Granted Patent B1

US 8,171,411 · App. 12/543,436 · Granted May 1, 2012

Assignee: National CineMedia LLC

Abstract

Claims (61)

1. A method for delivering information, comprising:

receiving at an asset server from a client device associated with a user a request to deliver over a communication network a shell application having a configuration dependent on a selected movie, said request including a movie identifier associated with said selected movie;

determining at a configuration server multi-media content for said selected movie and a scrubber bar configured for said selected movie, wherein said scrubber bar comprises a timeline associated with said multi-media content from which progress through said multi-media content is tracked, said scrubber bar comprising at least one Q-point located within said timeline; and

delivering said shell application configured to include said multi-media content and said scrubber bar to said client device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining multi-media content comprises:

determining said multi-media content comprising a movie trailer for said selected movie.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving from said client device a request to deliver representations of modules, wherein said request is generated by said client device when said interaction with said multi-media content is beyond a first Q-point;

determining at said configuration server a first set of modules dependent on said first Q-point and said selected movie, wherein each module is associated with a corresponding icon; and

delivering a first set of icons associated with said set of modules to client device for display in a navigation bar included within said shell application.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

receiving from said client device notification of activation of a selected icon from said set of icons;

accessing a module corresponding to said selected icon; and

sending said module to said client device for execution within said shell application, wherein said client device executes said module while preserving in a background of said shell application said multi-media content that is retrievable upon exiting said selected module, and wherein said navigation bar includes said first set of icons.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

including in said shell application a menu item, wherein activation of said menu item activates said multi-media content that is paused while said module is executed.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

receiving from said client device another request to deliver representations of modules, wherein said request is generated by said client device when said interaction with said multi-media content is beyond a second Q-point;

determining at said configuration server a second set of modules dependent on said second Q-point and said selected movie, wherein each module in said second set of modules is associated with a corresponding icon; and

delivering a second set of icons corresponding to said second set of modules to said client device for display in a navigation bar included within said shell application.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing said shell application that is configurable with any selected multi-media content and corresponding scrubber bar;

defining at said configuration server a corresponding set of modules for each Q-point in said corresponding scrubber bar, each of said corresponding set of modules identifiable by a corresponding Q-point/multi-media combination.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

for a corresponding Q-point in said scrubber bar, embedding code in said scrubber bar initiating communication with said configuration server when said progress is beyond said corresponding Q-point.

9. A system for delivering information, comprising:

an asset server for receiving from a client device associated with a user a request to deliver over a communication network a shell application having a configuration dependent on a selected movie, said request including a movie identifier associated with said selected movie;

a configuration server for determining multi-media content for said selected movie and a scrubber bar configured for said selected movie, wherein said scrubber bar comprises a timeline associated with said multi-media content from which progress through said multi-media content is tracked, said scrubber bar comprising at least one Q-point located within said timeline; and

wherein said asset server delivers said shell application configured to include said multi-media content and said scrubber bar to said client device.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein said multi-media content comprises a movie trailer for said selected movie.

11. The system of claim 9 ,

wherein said asset server receives from said client device a request to deliver representations of modules, wherein said request is generated by said client device when said interaction with said multi-media content is beyond a first Q-point;

wherein said configuration server determines a first set of modules dependent on said first Q-point and said selected movie, wherein each module is associated with a corresponding icon; and

wherein said module handler delivers a first set of icons associated with said set of modules to client device for display in a navigation bar included within said shell application.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

a module handler for receiving from said client device notification of activation of a selected icon from said set of icons, wherein said module handler accesses a module corresponding to said selected icon; and

wherein said asset server sends said module to said client device for execution within said shell application, wherein said client device executes said module while preserving in a background of said shell application said multi-media content that is retrievable upon exiting said selected module, and wherein said navigation bar includes said first set of icons.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein said asset server provides said shell application that is configurable with any selected multi-media content and corresponding scrubber bar, and wherein said module handler defines at said configuration server a corresponding set of modules for each Q-point in said corresponding scrubber bar, each of said corresponding set of modules identifiable by a corresponding Q-point/multi-media combination.

14. A system for delivering information, comprising:

means for receiving at an asset server from a client device associated with a user a request to deliver over a communication network a shell application having a configuration dependent on a selected movie, said request including a movie identifier associated with said selected movie;

means for determining at a configuration server multi-media content for said selected movie and a scrubber bar configured for said selected movie, wherein said scrubber bar comprises a timeline associated with said multi-media content from which progress through said multi-media content is tracked, said scrubber bar comprising at least one Q-point located within said timeline; and

means for delivering said shell application configured to include said multi-media content and said scrubber bar to said client device.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein said means for determining multi-media content comprises:

means for determining said multi-media content comprising a movie trailer for said selected movie.

16. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:

means for receiving from said client device a request to deliver representations of modules, wherein said request is generated by said client device when said interaction with said multi-media content is beyond a first Q-point;

means for determining at said configuration server a first set of modules dependent on said first Q-point and said selected movie, wherein each module is associated with a corresponding icon; and

means for delivering a first set of icons associated with said set of modules to client device for display in a navigation bar included within said shell application.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising:

means for receiving from said client device notification of activation of a selected icon from said set of icons;

means for accessing a module corresponding to said selected icon; and

means for sending said module to said client device for execution within said shell application, wherein said client device executes said module while preserving in a background of said shell application said multi-media content that is retrievable upon exiting said selected module, and wherein said navigation bar includes said first set of icons.

18. The system method of claim 16 , further comprising:

means for receiving from said client device another request to deliver representations of modules, wherein said request is generated by said client device when said interaction with said multi-media content is beyond a second Q-point;

means for determining at said configuration server a second set of modules dependent on said second Q-point and said selected movie, wherein each module in said second set of modules is associated with a corresponding icon; and

means for delivering a second set of icons corresponding to said second set of modules to said client device for display in a navigation bar included within said shell application.

19. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:

means for providing said shell application that is configurable with any selected multi-media content and corresponding scrubber bar;

means for defining at said configuration server a corresponding set of modules for each Q-point in said corresponding scrubber bar, each of said corresponding set of modules identifiable by a corresponding Q-point/multi-media combination.

20. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:

for a corresponding Q-point in said scrubber bar, means for embedding code in said scrubber bar initiating communication with said configuration server when said progress is beyond said corresponding Q-point.

Assignments (8)

Continuity (4)