System and method for providing dynamically updating applications in a television display environment

• US 9,179,086 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Abello, Jean-Pierre, Urrabazo, Roger, Boerries, Marco, Barry, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): SHIAU, SHEN C
• Application Number:
  US12/062,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,769 Days
• Field of Search: 715/718, 715/719, 715/764, 715/795, 715/796, 715/804, 715/835, 715/838, 715/846, 715/977, 725/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for providing a framework for providing one or more applications to a user set top device. The method according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises providing a minimized state wherein installed applications are displayed as one or more minimized widgets on an output device in communication with to the user device wherein the list of the installed applications comprises one or more indications of passively updated content associated with the installed applications. In response to the selection of a minimized widget command, a widget state is provided wherein a portion of the output device is allocated for the display of additional widget content in response to the selection of a minimized widget. In response to a remote control command, a full-screen state is provided wherein full-screen version of the minimized widget may be displayed. Finally, an installed application is displayed in a minimized, widget or full-screen state in response to a user action.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying, via a display screen of a user interface for a computing device, a minimized state for an application, wherein the application is displayed in the minimized state with a first degree of user interactivity, and wherein the application displays dynamically updated application content while in the minimized state, the dynamically updated application content generated from one or more parameters based upon a search query received from the user and information chosen from a group of information types consisting of a video program concurrently displayed on the display screen with the application in the minimized state, and a history of video programs previously viewed by a user of the computing device;

updating, by the computing device, the minimized state for the application in response to updating content associated with a corresponding installed application;

displaying, via the display screen of the computing device, a maximized state for the application in response to selection of the application in the minimized state by the user via the user interface, wherein the application is displayed with a second degree of user interactivity in the maximized state, the second degree of user interactivity being greater than the first degree of user interactivity, and displaying the dynamically updated application content while in the maximized state; and

displaying, via the display screen of the computing device, a full-screen state for the application with a third degree of user interactivity that is greater than either the first degree of user interactivity or the second degree of user interactivity, wherein the full screen state for the application is displayed in response to a remote control command.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said installed applications are further operative to store fresh content associated with the installed applications locally.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving information from a user profile.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a score for a team;

and displaying a score of a rival team.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying details for one or more individuals related to the team and the rival team.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a plurality of content items from a remote server.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a list of favorite users.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a plurality of content items from local storage.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying, in the maximized state, additional application content.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a plurality of links to one or more photo albums for the user.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising extracting the one or more parameters from currently viewed broadcast data;

and retrieving data based on the extraction.

12. A system comprising:

a processor;

a user interface in communication with the processor, the user interface comprising a display screen; and

memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

display, via the display screen, a minimized state for an application, wherein the application is displayed in the minimized state with a first degree of user interactivity, wherein the application displays dynamically updated application content while in the minimized state, the dynamically updated application content generated from one or more parameters based upon a search query received from the user and information chosen from a group of information types consisting of a video program concurrently displayed on the display screen with the application in the minimized state, and a history of video programs previously viewed by a user of the system;

update the minimized state for the application in response to updating content associated with a corresponding installed application;

display, via the display screen, a maximized state for the application in response to selection of the application in the minimized state by the user via the user interface, wherein the application is displayed with a second degree of user interactivity in the maximized state, the second degree of user interactivity being greater than the first degree of user interactivity, and wherein the application displays the dynamically updated application content while in the maximized state; and

displaying, via the display screen, a full-screen state for the application with a third degree of user interactivity that is greater than either the first degree of user interactivity or the second degree of user interactivity, wherein the full screen for the application is displayed in response to a remote control command.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said installed applications are further operative to store fresh content associated with the installed applications locally.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions for:

retrieving information from a user profile.

15. The system of claim 12,

wherein the memory further stores instructions for:

receiving a score for a team; and

displaying a score of a rival team on the display screen.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the memory further stores instructions for displaying details for one or more individuals related to the team and the rival team.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions for retrieving a plurality of content items from a remote server.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions for displaying a list of favorite users.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions for retrieving a plurality of content items from local storage.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the memory further stores instructions for displaying, on the display screen, in the maximized state, additional application content.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions for displaying, on the display screen, a plurality of links to one or more photo albums for the user.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions for:

extracting the one or more parameters from currently viewed broadcast data; and

retrieving data based on the extraction.

23. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions for generating new content for the application in the minimized state based on the search query.

24. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

display, via a display screen of a user interface for the computing device, a minimized state for an application, wherein the application is displayed in the minimized state with a first degree of user interactivity, and wherein the application displays dynamically updated application content while in the minimized state, the dynamically updated application content generated from one or more parameters based upon a search query received from the user and information chosen from a group of information types consisting of a video program concurrently displayed on the display screen with the application in the minimized state, and a history of video programs previously viewed by a user of the computing device;

update the minimized state for the application in response to updating content associated with a corresponding installed application;

display, via the display screen of the computing device, a maximized state for the application in response to selection of the application in the minimized state by the user via the user interface, wherein the application is displayed with a second degree of user interactivity in the maximized state, the second degree of user interactivity being greater than the first degree of user interactivity, and wherein the application displays the dynamically updated application content while in the widget maximized state; and

providing, by the computing device, display, via the display screen of the computing device, a full-screen state for the application with a third degree of user interactivity that is greater than either the first degree of user interactivity or the second degree of user interactivity, wherein the full screen state for the application is displayed in response to a remote control command.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the installed applications are operative to store fresh content associated with the installed applications locally.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the medium further stores instructions for retrieving information from a user profile.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the medium further stores instructions for:

receiving a score for a team; and

displaying a score of a rival team.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the medium further stores instructions for displaying details for one or more individuals related to the team and the rival team.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the display of additional application content comprises retrieving a plurality of content items from a remote server.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the medium further stores instructions for displaying a list of favorite users.

31. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the medium further stores instructions for retrieving a plurality of content items from local storage.

32. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the medium further stores instructions for displaying, in the maximized state, additional application content.

33. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein the medium further stores instructions for displaying a plurality of links to one or more photo albums for the user.

34. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the medium further stores instructions for:

extracting the one or more parameters from currently viewed broadcast data; and

retrieving data based on the extraction.

35. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the medium further stores instructions for generating new content for the application in the maximized state based on the search query.