System and Method of Inter-Widget Communication

• US 20090070409A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Victor, Martinez, Ron, Athsani, Athellina, Clayton, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A method and apparatus enabling inter-widget communication and control uses a central server to receive selected widgets and settings associated with at least one widget, wherein the received settings are used to at least partly determine the settings of the other selected widgets according to a pre-defined relationship between or among the widgets.

Claims

1. A method of inter-widget communication and control, said method comprising:

receiving a selection comprising a plurality of widgets, and widget settings associated with at least a first of the plurality of widgets;

applying the widget settings associated with the at least first widget to widget settings associated with at least a second of the plurality of widgets, wherein the widget settings associated with the at least first widget at least partly determine the widget settings associated with the at least second widget;

sending information requests to servers associated with each of the plurality of widgets; and

receiving widget data for each of the plurality of widgets in response to the information requests.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the widget settings define the information to be conveyed by at least one of the plurality of widgets.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the received widget data is received by a user device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the selection is received by the user device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of widgets share a common theme.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the received widget data to the plurality of widgets.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the widget settings associated with the at least first widget control the widget settings associated with the at least second widget.

8. A method of controlling when widgets are displayed, as a function of when their display is requested, said method comprising:

assigning at least one of a plurality of widgets to a widget group;

defining a durational period to display the widget group; and

determining whether the widget group should be displayed in response to a display request.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the durational period comprises a start date and an end date.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said determining checks whether a date associated with the display request is within the start date and end date.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the durational period further comprises a frequency value.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the frequency value comprises a start time and an end time.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the widget group is displayed if the date associated with the display request is within the durational period and the frequency value.

14. (canceled)

15. A system for enabling inter-widget communication and control, said system comprising;

at least one server receiving a selection comprising a plurality of widgets and providing information requests related to the plurality of widgets; and

at least one widget server configured to respond to the information requests;

wherein the at least one server further receives widget settings associated with at least a first of the plurality of widgets;

the at least one server applies the widget settings associated with the at least first widget to widget settings associated with at least a second of the plurality of widgets, wherein the widget settings associated with the at least first widget at least partly determine the widget settings associated with the at least second widget; and

the at least one server receives widget data for each of the plurality of widgets in response to the information requests.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the widget settings define the information to be conveyed by at least one of the plurality of widgets.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the received widget data is received by a user device.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the at least one server is a user device.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the server is configured to transmit the received widget data to the plurality of widgets.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein the widget settings associated with the at least first widget control the widget settings associated with the at least second widget.

19. (canceled)

22. A system for controlling when widgets are displayed, as a function of when their display is requested, said system comprising:

at least one server for receiving the assignment of at least one of a plurality of widgets to a widget group;

wherein the at least one server further receives a durational period to display the widget group; and

the at least one server determines whether the widget group should be displayed in response to a display request.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the durational period comprises a start date and an end date.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the at least one server checks whether a date associated with the display request is within the start date and end date.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the durational period further comprises a frequency value.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the frequency value comprises a start time and an end time.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the widget group is displayed if the date associated with the display request is within the durational period and the frequency value.

28. (canceled)