Method for distributing content to a user station
View Patent ↗A method for controlling a user station configured for communications with a multiplicity of independently-operated data sources via a non-proprietary network includes steps for providing a user interface to enable a user at the user station to select multiple ones of the multiplicity of independently-operated data object sources to be polled; automatically polling each of the selected data object sources in order to determine availability of desired data at each of the selected data object sources; and automatically transporting desired data determined to be available from each of the selected data object sources to the user station. Software and a user station for implementing the method are also described.
1. A user station comprising:
a user interface;
a processor; and
an information transport component;
wherein the processor is configured to execute the information transport component
to enable access at the user station, via the user interface, to first fixed information content from a first portable storage medium together with first related remote information content from one or more remote information content sources such that the first fixed information content and the first related remote information content are presented by the user interface as a first single collection of information content, and to second fixed information content from a second portable storage medium together with second related remote information content from one or more remote information content sources such that the second fixed information content and the second related remote information content are presented by the user interface as a second single collection of information content,
wherein the first portable storage medium and the second portable storage medium are provided by different independent publishers,
wherein the first single collection of information and the second single collection of information are different:
wherein the user interface is customized with respect to the first fixed information content in response to access of the first fixed information content and is customized with respect to the second fixed information content in response to access of the second fixed information content,
wherein information transport component initiates connections to one or more remote information content sources in accordance with predefined transport tasks specified by the first portable storage medium and the second portable storage medium to retrieve the first and second related remote information content, and
wherein the information transport component includes an application programming interface that is configured to provide a communication interface between the information transport component and the user interface as customized with respect to the first fixed information content and between the information transport component and the user interface as customized with respect to the second fixed information content.
2. The user station of claim 1 , wherein the first related remote information content is provided with a first look and feel specific to the first fixed information content included on the first portable storage medium, and the second related remote information content is provided with a second look and feel specific to the second fixed information content included on the second portable storage medium.
3. The user station of claim 2 , wherein the first look and feel is customized by an author of the first fixed information content and wherein the second look and feel is customized by an author of the second fixed information content.
4. The user station of claim 2 , wherein each of the first related remote information content and the second related remote information content includes a web page.
5. The user station of claim 2 , wherein the first related remote information content is coded with a markup language available on a first remote information content source and wherein the second related remote information content is coded with a markup language available on a second remote information content source.
6. The user station of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first portable storage medium and the second portable storage medium includes computer executable software that is installable on the user station to establish connections between the user station and the one or more remote information content sources.
7. The user station of claim 6 , wherein the connections are initiated at the user station.
8. The user station of claim 6 , wherein the connections are made in accordance with the predefined transport specified by the first portable storage medium and the second portable storage medium.
9. The user station of claim 6 , wherein the connections are initiated transparently to concurrent additional operations at the user station.
10. The user station of claim 2 , wherein the first fixed information content is presented at the user station together with the first related remote information content in such a manner that a seamless integration of the first fixed information content and the first related remote information content is presented at the user station and wherein the second fixed information content is presented at the user station together with the second related remote information content in such a manner that a seamless integration of the second fixed information content and the second related remote information content is presented at the user station.
11. The user station of claim 1 , wherein the first portable storage medium includes link data identifying a respective first remote information content source.
12. The user station of claim 1 , wherein the predefined transport tasks comprise a source address for a particular remote information content source.
13. The user station of claim 1 , wherein the predefined transport tasks comprise a manifest list specifying selections of remote media content.
14. The user station of claim 1 , wherein the predefined transport tasks comprise a portable storage medium identification, wherein the portable storage medium identification can be used to access respective remote information content from one or more remote information content sources.
15. The user station of claim 1 , wherein the first fixed information content is at least one of video, sound, and a hypertext markup language file.
16. The user station of claim 1 , wherein the first related remote information content is at least one of video, sound, and a hypertext markup language file.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon:
first program logic for enabling access, via a user interface, to first fixed information content, from a first portable storage medium, together with first related remote information content from one or more remote information content sources such that the first fixed information content and the first related remote information content are presented by the user interface as a first single collection of information content, and for enabling access, via the user interface, to second fixed information content from a second portable storage medium together with second related remote information content from one or more remote information content sources such that the second fixed information content and the second related remote information content are presented by the user interface as a second single collection of information content, wherein the first portable storage medium and the second portable storage medium are provided by different independent publishers and the first single collection of information and the second single collection of information are different,
second program logic for customizing the user interface with respect to the first fixed information content in response to access of the first fixed information content and for customizing the user interface with respect to the second fixed information content in response to access of the second fixed information content; and
third program logic for initiating a connection to one or more remote information content sources to retrieve the first and second related remote information content in accordance with predefined transport tasks,
wherein the first program logic includes an application programming interface configured to provide a communication interface between the first program logic and the user interface as customized with respect to the first fixed information content and between the first program logic and the user interface as customized with respect to the second fixed information content.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the first remote information content is provided at the user interface with a first look and feel specific to the first fixed content.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the connection is initiated at a user station.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the connection is initiated transparently to concurrent additional operations at a user station.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the first fixed information content is presented to together with the first remote information content in such a manner as to provide a seamless integration of the first fixed information content and the first remote information content.
22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the first fixed information content is at least one of video, sound, and a hypertext markup language file.
23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the first related remote information content is at least one of video, sound, and a hypertext markup language file.