Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1996-04-02
2002-10-15
Nguyen, Cao H. (Department: 2173)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06466241
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to controlling computer program activation, and particularly to a system providing a consistent presentation for selection of multimedia programming.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Today's computer user is inundated with multifarious program viewing options. Computer systems have increased in power and speed, enabling an ever-widening array of technical and recreational software. In addition, external programming sources connectable to the computer system, ranging CD ROM devices to external computer networks to broadcast television, have increased the number and variety of available programs. More recently, the advent of fiber optics, increased data rates, more efficient data formats, and related technologies has made the plethora of programming obtainable across a broad spectrum of computer users. One no longer has to be an electrical engineer to connect a computer system to the outside world.
One effect of the overwhelming tide of computer-controlled presentations is that more and more time and effort is required for a user to find the program or programs he or she wishes to run. For each programming source the user has to scan one or more directories for a particular program. In conventional systems, this means that each programming source (television, CD ROM, computer applications) has a separate presentation of the programs available via that particular medium. Each presentation is oriented to its particular programming source and thus no two presentations appear or operate the same. This adds to the time and effort required to activate the desired programs when a user is viewing programs from more than one source.
A partial solution to this problem has been known in the art for some time. By this known method a user encodes a particular button or series of keystrokes to activate a particular program. This method has a number of limitations. There are only a finite number of buttons or keystroke combinations available for user definition. The user can only encode a small (relative to the amount of programming available) number of programs. When the user wants to add one more than the number of buttons or keystrokes available they have to replace an existing coded program with the new one. Where keystrokes are used there is always the risk that the particular pattern of keystrokes will be used by a program to perform a particular task.
Another limitation inherent in encoded buttons or keystroke patterns is that there is no straightforward method of identifying which program is activated by which button or keystroke. The user must either have a very good memory or maintain a separate glossary or index which is manually updated each time a program in added, removed, or reassigned. What is needed is a system which identifies programs from multiple sources as “favorite” based upon their activation patterns, and then uses that information to populate and maintain a single uniform presentation of the diversity of programs.
Another partial solution is embodied in the iconographic structure implemented in systems such as the Windows® and Macintosh® OS7 operating systems. In systems such as these an icon represents a program or group of programs. A program is easily activated by double clicking on the associated icon. This type of system is limited in that a user must manually group individual program icons. There is no way to modify program groupings based on activation patterns, and only one type of programming (in the case of Windows® only programs which have been compiled and linked) can be represented by icons. In a Windows® system the user can cause some programs to automatically start when the system is initialized. This is done by grouping the respective icons in a specially named group. This automatic startup facility retains the limitations inherent in a Windows® environment, and is also limiting in that the specified programs are started every time the system is initialized. Thus, when a user wishes to perform only a specific task on the computer that has nothing to do with the specified programs, he/she still has to wait for all of the automatically started programs to be initialized before he/she can start the task they wanted to perform.
Other existing methods are designed to simplify a user's interaction with individual programs or program sources. One example is “bookmarks” such as those employed in the Internet browser Netscape®. To access a particular location or “page” on the Internet, a user has to work through a series of menus and programmed linkages (referred to as hyper-links). Rather than requiring the user to recall the path taken to get to a particular location, the application will store, at the users request, the direct address of the page being viewed at the time of the request. The next time the user wants to access that page from within the application all they have to do is display the list of bookmarks (actually the address strings) and select the desired location. Another example of an attempt to simplify user access is an on-line publication of program scheduling such as that employed by Starsight®. This system transmits television program broadcast information such that it can be displayed on the television monitor.
Existing systems have focused on simplifying a user's interaction with individual programs or program sources. Program sources are including directories to or viewing guides of the programs available from that source. These methods tend to be unique to their particular application. For each program source a user accesses, the user has to employ a different and separate means of locating and activating their favorite programs. Any time they want to add, change, or remove a favorite program reference it has to be done manually. There is no single method of managing programs in a uniform presentation that takes into account the varied and changing programming sources and user preferences. A program manager is needed that coordinates user activation of programs from a diversity of programming sources.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A program manager capable of running on a computer and managing the activation of diverse programs from a variety of programming sources is provided. The program manager allows the user to identify a plurality of subject matter classifications, and then either manually or automatically associate a plurality of favorite programs from any combination of the programming sources with one or more of the subject matter classifications. The program manager stores the subject matter classifications and associated programs in a hierarchical structure. The program manager provides a unified presentation of the favorite programs as associated by subject matter classification and a simplified method of activating a user's favorite programs.
In one embodiment the program manager comprises a computer readable storage device containing program code. The program code, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps comprising: organizing a plurality of programs in a hierarchical format, the hierarchy being based on subject matter classification, wherein the plurality of programs is homogeneously grouped in a plurality of subject matter classifications; identifying favorite programs within each subject matter classification; displaying the favorite programs of one subject matter classification; selecting a particular program from the subject matter classification displayed in response to a user command; and activating the selected program.
In another embodiment each program that is not already included as a favorite program in a first subject matter classification and which has been frequently activated by the user concurrently with the first subject matter classification is added as a favorite program to the first subject matter classification. In yet another embodiment each program that is not already included in the subject matter classification and which has been specifically identified as a favorite program by the user is add
Gateway Inc.
Nguyen Cao H.
Richardson Scott Charles
Schwegman Lundberg Woessner & Kluth P.A.
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