Method and system for controlling a complementary user interface on a display surface

• US 6,630,943 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2000
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ostendo Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: xSides Corporation
• Inventors: Warnock, James, Brooks, Phillip, Nason, D. David, Kaan, Carson, Campbell, J. Scott, Easton, John, OʼRourke, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US09/666,032
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 345/746, 345/744, 345/778, 345/764, 345/779, 345/760, 345/788, 345/790-792, 345/717-718, 345/733, 345/742, 345/745, 345/748-749, 345/520, 345/541, 345/543-544, 345/698, 345/204, 709/328, 709/323-324, 709/321, 725/133, 725/109-110, 725/51, 725/40
• US Class Current: 715/746
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 1/16 the pattern of rectangular co-ordinates extending over the whole area of the screen, i.e. television type raster
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 1/165 Details of a display terminal using a CRT, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto details suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/003; specific for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0232 Special driving of display border areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/027 Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

An alternate display content controller provides a technique for controlling a video display separately from and in addition to the content displayed on the operating system display surface. Where the display is a computer monitor, the alternate display content controller interacts with the computer utility operating system and hardware drivers to control allocation of display space and create and control one or more parallel graphical user interfaces adjacent the operating system desktop. An alternate display content controller may be incorporated in either hardware or software. As software, an alternate display content controller may be an application running on the computer operating system, or may include an operating system kernel of varying complexity ranging from dependent on the utility operating system for hardware system services to a parallel system independent of the utility operating system and capable of supporting dedicated applications. The alternate display content controller may also include content and operating software delivered over the internet or any other LAN. The alternate display content controller may also be included in a television decoder/settop box to permit two or more parallel graphical user interfaces to be displayed simultaneously.

Claims

1. A method for modifying the display of a secondary user interface on a video display system to include a portal area, the video display system having a total displayable area that includes a first region and a second region, the first region controlled by a computer operating system which presents a user interface that occupies at least a portion of the first region, the second region located outside of the first region and outside of the control of the operating system, the secondary user interface being displayed in the second region, comprising:

upon receiving an indication to display a portal area;

increasing the size of the second region by reallocating the total displayable area between the first region and the second region, such that the first region decreases in size in a manner that is transparent to the operating system;

allocating a first portion of the enlarged second region to the secondary user interface and a second portion to the portal area;

redisplaying the secondary user interface in the first portion of the enlarged second region;

determining an indication of content to display in the portal area; and

loading and displaying the indicated content in the portal area.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is a user interface for a personal information management system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the personal information management system includes a calendar for scheduling events.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is an html-based image.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is an application that communicates over a network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the network is the Internet.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is a user interface for instant messaging.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is an advertisement.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is a user interface for an electronic mail application.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area contains textual or graphical information.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is an application that invokes a programming interface of the code that controls the second region to modify characteristics of the second region.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is an electronic program guide.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically determining a component of the secondary user interface that is potentially new or updated;

integrating the determined component into the secondary user interface.

14. A device for modifying the display of a secondary user interface on a video display system to include a portal area, the video display system having a total displayable area that includes a first region and a second region, the first region controlled by a computer operating system which presents a user interface that occupies at least a portion of the first region, the second region located outside of the first region and outside of the control of the operating system, the secondary user interface being displayed in the second region, comprising:

a display adjustment mechanism that, upon receiving an indication to display a portal area, increases the size of the second region by reallocating the total displayable area between the first region and the second region, such that the first region decreases in size in a manner that is transparent to the operating system;

a region allocation system that allocates a first portion of the enlarged second region to the secondary user interface and a second portion to the portal area causing the secondary user interface to be redisplayed in the first portion of the enlarged second region; and

a portal management system that determines an indication of content to display in the portal area and loads and displays the indicated content in the portal area.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is a user interface for a personal information management system.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the personal information management system includes a calendar for scheduling events.

17. The device of claim 14 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is an html-based image.

18. The device of claim 14 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is an application that communicates over a network.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein the network is the Internet.

20. The device of claim 14 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is a user interface for instant messaging.

21. The device of claim 14 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is an advertisement.

22. The device of claim 14 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is a user interface for an electronic mail application.

23. The device of claim 14 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area contains textual or graphical information.

24. The device of claim 14 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is an application that invokes a programming interface of the code that controls the second region to modify characteristics of the second region.

25. The device of claim 14 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is an electronic program guide.

26. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

a user interface merge facility that dynamically determines a component of the secondary user interface that is potentially new or updated and integrates the determined component into the secondary user interface.

27. A computer readable memory medium containing instructions for controlling a computer processor to modify the display of a secondary user interface on a video display system to include a portal area, the video display system having a total displayable area that includes a first region and a second region, the first region controlled by a computer operating system which presents a user interface that occupies at least a portion of the first region, the second region located outside of the first region and outside of the control of the operating system, the secondary user interface being displayed in the second region, by:

upon receiving an indication to display a portal area;

increasing the size of the second region by reallocating the total displayable area between the first region and the second region, such that the first region decreases in size in a manner that is transparent to the operating system;

allocating a first portion of the enlarged second region to the secondary user interface and a second portion to the portal area;

redisplaying the secondary user interface in the first portion of the enlarged second region;

determining an indication of content to display in the portal area; and

loading and displaying the indicated content in the portal area.

28. The computer readable memory medium of claim 27 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is a user interface for a personal information management system.

29. The computer readable memory medium of claim 28 wherein the personal information management system includes a calendar for scheduling events.

30. The computer readable memory medium of claim 27 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is an html-based image.

31. The computer readable memory medium of claim 27 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is an application that communicates over a net work.

32. The computer readable memory medium of claim 31 wherein the network is the Internet.

33. The computer readable memory medium of claim 27 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is a user interface for instant messaging.

34. The computer readable memory medium of claim 27 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is an advertisement.

35. The computer readable memory medium of claim 27 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is a user interface for an electronic mail application.

36. The computer readable memory medium of claim 27 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area contains textual or graphical information.

37. The computer readable memory medium of claim 27 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is an application that invokes a programming interface of the code that controls the second region to modify characteristics of the second region.

38. The computer readable memory medium of claim 27 wherein the content that is loaded and displayed in the portal area is an electronic program guide.

39. The computer readable memory medium of claim 27, further comprising instructions for controlling the computer processor by:

dynamically determining a component of the secondary user interface that is potentially new or updated;

integrating the determined component into the secondary user interface.