System and method for providing update information

• US 9,350,950 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2009
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Carden, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US12/647,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20100121983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,343 Days
• Field of Search: 709230-232, 709/236, 709/246, 709/237, 709/229, 709217-219, 709/203, 705/14.53, 705/14.49, 705/14.4, 705/14.25, 705/14.1, 715/763, 715/771, 715/772, 715764-769
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2179 Interfaces allowing access to a plurality of users, e.g. connection to electronic image libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2191 for simultaneous, independent access by a plurality of different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and a method for providing update information. The system includes a client computer which is operably connected to a program information server. The program information server maintains one or more program information items. The system also includes a program selection server which allows the user to select which of the program information items are to be viewed by the user. Based upon a dynamically adjustable polling period, the client computer requests the program information server to provide the client computer new program information items. The program information items include one or more media items that may be selected for viewing by a user positioned at the client computer. The client computer provides a newness indicator to the user, the newness indicator indicating to the user when one or more items of the media content is new and has not been previously viewed by the user.

Claims

1. At least one handheld computer capable of communicating with at least one remote server via an Internet network, the at least one handheld computer comprising:

a display;

the at least one handheld computer capable of storing program instructions that when executed by the at least one handheld computer, result in the at least one handheld computer being capable of performing operations comprising;

displaying, by the display, at least one user selectable graphical element associated with at least one content item that is capable of being transmitted via the Internet network for delivery to the at least one handheld computer using the at least one remote server based upon at least one request, user selection of the at least one user selectable graphical element to result, at least in part, in accessing of the at least one content item via the Internet network, the at least one graphical element to identify at least one provider of the at least one content item;

displaying, by the display, if the at least one content item has not yet been accessed at the at least one handheld computer, at least one indicator associated with the at least one graphical element, availability of content items for network transmission via the Internet network to the at least one handheld computer being capable of being determined at periodic polling time intervals having a frequency that is programmable and adjustable, the at least one content item having an associated changeable expiration time; and

displaying, by the display, data in a presentation area, the data being related to the at least one content item;

the at least one handheld computer being associated with a Unix operating system.

2. The at least one handheld computer of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one indicator is located on the at least one graphical element; and

the at least one indicator comprises a circle.

3. The at least one handheld computer of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one indicator is located on the at least one graphical element; and

the at least one indicator comprises highlighted text.

4. The at least one handheld computer of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one handheld computer is to poll for the availability.

5. The at least one handheld computer of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one content item comprises at least one media content item; and

the at least one provider comprises at least one of;

a book provider;

a broadcaster;

a newspaper provider;

a streaming content provider; and

an educational services provider.

6. The at least one handheld computer of claim 5, wherein:

the at least one media content item comprises at least one of;

audio content;

video content;

current news event content;

advertisement content;

cultural event content;

entertainment content;

sports content;

movie content;

stock information;

pricing information;

cartoon content;

animation content;

graphics content; and

streaming media content.

7. The at least one handheld computer of claim 1, wherein:

transmission of the at least one content item is requested based upon the user selection.

8. The at least one handheld computer of claim 7, wherein:

the user selection comprises selecting the at least one graphical element.

9. Storage storing instructions that when executed by at least one machine results in performance of operations comprising:

displaying, by a display of at least one handheld computer, at least one user selectable graphical element associated with at least one content item that is capable of being transmitted via an Internet network for delivery to the at least one handheld computer using at least one remote server based upon at least one request, user selection of the at least one user selectable graphical element to result, at least in part, in accessing of the at least one content item via the Internet network, the at least one graphical element being to identify at least one provider of the at least one content item;

displaying, by the display, if the at least one content item has not yet been accessed at the at least one handheld computer, at least one indicator associated with the at least one graphical element, availability of content items for network transmission via the Internet network to the at least one handheld computer being capable of being determined at periodic polling time intervals having a frequency that is programmable and adjustable, the at least one content item having an associated changeable expiration time; and

displaying, by the display, data in a presentation area, the data being related to the at least one content item;

the at least one handheld computer being associated with a Unix operating system.

10. The storage of claim 9, wherein:

the at least one indicator is located on the at least one graphical element; and

the at least one indicator comprises a circle.

11. The storage of claim 9, wherein:

the at least one indicator is located on the at least one graphical element; and

the at least one indicator comprises highlighted text.

12. The storage of claim 9, wherein:

the at least one handheld computer is to poll for the availability.

13. The storage of claim 9, wherein:

the at least one content item comprises at least one media content item; and

the at least one provider comprises at least one of;

a book provider;

a broadcaster;

a newspaper provider;

a streaming content provider; and

an educational services provider.

14. The storage of claim 13, wherein:

the at least one media content item comprises at least one of;

audio content;

video content;

current news event content;

advertisement content;

cultural event content;

entertainment content;

sports content;

movie content;

stock information;

pricing information;

cartoon content;

animation content;

graphics content; and

streaming media content.

15. The storage of claim 9, wherein:

transmission of the at least one content item is requested based upon the user selection.

16. The storage of claim 15, wherein:

the user selection comprises selecting the at least one graphical element.