Apparatus and methods for retrieving/ downloading content on a communication device

A method for retrieving content on a communication device, comprising:

• obtaining a presentation area size of a display on a first communication device;
• transmitting a first content request associated with a list of content items having a first number of content items to a second communication device located across a communications network, the transmitted first content request requesting a first portion of content sized to fit the presentation area size of the display in a single view;
• receiving the first portion of content from the second communication device in response to the first content request, wherein the first portion of content is retrieved in a foreground process and comprises a second number of content items from the list of content items that is different from the first number of content items, wherein the second number of content items is determined to concurrently fit into the presentation area size of the display when presented by the display in a list format, wherein the second number of content items comprises an ordered set of a plurality of content items each having a respective weighting factor, and wherein an order of the plurality of content items in the ordered set is based on the respective weighting factors;
• storing the first portion of content in a memory of the first communication device;
• and
• generating a second content request to retrieve at least one supplemental data item corresponding to the first portion of content in a background process.

At least one processor for retrieving content on a communication device, comprising:

• a first hardware module for obtaining a presentation area size of a display on a first communication device;
• a second module for transmitting a first content request associated with a list of content items having a first number of content items to a second communication device located across a communications network, the transmitted first content request requesting a first portion of content sized to fit the presentation area size of the display in a single view;
• a third module for receiving the first portion of content from the second communication device in response to the first content request, wherein the first portion of content is retrieved in a foreground process and comprises a second number of content items from the list of content items that is different from the first number of content items, wherein the second number of content items is determined to concurrently fit into the presentation area size of the display when presented by the display in a list format, wherein the second number of content items comprises an ordered set of a plurality of content items each having a respective weighting factor, and wherein an order of the plurality of content items in the ordered set is based on the respective weighting factors;
• a fourth module for storing the first portion of content in a memory of the first communication device;
• and
• a fifth module for generating a second content request to retrieve at least one supplemental data item corresponding to the first portion of content in a background process.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
• at least one instruction for causing a computer to obtain a presentation area size of a display on a first communication device;
• at least one instruction for causing the computer to transmit a first content request associated with a list of content items having a first number of content items to a second communication device located across a communications network, the transmitted first content request requesting a first portion of content sized to fit the presentation area size of the display in a single view;
• at least one instruction for causing the computer to receive the first portion of content from the second communication device in response to the first content request, wherein the first portion of content is retrieved in a foreground process and comprises a second number of content items from the list of content items that is different from the first number of content items, wherein the second number of content items is determined to concurrently fit into the presentation area size of the display when presented by the display in a list format, wherein the second number of content items comprises an ordered set of a plurality of content items each having a respective weighting factor, and wherein an order of the plurality of content items in the ordered set is based on the respective weighting factors;
• at least one instruction for causing the computer to store the first portion of content in a memory of the first communication device
• at least one instruction for causing the computer to generate a second content request to retrieve at least one supplemental data item corresponding to the first portion of content in a background process.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for obtaining a presentation area size of a display on a first communication device;
• means for transmitting a first content request associated with a list of content items having a first number of content items to a second communication device located across a communications network, the transmitted first content request requesting a first portion of content sized to fit the presentation area size of the display in a single view;
• means for receiving the first portion of content from the second communication device in response to the first content request, wherein the first portion of content is retrieved in a foreground process and comprises a second number of content items from the list of content items that is different from the first number of content items, wherein the second number of content items is determined to concurrently fit into the presentation area size of the display when presented by the display in a list format, wherein the second number of content items comprises an ordered set of a plurality of content items each having a respective weighting factor, and wherein an order of the plurality of content items in the ordered set is based on the respective weighting factors;
• means for storing the first portion of content in a memory of the first communication device;
• and
• means for generating a second content request to retrieve at least one supplemental data item corresponding to the first portion of content in a background process.

A network device, comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory in communication with the processor, the memory comprising content;
• and
• a download manager module stored in the memory and having download manager logic executable by the processor to receive a first content request associated with a list of content items having a first number of content items from a communication device having a presentation area size, the received first content request requesting a first portion of content sized to fit the presentation area size of the communication device in a single view, and wherein the download manager logic is further executable by the processor to transmit the first portion of content to a foreground process executing on the communication device in response to the first content request and to receive a second content request to retrieve at least one supplemental data item corresponding to the first portion of content from a background process executing on the communication device, wherein the transmitted first portion of content comprises a second number of content items from the list of content items that is different from the first number of content items, wherein the second number of content items is determined to concurrently fit into the presentation area size of the communication device when presented by the communication device in a list format, wherein the second number of content items comprises an ordered set of a plurality of content items each having a respective weighting factor, and wherein an order of the plurality of content items in the ordered set is based on the respective weighting factors.

A method of delivering content to a communication device, comprising:

• receiving, at a computer device, a first content request associated with a list of content items having a first number of content items from the communication device having a presentation area size and located across a communications network, the received first content request requesting a first portion of content sized to fit the presentation area size of the communication device in a single view;
• transmitting, to a foreground process executing on the communication device, the requested first portion of content in response to the first content request, wherein the transmitted first portion of content comprises a second number of content items from the list of content items that is different from the first number of content items, wherein the second number of content items is determined to concurrently fit into the presentation area size of the communication device when presented by the communication device in a list format, wherein the second number of content items comprises an ordered set of a plurality of content items each having a respective weighting factor, and wherein an order of the plurality of content items in the ordered set is based on the respective weighting factors;
• and
• receiving, at the computer device, a second content request to retrieve at least one supplemental data item corresponding to the first portion of content from a background process executing on the communication device.

At least one processor configured to deliver content to a communication device, comprising:

• a first hardware module for receiving a first content request associated with a list of content items having a first number of content items from the communication device having a presentation area size and located across a communications network, the received first content request requesting a first portion of content sized to fit the presentation area size of the communication device in a single view;
• a second module for transmitting, to a foreground process executing on the communication device, the requested first portion of content in response to the first content request, wherein the transmitted first portion of content comprises a second number of content items from the list of content items that is different from the first number of content items, wherein the second number of content items is determined to concurrently fit into the presentation area size of the communication device when presented by the communication device in a list format, wherein the second number of content items comprises an ordered set of a plurality of content items each having a respective weighting factor, and wherein an order of the plurality of content items in the ordered set is based on the respective weighting factors;
• and
• a third module for receiving a second content request to retrieve at least one supplemental data item corresponding to the first portion of content from a background process executing on the communication device.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
• at least one instruction for causing a computer to receive a first content request associated with a list of content items having a first number of content items from a communication device having a presentation area size and located across a communications network, the received first content request requesting a first portion of content sized to fit the presentation area size of the communication device in a single view;
• at least one instruction for causing the computer to transmit, to a foreground process executing on the communication device, the requested first portion of content in response to the first content request, wherein the transmitted first portion of content comprises a second number of content items from the list of content items that is different from the first number of content items, wherein the second number of content items is determined to concurrently fit into the presentation area size of the communication device when presented by the communication device in a list format, wherein the second number of content items comprises an ordered set of a plurality of content items each having a respective weighting factor, and wherein an order of the plurality of content items in the ordered set is based on the respective weighting factors;
• and
• at least one instruction for causing the computer to receive a second content request to retrieve at least one supplemental data item corresponding to the first portion of content from a background process executing on the communication device.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for receiving a first content request associated with a list of content items having a first number of content items from a communication device having a presentation area size and located across a communications network, the received first content request requesting a first portion of content sized to fit the presentation area size of the communication device in a single view;
• means for transmitting, to a foreground process executing on the communication device, the requested first portion of content in response to the first content request, wherein the transmitted first portion of content comprises a second number of content items from the list of content items that is different from the first number of content items, wherein the second number of content items is determined to concurrently fit into the presentation area size of the communication device when presented by the communication device in a list format, wherein the second number of content items comprises an ordered set of a plurality of data items each having a respective weighting factor, and wherein an order of the plurality of content items in the ordered set is based on the respective weighting factors;
• and
• means for receiving a second content request to retrieve at least one supplemental data item corresponding to the first portion of content from a background process executing on the communication device.

A method for retrieving content on a client device, comprising:

• obtaining a presentation area size of a display associated with the client device;
• determining a number of content items from a list of content items that can concurrently fit into the presentation area size of the display;
• configuring a first content request to request a first set of content items from the list of content items, wherein a given number of content items in the first set of content items is based on the determined number;
• transmitting the first content request in a foreground process, the transmitted first content request requesting the first set of content items sized to fit the presentation area size of the display in a single view;
• receiving, in the foreground process, the first set of content items in response to the first content request;
• presenting the first set of content items on the display;
• and
• generating a second content request to retrieve at least one supplemental data item corresponding to at least one of the first set of content items in a background process.

A method for provisioning content from a server device to a client device, comprising:

• receiving a first content request from a foreground process executing on the client device, wherein the first content request requests a first set of content items from a list of content items sized to fit a presentation area size of a display associated with the client device in a single view, wherein a given number of content items in the first set of content items is based upon a number of content items determined to concurrently fit into the presentation area size of the display associated with the client device;
• transmitting the first set of content items to the foreground process executing on the client device in response to the first content request;
• and
• receiving a second content request to retrieve at least one supplemental data item corresponding to at least one of the first set of content items from a background process executing on the client device.