Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer conferencing – Demand based messaging
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-06
2004-03-16
Luu, Le Hien (Department: 2141)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer conferencing
Demand based messaging
C709S203000, C709S207000, C709S218000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06708203
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
Broadly this invention relates to computers and operator interfaces. More particularly, this invention relates to the field of interaction between a class of microprocessor-based machines including computers and consumer electronics, and operator(s) of these microprocessor-based machines during the times of operator-machine latency.
2. Description of the Related Art
The field of computers and operator interfaces continues to develop. The typical components of a personal computer will be briefly reviewed.
FIG. 2
is a block diagram of the principal components of a personal computer (PC)
200
. The PC's processing is controlled by a central processing unit (CPU)
203
. The CPU
203
receives its electrical power from a power supply
205
and its performance is, at least in part, determined by the speed of a clocking
207
. The CPU
203
must control the data and process it as it is passed from the input/output controller
215
and the memory controller
209
. The memory controller interfaces between the dynamic random access memory (DRAM)
213
and the read only memory (ROM)
211
. The input/output controller
215
interfaces with a feature bus
217
. On a feature bus there may be any type of optional non-volatile data storage, optional communication device, or optional processing control devices. The non-volatile types of storage are either non-removable, such as a hard disk drive
223
, or removable, such as a PCMCIA card or smart card port
225
(credit card size cards), removable media drive
221
, which accepts such media as a floppy disk
245
CD (compact disks), Zip™ disks, or, in fact, any type or kind of removable media. Optional high speed communication with a PC is accomplished using wired ports, such as a serial or parallel port
227
, or an universal serial bus (USB)
231
, or local area network (LAN) connection
233
. Optional wireless communication with the PC
200
is accomplished by such ports as an infra-red data attached (IRDA) port
229
. The operator receives real time processing results from the multimedia Interface
235
, which are the combinations of the PC display and the speaker(s). The operator controls the PC by a Keyboard and mouse
219
. This entire system, known as a hardware platform
237
must work in cooperation with a PC operating system
239
. Operating systems include Microsoft Windows NT, Apple System
7
, IBM OS/2, or equivalent. Application software
243
is any program designed to run on a PC operating system
239
. In addition, the application software stores on the Hard Disk Drive certain files or messages
241
, such as the operating system
239
and start and stop screens.
The operations of the principal components of the hardware platform
237
, operating system
239
, and applications software
243
are well known. The cold boot-up of a PC, such as PC hardware platform
237
, is known. It should be understood that the principal components of the PC
200
are not limited to any specific hardware platform
237
, or specific operating system
239
, or specific application
243
. The PC
200
can be implemented in a wide a variety of hardware, operating system or software, within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.
A variety of applications
243
can run on the PC hardware platform
237
. One example application is a word processing program. If the PC is used for word processing, the user enters text. Thereafter, changes and improvements are made and printed very easily without re-typing the entire document. However, the user must wait for this printing. There are other examples of PC applications, including spreadsheets that speed up accounting, and database programs that track data, and graphic programs that ease and improve presentation and publishing. In all cases there are times of waiting, be it during the start of the application, printing, calculations, file management, communication with other devices and other microprocessor-based events.
Many people would argue that as PC technology continues to improve the hardware and software, the operations will be faster and there will be less waiting. However as most of the PC market place upgraded from DOS, to Windows 3.x, and then to Windows 95 operating systems, the waiting became even longer. The simple operation of turning starting-up or shuttling-down the PC
200
can take several minutes each day.
FIG. 3
illustrates a flow diagram of the PC of
FIG. 2
during a cold start-up or boot-up
300
. During this start-up flow, the PC user is waiting for the machine to finish the start-up flow of FIG.
3
. This wait time for a cold start up can take several minutes. The flow diagram begins with step
301
, wherein the user decides to start the PC from a completely powered off state. The power is turned on and a self-test and BIOS software routines are completed
303
. Then the operating system “Start screen” graphic is displayed on the screen
305
. For example, “Start Screen” or “Splash Screen” is a well known Microsoft Windows
95
banner.
FIG. 4
contains an example of this. The PC operator must wait for the completion of the loading of the operating system
307
, during this time the operator is viewing FIG.
4
. Finally, the “Start” screen is replaced with the PC's “desk Top”
309
. The user is provided only the status of the PC starting, and no other additional information to inform, to entertain, or to educate the user during this start-up process. Accordingly, a need exists to provide a PC user during startup additional information.
During shutdown of a PC, a similar scenario happens. When the operator decides to turn off the PC, such as preformed in Windows 95 or Windows NT, the operator clicks on “Start”, then “Shut-down”. Then, the operator views a screen such as that shown in
FIG. 5
, which contains the Windows shut-down screen, during the shut down of the operating system. The time period for shut down can range from several seconds to several minutes depending on the hardware platform
237
and associated operating system
239
. The user is provided information only on the status of the shutdown process. No other information is provided, therefore it would be desirable to better utilize the time spent during shut down.
FIG. 6
illustrates a the principal components of a TV
600
. The operation of a TV is well understood. The TV's electronics
603
is almost a completely analog mixed signal, however, modern TV's have such functions as picture in a picture and, in fact, in the future will be converted totally to digital with the up coming High Definition Television (HDTV). The TV has an electrical power supply
617
. The TV has a video display
605
. The TV provides for audio with one or more speakers
607
. The TV has a TV control unit
609
, which is the TV channel selector, volume, and other user settings. The TV must receive a signal, which may real time (live) broadcasts from an antenna, cable, or satellite
611
. Alternatively, the TV may have a pre-recorded input from a VCR or digital video disk (DVD)
613
input. Finally, the TV may have an optional remote control
615
.
When a TV is powered on, there is a brief wait as the TV's electronics and display tube heats up and the picture comes into focus. During this time the TV operator is waiting for confirmation that the TV is displaying the desired program. Once the TV is viewed to be on by the operator, there may be additional waiting if the user then selects a pay-per-view TV program. This wait can take thirty seconds to a minute. The user is presented no additional information, to entertain or to educate them. Accordingly, a need exists to provide TV users additional information during idle time.
FIG. 7
illustrates the principal components of a telephone
700
. The phone electronics
701
sends and receives information from the antenna or wire connection
703
. This information is decoded from an analog or digital signal, presented to a speaker
705
, and gathered from a microphone
707
. The key pad
709
is used to “
Makar Michael G.
Mosley Joseph M.
Tindall Tracy A.
Fleit Kain Gibbons Gutman Bongini & Bianco P.L.
Gibbons Jon A.
Luu Le Hien
The DelFin Project, Inc.
Willeh Stephan
LandOfFree
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