초록 ▼

The invention provides a method and system for receiving incoming information from multiple information sources, both interactive and passive, and for engagingly presenting that information to a recipient on a presentation interface. The system includes a "background" element, which interacts with i

The invention provides a method and system for receiving incoming information from multiple information sources, both interactive and passive, and for engagingly presenting that information to a recipient on a presentation interface. The system includes a "background" element, which interacts with interactive information sources and receives from passive information sources, and determines whether information from those sources is likely to be interesting to the recipient, possibly using one information source to determine priority for another. The system also includes a "foreground" element, which presents information to the recipient when active, but not when inactive. The background is operative even when the foreground element is inactive, and when the background detects new information of interest to the recipient (for example, exceeding a selected threshold of interest or satisfying a selected criterion for interest), it causes the foreground to become active and engage the recipient to select and view that new information. The threshold or criterion may be adaptively responsive to recipient preferences, whether explicitly expressed or implied, but may also be relatively fixed, such as a scheduled time of day.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] Apparatus for presenting information to a recipient, said apparatus includinga background element, having a receiver coupled to at least one information source, said background element associating with items received from said information source a determination whether said items a

[ We claim:] [1.] Apparatus for presenting information to a recipient, said apparatus includinga background element, having a receiver coupled to at least one information source, said background element associating with items received from said information source a determination whether said items are interesting to said recipient; anda foreground element, having an active mode in which said foreground element presents said items to said recipient, wherein in said active mode said foreground element associates an identifier with each one of a plurality of said items, presents said identifiers to said recipient, and presents an associated item selected by said recipient from among said identifiers, and having an inactive mode in which said foreground element does not present said items to said recipient;wherein said foreground element switches between said active mode and said inactive mode, in response to said determination; andwherein said foreground element associates a focus with each said identifier in a sequential order, and receives a selection by said recipient of said selected item only when said selected item is associated with said focus;wherein associating said focus with a particular identifier includes drawing attention to said particular identifier in turn in said sequence; andwherein receiving said selection for a particular selected item includes awaiting a signal from said recipient at a time when said focus is associated with said particular selected item.