list classified according to content provider. A user can thereby search for and use the widgets provided from various content providers more easily.

Claims

1. A method for providing dynamic content in an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a search inquiry for searching a plurality of dynamic contents provided by a plurality of content providers, wherein at least one of the plurality of dynamic contents is user-interactive and automatically changes over time;

searching for a dynamic content related to the search inquiry among the plurality of dynamic contents; and

displaying a search result in a dynamic content search list, the dynamic content search list including a plurality of searched dynamic contents, each searched dynamic content being identified with a corresponding content provider,

wherein the dynamic content search list is divided into a plurality of areas, each area being associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of searched dynamic contents.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

selecting at least one dynamic content from the displayed dynamic content search list;

receiving a dynamic content from a content provider corresponding to the selected dynamic content; and

displaying the received dynamic content on a screen.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the displaying the received dynamic content comprises, if two or more dynamic contents are selected, displaying the two or more selected dynamic contents together.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the two or more selected dynamic contents display content on a same subject.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

displaying content information received from the content providers on the dynamic contents by using applications of the content providers corresponding to the selected dynamic contents from among a plurality of applications respectively corresponding to the plurality of content providers.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the dynamic contents is displayed simultaneously with a television broadcast image.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the dynamic contents partially overlaps the television broadcast image.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dynamic content search list is displayed with dynamic contents images searched for each item.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the search inquiry is related to a subject of the dynamic contents provided by the plurality of content providers.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dynamic contents provided by the plurality of content providers include at least one of image widgets, music widgets, VOD widgets, news widgets, weather widgets, stocks widgets, map widgets, and web page widgets.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the search inquiry is a keyword input or selected by a user or is a preset keyword.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dynamic contents are provided by IPTV services.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is incorporated in an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) set-top.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is incorporated in a television.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dynamic contents are generated by the television receiving device.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dynamic contents are received from the content provider.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the searching for the dynamic contents are performed from the stored dynamic contents in the electronic receiving device.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the searching for the dynamic contents is performed from the dynamic contents available on the Internet.

19. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dynamic content search list visually indicates an identification of the content provider for the corresponding dynamic contents.

20. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the search inquiry comprises a search text.

21. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the search inquiry is associated with a content being viewed by a user.

22. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dynamic content comprises a widget.

23. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of at least one dynamic content in the dynamic content search list; and

displaying the at least one selected dynamic content at a user defined area of a display screen of the electronic device.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the dynamic content is displayed in an area that does not interrupt a display of contents on the display screen of the electronic device.

25. An electronic receiving device, comprising:

a receiving unit which receives a search inquiry for searching a plurality of dynamic contents provided by a plurality of content providers, wherein at least one of the plurality of dynamic contents is user-interactive and automatically changes over time; and

a control unit which searches for a dynamic content related to the search inquiry from among the plurality of dynamic contents and displays a search result in a dynamic content search list, the dynamic content search list including a plurality of searched dynamic contents, each searched dynamic content being identified with a corresponding content provider,

wherein the dynamic content search list is divided into a plurality of areas, each area being associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of searched dynamic contents.

26. The television receiving device as claimed in claim 25, wherein if at least one of the dynamic contents is selected from the displayed dynamic content search list, the control unit receives dynamic contents from content providers corresponding to the selected dynamic contents and controls the received dynamic contents to be displayed on a screen.

27. The television receiving device as claimed in claim 26, wherein if two or more dynamic contents are selected, the control unit controls the two or more selected dynamic contents to be displayed together.

28. The television receiving device as claimed in claim 27, wherein the two or more selected dynamic contents display content on a same subject.

29. The television receiving device as claimed in claim 26, wherein the control unit displays content information received from the content providers on the dynamic contents by using applications of the content providers corresponding to the selected dynamic contents from among a plurality of applications respectively corresponding to the plurality of content providers.

30. The television receiving device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the dynamic content search list is displayed with dynamic contents images searched for each item.

31. The television receiving device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the search inquiry is related to subjects of the dynamic contents provided by the plurality of content providers.

32. The television receiving device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the dynamic contents include at least one of image widgets, music widgets, VOD widgets, news widgets, weather widgets, stock widgets, map widgets, and web page widgets.

33. The television receiving device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the search inquiry is a keyword input by a user.

34. The television receiving device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the dynamic contents are provided by Internet Protocol television (IPTV) services.

35. The television receiving device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the search inquiry is a keyword selected from a list provided by the control unit.

36. The television receiving device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the search inquiry is a preset keyword provided by the control unit.

37. A method for providing dynamic content in an electronic receiving device, the method comprising:

receiving a search inquiry for searching a plurality dynamic contents provided by at least one content provider, wherein at least one of the plurality of dynamic contents is user-interactive and automatically changes over time;

searching for a dynamic content related to the search inquiry or a television program among the plurality of dynamic contents; and

displaying a search result in a dynamic content search list, the dynamic content search list including a plurality of searched dynamic contents, each searched dynamic content being identified with a corresponding content provider,

wherein the dynamic content search list is divided into a plurality of areas, each area being associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of searched dynamic contents.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the method is incorporated in an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) set-top.

39. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the method is incorporated in a television.

40. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the dynamic contents are generated by the electronic receiving device.

41. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the dynamic contents are received from the at least one content provider.

42. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the searching for the dynamic contents is performed from dynamic contents stored in the electronic receiving device.

43. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the searching for the dynamic contents is performed from dynamic contents available on the Internet.

44. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the dynamic content search list visually indicates an identification of the content provider for the corresponding dynamic content.

45. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the dynamic content is caused to be displayed simultaneously with a television broadcast image.

46. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the dynamic content partially overlaps a television broadcast image.

47. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the at least one content provider comprises a plurality of content providers, and

wherein the searching for the dynamic contents is performed from the plurality of content providers and a resulting list of the dynamic contents is displayed,

wherein dynamic contents in the displayed dynamic content search list are classified according to the plurality of the content providers.