System and method for customizing an interface related to accessing, manipulating and viewing internet and non-internet related information

• US 8,046,697 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Guild Forest LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Flatrock Technology, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Stern, Joseph L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitaro, Ryan F
• Application Number:
  US10/274,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20030038840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,290 Days
• Field of Search: 345/744, 345/745, 725/46, 455/432.3
• US Class Current: 715/745
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for accessing, generating, presenting and manipulating Internet and non-Internet related information, data and content, including information netcast over the Internet. The system is also capable of controlling operatively connected, privately networked devices. A number of graphical user interfaces are utilized to facilitate user access, manipulation and control of information, data and content and networked devices. Some of the graphical user interfaces are time and topic oriented, are customizable by the user, and allow for the manipulation of information, data, content and operatively connected networked devices from the graphical interfaces themselves. The system is preferably enhanced through the use of an intelligent, dynamically updated user profile that is fully integrated with the system.

Claims

1. A method of creating a user profile in a computer implemented guide on a computer system, comprising:

creating a user profile database for storing user profile parameters;

monitoring a user'"'"'s interactions from a user computer with remote Web and non-Web related sources of content;

scanning local memory of the user computer to examine local applications;

scanning local memory of the user computer to examine local application data information content;

determining interests of the user based on said steps of scanning, the interests comprising at least one interest that is not selected from a predefined list of potential interests;

automatically deriving user profile parameters based on said step of monitoring and said steps of scanning; and

updating the user profile database based on the user'"'"'s use of the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile parameters are used to identify new content items of interest to the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the new content items comprise Web pages on the Internet.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the new content items comprise netcasts on the Internet.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the new content items comprise non-Internet broadcast content.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the non-Internet broadcast content comprises television, cable, satellite, or radio broadcast content.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the new content items comprise content from private intranet sources.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of sets of user profile parameters are derived for a plurality of users, each of the plurality of sets being derived according to the activity of that user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sets of user profile parameters are used to identify new content items for the respective users.

10. A method of identifying and providing access to content from public Internet sources and non-Internet information sources;

creating a user profile describing user preferences;

storing the user profile at a user computer;

regularly monitoring interactions from the user computer with remote Web and non-Web related sources of content to determine interests of a user;

regularly scanning local memory of the user computer to examine local applications;

regularly scanning local memory of the user computer to examine local application data information content;

determining interests of the user based on said steps of scanning, the interests comprising at least one interest that is not selected from a predefined list of potential interests;

updating the user profile describing user preferences stored at the user computer based on said monitoring interactions, said scanning local memory of the user computer to examine local applications and said scanning local memory of the user computer to examine local application data information content;

identifying content items available from the public Internet sources and the non-Internet information sources based on the stored user profile; and

providing a graphical user interface listing the identified content items.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the content items identified from the public Internet sources comprise Web page content.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the content items identified from the public Internet sources comprise scheduled Webcasts.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the content items identified from the non-Internet information sources comprise scheduled television, cable, satellite, or radio broadcasts.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the content items identified from the non-Internet information sources comprise content from a private intranet source.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing a plurality of Web site content items that a user has previously accessed;

scanning Internet locations corresponding to said stored plurality of Web site content items to identify new or revised content according to the stored user profile; and

downloading the new or revised content.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein a plurality of user profiles are created for a plurality of users, and wherein the step of identifying content items is performed for the plurality of users, thereby providing a graphical user interface listing the identified content items for the plurality of users.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

accessing Web page content from a public Internet source; and

downloading a plurality of content items linked to said Web page content;

wherein said step of downloading is performed according to the stored user profile.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of downloading is performed automatically.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of downloading is performed based on user command.