Systems and methods for providing a similar offline viewing experience of online web-site content

• US 20070204057A1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Maven Networks, Inc. (theMaven, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaver, Robert, Clogston, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,001,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2405 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the server, e.g. server load allocation of resources in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/50; performance measurement of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention provides a comprehensive development platform and client-side technology for intelligent and cost-effective delivery of video, audio and broadband content over a network, such as the Internet, to desktop, mobile computing, and network connected devices. In one embodiment of the present invention, an intelligent delivery system (IDS) delivers offline content on a client that provides a user experience similar to corresponding content accessed via a network, such as content experienced by a user visiting a web-site on the Internet. Through a background delivery process, the IDS transparently provides offline content automatically to the client. A user may display online content via a browser the first time visiting a content provider, such as a web-site, and from thereafter, the IDS automatically provides a second application to display offline content downloaded from the content provider. The user interface provided by the offline content stored on the client has a substantially similar appearance and behavior to the user interface presented by the online content. Using the second application locally on the client, the user displays and experiences offline content substantially similar to and corresponding to portions of the online content communicated via the Internet. For example, the user may display in the second application a high-definition video from storage of the client in a user interface that is substantially similar to the user interface of the web-site for streaming video.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user experience of content accessed on a client similar to corresponding content accessed via a network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing, by a client, a first user interface having at least a portion communicated via a network;

(b) displaying, by the first user interface, a first set of one or more user interface elements displaying a video media communicated via the network, the first set of one or more user interface elements having an appearance and a behavior;

(c) displaying, by the client, a second user interface provided via content stored in a storage of the client, the second user interface having a second set of one or more user interface elements corresponding and substantially similar to the appearance and behavior of the first set of one or more user interface elements of the first user interface; and

(d) displaying, by the second user interface via the second set of one or more user interface elements, the video media from the content stored in the storage of the client.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying, by a browser, the first user interface, the browser in communication via the network with a server.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying, by an application on the client, the second user interface, the application obtaining content for the second user interface from the storage of the client instead of via the network.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising, displaying by the application, for the second user interface at least one user interface element communicated via the network.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying the second user interface instead of the first user interface in response to a request by a user via an element of the first user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying the second user interface in response to detecting the client is not connected to the network.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising while displaying the first user interface, automatically downloading from a content source the content comprising the video media and the second user interface.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising automatically downloading the content as a background process transparent to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising downloading the video media to the storage of the client as a background process transparent to the user while the first user interface displays the video media on the client communicated via the network.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting, by the user, an element of the first user interface to display the video media in a higher definition of video quality, and invoking, by the first user interface, the second user interface to display the video media from the storage on the client, the video media from the storage providing the higher definition of video quality.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the video media stored in the storage of the client comprises a desired video characteristic not provided by the video media communicated via the network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the desired video characteristic comprises one or more of the following:

a resolution, an aspect ratio, a size, a quality, a bit per pixel, a compression, a frame rate, and a bit rate.

13. A client providing a user experience of content accessed on the client similar to corresponding content accessed via a network, the client comprising:

a first user interface having at least a portion communicated via a network, the first user interface providing a first set of one or more user interface elements displaying a video media communicated via the network, the first set of one or more user interface elements having an appearance and a behavior;

a second user interface provided via content stored in a storage of the client, the second user interface having a second set of one or more user interface elements corresponding and substantially similar to the appearance and behavior of the first set of one or more user interface elements of the first user interface; and

wherein the second user interface displays via the second set of one or more user interface elements the video media from the content stored in the storage of the client.

14. The client of claim 13, comprising a browser displaying the first user interface, the browser in communication via the network with a server.

15. The client of claim 13, comprising an application displaying the second user interface, the application obtaining content for the second user interface from the storage of the client instead of via the network.

16. The client of claim 15, wherein the application displays for the second user interface at least one user interface element communicated via the network.

17. The client of claim 13, wherein the second user interface is displayed instead of the first user interface in response to a request by a user via an element of the first user interface.

18. The client of claim 13, wherein the second user interface is displayed in response to detecting the client is not connected to the network.

19. The client of claim 13, comprising, while displaying the first user interface, a download manager automatically downloading from a content source the content comprising the video media and the second user interface.

20. The client of claim 19, comprising automatically downloading the content as a background process transparent to the user.

21. The client of claim 13, comprising a download manager downloading the video media to the storage of the client as a background process transparent to the user while the first user interface displays the video media on the client communicated via the network.

22. The client of claim 13, wherein the first user interface comprises an element selectable, by the user to display the video media in a higher definition of video quality, and in response to a selection of the element, the first user interface invokes the second user interface to display the video media from the storage on the client, the video media from the storage providing the higher definition of video quality.

23. The client of claim 13, wherein the video media stored in the storage of the client comprises a desired video characteristic not provided by the video media communicated via the network.

24. The client of claim 23, wherein the desired video characteristic comprises one or more of the following:

a resolution, an aspect ratio, a size, a quality, a bit per pixel, a compression, a frame rate, and a bit rate.