System and method for enabling content aggregation by user proximity

• US 20100312857A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Macrovision Solutions Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ehlers, Geoff
• Application Number:
  US12/455,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20100312857A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method for enabling content aggregation by user proximity are disclosed. The apparatus and method in an example embodiment includes: obtaining available content listing information identifying particular items of content available from a plurality of content sources; determining a physical location corresponding to each of the plurality of content sources; determining a physical proximity of the particular items of content to a user based on the physical location corresponding to each of the plurality of content sources and a location of the user; arranging the content listing information according to the physical proximity of the particular items of content to the user; and presenting a view to the user showing the arranged content listing information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining available content listing information identifying particular items of content available from a plurality of content sources;

determining a physical location corresponding to each of the plurality of content sources;

determining a physical proximity of the particular items of content to a user based on the physical location corresponding to each of the plurality of content sources and a location of the user;

arranging the content listing information according to the physical proximity of the particular items of content to the user; and

presenting a view to the user showing the arranged content listing information.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of content sources is a USB storage device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of content sources is a wireless 802.11 device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of content sources is a Bluetooth device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further including partitioning the content listing information into physical proximity levels that are discernible to a user via a user interface.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the view includes a plurality of concentric circles representing a partitioning of the content listing information into a corresponding plurality of physical proximity levels.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the view includes a plurality of linear partition boundaries representing a partitioning of the content listing information into a corresponding plurality of physical proximity levels.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a content manager having a data network interface, the content manager being configured to;

obtain available content listing information identifying particular items of content available from a plurality of content sources;

determine a physical location corresponding to each of the plurality of content sources;

determine a physical proximity of the particular items of content to a user based on the physical location corresponding to each of the plurality of content sources and a location of the user;

arrange the content listing information according to the physical proximity of the particular items of content to the user; and

present a view to the user showing the arranged content listing information.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein at least one of the plurality of content sources is a USB storage device.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein at least one of the plurality of content sources is a wireless 802.11 device.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein at least one of the plurality of content sources is a Bluetooth device.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 being further configured to partition the content listing information into physical proximity levels that are discernible to a user via a user interface.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the view includes a plurality of concentric circles representing a partitioning of the content listing information into a corresponding plurality of physical proximity levels.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the view includes a plurality of linear partition boundaries representing a partitioning of the content listing information into a corresponding plurality of physical proximity levels.

15. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-readable storage medium having machine executable instructions embedded thereon, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

obtain available content listing information identifying particular items of content available from a plurality of content sources;

determine a physical location corresponding to each of the plurality of content sources;

determine a physical proximity of the particular items of content to a user based on the physical location corresponding to each of the plurality of content sources and a location of the user;

arrange the content listing information according to the physical proximity of the particular items of content to the user; and

present a view to the user showing the arranged content listing information.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein at least one of the plurality of content sources is a USB storage device.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein at least one of the plurality of content sources is a wireless 802.11 device.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein at least one of the plurality of content sources is a Bluetooth device.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 15 being further configured to partition the content listing information into physical proximity levels that are discernible to a user via a user interface.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the view includes a plurality of concentric circles representing a partitioning of the content listing information into a corresponding plurality of physical proximity levels.

21. A user interface for presentation of content from a plurality of sources, the user interface being executable by a processor with a data network interface, the user interface comprising:

a list of available content, the list for listing information identifying particular items of content available from a plurality of content sources;

an indicator of a physical proximity of the particular items of content to a user based on a physical location corresponding to each of the plurality of content sources and a location of the user; and

an arrangement of the content listing information according to the physical proximity of the particular items of content to the user,

wherein the user interface presents a view to the user showing the arranged content listing information, the view comprising a plurality of concentric rings corresponding to an estimated proximity to the user of the presented content items.

22. The user interface of claim 21, wherein the estimated proximity for each content item comprises at least one of:

a predetermination of the proximity to the user, the predetermination stored for presentation to the user; and

an on-the-fly determination of the proximity to the user, the on-the-fly determination performed at the time of presentation to the user.

23. The user interface of claim 21, wherein the plurality of content sources comprises at least one of a local storage device, and a wireless device.