System and method for providing update information

A system for dynamically adjusting the polling frequency of a client computer, the system comprising:

• means for sending polling interval information from a server to a client computer, the polling interval information indicating to the client computer at least in part when to request that program information items be transmitted by the remote computer to the client computer, wherein said program information items relate at least in part to one or more media items;
• means for periodically requesting from the server whether the server has new media items, the requesting period based at least in part upon the polling interval;
• means for transmitting new media items to a media renderer in the client computer based at least in part upon a determination that the server has new media content data items and/or based at least in part upon request from the client computer;
• and
• means for displaying the transmitted media items with the client computer.

A method of adjusting a client computer polling frequency, the method comprising:

• periodically requesting, based at least in part on a first polling frequency, whether a media server has new media items;
• at a client computer, receiving response data from the media server relating at least in part to one or more new media items, the response data comprising polling data at least in part representing a second polling frequency, the polling data indicating to the client computer when to request that media items be transmitted by the media server to the client computer via a network;
• at the client computer, reading the polling data;
• periodically requesting, in accordance with the second polling frequency, whether the media server has new media items, the second polling frequency representing a period of time different than the first polling frequency;
• and
• displaying the new media items.

A method of transferring content data items between a client electronic device and a remote computer comprising:

• receiving a polling interval information from the remote computer that at least in part indicates to the client electronic device when to periodically request that a content data item be transmitted by the remote computer to the client electronic device;
• periodically transmitting a request to the remote computer to indicate to the remote computer to transmit one or more additional content data items to the client electronic device, the transmission of the request being based at least in part upon the received polling interval information;
• at least in part in response to a request from the client electronic device, receiving the one or more additional content data items and a uniform resource locator (URL) indicating the address or location of one or more other content data items and/or other information related to the content data item;
• and
• displaying the received content data items and/or a URL related thereto.

A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed perform the method comprising:

• receiving a request from a client computer for one or more new program information items;
• determining a new polling interval for the client computer;
• transmitting the determined new polling interval from a server computer to the client computer;
• receiving a request from the client computer, based at least in part on said determined new polling interval, for one or more new program information items;
• and
• based at least in part on a request generated by the client computer, transmitting one or more of the new media items relate to the one or more new program information items, said request based at least in part on one or more user actions.

A method of dynamically adjusted the polling frequency between a remote computer and an electronic device, the method comprising:

• assessing network conditions:
• determining polling interval information based at least in part upon the assessed network conditions, said polling interval information operative to indicate to the electronic device when to transmit a request indicating that one or more content indicators be transmitted by the remote computer to the electronic device, said one or more content indicators comprising information at least in part relating to one or more media items;
• sending the determined polling interval information from the remote computer to the electronic device;
• periodically receiving requests for one or more content indicators and/or one or more media items at the remote computer from the electronic device via a network, wherein a length of time between requests being based at least in part upon the determined polling interval information;
• and
• transmitting media items to the electronic device for display in response to one or more requests.

A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed performs the method comprising:

• assessing network conditions;
• determining polling interval information based at least in part upon the assessed network conditions, the polling interval information indicating to a client computer when to request that one or more content indicators be transmitted by a remote computer to the client computer, said one or more content indicators comprising information at least in part relating to one or more media items;
• sending the polling interval information relating to the determined periodic polling interval from the remote computer to the client computer;
• periodically receiving requests for one or more content indicators and/or media items from the client computer, the length of time between request being based at least in part upon the polling interval information;
• and
• transmitting one or more media items to the client computer in response to one or more requests.

A computer readable storage media storing instructions that when executed perform the method comprising:

• receiving a polling interval information from a remote computer that indicates to a client electronic device when to periodically request one or more content indictors and/or one or more content data item be transmitted by the remote computer to the client electronic device;
• periodically requesting from the remote computer, based at least in part upon the received polling interval information, that the remote computer transmit at least an additional content indicator and/or content data item to the client electronic device;
• receiving the additional content indicator and/or content data item and a uniform resource locator (URL) indicating the address or location of other information related to the content data item;
• and
• displaying the received content indicator and/or content data items and the URL related thereto.