Patent Application
20130145258
The embodiments relate generally to media applications on computing devices.
Media content may be organized and displayed on mobile devices with media applications. However, content updates to the mobile devices take relatively too much time, involve redundancies, and inefficiently use network bandwidth and device resources. Media content and organizational information are often consolidated and transmitted in large chunks. The media is not displayed until the large data chunks are received and organized by the organizational information.
Such updates are also inefficient when different mobile device are involved. For example, media content from a national newspaper may include images for a story. When updating the story content to a mobile device, five different versions of the same image may be sent to each device. One version may be best displayed on certain mobile phones, other versions for certain smart phones, and another image for a tablet. Therefore, each mobile device is receiving content that is not specific to the device.
Methods and systems for synchronizing magazine edition content on mobile devices are described. Such embodiments provide for more efficient synchronization across multiple mobile devices. According to an embodiment, display screen information is obtained for a mobile device, including resolution and screen dimensions. Edition content changes for each magazine edition presented on the mobile device are determined based on the display screen information. Subscription information, edition summaries, edition design information and media library information specific to the edition content changes are each provided. Each of these portions of edition content changes may be provided independent of other portions. When any of these portions of the edition content changes fails to synchronize, synchronization is continued with that portion that failed.
Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer programs, configured to perform the actions of the methods, encoded on computer storage devices. Further embodiments, features, and advantages, as well as the structure and operation of the various embodiments are described in detail below with reference to accompanying drawings.
Embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers may indicate identical or functionally similar elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is generally indicated by the left-most digit in the corresponding reference number.
Embodiments are described herein with reference to illustrations for particular applications. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments. Those skilled in the art with access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the embodiments would be of significant utility.
It would also be apparent to one of skill in the relevant art that the embodiments, as described herein, can be implemented in many different embodiments of software, hardware, firmware, and/or the entities illustrated in the figures. Any actual software code with the specialized control of hardware to implement embodiments is not limiting of the detailed description. Thus, the operational behavior of embodiments will be described with the understanding that modifications and variations of the embodiments are possible, given the level of detail presented herein.
Network 102 may be any network or combination of networks that can carry data communications. Such a network 102 may include, but is not limited to, a local area network, metropolitan area network, and/or wide area network such as the Internet. Network 102 can support protocols and technology including, but not limited to, World Wide Web (or simply the “Web”), protocols such as a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”) protocols, and/or services. Intermediate web servers, gateways, or other servers may be provided between components of the system shown in
Web server 104 is a computing device or an application executing on a computing device that hosts multiple websites. A website is one or more resources associated with a domain name and hosted by one or more web servers 104. An example website is a collection of webpages formatted in hypertext markup language (HTML) that can contain text, images, multimedia content, and programming elements, such as scripts. Web server 104 hosts studio user interface (“UI”) 110. Studio UI 110 enables users, such as publishers 120, to design interactive magazine editions 112 that may be distributed to multiple mobile devices 106.
Magazine editions display content in user designed layouts tailored to the displays of specific mobile devices. Instances of magazines are presented as editions. Editions include organized content sections that have multiple articles or posts related to the topic of the edition. Editions may be generated by subscription providers, such as magazine or newspaper organizations. Editions may also involve content generated by other content providers, including consumer, user generated or social media. A search magazine edition may search, gather and present information about a topic of the magazine edition from news and content providers, user generated sources and other informational sources.
Publisher 120 may access studio 110 using a wet, address that is hosted on web server 104. Once accessed, publisher 120 may use studio 110 to design the layout of magazine edition 112 for heterogeneous computing devices 106. In another embodiment, publisher 120 may download studio 110 onto a mobile device 106 as a standalone application, plugin or extension to browser 114.
Magazine edition 112 may be designed using studio UI 110. Magazine edition 112 displays edition content to users in, for example, a format specified by publishers 120. However, unlike conventional applications that include a separate version for each mobile device having a particular operating platform, edition content displayed using magazine editions 112 may be displayed on mobile devices 106 in a format that is specified by a particular publisher, regardless of the native operating platform particular to mobile device 106. Magazine editions 112 may also layout edition content according to the size of a display screen of mobile device 106.
Mobile device 106 is an electronic device that is under the control of a user and is capable of requesting and receiving resources over network 102. Example mobile devices 106 are mobile communication devices such as smart phones and tablet computers. Mobile device 106 typically includes an application, such as a web browser (or simply browser) 114. A user controls browser 114 to request resources over network 102. A user requests a resource by typing the website address associated with the resources that is stored on web server 104. For example, a user, such as publisher 120 may use browser 114 to access studio UI 110 to design an interactive magazine edition using mobile device 106.
Mobile device 106 also includes edition player 116. Edition player 116 displays magazine editions 112 to users. Magazine edition 112 displays dynamic media content on mobile devices 106, where mobile devices have different specifications and display screen size. Edition content included in magazine editions 112 includes content downloaded to magazine editions 112 using content sources 118. To display magazine editions 112, edition player 116 may use a current module 115 or display edition content using edition player 116.
Current module 115 stores magazine editions 112 which are published by publisher 120. Current module 115 may be downloaded to mobile device 106 from, for example, producer server 108 using network 102 or using another interface. Typically, once current module 115 is downloaded to mobile device 106, a user uses current module 115 to subscribe to magazine editions 112. Once subscribed, current module 115 uses mobile device 106 to download magazine editions 112 from producer server 108, or edition distributor 124. Current module 115 also updates magazine edition 112 with new edition content. In an embodiment, current module 115 also provides a user with a listing of recommended magazine editions 112 that may be of interest to the user and that a user may subscribe to.
Producer server 108 includes studio backend 126. Studio backend 126 allows for a design, development and implementation of magazine editions 112. Studio backend 126 communicates with studio UI 110 when publisher 120 uses studio UI 110 to design magazine edition 112.
Once publisher 120 completes designing magazine edition 112 using studio UI 110, magazine edition 112 is uploaded to producer server 108 for storage and distribution. In an embodiment, magazine editions 112 may be stored on producer server 108 in a memory storage described in detail in
Content sources 118 provide edition content 132 to magazine edition 112. Example content sources 118 include data feeds, RSS feeds, social streams, user-generated media sources, multi-media sources via media RSS, etc. Content source 118 is typically associated with a publisher 120. Publisher 120 owns a particular content source 118 and controls edition content 132 that is distributed via content sources 118 over network 162.
Producer server 108 receives edition content 132 from content sources 118. Once received, producer server 108 stores edition content 132 in data storage 128. Data storage 128 may be a memory storage described in detail in
Third party services 122 provide services to magazine editions 112. For example, third party services 122 provide streaming video that may be accessed by a uniform resource locator (“URL”) link included in magazine edition 112. In another example, third party services 122 determine that a user read a particular article included in magazine edition 112. In another example, third party services 122 provide advertisements for display within magazine edition 112. In another example, third party services 122 provide check out services for merchandise items that are provided for purchase within magazine edition 112.
Edition distributors 124 distribute applications, such as magazine editions 112 to mobile devices 106. For example, when publisher 120 designs magazine edition 112, publisher 120 may elect a particular edition distributor 124 to distribute magazine edition 112. When publisher 120 elects to distribute magazine edition 112 using a particular edition distributor 124, magazine edition 112 is uploaded to edition distributor 124. A user may then use mobile device 106 to access edition distributor 124 and upload magazine edition 112 onto mobile device 106 for an agreed upon fee.
As described herein content sources 118 provide edition content 132 that is distributed across the web via network 102. For the edition content 132 to be distributed using magazine editions 112, content sources 118 are connected to producer server 108. In an embodiment, data connector 130 connects multiple content sources 118 and retrieves edition content 132.
Data connector 130 receives data from content sources 118. Data connector 130 may receive edition content 132 from content sources 118 in real-time or at configurable intervals that may be set by a system administrator. Once data connector 130 receives edition content 132 from content sources 118, data connector 130 transmits edition content 132 to data storage 128.
As described herein, data storage 128 distributes data from content sources 118 to magazine editions 112. For example, mobile device 106 may request data for particular magazine editions 112 at configurable time intervals that may be configured by the user subscribing to magazine editions 112.
Studio backend 126 receives the designed magazine editions 112 from studio UI 110. As described herein, studio UI 110 allows publishers 120 to design dynamic and interactive magazine editions that display edition content 132 provided by their content sources 118. Once publisher 120 completes designing magazine edition 112, publisher 120 uploads magazine edition 112 to studio backend 126. Studio backend 126 then stores the uploaded magazine editions 112 on producer server 108 and/or distributes magazine editions 112 to mobile devices 106 or edition distributors 124.
Studio backend 126 includes application data model. Application data model (described in detail below), includes a format that displays edition content 132 within magazine editions 112. When publisher 120 uses studio UI 110 to create a particular magazine edition 112, studio UI 110 presents publisher 120 with application data model 134 framework that publisher 120 may configure to include edition content 120 for presentation to a user.
Upon a user request from mobile device 106, studio backend 126 may distribute magazine editions 112 to mobile devices 106. Each magazine edition 112 includes application data model 134 that is configured by publisher 120.
When magazine edition 112 is uploaded to mobile device 106, magazine edition 112 is populated with edition content 132. For example, producer server 108 provides edition content 132 from data storage 128 to magazine edition 112. As edition content 132 is updated with new edition content 132 from content sources 118, producer server 108 synchronizes edition content 132 included in magazine edition 112 with the new edition content 132 that is included in data storage 128.
In an embodiment, the synchronization may occur at configurable time intervals that may be configured by a user using mobile device 106. For example, a user may configure magazine edition 112 to query data storage 128 for new content every hour, every twelve hours, once a day, when requested by a user, etc. In a further embodiment, magazine edition 112 receives edition content 132 from data storage 128 that has been updated since the previous synchronization period, as to minimize the transmission of data over network 102.
For example, edition player 116 may communicate with studio backend 126 using HTTP over network 102. Edition player 116 may also communicate to third party services 122 and edition distributors 124 using HTTP.
Studio UI 110 may communicate with studio backend 126 using a Google Web Toolkit (“GWT”) infrastructure. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that GWT allows web application developers to design JavaScript front-end applications using Java source code. In an embodiment GWT uses protocol buffers, also known to a person of ordinary skilled in that art, to pass data that includes magazine editions 112, templates, edition content 132, etc., between studio UI 110 and studio backend 126.
Studio backend 126 also communicates with a variety of content sources 118. In one embodiment, studio backend 126 may be configured to communicate with content sources 118 using a proprietary communication protocol that is specified by a particular content source 118. In another embodiment, studio backend 126 may also communicate with content sources 118 using HTTP.
Magazine editions 112 can involve time-sensitive content that changes on a monthly, weekly, daily, hourly or real-time basis. It is important that mobile devices 106 display the most recent edition and remain functional.
Embodiments for synchronizing magazine edition content on mobile devices 106 are provided. Synchronization is performed incrementally so as to not consume more device bandwidth or resources than necessary. This allows for mobile device 106 to provide constant functionality and availability of magazine editions 112 while edition content 132 is synchronized with the content produced or distributed at the producer server 108. Synchronization is performed in more incremental steps and is tailored to the specific mobile device 106.
Edition system 210 may be coupled to mobile device 106, according to an embodiment. Computing devices such as a monitor, all-in-one computer, smart phone, tablet computer, remote control, etc., may include a touch screen display 220 that accepts user input via touching operations performed by a user's fingers or other instrument. For example purposes, a touch sensor grid may overlay the display area. The touch sensor grid contains many touch sensitive areas or cells which may be used to locate the area closest to the input of a user's touch.
Example touch operations using touch screen display 220 may include (but are not limited to) pinching, finger (or other stylus or object) touches, finger releases, and finger slides. The touch screen display 120 may include a screen or monitor that may render text and/or images.
According to an embodiment, edition synchronization system 210 includes device edition analyzer 212 and edition synchronizer 214. System 210 may also include synchronization service 216 in further embodiments. Device edition analyzer 212 is configured to obtain display screen information for a mobile device. This information may include display screen dimensions such as the length and width of the screen, the ratio of the length to the width, or any other information related to the dimension of the screen.
In some cases, the portion of the screen allotted for the display of the magazine application may be a portion of the display screen while the remaining, portions of the screen are reserved for menu bars or other tools. In such a case, screen dimension information will be directed to the dimensions of the screen reserved for the display of the magazine application.
Display screen information may also include a screen resolution, such as the number of pixels, or the number of pixels or lines in each dimension. There may be resolution standards, such as high definition standard resolutions. Three dimensional resolutions may also be part of the display screen information. Display screen information may also include color information or any other information that would be necessary to determine the display version for the edition content. Central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), memory, network or wireless bandwidth capabilities, software and operating system information may also be part of the display screen information that is used for determining a most effective strategy for synchronization of magazine edition content to the specific mobile device. In other embodiments, a mobile device may have multiple display areas and display screen information may be provided for each of these display areas or display screens.
This information is important because the layout of the edition content display may vary based on the device. For example,
Tablet device 320 of
Edition synchronization system 210 is configured to determine edition content changes for magazine edition 112 presented on mobile device 106. Changes may be determined for each magazine edition 112 that is displayed on mobile device 106. Some magazine editions 112 may not be displayed on the device but may be stored for presentation at another time. Changes for this content may also be determined. Edition content changes may include providing magazines and edition content to a mobile device 106 for the first time when the edition had not existed on the mobile device.
Edition content changes include changes to subscriptions for a user and/or mobile device 106. Subscription changes since a last synchronization may be determined. Perhaps, a user recently canceled one subscription and added another to his or her account from another computing device. These changes would be synchronized with mobile device 106. Upon contact and a network handshake between producer server 202 and mobile device 220, subscription information, including magazine editions 112 most recently associated with the user, would be determined by device edition analyzer 212 and provided to mobile device 106 by edition synchronizer 214. In some cases, a user may configure mobile device 220 to receive different subscription or edition information than another mobile device.
Other categories of content changes are :shown in
According to an embodiment, edition synchronizer 214 is configured to provide information for each category of
Edition synchronizer 214 provides edition summaries. Edition summaries include edition titles and icons representing the edition. Changes to edition titles and summaries may vary in frequency. For example, monthly subscriptions may change monthly or daily. Trending editions, or editions based on the most recent news or hot topics, may change hourly or in real-time.
Edition synchronizer 214 may then provide edition content in separate stages, including edition design, media library, article summaries and articles or posts. Edition content may also include featured content.
Edition synchronizer 214 provides edition design information specific to the edition content changes to mobile device 106. Edition design information may include layout templates for integrating and displaying edition content in a certain manner or layout. This layout may be designed by a user or publisher 120 using an interface, such as studio UI 110. The edition design information is specific to the mobile device and its display screen information. It may also include a layout for each orientation of the mobile device.
Edition synchronizer 214 provides media library information specific to the edition content changes to mobile device 106. Media library information includes an icon or visual representation of the edition, edition resources and header images for each edition. Such information may also include splash screen images or prominent images. Library information may include style information such as cascading style sheets (CSS) and/or scripting languages, such as, JavaScript.
Edition synchronizer 214 provides article summaries specific to the edition content changes. Article summaries include a snippet of text of an article and a first best image. A first best image may include the first quality image or a prominent image. Other featured content specific to the edition content changes may be included, including a prominent display image or video to be prominently featured when displayed. Audio content may also be featured.
Edition synchronizer 214 provides article content specific to the edition content changes to mobile device 106. Article content may include news articles, information articles, investigative story articles, entertainment articles and any other media article. Article content may also include posts, such as blog or social media posts, including tweets. In an example, if an article has several different resolution versions of images for an article, device edition analyzer 212 selects the best image based on the mobile device display screen size, ratio and resolution (possibly for each device orientation) rather than transmitting multiple versions of an image only because the synchronization had not been device specific. In the case of trending search magazines, not all edition content or edition media would be synchronized on mobile device 106 for each edition. Rather, summaries may be provided.
Edition synchronizer 214 provides new edition media or edition media. The media may be specific to the edition content changes. Edition media may include images, thumbnails, video, info graphics, audio, streaming content, user-generated media or any other media content. Search magazine editions may utilize the most recent news, the most recent user-generated content and the most recent informative or descriptive content. Search magazines may automatically search for content of each listed category and display the content using designed edition layout information.
Edition synchronizer 214 is configured to provide each of these portions of edition content or edition media in separate synchronization steps. If any of these synchronization steps fails to start or complete, edition synchronizer 214 restarts or continues synchronization at the failed providing step or the failed portion of the step. Focused, incremental synchronization does not consume a large amount of the network or processing resources.
According to a further embodiment, each portion of the incremental synchronization of the edition is rendered and available for use on the mobile device. Because integration of edition design, edition content and media content for presentation takes place at the mobile device, other portions of the edition content or edition media may be rendered while another portion is updated. In some cases, the portion being updated may be displayed until a portion of the update or all of the update is available to be rendered. Edition content changes may also be rendered or displayed immediately.
Edition synchronizer 214 may also provide deletion stubs of deleted content to indicate to the user of the mobile device that an edition is no longer available. Clean up may also be performed on older, outdated or unnecessary content or information. Older articles and media may be removed.
At stage 504, edition content changes are determined based on the display screen information. Only the changes in edition content and edition media specific will be synchronized with the mobile device. New content will also be synchronized. In an embodiment, device edition analyzer 212 is configured to perform stages 502-504.
At stage 506, subscription information specific to the edition content changes are provided to the mobile device. At stage 508, edition summaries specific to the edition content changes are provided to the mobile device. At stage 510, edition design information specific to the edition content changes are provided to the mobile device. For example, if a publisher alters the two of four section sizes of a layout template of a magazine edition, those two new section sizes of the layout that have changed will be updated through synchronization.
At stage 512, media library information specific to the edition content changes are provided to the mobile device. Media library information includes information about how to present a magazine edition or a group of magazine editions, including what icons or content samples to provide. In some cases, an image or icon may be selected over another image based on the display screen information. Each of stages 506-512, may be performed independently of each other. In some embodiments, providing independently may include providing the category of content in a modular portion of data. This may include data associated within a single network access or transmission.
At stage 514, if any of stages 506-512 fail to synchronize the edition content on the mobile device, synchronization of that stage is restarted or continued. Modular synchronization of only edition content changes provides for more fault free synchronization and usability of magazine editions during synchronization. Edition content changes may also be specific to the mobile device. For example, if a high quality image has been updated by a publisher, but the existing image on the device is more suitable based on the screen size or current use of the magazine edition, the updated image may not be synchronized with the mobile device at the next synchronization so as to preserve the user experience of enjoying the magazine edition on the mobile device. In an embodiment stages 506-514 are performed by edition synchronizer 214.
Computing devices, such as mobile devices 106, 310 and 320, may include one or more processors 602, one or more non-volatile storage mediums 604, one or more memory devices 606, a communication infrastructure 608, a display screen 610 and a communication interface 612.
Processors 602 may include any conventional or special purpose processor, including, but not limited to, digital signal processor (DSP), field programmable gate array (FPGA), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and multi-core processors.
GPU 614 is a specialized processor that executes instructions and programs, selected for complex graphics and mathematical operations, in parallel.
Non-volatile storage 604 may include one or more of a hard disk drive, flash memory, and like devices that may store compute' program instructions and data on computer-readable media. One or more of non-volatile storage device 604 may be a removable storage device.
Memory devices 606 may include one or more volatile memory devices such as but not limited to, random access memory. Communication infrastructure 608 may include one or more device interconnection buses such as Ethernet, Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), and the like.
Typically, computer instructions are executed using one or more processors 602 and can be stored in non-volatile storage medium 604 or memory devices 606.
Display screen 610 allows results of the computer operations to be displayed to a user or an application developer.
Communication interface 612 allows software and data to be transferred between computer system 600 and external devices. Communication interface 612 may include a modem, a network interface (such as an Ethernet card), a communications port, a PCMCIA slot and card, or the like. Software and data transferred via communication interface 612 may be in the form of signals, which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals capable of being received by communication interface 612. These signals may be provided to communication interface 612 via a communications path. The communications path carries signals and may be implemented using wire or cable, fiber optics, a phone line, a cellular phone link, an RF link or other communications channels.
Embodiments also may be directed to computer program products comprising software stored on any computer-useable medium. Such software, when executed in one or more data processing device, causes a data processing device(s) to operate as described herein. Embodiments of the invention employ any computer-useable or readable medium. Examples of computer-useable mediums include, but are not limited to, primary storage devices (e.g., any type of random access memory), secondary storage devices (e.g., hard drives, floppy disks, CD ROMS, ZIP disks, tapes, magnetic storage devices, and optical storage devices, MEMS, nanotechnological storage device, etc.).
The Summary and Abstract sections may set forth one or more but not all exemplary embodiments of the present invention as contemplated by the inventor(s), and thus, are not intended to limit the present invention and the appended claims in any way. Embodiments have been described above with the aid of functional building blocks illustrating the implementation of specified functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternate boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present invention. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance.
The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
