Method and apparatus for providing content to media devices

• US 8,949,461 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Steele, Jay D., Whatmough, Kenneth J., Johansen, Shaun R., Lacey, Jon-David K., Paas, Julian, Arora, Rakesh K., Doktorova, Laura, Hayman, John P., Hayman, Scott J., Billard, Christopher D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benoit, Esther
• Application Number:
  US11/327,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20060112167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,315 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246, 715/864
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing rich content to media devices are disclosed. Information content is converted at a content provider system for transmission to a media device over a wireless communication network. The converted content is processed by a media engine on the media device. The content is preferable converted at the content provider system into a binary format having separate visual elements and behavior elements.

Claims

1. A method of rendering rich content on a media device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a server, the rich content comprising visual elements and behavior elements;

separating the rich content into the visual elements and behavior elements;

displaying a first scene based at least on the visual elements; and

displaying a revised animated scene based at least in part on the first scene in response to user input interaction, wherein the revised scene is based at least on the behavior elements comprising an animation speed and interpolation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user input interaction further comprises initiation of a hotspot associated with the first scene.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising playing an audio clip in response to the initiation of the hotspot.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising stopping the playing of the audio clip when another user input interaction with a hotspot is detected.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the visual elements include at least one of text, lines, color and shapes.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the behavior elements include at least one of color changes and position changes.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the behavior elements include timing data for displaying the revised scene.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the received rich content is in binary format.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising storing the rich content in a data store in markup language.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the markup language comprises one of Hypertext Markup Language, Extensible Markup Language, and Extensible Markup Language with Scalable Vector Graphics Language.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the server with device information and the received rich content is based at least on the device information.

12. A media device comprising

a display

a media engine configured to:

receive rich content comprises visual elements and behavior elements;

separating the rich content into the visual elements and behavior elements; and

receive user input interaction; and

a renderer, communicatively coupled to the display, and configured to;

display a first scene on the display, the first scene based at least on the visual elements;

display a revised animated scene on the display in response to user input interaction, the revised scene is based at least on the behavior elements comprising an animation speed and interpolation.

13. The media device of claim 12 wherein the renderer is further configured to initiate a hotspot associated with the first scene in response to user input interaction with the hotspot.

14. The media device of claim 13 wherein the renderer is further configured to play an audio clip in response to the initiation of the hotspot.

15. The media device of claim 12 wherein the renderer is further configured to process a hyperlink associated with the first scene in response to user input interaction with the first scene.

16. The media device of claim 12 wherein the renderer is further configured to stop the playing of the audio clip when another user input interaction with a hotspot is detected.

17. The media device of claim 12 wherein the visual elements include at least one of text, lines, color and shapes.

18. The media device of claim 12 wherein the behavior elements include at least one of color changes and position changes.

19. The media device of claim 18 wherein renderer is further configured to display the revised scene based on timing data associated with the behavior elements.

20. The media device of claim 12 wherein the received rich content is in binary format.

21. The media device of claim 12 wherein the media engine is further configured to store the rich content in a data store in markup language.

22. The media device of claim 21 wherein the markup language comprises one of Hypertext Markup Language, Extensible Markup Language, and Extensible Markup Language with Scalable Vector Graphics Language.

23. The media device of claim 12 wherein the media engine is further configured to provide the server with device information and the received rich content is based at least on the device information.