Nova Patents
WO2011072306A4

Method and apparatus for a family center

Abstract

A family center system and method is provided that allows receiving from a registered family member a family message intended for other registered family members and determines, based on a set of rules, to which of other registered family members to push the family message, mode of transport by which to push the family message, and the schedule according to which to push the family message. A technique involving a tile is provided that allows displaying a unified view of information onto a plurality of registered devices, regardless of device platform and/or communications network. The system and method provides a variety of services to registered family members and allows third party application plug-in for offering third party services. The system and method receives a SMS message and stores such message as a family message for subsequent access or family message treatment.

Term

No projected expiry on record.

  1. Priority
  2. Filed
  3. Published
  4. Today

32 claims: 4 independent, 28 dependent

  1. 1
    AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 21 June 2011 (21.06.2011) 1. An apparatus for delivery of family messages, network services, or third party application services that is independent of mode of transport and device platform, comprising:a first application programming interface (API) from a set of one or more APIs that is used to receive a family message from a first device of a set of two or more devices;a family message handling component that receives said family message and that determines based on said family message, rules data, and family data: a second device of said two or more devices to which to send said family message, wherein said second device is different from said first device;a schedule in accordance with which to send said family message;and a second application programming interfaces (APIs) from a set of one or more APIs by which to send said family message, wherein said second API sends said family message to said second device;and a family center storing component that is coupled to a database that stores said family data and stores a copy of said family message;wherein said set of two or more devices is registered as a family with said family center storing component, wherein said registration is reflected in said family data, wherein said family comprises two or more family members that are each associated with two or more users and that are each associated with one or more of said two or more devices, and wherein said rules data and family data indicate type of device for each of said two or more devices.
  2. 13
    A method for delivery of family messages, network services, or third party application services that is independent of mode of transport and device platform, comprising the steps of:using a first application programming interface (API) from a set of one or more APIs to receive a family message from a first device of a set of two or more devices;receiving, at a family message handling component, said family message and, based on said family message, rules data, and family data, determining: a second device of said two or more devices to which to send said family message, wherein said second device is different from said first 116 AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19) WO 2011/072306 PCT/US2010/060150 device;a schedule in accordance with which to send said family message;and a second application programming interfaces (APIs) from a set of one or more APIs by which to send said family message, wherein said second API sends said family message to said second device;and storing, at a family center storing component that Is coupled to a database, said family data and stores a copy of said family message;wherein said set of two or more devices is registered as a family with said family center storing component, wherein said registration is reflected in said family data, wherein said family comprises two or more family members that are each associated with two or more users and that are each associated with one or more of said two or more devices, and wherein said rules data and family data indicate type of device for each of said two or more devices.
  3. 25
    A method of displaying a unified view of information, regardless of device platform, the method comprising the steps of:displaying on a device of a plurality of different devices, each device operating on a different platform, two or more tabs, a left pane, a right pane, and a widget docket;wherein said two or more tabs comprise a home tab and at least one tab that represents a particular service;. wherein said left pane contains a list of categories that upon selection by a user of a particular category of said list of categories acts as a filter for information that is displayed in said right pane;wherein said right pane displays (a) at least one row and at least one column, each of two or more interactive tiles, said interactive tiles appearing in an order of priority that begins from an upper left hand comer of said first row of tiles, filling in said right pane from left to right within said first row, and then filling in from left to right within a next row below, or (b) interactive content of said particular service;wherein when an interactive tile of said two or more interactive tiles is selected, said right pane displays any of: an expanded view of said selected interactive tile;playback of a particular video stream that is 119 AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19) WO 2011/072306 PCT/US2010/060150 associated with said interactive tile;a calendar event er a task event tirat is associated with said interactive tile;wherein said interactive tiles can be refreshed, rearranged, or removed manually by a user or automatically in accordance with specific settings;receiving a user input that identifies that (a) one of said two or more tabs is selected, (b) a particular category is selected, (c) an interactive tile is selected, or (d) interactive content of said particular service is selected;in response to said user input, displaying on said device (a) said one of said two or more tabs, (b) said particular category, (c) said interactive tile, or (d) said interactive content of said particular service.
  4. 29
    A computer-readable storage medium having one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform a method of displaying a unified view of information, regardless of device platform, the method comprising the steps of:displaying on a device of a plurality of different devices, each device operating on a different platform, two or more tabs, a left pane, a right pane, and a widget docket;wherein said two or more tabs comprise a home tab and at least one tab that represents a particular service;wherein said left pane contains a list of categories that upon 120 AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19) WO 2011/072306 PCT/US2010/060150 selection by a user of a particular category of said list of categories acts as a filter for information that is displayed in said right pane wherein said right pane displays (a) at least one row and at least one column, each of two or more interactive tiles, said interactive tiles appearing in an order of priority that begins from an upper left hand comer of said first row of tiles, filling in said right pane from left to right within said first row, and then filling in from left to right within a next row below, or (b) interactive content of said particular service;wherein when an interactive tile of said two or more interactive tiles is selected, said right pane displays any of: an expanded view of said selected interactive tile;playback of a particular video stream that is associated with said interactive tile;a calendar event or a task event that is associated with said interactive tile;wherein said interactive tiles can be refreshed, rearranged, or removed manually by a user or automatically in accordance with specific settings;receiving a user input that identifies that: (a) one of said two or more tabs is selected, (b) a particular category is selected, (c) an interactive tile is selected, or (d) interactive content of said particular service is selected;in response to said user input, displaying on said device (a) said one of said two or more tabs, (b) said particular category, (c) said interactive tile, or (d) said interactive content of said particular service.
Independent claims4