Method and apparatus for providing information through network

Abstract

Provided is a method and apparatus for providing information through a network. The method of providing information through a network includes: setting correspondence relations between first information, that is provided in a network site and a user wants to acquire through the network, and the appearance of an application; requesting a server for the first information and receiving a response; analyzing second information included in the response; and displaying the second information by manipulating the appearance of the application, according to the correspondence relations without visiting the network site or activating another application.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION[0001]This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0040943, filed on Apr. 26, 2007, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]Methods and apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to providing information through a network, and more particularly, to displaying information provided through a network by manipulating the appearance of an application.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]A change from a related art passive information exchange method of responding to an information request from a user to technologies proposed with a trend of Web 2.0 such as Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication (RSS), Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX), and Wiki services shows that user attention has become focused on active participation and active inter...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The present invention provides an information acquisition method and apparatus for solving an inconvenience of operating a web browser and visiting a web site every time time-varying information needs to be acquired, omitting an additional application besides an application that is currently used by a user or screen allocation in order to extendedly apply information acquisition and display technology to a general network-based electronic appliance, and visually simplifying the provided information so that it is easily provided, thereby increasing convenience for a user and enabling natural user recognition. In addition, the present invention also provides functions of both setting and managing correspondence relations between the acquired information and the appearances of the applications.

Problems solved by technology

When information is provided through a web browser and the information includes time-dependent factors that vary according to time, the user must inconveniently visit a corresponding web site every time and check content in order to obtain updated information.

In addition, when information is provided through an additional web application, due to space occupied by the additional application, there is an inconvenience of hiding a screen of a basic application.

However, there still is the inconvenience of having to execute an additional web application or hide a screen of a basic application of the user due to additional screen occupation.

Therefore, there is inconvenience in that a flexible link with external data is difficult and functions of providing information changed by the flexible link cannot be set together.

In addition, in consideration of a general electronic appliance such as an Internet protocol television (IPTV) connected through a network, instead of in a related art personal computer (PC)-based environment, the inconvenience increases.

Similarly, in the method using a web application, there is a problem in that an additional application is executed or a part of a screen of a basic application is hidden.

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