System and method for managing applications and media content of a wireless communication device

Abstract

A wireless communication device ( 104 ) for providing channel information is described. The device comprises a housing having a first display ( 1008 ) and a second display ( 1006 ), a memory ( 206 ) and a processor ( 204 ). The housing has a first position ( 1002 ) exposing the first and second displays and a second position ( 1004 ) covering the first display and exposing the second display. The memory ( 206 ) stores a plurality of applications and/or media content that may be shown by the second display ( 1006 ). The processor ( 204 ) changes operation of the second display ( 1006 ) from one application to another and/or the media content shown by the second display from one media content to another. Also, applications and/or content of the second display ( 1006 ) may be managed by a control panel application of the first display ( 1008 ).

1 . A wireless communication device for providing media objects comprising: 
 a display including at least one display area; and    a container associated with each display area, each container being associated with a plurality of channels of media content and configured to provide one channel of the plurality of channels of media content at the corresponding display area at any given time.    
   
   
       2 . The wireless communication device of  claim 1 , further comprising a carousel configured to cycle through the plurality of channels associated with a particular container, the plurality of channels being shown by the corresponding display area over a one-cycle period.  
   
   
       3 . The wireless communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the container provides the single channel of media content at the corresponding display area at any given time during an idle mode.  
   
   
       4 . The wireless communication device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one plug-in associated with the container, each plug-in being configured to provide functionality to manage at least one channel of the plurality of channels of media content.  
   
   
       5 . The wireless communication device of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an external display, separate from the display, including an external display area; and    another container, associated with the external display area, configured to provide another channel of media content at the external display area.    
   
   
       6 . A method for a wireless communication device for providing media objects comprising: 
 associating a container with a display area of a display and a plurality of channels of media content; and    providing one channel of the plurality of channels of media content at the display area at any given time.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising cycling through the plurality of channels associated with the container at the corresponding display area over a one-cycle period.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein providing one channel of the plurality of channels of media content at the display area at any given time includes providing the one channel at any given time during an idle mode.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising associating at least one plug-in associated with the container to provide functionality to manage at least one channel of the plurality of channels of media content.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising providing another channel of media content at external display area.  
   
   
       11 . A wireless communication device for providing media objects comprising: 
 a fetcher configured to receive a plurality of channels of media content and properties associated with the channels from a remote device;    a content cache configured to store the plurality of channels and properties associated with the channels; and    a display configure to provide the media content of at least one channel, in accordance with the properties associated with the channels, after the plurality of channels are stored by the content cache.    
   
   
       12 . The wireless communication device of  claim 11 , wherein the fetcher communicates with the remote device vie a wireless link.  
   
   
       13 . The wireless communication device of  claim 11 , wherein the display provides the media content during an idle mode of the device.  
   
   
       14 . The wireless communication device of  claim 11 , further comprising a carousel configured to cycle through the plurality of channels at the display over a one-cycle period.  
   
   
       15 . The wireless communication device of  claim 11 , wherein the properties associated with the channels include a type of display template associated with each channel.  
   
   
       16 . A method for a wireless communication device for providing media objects comprising: 
 receiving a plurality of channels of media content and properties associated with the channels from a remote device;    storing the plurality of channels and properties associated with the channels; and    providing the media content of at least one channel, in accordance with the properties associated with the channels, after storing the plurality of channels.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein receiving a plurality of channels of media content and properties associated with the channels from a remote device includes receiving the plurality of channels of media content and the properties associated with the channels via wireless link.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein providing the media content of at least one channel, in accordance with the properties associated with the channels, after storing the plurality of channels includes providing the media content during an idle mode of the device.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising cycling through the plurality of channels over a one-cycle period.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein receiving a plurality of channels of media content and properties associated with the channels from a remote device includes receiving a type of display template associated with each channel.  
   
   
       21 . The method for a wireless communication system for providing media objects comprising: 
 collecting channels of media content from at least one media provider;    storing a list of the channels of media content;    providing the list of the channel of media content to a remote device;    receiving channel selections from the remote device; and    delivering the channels of media content corresponding to the channel selects to the remote device.    
   
   
       22 . The wireless communication system of  claim 21 , wherein collecting channels of media content includes receiving the channels of media content directly from media providers and indirectly from media providers via a content aggregator.  
   
   
       23 . The wireless communication system of  claim 22 , wherein the content aggregator formats channels of media content received from media providers in a common format.  
   
   
       24 . The wireless communication system of  claim 23 , wherein the common format is XML.  
   
   
       25 . The wireless communication system of  claim 21 , wherein each of providing the list of the channel of media content to a remote device, receiving channel selections from the remote device, and delivering the channels of media content corresponding to the channel selects to the remote device includes communicating with the remote device via a wireless link.  
   
   
       26 . A wireless communication device for providing channel information comprising: 
 a housing having a first display and a second display, the housing having a first position exposing the first and second displays and a second position covering the first display and exposing the second display;    a memory configured to store a plurality of media objects that may be shown by the second display; and    a processor, coupled to the second display, configured to change operation of the second display from one media object to another.    
   
   
       27 . The wireless communication device of  claim 26 , wherein each media object is one of a media content and an application.  
   
   
       28 . The wireless communication device of  claim 26 , wherein the processor cycles through the plurality of applications in a particular order and causes the second display to change in accordance with the predetermined order.  
   
   
       29 . The wireless communication device of  claim 26 , further comprising a sensor supported by the housing and coupled to the processor, wherein the processor changes operation of the second display in response to an activation of the sensor.  
   
   
       30 . The wireless communication device of  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 a first sensor, supported by the housing and coupled to the processor, configured to cause the processor to cycle through the plurality of applications one-by-one in a particular order; and    a second sensor, supported by the housing and coupled to the processor, configured to cause the processor to cycle through the plurality of applications one-by-one in an order opposite the particular order.    
   
   
       31 . The wireless communication device of  claim 30 , further comprising a select key, coupled to the processor, configured to interact with a media object currently shown by the second display.  
   
   
       32 . The wireless communication device of  claim 30 , wherein the processor executes automatically a particular application when operation of the second display is changed to the particular application.  
   
   
       33 . The wireless communication device of  claim 30 , wherein the processor terminates automatically a particular application when operation of the second display is changed from the particular application.  
   
   
       34 . The wireless communication device of  claim 30 , further comprising a user interface supported by the housing and coupled to the processor, wherein the processor changes operation of the second display to a default application when a predetermined time period of inactivity at the user interface is detected.  
   
   
       35 . The wireless communication device of  claim 30 , wherein the first display is configured to operate at least one configuration setting that controls operation of the second display.