Program guide application interface system
First Claim
1. A method for allowing a plurality of applications, each implemented on user equipment and associated with a resource requirement, to assume control of the user equipment, wherein one of the plurality of applications is an interactive program guide, the method comprising:
- receiving, with a control request processor, a control request from a requesting application, wherein the requesting application is one of the plurality of applications;
comparing a first plurality of buttons associated with an active mode of the requesting application with a second plurality of buttons associated with an active mode of a second application of the plurality of applications;
determining, with the control request processor and without user input, whether any button in the first plurality of buttons is included in the second plurality of buttons; and
transferring control of the user equipment to the requesting application in response to determining that none of the first plurality of buttons is included in the second plurality of buttons.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A program guide system is provided that supports a program guide application and multiple non-guide applications. The program guide system has a program guide application interface that allows the non-guide applications to use both device resources and program guide resources. The application interface maintains a list of registered applications and directs control requests from various applications to the current primary application. The application interface also has a user interface input director that directs keystrokes and other user input commands to the appropriate application. If a keystroke for the program guide application is detected while a non-guide application is running, the program guide application is invoked.
266 Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A method for allowing a plurality of applications, each implemented on user equipment and associated with a resource requirement, to assume control of the user equipment, wherein one of the plurality of applications is an interactive program guide, the method comprising:
-
receiving, with a control request processor, a control request from a requesting application, wherein the requesting application is one of the plurality of applications; comparing a first plurality of buttons associated with an active mode of the requesting application with a second plurality of buttons associated with an active mode of a second application of the plurality of applications; determining, with the control request processor and without user input, whether any button in the first plurality of buttons is included in the second plurality of buttons; and transferring control of the user equipment to the requesting application in response to determining that none of the first plurality of buttons is included in the second plurality of buttons. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A system for allowing a plurality of applications, each implemented on user equipment and associated with a resource requirement, to assume control of the user equipment, wherein one of the plurality of applications is an interactive program guide, the system comprising:
a control request processor configured to; receive a control request from a requesting application, wherein the requesting application is one of the plurality of applications; compare a first plurality of buttons associated with an active mode of the requesting application with a second plurality of buttons associated with an active mode of a second application of the plurality of applications; determine, without user input, whether any button in the first plurality of buttons is included in the second plurality of buttons; and transfer control of the user equipment to the requesting application in response to determining that none of the first plurality of buttons is included in the second plurality of buttons. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
Specification