System and method for providing update information

• US 7,650,423 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: RealNetworks, Inc.
• Inventors: Carden, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter; Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US11/344,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 709/237, 709/224, 709/228, 709/230, 709/203, 710/220, 725/50, 725/39
• US Class Current: 709/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2179 Interfaces allowing access to a plurality of users, e.g. connection to electronic image libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2191 for simultaneous, independent access by a plurality of different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and a method for providing update information. The system includes a client computer which is operably connected to a program information server. The program information server maintains one or more program information items. The system also includes a program selection server which allows the user to select which of the program information items are to viewed by the user. Based upon a dynamically adjustable polling period, the client computer requests the program information server to provide the client computer new program information items. The program information items include one or more media items that may be selected for viewing by a user positioned at the client computer. The client computer provides a newness indicator to the user, the newness indicator indicating to the user when one or more items of the media content is new and has not been previously viewed by the user.

Claims

1. A server comprising:

an element, executing on a processor, operable to receive a request from a client for one or more new content indicators and/or one or more new content information items;

said element further operable to determine, in response to said request, new polling time information for the client, said new polling time information to indicate to the client a time to request that one or more content indicators be transmitted by the server to said client; and

said element further operable to transmit the determined new polling time information from said server to said client, wherein said determined polling time information is to be used by said client for requesting and displaying new content indicators and/or new content information items.

2. The server of claim 1, and further comprising a second element to transmit the requested one or more new content indicators and/or the requested one or more new content information items to said client.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein said element comprises a first element, and further comprising a second element to determine the new polling time information at least in part from the content of the request for the one or more new content indicators and/or the one or more new content information items.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein said element comprises a first element, and further comprising a second element operable to transmit the determined polling time information via a telephone line.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein said element comprises a first element, and further comprising a second element operable to transmit the determined polling time information via a high bandwidth connection.

6. A method of adjusting communication between a remote device and a client device, the method comprising:

executing the method on a processor of said remote device comprising;

assessing one or more network conditions;

determining updated polling time information based at least in part upon the assessed one or more network conditions, the determined polling time information to indicate to said client device one or more times to transmit a request indicating that one or more content indicators be transmitted by said remote device to said client device, said one or more content indicators comprising information at least in part relating to one or more media items;

sending the determined polling time information from the remote device to the client device, so that said client device can determine a length of time between one or more requests based at least in part upon the determined polling time information;

intermittently receiving said one or more requests for one or more content indicators and/or one or more media items at the remote device from the client device;

determining, in response to said one or more requests, newly undated polling time information; and

transmitting said newly undated polling time information and media items to said client device for display in response to said one or more requests.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more media items comprise news information.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more media items comprise sports information.

9. An article comprising:

a computer readable media having instructions stored thereon that if executed by a client device enable said client device to;

receive updated polling time information that indicates to said client device when to intermittently request one or more content indictors and/or one or more content data items be transmitted by a remote device to said client device;

intermittently request from the remote device, based at least in part upon the received polling time information, that the remote device transmit at least an additional content indicator and/or content data item to said client device;

receive, in response to said request, newly undated polling time information;

receive the additional content indicator and/or content data item and/or a uniform resource locator (URL) indicating the address or location of other information related to the content data item; and

display the received content indicator and/or content data item and information corresponding to the URL related thereto.

10. The article of claim 9, having further instructions stored thereon that if executed by said client device enable said client device to:

receive a signal indicating a selection of said URL; and

request additional content data from a second remote device in response to receiving said signal.

11. A client device, comprising:

an element, executing on a processor, operable to receive updated polling time information from a server, said updated polling time information to indicate to said client device one or more times to transmit a request indicating that one or more content indicators relating at least in part to one or more new content information items be transmitted by said server to said client device;

said element further operable to intermittently request said server to transmit said one or more content indicators to said client device, wherein said element is further operable to use the received polling time information to determine a time to request said one or more content indicators;

said element further operable to receive, in response to said request, newly updated polling time information from said server; and

said element further operable to receive said one or more content indicators and/or one or more new content information items and to display the new content information items at least in part in response to a user request.

12. The client device of claim 11, and further comprising a second element operable to receive said updated polling time information via a telephone line.

13. The client device of claim 11, and further comprising a second element operable to receive the updated polling time information via high bandwidth connection.

14. The client device of claim 11, additionally comprising a processor operable to execute said element.

15. A method of transferring content data items between a client device and a remote device comprising:

executing the method on a processor of said client device comprising;

receiving, at said client device, updated polling time information from the remote device that at least in part indicates to said client device one or more times to intermittently request that at least one content data item be transmitted by the remote device to said client device;

intermittently transmitting a request to the remote device to indicate to the remote device to transmit one or more additional content data items to said client device, the transmission of the request being based at least in part upon the received polling time information, wherein at least one of said intermittent requests results in receiving, at said client device, newly undated polling time information;

receiving the one or more additional content data items and/or a uniform resource locator (URL) related to the address or location of one or more other content data items and/or other information related to the at least one content data item; and

displaying the received content data items, a URL related to the content data items, and/or information relating to the URL.

16. The method of claim 15, and further comprising storing said updated polling time information at said client device.

17. The method of claim 15, and further comprising receiving said updated polling time information via a telecommunication line.

18. The method of claim 15, and further comprising receiving said updated polling time information via a high bandwidth connection.

19. The method of claim 15, and further comprising:

receiving further updated polling time information that at least in part indicates to said client device one or more times to intermittently request that at least an additional content data item be transmitted by the remote device to said client device, said further updated polling time information based at least in part on one or more parameters of said remote device; and

intermittently determining whether said remote device has new content data items available for transmission to said client device, the determining based at least in part upon said one or more times indicated by the further updated polling time information.

20. A method comprising:

executing the method on a processor of a remote device comprising;

receiving, at said remote device, a request to update a client device with program information items;

sending, in response to said request to update said client device with program information items, an updated polling time indicator from said remote device to said client device, said updated polling time indicator indicating to said client device one or more times to request that program information items be transmitted by said remote device to said client device, wherein said program information items comprise information at least in part relating to one or more media items;

intermittently determining at said remote device whether new media items are available, wherein a time for said determining is based at least in part upon said one or more times indicated by said updated polling time indicator; and

transmitting new media items and/or at least in part related program information items for display or rendering on said client device upon the determination that new media items are available on the remote device and/or upon request from said client device.

21. The method of claim 20, additionally comprising modifying a polling interval.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said modifying the polling interval comprises modifying said updated polling time indicator based at least in part on one or more events.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said modifying the polling interval further comprises increasing the polling interval at least in part to reduce a load of said remote device.

24. The method of claim 21, additionally comprising customizing the polling interval based at least in part upon one or more actions of said client device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more actions of said client device comprise selecting one or more media items.