Abstract:
The present invention describes a method for managing digital files, such as, for example, applications developed for TV digital, in a digital TV receiver apparatus, as well as a manager of said digital files. Particularly, the manager has a visual interface that enables the user to identify which applications are present in the digital TV receiver apparatus, install and/or unin-stall applications, in addition to providing fast access to certain applications.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention describes a method for managing digital files, such as, for example, applications developed for digital TV, in a digital TV receiver apparatus with support for the execution of said digital files, as well as a manager of said digital files. 
     Particularly, the manager has a visual interface that enables the user to identify which applications are present in the digital TV receiver apparatus, install and/or uninstall applications, in addition to providing quick access to certain applications. 
     2. Prior Art 
     A digital TV receiver apparatus is a device capable of receiving and decoding the digital signals sent by broadcasters for presentation on a monitor. Said apparatus can be fixed (integrated to the TV set or not), portable or mobile. 
     Several applications already exist and are being developed for said receiver apparatus, and include, for example, solutions for e-business, program guides, access to stock exchange trading figures, weather forecast, games, surveys and many others. 
     In the model proposed for Brazilian digital TV, said applications are sent independently by broadcasters and received by digital receiver apparatus with support for interactivity, which are responsible for executing them. In this model, when we change channels, the current application is interrupted, and not saved, so that the application of another broadcaster can be loaded. 
     As the possibilities for interaction increase, along with the access speeds and the storage capacity of the digital TV receiver apparatus, new opportunities for the development of these applications appear. 
     In the proposed scenario, applications can be developed so that they co-exist on the digital TV receiver apparatus co-operatively in such a way that the user has a positive and satisfactory experience when using them. Furthermore, since resources are limited in digital TV receiver apparatus, there is a need to manage the applications, providing a streamlined control of said resources. 
     With this in mind, document WO 00/30346 describes a method for managing a receiver apparatus designed to manage the hardware components, such as sound and image components, memory, among others. 
     The present invention differs from this document by not being designed to manage the hardware, but rather the digital content that can be executed by the receiver apparatus. 
     The literature search revealed no documents revealing or suggesting the teachings of the present invention, to the extent that the solution proposed herein is novel and inventive in comparison with the state of the art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a digitally legible means comprising program code lines and means for executing said program code lines so as to implement, in a digital TV receiver apparatus, a digital file manager comprising a set of mechanisms accessed through a visual interface, wherein the interface enables the user to:
     a) identify which digital files are present in the digital TV receiver apparatus;   b) create an account that enables him to customize which digital files he wishes to access, and how to classify them according to his preference;   c) customize the appearance of the visual interface of the manager according to his account preferences;   d) receive and install digital files in the digital TV receiver apparatus from suitable transmission means;   e) uninstall the digital files present in the digital TV receiver apparatus;   f) see which digital files transmitted by the broadcaster have been installed in the digital TV receiver apparatus;   g) select digital files so that they have differentiated access from other digital files;   h) execute any digital files when he so wishes; and   i) combinations of the above items.   

     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of implementing a digital file manager comprising the steps of:
     a) providing a digitally legible means comprising program code lines; and   b) executing said program code lines so as to implement a digital file manager comprising a set of mechanisms (algorithms) accessed through a visual interface, wherein the interface enables the user to:
       i) identify which digital files are present in the digital TV receiver apparatus;   ii) create an account that enables him to customize which digital files he wishes to access, and how to classify them according to his preference;   iii) customize the appearance of the visual interface of the manager according to his account preferences;   iv) receive and install digital files in the digital TV receiver apparatus from suitable transmission means;   v) uninstall the digital files present in the digital TV receiver apparatus;   vi) select digital files so that they have differentiated access from other digital files;   vii) execute any digital files when he so wishes; and   viii) combinations of the above items; wherein the digitally legible means is built into the digital TV receiver apparatus.   
       

     These and other objects of the invention will be immediately appreciated by a person skilled in the art and shall now be described in sufficient detail such that they may be reproduced. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an architecture of a digital television receiver apparatus implementation that includes an application manager system for manufacturer embedded applications, user managed applications and broadcasters managed applications of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an architecture of a digital television receiver apparatus implementation that includes an application manager system for manufacturer embedded applications, user managed applications and broadcasters managed applications of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an example of a television screen layout for the user menu of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4A  is a flowchart for broadcaster managed application downloading, installing and uninstalling of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4B  is a flowchart for broadcaster managed application listing and execution of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5A  is a flowchart for user managed application downloading and installing of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5B  is a flowchart for user managed application listing and execution of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart for uninstalling user managed application of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart for manufacturer embedded application listing and execution of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The examples and figures, in which like reference numerals represent like features throughout the several views, shown herein are solely intended to exemplify one of the innumerous manners of carrying out the invention, not to limit the scope thereof. 
     Digital TV Receiver Apparatus 
     For the purposes of the present invention, the expression “digital TV receiver apparatus”  100  is understood to be any device with support for executing the digital files  104 ,  428 ,  524  capable of receiving and decoding  116  the digital TV signals sent by broadcasters  118 , for presentation on a monitor  200 . Said apparatus can be fixed (integrated to the TV set or not), portable or mobile. 
     Digital Files 
     For the purposes of the present invention, the expression “digital files” is understood to comprise interactive applications for execution on a digital TV receiver apparatus  100 . 
     Suitable Transmission Means 
     For the purposes of the present invention, the expression “suitable transmission means” is understood to be any means capable of sending digital files to the digital TV receiver apparatus. Examples of suitable means include, but are not limited to, the digital signal of a broadcaster  118  and the interactivity channel  120 . 
     Interactivity Channel 
     For the purposes of the present invention, the expression “interactivity channel”  120  is understood to be any means capable of sending digital files from or receiving digital files in the digital TV receiver apparatus  100 . An example of an interactivity channel  120  is the internet. 
     Manager of Digital Files 
     One of the most important aspects disclosed by the present invention is that it provides a solution for managing interactive applications sent by broadcasters  128  as part of the signal content of Digital TV  118  . However, the solution described by the present invention also applies to applications transmitted  112  by any interactivity channel  120  technology provided by Digital TV receiver apparatus  100 , and these applications can originate from various types of providers  130 . 
     The manager  102  of digital files of the present invention is present in a digitally legible means comprising program code lines and means for executing said program code lines so as to implement the manager of digital files comprising a visual interface, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , wherein the interface enables the user to:
     a) identify which digital files are present in the digital TV receiver apparatus  104 ,  206 ,  208 ,  304 ,  314 ,  422 ,  520 ;   b) create an account that enables him to customize which digital files he wishes to access, and to classify them according to his preference  106 ;   c) customize the appearance of the visual interface of the manager  108  according to his account preferences  110 ,  310 ;   d) receive and install digital files in the digital TV receiver apparatus from suitable transmission means  112 ,  122 ,  126 ,  128 ,  406 ,  408 ,  508 ,  510 ;   e) uninstall the digital files present in the digital TV receiver apparatus  112 ,  122 ,  126 ,  128 ,  412 ,  602 ;   f) see which digital files have been transmitted by the broadcaster and installed in the digital TV receiver apparatus  104 ,  126 ,  206 ,  208 ,  404 ,  422 ;   g) select digital files so that they have differentiated access from other digital files  104 ;   h) execute any digital files when he so wishes  104 ,  208 ,  304 ,  314 ,  428 ,  524 ; and   i) combinations of the above items. The digital file manager is built into the digital TV receiver apparatus.   

     Example 1 
     The applications manager, called “Sticker Center”, is built in by the manufacturer to the memory of the digital TV receptor, and is called by the user by a button (dedicated or not) on the remote control  420 . When called, the manager appears above a background that can be, but is not limited to, a video  202  being aired by the broadcaster currently tuned  400 , a static or animated image file, or a video file built into the receptor. 
     The essential function of the applications manager is to manage and execute different types of applications installed in the receptor  428 ,  524 ,  702 . 
     The first types of applications controlled by the manager are the utility applications installed by the user in the receptor  122 ,  314 , and as shown in  FIG. 5A  (the “stickers”). 
     The second types of applications controlled by the manager are the applications previously installed in the receptor by the manufacturer  124 ,  304  (the “prime stickers”). 
     The third type of applications controlled by the manager are the applications that are being transmitted by the digital signal of the broadcaster currently tuned  400 , and that will work only for as long as this broadcaster is tuned in (broadcaster stickers)  126 . These applications will be identified  402 , received  406  and installed  408  by the manager  128 . If the broadcaster so wishes  410 , these applications may be uninstalled  412  from the receptor by a specific command sent via digital TV signal to the manager. As shown in  FIG. 4A . 
     The icons that call these three types of applications can be seen in the applications manager, and can be displayed on the TV screen in an area for quick access (main menu)  206  or on a specific user menu called “My stickers”  302 ,  304 ,  314 . 
     The display for fast access (main menu)  206  can be shown vertically or horizontally. The limit on the screen will be  1  access icon to the user menu (My stickers)  204 ,  500  and X icons for applications compatible with the manager that are being transmitted by the signal of the broadcaster currently tuned (broadcaster stickers)  208 . 
     When the user uses the arrows of the remote control to move the navigation focus through the fast access menu (main menu) to the desired icon  208 ,  424  and press the confirmation key (OK), the corresponding application (broadcaster sticker) will be executed by the receptor  428 . 
     When the user uses the arrows of the remote control to move the navigation focus through the fast access menu (main menu) to the access the icon for the user menu (My stickers) and presses the confirmation key (OK)  500 , the user menu will appear  520 . 
     When the Sticker Center is accessed, the “broadcaster stickers” are automatically downloaded  406  by the digital signal from the TV broadcaster currently tuned  400  in and are installed  408  in the digital TV receptor in an area dedicated to installing these applications  126 , as shown in  FIG. 4A . 
     The broadcaster may uninstall these applications automatically by sending the respective digital TV command signal  410 ,  412 , for example, at the end of a certain program. 
     In relation to the display for the user menu (My Stickers) the total limit of stickers displayed  520 ,  304 ,  314  will be determined by the quantity of applications installed which, in turn, is limited by the quantity of memory  132  available in the receptor. These sticker icons  304 ,  314  can be chosen and organized by the user by way of a configuration interface. 
     When the user uses the arrows of the remote control to move the navigation focus to the desired icon  304 ,  314  and presses the confirmation key (OK)  522 , the corresponding utility application (Sticker) will be executed by the receptor  524 ,  702 . 
     During the process of navigating through the interface of the user menu, descriptive information on the “stickers” can be seen in the descriptive area  312 . 
     The applications manager enables the user&#39;s accounts to be managed  106 , and creating at least one account in the manager is an important step requested upon first access to the system. 
     Once the first account is created, it is possible to create new accounts or edit existing accounts by just accessing the accounts management area by way of the respective icon  306 . 
     Each account stores information on a given user  110 , such as the configurations of the manager, of the menu, data of each application, among others. 
     The sub-system “Sticker Shop” is accessible from the “Sticker Center”  308 ,  504 . This sub-system is stored in a dedicated server  130 , which will be accessed by way of the digital receptor through the interactivity channel  120 . It will be possible to locate, see details and make a free or paid transfer of utility applications (“stickers”) in the “Sticker Shop”  506 . The “stickers” can be downloaded via the interactivity channel  508  and executed through the digital receiver  512 ,  524 . 
     The number of applications that can be received and installed is limited by the memory of the receiver  132 .